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Senators Seek DOJ's Help in Preventing Disenfranchisement of Voters Losing Homes
After reports that the Michigan Republican party planned to challenge voters whose homes had been foreclosed, thirteen senators have petitioned Attorney General Michael Mukasey to ensure that such voters would not be harassed or intimidated at their polling places.
"Foreclosures are devastating enough for affected families and neighborhoods without adding the outrage of disenfranchisement," wrote Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Barack Obama (D-IL), Carl Levin (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
In their letter, the senators called the tactic "simply a new variant of the destructive practice of voter 'caging.'" Voter caging is a term used to describe discouraging eligible voters to vote.
"In the middle of the worst economy in recent memory, with so many Americans fighting to stay in their homes, these allegations suggest a mean-spirited and desperate attempt to suppress the vote," said Whitehouse, who has authored legislation on voter suppression.
Josh
Zachary
petitioned Attorney General Michael Mukasey
Yeah,good luck with that! He will spit in their faces!
September 16, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lots of luck with that boys! Mukasey will likely be remembered as one of th most corrupt AG's along with the great John Mitchell of Watergate infamy and Alberto Gonzales, the Sergent Schultz of "I no nothing" AG's under Prez Alfred E. Newman.
September 16, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not a single Republican. What a surprise.
September 16, 2008 11:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if they asked and Republicans turned them down, or if it was a deliberate choice to show that Democrats are the ones who are concerned about voter disenfranchisement.
September 17, 2008 8:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
To LBJ's Brain(less shadow):
As to the body of people attempting to obstruct a citizen's right to cast their vote?
Not a single Democrat. What a surprise.
September 17, 2008 2:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why aren't the Democrats setting up a system to challenge those challenges at the polling places?
And what happens when a challenge is challenged?
Mukasey has taken a lot of flack over his declaring that he won't enforce congressional subpoenas. Is that really one of his functions? Isn't the mechanism to enforce congressional subpoenas within Congress itself with Contempt of Congress proceedings, the arrest of the perpetrators and having the Sargeant-at-Arms hauling them before Congress. Congress could even hold them until Congress is ready to take their testimony - about a year or twenty would be about right.
C'mon Conyers and Leahy, give the Sargeant-at-Arms some actual work to do.
September 17, 2008 7:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I believe your always allowed to file a provisional ballot which will theoretically be counted once they've determined you're eligible. Of course, by then results have been reported and someone has most likely conceded.
Take this with a grain of salt, it's based solely off my recollection of what happened last time.
September 17, 2008 8:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Kinda surprised to Feinstein's name on the list. With her backing electronic voting machines and trading away Privacy Rights . . . Tgis seems out her ballywick.
September 17, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink