The Right Wing Gears Up to Suppress the Vote

Peacenik hopes Peacenik can avoid the news today, and for a while. Watching vote suiciders vote is not pleasant. Watching the results of vote suiciders is not pleasant. Today will illustrate what is wrong with the U.S.A...again...

There are lots of reasons to lament the missed opportunities of the last two years. Peacenik watched the Bush crime administration commit crimes for two terms. And Peacenik watched the bankers and Wall streeters commit crimes. But no one has been punished. Remember how Karl Rove just ignored a subpoena. And Harriette Myers ignored a subpoena. The Democrats didn't investigate anyone while they had control of Congress. Will the Tea Partiers and Republicans return the favour. Peacenik doesn't think so. Obama couldn't even get his appointments of judges approved even though the Democrats were in control. Now Obama won't be able to get a dog catcher approved. Now the Republicans can investigate whether Obama is a muslim and whether Obama was born in the U.S.A. While the country circles down the toilet.

by Laura Stampler

On November 2, GOP and Tea Party election observers will be coming to a polling center near you. Although Republicans cry “voter fraud” almost every year, this election is unique in that the GOP now has an army of Tea Party foot soldiers to man the polls.

Numerous reports have documented how state GOP chapters, local Tea Party groups and organizations like Americans for Prosperity are mobilizing across the country—holding training sessions and posting instructional videos on their websites about how to challenge suspicious voters. But the right’s concern about widespread voter fraud has virtually no basis in empirical reality; a 2007 study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that “an American is more likely to get struck by lightning than impersonate another voter at the polls.”

Yet many conservatives believe that voter fraud is all the rage among progressives. Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin announced recently that “We are all voter fraud police now.” The 600 people who attended California’s Central Valley Tea Party coalition meeting on August 5^th were urged to join an “Army of Republican Poll Watchers” because (according to their website) “it’s not just Bosnia that needs election observers to keep voter fraud in check.”

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Juan Cole: Iran Election Numbers Don't Add Up

Peacenik thinks there was something wrong with the Iranian election. But Peacnik also wonders why the U.S. media and the world media has already given more coverage to the flawed Iranian election than they gave to the recent flawed U.S. elections. The neo cons couldn't be happier. Nor could Israel. More reasons to demonize Iran. More reasons to justify an attack on Iran. Its a beautiful sunny, warm Monday morning. Peacenik doesn't want to think about Iran. Peacenik wants to enjoy the day. Instead Peacenik is checking his supplies, and looking for deals on duct tape and jerry cans.


Posted by Juan Cole, Informed Comment at 10:00 AM on June 14, 2009.

It looks like the election was stolen.

Top Pieces of Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen

1. It is claimed that Ahmadinejad won the city of Tabriz with 57%. His main opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is an Azeri from Azerbaijan province, of which Tabriz is the capital. Mousavi, according to such polls as exist in Iran and widespread anecdotal evidence, did better in cities and is popular in Azerbaijan. Certainly, his rallies there were very well attended. So for an Azeri urban center to go so heavily for Ahmadinejad just makes no sense. In past elections, Azeris voted disproportionately for even minor presidential candidates who hailed from that province.

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Voters steer Europe to the right

Stories like this one worry Peacenik. Neo-liberal, neo-conservative, right wing economic policies have created the world financial crisis. These economic policies were put in place by so-called socialist and liberal governments and in some cases conservative governments. So as everything comes crashing down, who benefits at the polls? Who do the people turn to to fix the problems? Right wing politicians.

Anti-immigration policies are finding support. Racist policies are finding support. Blaming the victims is finding support. Sarah Palin drew a crowd of 20,000 to a speech in New York over the weekend. Dick Cheney's daughter is all over the TV. Joe the Plumber is viewed as a legitimate leader of the right wing. Peacenik has said it before. There is no solution. But voting fascist is not going to help anything. Peacenik has shelf-loaded some supplies. Peacenik hopes Peacenik doesn't need to shelf-load ammo too.

Centre-right parties have done well in elections to the European Parliament at the expense of the left.

Far-right and anti-immigration parties also made gains, as turnout figures plunged to 43% - the lowest since direct elections began 30 years ago.

The UK Labour Party, Germany's Social Democrats and France's Socialist Party were heading for historic defeats.

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) looks set to continue to hold power in the parliament.

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