The Tea Party wages war on democracy in Pa., and it's winning
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The Tea Party wages war on democracy in Pa., and it's winning
The right wing won the 2010 election, fair and square, the way elections are supposed to work. So why are they gaming the system, re-writing the time-honored rules of democracy to give their side an unfair advanatage? Their beloved Founding Fathers (top) must be spinning in their graves. The voter ID bill that's wending its way through Harrisburg -- which would disenfranchise thousands of legitimate voters to catch four or five cheaters, if that many -- is a disgrace:
Doug Hill, the association's executive director, said none of the counties has reported even a suspicion of significant voter fraud.
"It just doesn't happen the way supporters are claiming it does," said Hill.
State figures show that of the nearly six million people who voted in Pennsylvania in the 2008 presidential election, just four were convicted of voter fraud.
Near the end of the article, a high ranking public official, House Majority Mike Turzai, raises a red herring, statiing with no proof that ""We have reports of thousands of false voter registrations during every big election cycle." I doubt these numbers are true for Pennsylvania but more importantly, voter registration fraud -- that's typically when people who are getting paid to sign up new voters make some names up to get more cash for themselves -- has nothing to do with voter fraud, the problem this bill claims to address. Turzai is playing a dishonest game of bait and switch. If he can't produce "reports of false voter registrations," he's lying to the people of Pennsylvania and he needs to be censured.
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///which would disenfranchise thousands of legitimate voters to catch four or five cheaters///
You have to show ID to write a check, board a plane, pay for goods with a credit card, rent an apartment, buy a house, start a job, get a fishing or hunting license, board an airplane, ride on Amtrak, and probably 100 other instances I can't think of at the moment.
Why is it that liberals only think it's racist to ask for ID when voting, and not all of these other examples?— General Turgidson- ///The law will disproportionately affect the elderly, handicapped, and minorities. It will result in fewer votes from citizens who fall into those categories. Ostensibly, the point of the bill is to prevent voter fraud. In reality, it will not reduce voter fraud in any significant way.
You boyz are hilarious.///
Yet, in states that currently have Voter ID laws, studies have shown that it increases voter turnout, including the elderly and minority demographic groups.
While it may be true that voter ID laws only prevent a small number of actual fake votes, the increase is mainly attributed to increased confidence amongst the voters that the process is not rigged.
After all, isn't that one of the pillars of voting in a democracy?
— General Turgidson - ///"Explain how undocumented workers can vote under the current system, and how ID would prevent that?" ///
MSL, maybe you should ask the governments of Kansas and Colorado, among other states. "a 2010 state representative race in Kansas City, Mo. was stolen when one candidate, J.J. Rizzo, allegedly received more than 50 votes illegally cast by citizens of Somalia. The Somalis, who didn't speak English, were coached to vote for Mr. Rizzo by an interpreter at the polling place."
or
"In Colorado, the Secretary of State's office recently identified 11,805 aliens illegally registered to vote in the state, of whom 4,947 cast a ballot in the 2010 elections."
— General Turgidson - Arent people required to carry their drivers license when they are driving, or buying alcohol/tabacco, etc? Whats wrong with carrying some sort of proof of ID when going to vote? It descriminates against those who cant prove their ID? Or against those who are too absent minded to remember it? And hey, if you forgot to bring your ID, that doesnt mean you cant go home and get it and head back to the voting booth. Please demonstrate the threat to democracy here... besides, democracy has already failed, it requires an educated and engaged citizen base to properly work. Our citizens are too interested in fist pumping nitwits on MTV, and other knuckledraggers who have somehow achieved fame to be propoerly educated on the issues and aware of what is going in the real world. Not to mention to be a serious canidate you need to have an absurd amount of money or corporate backing, both parties are guilty of this. So please stop acting like checking ID before you let someone cast a ballot is the biggest threat to democracy in our country.— Greg S
I'm not sure if this is a tea party issue or just politics as usual. Those of you who are going back and forth about voter fraud are missing the real point of this proposed policy. There were about 20 million votes cast but only 4 incidents of voter fraud, so that's not the issue. The republicans know that the higher % of people w/out i.d. (don't drive, immigrants etc) are the poor. They also know a high % of the poor vote democratic. So this is really an attempt to reduce the # of democratic voters and increase the chances of republicans being elected. Partisan politics— mtairy1- It just seems a contradiction to me to see liberals who supported the motor-voter laws, where you register to vote when you get your license, now disagree that the very item that was given at the beginning of the voting process not be shown at the end of the very same process.— General Turgidson
- now this is a real treat. by far my favorite issue to watch the libs trip over themselves. the two best yet: 1) will taking The Masters angle...its a time honored tradition! hahahah a tradition like no other haha..
2) MSL saying "but what if you dont want to drive or join the military waaaa waaaa!" psst its called a state ID card hahaha ooohhh aha ahah ha ha hahahaha keep going libs! this is priceless!— Mags37 - ///The republicans know that the higher % of people w/out i.d. (don't drive, immigrants etc) are the poor. ///
Immigrants are required to show identification to apply for a green card, or apply for citizenship. Will knows this, since he works a block away from immigration services at 16th and Callowhill. Who would have thought that immigration services is racist, requiring identification like that?!— General Turgidson - ///psst its called a state ID card///
Which many states will provide to you, for free.— General Turgidson - Will...your bias is showing. Using the Tea Party to grab reader's attention. Where is the connection between the "tea party" and your rant? Don't you remember ACORN and voter fraud in PA? Don't you realize that there are motor/voter laws wherein illegal aliens can not only obtain driver's licenses with the use of fraudulent identification (not crossed-checked with Dept. of Homeland Security or ICE) but then also register to vote at the same time? Don't you know Will that organizations that advocat and represent millions of foreign nationals here illegally like the 48 Consulates of Mexico, LA RAZA, the SEIU hold voter registration drives at the same time they issue the phony "matricula consular cards" for illegal aliens? If you claim to be so upset about providing an identification in order to vote, why aren't you complaining about doing so to board an airplane, open up a bank account, obtain a library card, obtain health insurance, etc. Will, the majority of people value their votes and don't have a problem with making sure that all votes cast by eligible voters. It's no small coincidence that groups like the National Council of La RAZA, MALDEF, and the other open-borders group decry any attempts by government officials to make it harder for illegal aliens to also illegally cast votes in our elections.— ktp
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