PathIveMade
02-27-2008, 09:23 PM
I have posted this in the Ohio forum as well, but thought the grassroots may like to know. My apologies if any of this information has been posted already.
Some interesting and disturbing communications between the Ohio Secretary of State's office, and the FEC as well as some links to look over.
As many of you know, John McCain has been underhanded in his ballot access here in Ohio, and I would assume nationwide, basically abusing his own legislation McCain-Feingold. Here's some e-mail accounts of communications so far here in Ohio. If we wanted to file disputes, we could not. Even at the federal level with the FEC, much less with the state. The FEC can't take any official action because of the lack of committee persons seated. They're stealing this thing, doing it right under our noses, and doing it legally. Hopefully the links, and e-mails I've copied below will explain it, and you all can help take action in Ohio and throughout the country.
Just got off the phone from making several calls:
I called the FEC (Federal Elections Committee)----without a quorum, they can't make a decision. Currently they only have 2 seats of six filled. Even if they had 4, they could have made a decision. There will probably not be a decision by 3/4/08 because the other 2-4 seats would have to be filled and a vote taken. Today is 2/27/08. The president and congress have held up the process of filling the seats.
Jennifer Brunner can't make a decision without the decision from the FEC. McCain will remain on the ballot.
The Ohio GOP says the "spirit" of the guideline was misinterpreted---McCain hasn't done anything wrong although they will "tighten up" the guidelines for the 2012 election.
Anyone's campaign can sue John McCain after the Ohio primary if they can prove that he overspent money according to the rules of the matching funds. Right now, he is in the matching funds program until the FEC makes a decision, which it can't make, until at least 2 more seats on the commission are filled. John McCain will pretend he is not in the program and then it becomes political suicide for anyone to go against him.
Letters to all the papers is looking better by the minute to continue questioning all this.
Looks like our congress and our president omitted some important business like filling the seats at the FEC just in time for a presidential election cycle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission
I find it disturbing that over half of the country has cast it's ballots in the primary cycle and still we have no oversight committee seated (FEC). For reasons other than just Ohio and the McCain matching funds issue, this sucks. Absolutely anything could happen with our candidate or any other, and we the people would have no legal recourse. And technically this is being done legally. I called my Senators today. Both offices were uninformed and flabbergasted that anyone even knew about this. One attempted to lie, and then when I called the staffer on it, he passed me off to Senator Harry Reid. Call your senators and tell them to get off their asses and seat this committee. Let them know that we know!
Dear ******,
Thank-you for your efforts with the Secretary of State regarding McCain's use/abuse of section 3513.121. I found it ironic that Mr. Shinn stated that the deadline to file a protest against his candidacy under Ohio law was January 15, 2008. Why so? According to the Franklin County BOE (which is where the Ohio Secretary of State directs you--or whatever county one chooses) McCain was not even listed as a "Certified Candidate" in CD12 & CD15 (in Franklin County). The report is dated January 15, 2008:
http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/boe/assets/pdf/2008/primary/CANDIDATEFILINGS01152008.pdf
It's not until Fred Thompson dropped out (per my recollection) that McCain picked up CD delegates and alternates. The At-Large were also reported at this point along with the Democratic Candidates. The current date of this report is February 15, 2008 (as of today's date 2/26):
http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/boe/assets/pdf/2008/primary/candidateList2008.pdf
How could you protest against a candidate if you didn't know he was on the ballot? How did McCain pick up CD delegates? If he filed properly, then why wasn't he listed in the original "Certified Candidate Filings"?
Some interesting and disturbing communications between the Ohio Secretary of State's office, and the FEC as well as some links to look over.
As many of you know, John McCain has been underhanded in his ballot access here in Ohio, and I would assume nationwide, basically abusing his own legislation McCain-Feingold. Here's some e-mail accounts of communications so far here in Ohio. If we wanted to file disputes, we could not. Even at the federal level with the FEC, much less with the state. The FEC can't take any official action because of the lack of committee persons seated. They're stealing this thing, doing it right under our noses, and doing it legally. Hopefully the links, and e-mails I've copied below will explain it, and you all can help take action in Ohio and throughout the country.
Just got off the phone from making several calls:
I called the FEC (Federal Elections Committee)----without a quorum, they can't make a decision. Currently they only have 2 seats of six filled. Even if they had 4, they could have made a decision. There will probably not be a decision by 3/4/08 because the other 2-4 seats would have to be filled and a vote taken. Today is 2/27/08. The president and congress have held up the process of filling the seats.
Jennifer Brunner can't make a decision without the decision from the FEC. McCain will remain on the ballot.
The Ohio GOP says the "spirit" of the guideline was misinterpreted---McCain hasn't done anything wrong although they will "tighten up" the guidelines for the 2012 election.
Anyone's campaign can sue John McCain after the Ohio primary if they can prove that he overspent money according to the rules of the matching funds. Right now, he is in the matching funds program until the FEC makes a decision, which it can't make, until at least 2 more seats on the commission are filled. John McCain will pretend he is not in the program and then it becomes political suicide for anyone to go against him.
Letters to all the papers is looking better by the minute to continue questioning all this.
Looks like our congress and our president omitted some important business like filling the seats at the FEC just in time for a presidential election cycle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission
I find it disturbing that over half of the country has cast it's ballots in the primary cycle and still we have no oversight committee seated (FEC). For reasons other than just Ohio and the McCain matching funds issue, this sucks. Absolutely anything could happen with our candidate or any other, and we the people would have no legal recourse. And technically this is being done legally. I called my Senators today. Both offices were uninformed and flabbergasted that anyone even knew about this. One attempted to lie, and then when I called the staffer on it, he passed me off to Senator Harry Reid. Call your senators and tell them to get off their asses and seat this committee. Let them know that we know!
Dear ******,
Thank-you for your efforts with the Secretary of State regarding McCain's use/abuse of section 3513.121. I found it ironic that Mr. Shinn stated that the deadline to file a protest against his candidacy under Ohio law was January 15, 2008. Why so? According to the Franklin County BOE (which is where the Ohio Secretary of State directs you--or whatever county one chooses) McCain was not even listed as a "Certified Candidate" in CD12 & CD15 (in Franklin County). The report is dated January 15, 2008:
http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/boe/assets/pdf/2008/primary/CANDIDATEFILINGS01152008.pdf
It's not until Fred Thompson dropped out (per my recollection) that McCain picked up CD delegates and alternates. The At-Large were also reported at this point along with the Democratic Candidates. The current date of this report is February 15, 2008 (as of today's date 2/26):
http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/boe/assets/pdf/2008/primary/candidateList2008.pdf
How could you protest against a candidate if you didn't know he was on the ballot? How did McCain pick up CD delegates? If he filed properly, then why wasn't he listed in the original "Certified Candidate Filings"?