The temperature in Baghdad, Iraq on the morning of March 10, 2010 was approaching a humid 80 Degrees by 11:00 AM. On the surface this appeared to be just another hot, sandy day in this war torn nation, but today would be different.
American troops were on high alert but determined to see the important events of this day carried through. This day was important because it was Election Day in Iraq and there were hopes that democracy would endure and the turnout would be high.
It is altogether fitting and proper that it would be American Troops that shielded the Iraqis as they exercised their right to vote, because in the United States the right to vote is conceived in the proposition that all men are created equal. The struggle to secure for our citizens their right to vote is a fundamental element of our history, from the Women’s Suffrage Convention at Seneca Falls, to the passing of the 15th Amendment declaring that citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on race or color, to the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote; we treat the right to vote as sacred to our democracy.
At this very moment, the right to vote is again tested, not on the streets of Baghdad but rather right here in America. In the months before the 2012 presidential election, Republican legislatures and governors across the country are rewriting voting laws to make it much harder for the young, the old, and the poor– groups that typically vote Democratic- to cast a ballot. [1]
Former President Clinton has warned that the likes of these Republican attacks on voting rights in Pennsylvania and Ohio had not been seen since we got rid of the poll tax and other Jim Crow burdens on voting. At the Democratic National Convention President Clinton said, “Do you really want to live in a country where one party is so desperate to win the White House that they go around trying to make it harder for people to vote if they’re people of color, poor people or first generation immigrants?”[2]
In 2010 the Iraqis defied a barrage of mortars and rockets and went to the polls in large numbers. In 2012, despite the Republican attempts to suppress our voting rights, we must defy the Republicans and go to the polls in large numbers to ensure that a nation conceived in liberty will endure.
[1]The New
York Times/Editorial/The Republican Threat to Voting/Published: April 27, 2011/pageA26
[2] http://www.thenation.com/blog/169733/bill-clinton-gop-voter-suppression-laws-sign-desperation
You make me chuckle. I cannot believe how devoid of actual knowledge you are. I feel sorry for you however your the kind of a dolt that the lower level crowd devoid of knowledge and education actually believe. Thats where the danger lies..
This, of course, perfectly and logically follows the Democrat insistence that we "rid ourselves of our dependence on foreign oil".
Could use your wisdom on the Supreme Court, were you "that" John Jay. Meanwhile - Uncle Moe is right - the two party system is a myth - A "Two-Horse Race where the same stables owns BOTH horses". There is an old oriental proverb..."When the horse is dead - DISMOUNT." I am running as a third choice for the VACANCY in the House of Representatives in D.C. for this District. I would welcome the support of any person on this forum who has read my posts about what WE are already doing for Ocean and Burlington Counties - http://lacey.patch.com/blog_posts/the-substantive-argument-raised-by-the-democratic-republicans-d9ec3c89, for starters.
We agree, Uncle Moe - could use your support.
http://mvpproject.org/in-the-news/va-military-absentee-ballots-going-awol-in-2012/
...officials with the national Republican Party cut ties with Sproul, whose firm has already received $3.1 million for work in Virginia, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and Colorado. Although the payments were made by state party committees, its now clear that the Romney campaign and the national GOP coordinated the effort... He’s now in hot water because his firm was caught turning in faked voter registration forms in Palm Beach County and nine other counties in Florida...Republicans are screwing with state voter rolls. . .
So our Young Returning Vets now have to wait till spring for RepublicanObstructionists to maybe finally vote for it !
Listen to Fox much? The President is not fighting to disallow military votes in Ohio. Have you lost your marbles? Republicans sure don't let facts get in the way of their opinions. I didn't like Bush but I didn't go around saying he wears pink nighties when he's alone because I'm not nuts. Prior to the Republican-controlled Legislature and Governor Kasich EVERYONE could submit an early ballot in person all the way through Monday. Access over the weekend was inconsistent in Ohio's 88 counties. The counties had to pay overtime to stay open on the weekend. THE NEW LAW restricted early voting to the Friday before the election except for military personnel. Well if you have to pay OT and the old law allowed everyone to vote on the weekend, why not keep it that way. Why discriminate? The proposed remedy IS TO REMOVE THE FRIDAY DEADLINE FOR EVERYONE. How is that attempting to disallow anyone?
The comments have wandered along a multitude of side roads. However Mr. Griffith's, & no one else has been able to back up that statement with facts....STILL! Bob did leave two links the first http://www.thenation.com/blog/169733/bill-clinton-gop-voter-suppression-laws-sign-desperation You can follow this one, My Read on this is that The Nation, an obviously far, far, left leaning rag, (just browse their site you'll see what I mean) Mainly is reporting statements & speeches by former President Clinton, to back up their obviously Liberal/Democrat/Socialist view, it is NOT actual reporting, it is an attempt at furthering their Agenda, devoid of any real facts except what Ole Bill said in his obvious biased opinion of what he sees as Republican Malfeasance. BTW Mr Clinton has been disbarred as a Lawyer for lies told in a government probe, also he doesn't even know what Sex is!
Is ABC News (We all know they're not Biased...RIGHT!) They tell of a harrowing tale, of people in Pennsylvania, having to travel up to 30 miles ...Egads!!, and having to wait up to 59 minutes...Oh the Horrors!! to get their photo ID's, some said it was too much they may not vote! What seems to be lacking in this report is the facts that BOTH Republican Voters, as well as Democrats, & Independents have to go through the same process, but only if they are not already a liscensed driver, or have any other State or Federal form of acceptable Photo ID, which means only a small fraction of a percent of voters even have to worry about this process anyway. I guess our Voting process for some people, isn't worth any real effort. Since Mr Griffiths cloaked his article in a tale of our brave soldiers, protecting the voting rights of Iraqis. I would wonder the opinion of one of those soldiers, or Iraqi citizens, on these perils faced by Pa. Voters, since they had to brave land mines, snipers, & RPG's to vote there. 59 min. or 30 miles seem rather insignificant in the face of that!
Gee, I wonder why???? Its the first time in history that any political party in this country is trying to make it harder to vote. http://factcheck.org/2012/08/obama-not-trying-to-curb-military-early-voting/ http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/military.asp http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/is-obama-challenging-voting-privileges-of-ohio-military-members/2012/08/07/b9cf76ac-e080-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_blog.html Note there are also many articles on line that detail the Obama campaigns efforts to restore voting for all Ohio citizens. As a sidenote. pre election voting was instituted in Ohio after lines at the polls went on for hours in the 2000 and 2004 elections especially in urban areas. Many people did not/could not wait for hours and simply did not vote. Did this influence the outcome of those elctions??
As for your link: It shows that the GOP in Florida was on the ball for firing a company that did bogus voter registration. Isn't that a good thing?
To continue - I find so much "crap" (= pork) in these bills. The TARP bill may have been the grand-daddy of them all, with subsidies for "manufacturers of Port Orford Cedar Arrows for Recreational Use in Oregon", for example...no, that's not made up. Often, the minority parties will propose a bill that looks good on the surface, but with language contained within which the majority party would be embarrassed to have passed. Consequently, unless they take the bait, nothing gets done - Why Reagan wanted a line-item veto. Look at ACA - what is the original title of that docket? My opponent has proposed the same language in more than one bill....why? No sense asking him - he doesn't know. He runs the plays the coaches call. Would he sign the "Change the Rules Pledge"? No way. His handlers would have a stroke. He's not a bad guy - he's sort of trapped. Remember, too, this is the guy who's answer to the question "Name a Supreme Court Decision from the last 10-15 years that you disagree with" posed in his debate with MR. ADLER....his answer? "Dred Scott". Give him a "D" and pass him - he's a football player. Hey, at least it was Supreme Court decision. Adler was no dummie. His wife supports ACA, but he didn't, not because he really didn't, but because he had party permission in an R District.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/pennsylvania-voter-id-law-enforcement-halted-by-judge/2012/10/02/bf240ffc-0c9d-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_story.html
http://www.twp.brick.nj.us/content.asp?ContentId=2333 If someone gets pulled over by the police, they have to show id. If people are legit, what are the afraid of?