Earlier today I wroteabout a new Republican National Committee fundraising website called “No More Frankens,” which says, “We now know that Republicans should have won the 2008 Senate Race in Minnesota – Act immediately to prevent another Franken!” and also makes reference to the “illegal votes of convicted felons.” To me it seemed to be implying that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) stole the election, but not so, says RNC spokesman Doug Heye. “I don’t think it says that,” he told me when reached for comment. “There are a lot of people on both sides who would say that Franken won in the courthouse after the election and in the weeks and days after. We want to have every resource on the ground so that we’ll be able to get people there quickly to ensure that we hit the ground running this time.”
The appeal on the website indicates that the funds will go to the RNC’s Get Out the Vote program, but this doesn’t appear entirely accurate either, according to Heye. “This is for preparing for potential recounts that might occur, and those are costly. You have to assemble a bunch of lawyers, get them on a plane at a moment’s notice to go to that particular district or state and before the board of elections.”
And is it in any way attached to efforts to drum up fears about or encourage the rooting out of potential voter fraud? “Absolutely not,” says Heye. “We’re obviously not involved in any anti-voter fraud efforts of any kind.”