Fun With Phones: White House Link? genre: Polispeak

Back in 2002, Republican operative James Tobin, put together a plan to jam the phone banks of the Democratic Party as it conducted it's election day efforts to get-out-the-vote. In that senatorial election, the Republican candidate John Sununu defeated challenger Jeanne Shaheen. Tobin later became the campaign chairman in New England for President Bush's 2004 reelection run.

Tobin and two others involved in the scheme were later convicted. In a civil suit alleging voter fraud, records available, but not used in the previous prosecutions reveal numerous phone calls from Tobin and others to the White House in the run up to the election as well as on the day of the election. Democrats are seeking a judges ruling to compel the White House to answer questions regarding the phone calls. GOP officials claim the calls were related to routine election campaign activity.

While it's difficult to draw any conclusions before the case is resolved, it is another in a long string of actions at the margin that seemingly point to a pattern of pushing the limits of the law in order to maintain political power. At a minimum, this incident points out another example of administration operatives running afoul in their assigned positions. This particular incident does make one wonder if any of those working in the controversial NSA phone surveillance program will in the future be found to have stretched the edges in order to maintain the political upper hand. That answer may be more difficult to obtain.

Daniel DiRito | April 10, 2006 | 2:14 PM
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