Posted on 08/07/2004 1:36:44 PM PDT by wagglebee
WASHINGTON – When 13 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress asked United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to send election monitors to the U.S. this fall, the move outraged many Republicans and other proponents of national sovereignty.
When those same 13 Democratic members of Congress were turned down by Annan, they took their request to Secretary of State Colin Powell – again to the shock of many Republicans and those who warn about foreign entanglements.
Yesterday, those 13 Democratic House members got their surprising answer from the State Department – the administration will indeed invite foreign election monitors to observe the U.S. elections in November.
Assistant Secretary of State Paul V. Kelly, who handles legislative affairs for the department, affirmed the invitation this week in a letter to the 13 House members. They had requested U.N. monitors for this year's elections in an effort to avoid the charges of voting irregularities that plagued the 2000 election, the closest in history.
Now, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the largest regional organization in the world with 55 participating nations, will monitor the U.S. election on Nov. 2. Members include Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and the United States.
"OSCE members, including the United States, agreed in 1990 in Copenhagen to allow fellow members to observe elections in one another's countries," Kelly wrote. "Consistent with this commitment, the United States has already invited the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the November 2, 2004, presidential elections."
The congressional initiative was spearheaded by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. She asked Powell to make an official request that the U.N. provide observers for the Nov. 2 elections in the United States to "ensure free and fair elections."
Previously, the 13 Democratic congressmen, led by Johnson, sent a letter July 8 to the U.N. general secretary requesting the presence of U.N. representatives in every county of the country during the voting process and any vote recount afterwards.
The U.N. immediately responded that such a request could not be accepted unless it came from the U.S. government. Otherwise, a spokesman said, it could be considered"intervention in a country's sovereignty."
"As legislators, we should guarantee the American people that our country will not experience another nightmare like the 2000 presidential elections," the members of Congress said in their letter to Annan.
In her letter to Powell, Johnson expressed grave concerns regarding electoral system reforms that were not undertaken after the 2000 election.
Recalling the contentious Florida vote count in 2000, the lawmakers urged the U.N. to "ensure free and fair elections in America."
"As lawmakers, we must assure the people of America that our nation will not experience the nightmare of the 2000 presidential election," Johnson said in the letter. "This is the first step in making sure that history does not repeat itself."
Meanwhile, Rep. Corrine Brown, a Florida Democrat, announced that the Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has confirmed that it will be present in the United States – specifically, in Florida – on Election Day.
However, state election authorities in Florida have already announced that such observers are not to be allowed access to the voting process and, in any case, they would have to remain at a distance of more than 50 feet from the polls.
Besides Johnson, the congressional signers to the original U.N. letters included Julia Carson of Indiana, Jerrold Nadler, Edolphus Towns, Joseph Crowley and Carolyn B. Maloney, all of New York, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Corrine Brown of Florida, Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, Danny K. Davis of Illinois, and Michael M. Honda and Barbara Lee of California.
But would they?
They have the same goals.
This still won't eliminate his lawyers trying to choke all 50 states in recounts, and I think this is a bad precedent.
Don't we still have Saddam Hussein in custody? Do we know another ex-leader who was able to get the same voter turnout? Why don't we put his cage in FL?
From the article:
"OSCE members, including the United States, agreed in 1990 in Copenhagen to allow fellow members to observe elections in one another's countries," Kelly wrote. "Consistent with this commitment, the United States has already invited the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the November 2, 2004, presidential elections."
However, state election authorities in Florida have already announced that such observers are not to be allowed access to the voting process and, in any case, they would have to remain at a distance of more than 50 feet from the polls.
ALNICK YOU ARE THE FRIKIN MAN!!!!
Bring Them ON!!!
Wooo Hooo!!!!
The UN is irrelevant anyway.
Let 'em watch away.
We've been infested by the UN for oh too many years already, and it's not like they can do anything other than release their findings and act like the DNC, ACLU or whoever else whines like a broken gear, they have no bite, imo..
Show them hospitality .. and if you're in a CCW state, let 'em know how happy ya are to see them... as ya enter the booth. ;-)
Exactly my point!!!
O o . ((tosses the baton back to you)) lol
jumps back in muh underground beer cooler and bunker ;-)
While I don't disagree with your suggestions, the idea that the French and the 'Russians' are going to monitor our elections is just plain nutty. Anyone who agrees with this idea should check themselves into the local psychiatric facility. Has this nation just gone belly up or what?
Hopefully we can get the French here to approve our elections? Sometimes I can't believe this forum.
You accuse proud Americans who are concerned for their country's sovereignty of flying off the handle "at every little thing" just after you cry to the entire board about an email you received? I bet you've never used "language" before have you? I get a kick out of whiners who suddenly are put off by "language" when it suits their purpose.
Email is private and replies to same are to be kept private. I see your tactic worked in getting you some help to fight a war of words that you apparently can't handle on your own.
Thanks, but I am the frikin woman. :o)
I think you're failing to see the bigger picture here. Maybe that's why you have a hard time here.
Have I used that type of language before? Yes I have...
ON here though? NEVER!!!
My natural gut instinct is to consider this as an insulting indignity.
But OTOH, who gives a rat's patoot what UN "observers" and "monitors" do anyway? Even if they're already drafting the list of imaginary infractions they intend to squawk about on election day, I can't think of any government who has ever really paid any attention to them.
No Sir! No Sir!
I'm a citizen of the most advanced and democratic country on the face of this planet and I'll be damned if I'll ever accept the notion of 'international observers' meddling in our national elections like we were some backwoods 3rd world sewer who can't get it together.
If this is true it will take more than a few 'ain't he so clever' observations of the President's actions to placate me.
Between this and his actions (talk) on illegals I'm not sure if he's just more clever than your average rabbit or someone we need to be quite concerned and wary about.
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA! SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL HAS VERY ABLY OUTWITTED THE BUNCH OF EXTREME LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WHO THOUGHT THEY'D EMBARRASS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION (AND, PERHAPS, THE COUNTRY THEY SEEM TO DISLIKE SO MUCH!). BY OFFICIALLY ASKING FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS, IT WILL MAKE IT MUCH HARDER FOR THE DEMOCRATS TO ENGAGE IN FRAUD, A PRACTICE AT WHICH THEY HAVE ALWAYS EXCELLED (REMEMBER THE DALY MACHINE IN CHICAGO, AND THE OUTRAGES IN ELECTION DISTRICTS IN BROOKLYN, THE BRONX, ETC., ETC.). A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WHO WAS ONCE ASKED TO OVERSEE A BUNCH OF VOTING SITES ON BEHALF OF ONE OF THE PARTIES, HAD TO 'TAKE A POWDER' AND FLEE FROM ONE OF THE SITES BECAUSE HE FELT HE WAS GOING TO BE BEATEN BY A BUNCH OF GOONS THAT SUDDENLY GANGED UP ON HIM!!! SO THERE YOU ARE FELLOWS! WITH THE INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE WE WILL TRY TO MAKE SURE THE DEMOCRATS STOP DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS EXCELLED AT! THANK THE LORD, AND PASS THE AMMUNITION!!!
It is a great idea and move. It makes it look like Bush is concerned the Dems will be up to dirty tricks.
It is already working. Just look how the reporter labored to make sure it was mentioned that the Dems asked for the UN to monitor the elections - as if that is the same thing as the organization that is coming.
Bush beat them to the punch on this. Best read on the story I have found - straight reporting without trying to make the Dems look good - is at GoGov.com.
>Actually it's kind of interesting that he's doing it at all. >It tells me that the president is expecting some dirty tricks >and is heading the democrats off.
Yes, I agree. You know if Bush wins the Democrats are to be screaming it was fixed. No matter if every person videotaped themself pushing the button for Bush, they cry some sort of foul. They are already saying Florida's system is messed up and can't be trusted. The whole party has a criminal mentality.
I too, want to thank you for your service to our great country.
Your calm, level headed assesment of this topic is not surprising to many of us here on FreeRepublic, considering your geographic location; your survival rests upon level headed assesments.
God bless you Mike.
>>Why is Bush doing this? He's not going to get ONE vote from this.<<
Our President, the sad sorry one he is, is looking to make sure he will only serve one term! Doing something like this will cost him votes.
Kerry will attempt and probably succeed in bringing the UN in faster than Bush could ever do it which only furthers the Presidents true wishes, a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
The members of FR who cannot see this are simply refusing to open their eyes.
/The children of those parents will be very proud that Mom and Dad followed the Republican Party line all the way into progressive socialism./sarcasm
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