Fox News Suppresses Voting Rights in Arizona

[Right Makes Might]

"Yesterday, August 31, students in the Women's Studies honorary society at the University of Arizona--in conjunction with the Feminist Majority Foundation--were engaging in a bit of civic participation on the UA lawn: registering voters. The called it "Suffrage 2004." In registering voters, they were engaging in an activity in common with the Young Republicans, the Young Democrats, and student government here in recent weeks. But this time it was different. The local Fox News affiliate pulled up and, cameras rolling, accused feminist students of engaging in felony voter fraud. The reporters claimed that Arizona law prohibits students from out of state from registering here.

Our students were formidable. They, of course, had consulted with the local registrar of voters on the law before they picked up voter registration forms, and insisted that state law requires only that someone live in Arizona for 29 days before the election. They called
the Secretary of State's office, our local state rep, Raul Grijalva, the Feminist Majority Foundation, and others. The Secretary of State's office, shamefully, refused to back them up.

<snip>

But last night, a piece ran on the local Fox affiliate that was quite intimidating--it sounded like students would be arrested if they voted. Kelly Krauss, UA WS student, held the line in the piece that this wasn't true, but was contradicted by the secretary of state's office. (I'm trying to get someone to upload the videotape, and can make copies on request. Interestingly, Fox News/Channel 11
doesn't have the story archived on their web site.)

So this is scary as hell. The NAACP/People for the American Way Report that came out last month argues that intimidating people out of their voting rights is a Republican Party strategy. So I'm trying to understand what happened, and my mind reels. A memo? From people in the Republican Party to Fox News stations in swing states like Arizona? Telling them to halt voter registration drives by the Feminist Majority Foundation? I can't even imagine."

Why the hell hasn't Fox had the pants sued off it yet??! What, is it being protected by god or something? Or is it just a branch of our brave new government?

Link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/2/102235/3350

[Occulus]

1. And they claim to be trying to become

less "pro Rpublican" or some such.

Isn't illegal- very, very illegal- to interfere with someone's rights to register and vote?

Can't they, oh, lose their broadcast license over this?

[TahitiNut]

2. Pox News: Practicing law without a license.

... and practicing news without a clue. :shrug:

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Just one more freedom "they" hate us for.