Posted on 09/19/2004 10:35:24 AM PDT by seastay
In America, the states are responsible for conducting elections. If there is a problem in a particular county or state, then those who are affected should direct their complaints to the state and local election officials.
Rather than address her concerns to the proper authorities, however, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and a dozen of her Democrat cohorts asked the U.N. to come monitor our elections because they "... are deeply concerned that the right of U.S. citizens to vote in free and fair elections is again in jeopardy." Apparently, this lady has more confidence in the scandal-ridden U.N. than in her own government.
The U.N. replied saying that the request had to come from the executive branch. Immediately, the "Dirty (baker's) Dozen" went to work on the secretary of state, who, for reasons that defy logic, acquiesced. Consequently, a delegation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will descend on selected voting places throughout the country to monitor our elections.
Why? This group has no authority to do anything. The entire fiasco is nothing more than an elaborate stage for some of the more radical Democrats to spew their venom. In case there is any doubt about this conclusion, consider the person chosen to head this OSCE delegation: Rep. Alcee Hastings, an impeached federal judge who represents Broward and Palm Beach Counties in Florida.
Neither the secretary of state nor the president, for that matter, can require that state and local election officials allow these foreign observers to enter the voting places. In fact, it could be illegal for these observers to enter voting places. State law prescribes exactly how election monitors (poll watchers) are to be selected. In Minnesota and many other states, the election law requires election monitors to be registered voters in the precinct or district that they monitor. These foreign monitors are not likely to be registered to vote in any U.S. election.
The , along with other organizations involved in the Freedom 21 Campaign, are launching a nation-wide campaign to block these foreign election monitors.
Since local elections officials are responsible for implementing state election laws, local officials have the authority and the responsibility to decide just who enters the voting places as monitors.
Members of organizations affiliated with the Freedom 21 Campaign are being urged to call their local election officials and ask them to not allow the foreign monitors into the polling place.
Some local organizations are planning newspaper ads to urge local citizens to join the campaign to prevent foreign election monitors from interfering with the election process. Some organizations are planning to picket the local supervisor of elections office with placards. Some are planning to deluge their state board of elections. In most states, local election officials are elected and are likely to be sensitive to the demands of the local community.
It is not yet known just where the foreign election monitors will choose to descend. Most likely, the so-called battleground states will be prime targets for the foreigners. Hastings is hosting a survey group from OSCE this month to decide where the foreign monitors will be deployed.
Florida, particularly Hasting's district, will surely be a high priority, since it was the site of such controversy in the 2000 election.
Nothing positive can come from these foreign monitors. The disgruntled Democrats who invited them, as well as many of the OSCE member nations, want nothing more than an elevated platform from which to demonize America. Many of the OSCE member nations are socialists, or worse, and the people who invited them most certainly align themselves with policy positions advanced by socialist organizations in the U.S.
This campaign to block foreign election monitors by local, grass-roots organizations demonstrates how individuals can exercise the power of their vote. Local individuals elected the present supervisor of elections and will elect the next one. As individuals let their wishes be known to their local elected officials, the officials tend to listen much more attentively than do congressmen or State Department appointees.
The American people, exercising their First Amendment rights, can override the Democrat instigators, the State Department and the OSCE – and send the foreign monitors packing.
Let me understand..this effort is so Kofi's corrupt son can earn some walking around money?
I'm just waiting for some foreign elitist politico to get in my face at a poll. This can get ugly.
This is simply the fully segregated, step-n-fetchit, colored only Congressional Black Caucus building a scream for compensation when Kerry loses and the black Jamaican they have sent to vote is rejected. They know enough to make sure that where ever the foreigors are, there will be blacks that are not allowed to vote. They knows because they will send them there. They will also send camera crews to record saddened black persons mumbling about citizenship, evil Republicans, disenfranchisement and the glory of the local black Congressional candidate. The compliant interviewing reporter will not ask about the complainers nationality or right to vote at this location. The would-be voter will quickly slither off and Bernice will have something to spew her anti-white racism about for the next year.
We've got nothing to hide. They'll bad-mouth us either way (and so will Jimmy Carter), so let them in.
It is sad that the Democratic process would possibly allow an intrusion by foreigners. Maybe Jimmy Carter could oversee the elections. BARF. I agree with one other post that if someone were to get in my face it would get very ugly.
The state dept. said ok to monitors to prove a point.
If they find that elections were legit then we're cool, right? And if they scream "FRAUD" then they get to monitor the investigations that ensue, right?
The whole point of election monitoring is discretion. Most folks - at least in foreign countries - do no know that the people hanging out are monitors. That's the point. They are to remain unobtrusive. They are allowed to ask questions if they do not understand something, write down impressions, etc. At the close of the polls the observers meet together to compare notes.
Under the rules of the ODIHR Election Handbook (www.osce.org)there is international protocol for parlimentarians (election observers). They are required - or I should say the OSCE - to contact the local election board to let them know that they will be monitoring election in their city. Second, they are not required to share with the election board who the monitors are or what precinct they will monitor. That is all they are required to do under international law.
The OSCE's election assesment team was in Washington, D.C.
last week to firm up what states they will be monitoring. According my source there will be over 200 monitors in the U.S. from the ODIHR.
The other less important group is Global Exchange. For months they have been trolling for monitors in foreign newspapers (Asia, Ireland and Mexico). One of their target states is Missouri.
Under OSCE/ODIHR committments the participating states that have invited the observers are under an obligation to rectify any problems found during election monitoring. The OSCE/ODIHR just started observing western democracies because the Russians and other emerging democracies were ticked off.
" Under the rules of the ODIHR Election Handbook (www.osce.org)there is international protocol for parlimentarians..."
Under the rules of the Election Handbook, OVNTB ( Our Votes are None of Their Business , a more valid handbook given the circumstances of international corruption) we are not obligated to answer any questions. If they want us to honer international law, then they can start by enforcing international drivers licenses in our state and not leaving us to have issue state IDs, and controlling passports and visas to foreigners crossing our boarders who are settling permanently!
so who cares what they are required to do and if they will not be able to accomplish it, that's their problem, they don't give a $%! about our problems!
" Under the rules of the ODIHR Election Handbook (www.osce.org)there is international protocol for parlimentarians..."
Under the rules of the Election Handbook, OVNTB ( Our Votes are None of Their Business , a more valid handbook given the circumstances of international corruption) we are not obligated to answer any questions. If they want us to honer international law, then they can start by enforcing international drivers licenses in our state and not leaving us to have issue state IDs, and controlling passports and visas to foreigners crossing our boarders who are settling permanently!
so who cares what they are required to do and if they will not be able to accomplish it, that's their problem, they don't give a $%! about our problems!
Absolutely.
How dare the euro trash and sundry world trash think they have any business even getting near one of our polling places. They wouldn't know an honest election if they tripped over it.
You are absolutly correct. I was just pointing out how the OCSE/ODIHR operate. More important, I agree that they have no business in our country.
I posted this a few days ago .. but here it is again:
"Well .. here's my take:
"I believe the Iraq elections are slated for January ..?? What are the chances we might be training these people to observe our elections so they can run the Iraq elections. Sorta like practice ..?? Remember, a lot of UN members were killed in Iraq (24 I believe) .. most of whom were to begin registering people to vote, as well as to organize the elections in Iraq.
"I don't know if this is the real reason, but I have my suspicions. I guess that's why I'm not upset about it.
"Another thing I've noticed. All of a sudden some members of the dem party start whining about one thing or another .. it appears that immediately the Bush admin does what they want. Well .. what if the admin was already planning to do exactly what the dems were whining about (say Powell had agreed to train UN workers) ..?? What if somebody on some committee got wind of what we were planning and then they send out their goons to start howling for the admin to do it .. and then when the admin does do it .. IT APPEARS LIKE THE ADMIN SURRENDERED TO THEIR DEMANDS. Hmmmmm??"
I think all this angry talk about the UN people taking over our elections is just foolishness; intended only to stir up people. The UN will not be controlling our elections - they will be OBSERVING in order to learn.
IN CASE ANY OF YOU MISSED MY MSG #15 ..
"I posted this a few days ago .. but here it is again:
"Well .. here's my take:
"I believe the Iraq elections are slated for January ..?? What are the chances we might be training these people to observe our elections so they can run the Iraq elections. Sorta like practice ..?? Remember, a lot of UN members were killed in Iraq (24 I believe) .. most of whom were to begin registering people to vote, as well as to organize the elections in Iraq.
"I don't know if this is the real reason, but I have my suspicions. I guess that's why I'm not upset about it.
"Another thing I've noticed. All of a sudden some members of the dem party start whining about one thing or another .. it appears that immediately the Bush admin does what they want. Well .. what if the admin was already planning to do exactly what the dems were whining about (say Powell had agreed to train UN workers) ..?? What if somebody on some committee got wind of what we were planning and then they send out their goons to start howling for the admin to do it .. and then when the admin does do it .. IT APPEARS LIKE THE ADMIN SURRENDERED TO THEIR DEMANDS. Hmmmmm??"
I think all this angry talk about the UN people taking over our elections is just foolishness; intended only to stir up people. The UN will not be controlling our elections - they will be OBSERVING in order to learn.
"I was just pointing out how the OCSE/ODIHR operate. More important, I agree that they have no business in our country."
Thanks, this sort of thing can sometime cause our responses to be animated, even though we all perhaps have more productive activities to do ....
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