Monday morning roundup

by: ctblogger

Mon Nov 05, 2012 at 08:10:39 AM EST

• 
  Unreal...
  

  Connecticut Republican Senate nominee Linda McMahon has been telling voters lately that it's okay to vote for President Obama as well as her. Now she's taking it a step further - and getting about as far away from her own party's nominee for president as she can - and actually urging voters to cast their ballots for Obama as well as in the final days of the campaign.

  McMahon campaign doorhangers that Democrats say they've discovered in minority neighborhoods this weekend couldn't make it more clear: "Vote Barack Obama For President and Vote Linda McMahon For U.S. Senate," they read. It's a surprising suggestion from a Republican who, along with her husband, has given $150,000 to help make Romney the next president of the United States.



• ...and more dirty tricks.
  

  The State Election Enforcement Commission has issued a warning to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon's campaign about its "deceitful tactics" concerning dissemination of absentee ballot applications.
  The commission, in a letter to the campaign commitee, said it has received dozens of complaints from members of the public and town clerk's offices.

  The letter, dated Oct. 25, was sent by Michael Brandi, executive director and general counsel of the SEEC, to Corry Bliss, campaign manager for McMahon.

  Brandi said the complaints all refer to the "confusion and perceived impropriety" of the committee's approach to the dissemination of these applications and information, particularly to elderly voters. (Scroll down to see what an absentee ballot looks like)

  Brandi specifically refers to the "committee's use of envelopes disguised as 'official' or government communications. Futhermore, there have been concerns about the committee's phone banking where the voters are given a return telephone number of their town clerk's office, leaving their staffs inundated with calls. There is also confusion being caused by these messages and misrepresentation regarding ballot applications for the upcoming November 6, 2012 election," Brandi wrote.

  The "deceitful tactics" reference is in a cover letter, to one of the complaintants, Mary Zorzanello of New Haven, from William Smith, staff attorney for the SEEC, who sent her a copy of Brandi's letter.



• GOTV!
  

  Too many people have suffered and died giving blacks the right to vote for Bridgeporters not to vote on Election Day, Rev. Al Sharpton told a packed Mount Aery Baptist Church on Sunday night.

  Sharpton begged the crowd of at least 300 to get out and vote for President Barack Obama.

  "Nobody's shooting you, nobody is bombing your churches, nobody is threatening you," said Sharpton. "You are just too lazy and ungrateful to get out and vote."

  The event was attended by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and a host of city, state and national politicians, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, who is in a hotly contested race for the state's other Senate seat.

  [...]

  Most of the evening was spent explaining to the crowd why their vote was important.

  "There is no excuse not to," said Rev. Kevin Ginyard, a local pastor and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. "It's your duty."

  Sharpton said there should be no option, but to vote, and he said the White House is not the only thing at stake, but the next 1 to 3 seats on the U.S. Supreme Court.

  "This is not about what you like, this is about whether you like yourself," said Sharpton. "Things are too serious for us to be joking ... Everything is at stake in this election. We can't allow them to turn back the clock."



• Here's a great site for those who want up-to-the-date info on Metro-North service...