Creek of Consciousness

Difficult for me to write lately: demands of day job plus working in several conservative Republican campaigns, including those of Arkansas legislative candidates Justin Harris and Charlie Collins, plus efforts toward the Washington County Tea Party...The Cutest Community Organizer to whom I am married and I took training in poll watching, which we plan to do on election day. Voter fraud in Washington County is not as rampant as in other places in Arkansas, but the local Republican Party uses it as a get-out-the-vote technique. Still, the more eyes watching the better…At a coalition of Tea Parties meeting last week, we heard horror stories about efforts elsewhere in Arkansas to stamp out grassroots conservative activism. In one Arkansas county, when Tea Party members show up to monitor local meetings of the Quorum Court (Arkansas’ version of county commissioners), extra police are called. Hmmmm. Concern about the threat of those dangerous Tea Partiers or a bit of good old fashioned Arkansas intimidation?...We also heard about an effort to fine a Tea Partier $5,000 for alleged violation of election laws. The Tea Party member bought radio time on a political issue that was less than the $500 threshold requiring election registration. The radio station decided to provide free promotion announcements about the Tea Partier’s political program. The stations free promos are now being assigned value, and are being considered part of the Tea Partier’s donation. And of course the total value is now above $500 and the Tea Party member is accused of breaking election law. Absurd…Another Tea Party activist spoke of receiving a death threat.