Trump adviser: Expect more aggressive poll watching in 2020
MADISON, WIS. » ability to engage in activities related to ballot security. Lifting of the consent decree allows the RNC to “play by the same rules” as Democrats, said RNC communications director Michael Ahrens.
“Now the RNC can work more closely with state parties and campaigns to do what we do best, ensure that more people vote through our unmatched field program,” Ahrens said.
Although the consent decree forced the Trump campaign to conduct its own poll monitoring in 2016, the new rules will allow the RNC to use its multi-million dollar budget to handle those tasks and coordinate with other Republican groups on Election Day, Clark said. State directors of election day operations will be in place in Wisconsin and every battleground state by early 2020, he said.
In 2016, Wisconsin had 62 paid Trump staff working to get out the vote; in 2020, it will increase to around 100, Clark said.
Trump supports the effort, he said in the audio recording.
“We’ve all seen the tweets about voter fraud, blah, blah, blah,” Clark said. “Every time we’re in with him, he asks what are we doing about voter fraud? What are we doing about voter fraud?’ The point is he’s committed to this, he believes in it and he will do whatever it takes to make sure it’s successful.”
Clark said Trump’s campaign plans to focus on rural areas around mid- size cities like Eau Claire and Green Bay, areas he says where Democrats “cheat.” He did not explain what he meant by cheating and did not provide any examples.
“Cheating doesn’t just happen when you lose a county,” Clark said. “Cheating happens at the margin overall. What we’re going to be able to do, if we can recruit the bodies to do it, is focus on these places. That’s where our voters are.”
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Wisconsin.
“If there’s bad behavior on the part of one side or the other to prevent people from voting, this is bad for our democracy,” Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in reaction to Clark’s comments. “And frankly, I think will whoever does that, it will work to their disadvantage. It will make them look, frankly, stupid.”
Wisconsin’s attorney general, Democrat Josh Kaul, represented the Democratic National Committee in a 2016 New Jersey lawsuit that argued the GOP was coordinating with Trump to intimidate voters. Kaul argued then that Trump’s campaign “repeatedly encouraged his supporters to engage in vigilante efforts” in the guise of ferreting out potential voter fraud. The Republican Party disputed any coordination.
“It is vital that Wisconsinites have free and fair access to the polls, and that we protect the security and integrity of our elections,” Kaul said in a statement in reaction to Clark’s comments. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice has been and will continue working with other agencies to protect our democratic process.”
Mike Browne, deputy director of One Wisconsin Now, said Clark’s comments suggest the Trump campaign plans to engage in “underhanded tactics” to win the election.
“The strategy to rig the rules in elections and give themselves an unfair partisan advantage goes to Donald Trump, the highest levels of his campaign and the top Republican leadership,” Browne said. “It’s clear there’s no law Donald Trump and his right-wing machine won’t bend, break or ignore to try to win the presidency.”
It was a weekly ritual Alice thought no one even noticed – Wednesday morning Mass at her local church and then a cup of tea at the diner across the street. She liked it there because it was never crowded and her favorite corner booth was often empty. The bill was always the same, too – $1.30 – to which she’d leave an even three bucks, more than covering the tip. And there was something else she did, not always, but often enough that a young waitress noticed.
Today, just a few days before Christmas, the pretty girl with the tray and apron worked up the courage to ask, “Ma’am, I don’t mean to intrude, but you’ve been coming here for almost a year now and I just have to, I mean ... well, I’m wondering about the stones.”
Sometimes when she thought no one was looking, Alice would reach into her pockets and take out several small, smooth stones; most no bigger than a silver dollar. One was white as a snowflake, two black, another grey and the last one the color of rust. Five stones that she’d rub in her hands as she looked out the window at the busy world and then line up in front of her as she sipped the lemon tea. The waitress wondered if this sweet woman who sat alone might be half mad, but was relieved when she smiled warmly and offered her a seat and a story she’d not soon forget
“My life is wonderful now, blessed you might say,” Alice told the waitress. “But it wasn’t always this way. The road here has been hard and each of these stones represents those rough patches. This first black stone is from the spring of 1980, when my husband Ben lost his job. It was hard not having his income, but for the first time Ben spent real, quality time with our two children. For four months, he cooked, cleaned, sat with them to do homework; things he didn’t have time for before. It changed him in a good way. He, of course, got another job, but he always made time for us after that and this stone reminds me of what a blessing losing his job was.
“This other black stone is for me, and a health scare I had a few years ago. I, too, had lost sight of my priorities. But hearing from a doctor that you might not be here in a year has a way of shaking you awake to what matters. I’ll never forget that.”
“This grey stone is from before you were born. On Oct. 4, 1987, a freak snowstorm knocked out power for 11 days and forced us to pull together in ways we never did before. Without TV we played Scrabble by candlelight most nights and talked for hours. Believe me, we were happy to get the lights back on, but I’ll treasure that time as a family always.”
“The white stone is for my granddaughter born last year, seven weeks premature. It was touch and go for a while, but those nurses and doctors never left her side and she’s happy and healthy; my perfect little angel now. “
She reached for the waitress’s hand.” And this last stone is from a neighbor of mine. That year I was dealing with health problems, we’d fallen behind on the yard work and, without anyone asking, the man across the street showed up with his teenage son and raked our yard. Somewhere under the leaves they found this stone and he left it in the mailbox for me. I thought it looked like a heart, so I kept it to remind me of his friendship.” She looked into the waitresses eyes, squeezed her hand and finished. “Hard times can be the best times. These stones remind me of that. They keep me on the path”.
A bell rang and the waitress excused herself to go to grab someone’s order. When she returned to the corner booth to thank the old woman for sharing her story she was gone. Just an empty tea cup, three dollar bills folded in half and small rust- colored stone holding the money in place. She put it in her pocket and smiled. It was the nicest gift she’d ever received.
As we celebrate this season of giving, each year I share this tiny fable as my gift and urge you to reach into your own life and close your fingers tightly around those precious stones and memories that sustain and heal.
It’s been a tough year for many — lost family, jobs, homes. Just remember storms pass, ice thaws and, in the end, love wins. The man whose birthday we celebrate on Wednesday is a testament to that. Merry Christmas.