Posted on 11/20/2002 2:30:31 PM PST by sweetliberty
"The right of citizens to vote and have their vote count is the cornerstone of our democracy - the necessary precondition of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Enforcing the laws that guarantee voting rights and punish voting fraud is the duty of the Department of Justice. More than mere law enforcement, our responsibility to protect the access to and integrity of elections is the responsibility of upholding freedom itself.
America is a nation whose founding documents and most inspired words uphold the ideal of democratic self-government as a model for the world. The opening phrases of the Declaration of Independence declare that governmental power, if it is to be just, must be derived from the consent of the governed. The Constitution begins, purposefully and deliberately, with these three words: "We the people . . ."
America has failed too often to uphold the right of every citizen's vote, once cast, to be counted fairly and equally. Votes have been bought, voters intimidated and ballot boxes stuffed. The polling process has been disrupted or not completed. Voters have been duped into signing absentee ballots believing they were applications for public relief. And the residents of cemeteries have infamously shown up at the polls on election day.
Today, it is more important than ever before that we embrace the privilege that makes us unique among the peoples, nations and societies of human history. Our way of life is not a given, and our freedom is not an accident. Liberty is a rare gift for which millions have worked and suffered and sacrificed and died. It now falls to us to guard this gift from those who would destroy it. It falls to us, the free, to ensure that the cornerstone of our freedom - government of the people, by the people, and for the people - does not perish from the earth."
(Excerpted from remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft at the Voting Integrity Symposim - October 8, 2002)
It has been quite a month and overall a victorious one for Republicans. The new year looms bright on the horizon with the promise of much needed changes taking place now that we have the majority in both the House and Senate and with the opportunity to finally have some conservative judges seated who will uphold the Constitution rather than legislating the socialist agenda of the Democrats from the bench and Tiny Tommy Daschle and his obstructionist thugs have been spanked soundly and sent to their room in a manner of speaking.
While we had several days of delirious gloating, drunk on the thrill of a hard earned and well-deserved victory, we know all too well that the election and the events leading up to it were not without incident and once again the deck was stacked against us as the Democrats tried every trick in the book in a shameless effort at stealing yet another election. With the blatant disregard for the law so characteristic of them when it obstructs their designs, they managed to get a liberal kangaroo court to uphold the replacement of Torricelli on the ballot in New Jersey beyond the legal deadline for doing so for no other reason than having determined that the scandal and corruption surrounding Torricelli rendered him incapable of winning. In Minnesota, prior to Paul Wellstone's ill-fated final flight, a plan was uncovered that had Democrats busing in students from out of state to take advantage of Minnesota's same day voter registration and vote illegally for Paul Wellstone. Even as this was being revealed, the campaign was underway to push a similar same day registration legislation in Colorado and California, thereby opening new opportunities for illegal voting in those states. In South Dakota Democrat operatives (sorry, I cannot bring myself to use the word "Democratic") paid a field worker in excess of $12,000 over a period of 3 months to register native Americans on the reservations. It was later discovered that many registration cards that had been turned in by that worker had been written in the same handwriting. Among the newly registered was at least one who was recently deceased. This and other irreglarities that were uncovered in South Dakota has led to 1 out of 10 ballots there being under investigation. Fish need water, plants need sunshine, an addict needs a fix and Democrats need power and these three cases are just samples of the extent to which they will go to get it.
The idea for this thread was born following the Arkansas Hog Wild FReepers' discovery of organized intimidation tactics on the part of Democrat and NAACP operatives in Jefferson County, Arkansas as relayed by FReeper, stop_the_rats, a Republican poll watcher who gained undesired and unfair national notoriety during early voting, and by a Republican campaign worker who "infiltrated" the Clinton led, pre-election campaign "event" there. The original story was posted as part of the after-FReep report with more detail added in a post-election update. The story generated such outrage that the thread turned into a FReeper brainstorm as we labored over how we might counteract the dishonest methods employed by the Democrats to hijack elections. The effort yielded an abundance of references and it was generally agreed that voter fraud is, or at least should be, of great concern to all of us. There is a strong probability that the South Dakota election was stolen and in Arkansas the fraud machine was spinning out of control and may well have cost Tim Hutchinson his senate seat as well, despite the shadow cast over him in the wake of his divorce and remarriage. Chances are that we'll never know. Thankfully neither of these races ended up being the tie-breaker that would determine the balance of power in the Senate, but either could have been and had that been the case, you can bet it would have gotten really ugly and may have produced an entirely different outcome.
Even as the Democrats are still licking their wounds and wondering what on Earth happened on November 5, they are already scrambling and scheming and conniving as to ways to prevent our intercepting their next power grab in 2004. This is revealed in their ongoing efforts to block any attempt to validate a voter's legitimacy whether it be by requiring a legal form of ID at the polls, the repeal of motor voter legislation, cracking down on absentee balloting and early voting, doing away with same day registration or by the presence of poll watchers at polling places. In every case they play the race card crying "black voter intimidation" when in reality they are simply thrashing against the net that could trap those guilty of voting illegally thereby inhibiting travel on their familiar roads of voter fraud. Thankfully, Republicans were more diligent this year and undoubtedly made an impact. More questionable ballots were challenged, more questions raised, more accountability called for and more light shed on irregularities. Until recently, prosecution for voter fraud has been virtually unheard of, but that is starting to change. There have been hundreds of stories published over the past several weeks relating to voting irregularities and credible allegations of fraud. Some have led to criminal charges being filed and still others have led to investigations which are ongoing. While it is unlikely that all election fraud can be stopped, it is much harder for it operate under a spotlight, which is exactly why we must each do our part to make sure that the spotlight stays on those "shadowy" recesses where voting machines mysteriously vanish, ballot boxes are obscured from view and the demons of electoral darkness run amok.
It was suggested that the opening remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft be used as the basis of our mission statement for this thread. In these precarious times when we are at war and we are threatened daily by terrorism, our liberty has become more precious than ever and we must be vigilant to protect it not only from foreign invaders, but also from those who would erode it from within by compromising the integrity of our elections. In order to succeed in a battle it is essential to know the enemy and attack at the point of greatest vulnerability. Included here is a list of links, which while by no means exhaustive, can serve to enlighten. Many of these stories are from Arkansas only because this was the springboard for this thread and we look forward to other FReepers adding stories from their own areas as well as any based in personal experience. The original thread also produced a wealth of resources as we discussed who we should contact if we became aware of voting irregularities or suspected fraud. Again the list of links is far from comprehensive and additions are welcome. Of course the whole point of this exercise is to get more conservative voters involved in changing the laws to close loopholes which make it easy to cheat, to promote the enforcement of existing election laws and to take part in the election process at the local level all with the goal of intercepting future fraud campaigns. In other words our goal is to STOP THE RATS FROM HIJACKING THE ELECTION PROCESS AND TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!
Many thanks to all the wonderful FReepers who contributed their time, energy and ideas to produce the foundation for this thread:
kcvl; kayak; zeaal; demosthenes the elder; terriergal; Brad's Gramma; Budge; TheLion; backhoe; ForGod'sSake; Congressman Billybob; nicmarlo; Ragtime Cowgirl; to ST.LOUIE1 for his graphics and of course to Jim Robinson who has given us this great forum and sense of purpose. A very special thanks and salute goes out to stop_the_rats for her patriotism and tenacity in facing down the enemy within. She is a warrior of whom we should be proud. What a great screen name AND battle cry for the mission of this thread!
Awareness- know thy enemy! If any of these links become outdated many of these articles are posted on the original FReep thread. If you let me know via FReepmail, I will make editorial adjustments accordingly before renewing the thread.
It's Voter Fraud Season Again!
The Nagging Problem of Election Fraud
Voter Fraud: Can It Be Stopped?
The Greatest Cover-up Of All: Vote Fraud In America
The Motor Voter Act and Voter Fraud
Absentee Ballot Fraud among Democrats in Florida an Old Story
Should We Take Voter Fraud as Seriously as Business Fraud?
Voter Reform: Why Are Democrats Opposed To A Photo ID to Vote?
More allegations of vote fraud surface
Two convicted of voter fraud get probation
Voter Fraud In Arkansas (2000)
Arkansan pleads guilty in vote fraud
Investigators Look Into Another Vote Fraud Case
1,000 Republican Students Denied Right to Vote
Arkansas GOP charges vote fraud
Missing Voting Mechanism Recovered
Looking Back On Tuesday's Election Problems
Let’s Hear It for Fraud – And REAL Soon
Need Vote Fraud articles, stories, and evidence? Here's a source...
Access One reason the Democrats get away with as much as they do is because they make a lot of noise. It is time WE make some noise of our own. There are a number of individuals, organizations and media sources who support our Constitution and seek to protect the integrity of our elections. Here are a few of them. Rather than clutter the body of this thread with a long list of email addresses, I will post the websites. Most of these have contacts and email addresses on them.
Department of Justice Voting Rights Home Page
Election Law Below is a very brief list of some election laws and guidelines which we have referenced recently. I am sure this section will grow considerably as others add their contributions.
State Requirements For Voter ID
Vote Fraud and Election Issues (Lots of Links)
Action What can FReepers do? For starters we can identify states that will have key races in the 2004 election. Is your state one of them? Let's start getting important information about the race, the candidates, the electoral history of the state, the laws in that state and how open they may leave the process to tampering, history of voter fraud in the state, conservative media outlets there, and whatever else you can think of that might be relevant to equip the electorate to head off problems in advance.
Democrats LIE! Their biggest and most effective lie is that Republicans are deliberately trying to prevent blacks and/or other minorities from voting. In effect, they're calling us racists. The truth is that it is them who seem to consider blacks and other minorities so inferior and ignorant and lackiing in initiative that they are incapable of voting without the benefit of THEIR "guidance" and "protection". Their greatest fear is that blacks will recognize how badly they've been duped and insulted by these people and leave the party in droves. We need to work with that. Black conservatives have perhaps the greatest responsibility for telling other black voters the truth about the Democrat party, although it is certainly something we should all work on.
Talk about election fraud. Bring it up whenever an opportunity presents itself. Keep a notebook at all times and if someone tells you anything pointing to vote fraud, get more details. Write down such things as county, precinct, candidates in the race, name of the witness and whatever else you can think of. If it seems credible, report it to someone.
Take part in the process. Here is a list of suggestions that stop_the_rats posted on another thread:
1. Plan to take election day off in 2004.
2. Be a poll worker. You get paid for this.
3. Be a poll watcher. Call your local Republican headquarters or the campaign office of one of your Republican candidates and volunteer to be a poll watcher.
4. Count absentee ballots. You get paid for this also.
5. Be a poll closer. It's a long day. Some people who can't poll watch because of work, could agree to come after work for 2 hours and close the polls to give poll watchers a break. Get final counts and make sure no "late" voters turn up.
6. Take lunches to poll workers and poll watchers.
7. Man the headquarters so if problems arise, poll workers or watchers have a place to call for help. Have a list of numbers: local election officals, state officals.
8. Find a person who will agree to "be in charge" of all the rules poll watchers and poll workers need to follow. Each state has rules and in some cases, state election representatives will come to your city and give a presentation.
9. Encourage others to get involved.
10. Smile; we have them worried!
Some might want to take it a step furthur, if that is an option in your area, and be an election judge. Or you may have specific talents and training that you could donate to the cause, such as legal assistance and advice.
Finally; ask questions. FReepers have an uncanny ability to ask the right questions in most any situation AND to find answers and we have an inexhaustable resource right here on Free Republic. Here are just a few questions to start with.
"If fraud is suspected, how do we find out who is behind it?"
"How do we work to get cooperation between poll watchers and workers and clarify expectations on all sides BEFORE an election?"
"How can you prove fraud? What is legal in a given state (photos, tape recording, witness statements, compiling a list of names, video taping)?"
And last, but certainly not least, pray!
"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12a)
FReepers; your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get out there and STOP THE RATS!
I really have fun with this stuff! I've got a hunch there's liable to be lotsa eyeballs on the Dims in New Awlins come Dec 7, eh? I'd be willing to bet if Terrel's people are able to keep the Dims to a modest level of dead and other manner illegal votes, she's got a good shot at winning.
You probably noticed the really short fuse on absentee voting for this one; maybe the Dims will not be able to mount an aggressive GOTDV for this time...
FGS
You know something, I've been pondering on the virtual silence of the Pubbies(RNC) on voter fraud, and it occurs to me the reason they may have been relegated to operating below the radar as opposed to being on the front lines is the very thing that STR and others went through. Not only do the Dims pull out the race/minority/disenfranchised card, but their media cheerleaders join in on the merciless flogging of Pubbies as well. If the Ministry of Information covers the event at all it's to lambaste conservatives and law enforcement for intimidatiing and thereby lowering turnout of the Dim's base.
Replacing the all-but-useless Reno with a REAL AG who has been mugged by Dim fraud is the best thing that could have ever happened to us. I believe we have a champion in the DOJ who intends to see this through. We must continue to support him and his efforts to exterminate RAT fraud!
FGS
Disturbing what I heard on O'Reilly last night. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Rep., was interviewed re our border problem. He has been out in the forefront to get our borders closed. Tancredo was told by Karl Rove in April 2002 "not to darken the White House doors" because of his stance (against the President) on this issue.
Tancredo also talked to Tom Ridge, who told him "they're not interested in putting the military at the border because of POLITICAL AND CULTURAL REASONS.
O'Reilly took this to mean the Repubs want illegal aliens voting for GOP members......Tancredo did not deny this suggestion.
O'Reilly is going to have on his website, sometime today, a link for people to send e-mail to Ridge and Tancredo, telling Ridge exactly how we feel about OPEN BORDERS FOR POLITICAL AND CULTURAL REASONS.
As of 6:30 a.m., EST, it is not yet up....please check there later today. Thanks all.
Besides illegals voting, Tancredo put the Bush Administration on notice that "American blood will be on this Administration's hands" if the borders are not closed because of "Political and Cultural" reasons to keep it open.
Our action (e-mail to Ridge) may not only help prevent voter fraud, we may help prevent more American lives being taken by illegal aliens.
But we have trusted candidate and President Bush to bring us this far (with our help, I agree), and I trust him to move to greatly ameliorate this problem as he can.
The Senate elections were being planned a long time ago, BTW, even before 9/11. Bush is a stealth politician, who holds his cards close to his vest, and that is why he is so effective.
So, he cannot lay out for you what his plans are as that would stir up firestorms before their time, but he will slowly but surely whittle away at this problem. Getting the INS into Homeland Security Dept. where it could be reorganized, and an effective Border Patrol with teeth split off from the Immigration Services with a smile part is just the start.
The man is a political genius. He knows how to walk the tightrope and get things done. But some things, due to the penchant of the media for red meat and the dicey political realities of voting blocks, take more time.
PLUS, since posse comitatus after the Civil War, it has been against our national culture to use the army for minor infractions of the law. You and I don't see illegal entry into the country as minor, and since 9/11 more people are coming around to our view, but most people still think using the Army to catch Mexicans who just want a better life is overkill. And the Army soldiers not trained for confrontations where they cannot kill their assailants; they are trained to fight and kill enemies, so it is a duty they are not mentally geared for.
I think a Border Patrol with teeth and a new mission and a new tradition and a new sense of urgency and honor and protection, and a dedicated core like "The Untouchables", is the way to go.
If any one would like to be removed from my CT Bump list, please let me know and it will be done ASAP. Conversely, if you would like to be added the same holds true.
This may well be true; I think Bush is a terrific President: an honest man who has integrity. I do not doubt his concerns are genuine for our country.
OTOH, why is he so angry with Tancredo? Tancredo has legitimate concerns (and his views represent most Americans'). It is not only Mexicans who are crossing illegally (and using up all our resources: taxpayers are paying for their medical treatment, schooling, welfare programs, food, etc.), there are also illegal Middle Eastern men crossing over....and 99.99% of the terrorists are Arabs. Why are we allowing them to flow into our country at the border and only attempt to stop them at airports? Seems ridiculous to lock the front door if you leave the back ones open.
I hope you're right about that. It is really hard to have confidence in the process after seeing all that went on this time around.
Grand jury requested to delve into elections
BY AMY UPSHAW AND AUSTIN GELDER
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley asked Pulaski County Circuit Judge John Langston in a letter on Wednesday to impanel a grand jury to investigate "the many well-publicized problems and breakdowns in recent elections in this County."
"Other than a few naysayers in the courthouse with obvious motivations, the citizens I’ve seen, regardless of political persuasion, are universally optimistic this might be the way to solve the problem," Jegley said. "We’ve just got to roll up our sleeves and resolve this."
Langston received the letter at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday but said he could not discuss the potential grand jury. It was unclear Wednesday night whether Langston had signed an order. The judge could decide to decline Jegley’s request. Jegley said he chose Langston because he will be the most senior circuit judge after four of his colleagues retire Jan. 1. In 1993, Langston also presided over the last grand jury to be called in Pulaski County. "I want this process to be efficient and streamlined and I think we can draw on his experience in 1993 to keep it moving," said Jegley, who was one of the prosecutors who presented evidence to grand jurors nearly 10 years ago.
[snip]
The grand jury is a seldomused option for Arkansas prosecutors, especially when the panel focuses more on efficiency and operations than on criminal matters. If Langston grants Jegley’s request, the judge likely will select 16 grand jurors, and possibly an alternate, from a pool of jurors collected to hear criminal trials in Langston’s court. The group probably would work as many as three days a week for six to eight hours a day, Jegley said.
"I’m hoping they will get a general feel, which I’m afraid most people don’t have including myself, on how all the components [of the election process] are supposed to converge to have a trouble-free election," Jegley said.
Jegley first announced his intention to pursue a grand jury investigation into election troubles in October when county officials revealed information was missing or inaccurate for nearly half of the registered voters in County-Circuit Clerk Carolyn Staley’s voter-registration database. Problems continued when misprinted ballots had to be reprinted and local races were left off ballots in Jacksonville and North Little Rock.
[snip]
Asked whether he was just trying to oust Staley, whom Jegley has often criticized publicly, he said, "Carolyn Staley has enough trouble without me saying more than I’ve already said. I just want her to do her job effectively and efficiently and I don’t think that’s too much to ask."
Staley could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but has said she welcomed a grand jury investigation.
The Quorum Court, which is expected next week to grant $25,000 to fund the special grand jury, is encouraging other measures to fix election troubles. This month, members authorized the creation of a citizens advisory group to study the county’s election process. They also voted to ask the Legislative Audit Division, a state body that investigates government finances and operations, to look into Pulaski County’s voting troubles.
County Judge Buddy Villines told Quorum Court members this week that the Legislative Audit Division declined to review the elections, and that he’d like to wait to seat the advisory board until the grand jury is finished. The Quorum Court is expected to discuss Villines’ suggestion at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.
This story was published Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002
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