By Rick Manning — Hanging chads and legal battles will remain seared in the memories of everyone who is old enough to remember the historic 2000 Bush versus Gore election decider in the state of Florida.
Prudently, Florida is preparing for another donnybrook as many political pundits believe that the re-election of Barack Obama may be decided on Florida’s verdict.
As difficult as it is to believe, the chad fights have already begun in the Sunshine State, as last week the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, demanded that the state of Florida stop efforts to exclude illegal aliens, the deceased, and convicted felons from the voter rolls.
In a letter that can only be described as ironic given Holder’s dropping of charges against two Black Panthers in Philadelphia who were swinging weapons at a polling place specifically to intimidate voters based upon race in 2008, the Justice Department wrote Florida’s election officials saying, “the effort appeared to violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which protects minorities.”
The procedure the state is using identifies voter registrations which are questionable, notifies the person, who is then allowed to present valid identification to verify their eligibility to participate in the election.
Pretty straight forward, allowing those who might have recently become citizens to exercise their right to vote with minimal hassle.
However, in Obama’s world of Chicago-style politics, every vote, eligible or ineligible, counts, and his Justice Department is determined in its attempt to coerce states to avert their eyes to fraud.
Incredibly, as part of their effort to sell the pro-voter fraud actions as protecting the right to vote, Holder met with African American pastors explaining how they can mobilize their churches in this upcoming election. The meeting itself is an interesting admission of the importance of black churches to Obama’s re-election strategy.
Based upon the facts that we know from the voting rights actions of the Obama Justice Department, here is what we can surmise they were told.
- Swinging night sticks in front of polling places to intimidate voters who are not of color is okay.
- Efforts to prevent people who are ineligible under the law of the land to vote are not okay.
- Doing whatever you have to from the pulpit to get your congregations out to vote is encouraged. Remember, we won’t enforce the law against you, and if we lose, neither will the Republicans.
Voter fraud and corruption have always existed and in some cases have been celebrated in American politics. The ability to get wealthy through government will always attract those who will stop at no lengths to gain power.
However, it is rare that the highest law enforcement officer in the land so blatantly uses his position to further his boss’ re-election.
Let’s hope Florida and other states stick to their guns to ensure fair and honest elections, so the winners and losers will be able to agree that the results are not tainted. Unfortunately, based upon these pre-election skirmishes, it is becoming increasingly likely that Obama is already preparing for post-election challenges to votes that are still five months away.
If so, it is going to be a tough November, December and January.
Rick Manning is the Communications Director of Americans for Limited Government.
