Special Election Alert: Coakley Supporters Wrap Cameraman Up in Campaign Sign

Senate Campaign Heats Up in Massachusetts; Coakley Supporters Wrap Cameraman Up in Campaign Sign

By Robert Romano

January 18^th, 2010, Springfield, MA—A cameraman working on a ballot integrity initiative with Americans for Limited Government Foundation was wrapped up in a large Martha Coakley campaign sign by her supporters as he tried to video the campaign rally.

YOUTUBE VIDEO FOOTAGE

Coakley supporters wrap ALG Foundation cameraman Erich Heyssel in sign:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeDVVZUC2jI

Coakley supporters wrap Erich Heyssel in sign (Erich's point of view):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMczwgN3CU8

Coakley supporters wrap Watchdog.org reporter Paul Soutar in sign:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYeMFPZpnDc

According to Erich Heyssel, who was attempting to film a Coakley campaign event, "While filming at a Martha Coakley event I was approached by two men holding a 4×8 sign. They proceeded to hold the sign up in my line of sight, I tried to move, and was continuously blocked by these men and their sign."

Heyssel continued, "The situation escalated as they forcibly held me in place by wrapping the sign around me."

Dan Tripp, the project leader for Americans for Limited Government Foundation's coverage of the Massachusetts special election, defended Heyssel, saying, "Martha Coakley needs to calm down her bullies."

Tripp said "things could get ugly out there tomorrow as tensions rise in this close election.  As we seek to identify, publicize and prevent election fraud tomorrow, I have instructed my crews to travel in teams.  If Erich had been alone, this could have been worse."

As previously reported at Washington News Alert, Americans for Limited Government Foundation launched a ballot integrity initiative in Massachusetts last Friday.

The initiative features over 40 members of a media team working with poll watchers in targeted precincts across Massachusetts.  Once the polls open, a real-time news stream of ballot integrity initiative activities can be viewed at www.washingtonnewsalert.com.

Robert Romano is the Washington News Alert Bureau Chief.

http://washingtonalert.org/?p=854

Special Election Alert: Springfield Union Locals Come Out for Coakley

Springfield Union Locals Come Out for Coakley

By Paul Soutar/KansasWatchdog.org

The Service Employees International Union local 1199 in Springfield is coordinating a canvassing campaign to support Mattha Coakley, the Massachusetts Attorney General, running for the Senate Seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.

Ten volunteers went out this morning, each canvassing 30 to 40 houses according to a volunteer coordinator who said he expects more than 50 volunteers to show up today, most working for more than one shift.

Canvassers will ask if any voters at home intend to vote, encourage them to vote for Coakley and ask them to take other voters in the home to the polls.

Peter Matcovich arrived from Albany, New York, this morning to work for Coakley at the SEIU office. He said he received several emails a week through.

Matcovich said maintaining the supermajority in the Senate is important. "The Republicans are a solid block and stick together. Each individual Republican does not vote the way they feel. They go along with the party."

"I hope that some form of health care passes. Apparently that isn't going to happen unless the 60 votes hold together," Matcovich said during an interview at the SEIU local at 20 Maple Street in Springfield. He said he doesn't expect to get exactly the legislation he wants because there have to be, "extreme compromises to hold them together."

Michael LaFleur, business manager for the 400-member Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 63 said many trades union members are being directed to the AFL-CIO operations to make phone calls, "even to neighbors with Brown stickers."

"Because of the recession a lot of our out-of-work members are involved. We're reaching out to retired members too," he said.

He said local members definitely see the importance of the election and electing a Senator who supports labor. "They want to maintain democratic leadership in the state of Massachusetts."

The Brotherhood of Carpenters local 108 displays a large Martha Coakley campaign sign across the street from the Forest Park Middle School at 46 Oakland Street. Rocky Thompson, an employee at the union office, referred questions about the local's activities to the New England Regional Council of Carpenters but did say phone bank and canvassing activities are planned.

http://washingtonalert.org/?p=847

Special Election Alert: Healthcare Bill Splits Voters More Than Candidates

Special Election Alert: Healthcare bill splits voters more than candidates

By Ashley Badgley

BOSTON — Vietnamese pharmacy owner Tuan Q. Tran has been in the United States since 1981.

His life in Vietnam lacked freedom and privilege, he said, and he risked his life to reach the United States 29 years ago.

In the window of Tran's pharmacy, Kinny Pharmacy, on Dorchester Ave., a Scott Brown campaign sign hangs prominently.

Tran said he doesn't just support Brown's politics, but believes there should be a Republican representing Massachusetts in the Senate as well as a Democrat. He said he respect's Martha Coakley and her campaign and is happy that he has a right to choose who he thinks would be a more effective leader.

"If there is one party, the power is abused," Tran said. "I think it's about time to have a Republican in the Senate. I love the democratic system and I can get involved, compared to Vietnam. We left Vietnam because we don't like political monopolies. We want checks and balances."

The big factor in Tuesday's election is the healthcare bill, Tran said, and he does not support it.

Coakley supporter Austin Gardner-Smith said he believes in the healthcare bill and what Coakley stands for. He and Tran said the healthcare bill, and not necessarily the candidate, is what it most important.

"I think it's important to get the healthcare bill through," Gardner-Smith said. "It is important."

Like Tran, Gardner-Smith said he respects the opposing candidate and thinks Brown ran a clean campaign.

In terms of who is going to win the election, Gardner-Smith said he doesn't know what is going to happen, but that it "depends on the western part of the state."

"[Brown] has a chance," He said. "But I really don't know."

Ashley Badgley is a reporter for Watchdog.org.

http://washingtonalert.org/?p=813

WNA - 116,483 registered voters in Massachusetts are dead

"We see dead people": 116,483 registered voters in Massachusetts are dead

By Robert Romano

January 18th, 2010, Woburn, MA—116, 483 registered Massachusetts voters are dead, according to an analysis conducted by Aristotle International, Inc. a software and digital database developer.

As reported by CNS News, "In Massachusetts, 116,483 registered voters are dead, 3.38 percent of the state's total of registered voters. Another 538,567, or 15.6 percent, had moved to an area outside of where they are registered to vote."

Americans for Limited Government Foundation's project leader, Dan Tripp, is on the ground in Massachusetts monitoring the special election, and said that "for fraudsters, it's a numbers game. It only takes a few hundred people voting at multiple locations to change the outcome of any statewide election, including Massachusetts' special senatorial election."

Generally, in Massachusetts, voters need to provide a name and address associated with the voting list at the polling location in order to vote. There is no voter ID requirement unless a voter registered after 2003 by mail and is a first-time voter.

According to Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson, "The implication of dead people showing up at the polls means that it's no longer sufficient to win an election with a simple majority. Now, candidates need a 4 or 5 point swing just to pad against potential fraud."

"And that undermines our free form of government at its very core," Wilson concluded.

Robert Romano is the Washington News Alert Bureau Chief.



News Alert: Forces Converge on Massachusetts in Special Election

By Frank Keegan on January 17, 2010

By Frank Keegan, Editor of Watchdog.org

WOBURN, Mass. — Canadian Fred Taggert shook his head Sunday night as he watched the group of about 20 young people bustling around in the lobby of the Hampton Inn here tapping laptops and reading through official Secretary of State election rules.

"This is amazing," he said. "What's going on?"

Told it was a gathering of citizens intent on monitoring the Tuesday election for the late Sen, Edward M. Kennedy's seat, the consultant from Toronto said, "You'd never see anything like this in Canada."

He said, "we will have poll watchers in every targeted precinct … to identify, publicize and prevent election fraud."

The race between Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown is drawing media attention and political forces from around the nation as recent polls reveal a chance Brown could win the seat held for 47 years by Kennedy.

Massachusetts Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, and gave John Kerry a 1 million vote margin in the last Senate election.

The recent rise of Brown in polling is admitted by both parties to be a phenomenon indicating a fundamental shift in the political landscape.

Pres. Obama came to the state Sunday to rally Democrats for Coakley, the Attorney General.

According to Tripp, "the Coakley campaign is bringing people in from other states because the Democrats are so demoralized by her campaign."

He said, "I lived here for several years in the early '90s, so I have a sense of the machine here."

Tripp described ALG as "a nonprofit Fairfax, Va., based organization that likes to pick fights so we can limit the size of government."

He said it is "absolutely nonpartisan," adding, "everybody is in favor of honest elections."

A key national issue in the race is Democrat's loss of the veto-proof 60^th vote on the national health-care bill.

Taggert, who is staying at the hotel while here on business, said as a recipient of Canada's government health-care program he finds that interesting. "You know, with two kids, and I've had surgeries, we've never had a bill. You get care. But I pay 51 percent taxes."

Reporters from the Franklin Center on Government and Public Integrity and its Watchdog affiliates are in Massachusetts covering the election.

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