International monitors at US polling spots draw criticism from voter fraud groups

[Doodler71]

Last edited Mon Oct 22, 2012, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Hill

United Nations-affiliated election monitors from Europe and central Asia will be at polling places around the U.S. looking for voter suppression activities by conservative groups, a concern raised by civil rights groups during a meeting this week. The intervention has drawn criticism from a prominent conservative-leaning group combating election fraud.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a United Nations partner on democratization and human rights projects, will deploy 44 observers from its human rights office around the country on Election Day to monitor an array of activities, including potential disputes at polling places. It's part of a broader observation mission that will send out an additional 80 to 90 members of parliament from nearly 30 countries.

Liberal-leaning civil rights groups met with representatives from the OSCE this week to raise their fears about what they say are systematic efforts to suppress minority voters likely to vote for President Obama.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP and the ACLU, among other groups, warned this month in a letter to Daan Everts, a senior official with OSCE, of “a coordinated political effort to disenfranchise millions of Americans — particularly traditionally disenfranchised groups like minorities.”

The request for foreign monitoring of election sites drew a strong rebuke from Catherine Engelbrecht, founder and president of True the Vote, a conservative-leaning group seeking to crack down on election fraud."



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/263141-international-monitors-at-polling-places-draw-criticism-from-voter-fraud-group

---

Right now twitter is lighting up with right wing, tea party, & GOP freak outs. Edited to insure no copy right violations.

[garthranzz]

1. T.D.B.

To the right wing teaparty freak outs:

T.D.B.

Too Damn Bad

Don't try to steal elections, we won't need monitors. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

[Tigress DEM]

18. Don't try to steal elections, we won't need monitors. AGREE 10,000%

[niyad]

2. glad they will be there, but that isn't going to solve the problem of voter suppression and the

many frauds the gop has been committing, and will continue to commit until every last one of them is in jail.

[Posteritatis]

3. Anything that makes it harder to hide is good, though. (nt)

[Tigress DEM]

19. Actually, it might help get them TO jail.

THE blatant misuse of power by rethug Sec of States and refusal of rethug Atty Gen to address the issue in Virginia.

The continued use of a group KNOWN to commit election fraud activities by the RNC.

CONFLICT of interest at highest levels with Tagg Robme owning a voting machine company while his father is running for Pres.

IF the UN has to make us follow our own laws, fine. JUST let's have a fair election or two and get back to the business of actually running the country on a path of progress instead of fighting with the bozos to keep it out of the ditch.


<snip>
“They observe the overall election process, not just the ballot casting,” said Giovanna Maiola, spokeswoman for OSCE. “They are focusing on a number of areas on the state level, including the legal system, election administration, the campaign, the campaign financing new voting technologies used in the different states.”

[defacto7]

44. Let's hope it does get them to jail.

There's a lot of jail time to be had.

[Tx4obama]

4. That's good, BUT that is not going to solve the problem of electronic voting machine fraud. n/t

They won't be able to see what is going on inside of the electronic voting machines

[Syntara]

11. This might help (posted elsewhere too)

PLEASE, if you haven't done so already, sign the petition at the link below and leave your comments there to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the Romney family's ownership of the voting machines to be used in the upcoming election in
Ohio and 9 other states. Most who are signing are citing a "conflict of interest" on the part of the Romney family since Mitt is running for election. WE NEED ALL THE SIGNATURES WE CAN GET in order to ensure Eric Holder in the Department of Justice takes this seriously and gives it top priority - TIME IS RUNNING SHORT TILL THE ELECTION. DON'T LET THE ROMNEYS STEAL THE VOTE. Thanks!

http://www.change.org/petitions/attorney-general-eric-holder-investigate-tagg-romney-owning-voting-machines-in-ohio#supporters

As of 9:49 PM CDT, Oct 21, 2012 we have 41,872 petition supporters and counting. Please add your voice.

[Hutzpa]

5. Instead of them freaking out

they should be fucking ashamed of themselves for designing methods to steal the election. They're not even hiding anymore and they are showing outrage, who should be more outraged? African America and Hispanics or the republican party that is trying to deprive them from voting.

[lunasun]

9. +1

[Tigress DEM]

20. Outrage, the last refuge of a rethug before capture and detainment.... extended detainment. nt

[Chemisse]

37. Damn right they should be ashamed

It is a sad day when the US requires this level of election supervision.

[defacto7]

45. + 1000

[Uncle Joe]

48. + Infinity.

[Doodler71]

6. It is sad, but good

The right wing is flipping the f* out. Guilty conscience? Why would they be worried? Aren't we supposed to be a bastion of democracy and free votes? What was their talking point when they started dismantling everyone's rights with the Patriot Act, "if you don't have anything to hide, you don't have anything to worry about," just sit back and look the other way.

[Thinkingabout]

7. Interesting True the Vote says they are trying to prevent voter fraud and don't like monitors.

The repubs whine then whine more when getting caught in their own game. She is getting donations for doing this so stupid donors keep supporting her endeaver, she needs the money.

[Downwinder]

10. True the Vote will not be credible until they clean up their own

front yard in Fort Bend County. Haven't seen any charges filed against Bruce Fleming for voting in both Texas and PA in the last three General elections. They haven't even confiscated his picture ID.

[justiceischeap]

40. No, they like monitors because that's what they fancy themselves as

They just don't like impartial monitors. With international monitors about, there's less chance for them to try and intimidate voters.

[lunasun]

8. wish for even more people ...what are naysayers hiding??????

[SunSeeker]

15. +1

[uppityperson]

24. The post that was hidden was directed at the rwer quoted in the article, not any DUer.

fwiw

[HooptieWagon]

31. Must have been a reading comprehension skills impaired jury.

[ronnie624]

33. No doubt.

That was weird.

[SunSeeker]

50. No kidding! OK, here's the hidden post, re-stated for the reading impaired:

Post:
_____________________________________________________
"The United Nations has no jurisdiction over American elections," she (Catherine Engelbrecht of True the Vote) said in a statement to The Hill.

And neither do you (Catherine Engelbrecht), you fascist.
______________________________________________________

Note: Webster's defines Fascism as "a political philosophy, movement or regine that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition." You know, like a nutbag group like True the Vote, which uses intimidation tactics and modern poll taxes to prevent individuals from voting.

[Overseas]

13. Of course the right wing will criticize them. Republicans obstructed the 2004 vote in similar ways.

Issuing challenges to slow down the voting and make lines much longer in Democratic districts.

Their voter ID machinations have shown the Republican Right's determination to obstruct voting in the USA and so I am thrilled that the UN has become very alarmed and will be monitoring their activities more closely.

We need the eyes of the world upon this Republican treachery. They have been outrageous in restricting our democratic right to vote.

The world knows that "voter fraud" has never been a serious problem in the USA and is just being used by the Republican Right as an excuse to restrict the number of possible Democratic party votes.

And the foreign election monitors are probably alarmed that so many US exit polls have been cancelled recently when we have used exit polling to monitor the fairness of other countries around the world.

[HooptieWagon]

14. If they aren't committing crimes, they have nothing to worry about.

I think that's how the meme goes.

[Tigress DEM]

23. Exactly.

[Zoeisright]

16. Crooks have a harder time stealing things when they're watched.

That's why that fucking repuke group is against election monitoring.

[Doodler71]

17. The general consensus

According to the twitter feeds of several TP/RW zealots here are the top three most common responses. I couldn't mine fore more, I felt my brain cells dying. I also need a shower after wading through so much crap.

1. They are screaming this is a conspiracy of President Obama to create a new world order.
2. Mitt Romney should ask during the debate why Mr. Obama would allow an invasion on his watch.
3. We (Dems) are trying to suppress their votes & the UN are our "thugs" all sanctioned by POTUS

[Tigress DEM]

21. "WE DEMS have nothing to hide. What are you rethugs afraid of?" Should be the main response.

1. HOW is doing everything possible to guarantee the elections are fair to EVERYONE in anyway a NEW World Order?
That's how America has supposedly been doing this in every possible way for over 200 years.

2. It's no invasion. It's simple observation. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. So EVERY VOTE SHOULD BE COUNTED.

3. ARE THEY KIDDING? DEMs who register voters turn in Republican registrations without whining about it.
Our groups aren't throwing THEIR forms in the trash or trying to keep any of them away from the polls or playing games with their early voting ballots. It's all happening on their side.

Those UN "thugs" would just as likely report a DEM harassing a Republican trying to vote.

[Kali]

22. bad alert, dumb hide MAJOR reading comprehension all around

he was not calling the OP a fascist, he was calling Catherine Engelbrecht a fascist

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=274892
Author: Hassin Bin Sober
Subject = “The United Nations has no jurisdiction over American elections.” she said in a statement to The Hil

Alerter comments: Calling someone a fascist for posting an article about the UN observing our elections is RUDE, CRAZY TALK. No real point here except to be argumentative.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: We don't call people fascists here.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: Calling a poster a "fascist" in the context of a discussion on U.N. jurisdiction is completely unjustified and constitutes name calling. Name calling is rude and inappropriate on this board.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given

[Hekate]

25. About time -- I was praying for them to take notice during the Bush administration

As far as I am concerned, this is good news and about damn time. I was praying for them to take notice during the Bush administration -- here we were sending troops to Afghanistan to free the people to vote democratically, so proud of the USA for helping the Afghans send ballot boxes into the hinterlands on donkey-back, while the Bush cabal was corrupting the voting process at every turn here at home by installing electronic voting machines.

[xxqqqzme]

26. This reminds me of the

summer of '64, in many ways, when the Freedom Riders and voter registration drives were occurring throughout the south.

This is the same rhetoric - states rights, outsider interference - yadda, yadda, yadda, we heard then. TPTB are using every unethical, immoral act they can think of and some they have invented and/or expanded, to make certain that black man does not get re-elected. There must be something going on far more sinister than our paranoid brains can imagine because they are pulling out all the stops.

[defacto7]

46. Oh, I can imagine a lot

If they win, they are free to continue without the nagging backache of justice.

If they loose, they may have to face the illegal acts they have committed.

You bet, they are pulling all the stops. It's survival now.

[Recursion]

27. "True the Vote"? Is this what passes for English now?

What the hell does that even mean? "True" is not a verb.

[Nostradammit]

28. Except that it is -

true
transitive verb
trued true·ing also tru·ing
Definition of TRUE
: to make level, square, balanced, or concentric : bring or restore to a desired mechanical accuracy or form <true up a board> <true up an engine cylinder>


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/true

[Recursion]

38. The lexeme is "true up", not "true" in those citations

I stand by my kvetch.

[defacto7]

49. Sorry, true is a verb all by itself.

It is somewhat common. - Can you please true my wheel? The word "up" is not necessary.

"True the vote" does not refer to truth, it refers to balancing or centering.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. In my 1966 Funk and Wagnalls...

Required by justice; legitimate: the true king. Indicating or predicting correctly: a true sign To bring to conformity with a standard: The wheel runs true.

[NBachers]

29. Splendide: This will be the scene at every Republican campaign office. Viva Le Nouvel Ordre Mondial

Bravo. Everything is going exactly according to plan. Activate project bo-9X immediately. I repeat, activate bo-9X NOW! per: Comrade Soros

[ronnie624]

32. They should be happy and proud to show off our model democracy.

Seriously, though, as a poster above noted, without being able to inspect the software, there is no verification of the results.

[Turbineguy]

34. Well, that's just a teenie weenie bit embarrassing!

Isn't the US supposed to be the Arsenal of Democracy?

[CarmanK]

35. VA Board of Elections refuses to PROSECUTE Voter Reistration FRAUD

The 31 year old guy from PA will not be prosecuted by VA Bd of Elections for throwing away REGISTRATION FORMS. These are the types of actions by the GOP/TPARTY operatives that give us real reason to be concerned about the FAIR accounting for this election. I am glad the UN is sending in observers. They are obviously needed. What a national disgrace fro VA and the nation.

[ck4829]

36. This particular tantrum from the right is funny

[Fearless]

39. Rest assured Republicans

There will be monitors from the UN, from national, state, and local agencies looking out for your bullshit.

[reflection]

41. I think it's pathetic

that the Republicans have corrupted the vote so badly that we have to resort to this. So enjoy, right-wingers. Bask in the glory of what you've created with your chicanery and deception, you morally bankrupt fascists.

[Odin2005]

42. The idiots will start ranting about UN black helicopters in 3, 2, 1...

[BetterThanNoSN]

43. Sadly....

this does zero to address electronic theft. THIS is what Americans should be concerned with.
As Stalin said, 'its not who votes that counts, its who counts the votes'.

[Uncle Joe]

47. Good, after the coup of 2000, and subsequent attempts to dis-empower the American People

from their sacred right to vote and have it counted, we need International monitors.


Thanks for the thread, doodler.

[eridani]

51. In other news---

--hiring of additional firefighters draws criticism from arsonists.