Blogged by Brad Friedman from Phoenix, AZ…
For all the Bush Administration and Republican Party’s phony sturm and drang about a supposed epidemic of “voter fraud” at the polling place, the DoJ refused to offer a representative to testify at a Senate hearing today on the topic.
According to a statement from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who chaired the hearing this morning in the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, the DoJ refused to allow testimony from the William Welch, Chief of the Public Integrity Section, which has “responsibility for civil and criminal enforcement of such voter fraud to discuss what the Department has found and to help quantify the problem of voter fraud at the polls.”
“Only after extensive back and forth between my staff and the Department,” Feinstein says, “did they finally send a letter stating that at some future date they would provide an unspecified witness.” The full press release, including her opening statement today, is posted at the end of this article.
“In the void left by the Justice Department,” Feinstein said, former US Attorney David Iglesias was called as a witness today. As The BRAD BLOG reported in some detail when the hearing was announced several days ago, Iglesias was fired during the U.S. Attorney Purge after he’d refused to bring phony “voter fraud” charges despite pressure from both Republican operatives and elected officials alike.
It’s little wonder the DoJ was not allowed to participate in the hearings, despite the well-funded White House and Republican efforts to use discredited “evidence” of “voter fraud” in order to require Photo ID restrictions at the polling place which would succeed in disenfranchising millions of legal, largely Democratic voters, who do not have such ID…
A recent New York Times report on “voter fraud” detailed “scant evidence” of such fraud despite the Bush Administration’s five-year effort to prosecute such cases.
Feinstein noted in her statement the “DOJ failed to complete any Federal prosecutions for impersonation voter fraud.”
“Another reason it would be important to hear from DOJ,” she said, “is that during the Bush Administration the Department put in place a major program called, the ‘Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative‘ which focused on investigation and prosecution of voter fraud.”
Columbia University’s political scientist Lorraine Minnite released a report last year on the “Politics of Voter Fraud,” arguing that in-person voter fraud is exceedingly rare, even while it’s being used a political weapon by Republicans to keep legally registered voters from voting. The BRAD BLOG has covered, in great detail over the last three years, the well-funded, White House and GOP front group calling itself the American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR). The group was explicitly created to forward the notion of a Democratic “voter fraud” epidemic, in hopes of creating a perceived need for legislation enacting polling place Photo ID restrictions.
Yet millions of Americans do not have the state-issued Photo ID’s required by such GOP-backed laws. Feinstein pointed to a nation-wide survey by the National Opinion Research Corporation revealing that “11% of voting age Americans do not have a current government-issued photo-ID.”
“This means that approximately 21 million citizens could be adversely impacted under a restrictive photo-ID requirement,” she said.
We have recommended to Feinstein’s staff that Thor Hearne, co-founder and lead snakeoil salesemen of the ACVR — and not coincidentally, national general counsel of Bush/Cheney ’04 Inc. — be called in to testify under oath on the shadowy astroturf group. Hearne, specifically, needs to be asked about the still-undisclosed source of the $1 million in funding enjoyed by the non-profit, tax-exempt organization. We hope they will consider such a hearing, if they wish to truly get to the root of the phony GOP “voter fraud” disenfranchisement conspiracy.
We’ve been on the road, and haven’t yet been able to watch today’s hearings, but a video of the entire session is now available right here.
Feinstein’s statement follows in full below…
Washington, DC ““The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chaired by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), today held a hearing about in-person voter fraud, and whether requiring photo identification disenfranchises vulnerable voters.
The hearing, entitled, “In-Person Voter Fraud: Myth and Trigger for Disenfranchisement?” examined concerns about the potential impacts on voters who have historically encountered obstacles at the polls ““ disabled, poor, minority, and senior voters. The hearing also discussed the evidence of charges about impersonation of registered voters at the polls, which is the primary type of fraud that could be presented by a strict photo identification requirement.
Despite a major effort by the Bush Administration to investigate charges of voter fraud, and after millions upon millions of voters cast ballots in 2002, 2004, and 2006, no federal cases of impersonation voter fraud have been successfully prosecuted.
Following is the text of Senator Feinstein’s prepared opening remarks:
“A citizen’s right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. So when there are allegations that the right to vote is threatened, we need to take those allegations very seriously.
Sadly at a number of critical junctures in our nation’s history, legal roadblocks have kept certain vulnerable members of our society from voting.
We know the heritage ““ poll taxes, literacy tests, and requirements to own property were three of the most egregious.
Today, this Committee will examine the realities of voter fraud and the proposed solution of requiring photo-IDs. The Committee will examine whether there is a rampant problem with fraud, and what are the real-world impacts of voter photo-ID requirements.
The Committee will also look at how photo”“ID requirements could impact minorities, seniors and the disabled who don’t have a current government issued photo-ID.
At today’s hearing, I hope we will get into a full and robust discussion regarding to what extent that there is in-person voter fraud? Or to put it another way ““ are individuals going to vote pretending to be a registered voter at the polls.
I think getting to the bottom of this is important because, in essence, this is the only type of fraud that would be prevented by a photo-ID requirement.
That is why we felt it is very important that there be a witness from the Justice Department.
We invited Mr. William Welch, Chief of the Public Integrity Section, with responsibility for civil and criminal enforcement of such voter fraud to discuss what the Department has found and to help quantify the problem of voter fraud at the polls.
Unfortunately, DOJ refused to allow him to testify. And only after extensive back and forth between my staff and the Department did they finally send a letter stating that at some future date they would provide an unspecified witness.
Another reason it would be important to hear from DOJ, is that during the Bush Administration the Department put in place a major program called, the “Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative“ which focused on investigation and prosecution of voter fraud.
However, it is my understanding that DOJ failed to complete any Federal prosecutions for impersonation voter fraud ““ I would like to know more about this.
In the void left by the Justice Department, we will rely on testimony by a former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Mr. David Iglesias.
He will discuss his experience with voter fraud cases and whether he found fraud to be a major problem in his district.
I also think it is important to note that this very issue is now before the Supreme Court in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board and Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita.
And while, we all await the Supreme Court ruling, there are movements throughout the U.S. to enact laws that are as tough as or tougher than the Indiana voter photo-ID requirement.
So, I believe that we need to start now to look carefully at the rationale for these laws and the impact on certain voters ““ especially since this is an election year and new laws could impact how people vote in just a few months.
I want to stress that I, too, am concerned about voter fraud. Yes, it exists ““ and just as U.S. history has included sorry chapters of voter disenfranchisement, so, too, does our country’s history include notorious cases of vote fraud.
But I think it’s important that we be clear about the issue before us today ““ is voter fraud happening in person at the polls? If it is, is photo-ID the right solution? If it is not, what do such laws accomplish?
We are not talking about absentee ballot fraud ““ because requiring voter photo-IDs at the polls will not stop this.
We are not talking about double voting ““ because even with a photo-ID, if one were registered to vote in separate counties, for instance, one could still vote twice.
And we’re not talking about vote buying, fraudulent registration or ballot tampering. There are laws that deal with all of these, and photo-IDs laws do not address those problems.
In 2002, after vigorous debate, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which among other things became the first, the only, federal law to require a limited voter identification requirement for registration ““ and even that is for first-time voters who register by mail.
HAVA sought a balance between the need to ensure against fraudulent registrations by mail and the possible disenfranchising impact of voter photo identification.
But in recent years, voter photo-ID bills have been introduced in over thirty state legislatures, including my own state of California, and the Ranking Member’s state of Utah.
So far only three states, Georgia, Indiana, and Missouri have passed laws requiring a government-issued photo-ID to register, vote and count the vote.
And one state, Arizona, passed a law requiring voters to prove citizenship in order to register to vote.
I believe it’s important to step back from this rush for legislation, and examine both the problem of fraud and the proposed solution of requiring photo-IDs.
A nation-wide survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Corporation showed 11% of voting age Americans do not have a current government-issued photo-ID.
This means that approximately 21 million citizens could be adversely impacted under a restrictive photo-ID requirement.
In recent years, we have seen how important every vote is ““ not just for local elections ““ but all the way up to the Presidency. I believe we should be doing everything possible to ensure that everyone who is entitled to vote should be able to vote ““ and not place insurmountable roadblocks in their way.”
I wish someone would explain why I have receive 4 pieces of mail from the rnc (republican nazi committee) in the last 6 months and never before. I have never had any thing to do with these people.
Feinstein is a rank bitch for voting Muckassy in as AG (along with dickwad Shumer) and then complaining about it. Fine stain is a whopper of an Amurkan.
American flag waived, Amurkan flag waved.
I don’t get it, could you just say why the DOJ wasn’t allowed to participate, and WHO stopped the DOJ. (specifically a name of the official that stopped the DOJ?)
Otherwise my mind just plays games and comes up with the theory that instead of “not allowed to participate” my mind replaces that with “purposely evaded participation to protect some secret they don’t want exposed.”
I don’t want to be wearing a tin-foil hat, but if the DOJ itself is corrupt and there’s no oversight of the DOJ to correct this, then really there’s no trust left of the United States, for any of these agencies and really we should all just hold them all in contempt and when they force laws on us fight them with everything we got.
(I ain’t no home grown terrorist, but these people who purposely evade questioning while simultaneously shredding the constitution are in fact DOMESTIC terrorists! (as defined by the US military sworn oath) and what should ANY active duty military personnel do to uphold that oath?
I mean common sense says shooting them would be whacked out. (But BY DEFINITION their target is either a DOMESTIC TERRORIST or ATTACKING THE CONSTITUTION)
So what CAN THEY DO? How can active duty US military personnel uphold their oath? What are the specific guidelines for their authority?
This issue MUST BE ADDRESSED, I’ve asked this question before, and conveniently NONE have offered an explanation. I know it ain’t Brad’s responsibility to answer this, or any of the readers here, but you really need to ask this question as I think this is seriously part of a loophole that allows “white collar domestic terrorism” to fester.
And finally if you don’t want to call it DOMESTIC TERRORISM, or ATTACKING THE CONSTITUTION, then what language is to be used?
We The People do not need to have a violent event occur to TEST these oaths and rules. Otherwise technically I could walk up and start blowing peoples brains out and when the cops arrest me, I will just say I was protecting the constitution against white collar elite domestic terrorists.
Let’s not go there.
And again a disclaimer for all the corrupt screwball TIA/TIC/FBI/DHS/(homegrown terrorist whatever the hell type people) out there who are just drooling from their fangs to make an example out of someone.
(I AM NOT SUGGESTING USING VIOLENCE. DON’T DO IT!!! I AM HAVING A CIVIL DISCUSSION AND ASKING SERIOUS QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON LEVEL WITH THE FOUNDING FATHERS.)
You know what. I want these questions answered.
Not by bloggers (although I welcome all feedback) , but by OFFICIALS.
Anyone out there willing to help me REPHRASE my shitty English and force someone to answer in a LEGAL way?
note: I am not a fucking lawyer.
But it KILLS me to see my country being fucked up like this day after day. God damn it. We are ALL so capable of awesome goodness for all mankind why the fuck does it have to be this fucking way?
And One more thought.
You better think hard about this.
This is hypothetical (DON’T DO IT!)
Say your an active military soldier.
You have evidence the President has broken his oath of office. (Hell we all have evidence now)
You decide he needs to become a target and you take him out.
You find out that Cheney also broke his oath of office. You take him out also.
Then the OSI, MP’s, Secret Service, street cops whatever arrest you.
What charge do they have?
I AM ASKING A QUESTION NOT SUGGESTING ANYTHING.
This is how they planned on getting their 100 year rule i.e. the electronic voting machine military industrial prison and media complex by packing the supreme court and the DOJ and by voting for registered non voters electronically.
PRIVATIZATION
Why do Republicans hate THE concept of democracy?…nevermind.
also, when the SCOTUS looked at this (Indiana), why was the burden of proof put on the disenfranchised PEOPLE side of the argument as much as the non existent voter fraud side?
Doesn’t anyone in their right mind know that proof of hardship shouldn’t be considered at all in this case?
Why they’re laying the burden on the poor is because they know that they don’t have a case for voter fraud IMO
By the way either when I joined the USAF, or was discharged, I noticed something and I want to share that now. I don’t remember if it was JOINING or LEAVING but…
There was a question I was asked. Why did you join. (Or some similarly phrased question) I know a lot of people said money, to buy a home bla bla bla… I told them for PATRIOTIC REASONS and left it at that.
I detected a smirk on the face of someone when they saw that, even though they didn’t bother to question me any further.
This question in this thread is a follow up on that.
How patriotic am I exactly?
I am patriotic to the point that I will sacrifice my life to protect the constitution and the president of the United States
What motivates me to be so patriotic?
I think my parents and grade school values back in the 1970’s. My Grandmother had a lot to do with my personal values.
Have I been an angel?
No.
Have I EVER done anything to compromise the security of the United States?
No. Although there may have been tests (which I can’t discuss) that tried to frame me in a bad light to see what my reaction may be. Bottom line is while I was in service and out I have never compromised my position on the security of the United States. The specific technology that I worked with is declassified now. (Unless someone reclassified it)
There’s way too much secrecy going on.
Ask yourself what’s the worst destruction on earth? How is it that that is classified? This whole fucking game that Bush is playing is extremely aggravated to me. They aren’t classifying stuff to hide State Secrets, they are doing it to cover their fuckin ass’s!
So hell yeah, now that I have matured I am pissed off. I see our elections being as tantamount to seeking happiness.
You want to know WHO I would like to see run for president? Charlie Brown in El Dorado County, CA. (some of the nicest real estate in California)
But he ain’t running for that, he’s ran/ and technically (in a second chance sense) still running to replace that corrupt fuckwad Doolittle.
Why the fuck would anyone vote for Doolittle/Abrimhoff corruption when Charlie Brown has sworn an oath the same as me?
welp…
my fifth beer..
nn
/quit
too windy Phil
Brevitize ™ it!
Okay
nn
/quit For Real this time
OMG Saxbutt Chambliss?!?!
The poster boy for electronic election fraud, lmao
What is it with all the slings on the arms of the R cabinet members lately?
Playing nude Twister?
Finished watching the video.
It appears that the guy (name?) that did the study for the pro voter ID, when questioned by Schumer didn’t know the name of the group he was paid to do the study for.
Sounds like a new ACVR Brad…be waiting for your follow-up report, soon I hope
Finestain‘s new committee is named SOTW, because who but a W would bring AG Muckassy to “replace” Gonzo:
(Donovan, Lyrics). She and shumer have begun the season of the witch by voting against the rest of the democrats and voting for Muckassy.
AG Mickassy was dead in the water until the Finestain witch cast a spell on us and voted him in. Now the dorkess feigns consternation at the fascism The Department of
JusticeJust Us is practicing. What a pol ho witch.Ferraro is a witch bitch too.
Phil made the statement:
And there you have it folks, a heavy fact. I think Phil is spot on in his observation. But it is a sad fact.
And I think it is a result of having been misdirected away from the constitution over the years.
The fundamental attempt by our forefathers to help us seek happiness was by enacting the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. It had already been voted in forever in their minds:
(Preamble). Never to be voted on again.
So if we are not voting for that Constitution of Happiness, which was voted in once and for all, what are we voting for?
These daze of the season of the witch the rank pols like Finestain think they are bringing us what out forefathers already gave us.
But in fact these witches are taking it away with a smirk on their porky lips.
Total hypocrisy of the doj:
They write an amicus brief for the scotus hearing FOR voter id on behalf of “voter fraud”, but won’t come to a Senate hearing on it? I guess their moms told them too if you want to get something done go to the top!
Dictators do not like to be questioned. Shouldn’t bother Diane Feinstein at all. Brings good money to her house.
Hey darth is on Cspan right now, breaking ties on senate votes!
I’m going out to my rose garden to cut back the weeds!
Dredd #2, ditto.
Phil #3, they aren’t even using the “for national security puposes” excuse any more. They don’t hafta. Nobody’s ever going to follow up in any meaningful way on their lawbreaking. It’s over, dude. We no longer have a government that’s representative of the people.
Wow I had nice sleep. Woke up at 4:30, had a cutie, a diet doctor pepper, watched a lil morning fascist media, till 7:30 8-ish and then dug through the garage for leftover fertilizer, went out and cultivated it into this year’s garden. Expecting rain soon. But Hey I am ready for this year (Last year the same thing I got my garden done before the rains came) Anyway… it’s 10am and I hit my morning BradBlog threads..
I see the word “Witch” being thrown around.
And although in the “context” that it’s being thrown around, I do understand. (I think I have SOTW album around somewhere) However the term is actually used in religion. Frankly it’s offensive to me as it bastardies my current religion.
This term needs to be nipped in the bud. I think a better words are “fascist bitch” instead of “witch bitch” I know some fine “witches” that at times can be bitches. okay? And not the mother dog kind.
In the United States freedom of religion is absolutely guaranteed, however Christianity and and Fake Christianity often get free passes to walk over and stinkify other lesser known religions. I could go on and on about Satanism vs. Wicca but just know that to SOME people the term “Witch” is a good term; kind of like the way the Nazi symbol is a bastardized form of a MUCH older positive symbol from before Nazi’s even existed.
This puts people in the position to have a need to “steal back” what belongs to us. It also causes law enforcement to become confused when exposed to those who practice ritual of the old ways.
Phil I would call what this administration is doing, and has done, “Domestic Terrorism”. All the while soldiers are dying, coming home disabled and mentally damaged forever. They all were/are patriotic, I assume. Can you imagine the betrayal they will feel when they do realise the invasion was just that, an invasion, of a Country that did nothing to them. They died for PNAC supporters. No one in government seems to have the balls to stand up to the bullies but are okay with allowing the soldiers to be blown to bits along with the Iraqi people. Where have the hero’s gone.
Are they afraid they will be outed for their “extra curricular activities”? So it’s come down to saving their ass instead of the soldiers.
Bump and Grind, not ok
Shock and Awe, F%#@ing wonderful!
I don’t see the US out of this mess for at least ten years. Longer if the Hill gets nominated.
Take a witch home or don’t take a witch home, your choice, but don’t bitch about your choice:
(Witch.com). I would rather that you take Finestain and Shumer home with you (if you are a demoCon). I would send them down the long winding road to rudesville.
The people’s House is the place where democracy has a far better hope than in the Senate where it is more in danger. The House is not going to allow the fascism of the telecoms, like AT&T, to be pushed down the throats of Americans:
(Yahoo! News). The House of the people is back! And tax cuts for the rich who don’t need it are going down too. Yahoo!
My Dearest Phil~
I’ve been meaning to tell you for awhile: your posts move me…
Often, you articulate a rage that sleeps in me just below surface; cathartic and liberating to read. Your excellent, impassioned questions deserve better answers than most of us can give you, here.
I suspect we all feel akin–between the small, sweet victories and the overwhelming defeats, the sheer magnitude and scale of the obstacles we face and the very necessary vice we need to dull, or awaken, such pain. (This ex-bartender sometimes tries to guess your RANT/COORS ratio, as I share in this self-medicating vice, myself. Beats paying health and major medical.)
No small thing to absorb, really, that all of us here at BRADBLOG can rightly charge, with mountains of evidence and documentation–what we have each witnessed these last eight years amounts to numerous unthinkable, heinous crimes and treasonous offenses; murderous, international criminal cartels hijacking us to the tune of trillions of (missing) dollars, hundreds of thousands dead, and most egregious–using our bravest/ finest/ strongest/ youngest/ most promising–as fodder for the front lines…
dooming them to that most bloody and insincere meat-grinder.
Locally, we just tragically lost one young hero. ERIC HALL’s body was found decomposing in a drain pipe in Punta Gorda, FL. Suffering from PTSD after he watched his best friend get blown to bits in Iraq, he suffered a flashback two weeks ago and fled his aunt’s home…this week, a homeless VIETNAM VET crawled through the sewage drain to recover him.
Phil, you are not quite a civilian. Neither am I- (the odd result of a strangely timed love affair with New York City and a few gangsters) and that makes a very big, ginormous, trippy difference.
GWN summed that up beautifully above (#23):
“Bump and Grind, not ok
Shock and Awe, F%#@ing wonderful!…”
Perfectly put. I love that quote so much I want a bumpersticker. Yes, Phil, how do you/ we SQUARE this with our collective histories of putting our EVERYTHING (including “our lives and sacred fortunes”) on the line to restore this once great Republic “of, for, and by the People”…?
Dunno. Haven’t a clue. Working that through, m’self. But at the end of the day–what ALL OF US HERE, can say is: WE TRIED. WE EXHAUSTED OURSELVES with the URGENCY, delved into the mind-boggling MYSTERY of this fight at one of the most CRITICAL JUNCTURES in this Nation’s history.
We did not roll over, we did not twiddle our thumbs, we did not willfully imbibe the media madness, we did not suffer the propeganda, we did not pacify the REICHT, we did not sell out our Countrymen, we did not ignore the best intent of our genius Forefathers. Instead, we defended with honor, a sacred oath, dating MUCH further back:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends…”
God Bless, Phil. Thank you for your service, past and present. Great to know ya.
Yours,
Jeannie D.
(Careful with the “pain-go-bye-bye juice.”)
Like you Jeannie , Phil’s posts move me too. He expresses the anger I am sure most feel and you feel the deep sadness in his writing. Bless you Phil. Hang in there.
I do want to say though that I hope you are NOT drinking Coors. Pete Coors , chairman of Coors, supports/supported bush, and his father started the “wonderful” Heritage Foundation. I do my part here in Canada by not buying it ( I did like it though). Not that that makes a big dent in their profits as I am a cheap drunk. 🙂