Rival press conferences were held last Friday in Downtown Houston as details continue to emerge about what appears to be a campaign of suppression and intimidation against poor and minority voters by conservatives in Houston and Harris County, Texas.
One press conference was held by the non-partisan voter registration group Houston Votes, while the other was conducted by a right-wing group called the Liberty Institute and a local tea party outfit. I attended both events.
(Above--Houston Votes head Fred Lewis speaks at Friday's pess event.)
The Liberty Institute, a Tea Party group called King Street Patriots, and lame duck Harris County Republican Tax-Assessor Collector Leo Vasquez appear to all be hard at work to discredit the ongoing Houston Votes registration drive in Harris County. ( Mr. Vasquez was defeated in the Republican primary earlier this year. At the time, he thought one reason he had lost among Republican primary voters was that he is Hispanic.)
Houston Votes is seeking to register many thousands of poor, young and Hispanic persons for 2010.
Conservatives fear a Harris County electorate that mirrors the demographics of Harris County will assist Democrats.
Given the sources of the claims against Houston Votes, they are simply not credible.
The King Street Patriots say they have uncovered many fraudulent voter registration applications that have been turned in by Houston Votes.
Well.....they sort of say that. Here is what the King Street Patriots say on their web page---
"Thank you, Leo Vasquez! The Harris County Tax-Assessor Collector and his team are working hard to maintain the integrity of the voter rolls."
Here is what Liberty Institute says about the same issue---
"Today, the King Street Patriots, a group of citizen-volunteers in Harris County, Texas, announced their discovery of thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of incomplete, inaccurate or false voter registrations."
Everybody involved are such good friends that they don't care who gets the credit.
This friendship extends to hospitality as well.
Houston
King Street Patriots
9562 Hempstead Rd.
Houston, TX 77092
(This Tea Party/Perry connection was first pointed out to me by John Coby of the blog Bay Area Houston. The Tea Party says they want a new politics. Yet they support for reelection a man who already been the longest serving Governor in Texas history.)
At no point during the Tea Party/Liberty Institute press conference was an association between the King Street Patriots and the Rick Perry campaign mentioned.
Yet such a connection seems to exist.
At the Houston Votes press conference, Houston Votes chief Fred Lewis asked if Mr. Vasquez's office would grant the same type of access to voter registration applications to all people as it seems has been granted to local Republicans.
The Harris County Democratic Party should be asking the same question. Tea Party actions in our public offices should be closely monitored.
Mr. Lewis is asking the Voting Rights Section of the U.S. Justice Department to get involved.
The King Street Patriots web page also says the following----
"We need hundreds of volunteers to work as pollwatchers on Election Day. Click here to sign up now! Play Your Part in Keeping Our Elections Free and Fair!"
For what reason do they need "hundreds" of pollwatchers? Where in the county will these people be sent? Will they only challenge people of color or people they think for whatever reason might be Democrats?
Citizens of Harris County have the right to be free of harassment from Tea Party goons when taking part in early voting or when voting on Election Day.
The fact is that there is not much voter fraud in Texas.
As they are for every election, the stakes are high in 2010. In Harris County and in Texas, Republicans know they are fighting a losing battle against demographic changes that will elect many more Democrats to public office. Republicans will spare no effort to delay this trend for as long as possible.
An aggressive challenge must be offered to these seemingly well-orchestrated efforts to suppress turnout and to intimidate voters in Harris County in 2010.
Top Houston political bloggers Stace Medellin, John Coby, Perry Dorrell, and Charles Kuffner have also been on top of this important story.
(Below--The Tea Party/Liberty Institute press conference. They huddle the people of color up front to give an appearance of diversity that does not in fact exist.)
Houston Votes may be trying to register people illegally. I don't know for sure, I don't have insider information into Houston Votes practices.
However, I can clearly see what the opposition is doing. Trying to prevent citizens from exercising their Constitution right to vote for the candidate they prefer.
Your corporate puppet candidates are in fact the Fifth Column sent to destroy our very way of life.
Funny thing in all this is that these rightwingers need a common enemy to unite themselves, when the rest of the world sees THEM as the common enemy. Judging by the rightwingers actions it turns out to be true.
Amen, brother...
The Republicans are so funny, when the economy is good you say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers” but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrant”. When most Americans (with Latin America roots) go to the polls this November we will remember that the GOP has gone on a nationwide rant in proposing and passing several anti-immigration legislation and have continue to blame the immigrant for the flat economy or worse. We will remember who stands with us and who stands against us, so trying to stop it now is somewhat funny, but go ahead, you will not change our minds. Plus the more radical of the GOP are now attacking our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, in a misguided attempt to garner some much needed votes, they really are fools, and leading the GOP towards obscurity because they are no longer a party of ideas, just of empty suits. Your hate made you do it, in November; you will reap what you have sown. I wonder what Abraham Lincoln would say today about the GOP, he unlike you was a man of ideas.
Actually, Kelli, I believe you have it backwards. Houston votes is trying to get people registered. Period. They don't ask political affiliation. Under the Help America Vote Act, voter registration organizations are required to turn in all registrations. You know that, right?
It is Vasquez and his Tea Party pals who are making this a partisan issue, desperately trying to help the GOP hang on to power. Neil's right. If the Tea Party REALLY wanted to shake up government, they would oppose the most entrenched governor in Texas history, but since they support him, we know who's partisan and who's not.
Houston Votes is trying to register people illegally.... Why do liberals have to make this a partisan issue? IT ISN'T! fair elections are what Leo Vasquez is trying to maintain. If dems don't cheat the system and run on their own merit...do they lose?
Because they make up less than 20% of the country, they will do whatever they can to deny people their Constitutional right to vote.
These people are evil. I say evil because I lack a better word.
you're right about the name change...he should change it to pendejo.
If somebody tries to intimidate me at the voting booth it's gonna be a SWAT situation. I'm bringing my fly swatter.
It's been my experience that IF your name is in that big book, you get to vote. If it's not, you don't.
I think that's funny as hell about Vasquez. If I was a a republican and my name was Vasquez, I'd change it. :-)