Very Interesting Re: GOP Privacy Policies

A strange and interesting thing has happened to me. Today, I logged into my Yahoo account--this is the email I frequently give to any place that I worry may use my information by way of selling it to third parties and hence I will get spammed until my eyeballs explode. I do check it from time to time, to keep it active and make sure nothing good is getting mixed in with the spam.

And today, an interesting sight greeted me when I opened my inbox. Two, actually, but the second being of far broader scope. The first, incidentally, was that somehow I have apparently been signed up for Dick DeVos's campaign email distribution list. How that happened, I will never know, but it certainly doesn't seem beyond him to purchase that information from anyone he can. Secondly, it seems I am also signed up for the national Republican email list.

You will understandably nod when I say that I scoffed, grunted, rolled my eyes, perhaps uttered a vulgarity or two, and proceeded to unsubscribe myself (a measure not really necessary since it is my spam account, and emails from them would be deleted like everything else--it's just the principle of the thing). When taken to the Republican National Committee website to unsubcribe--and after unceremoniously doing so--out of sheer morbid curiosity, I clicked on their Privacy Policy.

This is a very lengthy document, of course, but let me cut and paste one of the finer points here (for your reference, the link to this website is hotspotted with the title of this blog entry):

QUOTE: What information is being collected at GOP.com?

The only personal information collected is information you give us: In our effort to grow our Republican grassroots community online, the RNC may at times ask you to submit information – such as your name, address, phone number and email address – in an effort to provide you the information you want in a more timely manner. If you choose not to give us any information, we may not be able to provide you with the most timely information pertaining to: online events, personal appearances, TV appearances, talking points, activists alerts and other Republican related information.

...

How is the information collected at GOP.com used?

We will not sell your personal information. Under no circumstances will the RNC sell your information to third parties or any commercial entities. END QUOTE.

Well. I feel secure. Knowing that they won't sell my name, email address, or other information to third parties makes me feel so safe. Knowing that they'll eagerly buy it from someone--as clearly they must have, given that I have never, before this day, EVER visited a Republican-party-based website; nor have I given them my information, nor have I donated to any Republican campaign, nor have I in any other way been associated with them--makes me feel altogether violated. 'Smatter of fact, I'll be supporting Jennifer Granholm in her bid for re-election to governor in every possible way that I can. 'Smatter of fact, I think Dick DeVos is a creep on many levels. And yes, that is my official political stance on the matter. If you want to know why, well, that's a subject for a whole 'nuther post.

You'll have to excuse me now; I have to go delete my cookies.