Thanks to Nation writer and Occidental College professor Peter Dreier for tipping me off to the following item with which California Nation readers are likely already familiar.

It’s Halloween season and the Republicans have launched another “dirty tricks” effort to try (again) to steal the White House. Under the guise of good government, the GOP is trying to change California election rules so the state’s electoral college votes can be split according to Congressional district. The end result would be to deprive the Democratic nominee for president about twenty of California’s Electoral College votes next fall.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani’s gang of out-of-state consultants are behind this Rovian dirty trick, having “already raised $2 million” to hoodwink Californians into subverting the Constitution by ballot initiative. Consultants Ed Rollins and Anne Dunsmore are leading this ugly mob. Both have strong connections to Giuliani and, more ominously, former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris.

Liberal stalwart Bradley Whitford of West Wing fame has made a YouTube video on behalf of the Courage Campaign to spread the word on the GOP’s dirty trick. Watch it now.

Then check out the Courage Campaign website to find out what you can do to help combat this blatantly pro-Republican “reform.”