Open Letter to SC Attorney General Henry McMaster

Open Letter to SC Attorney
General Henry McMaster

January 15, 2008

Earlier this evening, at approximately 8:50 PM on Tuesday, January 15, 2008, I received a telephone call from telephone number 703-961-1077 with the Caller ID of “Hinton, L”. Answering the phone, I was asked if I would participate in a 45 second poll on the presidential primary. After being asked if I supported President Bush and was planning to vote in the South Carolina Primary, I was asked whom I planned to support. I responded Fred Thompson. I was immediately thrown into a series of questions asking my position on illegal immigration, abortion, and others. Each question went as follows: “Are you pro-life” My answer “Yes”. Their response: “Did you know that Senator Fred Thompson [contradicting pro-life stance], and that Governor Mike Huckabee has [supporting pro-life stance]. After answering two of the questions, I took out my tape recorder and recorded the rest of the conversation.

Being acutely aware of push polling tactics and negative campaigning, I answered some of the questions based on the responses that would illicit a negative response from the caller. I have attached a copy of the voice recording of the second half of the auto call (unfortunately the really good nasty stuff was during the first half of the call), as well as photos of the caller ID displaying the callers name, telephone number, and time of call.

It is my request that you pursue these individuals to the fullest extent of the law. You may reach me at the contact information listed above.

Sincerely,
Alan M. Teitleman

Phone: 843-634-3513 Fax: 704-625-0945 119 N. McGregor Ave Ruby, SC 29741 Alan@Alan08.com

Huck push polling in SC

Huck push polling in SC
By Kenny from SC

"I received a call earlier tonight that appeared to be a poll.The first question asked was if I would be voting in the primary Jan 19th. They then named a list of all top tier Republican candidates and asked if I would be voting for one of them. Next each candidate was called out and when I responded that I would be voting for Fred, I was told of how he lobbied for pro-abortion groups and Huckabee was the only true pro-life candidate. I tried to call the number back and guess what?It has been disconnected"

Pro-Huckabee
Push Polling Starts in SC
Tue, Jan. 15, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Automated phone polls disparaging rivals of Republican White House hopeful Mike Huckabee started across this early voting state Tuesday evening and the head of the group making them said that more than 1 million will be made in a three-day span.

Huckabee's campaign quickly disavowed the push polling. "We know nothing about that and don't condone it. Anyone who is doing that in an effort to help us needs to stop. This does not reflect the positive spirit of the campaign," said spokeswoman Alice Stewart.

The calls were expected. In December, Colorado-based Common Sense Issues promised to make 1 million phone calls in South Carolina supporting Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor who repeatedly has distanced himself from the group.

Common Sense executive director Patrick Davis said Tuesday night that the calls started about 5 p.m. from a call center in Virginia and should be completed sometime Thursday.

The Republican primary here is Saturday.

Among the people receiving the push polling calls was a county co-chairman of former Sen. Fred Thompson's campaign.

Jason Goings, the Aiken County co-chairman for Thompson, said the call he received started by asking him if he was a Republican who planned to vote in Saturday's primary and then asked whom he supported. After he hit the button for Thompson, a voice highlighted Huckabee's position against abortion and said Thompson worked as a lawyer for a lobbying firm that protected abortion rights.

The call also attacked Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and actor, on same-sex marriage, illegal immigration and taxes.

Goings said he has received a half-dozen calls in the past two days from other campaigns. But he said this was the first profoundly negative call he has received about the election.

"I've never had a nasty one, and that one was nasty one," Goings said.

Davis said Common Sense Issues is not affiliated with Huckabee and does not coordinate with his campaign. He said his group backs the former governor because of his views on issues including a strong defense and cutting taxes.

"The folks who have been critical of our phone calls generally are supporting Mike Huckabee's opponents. They criticize the fact that the calls are happening, but there has not been criticism of the fact that the information we provide is factual," he said.

South Carolina law prohibits automated calls for political purposes with a penalty of 30 days in jail and a $200 fine for each violation, but such calls are commonplace.

Common Sense Issues has defended the calls as free speech and said they are protected under federal law.