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International Monitoring of US Election Called 'Frightening'
CNS News ^ | 8-9-04 | Roch Hammond

Posted on 08/09/2004 12:13:06 PM PDT by truthandlife

The State Department's invitation for an Austrian human rights group to monitor this year's U.S. presidential election is a "frightening" development and "an absolute threat" to America's independence and sovereignty, according to the head of a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.

Tom DeWeese, president of the American Policy Center, said he's especially angry that the Bush administration would reach out to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is based in Vienna, Austria.

"Bush continues to give conservatives the rhetoric of sovereignty, independence and strength of the United States, and he continues to give the [opposite] actions," DeWeese told CNSNews.com. "It's just outrageous this administration would allow this to happen," DeWeese added.

The spokesman for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) was equally critical of the State Department's reported invitation. "It's exactly the type of entanglement that results from our continued insistence on being a member of the U.N. and having an interventionist foreign policy," said Jeff Deist, press secretary for Paul, a Republican who once ran for president as a libertarian candidate.

Paul believes that the United Nations and other international organizations are illegitimate and threaten American sovereignty.

"We're all supposed to accept this growing notion of world government ... that's obviously the opposite of sovereignty," Deist said, adding that "a lot of Americans are going to take offense" with the decision.

OSCE is "the largest regional security organization in the world with 55 participating States from Europe, Central Asia and North America," according to the group's website. "It is active in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation" the website states.

OSCE observers will arrive in the U.S. from its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. It will be the first time such a team has been present for a U.S. presidential election, though the OSCE monitored mid-term elections in 2002, and the California gubernatorial election last year.

An official with the State Department said on background that the OSCE mission is "more of an assessment" designed to verify election results. "The OSCE-participating states all agreed, including the U.S., in 1990 to allow each other to observe elections," the official said.

However, the State Department's invitation coincides with lingering Democratic charges that George W. Bush and Florida Republicans stole the 2000 presidential race by preventing many African Americans from casting ballots. Bush's eventual 537 vote winning margin in Florida allowed him to gain the state's 25 electoral votes and the presidency.

Earlier this summer, 13 Democratic members of the U.S. House sent a letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, requesting that the agency monitor this year's presidential election between Bush and Democrat John Kerry.

The spokesman for Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who was among those who signed the letter to Annan, said the State Department's invitation to the OSCE "represents a good first step."

Stuart Chapman, press secretary for Lee, said the U.S. should set an example for other countries by allowing an independent group to monitor the balloting.

"We bill ourselves as the greatest democracy, so therefore, we should have applied to our own situation what we send out and promote and claim that we are to the rest of the world," Chapman said. "There clearly was a demonstrated, systematic effort to ensure that the votes of certain people were not counted in the last election," Chapman asserted.


TOPICS: Extended News
KEYWORDS: elections; monitors; observers; osce; un; us
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1 posted on 08/09/2004 12:13:09 PM PDT by truthandlife
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To: truthandlife
What good could possibly come from this???  An inspector from Mali announcing "I am so impressed with the American election process!  I want this for my own country!"???
 
Another Colin Powell fumble.
 
Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

2 posted on 08/09/2004 12:15:51 PM PDT by End Times Sentinel (“Cocaine is a powerful drug, b*tches.” R.I.P. Rick James.)
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To: truthandlife

It just may cut down on the dim voter fraud. A tempest in a teapot.


3 posted on 08/09/2004 12:16:54 PM PDT by tkathy (The choice is clear. Big tent or no tent.)
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To: truthandlife

With foreign observers on ground Dim whiners will not be able to claim that Bush stole election victory from Unfit to Command Kerry.


4 posted on 08/09/2004 12:17:08 PM PDT by DTA
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To: Owl_Eagle

Fumble? How about a touchdown going the wrong way!


5 posted on 08/09/2004 12:17:30 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: Owl_Eagle

The initial report I read about this said they would observe (not monitor) based on a 1990 agreement, and that they would not be allowed within 50 feet of the polling place.

Is this really a case of these people being invited to "monitor" our elections or is it being mischaracterized as such?


6 posted on 08/09/2004 12:17:54 PM PDT by alnick
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To: DTA

Who do you think the foreign observers want to win?

If your guess is pro UN John Kerry, then you are CORRECT!!


7 posted on 08/09/2004 12:18:19 PM PDT by truthandlife ("Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7))
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To: truthandlife

So much for our sovereignty boys and girls. Time for Colin Powell to join the Democratic Party. This is, by far, one of the most inane things I’ve ever seen. Let’s just send Jimmy Carter to watch over the election.

The slippery slope just got slippery-er and steeper.

This makes me madder than a hornet!


8 posted on 08/09/2004 12:18:30 PM PDT by Buffettbassman (Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!)
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To: truthandlife
In other news, the House of Saud announced Saudi pensions
awarded to the US State Dept staff would be increased by 18%
because of the unlimited US State Dept support for Saudi terror practices
including financing of further murders of Americans, Christians and Jews worldwide.


9 posted on 08/09/2004 12:20:35 PM PDT by Diogenesis (Re: Protection from up on high, Keyser Sose has nothing on Sandy Berger, the DNC Burglar)
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To: tkathy
It just may cut down on the dim voter fraud.

What has the international community ever said or done that would lead you to believe they are interested in uncovering dim voter fraud?

10 posted on 08/09/2004 12:20:38 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: truthandlife

Send them to monitor the Indian reservations.


11 posted on 08/09/2004 12:21:00 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: truthandlife

The only thing that scares me is that inspectors (of any type) can find things wrong with anything (any organization bloated enough to require inspectors has so many bureaucratic rules to follow that anyone can find something amiss). If some small errors are discovered then, the media will make a mountain out of it. Better to not have foreigners monitor our elections.


12 posted on 08/09/2004 12:21:21 PM PDT by ampat
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To: DTA
With foreign observers on ground Dim whiners will not be able to claim that Bush stole election victory from Unfit to Command Kerry.

This is more like admitting there was something wrong with the last election and we need help. This is a bunch of crud just to stir up emotions about the last election from those who were unsuccessful in actually stealing it.

13 posted on 08/09/2004 12:21:30 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: Dog Gone

The 2000 election will change our history forever. Its consequences will be untoward and far-reaching for our children and our children’s’ children. We’ve put our electoral process in the hands of lawyers due to the incompetence of people in Palm Beach County, Florida.


14 posted on 08/09/2004 12:22:57 PM PDT by Buffettbassman (Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!)
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There are three reactions to this issue that are plain nuts as far as I am concerned. Number one, "Oh it's not so bad." I don't care if these folks don't come within 50 miles of a polling booth, they can show up at the counting centers.

Two: Oh, this will stop the democrats from cheating. Yeah, like representatives from nations that want Kerry to win and aren't shy about it at all, are going to stop the democrats from cheating. Sheesh!

Three: This was started under Clinton. You shouldn't blame Bush! Bull----! Nearly four years is long enough to address any issue that Clinton's stinky fingers touched.

Why are some of our folks so damned drousy when it comes to this issue. Our elections are as important as it gets, and foreign involvement in them is flatly unacceptable in any way shape or form.


15 posted on 08/09/2004 12:24:29 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: DoughtyOne

Amen!


16 posted on 08/09/2004 12:25:02 PM PDT by Buffettbassman (Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!)
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To: truthandlife

If somebody wants to make some money, they should release the miniseries "ameriKa". The world community(the USSR which has "jimmy cartered" the world) "occupies" the USA, as just tooo powerful


17 posted on 08/09/2004 12:25:47 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: truthandlife

I am active in this election for the first time in many election cycles because I think we must not let Kerry give the national sovereignty away to the UN. Now comes this.


18 posted on 08/09/2004 12:26:09 PM PDT by tailgunner (ChristianExodus.org)
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To: truthandlife

Unacceptable foreign meddling in our affairs.


19 posted on 08/09/2004 12:26:45 PM PDT by Lexington Green (Fair & Balanced has become Bait & Switch)
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To: DoughtyOne

Rush hit the nail with this one, it is about "delegitimizing" a bush victory. They failed in 2000 so they are going to try again.


20 posted on 08/09/2004 12:27:52 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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