WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN NEW HAMPSHIRE? ARE THEY TRYING TO BEAT CALIFORNIA & TEXAS IN THE GOP CORRUPTION GAME?

I don't know how many people are aware that the White House and the New Hampshire Republican Party conspired-- successfully-- to steal a senate seat for John Sununu (currently a loyal Bush rubber stamp in the U.S. Senate, consistently voting against his constituents' best interests to further the far right/Big Business agenda. But if you're a regular DWT reader, you've known since last Augustabout how Republican party operatives were caught in the act and about the trials that have ensued.

And although the mass media has tended to protect Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove, some of the local Republican operatives were found guilty of various crimes that amounted to a systematic attempt to subvert democracy in New Hampshire and guarantee the election of an extreme right wing senator, and were sentenced to prison. Some are still in prison. But one has gotten out. And he's rehabilitated and back to work. Well... he's back to work. Sunday, the WASHINGTON POST ran a heart-warming storm-- well, heart-chilling if you're a Democrat running for office-- that Republican jail-bird
Chuck McGee, the former executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party, and "a major figure in the Election Day phone-jamming scandal that embarrassed and nearly bankrupted the New Hampshire GOP is out of prison and back in the political game... He's back at his old job with a Republican political marketing firm, Spectrum Monthly & Printing Inc., and will be helping out at the firm's 'GOP campaign school' for candidates."

Reminds me of when Denny Hastert appointed Bob Ney to teach ethics to Republican freshmen. (I know you think I'm making that up-- I mean even Hastert wouldn't dare-- but I'm not; look. I don't know if it's a contemptuous sense of humor, cluelessness or just plain old hubris.)

Anyway, sorry for the tangent; back to New Hampshire. Richard Pease, one of the presidents of Spectrum, said ole Chuckie, now a Spectrum VP "would be available to advise candidates at the two-day event, planned for next weekend in Manchester. McGee's role at the school was reported Thursday by the New Hampshire Union Leader. 'Chuck will work with the candidates in any way they want... If they want his advice, if they want his . . . experience, it's there for them to take or leave.'"

Pease reassured the interviewer that Chuckie is "certainly not going to be standing there and advocating breaking the law," although McGee refuses to comment about what his role will be. "In court, McGee acknowledged that the phone-jamming of get-out-the-vote drives by Democrats and organized labor was his idea, inspired by a lesson he learned in the Marine Corps: cut off your opponent's communications. The calls had the desired effect for two hours the morning of Election Day, but then the scheme began to unravel. Two other people have been sentenced to prison in the phone jamming."

Sununu won't have to face voters again for 4 years. In the meantime Granite State voters can show rubber-stamp Republicans what they think of election theft by defeating Bush's and DeLay's two New Hampshire allies, Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass. Democrats in NH-01 will choose their standard bearer on September 12 (Carol Shea-Porter looks like the progressive in the primary race). But in NH-02 Democrats and Independents have put aside all differences to rally around Paul Hodes in the hope of sending Bass into retirement. Hodes is on the DWT ACT BLUE Page and if you want to help send the GOP a message about stealing elections, a clean sweep in New Hampshire is both do-able and a great idea.


3 PM UPDATE: WHO KNEW WHAT-- AND WHEN?

Today Paul Kiel at IN THESE TIMES asks "How high did the Republicans’ New Hampshire phone scheme reach?" Well, definitely to Jim Tobin, then regional director for both the RNC (Republican National Committee) and the RNSC (Republican National Senatorial Committee), now another convicted Republicrook hoping to avoid prison time. But there is also plenty of evidence that Tobin was getting his orders directly from the White House and that someone had directed Jack Abramoff to help fund the little operation to the tune of $15,000. Good investment for the bad guys. Sununu has given them their money's worth-- and much, much more.