I know the issues involved with trying to improve the ability of deployed soldiers to actually get an absentee ballot in sufficient time to vote it and return it are multi-jurisdictional, cost money, require civil servants at the local level to actually *change* how they do things (shudder) and require the people who want to run for office to decide a little earlier, and politicians who want to convince voters to vote for a sales tax to actually draft the verbiage earlier, etc.
None.the.less. These are the guys and gals who are out doing dangerous stuff at the behest of the government and are engaged in a pretty serious demonstration of citizenship.
But, according to the Washington Times, it would appear that the Justice Department is ready, willing and able to assist the States in kicking that can down the road this election cycle, rather than reminding them that it's the law of the land, and helping, whether with carrots or sticks, the states comply with the law and ensure that deployed personnel will have a voice in the upcoming election cycle. I mean, it's not like they don't have a life or death interest in the issue or not.
Senator Cornyn, who authored the law in question, is a touch miffed, and has put a hold on the nomination of John Cole for Deputy Attorney General until the Justice Department undergoes and attitude adjustment about, oh, actually enforcing the law. Yeah, yeah, I know.
But just who *will* Justice fall over itself to ensure they can get a chance to vote? If for no other reason perhaps than to ensure that the Senate can be a re-employment agency for retired Saturday Night Live comic hacks?
Felons!
Mind you, the WashTimes editorial is a bit disingenous in referring to this resource page intended to help felons exercise their right to vote, but hey, at least the links work and, unlike the page regarding military voting, has current information. Of course, after the WashTimes editorial, the DOJ finally did update the relevant page on their website.
Of course, given the way the DOJ has been operating as a agency of the people in power, vice... oh, the People, I guess we can give them an A+ for constituency service, looking at voting patterns of felons vice military personnel (though we military types are nowhere near as monolithic a block as you might think).
I so want it to be simple incompetence and bureaucratic inertia in a large organization. But sometimes you have to wonder.
None.the.less. These are the guys and gals who are out doing dangerous stuff at the behest of the government and are engaged in a pretty serious demonstration of citizenship.
But, according to the Washington Times, it would appear that the Justice Department is ready, willing and able to assist the States in kicking that can down the road this election cycle, rather than reminding them that it's the law of the land, and helping, whether with carrots or sticks, the states comply with the law and ensure that deployed personnel will have a voice in the upcoming election cycle. I mean, it's not like they don't have a life or death interest in the issue or not.
Senator Cornyn, who authored the law in question, is a touch miffed, and has put a hold on the nomination of John Cole for Deputy Attorney General until the Justice Department undergoes and attitude adjustment about, oh, actually enforcing the law. Yeah, yeah, I know.
But just who *will* Justice fall over itself to ensure they can get a chance to vote? If for no other reason perhaps than to ensure that the Senate can be a re-employment agency for retired Saturday Night Live comic hacks?
Felons!
Mind you, the WashTimes editorial is a bit disingenous in referring to this resource page intended to help felons exercise their right to vote, but hey, at least the links work and, unlike the page regarding military voting, has current information. Of course, after the WashTimes editorial, the DOJ finally did update the relevant page on their website.
Of course, given the way the DOJ has been operating as a agency of the people in power, vice... oh, the People, I guess we can give them an A+ for constituency service, looking at voting patterns of felons vice military personnel (though we military types are nowhere near as monolithic a block as you might think).
I so want it to be simple incompetence and bureaucratic inertia in a large organization. But sometimes you have to wonder.
Q. "What's black and white, and Red all over?"
A. "Our website."
Voting being the very core of our form of government, any action, or inaction, to disenfranchise eligible voters is despicable. Especially when they go out of their way to pad the voter rolls with dead people, illegals, and idiots and then herd them to the polls when they don't have a clue about the candidates.
Kind of smells like tyranny to me, the sort of cr@p pulled by "enemies, domestic."
I hope we can still apply corrective measures at the ballot box but when the vote is corrupted how can you trust the results?
On July 21 I picked-up my local fishwrapper, and read on the dead tree edition the report by Erick Eversole. Ever since, I've been struggling with writing a cogent post on this matter. But since my emotions on the matters run from down right P*ssed-Off to Venom and Spittle, It hasn't come out right.
Hopefully early next week I'll post someting on this.
@Boq, it is much better to be pithed off, than to be pithed on!
That goes for President Obama, too.