Monday’s "The Situation Roon" followed-up on Kelli Arena and Wolf Blitzer’s biased reporting on the Supreme Court upholding Indiana’s voter ID law with two segments featuring five talking heads -- four liberals to one conservative. In the first segment, Donna Brazile, who appeared in Arena’s report via sound bite and continued her "voter suppression" argument, faced-off against Republican strategist John Feehery, who effectively countered the liberal argument by bringing up the fact that he had to show ID in order to enter the CNN studio. In the second segment, Jeffrey Toobin, Jack Cafferty, and Gloria Borger picked up on Brazile’s suppression argument and portrayed the Court’s decision as possibly "something sinister" and a "partisan enterprise."
Just before the bottom of the 4 pm Eastern hour of "The Situation Room," only minutes after the Blitzer/Arena segment, Blitzer, as part of the regular "Strategy Session" segment, brought up the Supreme Court decision in a question to Brazile. After correcting Blitzer as to the correct name of the Bush v. Gore decision referenced in the question, Brazile outlined her voter suppression argument. "Well, Wolf, all the problems we have with election administration in this country with provisional ballots, with people been disenfranchised, the Supreme Court created a problem that doesn't exist. We don't have problems of voter fraud in this country, people impersonating others. Yes, this will harm Democratic efforts to get out minorities and poor people and senior citizens and students."
When Feehery then brought up how "fraud is a problem, it's been a problem," Brazile cast doubt on his argument, which led Feehery to bring up his own driver’s license argument. "[L]et's make sure there is no fraud. I think -- you know, I had to use my driver's license to get into this building. I don't think it's that high of a hurdle to use a driver's license to get -- to be able to vote. Brazile then used a bit of hyperbole to counter his argument. "I have a greater possibility of being hit by lightning than seeing election fraud.... The Supreme Court even couldn't find fraud. But they said it's easy to get an ID, so why not require it? It's just a small problem for people. It's a huge problem if you don't have $16.50 to buy a driver's license."
Later, at the bottom of the 6 pm Eastern hour, during the discussion with Toobin, Cafferty, and Borger, Blitzer asked Cafferty, "Jack, did they make the right call?" After a brief sarcastic remark, Cafferty quipped, "[T]here's something sinister about these kinds of laws.... The people who may not be able to cast a vote because they can't comply with this law tend to be poor people. They tend to be Democrats. The legislation was supported by the Republicans in Indiana and it was backed by the conservatives on the Supreme Court."
Cafferty then asked Toobin, "Is there something sinister going on?" Toobin, echoing Brazile, answered, "Well, I don't think there's any doubt that this was a partisan enterprise. You know, Democrats have said from the beginning, this is a cure for which there was no disease. Voter fraud is not a major problem in this country."
Borger more directly addressed the "voter suppression" issue in her comments, and then guessed about the possible impact on the upcoming election. "Voter suppression has been a problem in this country. So this case before the Supreme Court does not appear in a political vacuum. And Democrats worry, given past history with voter suppression, that when -- if you get to a close general election -- and believe me, we all know we've been there before -- that this could truly make a difference for them."
Near the end of their discussion, Toobin made the following prediction about voter ID laws. "[L]ook for states with Republican legislatures and Republican governors to start pushing these laws.... It happened in Indiana, happened in Georgia, happened in Florida. And any state where you have that kind of political alignment, you're going to see laws like this."
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Donna Brazille may want to
April 29, 2008 - 15:11 ET by Free ThinkerDonna Brazille may want to stay inside next time it rains.
"It's a huge problem if you
April 29, 2008 - 15:16 ET by indianaconservative"It's a huge problem if you don't have $16.50 to buy a driver's license."
No! It's a huge problem when you don't fact check your story. An Indiana ID for voting (If you don't have a driving license), is FREE. I'm so tired of hearing these idiots claim there is no voter fraud. It's like walking through a forest and claiming there are no centipedes because you didn't see any. Maybe if you would roll over a log, you would see plenty.
It's hard to prove voter fraud when you require no documentation. Unless the same "dead" person showed up twice to vote.
indianaconserve
April 29, 2008 - 15:19 ET by candanceThe premise behind her quote is that people only have to get those blasted photo IDs for the sake of voting. If you didn't need an ID to vote, you wouldn't need an ID for anything.
And that saddest part is that the koskids will defend this without rubbing two brain cells together first.
That assumes, of course,
April 30, 2008 - 09:54 ET by Tim the EnchanterThat assumes, of course, that they have two brain cells in the first place. Big assumption there.
Cafferty then asked Toobin,
April 29, 2008 - 15:28 ET by bigtimerCafferty then asked Toobin, "Is there something sinister going on?" Toobin, echoing Brazile, answered, "Well, I don't think there's any doubt that this was a partisan enterprise. You know, Democrats have said from the beginning, this is a cure for which there was no disease. Voter fraud is not a major problem in this country."
Oh PLEASE....ROFLMAO with those words...
One thing about it...there will be less voter fraud with this law...not more as the poor pathetic leftist lemmings thrive on...
It has been decided, quit yer' bellyaching and whining...just deal with it.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
"You know, Democrats have
April 29, 2008 - 16:09 ET by scamorama"You know, Democrats have said from the beginning, this is a cure for which there was no disease. Voter fraud is not a major problem in this country."
Illinois 1960
Not if you're a Democrat I guess.
Yeah, no "fraud" until a
April 29, 2008 - 16:43 ET by Chris NormanYeah, no "fraud" until a Democrat loses - then all hell breaks loose - cheered on by the same talking heads.
You know, Democrats have
April 29, 2008 - 16:51 ET by motherbeltYou know, Democrats have said from the beginning, this is a
cure for which there was no disease. Voter fraud is not a major problem
in this country."
Oh PLEASE....ROFLMAO with those words...
Absolutely, bt!! Isn't it amazing that they can say stuff like this with a straight face??
It has been decided, quit yer' bellyaching and whining...just deal with it.
People throw away IDs?
April 29, 2008 - 15:39 ET by goldboughSo showing an ID to vote is terrible, but biometric passports are ok? I haven't heard any uproar about that. They've been in existence for a couple years.
Did the senior citizens throw out their driver's licenses? And what student doesn't have a driver's license or ID to go to college? If you're so poor that you can't afford (or can't go get a free ID) then you probably don't care about voting.
Voter fraud is not a major
April 29, 2008 - 16:00 ET by motherbeltVoter fraud is not a major problem in this country." Brazile
Donna Brazile has no way of knowing that, because they haven't tried to assess it. In the southwest, if they are not checking ID's and aren't even allowed to post signs that say "it's illegal to vote if you're not a citizen", because it might "intimidate" someone (would a citizen be intimitated by that?) they have no way of knowing if illegal voting is going on. So IMO, that's not a valid argument.
As to the "huge problem" thing, I suspect everything short of just walking and anywhwere and casting a ballot would be a "huge problem" to some like Cafferty.
Indiana apparently gives state ID's for free. PA charges $10 for an official state picture ID; other states may have a charge too. Look for Cafferty to start claiming that this is a resurrection of the old "poll tax," meant to prevent the poor (who no doubt he will say are disproportionately black and Hispanic) from voting.
motherbelt
April 29, 2008 - 16:04 ET by candanceThe most delicious aspect of this is that high DMV fees is a blue state thing because it's such an easy way for the government to get extra cash. While Republicans complain about toll prices, sales taxes and DMV charges going up all the time, Democrats can't get enough of them.
Strange how we never heard one word about high government fees before all this.
And as for Brazille denying voter fraud, that's rich. Wasn't she one of the Dems who screamed about it for six months after Bush "stole" the election in 2000?
The most delicious aspect
April 29, 2008 - 16:53 ET by motherbeltThe most delicious aspect of this is that high DMV fees is a blue state
thing because it's such an easy way for the government to get extra
cash.
I just love it when liberals get hoist on their own petard!
Added: As to Florida, I don't know that she claimed fraud, but she did claim suppression. She was the one who claimed that Republicans kept blacks away from voting places with guns and dogs!
Voter fraud is not a major
April 29, 2008 - 16:09 ET by JerryVoter fraud is not a major problem in this country." Brazile
Translation... "Since all of the dead people who vote, are voting democrat, I don't see it as a problem".
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Let's all remember Donna
April 29, 2008 - 16:07 ET by MassConservativeLet's all remember Donna Brazile's quote come November when Obama gets "Mondaled" in this election and the calls start coming out about voter fraud, etc (of course that will only be in places where Republicans won).
"Obama '08 - He has the Wright stuff...and that is wrong for America"
Donna Brazile
April 29, 2008 - 16:18 ET by candanceAll one has to do is look three months ago when she explained why she is special enough to get two votes of her own..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brcSkAzHwPk
They hate when vote fraud is
April 29, 2008 - 16:15 ET by mattmThey hate when vote fraud is made more difficult. Imagine how insane they'd be if it were totally eradicated!
6-3?
April 29, 2008 - 16:24 ET by easygoerEven the three dissenters agreed that the state has a legitimate issue in protecting against voter fraud. They just felt the Indiana law went too far. Nevertheless, the "strict scrutiny" standard that opponents of ID laws wanted applied was roundly rejected by both liberals and conservatives.
I wonder if any of the libs will call for Justice Stevens to retire. After all, he not only threw himself in with the fascists, he wrote the opinion!
They have a point, but...
April 29, 2008 - 16:54 ET by JeffWeimerThere is little in-person voter fraud in Indiana, so that point is true. The real fraud is earlier in the process, and it's nationwide. Motor voter laws and their weak enforcement of voter eligibility allows illegal aliens, resident aliens, and others who would otherwise be rightfully denied the franchise a voter registration card that will allow them to vote in person, as long as they have an ID. That's the travesty. Evidence - 9 of 19 9/11 hijackers were registered to vote. None were eligible citizens. Even better, the primary plaintiff in this case was fraudulently registered to vote in Florida AND Indiana. And motor-voter is the darling of the Democrats. They'll take any vote; dead, illegal, even fake.
Ask the first Mayor Daley of Chicago. The FBI investigated and found over 100,000 fraudulent votes in in Chicago in the 1982 election. This Indiana law is reasonable to deter similar problems at the ballot box. It doesn't go far enough to include provisions for safeguarding absentee ballots, and it does nothing to ensure the properly id'd voter is even eligible to vote in the first place.
I find the whining by Democrats about voter suppression to be shrill and self-serving at best, after they attempted to suppress military absentee ballots in Florida back in 2000, but only those. After all, the military has a tendency to vote Republican....
ooh, I almost forgot...
April 30, 2008 - 12:40 ET by JeffWeimerWhat about ACORN? They've been in the middle of quite a few "get out the vote" drives, turning in voter registrations for mickey mouse, George Washington, etc. Like I said, Dems LOOOVE them some fake voters!
"No! It's a huge problem
April 29, 2008 - 16:55 ET by ckc1227"No! It's a huge problem when you don't fact check your story. An
Indiana ID for voting (If you don't have a driving license), is FREE."
Well, yeah, but what about the gas money, bus fair, taxi fee, etc. it takes to get to the voter registration location, not to mention the cost of their time? Can't very well watch the soaps if you have to spend an afternoon at the DMV getting a voter id card. ;)
If a person lacks the ability or the motivation to get a voter id card, whether free or $16.00, they don't deserve to vote. The less uninformed deadbeats who vote, the better.
CNN = DNC's Ministry of Propaganda
April 29, 2008 - 17:07 ET by Captain KirockIt is really disgraceful that CNN's lead anchor Wolf Blitzer has essentially become the DNC's Minister of Propaganda. This report on the Indy voter id law was a perfect example of how he & CNN just spew Democratic talking points and do not even attempt to add Republican counter-points.
They failed to even address the real reason behind the law (i.e. illegal aliens should not be voting in US elections).
The DNC/CNN's exploitation of a physically disabled woman in order to generate sympathy made me sick to my stomach. Aside from the fact that she could obtain the ID for free under the new law, even if it is true she had to spend $100 to get an ID this is a small price to pay to participate in democracy.
The DNC/CNN just wanted to wheel out a severely disabled woman, point at her and say "This is who the mean nasty Republicans are hurting."
CNN & Blitzer should be ashamed of themselves.
I don't know how someone
April 30, 2008 - 09:33 ET by guefyI don't know how someone like this woman could get along with her medical problems and not have a photo ID. My wife is handicapped and I don't know how many times she's asked for photo ID when requesting certain medical procedures, or when we've went to get copies of medical records, CT scans, etc.