Conyers Calls Out McCain Over Voter Suppression

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) responded Friday to recent media reports on the plans of the Macomb County Republican Party Chairman and others to use lists of residents of foreclosed homes to block their participation at the ballot box -- a voter suppression tactic called by some a form of "vote caging." Conyers called on John McCain to direct his supporters to stop the practice. The letter:

"The Republican Party has had a long record of blocking eligible voters from voting. In the past two Presidential elections, the country witnessed appalling efforts to limit voter participation in Ohio, Florida and throughout the country. It is beyond disgraceful that the Republican Party now seems to be targeting those who are suffering the most. It appears that individuals who can't recall how many houses they own don't understand how awful it is to lose your home to foreclosure, and don't know that you don't need to own property to vote in the United States of America. It should surprise no one that the people who gave us the worst economy since the Great Depression would now want to prevent those victimized by this economy from voting in the coming elections. Senator McCain needs to step forward now and halt the Republican Party's efforts to profit politically from the economic misery of others."

ABC News reported earlier this week that Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee filed an injunction in federal court to halt the practice.

Comments

[RatgurlSD]

03:10 PM on 09/20/2008

Why is this not FRONT PAGE news on the MSM?

[Marlyn]

11:13 AM on 09/20/2008

"Senator McCain needs to step forward now and halt the Republican Party's efforts to profit politically from the economic misery of others."

He won't do it.

[johnnyjust]

01:42 AM on 09/20/2008

The last two Presidential elections were stolen?

Are Democrats really that ineffectual?

Answer one: No.
Answer two: Yes.

[Marlyn]

11:25 AM on 09/20/2008

In 2000 the Supreme Court ruled that all the votes in Florida would NOT be counted and gave the election to Bush. If those votes had been counted, Gore would have won.

Today we still have those electronic voting machines for which there is NO WAY to verify their tally. That makes it so easy for the Republicans to steal yet another election.

[tdpubs]

02:15 PM on 10/19/2008

Answer one Yes
Answer two Yes

[wbl1946]

12:21 AM on 09/20/2008

The Republican Party has stolen two elections in this century. They cannot be allowed to steal this one. Mr. Straight Talk loses his voice when it comes to the average American's only voice in the mess that has been created for them by this administration and this party. They only have the vote and that is being denied.

[nelda]

12:18 AM on 09/20/2008

Isn't is a crime? The democratic party best be working on that one because I assure you,..those nasty Republicans will be there finding a way to turn away those who are voting for Obama.
Cameras should be at every corner and nook to catch them doing it!

[nelda]

12:16 AM on 09/20/2008

We have to STOP those Republicans from detouring the American voter from reaching the polls.

They WILL find and we have to get them for it!

[Marlyn]

11:29 AM on 09/20/2008

The best way to avoid problems on election day is to do as everyone in Oregon does, to vote by mail. That way there is no last minute screw up, and no hardship of getting to the polls or standing in long lines.

[HerbTee]

07:09 PM on 09/19/2008

Cynicism101, I think you're totally full of sh$# if you're saying that you used your veterans benefits totally to earn 3 distinct college degrees. You many have earned 3 closely related back-to-back AA degrees at the same college but by paying some of it out of your own pocket, not totally from your veteran’s benefits. One possible exception is only if you're a 100 percent disabled veteran going through vocational rehabilitation, requiring multiple types of training/degrees.

I attended college (4 years with AA and Bachelors degrees) under the old Vietnam War era GI Bill and the maximum time I received from the VA was about 42 months before my benefits ran totally dry. My benefits began at $311 a month and finished at around $342 a month...hardly enough to pay for 3 college degrees, live and eat! Of course, I also worked my way through college too, and accepted several Pell Grants and Federal student loans.

I don't feel you're giving us all the facts. Therefore, you cannot fully bolster your argument with your, "I did it so what's wrong with the rest of you" smug high horse attitude.

[Dave01]

07:56 PM on 09/19/2008

HerbTee, it is not impossible. You are familiar with double and triple majors right? I'm not saying this is what the person did, but I'm currently a triple major, because many of the classes required for each major are crossover classes that fulfill all three major requirements. So technically I will have 3 degrees when I graduate in the spring.

[rkrenke]

06:34 PM on 09/19/2008

Actually, the fact is that Michigan Republicans have been connected to several voter caging and suppression tactics. They've attempted to disenfranchise voters who lost their homes to foreclosure; the Secretary of State, Terri Lynn Land, has purged people from voter rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act; and the McCain campaign recently sent out absentee ballot applications to Michigan voters (mostly Dems) with incorrect return addresses – this has the potential of causing the voter's registration to be cancelled because the applicant's return address doesn't match the other residency information.

The GOP knows that they're going to lose Michigan and these are simply acts of desperation. Several organizations are training volunteers to cover the polls on Election Day - I intend on being one of them.

And, Congressman Conyers, throwing Rove in jail right now for inherent contempt might be a nice little distraction. . .

[Phil123]

06:32 PM on 09/19/2008

The Dems are "injecting race" into this issue. (Look at the picture.)

[Gidster]

11:23 PM on 09/19/2008

A picture of the Congressman is not injecting race Phil, It is identifying John Conyers. Who happens to be African American!
How in any sort of reasoned discourse, is that interjecting race?

[Cookie100]

05:31 PM on 09/19/2008

As an Oregonian, the mailing houses (I used to work for one) and the county election offices are exacting about mailing ballots out, I believe they are exacting about counting the votes as well.
It took 10 years to get vote by mail here, and you must provide a valid picture I.D. to register.
Just the way it is, but it works.
Ballots are mailed out and received, usually 3 weeks before an election. Then, if your ballot hasn't been returned, the governor begins robo calling, saying "I haven't received your ballot, don't make me come to your home and get it"!
It works. 86% of Oregonians vote. Takes 2 stamps per ballot, but it works.
Why the other 14% don't vote, I haven't got a clue!

[Marlyn]

11:35 AM on 09/20/2008

I wish our nation would adopt the Oregon plan.

[Pupster]

05:08 PM on 09/19/2008

There's a very cogent analysis of the Obama response over on TPM

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/218095.php

[UncommonSenz]

05:23 PM on 09/19/2008

Fantastic article. It really frames what the Obama camp is doing.

If the Repubs are stupid enough to keep doing these things (and announcing them as well - talk about your dumb criminals!) they run the risk of being pulled into this lawsuit as evidence of a pattern of suppression.

It would be great to see all of the shenanigans (which only come out in obscure documentaries that few ever see) finally be shown in the light of day.

Unlike most of their schemes, this one is going to hit primarily whites (albeit poor and likely democrat voters) making it hard for them to use the "VOTER FRAUD" bogeyman.

[lobear00]

05:34 PM on 09/19/2008

Sad fact is they would most likely get away with it. Its worked twice before. These "Neocons " do not abide by any "Rules or Regulations, or Law. These "Snakes" are above the laws of this nation.

[indyleftist]

04:46 PM on 09/19/2008

Yeah Conyers called him out....

But unless you were watching Cspan, you didn't hear about it in the media

[Marlyn]

11:37 AM on 09/20/2008

C-SPAN, the only unbiased news source.

[MagisterL]

04:37 PM on 09/19/2008

Uhm. The process of education was simplistic?

Maybe you meant "simple"?

Congrats on serving your country -- but don't be so self righteous. It's ungentlemenly.

[CaptainAsshole]

04:14 PM on 09/19/2008

same reason they oppose making it easy to get a college education, as knowledge increases, bullsh1t becomes apparents and they are out on their butts

[cynicism101]

04:23 PM on 09/19/2008

uhh, exactly how hard is it to get a college education?

I attended college under both D and R administrations. The process was equally simplistic under both.

The most difficult part I faced was that I volunteered myself to serve my country for six years to help me pay for it. I even worked a part-time retail job while serving and while attending college.

I guess some people are more willing to make excuses than produce results?

[Beaucat]

04:37 PM on 09/19/2008

What's your point? I did a hitch in the Army, earned the GI Bill, which was nice, but I still had to work full time and go to school part-time to pay for it. But I served my country and put myself through college. And FYI, I'm voting Democratic in November.

[oldmilitant]

04:39 PM on 09/19/2008

Ok cynicism, I'll bite. Where did you go to college and WHEN? You KNOW the previous poster is talking about how college costs has skyrocketed in the past seven years.

[akkadian]

04:11 PM on 09/19/2008

Diebold Admits Their Tabulator Software Doesn't Count Votes Correctly:

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6309

Ignorance is no excuse...