Voting in Texas and the real motives behind Voter ID
ACLU:
“Freedom to Vote: Protecting the Ballot” examines new voter ID initiatives that could disenfranchise millions, and shows how ordinary people and their elected representatives are trying to preserve the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. The program focuses on legislative efforts in Georgia and Texas to require all prospective voters to present government-issued photo identification, though such rules would create barriers for low-income, elderly and disabled people. Nationwide, 16% of the nation’s elderly voters and 25% of African Americans do not have current government-issued IDs. While supporters of photo IDs say the goal is to eliminate voter impersonation, such fraud is extremely rare, and many believe the initiatives are aimed at diluting Democratic votes."
UPDATE: John Amato:
I've been writing about this issue for months now and have been in talks with the ACLU also. You can hear me with Rachel Maddow discussing this important Indiana case here...
I just read on LeftCoaster that the Drudge photo of Obama in Somali dress was not obtained from the Clinton people but from FreeRepublic. If true, Aravosis, DKos and TPM have egg on their face and should man up and apologize!
american apartheid in action.
grand Marnier @ 1:
They should apologize anyway for jumping the gun on sourceing the smear. They are helping Rove sew discord among the Dems.
Greed is the inventor of injustice as well as the current enforcer.
-Julian Casablancas
Something interesting ought to come out of the Texas vote today.
We had snow this morning.
That happens a little less often than hell freezing over.
Sorry for the off-topic...
Apparently Hillary Clinton has essentially said that due to experience both she and McCain would make better presidents than Obama...
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/03/01/politics/fromtheroad/entry389637...
Stick a fork in her, she's DONE. I don't hate Hillary Clinton, she probably would make a good president, I think Obama would be better...but for CHRIST'S SAKE she just endosed a Republican for President...HER POSSIBLE REPUBLICAN RIVAL!!!! WTF!?
What she said is true. She and McCain do have truckloads of "exp" over Obama, how can anyone deny that? But like it's been drilled over our heads over and over again. This is a change election, not an exp election.
If our Democratic congress members were doing their job they would pass a federal law that says ID is not needed to vote. That it is a form of discrimination. Why are they not doing this. How do you get them off their ass and in the process of doing what they were elected to do, SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.
What years of legislative experience does Clinton have, aside from her years in the Senate?
The issue isn't whether or not Clinton and McCain have more experience than Obama. The issue is why is Clinton promoting McCain's experience over the likely Democratic nominee's?! And, if by chance, Clinton becomes the nominee then she's going to run against McCain by acknowledging he has more experience and is better-qualified!? What kind of a campaign is that???
Well, Didn't Obama compliment Reagan and diss Bill?
Chris Gamble @ 7:
While it may be true that they have more experience, it is only more experience in POLITICS. And whether or not either one of them has more experience is irrelevant to my point: Hillary Clinton essentially endorsed her possible Republican rival in the national contest over a member of her own party. Way to fight that conservative machine and make sure that the Democrats take back the White House there Hillary.
grand Marnier @ 10:
Neither Reagan nor Bill are in this election cycle!
Are the Freedom Flies the new French Fries for dyslexic xenophobes?
And just so I actually say something on the topic of this thread:
Voter ID is a scam. Nothing else needs to be said.
What Liberal Traitor said about voter IDs.
ysbaddaden @ 5:
"Hell will freeze over before we elect a _______ for president down here in Texas"
Insert minority/gender of your choice.
Someone on another thread was describing their voting experience in Texas today: The GOP had a large room with a good number of voting machines. While the Dems were stuck in a smaller room with two machines, only one of which was working.
Lots of ways to prevent people from voting. Despicable.
While they were no doubt ill advised words I wouldn't go as far as saying that shes endorsing her possible Republican rival. Obama has been guilty for giving Repubs compliments up to and including McCain.
As for experience while it's debatable to what degree it matters, I think it's fair to point out that she does have significantly more experience than Obama. She started in the Senate back in 2000. A sometimes forgotten hero of 9/11(I mean if Rudy gets credit, why not her?), has chaired many committees including the Armed Services comm since 03. The 8 years in the White House while not nearly as important as her campaign likes to make it out to be are still a significant sum.
I think she'd make a good cabinet member.
Don't bring out the pitch forks please...
This is not surprising. I have been pretty disgusted at DKos et al for their thinly-veiled sexist crucifixion of Sen. Clinton. And what on earth has Drudge and the right-wing machine EVER done to indicate that they aren't above being rotten liars?
On the topic of this thread - is anyone else having trouble getting the video to load?
Their is no voter fraud problem, it's an invented issue, used to disinfranchise non-Reptilicans. the only provable vote fraud is the election rigging that has thus far been conducted entirely by the republicans, or by their proxies and operatives such as Diebold and the like.
Someday, these numbnuts are going to have crossed a last threshhold and pushed things to far, and they will be wondering why the people are in open rebellion. These guys are incapable of self-restraint, and that cannot have a good ultimate end.
Well, I'm not too worried about all those elderly Texans not being able to vote, most of the over 65 crowd I know are out and out old-timey racists of the worst kind. And I can't imagine NOT having a govt. id. You can't get anything done without a drivers license or official state identification. I've got a few friends that refuse to get theirs because they have warrants out that they havent bothered to pay. If you want to vote, get your damn legal identification. If you cant get off your ass, go down and stand in line and get your id, then you don't deserve to be able to vote.
Leslie @ 17:
I'm writing from the Plano Public Library where voting is going on. Plenty of working machines apparently, still no paper trail, unless you count after I left the bathroom.
However they have four election judges at the Republican table, and only two at the Democratic table.
I voted early a week ago last Saturday, which is allowed in this state. There was virtually no line at all. But then I realized that I was in a heavily Republican area, and apparently they're not interested.
In fact, even today, there was no line and only 3 people voting on a total of about 6-8 machines.
If Republicans want everyone who votes to have a government issued photo ID, then they ought to be willing to do some outreach. Like maybe have a mobile Secretary of State's van who can go out to people and make sure they have what they need. In fact, it ought to be a requirement -- if this type of law is passed then states have to do outreach.
21 Fade
The problem is they're trying to update ID cards. They want to insert computer chips into them which will raise the cost of renewals and new licenses to $100.00 a pop. I'm not sure about Texas, but some area like Florida will allow someone to vote with a State ID card, also smart cards, but they need one other form of identification like a birth certificate, where distance and money concerns add too, particularly for the poor and elderly.
It becomes in effect a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 with it's prohibitions against poll taxes. It's also contrary to the intentions of HAVA.
They also target these specifically to the poorer communities, and often don't tell people of the requirement until too soon before the actual voting starts for them to fulfill the requirements even if they try.
They also target their voting caging to new voter registrations.
we need a new Fairness Doctrine- they can't sell this bushit without the talk radio monopoly and the uncontested repetition to 50-70 MIL that it allows.
Fade @ 21:
Yes you do.
The chips that go into id cards cost only a few cents. Almost all the cost of ID's is in labor and paper work. A Federally sponsered voter id card that could be easily updated (the chip) after a move or name change could be produced for at most a few bucks a pop. If there were safegaurds to keep this database seperate from all other gov agencies (make it part of the irs) then for a few hundred million this whole voter fraud thing could be made mute.
Paul @ 20:
Really? How does that explain Obama getting 0 (ZERO) votes in sections of New York, where people swear they voted for him?
Liberal Traitor @ 6:
I reacted the same way to that. She's desperate. She's toast.
Fade @ 21:
I can't believe what I'm reading. This from someone (I assume is) residing in the self proclaimed pinnacle of freedom and democracy!?!?!? SHAMEFULL
CheneyIsADick @ 29:
They're saying in Texas that Hillary and Obama are neck-in-neck
They're necking?
Leslie @ 17:
Ah, yes, but so, so Republican.
Protecting the ballot, eh? Sounds to me like a euphemism for protecting the country from democracy.
Chris Gamble @ 7:
I dunno, Obama had 8 years in the Illinois legislature before coming to the senate. That's actual political experience, wouldn't you think?
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
The national ID is simply a prelude to things further down the road. It has more than just voting to it. And, it is all bad.
Kucinich remains the only (ex) candidate to take the election process seriously. His action in asking and paying for a New Hampshire recount is what every thoughtful progressive should be doing in terms of election reform. Any questions? Get a recount! I have written scores of letters to my representatives and others in Congress and the validity of our elections is like a magic show or smoke and mirrors. Given the tragedy that is the Bush administration and the Repugnicans' corruption there should be no way the Democants could possibly lose. Well, there easily could be another bunch of stolen "victories." Pitiful.
Bad news for Obama: Hillary is gonna kick his ass in Texas and Ohio. Bye-Bye Obama. Hillary is the ultimate comeback kid.
the repugs only way to win is to cheat, alter voting machine software and buy
the supreme court.
Liberal Traitor @ 6:
according to hillary, there are only two candidates running who have balls
and one of them is not macain.
John, nice work on the Indiana test case. Drumming up interest in the blogs is doable but the mainstream media would probably be best accomplished by enlisting the support of the democratic candidates. This site has plenty of supporters of both Clinton and Obama. It shouldn't be too difficult to start getting some input into both camps that this issue is one both candidates could profitably address in a public way.They needn't beat up on each other all the time. Let them express this as a concern about disenfranchising their own base and they can't lose on this issue.
Chris Gamble @ 7:
I can deny that, and so can anyone with common sense. Riding in the back seat isn't driving the car. She's got less real experience than Obama when you're talking about actually being in charge. And when she was in charge, she's done some realllly gutless voting.
And if we were looking for someone with real experience that would count toward being president as the overriding factor, the ex-governor Richardson (with all KINDS of experience) would have left both of them in the dust.
And I don't think being a war-hawk for crappy wars and being a POW (McCain) and misrepresenting both the situation at home and in Iraq are credentials for an 'experienced' president. Having years in a job doesn't mean much, unless you learned while doing it. Hillary and McCain don't make the cut.
Please provide the needed security at the poll sites it seems strange to me that Hilliary noted that President Bush was selected not elected but she is willing to get to the top any means necessary please help me understand why was Houston's count saved or shaved
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