This morning a staffer at the Michigan Republican Party’s office in Lansing answered a call from an anonymous person who threatened to “take out” any Republican poll challengers who might show up in his area.

According to Michigan GOP Chairman Bobby Schostak, the threat was the result of of an email sent by Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s campaign.

We saw what happened in 2008 when members of the New Black Panthers deployed to polling places with weapons to intimidate observers.

Today, the Michigan Republican Party received a threat from a caller in connection to an email issued by Sen. Stabenow’s campaign manager. The Michigan Republican Party staff immediately contacted and informed Lansing Police Department concerning the threat. Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak called on Sen. Stabenow to condemn the email and the threat.

This morning, Stabenow’s campaign issued an email accusing the Republican Party of plans to “suppress the Democratic vote” and “recruit ‘poll challengers’ to try and disenfranchise and discourage voters in strong Democratic areas.” The email asked supporters to “fight back” and donate money to Stabenow’s campaign.

Stabenow’s email takes out of context a request by the Republican Party to recruit Election Day volunteers.

Moments after Stabenow’s email went out, the Michigan Republican Party received a threatening call that used language nearly identical to the language used in Stabenow’s email.

You can see the email here

Schostak issued the following statement:

“There is no room nor excuse for threats or acts of violence in the political arena. Today’s actions are by one individual, however the cause needs to be addressed.

“Sen. Stabenow’s clumsy and misleading email was out of line, her campaign clearly incited supporters to act out irrationally.

“Sen. Stabenow needs to stop hiding behind surrogates and spokespeople and take responsibility for the email that was issued on her behalf by her campaign manager.

“I am calling on Sen. Debbie Stabenow to personally refute the email issued by her campaign manager that takes out of context an email I issued, and I am asking Sen. Stabenow to join me in sending a strong message by condemning this and any threat in the political arena.

“Anything short of personally condemning her campaign’s email message will only embolden individuals to make additional threats that have no place in political discourse.”

Regarding the MIGOP email recruiting election day volunteers, the position of “poll challenger” or “poll watcher” is an officially recognized under Michigan law, additional details of this position can be found here. As a Michigan Secretary of State pamphlet reads, in the first sentence of the first paragraph, these volunteers do not suppress the vote but are critical in “the election process as a safeguard against election fraud.” Both political parties use poll challengers.