Posted on 07/11/2012 4:24:00 PM PDT by rhema
Minnesota's secretary of state, Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, acting in concert with the state's attorney general, Lori Swanson, a Democrat, intends to change the titles of the constitutional amendments regarding marriage and voter photo ID.
Ritchie believes, apparently nudged by Swanson, that he has found state law under which the secretary of state shall provide an appropriate title for ballot questions. Legislative attorneys believe that Ritchie's perceived authority would only come into play when the lawmakers do not provide a title.
Well, let's see. Did the Legislature offer titles?
For the so-called marriage amendment, the language passed by the Legislature is: "Recognition of Marriage Solely Between One Man and One Woman."
You would think that a secretary of state who has preened as much about clarity and simplicity on behalf of the voter as Ritchie would have found that title about as clear and simple as even lawmakers could have made it. But because he fears that it might pass, Ritchie wants to change it to "Limiting the Status of Marriage to Opposite Sex Couples.''
Proponents of the amendment find that to be muddying and obfuscating. The word "limiting," for example, might give one pause, for we certainly don't want to be limiting anybody's rights, however real or imagined.
Opponents of the amendment find that a dose of muddying and obfuscation is just what the doctor ordered, and in Ritchie they have a doctor with advanced degrees in
mischief. Remember the Franken-Coleman recount when a precinct in Minneapolis "lost" 133 ballots and a precinct in Maplewood had 171 more ballots to count than their totals from election night? The lost ballots got ignored and the newly discovered ballots got counted. Made you want to say "hmmmm."
Monday, Minnesotans for Marriage, joined by several Republican lawmakers, filed a petition with the state Supreme Court saying, essentially, "Hey, wait a minute here; this guy just can't whimsically change a title that was already as clear as a bell."
Ritchie might also get sued for his changes to the photo ID amendment, the word "photo" the clarifying distinction of the amendment.
The Legislature wrote: "Photo Identification Required for Voting."
Ritchie again looked into the heart and mind of the voter and thought he could be helpful. His title is: "Changes to in-person & absentee voting & voter registration; provisional ballots."
Makes you want to say "hmmmm."
By removing the word "photo," which is the only reason the proposed amendment exists in the first place, he has manufactured a complexity that serves only his purpose, to get the amendment defeated.
Ritchie is a self-professed DFL activist -- it's all over his bio -- and DFL activists reject the idea of marriage existing only between one man and one woman and they reject the idea of requiring a photo ID to vote because they contend that would disenfranchise too many voters who can't get a government-issued photo ID.
Fair enough.
Friends and foes of both amendment questions have already marshaled their forces; in fact, we haven't seen anything yet because the advertisements haven't even started in full. But foes, ahead of the advertising blitz, seem to be enjoying the additional manipulations of a secretary of state whose meddling has nothing to do with keeping things simple for the voters, as the Legislature intended, and everything to do with his particular brand of ideology.
Ritchie reminds me of my days when I played "Go to the Dump'' or "Old Maid'' with the kids and I would highlight the one card in my hand I wanted the kid to take. But I was only trying to confuse one kid, not the whole electorate.
Ritchie is another crooked Democrat. Oversaw the recounting of votes Republican Coleman against Democrat Franken. Suddenly ballots were found in a trunk of one of the election judges???? Franken wins in recount. Wouldn’t trust this crook if he was walking beside me.
Joe has a “knack” for recognizing these crooks and exposing their mischief. Thanks Mayor!
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