Four years ago, as New Hampshire Democrats at a get-out-the-vote center tried to contact people and encourage them to cast ballots in a close senate race, they encountered a frustrating problem repeated hang-up calls and jammed telephone lines. The glitches occurred over a three-day period around election day, which featured a close race between Democrat Jean Shaheen and Republican John Sunnunnu, who ultimately won the contest 51 to 46%. But the phone-jamming was no mistake. It was orchestrated by a Bush campaign operative who was convicted for the scheme, and is nowappealing that conviction.
But the story doesn’t stop there. Democrats including DNC Chairman Howard Dean now want to know why the operative convicted in the case had regular contact with the White House and Republican Party as the plan was
unfolding.
Felice Bellman, managing editor of the Concord Monitor, which has been closely following this story. She spoke with Mitch Wertlieb about the case.