GOP War on Voting: Judge blocks Ohio’s ‘wrong-precinct’ law
August 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Earlier this week, a U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction against Ohio’s "wrong precinct" law, which could cause a voter’s ballot not to be counted. Judge Issues Injunction Against Ohio’s ‘Wrong Precinct’ Election Law – The Daily Beast:
Until this Monday, in Ohio, if among the chaos of voting at peak hours in major elections, you were mistakenly directed to the wrong precinct at table 4 instead of your precinct at table 5 by a confused election worker, your vote could become a provisional ballot. That would mean it would likely be discounted because you voted in the wrong precinct without knowing you were doing so.
On Monday, a federal judge issued an injunction against the perennial swing state’s so-called wrong-precinct law (known to some as the “right church, wrong pew” rule), which stipulates that provisional votes cast in the wrong precincts can be discounted. According to the Advancement Project, a civil-rights group that filed the original suit against the state, 14,000 voters in Ohio had their ballots rejected in the 2008 election cycle due to the wrong-precinct rule.
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Rick Hasen, a professor of election law at UC Irvine and the author of The Voting Wars, called Monday’s decision “the most important ruling on voting rights we’ve had this election cycle.”
U.S District Judge Algenon L. Marbley, who halted the law, wrote in his decision that “recent experience proves that our elections are decided, all too often, by improbably slim margins—not just in local races…but even for the highest national offices. Any potential threat to the integrity of the franchise, no matter how small, must therefore be treated with utmost seriousness.”
GOP War on Voting: Judge blocks Florida voter suppression law
August 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
A federal judge said on Wednesday that he planned to block provisions of the Florida voter suppression law of Governor Lex Luthor Rick Scott that made it harder for organizations to register voters in the state. Judge to Block Changes in Florida Voter Registration – NYTimes.com:
The measure, part of a broad and contentious 2011 election law in Florida, had a serious impact on third-party voter groups, like the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote, which filed the suit along with the Florida Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. The groups asserted that the new requirements were onerous and made volunteers vulnerable to fines and even felony charges.
Voter registration, particularly among Democratic voters, declined significantly in the past year. The Florida Times-Union reported this week that the number of registered Democrats had increased by only 11,365 from July 1, 2011, to Aug. 1, 2012, a sharply lower figure than in the same periods during the past two presidential races. In 2004, nearly 159,000 new Democrats were registered in that period. In 2008, the number was nearly 260,000.
The 2011 Florida election law required groups that registered voters to turn in their completed forms within 48 hours or risk penalties. As a result, several organizations, including the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote, stopped working in the state. Previously, groups had 10 days to submit the forms.
Deirdre Macnab, the president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, which suspended its operations for a year, said she was delighted with the ruling.
“It sets an important precedent in Florida and nationally that gives a strong level of protection for third-party registration groups,” Ms. Macnab said. “We have been a historical part of America in reaching out to underserved communities.”
But, she added, the all-volunteer voter registration groups now face an arduous task. The registration deadline for the November election is five weeks away.
D.C. Circuit Court rules unanimously that Texas Voter ID law intentionally discriminates against minority voters
August 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: In the second major victory this week for the Obama administration's Justice Department, voting rights advocates, and for the rule of law, a panel of the D.C. Circuit Court ruled unanimously today that the Texas Voter ID law intentionally discriminates against minority voters. Federal court rejects Texas voter ID law as unfair … Read more
Shorter John McCain: ‘Four More Wars!’
August 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Americans should thank God every day that Barack Obama was elected president in 2008 and not Arizona's angry old man, John McCain.
This Neocon war monger has never met a war he did not like. He still harbors dreams of his PNAC Pax Americana empire in the world imposed by U.S. military intervention and occupation.
The birthday boy delivered his speech to the GOP convention on Wednesday. Shorter version: "Four more wars!"
- No defense budget cuts
- No withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Back to Iraq!
- War with Iran!
- War with Syria!
- F#%king Russians!
- F#%king Chinese!
Video below the fold.
Brewer brain fart: endorses President Barack Obama
August 30, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
It's not quite as fun as her 16-second brain fart during the gubernatorial debate, but it serves her right after some of the outrageous comments that Gov. Jan Brewer has made recently.
ABC 15 reports VIDEO: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer endorses President Barack Obama at Republican National Convention:
One day after endorsing GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer gave a live interview to MSNBC, apparently slipping up and endorsing his opponent, President Barack Obama.
The video is so hot on the internet, the Governor's office released a statement to ABC15 Wednesday night saying the Governor misspoke, and she isn't the first official to do so amid the noise and chaos of the crowd.
Video below the fold.
Racist incident at GOP Convention
August 29, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
In case you missed this last night, a pair of Republican National Convention delegates decided to demonstrate their racist side towards an African-American CNN camerawoman. CNN initially did not want to report on this story, not wanting to become the news (and fearing a conservative backlash). Other news organizations commented that CNN has an obligation to report on this because it is news. CNN should reveal details of nut-throwing incident.
Today, CNN briefly addressed this ugly incident. Via TalkingPointsMemo, CNN Goes On Air With Story About RNC Incident:
On air this evening, CNN's Wolf Blitzer called attention to the network's earlier report on two Republican National Convention attendees throwing nuts at a black CNN camerawoman and saying, "This is how we feed animals." The attendees were removed from the Tampa Bay Times Forum after the exchange.
Blitzer called the incident "truly shocking" and said it "hit home" for everyone at the network. CNN political analyst Donna Brazile said during the segment she hopes the two attendees have their convention credentials revoked.
Video below the fold:
Primary highlights
August 29, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Some of the highlights from Tuesday's primary:
Disgraced former Senate president and de facto governor of Arizona, Russell Pearce, lost his comeback bid after being recalled last year when the entire City of Mesa finally decided that they had had enough of his racist antics. The murder-suicide by Russell's Neo-Nazi buddy J.T. Ready in May probably was a factor as well.
Ol' Russell's brother, the corrupt former judge Lester Pearce, also lost his race for Maricopa County Supervisor (Dist. 2), despite being endorsed by Sheriff Bull Connor Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio. The Pearce brothers lose: Is this a sign?
If independent Mike Stauffer would drop out of the sheriff's race, Democrat Paul Penzone might be able to defeat Crazy Uncle Joe head-to-head. Joe keeps running up legal bills and judgments against Maricopa County, and there is that racial profiling decision from the Court that is expected in September.
Pearce banned reporters and photographers from attending his election-night party at Rockin' R Ranch, an Old West dinner theater in southeast Mesa. He refused to come out of the event and make a comment as the results began rolling in. Worsley beats Russell Pearce in Mesa Senate race. Stay classy, Russell.
In the most insane district in Arizona, District 1, House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, and Rep. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, easily turned back a challenge from Sen. Lori Klein, R-Anthem. Klein is famous for her outrageous statements and pointing her loaded pink gun at a reporter's chest. She had the support of Herman Cain and Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher. Andy Tobin is equally as bad, but Lori Klein is truly batshit crazy. Good riddance.
The Final Race to the Finish
August 29, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Primary Election is over. Based upon unofficial results (subject to revision), statewide voter turnout was a pathetic 23.01%. The highest voter turnout was in sparsely populated Greenlee County at 42.13%. The worst performance for voter turnout was in Yuma County at 18.03%. The state of Maricopa was not much better at only 20.37%.
Elsewhere in Baja Arizona, Pima County voter turnout was 30.97%, topped only by the far less populated Graham County at 31.32%. Cochise County was only slightly better than the statewide voter turnout, at 23.92%, followed by Santa Cruz County at 20.69%, and Pinal County competing with Yuma County for the bottom, at 19.18%.
There were a number of write-in candidates for various races who did not appear on the ballot or in reported election results. We will not know if any of these write-in candidates received enough votes to qualify for the November ballot until the primary election vote is certified. In the meantime, I will include their names with the write-in designation.
So who made it to the starting gate for the final race to the finish?
U.S. Senate
Richard Carmona (D)
Jeff Flake (R)
Marc Victor (LBT – write-in)
U.S. House – Dist. 1
Ann Kirkpatrick (D)
Jonathan Paton (R)
Kim Allen (LBT – write-in)
U.S. House – Dist. 2
Ron Barber (D – Inc.)
Martha McSally (R)
U.S. House – Dist. 3
Raúl Grijalva (D – Inc.)
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)
Blanca Arsenia Guerra (LBT)
U.S. House – Dist. 4
Johnnie Robinson (D) – too close to call
Mikel Weisser (D) – too close to call
Paul Gosar (R – Inc.)
Joseph Pamelia (LBT)
Richard Grayson (Amer. Elect – write-in)
U.S. House – Dist. 5
Spencer Morgan (D)
Matt Salmon (R)
U.S. House – Dist. 6
Matt Jette (D)
David Schweikert (R -Inc.)
Jack Anderson (LBT)
Mark Salazar (GRN – write-in)
U.S. House – Dist.7
Ed Pastor (D -Inc.)
Scott Fistler (R – write-in)
Joe Cobb (LBT)
U.S. House – Dist.8
Gene Scharer (D)
Trent Franks (R – Inc.)
Stephen Dolgos (Amer. Elect)
U.S. House – Dist.9
Kyrsten Sinema (D)
Vernon Parker (R)
Powell Gammill (LBT – write-in)
