And that's how the Republicans have won every election since 1998- not by winning the hearts and minds of the American voter, but by suppressing the opposition vote.
And until this undemocratic strategy is dismantled, they will hold their illegitimate grip on our government.

Fixing this next election is going to require some heavy heavy lifting by the repugs.

Well how the hell else can the Criminal republicans steal an election if they don't keep hundreds of thousands of democratic voters off the voter roles? In fact they've already helped to elect McCain; watch Greg Palast:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/327.html

Number of past cases of illegal voting the Voter ID law was supposed to thwart: 2 in 25 years.

Number of voters that have been disenfranchised just since the law was past several months ago: seven.

These laws have been championed by the very same politicians that claim they want government off your back and government is the problem not the solution. This is a fine example of what happens when radical regressive chumps gain power and turn the clock backwards!

A little off topic but I just recently applied for a new passport, I lost my old one in a house fire in 1990. I got a valid birth cert from the city and county of San Francisco, I have lived in California all my life, I file tax returns every year. My passport has been denied until I fill out a multi-page report stating every residence I have ever resided, all kinds of info about my family, the list goes on and on. The Dumbya Regime State Department is pathetic!

The regressive right has made this country as pathetic as any banana republic in history. Perhaps there will be a positive change someday? Don't count on it, the regressive hacks don't want any interference of the tyranny they are enjoying

And that's how the Repugs will win this time. If not their many tricks of voter supression ( the Repug AZ Sec of State has recently approved Diebold machines)they can refer it to the Hack Supreme Court! Or: Wouldn't it be awful if a terrist attack forced the pResident to unilaterally cancel the elections? These repugs are toast if they lose power. Too many of them could end up in prison if Democracy is permitted to win the day.

What a horrible law. It's not like Arizona has a large demographic of residents that arent American citizens....

Oh, wait a minute....

No one could have predicted that a law designed by Republicans to keep Democrats from voting would keep Democrats from voting.

The Voter ID Law Also Prevented Jesus From Voting

http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1800

Now how is it that a woman who spent 98 years on this earth, was educated and probably as a teacher worked as a employee hired by one kind of civil service or another, not have any ID that shows she's an American citizen? You can prove your citizenship with more tahn just a birth cert. and many state agencies will find other accomodations in situations such as hers. AFter 98 years, there is NO paper trail?

Boggles the mind...

The key question: How many of those 40,000 voters were Democrats? If a study can prove a disadvantage (or advantage) for one party or the other, the court rulings can be challenged.

Well, Jay. Say you once were married and got divorced. You moved from Utah to Nevada. Guess what? You can't get a driver's license even with your birth certificate unless you can produce divorce papers. So you request your divorce papers which are on record in Californis and you get no response.

You don't have a driver's license.

If you were born in 1910 there may not be a record of your birth. Although you may be on record as having worked here there and every where how do you prove it?

How do you prove it was you?

Yet another travisty brought to you by your friendly fascist repigs.

Maybe one solution is to start, not a voter registration campaign (although that would be a good idea) but to start a "Let's get every voter an ID card campaign.

Inform as many people as you can that you can try to help them get an ID so they can vote.

Wimen aint allad ta vott

Well, Jay. Say you once were married and got divorced. You moved from Utah to Nevada. Guess what? You can’t get a driver’s license even with your birth certificate unless you can produce divorce papers. So you request your divorce papers which are on record in Californis and you get no response.

You don’t have a driver’s license.

If you were born in 1910 there may not be a record of your birth. Although you may be on record as having worked here there and every where how do you prove it?

How do you prove it was you?

I'm pretty sure that if my only problem was a bureaucrat wont answer the phone I could navigate my way to someone who would help. Getting a copy of your divorce papers is easier that filing for a marriage cert in some states...:-)

And like I said, there are other ways of establishing your citizenship than a birth cert...especially if her past is as long and storied as the article claims it is.

I really think its disingenuous to claim how important the right to vote is (of which I agree 100%) and then not take any precautions to make sure it's not abused. If you're not going to check ID's at the polls, the least youc an do is make sure the registrant is a citizen first. I will admit that if Arizona's law reuires both safeguards, that is a bit of overkill....but in a state with the demographics that AZ has, it makes much more sense to me that the laws be stricter than in say....North Dakota.

Jay @ 20:

Now how is it that a woman who spent 98 years on this earth, was educated and probably as a teacher worked as a employee hired by one kind of civil service or another, not have any ID that shows she's an American citizen? You can prove your citizenship with more tahn just a birth cert. and many state agencies will find other accomodations in situations such as hers. AFter 98 years, there is NO paper trail?

Boggles the mind...

Didn't you watch the video?

She has multiple forms of identification. She just doesn't have the specific ones needed.

Keep in mind that some forms of identification expire.

Cheney responded with "So?"

How does it make more sense? Do you have data on increased voter fraud in Arizona?

Dont be coy.

xoites defends Constitution @ 24:

Well, Jay. Say you once were married and got divorced. You moved from Utah to Nevada. Guess what? You can't get a driver's license even with your birth certificate unless you can produce divorce papers. So you request your divorce papers which are on record in Californis and you get no response.

You don't have a driver's license.

If you were born in 1910 there may not be a record of your birth. Although you may be on record as having worked here there and every where how do you prove it?

How do you prove it was you?

My first thought was: Social security number, even though it's not supposed to be used for ID purposes. Still, if that's all you've got, it must mean something...especially if you're receiving the benefit.

I don't have a problem with having to prove residency...but for completely different reasons: I don't trust republicans, as they would be the first to violate the voting privilege.

I didn't know innocent until proven guilty only applied to felons and not voters.

For god's sake, can't they just contact Kentucky and get her info from there? She was legally registered there and has a long voting record. Could a little common sense be used once in a while?

Jay @ 41:

<i.I believe that we’re about to move into the realm where conservatives start shouting that voting is a privilege and not a right.

We’re on the road to seeing many more restrictions placed on voting.

Of course not...but the alternative from progressives seems to be, let there be NO restrictions on it what so ever.

You C-A-N-N-O-T lecture on the importance of voting rights, then take absolutely no protections what so ever to protect it from being abused.

Who told you that there were no protections against fraud in place?

Where did you get that idea?

McCain should have her on the roles within 24 hours of hearing about this. Good PR.

The Dems should quit whining year after year about IDs and help people get them.
It's good citizenship and good politics.

"but the alternative from progressives seems to be, let there be NO restrictions on it what so ever."

That's a flat out lie. But we wouldn't expect anything less from a reich-wing GOPig.

Uncle Joe Hussein Mccarthy @ 49:

this honestly makes me cry

we have a criminal administration backed up by a criminal court system

when is the revolution going to start?

I'm afraid it won't start by banging on a keyboard (as much as I would like it to).

mick@12 Your analysis is correct, power never gives up anything without a fight, and at this point in history they have almost everything from a whole generation of people and resourses invested in this indeavor. You only need look at the violent crimes commited since they have been in office along with, lies, dirty tricks, and vote stealing to get into power to know that they are not, repete not going to give it up. Add the fact that the consequences of the crimes that we know they have commited, as well as the ones that may come to light, some having the death sentence involved, as well as long prison terms, and it gets hard to believe they will not take it to a bitter end. This has long been their design, and now it's "do or die" time. Hope we make it. CEO

" ... this former school-teacher who taught generations of Americans shouldn’t be allowed to vote." There, without punctuation, does appositive become negative, class. Why would she have taught such a thing, darn Nazi appeaser, communist, pinko, America-hater!?

Horst @ 56:

" ... this former school-teacher who taught generations of Americans shouldn’t be allowed to vote." There, without punctuation, does appositive become negative, class. Why would she have taught such a thing, darn Nazi appeaser, communist, pinko, America-hater!?

I saw that too. :)

Lollimom @ 52:

Uncle Joe Hussein Mccarthy @ 49:

this honestly makes me cry

we have a criminal administration backed up by a criminal court system

when is the revolution going to start?

I'm afraid it won't start by banging on a keyboard (as much as I would like it to).

i dont know...bangin on keyboards almost made lufa boys head explode

maybe if we bang harder, we can make every wingnuts head explode

this morning, i briefly heard that faux intellectual wingnut dennis praeger going off on one of obama's speeches...the one he gave in portland

he insisted that obama wants to take away everyone's right to own an suv and their right to be fat...and he cited the part in the speech when obama talks about mass transit and bike lanes

they are all totally losing it

i believe that in november, we may be witness to a mass on-air suicide

All 40 of them?

Wow. Think of the inconvienience.

I have a really hard time with this, I admit, because I don't understand how you can get along in life without some form of ID. How do you cash a check, for example. My Grandmother was born in 1908; she did not have any ID either, but we had to work it all out for her when it came time for her to collect Social Security and become eligible for Medicare. Her birth certificate was hard to find, because her parents changed her name afterwards and her birth date on the certificate was the date it was filed with the clerk, a full week after her birth. Wrong name, wrong date, but we still managed to get her some ID. I don't mean to sound like a Republican, I just cannot comprehend how you manage to go through life without ID.

CMinCA @ 64:

I have a really hard time with this, I admit, because I don't understand how you can get along in life without some form of ID. How do you cash a check, for example. My Grandmother was born in 1908; she did not have any ID either, but we had to work it all out for her when it came time for her to collect Social Security and become eligible for Medicare. Her birth certificate was hard to find, because her parents changed her name afterwards and her birth date on the certificate was the date it was filed with the clerk, a full week after her birth. Wrong name, wrong date, but we still managed to get her some ID. I don't mean to sound like a Republican, I just cannot comprehend how you manage to go through life without ID.

How do you know that she went her whole life without an ID?

Did you know that driver's licenses expire?

Did you know that if you write and mail checks to pay the water bill, they don't check your ID?

If you give a son or daughter power of attorney, then you don't need to risk a fall in public? They can do everything using their ID.

I have no trouble comprehending this situation.

This whole idea of proof of citizenship to get to vote is a stalking horse to disenfrachise potential democratic voters. It defies logic. Yeah, if I was an illegal alien, the first thing I would try to do would be to risk exposure and deportation by attempting to vote in another country. Righttttt.....

this is the most shameful attempt of the reichwingneocons to keep
power in America. they will stoop to the lowest levels to regain
power. a major civil war is coming over this abomination.

Hmmm. All you need is a purple finger in Iraq to vote.

Another bummer here in AZ (I live here) is that the Maricopa Board of Sup's is meeting in a week or so with a likely move to cut the budget of the Election Commission. Which means that the sample ballot that you receive in the mail will be sent one per household instead of per voter. This will affect your proof of Identity when going in to vote, as many people show up with their driver's license and sample ballot (with their name and only their name on it). Talk about lame. If there ever was an election with the expected turnout that they are this is not one to be cutting budgets.

I just emailed the Republican in the story the following message. His email address is rpearce@azleg.gov

You are a conceited thug.

No different than any gangster who would rob someone on the street if he knew he could get away with it.

That's the way politicians like you (especially Republican cowards) have to play the game. You have to limit participation because your constituency consists of corporate elitists and sorry to say...the unintelligent. It's a fact that low voter turnout helps Republicans so it certainly makes sense you would stand up for suppressing the vote.

I know this email will not change your views and will most likely cause you to dig your heels in even further regarding trying to protect your sacred office. I just wanted to take a small stand for those whose rights you seek to defraud.

Have fun on election night when your lap dog John McCain loses to an African American.

Allow me to sum up:

Law is passed based on premise of fighting voter fraud. No evidence of voter fraud is offered.
Evidence is offered the law is preventing law abiding Americans who predominantly vote liberal from actually voting.

Conclusion: Looking at my watch I see the big hand is on government secrecy and the little hand is on vote rigging. Its insurrection time!

roger @ 76:

I just emailed the Republican in the story the following message. His email address is rpearce@azleg.gov

You are a conceited thug.

No different than any gangster who would rob someone on the street if he knew he could get away with it.

That's the way politicians like you (especially Republican cowards) have to play the game. You have to limit participation because your constituency consists of corporate elitists and sorry to say...the unintelligent. It's a fact that low voter turnout helps Republicans so it certainly makes sense you would stand up for suppressing the vote.

I know this email will not change your views and will most likely cause you to dig your heels in even further regarding trying to protect your sacred office. I just wanted to take a small stand for those whose rights you seek to defraud.

Have fun on election night when your lap dog John McCain loses to an African American.

He probably didn't read more than 4 words. Does anyone every get a response from an elected official?

richmanpoorman @ 81:

Someone needs to ask that dude how many people died for the right to rent a movie or drive a car.

Unbelievable the shame these people bring upon the history of struggle in this nation and the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure these rights for all Americans.

Aren't Americans dying today for our right to go shopping?

"Republicans Disenfranchising Democrats and Minorities"

Why don't we see this headline in every newspaper? Why isn't the whole world aware of this Republican voter suppression scam?

You can bet that Republican asshole legislator was laughing up his sleeve at the thought of denying a 97-year old Democrat her right to vote. Couldn't you just hear the conservative compassion in his voice?

Weaseldog @ 69:

CMinCA @ 64:

I have a really hard time with this, I admit, because I don't understand how you can get along in life without some form of ID. How do you cash a check, for example. My Grandmother was born in 1908; she did not have any ID either, but we had to work it all out for her when it came time for her to collect Social Security and become eligible for Medicare. Her birth certificate was hard to find, because her parents changed her name afterwards and her birth date on the certificate was the date it was filed with the clerk, a full week after her birth. Wrong name, wrong date, but we still managed to get her some ID. I don't mean to sound like a Republican, I just cannot comprehend how you manage to go through life without ID.

Another point to consider...

In small towns, or close knit neighborhoods, there was a time when most people didn't need ID, because everyone already knew everyone.

In fact, you don't have to use your turn signal either 'cause everyone knows you, where you're going and when your gonna turn to your house. ; )

If this old lady cannot prove she was born in the U.S. she should be deported to ------ I don't know, how about Barbados? Oh, and we should probably torture her first. God bless the USA.

Forty thousand already disenfranchised. I suppose that makes up for the--what, maybe a dozen?--voters who used fraudulent identification. A law that denies people their right to vote, on the basis of virtually no one ever having committed the fraud in the first place.

I am currently living in AZ and I went down to DLB yesterday and even with my original birth certificate they would not issue me ID. They said I need a BC from the state hospital. I am not sure what i am going to do now.

capnmike @ 93:

There are somewhere around 20 MILLION illegals in the United States right now, more than the entire population of many countries. Of course, any law that gets passed is going to affect a few people adversely, but there is nothing age-ist, race-ist, or sex-ist about expecting someone to prove they are Americans before allowing them to elect American officials. This is a relatively isolated and extreme case. If you want to make an omelet, expect to have to break a few eggs.

If only there was one less you.

Thanks for your comments, but we were also from a small town, only 100 families, our grandparents were first generation American. We didn't lock our doors or our car doors either. My point is, when you start getting older, you do need ID to obtain Social Security and Medicare, (to simplify the example). If you ever filed a tax return, with or without a spouse, you need a Social Security number. It seems to me that you would have had at least have obtained that form of ID by now. Maybe she doesn't realize that she does have ID. Doesn't she have a voter's registration card?

(Yes, I realize this woman is 98 years old. My other grandmother was born in 1910 and didn't learn to drive until 1980 - they're the same age, so I can conceptualize their circumstances.) Even is this woman has never had a driver's license, she can obtain an ID card from the DMV. In these small towns, people have baptismal records and the Mormon Church has records on everyone - Mormon or non-Mormon. Also, in these small towns, the church members would help her fill out forms, provide transporation, I'm sure. She shouldn't give up, but find out what she needs to do to exercise her right to vote.

Am I being naive or am I missing something? I don't think so.

Vote Absentee! What will they make you do? Send a photocopy of your D/L?

Just to tweak the paranoids....We tend to think that in the modern age this can't happen to us. But imagine a fire at the Yourtown Hall of Records...then the computer files of any "valid" records get wiped....Maybe it happens in swaths of heavily Democratic or Republican voting districts....It's easy to imagine.

My (late) paternal grandmother, born in 1904, would be in the same boat. She was born at home, never drove* or held a passport, was a housewife, paid cash for everything, never even made a will, and after my grandfather died left all business to my oldest uncle. Jewish people do not have an equivalent to baptismal certificates.

My mother, OTOH, has her naturalization papers, and given the way things are going now, she carries a certified copy with her.

*BTW, in her youth, driver's licenses came with the car, and were proof of nothing in particular, not even basic competence behind the wheel.

"There are somewhere around 20 MILLION illegals in the United States right now, more than the entire population of many countries. Of course, any law that gets passed is going to affect a few people adversely, but there is nothing age-ist, race-ist, or sex-ist about expecting someone to prove they are Americans before allowing them to elect American officials. This is a relatively isolated and extreme case. If you want to make an omelet, expect to have to break a few eggs."

I was just waitiing for that stupid argument.

"This is a relatively isolated and extreme case."

So is voter fraud. Your position is indefensible.

The repubs can't win any other way, so if they pass enough voters laws perhaps they'll have a chance. That's the only reason for these laws - to keep certain people from voting.

According to the new standards, George Washington (among others) should have not been allowed to vote, much less serve as president. He was not a U.S. citizen when he was born (the U.S. didn't exist yet). I doubt he could have produced any "modern" proofs of birth (family bibles probably would not pass muster). And on and on.

The Arizona Advocacy Network reports that nearly 40,000 voter registration forms have been rejected due to inadequate proof of citizenship.

Republican Mister Burns from the Simpsons(rubbing hands together gleefully), "It's working perfectly!"

Can McCain really afford to lose his peer group as voters?

I guess we'll find out. Personally, I'd love to see McSame lose his home state.

You democrats need to start coming up with better excuses for losing. "I can't believe they passed a law requiring you to prove you're american to vote in an election." This is the best you got? I like this one too: "Did you see that ballot? It had names on the left AND the right. I was so confused!" It's hysterical that you're complaining about voter fraud concidering voter fraud got your man JFK elected. How many times should they have recounted in Florida? 3 wasn't enough? Oh, you just wanted 1 that went the other way. Sorry. Can't you get it through your thick skulls that many people in the US don't want socialism? That we went to history class and learned that it didn't work so well? That this country just so happened to start going downhill when insane liberal policies started taking effect? I was also wondering; how you can put the lives of convicted murderers ahead of unborn children? Kill anything as long as its still in her stomach, but don't you dare touch that guy that raped and murdered his 3 daughters. Give him 3 square meals, cable TV, and don't forget the air conditioning. Doesn't that seem a little, I don't know, wrong? But what can you expect when the leaders of your party are liars (Clintons), jflwuiosgsdhdfhgfwj;cjwfnhfhj oops (sorry about that, had snipers shooting at me), and pill-popping, adulterous, alcoholic, 'accidental' killers (Kennedy's). Thats quite the leadership. That's about all the time I got here, but since I don't want you to be mad at me, I'll give you some advice. Don't get into a car..............................or for that matter a plane............................let's just say vehicle (who knows whats next) with a Kennedy at the wheel, except if they're taking you to vote.

And I'm sure it's not the first time this numbskull had been told her identification was inadequate, and it's not the first time she had the need, and the opportunity to obtain adequate identification over the last 70 plus years since she was an adult.

So since there is one exception to the rule we need to throw out all laws requiring a person to show that they actually have a legal right to vote? Or do we permit anybody to vote, regardless of how many times they may vote or they have the mental capacity to vote, or the legal right to vote, just because we don't want to disnfranchise one old lady?

Just because leftists lose elections every time they're truthful about their goals (unlike this election with the con-man socialist saying whatever his audience wants to hear, as long as he has a teleprompter with a flowery speech projected towards him), doesn't mean we need to allow any and all fake votes from ACORN and their ilk to enable them to steal elections. Since making up election rules after the election because you're behind after numerous recounts, and getting the Supreme Court to agree with the constitution and state law, despite the best efforts of a state supreme court to change those laws, it must be frustrating that you can't just make up rules like they do in Velezuela, Iran, etc. But you're working your way towards that goal, aren't you, you marxist fools?

and people like lou dobbs thinks this law would help keep "illegal immigrants" from voting??? ummm hello. they can't vote at all so why have a law like this one?? it's a fascist law to keep minorities away from voting. fuck lou dobbs and his supporters.