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Oct
14
Things are happening fast – maybe I should have gone to bed? From my inbox, a statement from Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, in its entirety, saying she’ll work with the federal court, though she believes it goes beyond HAVA requirements (emphasis in bold and itals is mine):
Columbus – OH – Statement of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner regarding an ‘en banc’ (full court) review of the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturning a Sixth Circuit three-judge panel’s October 10, 2008, stay of Judge George Smith’s TRO regarding HAVA matching for new or revised Ohio voter registrations since January 1, 2008.
In directing Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections today to thoroughly review and investigate specific allegations of voter registration fraud, illegal voting, or voter suppression, I announced plans to further improve the statewide voter registration database, so as to be prepared for a possible adverse decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals en banc such has occurred this evening. On Friday, October 10, 2008, three-judge panel stayed Judge George C. Smith’s temporary restraining order requiring that the Secretary of State modify the statewide voter registration database to provide lists or searches based on nonmatching data from state and federal databases.
Based on preliminary discussions with a bipartisan team of election officials today, we believe that it is imperative that the essential preparation activities of boards of elections be disturbed as little as possible. It is also essential that 1) voters whose records match one of the required databases are left inviolate to vote a regular ballot on or before Election Day, and 2) voters whose records do not match one of the required databases received prompt communication to allow them to assist with resolving discrepancies, which, in many cases are not due to any fault of the voters.
It is imperative that voters not be disenfranchised because of federal government red tape, misstated technical information or glitches in databases beyond the control of voters or the Secretary of State. That is why we will work with the federal court, even though we believe that the order goes beyond the requirements of HAVA. Our goal is to protect the rights of all eligible voters to vote and to have their votes count. HAVA does not permit the matching of databases to thwart eligibility, and we will work to prevent the misuse of HAVA data for that purpose.
As Judge Smith originally noted, “The Court does not have the authority to further order if or how the county Boards of Elections conduct their investigations of the mismatches…”Judge George C. Smith ordered the following:
1. To comply with HAVA by performing the required verification of a new registrant’s identity, which include matching the new registrant’s information with the information in the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Social Security Administration databases.
2. To ensure that Ohio is in compliance with HAVA’s verification requirements, the Secretary of State shall establish a process by which the county boards of elections can access the information generated from the checks run pursuant to HAVA.
3. To provide all county Boards of Elections with access to the information as soon as it is entered into the SWVRD, but no later than October 17, 2008, which is the last day for entry of all the new voter registration information.
4. To provide all county Boards of Elections with an effective way to access and review mismatches, such that HAVA’s matching requirements are not rendered meaningless. There are two plausible methods for achieving effective access: (1) The Secretary of State can provide lists of the mismatches to all the county Boards of Elections; or (2) The Secretary of State can provide all the county Boards of Elections with a method to search the SWVRD database such that they can isolate and review the mismatches and take appropriate action.
The Court does not have the authority to further order if or how the county Boards of Elections conduct their investigations of the mismatches, however, Ohio law does permit challenges to absentee ballots in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.19.
NOTE: “For purposes of this Order, a new registrant includes any new or revised voter registration form submitted on or after January 1, 2008.”
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:54 pm October 14th, 2008 in Ohio, Politics, Voting, WH2008 | 1 Comment
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Oct
14
Federal appeals court orders Ohio SOS to check all new voter registration
Filed Under Democrats, Elections, Government, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Voting, WH2008 | 1 Comment
The case won’t be viewable until tomorrow but here’s the Plain Dealer blog on what’s happening:
A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered Ohio’s top elections official to set up a system by Friday to verify the eligibility of new voters and make the information available to the state’s 88 county election boards.
The full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower court ruling that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner must use other government records to check thousands of new voters for registration fraud.
A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit had disagreed last week, but the full court’s ruling overturns that decision.
Ohio Republicans had sued Brunner, a Democrat. Her spokesman had no immediate comment Tuesday.
It says that, “Tuesday’s order directs Brunner to verify new registrations by comparing that information with data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or the Social Security Administration.”
The unavailability of the opinion? From the Court of Appeals’ website:
The Court issued an Order in Case No. 08-4322, Ohio Republican Party v. Jennifer Brunner, which can be viewed on the case docket through pacer and accessed from our website on October 15, 2008.
My question is: shouldn’t this be appealed to the Supreme Court, since there are new voter registrations in every state and why should one federal appeals court govern one state, when the issue is the same in several and possibly all? We’re talking one person one vote – should be uniform, even if it’s not. Isn’t that part of what HAVA sought to accomplish?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:22 pm October 14th, 2008 in Democrats, Elections, Government, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Voting, WH2008 | 1 Comment
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Oct
14
Election results: Tubbs Jones, Fannie Lewis replacements
Filed Under Cleveland+, Elections, Government, Ohio, Predictions, Voting | Comments Off
You can see the results here at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections site. So far, Marcia Fudge leads in winning in the 11th Congressional District and Stephanie Howse leads in securing Ward 7′s seat:
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:51 pm October 14th, 2008 in Cleveland+, Elections, Government, Ohio, Predictions, Voting | Comments Off
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Oct
14
Michelle Obama blogs
Filed Under Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Parenting, Politics, WH2008 | 6 Comments
Michelle Obama, lawyer, daughter, mother and wife of Democratic candidate for president and Illinois Senator Barack Obama, is also a blogger. Here’s an excerpt from her most recent post, “Our Many Hats”:
The work-life balance is a harsh reality for so many women, who are forced every day to make impossible choices. Do they take their kids to the doctor… and risk getting fired? Do they work weekends so they can afford to send their kids to better childcare… even though it means even less time with their families? Do they take another shift at work, so they can pay for piano lessons for their kids… even though it means they have to stop volunteering for the PTA?
It just shouldn’t be this difficult to raise healthy families.
As I’ve traveled across this country, I’ve met so many women who are struggling every day, just to provide the basics. Women like Gayna, who went to school, worked hard for years, did everything right—but still found herself laid off in a recent round of cutbacks at her job. Deanna, the mother of six, who worked hard to put herself through school for her family—and is now wondering if it was worth it, with all the student loans she owes. And Leigh, who swears that just a few years ago, she and her husband were middle class… but now, as they raise their three kids, they’re barely getting by.
These women are our neighbors and our friends. And they could use a little extra help from their country.
Please go read the entire post as well as the comments. The threads for Michelle’s other posts got very lively.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:04 pm October 14th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Parenting, Politics, WH2008 | 6 Comments
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Oct
14
[audio] AG candidate Rich Cordray on WCPN this morning
Filed Under attorney general, Democrats, Government, Marc Dann, Ohio, Politics, Voting, WCPN/SOI | Comments Off
I enjoyed listening to Ohio Treasurer Rich Cordray on WCPN’s Sound of Ideas (archive here) this morning because it reminded me of why I thought he was such a good candidate in 2006 (read here and here) for his current position. His appearance this morning had to do with his candidacy to complete the remaining two years of service left after former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned late last spring. A few questions arose regarding voter registration and ACORN but his 25 minutes or so on air are worth listening for the whole discussion.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:19 pm October 14th, 2008 in attorney general, Democrats, Government, Marc Dann, Ohio, Politics, Voting, WCPN/SOI | Comments Off
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Oct
14
OH Secretary of State Brunner on ACORN, voter registration, voter fraud
Filed Under Elections, Ohio, Voting, WH2008 | 4 Comments
Journalist and blogger for the Dix newspaper chain and The Youngstown Vindicator, Marc Kovac, has the most recent information from Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s office regarding investigations into allegations of voter registration and voter fraud in Ohio.
She has issued an extremely detailed directive for processing such claims and Kovac’s post includes a number of videos of Brunner explaining the current status and system for investigations. In regard to ACORN, her press release states:
Paid registration workers for ACORN have been accused of submitting fraudulent voter registration cards in a number of Ohio counties. These actions have generally included workers having the same individual to register multiple times (duplicate registration) and workers completing cards on their own, rather than having an actual potential voter complete the cards (often using information from the phone book).
These allegations do not include individuals fraudulently registering so they may use that registration to vote illegally. As the AP reports, “Across the country, ACORN cards have contained names of famous athletes, cartoon characters and other absurd names, such as Jive Turkey. But that doesn’t translate to voter fraud…” As one Republican elections official noted, ”Jive Turkey has not gone to the polls to vote.”
Illegal voting based on voter registration fraud is extremely difficult because of Ohio’s multi-layer registration and voting checks and balances.
Please visit Capital Blog for the primary source materials.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:10 pm October 14th, 2008 in Elections, Ohio, Voting, WH2008 | 4 Comments
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Oct
14
Cillizza: HRC “still has a number of productive political years…”
Filed Under Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
Okay, now, please. Even though later on in this The Fix item, Chris Cillizza indicates that hey, John McCain is 72 and running for president, Hillary Clinton is just turning 60 this month.
“A number of productive political years”?
Definition of “a number of”: an indefinite number. Well, I certainly believe that Clinton has an indefinite number of productive political years head of her. But I still don’t like the way it sounds. Especially when I feel confident in saying that John McCain, by comparison? Probably has a far less indefinite number of productive political years ahead of him.
Feh.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:38 pm October 14th, 2008 in Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Politics, WH2008 | Comments Off
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Oct
14
ALERT! GO VOTE TODAY for Tubbs Jones’ and Fannie Lewis’ replacement,
Filed Under Cleveland+, Ohio, Voting | 2 Comments
Okay – so it only took me driving past one side that said, “Vote Today,” then listening to the Diane Rehm show on voter fraud (including Franklin County BOE’s Matt Damschroder) AND passing by a second sign that said, “Vote Today” to call my attention to the fact that not only is today the start of Sukkot, but it’s also a special election day in for CD-11 and Cleveland City Council. We’re voting for the replacement for the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio Congressional District 11 representative who passed away last month.
Please – if you haven’t yet voted and you’re in the CD-11, and you’re a registered voter, go vote. From my precinct? I kid you not. Only three people had voted by 11am.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:05 pm October 14th, 2008 in Cleveland+, Ohio, Voting | 2 Comments
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Oct
14
Reason #28 through 22 to VOTE FOR Obama/Biden
Filed Under 57ReasonsObamaBiden, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Elections, Endorsements, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008 | Comments Off
I am a full week behind in my reasons to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden but today, I will catch up as follows:
Reason #28: Endorsement from The New Yorker:
The longer the campaign goes on, the more the issues of personality and character have reflected badly on McCain. Unless appearances are very deceiving, he is impulsive, impatient, self-dramatizing, erratic, and a compulsive risk-taker. These qualities may have contributed to his usefulness as a “maverick” senator. But in a President they would be a menace.
By contrast, Obama’s transformative message is accompanied by a sense of pragmatic calm. A tropism for unity is an essential part of his character and of his campaign. It is part of what allowed him to overcome a Democratic opponent who entered the race with tremendous advantages. It is what helped him forge a political career relying both on the liberals of Hyde Park and on the political regulars of downtown Chicago….
Reason #27: Endorsement from Esquire:
In truth, though, Senator Obama is the only one of the two candidates who seems to believe in the idea of a political commonwealth, that there are those things — be they the guarantees in the Bill of Rights or mountains in Alaska — that we own together. Barack Obama stands, however inchoately and however diffidently, for the notion that a common purpose is necessary for common problems, that “government,” as it is designed in our founding documents, is our collective responsibility. It is this collective responsibility that built America into a great power without peer in the history of the world. And it is this collective responsibility that has succumbed to nearly thirty years of phony rightist populism, corporate brigandage, and the wildly cheered abandonment of a common American civic purpose.
Reason #26: Endorsement from paper that went Bush in 2004 (CA):
For the first time in 72 years, The Record is endorsing a Democrat for president.
You can read the endorsement here.
Reason #25: Endorsement from paper that went Bush in 2004 (OH):
We believe that Obama’s intellect, caution, levelheadedness and calm demeanor make him better suited to lead a nation that must respond to many unwelcome changes with yet more change. The Repository endorses Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Reason #24: Endorsement from paper that went Bush in 2004 (WI):
Far more than his opponent, Obama represents a new direction. He has shown he can inspire and lead people to action. And his relatively short time in corrupt, self-absorbed, terribly-failed Washington, D.C., may actually be a key strength. Obama is not stuck in the status quo of the Capitol crowd or its long-failed Congress.
Reason #23: Endorsement from paper that went Bush in 2004 (CA):
Obama has the ability to restore America’s confidence and get people excited about working our way back to prosperity. He inspires the younger generation like no political figure since President John F. Kennedy.
Just as importantly, he has the smarts needed to run the country. It’s crucial now to have a president who can take an informed and nuanced approach to the nation’s and world’s increasingly complex and interrelated problems.
We must elect a president who embraces adaptability and resourcefulness.
Obama would give the nation both.
Reason #22: Endorsement from paper that went Bush in 2004 (PA):
[After paragraphs of admonishing the mistakes of McCain, the editors write:]
Obama does not win this by default. He wins The Express-Times’ endorsement because of his platform, because he has demonstrated a cool head in troubled times, because he inspires confidence and because he is conducting an above-board campaign.
The next president isn’t going to be able to deliver on much of anything that requires new spending. He will have to be a deft, recession-fighting strategist, to avoid being this century’s Herbert Hoover. He must end the Iraq war. Obama has the firmer timeline and commitment on this.
And if you want to see more where that came from, Wikipedia and Editor & Publisher (that link is to their most recent chart, which goes through yesterday) are both keeping tallies. I’ve asked for a widget but I might have to teach myself how to make one – it would be popular, don’t you think?
On November 4, vote for Obama/Biden.
Here are the previous reasons: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:08 am October 14th, 2008 in 57ReasonsObamaBiden, Barack Obama, Campaigning, Elections, Endorsements, John McCain, Politics, Sarah Palin, Vice President, Voting, WH2008 | Comments Off
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Oct
14
Update: Alaskans growing indignant with Palin
Filed Under Politics, Sarah Palin, WH2008 | 3 Comments
Yesterday, I linked to a post by Jake Tapper (of ABC) in which he examines how Alaska Governor Sarah Palin “flatly” lies about the Troopergate report. This morning, he writes about how the Anchorage Daily News is livid over Palin’s perceptions. Excerpts from the ADN editorial:
Sarah Palin’s reaction to the Legislature’s Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation.
She claims the report “vindicates” her. She said that the investigation found “no unlawful or unethical activity on my part.”
Her response is either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian.
…
Perhaps Gov. Palin has been too busy to actually read the Troopergate report. Perhaps she is relying on briefings from McCain campaign spinmeisters.
That’s the charitable interpretation.
Because if she had actually read it, she couldn’t claim “vindication” with a straight face.
Palin asserted that the report found “there was no abuse of authority at all in trying to get Officer Wooten fired.”
In fact, the report concluded that “impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired.”
Palin’s response is the kind of political “big lie” that George Orwell warned against. War is peace. Black is white. Up is down.
…
Gov. Palin does have a defense. She could have said:
“I’m gratified that the report confirmed what I said all along, that I had the authority to terminate Walt Monegan as public safety commissioner.
“I absolutely disagree that I violated state ethics law. In repeatedly complaining about trooper Mike Wooten, Todd and I were not pursuing a personal vendetta. We were trying to protect the integrity of the Alaska State Troopers from having an arrogant, almost-out-of-control law-breaker in their ranks. Because the action we were seeking was in the public interest, not purely our personal interest, there is no ethics law violation.”
…
Has Gov. Palin committed an impeachable offense? Hardly.
Is what she did indictable? No.
But it wasn’t appropriate, especially for someone elected as an ethical reformer. And her Orwellian claims of “vindication” make this blemish on her record look even worse.
You asked us to hold you accountable, Gov. Palin. Did you mean it?
Bottom line: Gov. Palin, read the report. It says you violated the ethics law.
At least the editors of the ADN know how to avoid conclusory analyses.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:36 am October 14th, 2008 in Politics, Sarah Palin, WH2008 | 3 Comments
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Oct
14
Quinnipiac: Obama steady or gains in four battlegrounds
Filed Under Barack Obama, John McCain, Politics, Poll, Voting, WH2008 | 1 Comment
Growing up outside and then living and working in New Haven, I always knew about Quinnipiac – especially the bridge. But it was only after I started to blog and write about the 2006 Ohio elections that I learned that other people knew about Quinnipiac too. It’s just a few exits from my hometown.
While voters in each state say Obama won last week’s debate, there was little post debate movement except in Wisconsin. Obama also has caught or passed McCain among men voters in all four states for the first time. Overall results show:
Colorado: Obama leads 52 – 43 percent pre-debate and 52 – 43 percent post debate;
Michigan: Obama is up 55 – 37 percent pre debate and 54 – 38 percent post debate;
Minnesota: Obama leads 51 – 43 percent pre-debate and 51 – 40 percent post debate;
Wisconsin: Obama leads 51 – 43 percent pre-debate and 54 – 37 percent post debate.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:24 am October 14th, 2008 in Barack Obama, John McCain, Politics, Poll, Voting, WH2008 | 1 Comment
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