Republican thuggery, pt. 1,564

If you haven't read this morning's piece on voter intimidation by Republicans in Salon, it's a must read. For one thing, it's beginning to tap the breadth of the campaign to scare black voters out of the polls. It's important to bone up on this, because there is little doubt that they are going to expand these efforts this year, if only to keep as many people from voting in Florida as humanly possible. After the fact, when Democrats complain, the standard answer will be to make racist jokes about how dumb "people" must be to be scared to vote. But consider this when you hear boneheaded comments like that.

In Dillon County, S.C., in 1998, Son Kinon, a Republican state official, mailed out 3,000 brochures to black voters warning, "You have always been my friend, so don't chance GOING TO JAIL on Election Day! ... SLED [South Carolina Law Enforcement Division] agents, FBI agents, people from the Justice Department and undercover agents will be in Dillon County working this election. People who you think are your friends, and even your neighbors, could be the very ones that turn you in. THIS ELECTION IS NOT WORTH GOING TO JAIL!!!!!!"

Threatening to arrest people for voting is beyond the pale. Go read the whole thing.