New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is locked in the political fight of his life. With just hours left before voting, polls show a neck-and-neck race between Corzine and GOP candidate Chris Christie, with Independent candidate Chris Daggett pulling significant support. Obama and VP Biden are making last ditch pitches for the embattled governor. But evidence is building that Corzine's campaign may see its only salvation is in rigging the election.Dat's never happened in Joisey before, has it?
The first sign is a straight-up dirty trick. Daggett's run for office is certainly convenient for Corzine, as he will help split any anti-Corzine vote.
Dat's whuddit's supposedta do...
And, as a Corzine political appointee, one wonders if his candidacy wasn't a set up to begin with.
No! Reeeeally?
Now, in the final days of the campaign, it appears state democrats are paying for robo calls supporting Independent Chris Daggett.
But dat don't prove dere's no connection...
First reported here, the robo calls attack Christie (but not Corzine) and promote Daggett. At the end of the call, it is mentioned that the calls are paid for by a "project of the NJSDC." No idea what that acronym stands for, but New Jersey State Democratic Committee, isn't too big of a stretch.
Could be da Noo Joisey Social Disco Club...
More interesting is the fact that the return number on the calls is the same number that was used to promote Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's election in closing days of the 2006 race.
Wossa Maryland pretty boy governor gotta do widda Joisey pol?
More telling that the fix is in, however, is the sudden appearance of ACORN on the scene.
Dey can either swing the election or fix you up with a 12-year-old Guatamalan...
Not by name, mind you, as their reputation is so tarnished that even New Jersey Democrats don't want to be associated with them.
Yeah. Discretion is called for...
No, in New Jersey ACORN sought cover behind its big brother, SEIU, specifically SEIU Local 32BJ.
The political director for the SEIU local is Peter Colavito.
Hey! It's Greasy Thumb Pete!
Just last year, he was ACORN's political director in New York, working directly under Bertha Lewis, ACORN's CEO and co-chair of ACORN-backed Working Families Party.
Yeah, but he's a stand-up guy, y'know?
He was, and remains, a top official and board member of the Working Families Party in New York. In fact, his wife is currently an employee of the Working Families Party. Corzine has made much of his endorsement by the SEIU local, failing to mention the union's deep ties to both ACORN and its Working Families Party in New York.
These ties are starting to appear, however.
Well, yeah, a few guys got roughed up, but dat don't make it Pete's fault? I mean, it coulda been anybody, y'know?
GOP officials recently received a phone tip from a hospital in Newark, reporting that people in ACORN t-shirts were in the facility signing up and collecting absentee ballots. New Jersey law allows anyone to take up to 10 absentee ballots at a time. The tipster reported seeing individuals in the ACORN shirts entering the hospital with blank absentee ballots and leaving with completed ballots.
"Yeah. Just sign on da line dere, lady. I'll fill in da rest. Youse ain't gotta worry about nuttin'."
"How's she gonna worry about somethin'? She's dead!"
"She's just takin' a nap!"
There are reports out of Camden, New Jersey that voters are discovering that absentee ballots have already been submitted under their name.
"Hey! Dat ain't my signature!"
They did not authorize these ballots. Early reports suggested that the number of absentee ballots 'requested' in Camden city is higher than in any previous election. This will no doubt spark confusion on election day.
"Oh, Marsha! I'm so confused!"
"Oh, John!"
"Oh, Marsha!"
Possibly anticipating this confusion, the state Democratic Committee recently sent a letter to the Secretary of State, arguing that any absentee ballot that is rejected should still be counted as a "provisional" vote. The letter complained that almost 3,000 absentee ballots had already been rejected "solely on the basis of a comparison of their signature to the signature on record."
"Dat don't look like my late mudder's signature!"
Solely? If the signature of the voter doesn't match the signature on the ballot, is there really a reason to look at anything else? The letter from the state Democrats suggests that election officials should simply verify that the address on the absentee ballot matches the address on record. Right, and my bank should go ahead and cash any suspicious check as long as the address on the check matches my home address.
"Just make it out to da Noo Joisey Social Disco Club!"
The best hope here is that Christie wins by enough of a margin that these dirty tricks are moot. As they say in sports, put enough points on the board and the refs can't steal it from you.