CHICAGOLAND: FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNED INSIDE POLLING PLACE? (Drudge Report)

Drudge Report ^ | 10/13/2010 | Matt Drudge

[E. Pluribus Unum]

FIRST LADY CAMPAIGNED INSIDE POLLING PLACE
Thu Oct 14 2010 16:19:25 ET

First lady Michelle Obama appears to have violated
Illinois law -- when she engaged in political discussion at a polling place!

The drama began after Mrs. Obama stopped off at the
Martin Luther King Center on the south side of Chicago to cast an early vote.
After finishing at the machine, Obama went back to the desk and handed in her voting key.

She let voters including electrician Dennis Campbell, 56, take some photos.

"She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband's agenda going," Campbell said.

According to the pool reporter at the scene, the conversation took place IN the voting center not far from the booths.

Illinois state law -- Sec. 17-29 (a) -- states: "No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place."

A top Ilinois State Board of Elections official tells the DRUDGE REPORT how Mrs. Obama may have simply been ignorant of the law and thus violated it unintentionally.
"You kind of have to drop the standard for the first lady, right?" the official explained late Thursday. "I mean, she's prety well liked and probably doesn't know what she's doing."

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ELECTIONEERING
When questioned about the brazen nature of Mrs. Obama's campaigning, press secretary Robert Gibbs defended the action.

"I don't think it would be much to imagine, the First Lady might support her husband's agenda," Gibbs smiled.

Developing...

[Cicero]

Cue for Maxwell Smart music:

DUMB DE DUMB DUMB!

[trisham]

I guess, but even so, it’s a shocking abuse of power.

[RummyChick]

http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/state-law-documenting-your-vote#Illinois

[goldi]

Any Black Panthers escorting her to the voting booth?

[Dansong]

Not sure about this...What good politician/wife doesn’t press the flesh at the polls?

[i88schwartz]

NOT TRUE

Clutching a blue folder, Obama presented her credentials to election officials before being led to the polling station. Asked if she was familiar with touch-screen voting, Obama nodded and then spent about 6 minutes casting her ballot. Obama abided by election laws that prohibit electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place.
She did pose for pictures and told one voter: “Make sure you get everybody out there voting. This one counts, as much as the other one.”

Obama abided by election laws that prohibit electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place.

[FarRightFanatic]

As far as I’m aware, this is illegal. Hell, you can’t even place campaign signs within a certain distance from any polling place. I’m sure it doesn’t matter in Michelle’s case, though.

[Winstons Julia]

This is what I was thinking.

[maggief]

Reuters Pictures

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) speaks with a fellow voter at Early Voting Polling Place in Chicago, October 14, 2010. A Reuters-Ipsos poll shows American voters are unhappy about high unemployment and are set to oust President Barack Obama's Democrats from control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Nov. 2 elections.

AP Photo

First lady Michelle Obama hugs a voter after casting her ballot at an early voting location in Chicago, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010. Mrs. Obama began a cross country campaign tour yesterday in her hometown, to rally support for Democratic candidates across the nation.

Reuters Pictures

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) hugs fellow voter Anna Roberts after casting her ballot at an early voting polling place in Chicago, October 14, 2010. A Reuters-Ipsos poll shows American voters are unhappy about high unemployment and are set to oust President Barack Obama's Democrats from control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Nov. 2 elections.

[lormand]

1) this is Chicago
2) she is a democRAT
3) she is black
4) she is too big to fail
5) she is protected by the state run media
6) If you challenge her on the law, you are a racist

nothing to see here...just move along /sarc

[Balding_Eagle]

What good politician/wife doesn’t press the flesh at the polls?

A law abiding one?

[GeronL]

Early voting.

She voted today.

So, yes, they are voting today

[jimbo123]

This is illegal and the first wookie should be prosecuted.

[lormand]

"L'État, c'est moi"

[Hot Tabasco]

So how do you find the article? I kept clicking and all I saw was a picture........

[milwguy]

Laws are for bitter clingers, not the elites like FLOTUS Michelle ‘Antoinette” Obama.

We had a person in the inner city literally run over a poll worker after he would not immediatley give her the poll results in this springs primary election in which a relative of hers was running. She was not charged because of who she was and where she lived. In my suburban county, it would not have mattered who you were, you would have been led away in handcuffs.

Equal enforcement of the election laws only applies to minorities, just ask the folks who were intimidated in Philly by the New Black Panthers. Obama, Holder and their ilk are flaunting the law and thumbing their nose at the public. Remember this in November!

[justlurking]

Isn’t it against the law to do electioneering inside a polling place?

Yes, it is. I believe every state has a law against it. I'm not sure if there is a federal law.

Isn’t that why they keep political partisans a certain distance away?

Yes. In Illinois, this is the law:

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/ilstatutes/10/5/17/17-29

Sec. 17‑29. (a) No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place, or, at the option of a church or private school, on any of the property of that church or private school that is a polling place; no person shall interrupt, hinder or oppose any voter while approaching within those areas for the purpose of voting.

Give me a few minutes, and I'll see if I can find if it's a criminal offense.

[keep your powder dry]

First lady Michelle Obama may have violated Illinois law today — when she engaged in political discussion while casting an early ballot in Chicago!

Obama stopped off at the Martin Luther King Center on the South Side to vote and, afterward, to chat with fellow voters.

“She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband’s agenda going,” said Dennis Campbell, 56.

Illinois state law — Sec. 17-29 (a) — says “No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place, within 100 feet of any polling place.”

[Faith]

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1010/flotus_to_cast_ballot_in_chicago.html

While back in her home state of Illinois, Michelle Obama set aside some time to vote. Speaking at a fundraiser in the Windy City on Wednesday, she urged others to do the same.

“Early voting has already started here in Illinois,” she said. “In fact, I am going to be voting myself tomorrow.”

And the first lady did indeed cast an early ballot just after 9 a.m. Thursday morning at the MLK Community Center on Chicago’s South Side, according to a White House pool report.

“I think that’s you,” election Judge Dorothy Yarbrough told Obama at check-in.

“You think?” she answered with a smile.

And after a short tutorial on how to use the electronic voting machine, the first lady completed her ballot in six minutes.

Her husband, meanwhile, won’t make it to the polls in person; President Barack Obama will vote by absentee ballot.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It was up, now it's down, but I saved the URL.

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm