Someone please tell me this is NOT true!
It's the democrats that do the election fraud thing...this is maybe a smart move; less room for them to shriek down the line. Also, maybe even a little less possibility for 'Rat shenanigans.
OK, who's going to be the first to bitch and whine, "That does it! I'll never vote for Bush again!"
I have no problem with anyone from anywhere 'monitoring' (that is, watching) our elections. Let 'em watch, why not? They might learn something.
The 'rats plan was for the UN to certify our elections (as in East Timor). That would get me in a shooting mood.
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.
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.