The Story Behind the Revival of the California Electoral College Scheme and the Dots That Connect to the Giuliani Campaign

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Can You Believe "It's Back?"

By Frank D. Russo

In a scene reminiscent of a grade B horror movie, a new set of characters have taken over the effort to put on the June ballot a change to California's award of Electoral College votes so they can win in June what they know they cannot win in November. Why they would be dong this for a measure that polls at 25% support and has been lambasted as a naked partisan power grab by newspapers up and down the state (including the Orange County Register!) is just one of the questions. It smacks of desperation--and a number of roads continue to lead back to Rudy Giuliani--who denies any connection with this.

This is what Democratic consultant Chris Lehane had to say about it:

"Despite being at 25% in the polls, the right wing power grab claims it is back a la Freddie Krueger -- but just like the last time around the initiative's conservative backers, many with links right back to the Giuliani campaign, are again refusing to come clean on who is behind this latest attempt to hijack the election. This appears to be the latest Giuliani led effort to steal the election -- and, should it qualify, all it is going to do is fail at the polls and in the process further brand the Republicans as last in war, last in disaster relief and first in election fraud. The Republicans Party has fallen a long way from Abe Lincoln and is now a party that has been reduced to having to desperately try to rig elections in order to hold on to the presidency."

Here is a bit of background and some new facts that have surfaced:

Three weeks ago, we reported on the Giuliani connections, those who tried to hide the identity of the name or names of contributors, and the resignation of the folks who had been running the effort to qualify this measure for the ballot. Two Californians with ties to the Giuliani campaign, Thomas Hiltachk and Kevin Eckery resigned amidst allegations of the laundering of contributions from out of state individuals and failure comply with California disclosure laws and Federal laws.

Today's LA Times reports that Ed Rollins and Anne Dunsmore have taken over the petition drive. A preliminary footnote and hint: They both worked for campaigns of Katherine Harris, the Secretary of State for Florida, who was the best friend George Bush ever had during the 2000 election.

Well, there are a lot more dots in the sequel here on the electoral power grab and the same pattern of guardedness about revealing who is bankrolling it. Consider this: