Reply #15: Olbermann has criticized Harris in the past for her usual suspect tactics [View All]

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Last week Olbermann criticized Harris for not publicly releasing film footage said to reveal questionable vote-tabulating practices in Volusia County, Florida. The footage, which was filmed by a documentary crew that has been following Harris for a year, is said to show paper voting records from a bag of garbage that Harris obtained after scuffling with Volusia County election officials outside their offices. Harris has implied on her website and in other public statements that the records indicate actions that "are consistent with fraud."

Olbermann originally wrote that Harris should release the footage to back her claims and said that when his staff spoke with her after his initial blog entry about it, she was "belligerent, threatening and demanding" with them. Some members of Democratic Underground have speculated that Harris wants to hold onto the footage so the filmmakers can release it in their documentary and make a bigger publicity splash.

But Harris said she did not receive calls from the television program asking for the footage and is not able to release it to the TV station because it is being used in a lawsuit against the county. She also said the charge that she threatened Olbermann's staff is untrue.

But some members of Democratic Underground have noted that Olbermann's description of Harris' behavior is consistent with their experiences with her. And others have questioned whether she is the best public representative for the voting activist movement.

"No one denies she's done great work," wrote one forum member who goes by the name AmyCrat. "It's her PR skills that are potentially hurting the whole effort (and her own efforts). Good intentions aren't an excuse for unprofessional behavior."

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2004/12/65928