Voter fraud that's legal (MICHELLE MALKIN)

Townhall.com ^ | November 6th, 2002 | Michelle Malkin

[Sabertooth]

Michelle Malkin (archive)

November 6, 2002

Voter fraud that's legal

More Third World shenanigans from the land of the free and the home of the electorally challenged: The Justice Department dispatched more than 400 federal observers and lawyers to guard against illegal voting fraud at polling places in 14 states yesterday. By mid-morning, complaints of rigged machines, racial intimidation and partisan interference had already been lodged from all parts of the country. Overlooked on Election Day, however, were the myriad examples of voter fraud -- and the undermining of American citizenship -- that government officials allow to go totally unchecked and unpunished.

In Florida, a Democrat named Rafael Velasquez was able to run for state office despite admitting that he voted twice in the 1990s before obtaining U.S. citizenship. Under Florida election laws, voting as a noncitizen can be prosecuted as a felony. Velasquez said he voted in the 1996 presidential election and the 1998 Florida gubernatorial race because of a "misunderstanding." The candidate claimed that he informed election officials that he was a resident alien, but that they let him vote anyway.

Miami-Dade County elections records, however, contradicted Velasquez's characterization of his illegal votes as clerical errors. According to The Miami Herald, the documents showed that he falsely claimed to be a citizen (he was not naturalized until May 2001). Yet, no charges were filed against him, and his illegal votes did not disqualify him from running for public office.

Belying the din of "disenfranchisement," the state of Florida seems all too willing to hand over voting privileges to those who don't deserve them. Another prominent noncitizen allowed to vote in the Sunshine State was Sami Al-Arian, a controversial University of South Florida Islamic professor with long-alleged ties to terrorism, who cast his ballot in a Tampa referendum in 1994 -- while his citizenship application was pending. He, too, claimed the illegal vote was the result of a "misunderstanding." State officials have declined to prosecute.

Elsewhere, noncitizen voting is not merely overlooked. It is encouraged. Here in my home county of Montgomery County, Md., five municipalities allow noncitizens (with no distinction between legal and illegal aliens) to cast ballots in local elections: Takoma Park, Somerset, Chevy Chase, Martin's Additions and Barnesville. Last month, Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams endorsed a similar proposal championed by Hispanic activists. "I'm committed to expanding the franchise," Williams said in explaining why citizenship should be thrown out the window as the standard for voting eligibility.

In 1993, the federal Motor Voter law "expanded the franchise" for political expediency, and exacerbated the perilous trend of lowering the safeguards for voting that continues to undermine the value of U.S. citizenship today. As former INS Commissioner Alan C. Nelson noted when Takoma Park passed its noncitizen voting referendum a decade ago:

"In many countries of the world, an alien is always an alien. In our country, we are proud that our laws and social policies encourage aliens of all races and cultures to become citizens. In recent years, however, an increasing number of aliens have not pursued citizenship . . . This trend is disturbing, because it could seriously affect the assimilation process immigrants have pursued in this nation for 200 years . . . This important value of becoming a citizen is lost if an alien can vote without becoming a citizen. Any legal resident alien can become a U.S. citizen in five years. That is not an unreasonable time to wait to be able to participate in our democracy. The five-year wait emphasizes the value of citizenship as a requirement to vote and to becoming a full member of the community. If local voting by noncitizens is allowed, state and federal voting could be next. Either there is a policy basis for noncitizens to vote, or there is not. If we open the door, it cannot be closed halfway."

Where are those federal monitors when we need them?

Contact Michelle Malkin | Read her biography

©2002 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

[Sabertooth]

We had a great night last night, but it's time for the GOP to get a spine and weather the screechings from the Left of "Voter Intimidation" every time some action is taken against the Democrats' ongoing electoral fraud.

[Sabertooth]

Michelle Malkin Growl!

Post here to the thread if you'd like to be on the Michelle Malkin list.

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[MissAmericanPie]

Preach it.

[MissAmericanPie]

Maybe we should think about how close these elections were even with a heavy Republican turn out. Someday soon, it will not matter how many Repbulicans turn out we will be out numbered.

Like the media has reported, the heavier the voter turn out, the better for the Demoncrats, because of illegal votes, and minority votes. If the majority of Republicans are white, all whites account for only 60+% of the general population, and of that 60+% a great percentage are Democrats. Conservatives over all are becoming a smaller and smaller portion of the population. It is critical that we get vote fraud, and our borders under control, and deport illegals.

National elections are far too important to leave the manner to vote to the whims of different states with different agendas. The lax voting requirements in some states effects the outcome of the direction the nation takes for all Americans. All Americans lose freedom when the nation moves left. While I believe in more power to the states, this is one area in which national standards should be applied.

[chatham]

Not only should Citizenship be a prerequisite for voting, any Illegal or non citizen who votes should be deported.
A second requirement should be, each voter shows up at the polls with a copy of their last filed income tax,if you don't contribute you don't vote.
MALKIN IS MARVELOUS!!!!

[madfly]

Michelle Malkin ping

[philosofy123]

I love Michelle. You must be a computer wiz, it is cool!

[madfly]

bttt

[DLfromthedesert]

Michelle was on my friend Charles' radio show, "Liberty Watch", last Sunday. She stated that after the election, Presidnt Bush planned a huge blanket amnesty.

LET'S ROLL and STOP this travesty!!!

[lepton]

bookmark bump

[gubamyster]

it's time for the GOP to get a spine....

and stop illegal immigration while controlling legal immigration & fixing the INS.

[WRhine]

Maybe we should think about how close these elections were even with a heavy Republican turn out. Someday soon, it will not matter how many Repbulicans turn out we will be out numbered.

Excellent analysis of the political landscape MAP. I agree. The terrain will only get rockier for Republicans (especially Conservatives) if the illegal immigration crisis is not addressed once and for all...without Amnesties.

[yoe]

Michael’s address so you Freepers can write her and send the article onto the following Miami Herald addresses. Florida couldn't run their usual crooked elections this year as the nation's eyes were on them keeping the polling places clean for once; NO MORE GOREING! Thanks.

malkin@comcast.net

Miami Herald
Dade Bureau
dadenews@herald.com
(305) 376-2100

Miami Herald
State Desk
statedesk@herald.com
(305) 376-3557

Miami Herald
Letters to the Editor
(305) 376-3512

[william clark]

About the only bright spot in the California elections was the defeat of Measure 52, which would have allowed same-day registration. Given the Democrat state sweep and passing of a bunch of tax increases, I think the only reason 52 went down must be because the authors shot themselves in the foot by trying to sell it to honest voters as an anti vote fraud measure, even though that's exactly what it was designed to facilitate. The ignorant Democrat masses apparently took the TV spots at their word, and feared that their shenanigans might be made more difficult with passage of the measure.

[yoe]

My thoughts exactly! And if you don't pay Federal taxes you don't get a tax cut! The democrats have tried so hard to squelch that rule by playing the class warfare game. The rule is...If you don’t pay – you don’t play!

[Cicero]

Citizenship is such a basic concept, it must be stressed much harder. The liberals and the public schools all used to emphasize the importance of citizenship and freedom. Republicans need to strongly differentiate between their support for minority groups of citizens such as Hispanics, blacks, Asians, Indians, and the like and their opposition to extending welfare, voting rights, free education, and the rest to ILLEGAL ALIENS.

More people should know what Socrates has to say about the duties of citizens in the Crito, not to mention what generations of Americans have said over the years.

American has always welcomed immigrants as citizens. That is very different from giving the franchize to illegal aliens or aliens who have not yet received their citizenship. Citizenship is a great privilege, as many generations of immigrants well understood. It should not be demeaned and trashed.

[John O]

Not only should Citizenship be a prerequisite for voting, any Illegal or non citizen who votes should be deported.

I disagree. A non-citizen attempting to skew the results of an election by voting is committing a direct attack on the Constitution of these United States and this is an act of war. Such hostiles should be executed not deported. This is our nation and they don't have a voice in it.

A second requirement should be, each voter shows up at the polls with a copy of their last filed income tax,if you don't contribute you don't vote.

This is good but I'd be happy with just a state issued picture ID and positive proof of citizenship and residency. I'm in favor of forcing a new registration for EVERY election with the voter card mailed to address of record. That way we can keep the rolls scrubbed

God Save America (Please)

[MHGinTN]

We had a great night last night, but it's time for the GOP to get a spine and weather the screechings from the Left of "Voter Intimidation" every time some action is taken against the Democrats' ongoing electoral fraud. Amen, Saber! Time to disenfranchise the socialist/liberal left by eliminating their zones for fraud and taking better control over our borders. Time to fix the INS sieve.

[EdReform]

Bump!

(Please add me to the list)