August 26, 2012
The Gemma Press Conf About Voter Fraud: Questions that Doubters Must Answer
Yes, it's true, it appears that Anthony Gemma missed his intended target at his press conference on Wednesday. No evidence was presented that David Cicilline himself participated in carrying out voter fraud (though there is also no doubt that it was his election bid that would have benefited from these alleged efforts).
But in the process, a larger - and far more alarming - revelation emerged: wholly credible testimony of serious, systemic voter fraud in not one but several elections.
Some honest, otherwise smart people have completely missed this point - the dishonest, smart people are simply ignoring it - by allowing themselves to be distracted by the unprofessional aspects of the press conference, the overblown hype that constituted its preview and the fact that the "shooter" did not score a bulls-eye on his stated target. (Matt Allen, we specifically include you in this category of Smart Doubters!)
Let's disregard for a moment the ... intriguing video that the Providence Journal posted on its website yesterday and review only what was offered at Wednesday's press conference.
- A candidate for Congress reading the witness statement, presumably signed under pains and penalties of perjury, of someone describing the extensive voter fraud he or she had witnessed first hand in at least one prior election.- Three people asserting in the first person that they had witnessed voter fraud in prior elections.
- Other witness statements asserting voter fraud.
[Note to the Gemma camp: Why did you release only a few copies of those witness statements? Are you aware of the invention of a device called the mimeograph machine that could be used by reporters to duplicate and then share those documents, thereby thwarting your inexplicable purpose for making them scarce? Please be aware that while we are whole-heartedly behind your efforts to expose voter fraud and are on the edge of our seats waiting for the next development, the credibility of this effort has been unnecessarily damaged by a list of avoidable missteps to which this mishandling of the witness statements has been added.]
Where were we? Oh yes. Without further ado, here are some of the questions that honest doubters must answer in order to continue clinging to their doubts:
> Are the three witnesses at the press conference lying?
> Is Anthony Gemma a pathological liar willing to sacrifice his not inconsequential reputation in the state by financing and staging an elaborate charade?
> Is the witness statement read by Anthony Gemma a work of fiction? What about the others that he tendered?
Obviously, the point is that all of these would have to be answered "yes" - and if that is your answer, please say so! I promise I'll try not to jump down your throat - for an observer to continue to be skeptical about the information that was presented Wednesday and not to see that there is very good reason to be alarmed about the integrity of our elections, past and current.
Now that we know progressives are such a joyous and inclusive people who favor extending the franchise to the dead I wonder if they may come to support it for the unborn as well?
Posted by: Tommy Cranston at August 26, 2012 1:09 PMHonestly, I don't see Gemma as a viable candidate and I'm not convinced he really wants the job. What I think he really wants is Cicilline GONE at all costs. The more I know about Cicilline, the more I agree with Gemma, at all costs...
Posted by: Mark Smiley at August 26, 2012 1:25 PMIt is worth noting that last week the Mass. Atty. Gen. opened an investigation of voter fraud in East Longmeadow, MA.
A candidate in collusion with the a clerk fraudulently changed the registrations of 450 voters so that absentee ballots could be cast in their names.
Of course this is not voting by the deceased, and a voter ID card would not have helped. But it does indicate that it is well known that there is little oversight.
Posted by: Warrington Faust at August 26, 2012 1:32 PMBob Plain, in his recent RIFuture article, "Fraudsters Are Crying Fraud For Gemma," openly and unambiguously accuses Maryelyn Alba-Acevedo of voter fraud, a crime and potential felony. In an earlier post, Plain accused me of libel and banned me for making reference to cyberstalking charges brought against NEARI attorney Liedecker, charges of which he was convicted. Plain apparently has no qualms about accusing Alba-Acevedo of a crime with which she was not charged after a full police investigation. Libel not such a concern now for the "journalist."
Posted by: Dan at August 26, 2012 2:05 PMmimeograph machine? I loved the smell of the ink! Who uses mimeograph machines any more?
If you call a press conference to bash your opponent, NOT having anything to back it up casts doubt on the person making the accusations. Some evidence has turned up but clips from a video such as the Projo's would have added credence to Gemmma's claims. The investigation needs to take its proper course which might not come to fruition before the Sept 11 primary.
Posted by: Mark at August 26, 2012 2:52 PM"Bob Plain, in his recent RIFuture article, "Fraudsters Are Crying Fraud For Gemma," openly and unambiguously accuses Maryelyn Alba-Acevedo of voter fraud"
She's one of the voter fraud witnesses at Gemma's press conference. So this is acknowledgement of the validity of Gemma's voter fraud charges.
Well, it's acknowledgement at least that Plain believes voter fraud does occur in Rhode Island, which is a different position from most of his contributors, who have been feverishly trying to bury the discussion with a mountain of ridicule aimed at Gemma and redundant article upon article claiming that no voter fraud occurs in the state at all (which I find improbable from a purely statistical standpoint). While some skepticism is always warranted in these situations, I don't see the harm in simply investigating the complaints. Methinks they doth protest too much.
Posted by: Dan at August 26, 2012 3:40 PM"it's acknowledgement at least that Plain believes voter fraud does occur in Rhode Island"
That's the critical take-away from Wednesday's press conference.
"who have been feverishly trying to bury the discussion with a mountain of ridicule aimed at Gemma and redundant article upon article claiming that no voter fraud occurs in the state at all"
They need to have a conversation with Rep Williams and Senator Metts. Is it purported that they are lying, too?
Posted by: Monique at August 26, 2012 4:40 PMGoLocalProv is reporting that Ramirez, the guy in the video offering mail ballots, got a $100,000 business loan from Providence while Ciccilline was mayor!
Posted by: Mike at August 27, 2012 8:11 AMIt is interesting to note that the ability to acquire a main-in ballot was made easier just as the requirement to show an ID to vote in person was passed into law...
Posted by: Mike678 at August 27, 2012 9:04 AMMail-in. Apologies
Posted by: Mike678 at August 27, 2012 9:07 AMSomething tells me this will be the never ending story. Nice find by GoLocal.
Posted by: Max D at August 27, 2012 10:13 AMBob Plain joins Matt Jerzyk and Pat Crowley as through and through pieces of s***.
Must be a prerequisite for the job.