Bad Deeds for 1/26/2010

 

Republican Party Sends Fundraising Letter Disguised as ‘Census’ Form – The Republican Party is seeking input and money from GOP voters — seemingly under the guise of the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Strengthening our Party for the 2010 elections is going to take a massive grass-roots effort all across America. That is why I have authorized a Census to be conducted of every Congressional District in the country,” GOP Chairman Michael Steele says in a letter mailed nationwide.

The letter was sent in plain white envelopes marked “Do Not Destroy, Official Document.” Labeled “2010 Congressional District Census,” the letter uses a capital “C,” the same as the Census Bureau. It also includes a “Census Tracking Code.”

The letter makes a plea for money and accompanies a form asking voters to identify their political leanings and issues important to them. There are no disclaimers that participation in the GOP effort is voluntary; participation in the government census is required by law. Failure to participate carries a $5,000 fine, though it is rarely enforced.

 

Fox News Leaves False Report on Haiti Uncorrected – Fox News is staying silent after bloggers and commentators criticized the news network for a January 13 report on its Web site that stated Cuba was “absent” from global aid efforts in Haiti. In an online news story entitled “US Spearheads Global Response to Haiti Earthquake,” Fox reported that “one geographically close country is conspicuously absent from the roster of helping hands. Cuba, which had evacuated some of its residents as a precaution in case the earthquake triggered a tsunami, has so far not offered any assistance publicly to its devastated island neighbor.”

Observers note that the communist country was, in fact, one of the first to arrive after the earthquake that is now estimated to have taken the lives of 200,000 people. That has led some bloggers to accuse Fox of using the devastation in Haiti to propagandize against Cuba.

 

Republican State Rep. Says New Hampshire Selling Children To Gay Couples For $10,000 – New Hampshire State Rep. Alfred Baldasaro (R) said that the state “sold” children for $10,000 each when “they said that homosexual couples, not married, can adopt.” Baldasaro is one of the main sponsors of HB 1590, which aims to repeal a New Hampshire law allowing same-sex couples to marry. He also said, “What about the Muslims now?,” he asked.”Everyone’s praising the Muslims. They’re killing us. What about them, they want three, four wives. We’re discriminating against them.”

Regards,

Jim