Californians for Fair Election Reform

Mystery man's key role in move to change Electoral College rules 09/27/2007 | San Francisco Chronicle
Hurth's utter lack of connections to politics in California has raised cries of foul play and suggestions that a major GOP presidential candidate could be behind the matter. Democrats say Hurth violated the spirit if not the letter of California campaign finance laws because he would not disclose the source of his group's funding.
Mystery lifts a bit on drive 09/25/2007 | Sacramento Bee
Take Initiative America, also identified as T.I.A., is a newly formed limited liability company incorporated on Sept. 10. As its registered agent, the company listed Charles A. Hurth III, an attorney in the city of Union, Mo., -- population 7,757, according to the 2000 U.S. census. Hurth is not a major political donor but gave Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani $2,000 in March.
Editorial: The manipulators are ready to tilt the next election 09/19/2007 | Seattle Times Editorial
This may be a better way to select a president than the present winner-take-all system -- but only if all 50 states do the same thing.
Hillary Clinton Asks Californians to Reject Initiative to Divide State’s Electoral Votes and Diminish State’s Influence 09/19/2007 | Clinton Campaign Press Release
"Republicans are trying to mislead voters for their own political gain with the so-called Presidential Election Reform Act. True election reform can only be accomplished as a nation wide effort. This initiative is not reform but a blatant ploy by the Republicans to hijack electoral votes from California and it should be rejected by all fair-minded Californians."
Obama Calls on Californians to Reject Initiative to Divide State's Electoral Votes 09/19/2007 | Obama Campaign Press Release
"This initiative is a divisive partisan ploy that would reduce the influence of Californians in choosing the next president. It's clear that Californians overwhelmingly believe that we need to reform our politics so that we can bring fundamental change to America. We shouldn't empower those who view politics as a game to obtain and perpetuate influence rather than serve the common good -- we should encourage all Americans to make their voices heard in the next election."
Statement from Senator Joe Biden on Republican electoral vote proposal 09/19/2007 | Biden Campaign Press Release
"If we want to make changes to the Electoral College, we should do it across the board, not state-by-state. Otherwise, we increase the risk of the popular vote being subverted by the Electoral College result."
California lawmakers split among party lines in battle over electoral votes ballot 09/12/2007 | The Hill
As a petition to change the way California awards its electoral votes makes its way into the public this week, members of the state's congressional delegation are locking arms along party lines in preparation for a multimillion-dollar battle that could, in effect, change the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.
Dems vow all-out fight on electoral-vote initiative 09/06/2007 | San Jose Mercury News
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean accused Republicans of trying to "rig" the 2008 presidential contest and vowed Wednesday to do "whatever it takes within legal boundaries" to stop a California ballot measure that would change how the state casts its 55 Electoral College votes.
No California dreaming for Bob Perry 09/06/2007 | Houston Chronicle
Houston homebuilder Bob Perry is not going to bankroll a scheme to give enough of your electoral votes to a Republican to offset a Democrat carrying such battleground states as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Florida.
Radio ads begin in fight over Calif. electoral votes 09/06/2007 | Associated Press
Democrats determined to block a California ballot proposal that could help elect a Republican president in 2008 are launching radio ads to urge voters to snub what they call a "partisan power grab," campaign officials said Thursday.
Backer of Swift Boat ads has tie to law firm pushing vote change 09/03/2007 | Associated Press
Lawyers behind a California ballot proposal that could benefit the 2008 Republican presidential nominee have ties to a Texas homebuilder who financed attacks on Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War record in the 2004 presidential campaign.
Latest Polling on California Electoral Vote Reform Initiative 08/31/2007 | Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates
While the likely impacts of the Republican measure are so dire as to require a thorough opposition campaign, the data suggests that this measure would have a difficult time passing on its own.
'Reform' for losers 08/29/2007 | Orange County Register
A proposed change, which could be on next June's ballot, in the way California's votes are allocated in the presidential election might have a sheen of fairness, but it is nakedly partisan and profoundly subversive of our constitutional system.
Beware of GOP's 'partisan' election initiative 08/29/2007 | Napa Valley Register
Deformed Reform: The cure for the Electoral College that is worse than what ails us 08/24/2007 | Slate.com
Today, at least for the purposes of creating a national election for president in which every vote counts equally, we should all be Republicans and Democrats, Independents and Greens and Libertarians. Why not put aside political party just for a moment to see if we can still work together to create a more perfect union?
Stacking the Electoral Deck 08/22/2007 | New York Times
The fight isn’t about Republicans vs. Democrats. It is about whether to twist the nation’s system of electing presidents to give one party an unfair advantage. No principled elected official, or voter, of either party should support that.
In defense of 55 electoral votes 08/20/2007 | San Francisco Chronicle
Please. This is nothing but dirty politics. Any credible measure to reform the Electoral College -- and there have been hundreds of them, nearly all as flawed as the existing system -- must be launched on a national level, preferably by a disinterested party.
Prominent Californians Come Together To Reject Republican Effort to Unfairly Rig Electoral College System 08/15/2007 | Press Release
Republican Effort Will Make Things Worse By Having CA Be The Only Big State To Make Changes and Give The Republicans The Presidency For A Generation
Ballot measure seeks to change '08 election 08/12/2007 | Oakland Tribune
Don't change the way we distribute electoral votes on the eve of a presidential election. Do it well ahead of time, when it doesn't unfairly tilt the playing field. It should be considered on its merit, no strings attached.
GOP eyes California's electoral pie 08/06/2007 | Los Angeles Times
Strategists push a 2008 ballot initiative that would slice up the state's 55 votes for president, based on congressional districts.
Votescam 08/06/2007 | The New Yorker
California Initiative No. 07-0032 is an audacious power play packaged as a step forward for democratic fairness. It’s the lotusland equivalent of Tom DeLay’s 2003 midterm redistricting in Texas, except with a sweeter smell, a better disguise, and larger stakes.
The Next California GOP Attack on Democracy: California's Electoral College Votes 07/31/2007 | California Majority Report
What's the sleeper issue in next year's June blockbuster election? If you ask me, it's an initiative in the works by right-wing Republicans to steal a chunk of California's electoral votes.

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