Bush Veterans Affairs Department bans voter registration drives at veterans facilities.
Bush Veterans Affairs Department bans voter registration drives at veterans facilities.
This past May, the Veterans Affairs Department, led by Secretary James Peake, issued a directive prohibiting nonpartisan voter registration drives “at federally financed nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and shelters for homeless veterans.” In today’s New York Times, Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz writes, “What is the secretary of Veterans Affairs thinking?“:
The department has placed an illegitimate obstacle in the way of election officials across the country and, more important, in the way of veterans who want to vote. A group of 21 secretaries of state — Republicans and Democrats throughout the country, led by me and my counterpart in Washington State, Sam Reed — has asked Secretary Peake to lift his department’s ridiculous ban on voter registration drives. […]
But federal legislation shouldn’t be needed for the Department of Veterans Affairs to lift the ban on voter registration drives by state and local election officials and nonpartisan groups.
The federal government should be doing everything it can to support our nation’s veterans who have served us so courageously. There can be no justification for any barrier that impedes the ability of veterans to participate in democracy’s most fundamental act, the vote.
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The Repugs must be REALLY afraid of their cowardly lack of support and lies to the Veterans. I hope this story gets legs with the MSM (Yea, right!)
August 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pmWhere are the ever loyal Bushites on this one?
August 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pmRepublicans aren't necessarily stupid. They recognize that the easier it is for more people to vote, the tougher it is for them to win elections.
Unless you're talking about touch-screen voting machines, in which case those are essential for them to win elections.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pmProbably waiting for the go-ahead from to Troll Central to run with the "most disabled vets are illegal immigrants" talking point.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pmGood one Ralph.
It's amazing how many people buy the line that the Repugs support our troops in any way.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tweedster Says:
Where are the ever loyal Bushites on this one?
Probably waiting for the go-ahead from to Troll Central to run with the “most disabled vets are illegal immigrants” talking point.
Right, or maybe it's the " Amputee Vets aren't complete Americans" tack.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pmBobwurst,
Sadly, I wouldn't be all that shocked.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pmThe people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm-Joseph Stalin
Republicans hate the troops. Any questions?
August 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pmThis is a total about face compared to the Viet Nam era, as well as everything before and after until now. The military has always pushed for voter registration, no matter who was in office. If this is politically motivated, it's a serious blotch on the Rep's already tarnished (rusted, corroded, bent???) image.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pmSupporting the troops the W way!
Walter Reed.
Pat Tillman.
Fighting GI benefits and cutting VA budgets.
Enough said.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:44 pmMaybe they can work out a compromise that will please this Administration. Something like "Registration drives at federally financed nursing homes are acceptable, provided everyone registers to vote as a Republican and signs an affidavit swearing to vote for McCain under penalty of losing all health benefits and residence status in the nursing home."
I don't see anything wrong with that sort of compromise.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pmNext, they will say that allowing the veterans to vote is a partisan activity.
They are only doing this because they know that the wounded veterans will vote mostly for Obama. The ACLU needs to get on this and the Obama campaign needs to set up a service whereby they will come and pick up a veteran to take them to their county office to register.
I have also heard that one of the right wing conservative whack jobs (I forget which one) is trying to make it so that students can't vote at the precinct near their schools. Apparently he wants the law to say that a student can only vote at their home address so any student who is living on campus won't be able to vote unless they drive or fly home to do it. Another way to try to suppress the Obama vote.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pmRepublicans don't support the troops, they never have. They support their pathetic leader and his failed war. Oh wait, they have those yellow ribbons made in China on their vehicles, yup I guess that means they support the troops. ;)
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pmSo, the CONservatives ban voter registration drives at Veteran's facilities, but they have no problem having them at your run of the mill right wing nut job evangelical mega church...
The Republican party is by far the most anti-America/democracy political party in the history of the republic. Hands down.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:54 pmBut, but, but why would the administration do such a thing. According to FUX NOISE the troops love and support Bush and his failed war and they love and respect Mr. War Hero Johnny McCrazy too, because he knows how to win wars.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pmThemis Says:
...is a clarification to the Hatch Act so that VA authorities do not have to worry about potential violations for allowing such drives.
Why does there need to be a clarification of the Hatch act. It says you can't hold "partisan" activities on federal property. Please tell us what is "partisan" about registering to vote.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pmWhat is needed once Bush gets back from his untimely and undeserved vacation is impeachment for the many crimes his administration has committed.
There. Fixed it for you.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:57 pmThings are really bad for the Republicans if they now want to disinfranchize military votes!
August 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pm.
... Because nothing says "support the troops" like denying them the Right to vote.
.
August 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pmGee. That's mighty American of them, ain't it...?
August 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pmDoes this mean John McCain won't be allowed to vote either?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:00 pmNow I know why Bush didn't go along with the theatrical ploy of the Republicans and call Congress back into session. If he did that, he couldn't well go spend a couple of weeks in China at the Olympics, could he.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pmHave any of you had posts go **poof** and never post? I just posted the same thing twice and it never showed up. If a post has a word in it that the censor disapprove of, does it just go **poof**>
August 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pmunbelievable Says:
Things are really bad for the Republicans if they now want to disinfranchize military votes
They have to find a way to disenfranchise them because the military is turning on Bush. I would not be surprised to find out that our soldiers in Iraq won't be allowed to vote or their votes will somehow disappear.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:05 pmBut, Bilbo, between rounds of golf, Boner told us that the reason the price of gas was going down was because he and his fellow Rethuglicans sat in the dark and railed against the Democrats. We both know that they would filibuster any legislation that would actually have an effect on the price of gas.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:07 pmThemis Says:
I think everyone agrees that non-partisan voter registration efforts should be allowed in VA hospitals.
Should have stopped there, because the rest of your post shows you for the fascist, neocon hack that you are.
This administrations VA has been treating veterans like crap for the last 8 years under Bush and this is just a cherry on top of the icing. But will you call out the Bush administration on their treatment of veterans?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pmI won't hold my breath.
Trying to prevent people from voting is simply a Republican reflex.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pmAs a Vet who spent much of his service treating & taking care of wounded Vets, I find this downright appalling.
Regardless of Party, we all owe a debt of service to those who served. End of story.
How do these people sleep at night? I realize Repukes put Party over Country on a daily basis, but working & scheming to disallow disabled or wounded Vets to vote is beyond the pale.
Damn the NeoCons. Damn the Reupblics. Damn the politics behind this.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pmWow, what's next? Not allowing voter registration drives among minorities? Oh, wait.....been there, done that. Onto the next group..
http://liberalretort.blogspot.com/
August 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says: They have to find a way to disenfranchise them because the military is turning on Bush. I would not be surprised to find out that our soldiers in Iraq won’t be allowed to vote or their votes will somehow disappear.
I wonder what would happen if they did that. Those aren't the type of people who tolerate the crap the rest of us do...
August 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pmRalph the wonder llama: They recognize that the easier it is for more people to vote, the tougher it is for them to win elections.
True enough. Specifically though, voting veterans have a political presence beyond their numbers.
If a veteran of Operation "Let's Kick Ass for a Bit Over Here" or a veteran of Operation "The Big Money is Really over HERE!" expresses by their vote their support for Operation "This Is Bullshit" and those votes become known BEFORE the election each veteran might 'carry' several other family and community votes--especially those from rural regions that tend to vote Republican and whose families contribute significantly to the ranks of the Army, whether by general political proclivity or through pure circumstance.
In short if a combat veteran from a Republican family in a Republican town in a Republican State returns from a Republican war and declares him- or herself FOR getting the hell out of Iraq ASAP, how are those families and communities going to react?
Are THEY going to continue to back their mindless pro-war, endless-deployment Party, or back their experienced kith and kin, when it comes time to vote?
I'd hazard that the majority of soldiers (roughly half of whom are National Guard ) have had enough of soldiering, and their families have had enough of the consequences of their deployments and treatment by the VA upon their return.
Just 50,000 veteran votes (of the roughly 700,000 who have served) that could be cast for a change from Republican politics and policies could translate into 500,000 or more, and in traditionally GOP districts and States.
Obstructing veteran voting is vital to the political interests of the GOP and their survival. The volunteer US military has been a pawn in the Republican and conservative global game of domination, and they to control those pawns too in their game to dominate the domestic game.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:12 pmI've always said that the republican party operates with a 19th century mentality. I have to issue a correction, make that an 18th century mentality.
After all, only white male land owners could vote back then, and it seems the CONservative rethuglicant's would very much like to go back to this criteria.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:13 pmThemis Says:
There is no clear cut answer to whether or not a given voter registration drive is “partisan.”
Can the BS troll. No one buys it.
Now answer my question on the treatment of veterans over the last 8 years Bushco has been in power.
will you call out the Bush administration on their treatment of veterans?
If you really support the troops and veterans how can you support Bush or the Republicans, because the two are not inclusive.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:14 pmZimzone Says: Regardless of Party, we all owe a debt of service to those who served. End of story.
You know, with stories coming out about all the rich folks who are hiding money in Swiss bank accounts to avoid billions in taxes, the money the government has comes from us - the tax paying middle class. It's our GD money, and we should ahve the right to do with it what we want.
If we want to give some of our tax dollars to helping other people, including veterans, then that is our right. It's our money.
I'm so sick of these out-of-control freaks who don't even contribute to the system, whine about taxes, and then think they have a right to dictate what they do with our money.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:15 pmThere can be no justification for any barrier that impedes the ability of veterans to participate in democracy’s most fundamental act, the vote.
There can be no justification for any barrier that impedes the ability of anyone to participate in democracy’s most fundamental act, the vote.
But we all know how that's working out.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 11th, 2008 at 2:16 pmThe federal government should be doing everything it can to support our nation’s veterans who have served us so courageously. There can be no justification for any barrier that impedes the ability of veterans to participate in democracy’s most fundamental act, the vote.
Well, except for the fact that disabled and wounded veterans are perhaps less likely to vote for lying, warmongering, Rethuglicans who don't give a damn about the plight of veterans....
Cheers,
August 11th, 2008 at 2:16 pmbut, but some of them people are brown and poor, the GOP can't have them voting, can you imagine!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm5th Estate - I wish American kids (including myself) got the same kind of education that you did in England. It's always clear to me who the non-American educated folks are. Better vocabulary, logic skills, knowledge of history, and awareness of so many issues.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pmHere's another one of those headlines that seems designed to enrage. So, before responding, I wanted to take a look at what the directive really said.
The directive said that voter registration drives are not permitted for two reasons -- it violates the Hatch Act, and it disrupts facility operations.
I find it hard that it would disrupt facility operations to provide the inmates -- oops, patients -- access to one of their constitutional rights, so I wondered if there was some little clause in the Hatch Act I was unaware of.
I looked up the Hatch Act on the OSC site -- http://www.osc.gov/ha_fed.htm -- and found out that it only bans partisan political activity from federal employees. Conducting non-partisan voter registration drives is specifically permitted.
Was I missing something? I scrolled down a bit more, and discovered some specific advisories that had been issued over the years regarding the Hatch Act. The most recent advisories having to do with voter registration drives were issued in 2006.
I discovered upon reading one of the advisories that any organization wishing to conduct a voter registration drive who has taken a public position on a particular candidate or issue is not regarded to be "non-partisan" -- and in 2006, the organization was the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), because they had publicly opposed George Bush.
Another advisory was about Blacks in Government (BIG), who also wanted to conduct voter registration drives. BIG was deemed to be a non-partisan organization and was not prohibited from doing so.
OK -- keeping all this in mind -- I see two wrongs being committed here. First, the VA directive doesn't prohibit partisan voter registration drives, it prohibits ALL of them. There is NOTHING in the Hatch Act that justifies this. And the second wrong is that the directive says that the Facility Director must make sure that voter registration information is available to all patients, and that patients are made aware of this when they are admitted. Obviously this part of the VA directive was not being followed when the Connecticut Secretary of State made her rounds there.
What doesn't make sense is why the idiots in charge want to keep veterans from voting. Aren't they the ones constantly trumpeting about what loyal conservatives our military personnel are?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:19 pmThemis: I think everyone agrees that non-partisan voter registration efforts should be allowed in VA hospitals.
"Everyone"?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:22 pmExcept for the VA currently being run by Bush appointees that you want to continue under a 'new' McCain but still same-old GOP regime. As an ardent Bush/GOP flack, you are just pretending to agree and then changing the subject in the hope that no one will notice. That works for Republicans and conservatives, but nor for Democrats and liberals, see! WIause guy! Why I ougghta pound you..!
Campaign donations from military and their families has been heavily in favor of Barack Obama, quite a switch from recent presidential campaigns. Need I say more?
August 11th, 2008 at 2:29 pmThat's right!
Let's make sure that those who sacrificed the most for freedom and democracy, don't actually get to practice it!
Mucking forons!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:29 pmDear Bushco;
Please stop your "supporting the troops". It's killing them.
snark.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:32 pmBilbo(@2:03 pm); chalk it up to 'Poof'- the Magic Dragon.
:-)
August 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pmSince it says "nonpartisan registration drives", does that mean he want partisan (Republican) registration drives only?
August 11th, 2008 at 3:14 pm#41 unbelievable says: 5th Estate - I wish American kids (including myself) got the same kind of education that you did in England. It’s always clear to me who the non-American educated folks are. Better vocabulary, logic skills, knowledge of history, and awareness of so many issues.
LOL! Steady-on there! My level of education is a matter of circumstance. My mother came from the immigrant 'dregs' (as it were) of Southside Chicago whilst my father grew up as the son of an international bank governor ( The Bank of London & South America) and went to 'public' school ( private school in the US)in the UK.
MY education was entirely publicly-funded and much of it I found intellectually lacking ( well that's my excuse for all the meddocre grades I got). However I do think in retrospect it was pretty good, all things considered, and a cut-above what is offered now.
But really I think you are painting with too broad a brush.
I appreciate the compliment and from my perspective the US education system could learn a lot from other countries educational systems and the kids would benefit from such considerations. IMHO there's no magic perfectly defined curriculum, but if you think I'm so brilliant I'd put it down to a general and flexible approach to education, not an absolute proscribed path to knowledge.
Bearing that in mind I would say the US has taken a disastrous turn, not just under Bush but for several decades prior. On the other hand there are some aspects of the US education system that I wish had been adopted in my time at school-the methodology of learning for instance.
It's also not fair to compare American "kids" to 48-year-old adults such as myself especially who, though I grew up relatively poor (but middle-class in socio/political perspective--I voted for Margaret Thatcher!) had the good fortune to be exposed a wide variety of cultural and intellectual differences because of my parents and my proximity to other nations.
However if you are still impressed, go check out my long-defunct but newly (albeit hesitantly) revived blog by clicking on my post ID moniker and maybe take a stab at some of my old posts in the archives, many of which are supposed to be be amusing. I'm trying to get back into the rhythm right of blogging again rather than just commenting, and I;m working on a new post at the moment, but give my latest post a look, not so much for the text content but for the Photoshopped image.
Anywhooo... thanks for the encouragement, and don't sell yourself short, IMHO you are an educated and intelligent contributor to the TP community and I'm sure I'm not alone on that opinion.
Cheers!
August 11th, 2008 at 3:18 pmThe coward themis ran from this thread to post it's crap on the next thread.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pm#10 - I'm not so sure about the "no matter who's in office" part. I remember the 10th Mountain Division sergeant major having everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, marched to the post theater for a voter registration drive back in 1996, and you know who was President back then. The operative theory here was that if everybody in the division got registered to vote by absentee ballot, Bill Clinton might have been turned out of office by his own military. There were thinly-veiled allusions about "if we elect the right man President," just short of endorsing Bob Dole.
So it doesn't surprise me one bit if the current administration is doing an about-face on the importance of voter registration drives among military personnel, past or present.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:35 pmBush has caused the death of 4,000 American troops, ripped adequate health care out from under them, failed to increase their wages and now he is about to commit the most heinous of crimes by doing all he can to prevent them from voting.
Gee whiz, I wonder why? Actually I do know. Bush and his henchmen can only steal and prevent just so many votes; therefore they must prevent additional voters from registering. Otherwise, the theft of votes by the GOP, the neocons will be too noticeable.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pmRather than dealing with those murky criteria, the VA has decided to ban all such drives for fear they may cross the line and be determined to be partisan.
That's total BS. The VA decided to ban all voter registration drives because they know that the vets will be registering as Democrats and they can't have that, can they.
As I said before, there is nothing "partisan" about registering people to vote and the VA is taking the broadest possible interpretation of the Hatch Act to try to disenfranchise our veterans ability to vote. Now if it was a political party trying to register people, then it would be partisan. But having the cities and counties try to get in to register these people to vote, that in no way can be considered "partisan".
I find it telling that this ruling comes down at a time when the Republicans are feeling very threatened. Why is this NOW an issue but it wasn't before.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:54 pmDid McCain blow his speech at the Disabled American Veterans conference? Otherwise, why the fear?
August 11th, 2008 at 4:14 pmRepukes don't support Vets, and as for those who have been wounded and have seen the truth about Bush's lies more than likely will not be voting for the Fascist Repukes this Nov., so of course they need to stop them from voting.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:25 pmSupporting our vets ion the GOP way!
August 11th, 2008 at 6:56 pmUnbelievable! What will the Republicans think of next?
Unbossed.com had good a story about this earlier today:
http://www.unbossed.com/index.php?itemid=2206
August 11th, 2008 at 7:33 pmIs conservo-cide the same as genocide...I don't think so.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:02 pmIsn't this law unconstitutional? hmmmmmmm..... I'll go register voters there. Will see if they arrest me... lol... I think we all should!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:09 pmA typical HYPOCRITICAL move from this administration...Disgusting isn`t it.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 pmFirst I also would be willing to go to these places that have baned Voter Registration and Register people to Vote that wanted to register. They are more than welcome to TRY and arrest me but if any of these places are in my State they would need alot of people to arrest me. If they took any registration forms that already had been filled out from me not only would I have them arrested (its illegal to dispose of a compleated voter registration form) Im sure I would make the news for Kicking someones ass.
In my State and County it is Illegal "to in anyway prevent someone to Vote". Not allowing one to "Register To Vote" could be seen as preventing someone to Vote.
At several Voter Registration Drives on "Public Property" authorities have tried to have us Stop Registering Voters. When the so called Authority has been abusave to us and been a "snotty know it all" I have quoted this law and told them they should check with "The Boss" and if they continued an atempt to block us from Registering Voters I would have them arrested. Each time we have been told sorry for any misunderstanding.
Our Government is so out of controll its no longer funny, its scary. Has the time come to start Physicaly Removing these corrupt officials from office??
August 12th, 2008 at 12:41 amThis is just so hard to believe and hope something is done about the situation. Pass it on to others so more people are aware of this happening. Maybe the ACLU will take action.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pm