Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Photo ID necessary for redress of grievances
The zig and zag of "gotcha" politics can be entertaining. NewsBusters, for example, has noticed that at least one Democratic Congressman who opposes requiring photo identification to vote is demanding that people produce it to attend his "town hall" meeting. So according to this clown, voting is sacrosanct and no questions should be asked, but petitioning government for redress of grievances apparently requires identification.
Dude, democracy ain't bean bag.
18 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Aug 12, 08:14:00 AM:
Amazing ,that getting elected is more important than adhering to all of the first amendment rights.
I trust the good people of Texas will remember this tactic on election day.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 08:39:00 AM:
There is a word that describes this type of position, cowardice. This is an attempt to exclude anyone whom is not a resident of the proper district in order to reduce the crowds. This is an attempt to screen out the "undesireables". Not surprisingly campaign donations are not to be restricted to come from only those whom are residents of the district in question. Interesting juxtapostion. Cowardice, nothing more than that.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 09:02:00 AM:
Every district I have ever voted in has required validation of identity by 1) applying to and being on the rolls, 2) allowing one person with a given name-district combination to vote. This prevents people from voting multiple times, makes sure that everyone's vote is counted (because duplicates are caught,) and avoids an effective $50 poll tax for people that don't have or want id in their current state of residency (such as college students). Make photo ID free and there would be less of a problem, but there is a question of who would pay for it. (Making them mandatory sounds a little paternalist, and must especially be so for a small govt conservative like yourself, right?)
In the meantime, advocates of dialog have an obligation to stop people from actively destroying the fora. What are people doing at town halls for other representatives (not their own) anyway? I thought one of the points was that everyone got one.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 09:18:00 AM:
I would say this falls under, 'Do as I say, not as I do.' The Prime Directive of the Democratic Party.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 10:03:00 AM:
Lots of Gongressmen have their House websites set up so as to not permit email from people who are not constituents, which is an extension of the "prove you are a constituent before I listen to you" theme. I tried to send emails last week to all three of the Congressmen near Princeton and only one of them accepted my email (Rush Holt), and that was becasue my email passed his address filter. Of course I was able to find postal addresses for the other Congressmen and send off emails. It's offensive, though, to have to go to these lengths since all three of these weasels approach me every year for campaign contributions.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 02:23:00 PM:
I live in Berkeley Ca and I have never been asked to produce an ID when I vote. They take it on faith that I am who I claim to be because I know my address in the district.
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 02:58:00 PM:
Say what?....Yo got a pollem wit dat'..........."
By 
JPMcT, at
Wed Aug 12, 05:26:00 PM:
This would be a prefect time in history to revive TERM LIMITS!!!
By , at
Wed Aug 12, 07:03:00 PM:
No ID required in California to vote. Only people who want to require id's to vote are republicans in the deep south who don't want minorities to vote. I, even as a liberal, have no problem with an ID requirement at town hall meetings. Especially since the way righties have been busing in people to cause chaos and problems at the meetings. When lefties protested the Iraq war, that was me too, the hawks(Righties) called us un-American and told us to love it or leave it. To ask for civility at a Town Hall meeting is just fine.
By JPMcT, at
Wed Aug 12, 10:38:00 PM:
"Only people who want to require id's to vote are republicans in the deep south who don't want minorities to vote"
I have numerous friends and acquaintances who are minorities and...gosh...they all have ID's...imagine that...
That dog won't hunt, vickie. The ID law is to prevent fraud and abuse at the polls such as aliens, felons, dead people, etc. You know...American voting ACORN style!
It would also prevent issues such as the Frankenization of the Minnesota vote, where there were districts that had more Franken votes than registered voters!
Voting is a right, as long as you are a registered voter, 21 and a citizen without a felony.
A lot of Democrats have a problem with that...it cramps their style.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 01:26:00 AM:
Remember, it is 18 now, has been since 1972.
For all the other things, blah, blah, blah.
AS far as Minnesota is concerned, sour grapes are in order. Losers always find excuses.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 10:09:00 AM:
Pasadena Vicki:
Only people who want to require id's to vote are republicans in the deep south who don't want minorities to vote.
Ah, yes the racist Republicans and the oh-so-pristine and pure Democrats. There was a former Ku Klux Klan member who in his capacity as US Senator, filibustered for 14 hours against the Civil Rights Bill back in the 1960s. I present to you Senator Robert Byrd, DEMOCRAT , West Virginia.
If you have not already done so, I suggest that you read The Myth of the Racist Republicans.
Still unable or unwilling to back up your statements with documentation, I see. If Pasadena Vicki FEELS that it is so, it must be so.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 11:08:00 AM:
NO pristine democrats. liars and cheaters like the rest. It is just that so many of the righties place themselves at the right hand of God and feel that they are on the right side of all things. Like what? Ann Coulter saying that Joe McCarthy was simply misunderstood, and didn't destroy people's lives, he was on a mission from God, like the Blues Brothers. This is a man who destroyed innocent lives and their livelihood in the 50's, with reprocussions that still echo today. These are the people that I object to. Don't always need facts, your pundits rely on lies and innuendo to smear people and try to stir the pot on a daily basis. Glenn Beck wouldn't know the truth if it came up and bit him on the butt. Sean Hannity FEELS that "His" America is ruined (of course he will accept no responsibility for helping to ruin it). Just following by example.
As for Robert Byrd, blah, blah, blah, already knew about that. Southern Democrats of the 50's. 60's and beyond were really DINO's (Democrats in name only)
May have to read "The Myth of the Racist Republicans." Have actually read books by Ann Coulter, Hugh Hewitt and O'Reilly. If I can stomach their lies and bunk, I guess I can stomach anything, even your rants, Boludo.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 01:25:00 PM:
Pasadena Vicki:
I, even as a liberal, have no problem with an ID requirement at town hall meetings. Especially since the way righties have been busing in people to cause chaos and problems at the meetings.
Perhaps, Pasadena Vicki, you were referring to this. Obama supporters were bussed in to New Hampshire town hall meeting. What documentation can you find that “righties” were busing in people to town hall meetings? Just wondering.
Perhaps the angry citizens at the town hall meetings were following this advice: I want you to argue with them and get in their face! Who gave this advice? Was it “hateful” Rush Lumbaugh or “hateful” Glen Beck? Au contraire: Barack Obama advised his followers to “get in their face.” I guess Pasadena Vicki doesn’t like citizens following Barack Obama’s advice.
Pasadena Vicki never lets the facts get in the way of a good argument. I supply documention for my “rants;” she never documents hers. And when I request she supply documentation to support her statements, she has thus far not supplied it. I guess that is “faith-based blogging.” Sorta like the Democrats’ faith-based legislation, where Democratic congressmen support 1000 page bills they haven’t read, and tell their constituents to support 1000 page bills that the congressmen haven’t read themselves.
By JPMcT, at
Thu Aug 13, 06:51:00 PM:
Heh...yeah...21 is for booze, 18 for the vote. Perhaps it should be reversed and we would all be better off.
vickie, do you always answer factual statements with "blah, blah, blah"?
People are going to think you have a neurological disorder.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 09:20:00 PM:
During the 2004 Presidential election I was told by the poll worker that I couldn't vote because I had already voted.
Although I was able to fill out a provisional ballot someone had already canceled my vote by impersonating me.
It is time to stop ACORN style voter fraud.
By , at
Thu Aug 13, 11:27:00 PM:
tyree:
During the 2004 Presidential election I was told by the poll worker that I couldn't vote because I had already voted.
Although I was able to fill out a provisional ballot someone had already canceled my vote by impersonating me.It is time to stop ACORN style voter fraud.
But Tyree, it would be RACIST to demand voter identification! Listen to Pasadena Vicki:
Only people who want to require id's to vote are republicans in the deep south who don't want minorities to vote.
By , at
Fri Aug 14, 01:51:00 AM:
Yeah, I know Bolundo,
That would be the old Democratic south, the south my father left so he could raise his family among non-racist Republicans instead of racist Democrats.
