Former Florida GOP leaders say voter suppression was reason they pushed new election l

[redqueen]

Source: Palm Beach Post

A new Florida law that contributed to long voter lines and caused some to abandon voting altogether was intentionally designed by Florida GOP staff and consultants to inhibit Democratic voters, former GOP officials and current GOP consultants have told The Palm Beach Post.

Republican leaders said in proposing the law that it was meant to save money and fight voter fraud. But a former GOP chairman and former Gov. Charlie Crist, both of whom have been ousted from the party, now say that fraud concerns were advanced only as subterfuge for the law’s main purpose: GOP victory.

Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer says he attended various meetings, beginning in 2009, at which party staffers and consultants pushed for reductions in early voting days and hours.

“The Republican Party, the strategists, the consultants, they firmly believe that early voting is bad for Republican Party candidates,” Greer told The Post. “It’s done for one reason and one reason only. … ‘We’ve got to cut down on early voting because early voting is not good for us,’ ” Greer said he was told by those staffers and consultants.

Read more: http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/early-voting-curbs-called-power-play/nTFDy/

---

New election laws, that should say.


As if any thinking person didn't know.

[hobbit709]

1. As Gomer Pyle used to say "Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

[LynneSin]

2. Like I said - Mitt never got 47% of the vote

I suspect he got between 43-45% of the vote with about 2-4% of the vote siphoned off by GOP shenighans.

[Raster]

24. I complete agree, and if a 100% verifiable true and correct ballot count ever comes...

...out of Florida and Ohio, everyone will be amazed at the true electoral demographics, as opposed to what is presented as current electoral demographical information.

[Melissa G]

56. Add Texas to that list

I suspect Texas has already turned significantly away from the GOP in a lot more urban areas, but we will never know with machine cast/counted votes.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

52. +1 nt

[liberal N proud]

3. So will they voluntarily go to jail for their crimes against the country?

[redqueen]

9. LOL, right.

Even the lowest level two-bit criminal knows you offer information on higher ups in return for immunity.

We'll have to wait and see how that goes.

[AAO]

48. Why should it be voluntary? Put them in jail, toot sweet!

[liberal N proud]

50. Just thought they would check them selves in to a federal pen.

And save the country that money.

[AAO]

51. Republicans? Save the country money???

[liberal N proud]

55. They like to claim they care about such things.

[RKP5637]

4. The republican motto: "Cheat to try and win!" n/t

[Coyotl]

13. "If you can't win, cheat!"

[RKP5637]

16. +++1,000! I like that! Well said about the R's! n/t

[olddad56]

30. if they can't cheat, they can't win.

[mac56]

31. True that. They can't win a fair fight

and they know it.

[hifiguy]

36. As Jesse Ventura said in his wrestling days,

"Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!"

[lunatica]

58. Even cheating they lost this time

So next time they're doubling down by God!

Never let it be said the Republicans don't learn from their mistakes.

If it didn't work you just aren't trying hard enough.

[RKP5637]

59. Yep! Cheat more, move more RW, we just weren't crazy enough, we know what

Americans really want, a dystopia! ... with lots and lots of austerity. And get rid of that damn democracy and voting crap. We want none to vote, we know what's best for you, we'll decide for you.

[stubtoe]

5. Time to clean house in Florida.

[Ganja Ninja]

6. According to Jim Greer GOP party leaders specifically discussed how to stop ...

blacks from voting.

[freshwest]

21. These are the same elements that forced this case to court:

Last edited Mon Nov 26, 2012, 02:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Voting Rights Act: Why many Southern states are glad of Supreme Court case

After minorities played a big role in reelecting President Obama, the US Supreme Court says it will take up the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the issue of federal oversight over voting in mostly Southern jurisdictions...

Many legal experts believe that’s the essential point before the high court in a case out of Shelby County, Alabama, in which local officials, backed by a bevy of Southern states, will argue that Congress went too far when it reauthorized the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2006, and that federal oversight of polling stations and election rules primarily in the former Confederacy is too broad and thus, in some cases, itself discriminatory...

Those who want to put voting affairs back into the exclusive hands of state and local election officials cite President Obama's reelection on Tuesday as a reason to rethink the need for federal oversight of jurisdictions that, 40 or 50 years ago, had engaged in voting discrimination...

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/1110/Voting-Rights-Act-Why-many-Southern-states-are-glad-of-Supreme-Court-case

These characters are still trying to govern by the Confederate philosophy which opposed the Founding Fathers' ideals for full equality being granted as part of Natural Law and favored by Providence. The Civil War was never about states' rights, but racial discrimination:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=263631

[TPaine7]

49. The Founding Fathers were divided on full equality. My namesake and Benjamin Franklin were on the

right side, for example, while the the author of the Declaration of Independence--Thomas Jefferson--and others were on the side of slavery. (Jefferson making pious statements to the contrary notwithstanding; I'm talking about what he did, not what he said.)

The real credit belongs to the Framers of the 14th Amendment; they were for full equality, at least as a matter of law.

[freshwest]

53. The principles most of us understand, and the Confederates were against that.

Those who are suppressing the vote are not on the side of those that opposed slavery. The Voting Rights Act should be kept in place with as much force as possible. The ststes opposing have learned nothing from the 14th Amendment, and don't support what it did. I won't quibble about your screen name who is my favorite person of the era, and the view of the others. The link to the VP of the Confederacy about their philosophy, explained going back to the Founders that the South opposed racial equality which many consider the intent behind the Constitution, as a living document, regardless of the events of the time. The people who are against voters and equality should be treated as going against the government and values of the USA. No excuses. EOM.

[Berlum]

7. There you have it: Republicans are systematic scuzzbags, liars and cheats

America thanks you, former Republican Kool-aid guzzlers, for blowing the whistle on the corruption that infests the Republican party.

[Dubster]

8. Spam deleted by gkhouston (MIR Team)

[heaven05]

10. ooohhhh!

big surprise. something like this could never happen in amerikkka.

[rhett o rick]

11. Did they break laws? Will anyone be prosecuted? IMO interferring with voting should be

a federal crime.

[Coyotl]

15. Presumedly, a civil rights conspiracy charge is in this mix somewhere. DoJ

has a civil rights division.

[hifiguy]

37. Eeyup.

Deprivation of voting rights, conspiracy to deprive citizens of their voting rights, violations of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution, violation of the Voting Rights Act. A smart prosecutor could come up with a veritable laundry list of crimes and civil offenses.

An extended tour in the feds' Big House is warranted for everyone responsible for this, and anyplace it was tried, not just Florida.

[Coyotl]

42. Throw in RICO!

Throw the books at them, all the law books there are!

[AAO]

20. The violated the US constitution in several ways, I'm sure.

[rhett o rick]

38. Anymore seems like violations of the Constitution are passe. Patriot Act. nm

[Baitball Blogger]

12. And I suspect they are not finished causing pain in Florida,

because schools are going on a moratorium for purchasing because of the uncertainty of the economy. This sounds very fishy coming in on the heels of the presidential election.

[samsingh]

14. shouldn't this be discussed everywhere? where the f is 60 minutes?

[Coyotl]

34. It has risen to common knowledge and the backlash has already been felt.

2012 is the best example of this. The Rs generally have become as toxic as Bush was. They foment their own irrelevance by these actions.

[samsingh]

60. i hope it continues

[Coyotl]

61. This news help turn "Republican voter suppression" into a real correlate in voter minds.

A generation is growing up knowing this fact.

[dragonlady]

17. A Wisconsin state senator has admitted a Republican suppression tactic

Republican Alberta Darling (who does not live up to her name) was interviewed on television and was asked whether Romney would have won Wisconsin if their photo ID law had been effect. She said she is sure he would have won. Some on our side have taken that to mean that she believes there were at least 200,000 instances of voter fraud (obviously impossible). It's a lot simpler than that. She is just dumb enough to come out and say that the ID requirement would have suppressed Democratic votes enough to give Romney the win. (Scott Walker recently said in a speech that they want to try to pass a new voter ID law, one that will be found constitutional this time around. They have nothing else going for them.)

[LiberalFighter]

18. All about what is best for the GOP. Not about the people.

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

[calimary]

22. Coulda knocked me over with a feather on that one...

A big fat "No-DUH" on that one.

[BlueManFan]

23. I'm Shocked...Shocked I say

to hear that the same forward looking, intelligent electorate that chose the convicted medical fraudster Skeletor as governor would be the targets of such electoral subterfuge.

[sakabatou]

25. Thank you, Cpt. Obvious aka Palm Beach Post

[WillyT]

26. HUGE K & R !!!

[DemoTex]

27. GOP: the "Rule-of-Law" gang.

The GOP: the "self-licking ice cream cone."

[Angry Dragon]

28. Prison for them all

[Canuckistanian]

29. I was wondering why this sudden confession happened

Until I read this part:

Greer is now under indictment, accused of stealing $200,000 from the party through a phony campaign fundraising operation. He, in turn, has sued the party, saying GOP leaders knew what he was doing and voiced no objection.

“Jim Greer has been accused of criminal acts against this organization and anything he says has to be considered in that light,” says Brian Burgess, Florida GOP spokesman since September.

But Greer’s statements about the motivations for the party’s legislative efforts, implemented by a GOP-majority House and Senate in Tallahassee in 2011, are backed by Crist — also now on the outs with the party — and two veteran GOP campaign consultants.

[redqueen]

35. Yep. Crooks don't ususlly roll unless they're facing charges.

Can't think of many who just suddenly turned into a good person and had a conscience develop where there was none before.

[Canuckistanian]

43. I think it's more like revenge

Greer knows he's going down and is pissed off about the GOP not supporting him.

So, he spills the beans on what is obvious to us - that voter suppression is real and planned.

Remember, the SOP for the GOP is deny, deny, deny that their "voter protection" laws are actually voter suppression.

The cat's officially out of the bag now.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

32. The GOP is officially corrupted beyond recognition.

Why can't they return to their roots? Normally a party would return to their traditional stances and beliefs in order to appeal to a majority. Not the new GOP. They opt to protect only the very wealthy rather than stand up for their own party.

[Kingofalldems]

33. Special Prosecutor needed on this one

Some people need to go to jail.

[rhett o rick]

39. Who has the authority to appoint one? nm

[Kingofalldems]

41. Don't know. I just know one is needed

as republicans will not investigate themselves.

[rhett o rick]

44. I am afraid it's up to the HOR. nm

[rhett o rick]

40. IMO the most important issue facing a free America is a fair and honest voting system.

Without it any gains we may make will soon be undone. Our whole democracy depends on fair and free elections.

Contact Congress-critters now while it still is a fresh issue.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

45. I wonder how many Republican voters took one look at the long lines,

weren't that thrilled about Romney and decided to go home? Unintended consequences will bite you in the ass every time.

[Tx4obama]

46. Kick! n/t

[Marmitist]

47. The conspirators should be executed for treason.

That would make anyone who contemplated a future theft of democracy think twice.

[wakemewhenitsover]

54. I'm usually not one to use popular catch-phrases, but...

...given the fact that I was one of many Democrats whose resolve to stay in a four-hour line was only strengthened by awareness of Republican vote shenanigans; given the fact that Obama not only won Florida, but also won re-election, I have to ask these scumbag Republicans: how'd that voter suppression work out for ya, assholes?

[charin]

57. Heros

You and the others who stood hours in line to vote are my heros! Good on ya'!

[wakemewhenitsover]

63. Thanks!

And welcome to DU!

[sackabanana]

62. If at first

ya don't succeed, try try again in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020... ad adnauseum