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This is the same Obama who supports the Orwellian "Employee Free Choice Act" that effectively outlaws secret ballot elections and gives union organizers free reign to use whatever means necessary to get representation cards signed.
What a country...sigh
The rest is interesting--the question before the courts being whether the bill would regulate conduct or speech. For a campaign to deceive voters may well be conduct. Given it's designed to protect Constitutional Rights the case won't just be of one right against a rule, it'll be a competing rights case.
I think the courts might take a dim view of the idea that purposely misleading a voter is freedom of speech if it discourages a voter from voting. On the other hand, the Steele flyers are a different story because they suggested Steele was a Democrat. That's a very different issue and Democrats for Republican A or Republicans for Democrat A are not uncommon.
so a bit condescending as well.
Perhaps Obambi is taking a leaf from Blago's playbook....lots of fluffy feel-good legislation that makes it look like you are doing something when you aren't.
I support the goal, but the Senator needs to head back to the drawing board.
It's called C-SPAN. :o)
I should think a former Harvard Law Review editor would be familiar with the First Amendment and "political speech." It shows what a gimmick this is.
so a bit condescending as well.
I'm not sure I get this complaint. How does it presume voters are idiots? We know that flyers show up in African-American areas near almost all elections--including primaries so this shouldn't let Democrats playing suppress the vote off the hook either. Voters don't pay much attention to new regulations or changes in voting places. So they see an official looking notice and pay attention and end up not voting or spending a lot of time to figure out where they should be voting.
That's not presuming voters are idiots, it's presuming that someone it trying to lie to them and helping them guard against such actions.
The phone part is good practice--I should control what kind of phone calls I want to receive since I pay for the service.
I agree it could be open to manipulation, but the system is already dependent upon the AG. I'd rather have a requirement to investigate given these are pretty widespread events. I don't want to be pollyanish because I think your point is pretty good, but it also might be able to bring light to the bogus charges as well.
Is there any objection to the robocall issue?
Does the First Amendment cover people showing up, acting like police, harrassing voters for IDs and warning them about being arrested? That seems like more than speech.
I think the more grey area is still quite a grey area--is it legal to suggest to a naturalized citizen that they'll be arrested if they vote? That's intimidation, not just speech.
That said, nice to see that Senator Rock Star is attempting to look like he's actually doing something other than lookin' good and behaving all charismatic (not that this isn't already working for him, of course).
Defamation law is clearly not sufficient for dealing with the problems.
I'd rather these laws weren't necessary, but it seems they are.
GOP has a point about enforcement. But laws governing political misconduct are already selectively enforced.
Ask Dick Devine about what he's done about every single Open Meetings Act complaint I've filed with him. He doesn't even bother to write back.
If someone wants to improve the Obama legislation by creating a less partisan enforcement mechanism that would be OK. But the Obama proposal seems to be an improvement on the status quo.
Why doesn't the Senator Messiah look at the deceptive practices within his own party in Illinois?
Obama must see black voters as gullible ignorant fools. The idea that there exists black voters that do not vote straight-line Democrat means they don't know what they are doing?
Over the past six years, we have been hearing one dramatic announcement after another claiming that black voters were swindled from electing Democrats. Even before the first vote was cast in 2006, we started reading and hearing "concerns" about vote fraud, and other Republican methods to keep in the majority. Now, Obama has officially joined the the nutty crowd of superstitious believers about Ohio being stolen, Florida being stolen and other supposed frauds.
Has anyone noticed that since the election, we aren't hearing these stories? Funny how when Democrats win, no one is claiming fraud. The only fraud being pulled over on us is the thinking behind Obama's proposal.
Stop playing pretty for the cameras Senator and start treating us like we have brains!
This is NOT wrong. This happened Obama! Several prominent Prince George county black politicians endorced Michael Steele. Sorry, but voters have a right to choose based on their beliefs, not on their skin color.
Very simply, if you are convicted of an untruth, you should be penalized. I honestly do not see how anyone can object to this.
And don't worry about the robocall...that will die a hard death in committee. You expect the parties to find volunteers (or pay people) to man the phones? That is an expense *no one* needs. The political consulting companies that profit off robocall will see to it that that is killed.
So it was the Republican candidates who tried to benefit from what you describe as a "racist" attitude -- that the only way to persuade an African-American voter to support a Republican is to falsely claim Democratic support.
So would you consider the flyers that homeless Philadelphians were hired to hand out in black neighborhoods by the Maryland GOP that actually listed Ehrlich and Steele AS DEMOCRATS as acceptable? http://tinyurl.com/y4424y I consider it fraud, and I hope someone goes to jail for it. Maybe jail will teach the GOP a lesson, since they seem unable to operate in a moral and decent manner.
"[W]hoever . . . knowingly and willfullyâ€â€
(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;
shall be fined under this title [or] imprisoned not more than 5 years. . . ." 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a).
===Obama must see black voters as gullible ignorant fools. The idea that there exists black voters that do not vote straight-line Democrat means they don’t know what they are doing?
Actually, this is a problem in primaries as well so you might want to deal with the reality that it occurs and it is wrong.
While none of us have seen the full legislation, I'm wondering if the biggest impact would come from the requirement to investigate and then have the government to act when false information is given--especially in cases of voter intimidation regarding false polling information, fake 'cops', and threats of arrest if they try and vote.
Grand Old Partisan - excellent point. And one that may not happen - it ABSOLUTELY will happen.
Michael Moore’s pledge:
I would like to extend an olive branch. Those of you who consider yourselves conservative and usually vote Republican have not had a very good couple of weeks. Trust me, I know how this feels.
In fact, those of us on the other side of the fence don’t really know what it’s like to win, so if we seem a bit awkward right now (were we supposed to vote for the majority leader the speaker said to vote for, or stick to our promise to the other guy?), forgive us.
I know you are dismayed at the results of last week’s election. You’ve got to be freaking out about what this bunch of tree-hugging, latte-sipping, men-kissing-men advocates will do now that the country is in our hands. I don’t blame you. We’d never admit it, but we secretly admire you because you know how to chop down a tree, take your coffee black and enjoy watching women kissing women. Good on you!
What I don’t want is for you to drop into the deep funk we liberals have been in for two-plus decades. Yes, your Republican revolution is over, but hang in there. And do not despair. I, and the millions who voted for Democrats, have no interest in revenge for the last 12 years. In fact, let me make 12 promises as to how we will treat you, the minority, in the coming years.
Thus, here is “A Liberal’s Pledge to Disheartened Conservativesâ€Â:
1) We will always respect you. We will never, ever, call you “unpatriotic†simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.
2) We will let you marry whomever you want (even though some among us consider your Republican behavior to be “different†or “immoralâ€Â). Who you marry is none of our business. Love, and be in love  it’s a wonderful gift.
3) We will not spend your grandchildren’s money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It’s your checkbook too, and we will balance it for you.
4) When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home too. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on some amateur Power Point presentation cooked up by men who have never been to war.
5) When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you too will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that afflict you and your loved ones, we’ll make sure those advances are available to you and your family too.
6) When we clean up our air and water, you too will be able to breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water. When we put an end to global warming, you will no longer have to think about buying oceanfront property in Yuma.
7) Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.
8) We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.
9) We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren’t much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, take up another sport. In the meantime, we will arm the deer to make it a fairer fight.
10) When we raise the minimum wage, we will raise it for your employees too. They will use that money to buy more things, which means you will get the money back! And when women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage too.
11) We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don’t practice those beliefs. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs (â€ÂBlessed are the peacemakers,†“Love your enemies,†“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God†and “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for meâ€Â). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn’t just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism  starting here at home.
12) We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and break the law. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side first. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.
I promise all of the above to you because this is your country too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans  and for the rest of the world.
Now pull yourself together and let’s go have a Frappuccino.
I know this is a common refrain from many, but is there any evidence for this claim?
Most fraud around voting have to do with:
A) registration where canvassers fake names and signatures because they get paid by the signature--there's little evidence that the fake registrations end up in any significant number of votes
B) Petition fraud
C) Buying of votes--like in East St. Louis
D) Voter Suppression techniques
Is there some report out there that has identified a significant number of double or fake voters in the last 15 years?
And in the case of a photo ID, many people don't have them and those people are disproportionately old, disabled, and/or poor. Contrary to the middle class folks who comment on blogs they dont' live the same life that we do. The question then is will such a requirement disenfranchise more people than it stops from voting illegally.
Given there's very little evidence of fake voting or double voting anymore it would seem photo ID is a solution looking for a problem while at the same time disenfranchising people who have the fewest resources.
"12) We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and break the law. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side first. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition."
Except in Illinois?
At any rate, one thing I thought of during the campaign would be to require a robocall to identify who is making the call as the first thing that must be said. So, for instance, if calling in the 6th Congressional, it would be "Hello, this is paid for by the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. I have some very important information for you about Tammy Duckworth." That way, when the voter hangs up, they are not left solely with the impression that the call came from Tammy, as the case was this year.
Remember that the Republicans used this tactic also in Florida, Pennsylvania, Conn., Wyoming, and Ohio, proving yet again that the GOP is the party of vote fraud, disinformation, and scare tactics.
"If Senator Obama files a bill, you can take it to the bank that it’s constitutional."
When will he walk across Lake Michigan? I don't want to miss the spectacle. Give us a break.
Rinnng! Rinnng!
That's the sound of the Clue Phone calling up Illinois voters.
Why does an elderly person who doesn't drive need a photo ID?
But in exchange for tightening the voter identification we need stronger laws to guarantee reasonable access to the voting process and enforcement to make the laws reality.
Pay attention to the number of Democratic Legislators who begin to speak out against the Governor as his investigations go on.
BUT if Senator Barack Obama wants to stop voter fraud or intimidation he should go after the Democrats in Chicago.
I voted and the paper towel said the opposite of what I did and I had to redo it with the judges help, I have doubts my vote was counted right.
Intimidation, LOL, have you seen the gang members working for Regular Democratic candidates in Chicago. Senator Obama should look to his supporters and in his backyard.
Have to hand it to the man though...this is another chance for the media to get off to their boyfriend.
Obama's handlers are slick, very slick - To say a negative word about this particular piece of fluff legislation is pretty much the equivalent of publicly disparaging "Mom" and swearing off "Apple Pie"...
If he's starting stuff like this already, it's going to be a LLLOOONNNGGG time til 2008!
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1108-15.htm
Pay attention to the number of Democratic Legislators who begin to speak out against the Governor as his investigations go on."
Oh goodie. I'm salivating like Pavlov's dog in the psych experiments.
Hey, someone should start a bipartisan bust-the-crooks panel where sensible and sane members of both parties get together and nail the worst of 'em. That would create more of a climate of trust around here.
Of course, everyone voting for AG Madigan in huge numbers was a great start (a round of applause for all of us).
Gotta say, though, the press is fantastic. Front page story in the Sun-Times about the Rezko/Mrs. B real estate deal. Oh yes!!!
Aside from our forum host's excellent reporting, I might just have other reasons to still continue to read the Times. Oh, and when they report on my university, they always put us somewhere up front, too. Not far from the early news under some Education section, but sometimes on page 3, 4, or 5. Keep that up, ST.: )
Last note: Couldn't Michael Moore do a documentary about Illinois corruption? I'm not a fan of his, but gosh, wouldn't you just love to see him agitate people like Rod? lol
The last thing we need is another bunch of arrogant know-it-alls playing God during campaign season, thinking they have to protect us from ourselves.
Thanks Senator, you must think we're too stupid to know lies and garbage when we see it.
It sounds like Democrats want to take the "they stole the elections" myths and ride them into legislation to totally screw up elections in their favor.
Also, Michael Moore is such a arrogant fat head, he has no right to be mentioned or quoted here.
Don Segretti would be proud.
By law the caller is supposed to identify who the call is from at the beginning of the call, not the end. The intro of these calls said "I have important information for you about Tammy Duckworth". If you listened to the whole thing you got an earful of the same old Republican slander about her and that was the end of it. If you hung up - like most people always do - you got called back, sometimes immediately, sometimes an hour later but invariably many times. One guy claimed he got 17 calls in one evening, another 14 times.
These calls were intended to negate Duckworth's volunteer phonebanker/canvasser advantage. They worked. Starting in mid October people were calling her office telling "us" to stop calling. Doors were slammed in our faces and phones hung up in our ears.
Obama and Reid ought to hold hearings. Subpoena everybody involved at the NRCC, the companies they outsourced the work to, Karl Rove and Peter Roskam. Make a big stink about this and then pass a law that says any efforts to subvert not just any single political party with this garbage but our demcoracy itself of which elections are the bedrock are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines. Then fully fund the FEC so it can do it's job.
lol
Go check out Fitzy's blog on the Web sometime. Apparently, he has a sense of humor in addition to being a relentless prosecutor. Also, he lists The Ramones as favorite musicians. Quick! Can anyone come up with lyrics for Rod Blagojevich?
Twenty twenty twenty-four hours to go
I wanna be indicted
Nothing to do, nowhere to go
I wanna be indicted
Just put me in some handcuffs
Get my lawyers on the plane
Hurry hurry hurry
Before I go insane
I can't control my fundraisers
I can't control my state...
I hope more pols get a big "Merry Fitzmas" and a bunch of unsealed gifts this Holiday season.: )