The scumbags are trying to steal our votes

This is breaking.... Better pay attention. The GOP can't win fair, now they are going to trick the voters in my district into voting for them.... Please don't let them get away with it.

I was just at a GOTV event for Bill Durston (CA-03 congressional candidate), and we were looking at a flyer that the opposition is sending to prospective Durston voters, and this is a frightening development.

The pamphlet is made to look like originating from the Democratic Party. It even has a look-alike logo and a "The Democratic Party has always been the party of new ideas and strong leadership" slogan.

The Pamphlet is NOT from the Democratic Party. It is from the "Democratic Voters Choice", a GOP an unscrupulous, despicable political machinery apparently headed by an equally repugnant and amoral pro-GOP DINO mouth-piece.

The pamphlet has a number of "Democratic" choices for various offices and ballot measures. The intention is to fool the voters into thinking that these are the official "Democratic Party" voters guide. In actual truth, the candidates and measures that are being promoted in the pamphlets sent to the voters in close and important races are ALL GOP. Our candidates' opponents are the ones being recommended in this fake "Guide".

Please see for yourself:

In case you don't see the problem, compare the above list to the REAL California Democratic Party's recommendations here:
Propositions
State Senatorial Candidates
State Assembly Candidates
State-Wide Candidates
Congressional Candidates

Please do something. Help us create visibility into this voters misinformation. Tell your neighbors. If you don't live in any of the affected areas, tell the press. Scream at the next scumbag you run across.

Thanks for your assistance.

UPDATE 12:08PM PST Bill Durston's Campaign responds:

Official Bill Durston (CA-03 Democratic candidate) response to the developing scandal (I am NOT a rep of Bill Durston - I am just a Democratic Party volunteer):

From: Durston for Congress <munged-email-addy>
Sent: Sun 11/5/2006 11:33 AM
To: Me
Subject: "Democratic" mailer endorsing Lungren

Many voters in the 3rd Congressional District recently received a mailer from "Democratic Voters Choice" that endorses democrats for all the major state offices, but that lists Dan Lungren for U.S. Congress. (The mailer also endorses Republican Roger Niello rather than Democrat Brandon Bell for State Assembly.) There is a Burbank address listed on the flyer for "Democratic Voters Choice," but no phone number and no website.

Please be advised that no official Democratic organization endorses Dan Lungren for Congress. We will be bringing this mailer to the attention the State and National Democratic Party and all of our media contacts, and we will be contacting the Lungren campaign and the Federal Elections Commission as well to determine what link, if any, exists between the Lungren campaign and the mailer.

Please help us spread the word about this misleading mailer, and please let all your own contacts know that the State Democratic Party and all the official Democratic clubs and committees in the Third Congressional District endorse Bill Durston for Congress.

Authorized and paid for by Durston for Congress.

•  I hate these guys. nt

  by verasoie on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:18:59 AM PDT

  •  Kindee is a DEMOCRAT

    Unfortunately, this isn't GOP dirty tricks. It's run by a Democrat out to get a buck by selling "ad" space on a political mailer.

    I've diaried about this crap before.

    If you want this type of crap stopped, contact Loretta Sanchez...she knows Kinde.

    COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT LORETTA SANCHEZ
    Treasurer:  Durkee, Kinde
    1212 S Victory Bl
    Burbank, CA 91502
    Committee Details:
    Interest Group Category:
    Type:  House
    Designation:  Principal Campaign Committee of a Candidate
    Party Designation:  DEM
    Connected Organization:

    or the Westend Democratic Club...they know Kinde

    Board Members

    Kinde Durkee
    Treasurer

    by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:46:03 AM PDT

    •  I disagree

      Kindee is NOT a Democrat. "Works for some Democrats", yes. A Democrat, no?

      And the pamphlet under discussion is clearly paid for to promote a GOP agenda. In my view, the front is not the important point here, it is the hand behind the curtain. The GOP is paying the piper.

      by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:51:22 AM PDT

      •  No...Kinde's a Democrat

        DURKEE, KINDE L DURKEE & ASSOCIATES $1,000   10/16/2000   SCHIPSKE FOR CONGRESS - Democrat

        DURKEE, KINDE L DURKEE & ASSOCIATES $500 10/16/2000 FEINSTEIN 2000 - Democrat

        The Long Beach Democratic Club is a Democratic organization chartered with the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee.

        Club Officers
        President                         Jay Day
        Vice-President Programs           James Johnson
        Vice-President Membership         vacant
        Secretary                         vacant
        Treasurer                         Kinde Durkee

        Brett Wagner is not the only one being defamed. His treasurer, Kinde Durkee, is held in the highest regard in the Democratic community. The implication that she has conducted herself in an unethical manner could ruin not just her reputation, but countless other candidates and officials who work with her. - Ventura County Star

        Kinde Durkee is a California political treasurer who is listed as the custodian of record, treasurer or contact person for Political Animals and 104 other groups - all of them Democratic, many of them minority group- or candidate-based, some of them single-issue groups. She manages such organizations as Coalition for a Democratic Majority, the California Lexington Group and Hispanic Unity USA, the organization involved in a Playboy Mansion fund-raising flap. Democratic Party officials publicly threatened Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., with retribution if she held her fund-raiser at the mansion during the Democratic National Convention. She later moved it and collected $500,000 for Hispanic Unity USA.- Center for Public Integrity

        by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:58:58 AM PDT

        •  modified slightly

          I changed the diary a little. Couldn't find enough vile adjectives to describe this sorry excuse of a human being.

          by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 01:14:02 AM PDT

          •  We need to get this "thing" FIRED

            from working with ANY Dems.

            Her last one was Steve Westley.

            Call. Write. eMail. the California Democratic Party. Dr. Dean. Feinstein. Boxer.

            I did that last time out because this shit really pisses me off.

            by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 01:20:50 AM PDT

•  Email the info to Keith Olbermann

  Fax a copy if you can.

  I'm not kidding, you are on the hot seat on this one. You have the document. You're in the line of fire on this, and have the power to step up to publicize it.

  What you report is disgusting.

  Keep us posted on your results.

  by AllisonInSeattle on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:30:23 AM PDT

  •  How could I forget Keith

    Working on it now. Thanks for the nudge.

    by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:31:37 AM PDT

    •  Better yet...

      Fax it to the California Democrats.
      Fax it to the Democratic organizations Kinde is involved with.

      Kick this b***h out of our party.

      by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 01:04:51 AM PDT

•  Actually, It's not the GOP

  It's a Democratic "operative" named Kindee Durkee of Durkee & Associates who puts out this crap. I've written about it before regarding the same type of flyers.

  Treasurer: Kinde  Durkee
  601 S. Glenoaks Blvd., #211
  Burbank, CA 91502
  Telephone: [phone]

  and she goes by a few different names, too....

  Citizens for Better Representation lists Kinde Durkee as its treasurer and its phone number belongs to Durkee and Associates in Burbank, Calif. No one answered the phone Friday afternoon, but much has been reported about Durkee from past elections. Durkee has been the subject of numerous Federal Elections Commission and California Fair Political Practices Commission investigations.

  and also "Citizens for Good Government"
  Opensecrets shows some of the campaigns that Kindee has had her fingers in.

  SHE IS NOT A REPUBLICAN. SHE'S WORKING FOR THE DEMS. More specifically, THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE(pdf)

  She's the kind of Dirty Dem we need to stop...NOW.

  by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:37:56 AM PDT

  •  I read the diary

    while investigating this. I see your refernces to Kindee and the various association with Democrats.

    AFAIC, this pamphlet is designed to deceive the voters in my area into voting for GOP candidates and positions under the false pretense that they are following the official Democratic Party's desires.

    This is why I went and listed all the official Democratic positions. As you can see, this pamphlet/flyer was NOT designed to help ANY Democratic candidate or position. It was meant to shift votes FROM Democratic candidates to GOP candidates.

    To me, it's a GOP game plan.

    by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:55:37 AM PDT

    •  It's a Democrat with no morals

      She's selling out to the highest bidder and she needs to be put out of business of doing business with the
      Dems.

      If she's willing to pull this sort of crap, let her be a Republican, then we can legitimatly condemn it as a GOP game plan.

      Right now she's just a lying, cheating, slimey Democrat selling out her party for moolah.

      Contact the CA Dems and tell them they shouldn't do business with a Dirty Dem.

      by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 01:03:17 AM PDT

•  Calitics did some googling of Dem Voters Choice

  and actually quoted my original KOS Diary, too.

  From Calitics:

  A recent Kos diary alerted me to some rather suspicious mailers going out around San Diego:

  The Handy Dandy "voter guide" had a vote Yes on Prop 78 and NO on Props 79 and 80.

  Wait just a minute. I go back and check my email I received from the CA Democratic Party and, no, I wasn't mistaken....the CA Democratic Party says NO on 78 and endorses 79 and 80.

  Needless to say, this aroused my curiousity.

  Upon learning that a group called "Democratic Voters Choice" had prepared the slate endorsement, I googled a bit, and soon learned that the flyer was one of two, each making the same endorsements, but targeted at SoCal residents of different parties:

     In some versions of the piece, the brochure appears to be from the Democratic Party, although the fine print shows that the real backer is a group called "Democratic Voters Choice."

     Another version, targeted at Republicans, lists a group called "Citizens for Good Government" as the source.

  Needless to say, a collection of bogus endorsements like this sent me off to Cal-Access, the state campaign contribution database. Each group has entries, and unsurprisingly, I found that on October 15, PhRMA paid each group a substantial sum for their endorsement. The records for Democratic Voters for Choice are on pages 3-4 of this electronic filing, and the records for Citizens for Good Government are on pages 7-8 of this electronic filing. Both groups list Kinde Durkee, the LA county Democratic party treasurer, as their contact, but the provided phone number ([phone]) belongs to David L. Gould company, and David L. Gould was listed as the contact for both groups during the 2001-2002 cycle. FWIW, David L. Gould is (was?) the president of the California Political Treasurers Association.

  So look carefully at the flyers which show up on your doorstep. Look at who paid for them, and who funded that group, and who they really are.

  by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 12:51:35 AM PDT

•  What am I missing here?

  I know Debra Bowen is  a democrat, she had a great campaign against the Diebold machines.  And I know the goveror dude is a democrat.  I know the Sen Dem and Cruz B are Dems.  Who is the GOP plant here?  

  by SemDem on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 05:14:02 AM PDT

  •  Did you read the rest

    of the diary? Look at the list on the links I posted, and compare it to this fake "democratic" list.

    Deborah is winning her race, at least in this part pf the state, so the scums are not messing with her. She is not their target. She and the others that you pointed out are not the candidates whose votes they want to flip.

    by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 07:49:24 AM PDT

    •  Make some noise!!

      Good luck...

      The GOP is damn desperate this year...

      by SemDem on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 06:05:00 PM PDT

      •  We are...

        We sent out a email and have people working this at some higher levels right now.

        I posted this rant in another thread:

        Spoke to a lady named Amy and brought up the issue of Voters Misinformation in my district as I diaried this morning.

        Amy kept reminding that this was not illegal because the flyer indicated that it wasn't from the Democratic Party. I kept telling "Amy", I am NOT interested in legalese at this stage. All I wanted to know is what we are going to do to counter the effects of this attempt to steal our hard-earned votes.

        "Amy" had not even seen the flyer in question. But, she apparently knows Durkee very well. "Amy" claims that the flyer is not illegal because it clearly states the name of the sender. She said this, even though she hasn't seen the flyer in question. When I told "Amy" that this flyer in question actually pretends to come from the Democratic Party, and that it has a fake Democratic Party logo, and it touts itself as the "official" Democratic Voters guide, "Amy" reverted to the "there is nothing we can do" line!!!!

        Aaaaaarrrrrghhhhhhh!!!!

        I've been busting ass, walking my shoes off, racking up mileage on phone calls, putting up banners, talking to strangers, contributing my hard earned money and materials, and other things to get people to give our candidates a second look in my "Republican" districts. We have a chance to unseat a repugnant incumbents, and a "Democratic" operative is actively canvassing against our Democratic candidates, and there is NOTHING the Democratic Party can do about it????

        NOTHING????

        Why are they getting paid???

        "Amy" suggested we ask people to go to the Democratic Party's website and look up the official Democratic Party's positions! Can you believe THAT??!! Yes, our official counter to this vote stealing flyer is to tell people to dial up the modem and look for info??? The outrage. A significant portion of our voters do not have the frigging internet access. Even if they do, why would they think of questioning this flyer that looks so official? And, what is the Democratic Party doing to make sure that the affected voters hear the message to double-check the flyer they received? According to "Amy", a big fat NOTHING. Why, because it's too late now!!!

        Aaaaaarrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh!!!! The agony!!! The outrage!!!! Please make it stop!!!!

        If you have a pull with the CADEM folks, please call. Email them. Tell them to do something.

        Is the CADEM in cahoot with the Republicans to steal our votes?
        

        by akogun on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 07:34:42 PM PDT

        •  The CA Dems CAN do something about it

          Not HIRE the Ho in the first place.

          "It's not illegal" is the perfect excuse the GOP routinely runs. I will not accept that from the Dems.

          Keep calling. So will I. Hopefully more will too.

          by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 08:32:46 PM PDT

        •  precisely the same response I received in SB

          Same talking points:

          it's legal;

          there's nothing we can do;

          we have circulated our own mailers; therefore we feel confident that our own position are clear;

          did I mention that there's nothing we can do?

          by DiMe on Mon Nov 06, 2006 at 09:38:37 AM PDT

      •  It's not the GOP!

        It's a DEM putting out this crap!

        by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 08:30:17 PM PDT

•  same flyer in Santa Barbara

  I was just getting ready to write about this. The version I have seems to be sponsored by, among others, the campaign of Dan Secord, who is running for Santa Barbara County supervisor. "Development Dan" is running on a typical pro-growth, big-business, anti-environmental platform. So are the city council nominees who are also endorsed in this flyer.

  Outrageous.

  by DiMe on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 11:08:13 AM PDT

•  Contact Kinde directly

  Durkee & Associates
  1212 S. Victory Blvd.
  Burbank, CA 91502

  601 S Glenoaks Blvd #211
  Burbank, CA  91502

  tel. [phone]
  fax. [phone]
  email. [e-mail]

  by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 08:38:18 PM PDT

  •  and more...

    Staff Directory

    by jillian on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 08:43:10 PM PDT

•  Durkee And Associates: Treasurer

  I know this has been dead for awhile, but I’d like to clear some things up.

  1. Durkee & Associates is just the treasurer. Generally you have to put contact information on a mailer, and if it’s a donation, it needs to go to the treasurer for record keeping. I don’t even think D&A mails the stuff, they just get listed as the return address.

  2. “Kinde is NOT a Democrat.” I’m pretty sure she is. If there’s any single person you’d ever want on your side it would be Kinde. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

  3. Just because you can google a phone number doesn’t make you a detective, so you can go ahead and put away your lynching rope.

  by mailboxhead on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 03:07:52 AM PDT

  •  I fail to understand

    the import of your response. Would you mind explaining how the "treasurer" of a group of organizations that ACTIVELY work AGAINST Democrats and Democratics position is:

    1. A Good person
    2. Someone we would want on our side. Afte the people she is fronting for worked to DEFEAT my candidate, please tell me which of her personal qualities, charms and beauty I should admire and crave.

    You suggest I put away a "lynching rope". That is not only a crass statement, it speak volume as to your level of intelligence. You admirable Durkee FRONTS for people who REPEATEDLY work against our collective interests, and all you can say is "suck it up". Please say, how much up your fricking ass was Durkee's fingers when you made that statement?

    The thing is this was a statement you didn't NEED to make. Durkee's sponsors had achieved their aims, with Durkee gladly collecting the proverbial sheckel and happily (or otherwise) watched her bank balance increase at the detriment of hard working grass root democrats looking to advance the Democratic Party's collective (as against Durkee's selfish) interest. We had lost, and we are licking our wounds. Why you feel it incumbent upon you to jump in here and belch your vrituperative inanities is what I do not understand. What were you hoping to say with your "suck it up" attitude? Were you intending to impress it upon us that highlighting frauds REPEATEDLY committed by the people who made this misleading pamphlets in the name of betrayers like your beloved Durkee is NOT advisable?

    The object of the diary was to raise alarm and properly inform the voters. Please remind me again, what was the reson for your senseless rant?

    by akogun on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 08:07:14 PM PDT

    •  asdf

      If by rant you mean just letting you know how it works then...

      I'm just letting you know that you are blaming the wrong person. DAA is the treasurer for a committee. Let's say you had a committee. Let's say you send out a flyer to a bunch of people with a message of "let's stop the war." Now, since you are a committee, you'd need a treasurer, because you have to report any money that people might donate. Some people might support you and send in money. Some might not, and try to contact you with how they disagree. Regardless, you'd put the treasurer's mailing address on the flyer.

      The treasurer will process any money and forward any letters to you, the committee.

      Let's say you sent out a mail with a knife in the President's chest. You'd probably make some people mad with that one, and get lots of angry letters. Should I get mad at you, or the treasurer? You act like the treasurer is the one who came up with the idea to send the mail, or even see it before it's mailed.

      I bring this up because you are personally blaming the owner of a company who is the treasurer of a committee. You are wrong about who is responsible, and I was simply letting you know.

      My comment had absolutely nothing to do with the actual piece of mail you are referring to other than the fact that the contact information was misleading; however, I do enjoy your attempt to not read anything I wrote in order to hang on to your scapegoat.

      by mailboxhead on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 10:51:45 PM PDT

      •  Limbaugh carried the same water

        for 6 straight years before he came to his senses. I pray that it doesn't take you that long to come to your senses and realize that you are carrying water for someone unworthy of the favor. I fail to see how you can absolve this scumbag of all responsibilities (nay, culpability) when it has been shown that she REPEATEDLY lends her name to these attrocious vote fraud. From So-Cal all the way to the North. People associated with her are doing this, election year after election year. REPEATEDLY.

        And, you are saying she is not in colusion with the fradusters? You are saying no-one has brought this to her attention?

        Do you know what they said when we confrontted them?

        They said it was a tyop! Yes. With a straight face, they claimed that it was an unintentional slip-up. So convenient that the only people they slipped up on are the candidates that are not actively being promoted/endorsed by the establishment Democratic apparatus.

        The slip-up conveniently happened in NUMEROUS electoral districts in California. And the slip-up had been happening, again, REPEATEDLY for many years.

        Now, what was your point again? If you still think Durkee is worthy of being associated with the human race, there is an error somewhere. Whether it's of your mind or of your head, I do not know, but you will be well served to have it looked at.
        

        by akogun on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 09:01:45 PM PDT

•  You are a douche

  "If you still think Durkee is worthy of being associated with the human race, there is an error somewhere"

  Way to stand behind the anonymity of the internet. Associated with the human race.. haha, you are amazing. What are you suggesting? Should she just kill herself now? Live on an island devoid of civilization? Seriously, I want to know what you mean by saying she is so bad of a person that she shouldn't be counted as one.

  Anyhoo, you are wrong. Anyone reading my comments will see they shouldn't be sending hate mail to DAA, which was my intent. Hopefully they will also see you are a douche, which is what you are, a douche. I count myself lucky that I don't have to ever meet you

  by mailboxhead on Fri Nov 17, 2006 at 03:55:55 PM PDT