While Democrats are working to find good candidates and hard working volunteers while trying to raise badly needed funds, Republican are busy trying to find new ways to suppress the vote of Floridians who are most likely to support Democratic candidates.

Using Republican manure, Rick Scott and the Florida legislature are very busy fertilizing Florida voting grounds in preparation for the 2012 elections.  They have already passed into laws, what many refer to as “the Voter Suppression Bill” (House Bill 1355) while also trying their best to sabotage implementation of voter approved redistricting efforts. (DOE Memo regarding election changes)

In 2000 Al Gore “lost” because of election results manipulation, and this time it seems the intent of the Florida Republican controlled legislature is to make sure President Obama does not win re-election in Florida by manipulating voting laws.

As someone who handles voter database (for over 20 years) I have absolutely no doubt that Republican voter database analysts have worked hard on computer model (and still are) so to find and implement targeted legislation in an attempt to effectively insure a 2012 Republican victory in a State where in numbers, Democratic voter exceed Republican voters.

The republican controlled Florida legislature argument that very restrictive implementation of third party voter registration was needed to prevent voter fraud is ludicrous considering that, in the last 3 years, only 31 cases of alleged voter fraud were reported to Law Enforcement.

But, just like you would expect these types of dirty tactics to occur in third world countries it should come at no surprise from a legislature headed by a man whose former company,  Columbia HCA,  was charged with Medicare and Medicaid fraud and fined 1 7 billion.

This is disgusting and should notbe allowed to stand!

Earlier this month a lawsuit was filed in a Miami federal court by the Florida ACLU of Florida and Project Vote. The lawsuit argues that the elections law changes must first be cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice Department (DOJ) to ensure that they aren’t discriminatory before they can be implemented anywhere in the state. (Read ACLU Lawsuit)

This is what Estelle Rogers, a lawyer for Washington D.C.-based Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that advocates for low-income, minority, youth, and other marginalized and underrepresented voters had to say about the new law (Link)

(The law is) “foolish and un-American.”  “Laws like this one make it nearly impossible for voter registration drives to operate in Florida and it is through voter registration drives that many low-income and minority Floridians become registered,”

Until the next election voters should expect nothing but more manure from this Florida legislature

The investigation was apparently prompted by a complaint filed by former VCREC Vice-Chairman, John E. Casaburro.

 John Casaburro, 59,  of Deland, was Vice-Chair of the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee from 2008 to 2010, he also he also chaired the 2009 fundraising committee.

During the interview by the host of the program “Channel 9 Investigate”, John Casaburro made allegations of misappropriation of funds, comparing the Volusia Republican Committee situation with the Florida Republican Party scandal of 2010 in which Party Chairman Jim Greer faced six felony counts of grand theft.  Casaburro told Channel 9 Investigate “I think someone is going to go to jail”.

Because the FEC and FDLE investigation are ongoing, the actual complaints filed by Casaburro are not available to the public and VolusiaVote.com was not able to obtain copies. The Florida Election Commission findings should be available by August 2011.

It is interesting to note that beside WFTV Channel 9, ALL other local newsmedia outlets have been completely silent on this story -

John E. Casaburro

VolusiaVote.com has started its own investigation into the VCREC turmoil and found several facts, not mentioned by “Channel 9 Investigate’”. Such has, on August 27^th, 2010, John Casaburro filed a defamation lawsuit in Volusia County Circuit Court against the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed last April by John Casaburro in accordance to the terms of an interesting “Strictly confidential” (but laughable) “Mediation Settlement Agreement” Read Here

While the allegations made by Mr. Casaburro may or may not be true it should be noted the former Vice-Chairman of the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee is no stranger to political controversy.

A New York Times article published October 14, 1994 headline reads “Candidate Arrested In Prostitution Sweep” –  The article continues

A Yonkers man who tried to run for Congress but failed to win a spot on the ballot was arrested in Manhattan on Wednesday and charged with patronizing a prostitute.

John Casaburro, 43, was carrying a flier that identified him as a candidate in the 18th Congressional District race when he was arrested as part of a police sweep in the area around West 24th Street and 11th Avenue, said Sgt. Joe Gallagher. Five other men were arrested at the same time.

Casaburo had attempted to get on the ballot for the 18th Congressional District race, a seat held by Nita Lowey, a Democrat.  He had filed a petition with the State Board of Elections but  the petition was denied because it had only 273 signatures of the 3,500 signatures required.

According to  court documents related to the arrest, on the night of October 12, 1994, John E. Casaburro, a politician, house painter and contractor drove his leased truck, in which he stored the equipment used in his house painting business, to 11th Avenue and 24th Street in Manhattan. There, he encountered a woman with whom he discussed “oral sex and money.”  Casaburro was subsequently “surrounded by police” and learned that the woman with whom he had been conversing was an undercover police officer.  Casaburro was arrested for solicitation of a prostitute, his truck and tools were seized, and he was brought to the 10th Precinct

Casaburro ultimately pled guilty to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to one day of community service, attendance at a health education/prostitution class, and a fine of $ 45.00.

The FEC and FDLE investigation might very well be the tip of the iceberg for the Volusia County Executive Committee.

Stay tuned…

It has been a while since I’ve last posted on this blog. Last November my good friend Joyce Cusack beat Margie Patchett by a comfortable margin and subsequently I took a long political nap. The Cusack victory was an exception – Unlike in 2008, the 2010 democratic voter turnout was low the result – a bad year for most progressive candidates. 

But, 2012 looks really good for progressive. 

The Republican Party is in disarray and as yet to showcase a single viable presidential candidate. The tug of war between the Republican Party and the Tea Party  and the resulting shift to the extreme right is causing many moderate Republicans to leave the party.

Tea Party supported Rick Scott has been a blessing in disguise for state democrats. According to a March 2011 Quinnipiac poll his approval rate is at 35% with sixteen percent of polled voters who said they voted for Scott also indicated they would switch to Sink, and 21 percent of Republicans said the same.

 In 2012, I predict a Tea Party endorsement may become the proverbial “kiss of death” for candidates.

Tea Party Activist County Council Candidate, Margie Patchett is well known for her loud anti-government political rhetoric. She makes a lot of unsubstantiated claims that so far, have never been challenged by any of our local media.

However, last Wednesday she made a claim that will not go unchallenged.

On August 4^th, Patchett was making a radio appearance on the WELE 1380AM mid-day radio show hosted  by Paul Carpanella when she begin listing groups who she claimed were supporting her and she included “democrat club(s)” (Audio).

The idea that any Democratic club is supporting Margie Patchett a candidate who is clearly identified as a Tea Party, 912’er darling is totally ridiculous.

Soon after the statement I emailed Margie Patchett to inform her of my intention to challenge her claim and asked that she provide “any written statement(s) of support from any democratic club(s).”

It should be noted that under Florida Election Laws “it is unlawful for any candidate or person on behalf of a candidate to represent that any person or organization supports such candidate, unless the person or organization so represented has given specific approval in writing to the candidate to make such representation.”

This law was enacted to protect the public from unscrupulous candidates who make false claims of support.

Margie did not respond to the request so I contacted all Volusia County Democratic Clubs (and the Volusia County Democratic executive Committee) and provided them with the audio recording of her claim.

They unanimously denied any support for Margie Patchett and affirmed that they are supporting Patchett’s opponent, former State Representative Joyce Cusack.  

I emailed Margie Patchett a second time and provided her with an audio copy of her statement and the written response from Democratic Clubs and asked again that she provide documentation of support or issue a public retraction.

So far, Margie Patchett has declined to respond.

Ms. Patchett should realize very soon that ignoring this situation is not a good political strategy. The press has requested copies of the audio and emails, and in the next few days the County Democratic Executive Committee will likely file a complaint against her.

Margie Patchett should come clean by providing statement of support or retract her claim..