AUDIO: Laura Ingraham Tells Listeners To Jam Voter Protection Hotline

Think
Progress

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

As FireDogLake
has been reporting, right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham today urged
her listeners to obstruct efforts to protect voting rights by jamming
a free voter protection hotline.

After playing a recording of DNC Chairman Howard Dean promoting the
line to voters, Ingraham suggested her listeners call en masse:

Tell me if you think I’m crazy. This is what I’m thinking.
I think we all need to call 1 888 DEM VOTE all at the same time.

CLICK
HERE TO LISTEN TO INGRAHAM

The DNC has released audio recordings of some of the prank calls to
the hotline. Listen to one call HERE.

Full transcript:

DEAN (recorded): We have a hotline — 1 888 DEM VOTE — anybody
can call that. If they feel like there are voting irregularities, we’ll
send some folks over to the polling place in a matter of minutes.

(Phone ringing) OPERATOR: Leave a message with your question or press
pound to be transferred at no extra charge to your local election protection
team or the state Democratic Party. (Dialing) Your call cannot be completed
at this time. Please try your call again later.

INGRAHAM: Wait a second! So — (Laughter) you call 1 888 DEM VOTE
— otherwise ‘Dim Bulb Vote’ or ‘Dumb Vote’
— and all you do is get tranferred to muzak, then they cut you
off. This is what I’m thinking. Tell me if you think I’m
crazy. This is what I’m thinking. I think we all need to call
1 888 DEM VOTE all at the same time. And, by the way, when you call,
when you call the number — and remember, it’s ‘Dem
Vote’ not ‘Dumb Vote’ — when you call the number,
as we did, and we got transferred, transferred, then we just got hung
up upon. You know, we’re supposed to have these election teams
within a matter of minutes, they’re supposed to be coming to the
polls. Can you imagine what those people look like? Halloween all over
again. So if you have trouble with the poll, you’re supposed to
call, via 1 888 ‘Dumb Vote,’ and this is what you get.

OPERATOR: Thank you for calling 1 888 DEM VOTE. To continue in English,
press 1. Para continuar in Espanol, oprima el dos.

INGRAHAM: Oh, and if you’re Saddam Hussein, no problem. Vote
absentee, in Maryland or Ohio.