Block the Vote: GOP's Attempts to Prevent Democrats from Voting

Image from ACSLaw

I've heard people say that a black person in America has to work twice as hard to get half as far as a white person. The idea has been around as long as I can remember. And while things may not be all that bad anymore, Barack Obama may be facing a similar situation. But it may not have anything to do with race.

Democrats in this country currently outnumber Republicans by fairly large numbers. I've said here before that to win this election, all we Democrats need to do is show up. I still think that's true. But we've got to hope that margin exceeds the number of Democrats who are not allowed to vote, or whose votes are thrown out.

Does that sound paranoid? Then read this article, by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and get paranoid right along with me.

[Excerpt]

Block the Vote
Will the GOP's campaign to deter new voters and discard Democratic ballots determine the next president?

. . .In state after state, Republican operatives — the party's elite commandos of bare-knuckle politics — are wielding new federal legislation to systematically disenfranchise Democrats. If this year's race is as close as the past two elections, the GOP's nationwide campaign could be large enough to determine the presidency in November. "I don't think the Democrats get it," says John Boyd, a voting-rights attorney in Albuquerque who has taken on the Republican Party for impeding access to the ballot. "All these new rules and games are turning voting into an obstacle course that could flip the vote to the GOP in half a dozen states. . ."

Read more at: Rolling Stone

Voter Rolls in at Least 19 States Being Purged

Image from source, BradBlog

Conservatives often rail about "voter fraud," where dead people, illegal aliens, criminals, and unregistered voters allegedly vote--apparently for Democrats. The cases have been pretty thin, with people convicted of voter fraud numbering somewhere around a few handfuls. Maybe not even enough to matter in Palm Beach County, Florida in the 2000 election.

But election rigging--a specialty of Republicans--is real, and much more effective. By various means, they attempt to sway elections, and probably (almost certainly, by my estimation) even decided both elections for George W. Bush.

Unfortunately, the issue apparently isn't very sexy to your average American, and only crops up in the news right before an election. Usually to late to do anything about it. And just as unfortunately, even when the rigging becomes known, very few people go to jail for it (Karl Rove, anybody?). You'd think in America that people messing with thousands of legitimate voters would be a big deal. But if they care at all, they're worried that Mickey Mouse cast one vote in Chicago or something. If they're going to focus on an illegal voter, you'd hope they'd finally go after Ann Coulter.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Even if you don't want to read this article, I urge you to click the link at the bottom of the story, and find out if you are registered to vote. Even if you know you are, it doesn't mean you haven't been "purged." It's an easy and useful tool, and took me all of two minutes.

[Excerpt]

BS News: New Study Details Massive Voter Roll Purges Underway in At Least 19 States

Tonight's CBS Evening News finally covered what may well be the November Surprise that we've been trying to warn about for months here at The BRAD BLOG: Massive voter roll purges being done in secret, with little or no oversight, and often under federal Justice Department cover, in states and counties around the country. . .

Read more at: BradBlog

Featured Site: Velvet Revolution's Anti-Rove Space

Image from source, Velvet Revolution

There isn't a good way to shorten the actual title of the site I want to highlight today. Velvet Revolution is the name of the site, and the section that jumped out at me is called, Protect Elections, Prosecute Rove.

I listened to Mark Crispin Miller on today's Thom Hartmann Show on Air America Radio. Miller alleges what many liberals (me included) have known in our bones; that the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen. More than that, according to Miller, many others have been stolen as well, even at the state level. And who is at the center of almost all of this political dirty work? Karl Freakin' Rove. Surprise, surprise.

Now, I can't absorb all of what is contained at this site, at least not yet. I intend to delve into it over the weekend though, that's for sure. While I think this site is important, I can't exactly vouch for its contents. So, check it out for yourself. Because according to Miller, plans are afoot to do it again in 2008.

[Excerpt]

The RoveCyberGate Campaign
Brought to you by VelvetRevolution.us

We are working with Ohio election attorneys, Cliff Arnebeck, Bob Fitrakis and Henry Eckhart to find out the truth about recent information indicating that Karl Rove architected and directed a strategy to manipulate elections through the use of computers. Rove’s Cyber Guru, Michael Connell, has worked for the Bush family for over 20 years and helped Bush Sr., Jeb and Bush Jr. “win” their elections using his computer skills. Whistleblowers, including Republicans, say that several of these and other national elections have been rigged through various invisible and illegal means, including vote tabulation manipulation, improper partisan use of the Justice Department to target Democrats and uncooperative US Attorneys, and the laundering of hundreds of millions of corporate dollars funneled into fake advocacy groups directed against Democrat candidates running for public office. Ex-Alabama Governor Don Siegelman has stated publicly that Rove was the person who directed Siegelman’s rigged election and criminal prosecution. . .

Read more at: Velvet Revolution

Voter Fraud and Electronic Voting Machines

Voter fraud is a very serious issue that cuts to the core of what it means to be American. Everybody who is qualified to vote, and casts their vote should be counted. Unfortunately, not much is being done about it.

Strangely, the uber-patriotic Republican Party is apathetic toward the issue, preferring to focus on the spectre of illegal aliens voting, dead people voting, Mickey Mouse voting. . .all of which have proven to be rather small scale when they occur at all. This may be because the GOP has also proven to be behind actual voter fraud of late, including (but certainly not limited to) caging.
If you want to learn a little more about it, you can start here.

Two Opposable Thumbs Up to Velvet Revolution

Posted by Stupid Monkey Planet

These guys are doing important work. Defending our rights. Good on 'em.

Read up on their offer of a $500,000.00 award to whistle blowers with knowledge of voter fraud occurrences.