Four years ago, Ohio allowed voters an early-voting window of three days before Election Day, which in turn boosted turnout and alleviated long lines. This year, Republican officials have closed the window -- active-duty servicemen and women can vote early, but no one, not even veterans, can enjoy the same right.
President Obama's campaign team has filed suit, urging a federal court to level the playing field, giving every eligible Ohio voter equal access. For Mitt Romney, this means Obama is trying to "undermine" the troops' voting rights -- an idiotic and dishonest claim that the Republican campaign couldn't even begin to defend.
But the lie is spreading like a cancer. Here's RNC Chairman Reince Priebus last night:
A tip for Reince: try not to call someone a "dirty liar" and then get caught lying on the same day.
In the meantime, the legal controversy is advancing. Yesterday, the federal court hearing the case agreed to allow 15 military groups to intervene in the lawsuit, a move backed by Obama's team.
Also yesterday, some prominent veterans stepped up to condemn Romney's ridiculous smear. "Obviously with the narrative the Romney campaign is pushing, they probably don't have a lot of people around them who have actually served," said VoteVets.org's Jon Soltz. "We also agree, like the president does, that someone who served in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge or someone who lost their legs in Vietnam has just as much of a right to vote as today's veteran."
For his part, Romney is arguing active-duty servicemen and women sacrifice so much, "we should do everything we can to protect their fundamental right to vote." It led Jon Chait to ask a very good question: "If the ability to get to the polls is the 'fundamental right to vote,' then why shouldn't all eligible citizens enjoy that right?"
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"If the ability to get to the polls is the 'fundamental right to vote,' then why shouldn't all eligible citizens enjoy that right?"
Uh, this isn't rocket science. It is the rights goal to trample on the voting rights of the left in Ohio and other states to lessen the chances of an Obama victory this fall. Pure and simple.
You're right, it isn't rocket science. The right is only if they're Republicans.
"Four years ago, Ohio allowed voters an early-voting window of three days before Election Day, which in turn boosted turnout and alleviated long lines."
So the solution to the problem is to not allow voters an early-voting window of three days - to reduce turnout and go back to long lines.
OMG!! WTF!!
How many working people can spend a good chunk of a Tuesday - typically a work day - standing in line to vote?
How many working people can spend a good chunk of a Tuesday - typically a work day - standing in line to vote?
Retired Republicans- AKA Romney's Base.
All the more interesting when you look at the number of polling places per capita and the number of voting machines per polling place vs. the precincts' demographics.
Anyone care to bet that red precincts have a lot shorter lines than blue ones?
This could all have the consequence of slowly building resentment against the military. Is that what Republicans want when they're so desperate to avoid the military cuts in the budget that was their idea, their offer of compromise, and that they voted for.
Yes, people are liable to decide "Hey, maybe we ought to slash military spending!" The US military establishment does show a tendency to shoot themselves in the collective foot.
With a Republican Secretary of State in Ohio, we have to wonder if there will be more than two voting machines provided for the entire population of Cleveland.
yah and except for Faux Nooze ginning up the false claim , I saw nothing in the MSM even mentioning he story.
Sure, voting might be a fundemental right, but for our active duty military, it's really really fundemental...Like, so fundemental that you'd have to be a dirty commie to even ask how fundemental it is.
So let me see if I understand this. Because Obama is trying to make sure everyone in OH has access to early voting rights, he's anti-armed services. I think that kind of thinking might lead to the following attacks against Mittens.
I don't understand this racist position that Romney's taking. Basically, he's saying that if you're African-American and not currently serving in the armed services on active duty, you shouldn't have that 3-day early voting period? What does he have against black people? And he's sexist, too. Women who are not on active duty don't get the early voting privilege, either.
Am I getting the hang of Republican logic?
How about giving active-duty military two votes each. Anything else would be hating on our loyal troops.
Of course, at some point some True Patriot will suggest that two isn't enough, and we can have a "whose flag pin is bigger" campaign.
Yes, and once again, we have evidence that you simply can NOT predict what the Repugnantcans will come up with next. You just can't because it takes an illogical mind to come up with it.
Next: The only ID accepted at the polls is your membership card in the Republican Party.
A DNA test certifying that you are at least 3/4 white is also acceptable.
The traditional bar is 7/8, largenose. And it's "greater than, " not "greater than or equal to."
As my redheaded and blue-eyed sweetie pointed out in Virginia back in the day, she was legally black under Jim Crow.
Further proof Romney lacks reading comprehension.
But yeah, where is the MSM on this?
*crickets*
Pussies.
NPR, if that is MSM, at least began to cover it, albeit with not really pointing out the twistedness of Mittens and the dubious claim.
Here is another point: OH is a state Mittens needs if he has a prayer of winning. How many people, even Republicans, in OH don't know the truth of this issue? It has been an issue here for months, even more prominently when the DOJ filed suit. Local NPRs reported that. Anyone living in OH would have to be a cave-dwelling Neanderthal to not realize the lie, even if they will go ahead and vote for the lying liar.
NPR has become another one to get quotes from Republicans on the intricacies of Democratic efforts.
The left can't speak for itself, every detail has to be filtered and negatively assessed by the right first.
It does not surprise me that Reince Priebus refers to voting as a privilege.
Is it just me or does Reince Priebus look and sound like someone who VERY likely was a bed-wetter (possibly still is), and got his ass kicked all through grade school and high school?
Yup the guy who got the wedgies talkin' tough now
"Reince Priebus" - his dad must have decided on that one instead of naming the boy "Sue" since that was already taken.
Oh c'mon...this is the Romney and the RNC's GAME PLAN. They come out and 'accuse' the President of some egregious thing and THEN they do THE EXACT SAME THING. The media runs after the ACCUSATION instead of the Republicans. 'Dirty little liar' and then LYING? Part of the plan...and the media falls for it.
The media isn't "falling for it"
They are pandering to their corporate bosses.
Intentionally skipping over the facts either to produce hype, or not cover something at all.
How dare they report the news objectively?
How dare they communicate real facts, without a partisan spin?
How dare they?
There's journalistic integrity, then there's keeping one's job.
Which one do you think anyone in the MSM is going to choose?
I think more than a few folks will get a nasty surprise if this country falls too far into Republican hands. Too many people have bent over backward to harbor/conspire with/appease those they see as the up and coming new kings of the Rovian dream. But as every gamer knows, only the extra special few will be permitted in the power circle. The rest, those mere mortal conservatives, for all the bending and genuflecting, will be expected to continue to serve them on bended knees.
How much integrity can be sold before the person is lost? How easy to compile of list of such sold souls this election year...
Republicans are frightened to death by our country's changing demographics. This is not about curtailing the voting rights of service members. It's an obvious attempt to suppress the votes of Black and Latino people. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE MUST BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
they spread lies because that is who they are. period.
Republicans can't even conduct a smear campaign competently anymore. When your opposition is using your own statements to plead their case in a trial, you know you might be a Republican screwup.
"I'd vote for Mitt Romney!" -Slimmest of all Slim Shadys!
I wish I understood what Romney gives these people to garner such fealty?
The law of averages would indicate that not every conservative hates black men, has fallen prey to the FOX anti-socialist campaign, or worships the rich. Those same laws would also indicate that a continual stream of half truths and whole lies from Romney would bring about the obvious result: utter lack of trust by anyone, not just the left.
That Mitt Romney would get ANY votes from ANY person just plays havoc with any ideas of an evolved humanity.
Can someone please break down the exact progression of the early voting rules in Ohio, for exactly the parties involved? Perhaps you Steve? I have no problem calling Preibus a liar but most of the postings I've read about this don't do a good job of arming us with all the facts. Can someone post who could vote early, and who couldn't and how many days early, broken down by active duty and civilians, in 2004? in 2008? And then according the current 2012 rules that team Obama is challenging? You've been more thorough than most by saying, "This year, Republican officials have closed the window -- active-duty servicemen and women can vote early, but no one, not even veterans, can enjoy the same right." It's a fine conversation starter and opening paragraph but I do feel it summarizes and omits unnecessarily and I'm growing a little annoyed by the tendency on the left to respond to the smear with counterattacks but not a detailed summary of all the facts and the whole picture that everyone can understand and arm themselves to combat misinformation.
Evan, sure, someone else could do it - but why don't you do the research on your own and post it here for us to read? That would be far more productive than whinging about other people's posts.
Sorry June, if I came off as whining. I came to this piece because I was trying to do the very thing you describe and coming up short. I have tried to be productive and failed.
Similarly, a short while back it took a day for me to find out who the 17 Dems who voted to hold Holder in contempt were. Every article just said there were 17 and only named a handful and even the US Congress .gov page didn't have it posted in a clear place. I guess I chose my language poorly here. I wasn't intending to criticize Steve, so much as trying to point out a growing frustration regarding the difficulty getting details on other sites. I was hoping that as a professional Journalist he might have a useful link or shortcut to pull up the info quicker.
Didn't mean to contribute to the whine-fest that is the modern internet. Just looking for some help.
Hey Evan, I would be somewhat of a jerk if I didn't acknowledge that my reply to you was a bit heavy-handed - sorry about that! Here's a couple links with more of the kind of detail you're looking for. The first is a PDF of the actual court filing by the Obama campaign; the second is a good overview from the Fact Checker website (I don't always agree with their conclusions, but here they do a very detailed outline of the situation and I do agree with their verdict - except that it should be "four pinnochios" in my book):
PDF:
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/litigation/documents/ObamaforAmericavHustedcomplaint.pdf
Fact Checker:
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
Thank you June! That was very helpful and very cool of you.
If Romney is so pro military shouldn't he have served? His sons? His grandkids? His maid? His horse? Anyone in his family?
And lose those years when he could be making money? Not to mention someone might have shot at him back in 1969.
Romney is such an inept fool: by lying about it, he made it front and center for Ohioans of all stripes, who will now be getting their backs up about the curtailing of their voting rights AND the way the GOP administration rammed it through.
The GOP counts on people keeping silent about their policies. When the public learns what the GOP actually wants they are aghast (e.g., the Ryan budget).
Time will tell, but I'm not optimistic. Don't be surprised if most people are intimidated by all the "SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!!" guilt trips from the right.