Opposition to CT Sec. of the State's Major Party Propaganda Campaign and Recruitment Drive, "Affiliate and Participate," Gains Traction and Momentum

Opposition to "Affiliate and Participate," Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz's major party propaganda campaign and recruitment drive, continues to grow since her office launched the effort earlier this month. On Monday I reported that Daniel Reale, an Independent candidate for Congress in CT-2, filed a formal complaint against Bysiewicz charging her with misuse of public funds for political ends, among other things. (See TPID's interview with Reale discussing the complaint.) Shortly thereafter, the Green Party candidate in the same race, Scott Deshefy, told TPID that he concurred with the substance of Reale's critique, and stated that the Green Party may join in a legal action against Bysiewicz. Now the Free and Equal Elections Foundation has issued a statement on the "Affiliate and Participate" program:

“Bysiewicz is clearly asking independents and voters in other alternative political parties to join the Republican or Democratic Parties,” said Christina Tobin, CEO and founder of Free and Equal Elections Foundation. “Joining one of the two power parties is only one way voters can affiliate and participate in our election process. Bysiewicz is blatantly failing to educate voters about all of their options by concentrating her message to urge people join the two political parties she mentions.”

“Many candidates from several alternative political parties are collecting petition signatures right now trying to get on the ballot,” Tobin said. “Voters can also go affiliate with those other parties or participate in choosing which candidates compete in the November election by signing the petitions to put those candidates on the ballot. Bysiewicz is using her office to solely promote membership in the Republican and Democratic Parties with this public campaign and I believe that is wrong. Why isn’t she running TV commercials asking voters to participate in candidate selection by signing petitions for Green, Libertarian, Independent, Working Families or Connecticut for Lieberman party candidates?”

Free and Equal also interviewed Reale on their radio show:

Dan Reale is a Libertarian currently petitioning to be on the ballot for U.S. House in Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District. Dan was a recent guest on our Free and Equal radio show and that interview can be heard at our website.

Progressive CT political blogger Jon Kantrowitz, whose posts on "affiliate and participate" first brought the campaign to my attention, has now picked up the story from TPID, here and here.