deceptive "survey" heads up

[K.C.]

I just got this one of these "surveys"and it really pissed me off. I'm posting someone elses commentary. Give the older people in your life a heads up so they wont be taken. (This commentary is based on an older survey from 2004. The 2009 surveys questions are updated to reflect whats going on now politically ).

National Republican Senatorial Committee: Did you get the survey?

So, I don't normally talk about politics here, but something happaned last week that I have to talk about. While I was in Boston, a survey arrived. This survey was called the U.S. Senate Majority Leader's Survey 2004. It looked a heck of a lot like a typical IRS form. It had various official looking numbers like a registration number, a voting district code, even a section on top marked "NRSC Use Only."

Below my address, and in big bold letters was:

NOTICE: This SURVEY DOCUMENT IS REGISTERED IN YOUR NAME and must be accounted for upon completion of this project. If you choose not to participate in this crucial Republican Majority Leader's Survey, return this Survey Document at once using the postage paid envelope provided.
OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN PARTY DOCUMENT - DO NOT DESTROY

So, at this point, I'm pretty curious. As far as I know (unless Ashcroft got around to suspending the Constitution), the Republican National Party has no right to tell me what I can do with my mail. That being said.... the document is very convincing, and this will come into play a bit later.

So, the survey itself is what you would expect. A heavily biased set of questions favoring Bush. I kept expecting a "Should Kerry stop beating his wife" question. This in itself isn't a big huge deal. I'm sure Democratic groups put out biased mailings as well. That's kinda the point. But again, remember the dire warnings and official looking text that preceeded the questions.

At the end of the survey are three options:

1. YES! I want to help defend our Republican Senate Majority and build a strong foundation of Republican grassroots support for President Bush's agenda. I am enclosing my most generous contribution of ....
2. No. I do not wish to participate in this vital Republican Majority Leader's Survey. However, I am returning my Survey Document, along with a generous donation to help build Republican grassroots support for President Bush's agenda. I am enclosing a donation of:
3. No. I do not wish to participate in the survey, nor do I wish to make a donation to help the Republican Party. I am returning my Survey Document, along with a contribution of $11 to help cover the cost of tabulating and redistributing my Survey.

Now obvious, the red text was my choice, and is the option I want to focus on. The document, which looks like any other typical government form, made it very clear that you were not to destroy it. Now, at the end, you can't return without sending this group eleven dollars.

In general, I tend to think people have a certain responsibility to have a basic, minimum level of intelligence. Therefore, what this group is doing is (afaik) technically legal. However, it is slimy. Damn slimy. How many people will get tricked into thinking they have to donate eleven dollars to this group? How many people who really can't afford to donate money? The more I think about this group, the angrier I get. Maybe I'm totally missing the point here, but this just seems like pure evil.

Oh, and they have a web site: http://www.nrsc.org. Perhaps folks could contact them and let them know what you think of this "survey."

[ehidle]

Something about their site doesn't pass the smell test... can't put my finger on it, but this doesn't seem like a legitimate organization, despite the huge amount of effort they have apparently expended to appear so.

[GunLawyer001]

Did we all lose 5 years somewhere? It's still 2009, right?

Let's do the time warp again....

[Justin]

Feel free to give Mr. Sherred a call, or email.

Email for the admin is elivingston@nrsc.org
the email address for the registrant is wfulgeras@nrsc.org
I'd have to image that the Mr. Sherred's email is esherred@nrsc.org.

Domain ID533852-LROR
Domain Name:NRSC.ORG
Created On:26-Dec-1995 05:00:00 UTC
Last Updated On:03-Jul-2009 20:22:08 UTC
Expiration Date:25-Dec-2011 05:00:00 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Network Solutions LLC (R63-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:25824383-NSI
Registrant Name:Eric Sherred
Registrant Organization:National Republican Senatorial Committee
Registrant Street1:425 2nd Street, NE
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Washington
Registrant State/ProvinceC
Registrant Postal Code:20002
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.2026754308
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:+1.9999999999
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Admin ID:25824384-NSI
Admin Name:Eric Livingston
Admin Street1:National Republican Senatorial Committee
Admin Street2:425 2nd Street, NE
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Washington
Admin State/ProvinceC
Admin Postal Code:20002
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.2026754308
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:+1.9999999999
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:
Tech ID:25824384-NSI
Tech Name:Eric Livingston
Tech Street1:National Republican Senatorial Committee
Tech Street2:425 2nd Street, NE
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Washington
Tech State/ProvinceC
Tech Postal Code:20002
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.2026754308
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:+1.9999999999
Tech FAX Ext.:

[ehidle]

Looks like they put a phony fax number in their registration. Isn't it illegal now to put false information in a domain registration?

I know ICANN will revoke a domain for it...

[xflyboy]

Did we all lose 5 years somewhere? It's still 2009, right?

Let's do the time warp again....

No GL his mailman is just that far behind on his route

[RJT]

*sigh* politicians....



So, how long till we get to nuke DC and start over?

[daschnoz]

*sigh* politicians....



So, how long till we get to nuke DC and start over?

Don't worry. If NoBama keeps pushing down the same road Nevil Chamberlain took in the 1930s, it won't be long before muslim terrorists nuke it for us.

[RJT]

Don't worry. If NoBama keeps pushing down the same road Nevil Chamberlain took in the 1930s, it won't be long before muslim terrorists nuke it for us.

So you're saying he'll fulfill Chamberlain's claim of "peace in our time"?