August 30, 2004

I am calling you from “The Washington DC of Virginia”Politics

Are the Republicans outsourcing their campaign to Banaglore, India? From The Telegraph:

Stung by leaks that Republicans are outsourcing their election campaign work to India, the Republican National Committee (RNC), the party’s highest policy-making body, recently filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against one of its own outfits for raising money by using Indian telemarketers.

The complaint alleged that fund-raising telephone calls from India on behalf of an organisation called the Republican Victory Committee “prompted false, widespread rumours that the RNC was outsourcing its donor phone calls to India.”

Okay, who let the cat out of the bag in the first place though?

The Texas outfit may have actually got away with its outsourcing exercise if it had not been for the poor training given to Indian telemarketers who handled the job. Sources here said the India-based operation was exposed when one American who received a fund-raising phone call on behalf of the Republican Victory Committee wanted to know where the call was coming from.

“The Washington DC of Virginia,” the caller answered. Washington, the US capital, is actually in DC, short for District of Columbia, and Virginia is its neighbouring state.

The answer, which misrepresented American geography, triggered a series of actions which eventually led to the RNC’s complaint with the Federal Election Commission.

Aren’t the Republicans firmly behind outsourcing though?

abhi on August 30, 2004 02:13 PM in Politics · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post