March 22-24, 2012
Mar 22 02:27 What TakeAction Minnesota isn't telling Minnesotans Mar 22 03:27 SCOTUS hands EPA stinging defeat Mar 22 20:54 If there isn't a problem, why did Ritchie propose a solution? Mar 23 08:39 Senate Democrats staring at a disaster Mar 23 18:13 Bakk, Goodwin reduced to emotional appeals in Photo ID debate Mar 24 08:42 DFL's Photo ID misinformation campaign hits full stride Mar 24 12:33 113 fraud convictions, 2,900,000 voters Mar 24 23:11 NFL draft is approaching
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
What TakeAction Minnesota isn't telling Minnesotans
TakeAction Minnesota is one of the corrupt organizations that's afraid of Photo ID. As a result, they're lashing out in increasingly erratic ways :
St. Paul, MN - Following the party-line passage of the controversial photo ID constitutional amendment, H.F. 2738, by Minnesota's House Republicans, TakeAction Minnesota's Dan McGrath issued the following statement:
'The people of Minnesota were handed a first punch in the gut by Republican legislators seeking to curb the voting rights of the 99% in order to further the power and wealth of their big corporate financial backers.
'Under the leadership of Representative Mary Kiffmeyer, ALEC's state chair, the wealthiest 1% are certainly getting their money's worth as they work to reduce the voting rolls for partisan gain by rewriting the rules of democracy for electoral advantage.
'This is a grave day for Minnesota which has always led the nation in voter turnout and clean elections.
The Republican House members who made the choice tonight to end same-day voter registration and absentee voting as we know it should be ashamed of themselves.
'It's now up to the Minnesota Senate to protect the constitutional right to vote of over seven-hundred-thousand eligible Minnesota voters who would lose their voting rights if a photo ID restriction is placed in our state constitution.'
That's one of the most dishonest statements I've ever read. First, Photo ID won't end same day registration. Rep. Kiffmeyer said repeatedly in testimony and during the floor debate that same day registration wouldn't end.
What's more is that, if the constitutional amendment is passed, the 2013 legislature will write the actual bill. TakeAction Minnesota can't know that same day registration will end because the legislation hasn't been written yet.
Next, Photo ID isn't controversial. It's supported by 92% of Republicans, 76% of independents and 59% of Democrats . If overwhelmingly supported is tantamount to being controversial, then Photo ID is controversial.
What's interesting is that a) an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans of all political strips support this constitutional amendment, b) there's substantial proof of voter fraud in Minnesota and c) TakeAction Minnesota insists that Photo ID disenfranchises voters.
Third, TakeAction Minnesota can't prove their statement that Photo ID furthers "the power and wealth of their big corporate financial backers." That's unsubstantiated class warfare demagoguery.
Fourth, TakeAction Minnesota's statement that passing a constitutional amendment approving Photo ID will end "absentee voting as we know it" is totally dishonest.
Fifth, TakeAction Minnesota saying that "over seven-hundred-thousand eligible Minnesota voters" "would lose their voting rights if a photo ID restriction is placed in our state constitution" is a bald-faced lie. In 2008, over 2,900,000 votes were cast for president. TakeAction Minnesota is arguing that 25% of the people who voted that night couldn't get a state-issued ID or a drivers license.
Remember, TakeAction Minnesota didn't say that 715,000 voters didn't have a photo ID. They argued that they wouldn't be able to get a valid form of photo identification.
Sixth, the "over seven-hundred-thousand" voters figure is inflated. In the Crawford v. Marion County Election Board case, the Democratic Party of Indiana made this claim :
"[U]p to 989,000 registered voters in Indiana did not possess either a driver's license or other acceptable photo identification. She estimated that as of 2005, when the statute was enacted, around 43,000 Indiana residents lacked a state-issued driver's license or identification card.
The Democratic Party of Indiana was off by 2300%. It's impossible to think that this was just a simple mathematical mistake. It's quite plausible to think that the Democratic Party of Indiana intentionally made this figure up.
Considering the extent of verifiable dishonesty in TakeAction Minnesota's statement, shouldn't Minnesotans start with the belief that TakeAction Minnesota isn't telling the truth?
Finally, TakeAction Minnesota's saying that Minnesota still holds clean elections is myth. I've written extensively about how Minnesota isn't the gold standard anymore. See here , here and here .
TakeAction Minnesota's statement is incredibly dishonest. There isn't a verifiable sentence in their statement.
Tags: TakeAction Minnesota , Voter Fraud , Protests , DFL , Crawford v. Marion County Election Board , Photo ID , Mary Kiffmeyer , ALEC , Polling , MNGOP , Elections
Posted Thursday, March 22, 2012 2:27 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 22-Mar-12 03:50 PM
You know our union recently had to vote on a contract. We asked for ID to verify a name we were verifying on the union list.
If it's good enough for unions I guess it should be good enough for the state of Minnesota.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 2 by Jethro at 24-Mar-12 09:39 AM
Well said, Walter! Voter ID is reasonable & needed. Case closed.
SCOTUS hands EPA stinging defeat
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the EPA can't terrorize landowners with huge fines by administrative fiat :
The Supreme Court today ruled in favor of an Idaho couple who had been battling the Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to build their dream home.
Four years ago, Mike and Chantell Sackett bought property to build a home near a lake in Bonner County, Idaho. After obtaining local permits the Sacketts began work, pouring in some land fill. But their work came to a screeching halt when they were visited by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The couple was slapped with a compliance order asserting that the land is subject to the Clean Water Act and that they had illegally filled protected wetlands. They were told to stop filling in the lot, and to restore it to its pre-construction condition or face thousands of dollars in potential liability.
This wasn't the usual 5-4 ruling. It was 9-0, meaning that the EPA badly overstepped its authority. This statement from the Pacific Legal Foundation explains the impact of Wednesday's ruling:
'EPA is not above the law,' said Schiff. 'That's the bottom line with today's ruling. This is a great day for Mike and Chantell Sackett, because it confirms that EPA can't deny them access to justice. EPA can't repeal the Sacketts' fundamental right to their day in court. And for that reason, it is a great day for all Americans, for all property owners, and for the rule of law.
The justices have made it clear that EPA bureaucrats are answerable to the law and the courts just like the rest of us. EPA can't try to micromanage people and their property; it can't order property owners to dance like marionettes while denying them any meaningful right to appeal to the courts.
It can't threaten property owners with financial ruin and not have to justify its threats to a judge. And it can't issue lazy, drive-by 'wetlands' edicts about private property. It will have to put in some honest work and use credible science, because the regulators must be able to justify their wetlands orders in a court of law.
This is a huge defeat for the EPA and militant environmentalists. Prior to this ruling, the EPA and militant environmentalists argued that a piece of land was wetlands and subject to the Clean Water Act. Prior to this ruling, landowners like the Sacketts didn't have a viable legal option to argue against the EPA's heavy hand.
That's changed thanks to this unanimous decision.
This is what Mike Sackett said about the EPA and the Supreme Court's ruling:
'The EPA used bullying and threats of terrifying fines, and has made our life hell for the past five years,' Mike Sackett said in a statement. 'It said we could not go to court and challenge their bogus claim that our small lot had 'wetlands' on it. As this nightmare went on, we rubbed our eyes and started to wonder if we were living in some totalitarian country. Now, the Supreme Court has come to our rescue, and reminded the EPA, and everyone, that this is still America and Americans still have rights under the Constitution.'
The EPA essentially argued that they had the final say in determining what property could be classified as wetlands subject to the EPA's ruling.
When the 9-0 hammer dropped Wednesday afternoon, the Supreme Court had the final say.
Tags: Private Property Rights , Pacific Legal Foundation , Damien Schiff , Mike Sackett , Chantell Sackett , SCOTUS , Samuel Alito , Antonin Scalia , Clean Water Act , Due Process , Wetlands , EPA
Posted Thursday, March 22, 2012 3:31 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 22-Mar-12 03:48 PM
Hey if they can rule 9-0 on this maybe there's some hope (wishful thinking) that they will rule 9-0 on total repeal of Obamacare.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
If there isn't a problem, why did Ritchie propose a solution?
When an op-ed is as filled with illogic as this op-ed , questions must be asked. First, let's see what the writer said:
Recognizing these and other significant problems with the Voter ID amendment, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie last week proposed an alternative. Electronic poll books, offered through the Minnesota-based technology firm Datacard, would match voters at the polls with drivers' license records in the Department of Motor Vehicles database. Those not in the system could register and have their photo taken on the spot, meaning no one wrongfully would be prevented from casting a ballot because of ID.
This doesn't solve a thing because electronic poll books don't prove that the person getting a ballot meets the requirements in Minnesota's Constitution :
Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United States for three months and who has resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an election shall be entitled to vote in that precinct.
Cynthia Moothart opens her op-ed with this:
With approval ratings at historic lows and poll after poll showing they're out of step with most Minnesotans, it strains the imagination to think that Republican lawmakers would nonetheless say "trust us" when doing something so great as rewriting the Constitution.
Yet that's what happened last week, when a constitutional amendment requiring photo ID in order to vote cleared another legislative hurdle with only Republican support. If passed this legislative session, voters would give an up or down vote on the principle this November, although the actual provision wouldn't be written until 2013.
Apparently Ms. Moothart hasn't noticed that an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans have said that they'd trust Republicans on this issue. This article shows how willing people are to trust Republicans on Photo ID:
Party affiliation - Yes, 92% of Republicans support voter ID. So do 76% of independents: and 59% of those wingnutty Democrats in Minnesota, too.
The thing that TakeAction Minnesota and the League of Rural Voters can't admit is that people understand that election integrity is a high priority to voters. They've heard the stories about ACORN's voter registration fraud. They've seen Project Veritas' videos showing how easy it is to commit voter fraud in Minnesota.
In short, they get it.
This testimony is particularly damning to TakeAction Minnesota's and the League of Rural Voters' case:
RICK SMITHSON: We had an incident. I live in a small town of about 900 people and we had -- I'm not sure. I called one of the city council members to ask him. It was between 10 and 13 people came into the same day registration table. And by the way, I election judge all the time so I've seen situations like this, not necessarily exactly like this but very similar ones.
On this particular night, between 10 and 13 people showed up for same day registration. They all claimed that the local laundromat address as their residence. When we challenged it, we called the State Auditors Office and we were told that there was nothing we could do about it. We were told that we couldn't interfere with their right to vote but we could make note of it.
King Banaian defeated Carol Lewis by 13 votes in the 2010 election. Rep. Banaian now represents eastern St. Cloud in the state legislature. The League of Rural Voters, Common Cause MN, the League of Women Voters MN and TakeAction Minnesota have said that voter fraud is rare.
It's true that voter fraud numbers are statistically insignificant. That isn't the same as saying voter fraud isn't electorally significant. With more races being decided by less than 50 votes with each election cycle, it's imperative that we tighten up Minnesota's election system as much as possible.
It's annoying to hear the DFL's chanting points. Here's one of their favorites :
The only type of election fraud a photo identification requirement would prevent is voter impersonation.
When Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota made that statement, they tried making it sound like it doesn't happen often. The facts as testified to by Mr. Smithson tell a different story.
When 13 people go into a small town and claim that the laundromat is their primary residence, that's proof of real voter fraud. When the veteran election judge challenges the validity of these people's address, that's reason to think people are trying to vote illegally.
Citizens for Election Integrity makes this point in their less-than-scientific study:
Another way of evaluating the survey results is to review the total number of investigations of voter impersonation (7) and compare it to the total number of 2008 voters (2,921,498), which allows us to see that the total percent of all voters who were investigated for voter impersonation was two ten-thousandths of one percent (0.0002%). There was not one single conviction of voter impersonation.
Considering the fact that between 10 and 13 people in one small town who claimed that their primary residence was a laundromat, CEIMN's 'study' is pretty much worthless. Rep. Kiffmeyer can find people who can give firsthand testimony highlighting questionable people attempting to vote. Why can't CEIMN do the same?
The bottom line is this: the DFL and their corrupt special interest groups are scrambling because they're on the wrong side of a prominent issue. The DFL knows that they can't just do nothing because it'll kill them politically but they can't propose a real solution, either.
That's why Ritchie outlined a proposal to a problem he says doesn't exist.
Tags: Citizens for Election Integrity in Minnesota , League of Rural Voters , Cynthia Moothart , Voter Fraud , Mark Ritchie , Carol Lewis , Voter Impersonation , League of Women Voters Minnesota , Common Cause MN , DMV , Photo ID , Election 2008
Posted Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:54 PM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 23-Mar-12 08:44 AM
I'm not buying it, and you shouldn't, either. "Voter fraud is rare"??? Give me a break. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and right now neither Ritchie nor the angels of Heaven can prove that MASSIVE voter fraud does not exist, because they have no way to know and don't look!! The only way to know is to positively identify every voter in a unique, non-falsifiable fashion, including their residency and eligibility. An electronic poll book has all of the flaws of a non-electronic poll book, including people with no ID whatsoever. And if your solution to that problem is to back it up with photos from the drivers license, won't that disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans?!? They're flailing.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 23-Mar-12 09:20 AM
That's precisely my point, Jerry. I'm using sarcasm to highlight the DFL's BS.
Senate Democrats staring at a disaster
Anyone that thinks that this will be a strong cycle for Democrats better rethink things. In his latest article , Dick Morris highlights why Harry Reid won't be majority leader this time next year. Morris starts with the lowest of the low-hanging fruit:
Florida
Congressman Connie Mack, the likely challenger to Democratic Senator Bill Nelson currently leads by 43-36 according to Rasmussen's poll of March 13, 2012. With Nelson so far under 50%, he is meat.
Nebraska
With Ben Nelson out of the way, this seat is a foregone conclusion for the Republicans. Jon Bruning, the front-runner among Republican candidates, leads former Senator Bob Kerry by 55-33 in Rasmussen's March 15, 2012 survey.
Missouri
Sarah Steelman, my personal favorite among Republican contenders, is ahead of Claire McKaskill by an unbelievable 51-41 according to Rasmussen's March 15th poll.
Right after O'Care was passed, pundits like Karl Rove and others said that the next 2-3 election cycles would be difficult for Democrats. That was certainly true in the 2010 landslide. It appears to be repeating itself, though not to the extraordinary length of 2010.
For me, the stunner of these races is Jon Bruning's lead over Bob Kerrey. Leading a retired U.S. senator by 22 points isn't a tiny accomplishment.
Claire McCaskill tried sounding more moderate the last 18 months than her first years in office. Apparently, it hasn't helped. She's still getting her backside kicked.
Of these races, Connie Mack's lead over Bill Nelson is the smallest. That doesn't mean Bill Nelson isn't in a ton of trouble. It just means he's performing at a less terrible level of trouble than McCaskill and Kerrey.
The bad news for Democrats is that the beatings extend to other races:
Montana
A tough race because both incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester and his challenger, Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg represent the entire state, the Republican has moved out to a 47-44 lead in Rasmussen's February 22, 2012 poll.
North Dakota
An obvious Republican pickup now that Democratic Senator Kent Conrad has retired. I hope that Republican Duane Sand, a genuine conservative, wins his primary against Republican Congressman Rick Berg.
Wisconsin
While former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson faces a tough primary challenge from Mark Neumann, he still sports a 50-36 lead over Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin in Rasmussen's Feb 27, 2012 poll.
Ohio
Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, the most liberal member of that body, is trailing conservative Republican Josh Mandel by 44-40 in Rasmussen's February 8, 2012 poll. Any incumbent Senator who can only amass 40% of the vote needs to look for a new job.
These are stunning figures. While it's true they aren't dominating numbers like the first three races I mentioned, they're still impressive numbers. Wisconsin hadn't had a GOP senator in decades prior to Ron Johnson's victory.
Prior to John Hoeven's victory in North Dakota, that state had been represented by Democrat in the House and Senate for decades, too. Now that state's representation in DC will be Republicans. That's a dramatic shift from the decades of Dorgan, Conrad and Pomeroy representation.
Josh Mandel is this year's Marco Rubio. Mandel is conservative, young and charismatic. Sherrod Brown won't know what hit him once this race develops a bit more.
If that was the extent of the trouble Democrats find themselves in, they'd probably be relieved. Unfortunately, it isn't their only problem:
Virginia
Former Governors George Allen and Tim Kaine were tied at 46-46 in Rasmussen's February 21 poll. The open seat, now held by the Democrats, is a very possible GOP takeaway.
New Mexico
After Democrat Jeff Bingaman's retirement, the race between Republican Lt Governor Heather Wilson and Democratic Congressman Mark Heinrich is very tight. Heinrich nursed a 45-43 lead in Rasmussen's February 14th survey.
Michigan
In my own poll of February 15, 2012, Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow was clinging to a narrow 46-43 lead over former Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra.
Of these races, the bellweather race to watch is the Michigan race. Michigan's unions will be out in force this year. They'll want to prove that they're still politically relevant.
If Hoekstra defeats Stabenow, coupled with a Tommy Thompson victory in Wisconsin and a Josh Mandel victory in Ohio, would flatten the union movement for a decade.
One race that isn't on Morris' list is the race in Massachusetts. If Scott Brown wins re-election, which I think is likely, he will have won re-election to Ted Kennedy's seat. The symbolic nature of that victory can't be overestimated.
This won't be a good year for Democrats. Though it won't be the wipeout that 2010 was, that doesn't mean it won't be a stinging defeat for them.
Tags: Senate , Bill Nelson , Sherrod Brown , Tim Kaine , Kent Conrad , Debbie Stabenow , Claire McCaskill , Jon Tester , Bob Kerrey , Democrats , Connie Mack , George Allen , Jon Bruning , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Friday, March 23, 2012 8:39 AM
Comment 1 by Nick at 23-Mar-12 02:36 PM
Conservative prognosticator Scott Elliot from electionprojection.com is predicting US senate pickups for the GOP in Missouri, Montana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Florida, and Nebraska. He is also predicting a DEM pickup in Connecticut and an Independent pickup in Maine. His predictions are very accurate. For the 2010 election, out of the 37 seats that he predicted, he only got 2 wrong.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 23-Mar-12 05:02 PM
Nick, The Democratic pickup in CT isn't a pickup because it's currently held by former Democratic VP candidate Joseph I. Lieberman.
Comment 2 by J. Ewing at 23-Mar-12 06:18 PM
Anybody want to prognosticate for MN? We still do not deserve to be represented by the TWO biggest dunces in the US Senate.
Comment 3 by eric z at 23-Mar-12 06:42 PM
J Ewing - Middling moderates I will concede. Dunces, that's a harder one. The Senate is full of them, the House, more so, Bachmann being Pied Piper. We need more Wellstones.
Bakk, Goodwin reduced to emotional appeals in Photo ID debate
I'm watching the Senate debate HF2738, the Photo ID bill from the House of Representatives. Sen. Goodwin just talked about same day registration. She said (I'm paraphrasing here but it's close) "When people do same day registration, then tries to register somewhere else with another name, they will be caught and prosecuted."
Either Sen. Goodwin is lying through her teeth or she's intellectually challenged. Sen. Goodwin can't say that with any intellectual integrity. It's impossible for an election judge in St. Cloud to know whether a person is registered elsewhere under another name.
The only way that it's possible to catch that person is if a citizen follows that person from one polling station to another. Since it isn't likely that a citizen will follow voters from one polling station to another, the chances of catching a person who's registered in 2 different precincts or 2 different cities under 2 distinctly different names is essentially nonexistent.
During an earlier part of the debate, Sen. Bakk did his best to deceitfully play on people's heartstrings. He talked about his 92-year-old uncle. Sen. Bakk said that his uncle is living in a veterans home in Silver Bay, MN. He implied that his uncle doesn't have a state-issued identification card or a current drivers license.
Sen. Bakk then made an amendment to exempt people in veterans homes in Silver Bay and several other cities from the Photo ID amendment.
The truth is that they're already exempted because they need identification to enter such a facility. Whether it's a veterans nursing home or a nursing home for people who didn't serve in the military, the people are exempted because their identities have been established when they entered the nursing home.
The DFL's arguments have all failed. That's why they're reduced to emotional arguments based on false premises. They know that Photo ID will become part of the Constitution if they can't deceitfully tug on people's heartstrings.
Missing from the DFL's argument, though, is the proof that Photo ID will prevent people from voting.
Tags: Photo ID , Tom Bakk , Barb Goodwin , Voter Fraud , Military , Nursing Homes , Same Day Registration , Voter Impersonation , Emotional Arguments , Elections
Posted Friday, March 23, 2012 6:13 PM
No comments.
DFL's Photo ID misinformation campaign hits full stride
Recently, the DFL and their special interest allies have insisted that "the only voter fraud Photo ID would prevent is voter impersonation." It's part of the DFL's chanting points. (I can't prove it but I think they might mumble it in their sleep.) This video proves that the DFL's chanting points aren't accurate:
This is the transcript of Rick Smithson's testimony:
RICK SMITHSON: We had an incident. I live in a small town of about 900 people and we had -- I'm not sure. I called one of the city council members to ask him. It was between 10 and 13 people came into the same day registration table. And by the way, I election judge all the time so I've seen situations like this, not necessarily exactly like this but very similar ones.
On this particular night, between 10 and 13 people showed up for same day registration. They all claimed that the local laundromat address as their residence. When we challenged it, we called the State Auditors Office and we were told that there was nothing we could do about it. We were told that we couldn't interfere with their right to vote but we could make note of it.
That's how strong our election laws are. When I went through election judge training, I was told that if somebody wanted to vote, there was really nothing I could do. There's nothing you can do to stop people from voting 3 or 4 times. You can only report it after the fact.
Whichever definition you use of voter fraud, Mr. Smithson's testimony is about voter fraud. Knowing, willful voting fraud.
When the Photo ID debate started heating up, all of the corrupt DFL special interest organizations started singing from the same hymnal. Photo ID would only prevent voter impersonation voter fraud, they insisted.
Like dutiful DFL foot soldiers, the Twin Cities accepted that information like it was etched in stone tablets by God's finger on Mount Sinai.
The DFL's insistence that voter impersonation is the only thing that Photo ID would prevent is verifiably false.
First, Photo ID would stop vouching voter fraud because Photo ID eliminates vouching. There's proof that at least one national organization put together a voter fraud scheme based specifically on Minnesota's vouching system:
Election Day is upon us. You are confirmed to volunteer with ACT (America Coming Together - http://www.actforvictory.org/) on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov 2.
We will be creating name badges that include your Ward and Precinct information for each of the thousands of volunteers that day to make it easier to find a volunteer to vouch for a voter at the polls.
I am emailing you to request your street address, city and zipcode. We've already got your other contact information, but your record in our database does not include this information.
You can save us time on election day by replying today to this email with this information, or give us a call at [phone number with St. Paul area code].
In order to get your badge correct, please reply by Thursday.
Thank you for your help and cooperation. See you on Election Day!
We have verifiable proof that people that claim a small-town laundromat were allowed to vote illegally. We have verifiable proof that a progressive national voter registration/GOTV organization put together a voter fraud system based specifically on Minnesota's vouching laws.
That's before talking about the mysterious W1P1 bus that showed up on St. Cloud State's campus to vote.
For those not familiar with St. Cloud's political geography, W1P1 is the entire SCSU campus plus a pair of apartment buildings a block to the north of the campus. W1P1 is 3 blocks from east to west. At most, it's 7 blocks from north to south.
This was brought up by a pollwatcher stationed at the voting booth. This pollwatcher won't testify out of fear of being the victim of employer retribution.
Here's the first question that needs to be asked: Why would university students need a bus to take them from one end of campus to the other to vote? Here's the next question: Why would these students rent a bus from Minnetonka to take them across campus?
Contrary to the DFL and organizations like TakeAction Minnesota, Photo ID would prevent each of these types of voter fraud.
Tags: TakeAction Minnesota , Photo ID , Voter Fraud , Voter Impersonation , Vouching , Provisional Ballots , DFL , Rick Smithson , Election Judges , Elections , Testimony
Posted Saturday, March 24, 2012 8:42 AM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 24-Mar-12 09:32 AM
I'm still waiting for somebody to turn their assertion back on them and ask for proof that voter fraud did NOT occur. How can they say that known felons did not vote, or that non-citizens did not vote, or that non-residents of their precincts did not vote, or that dead people did not vote, or that fictitious persons did not vote, or that real people at fictitious residences did not vote, or that nobody voted twice? Or that every ballot was cast by an actual person, as verified by reconciling the number of voter roll signatures with the number of ballots cast?
It is ALL voter fraud, and ALL fixed by proper voter ID, and until they can prove that these frauds do NOT occur every DFL (and ONLY DFL) election result is fraudulent. I mean, if they are the ones committed to ignoring fraud, they must be the beneficiaries of it, right?
Comment 2 by eric z at 24-Mar-12 05:21 PM
GOP is all truth and light, not an iota of disinformation.
God bless ALEC for its talking points.
Comment 3 by Gary Gross at 24-Mar-12 09:16 PM
It's interesting that I can prove how dishonest TakeAction Minnesota is but all you can do is make allegations that ALEC is corrupt.
Comment 4 by J. Ewing at 25-Mar-12 09:22 AM
And even if Alec is corrupt, or "conservative" which to people like Eric is the same thing, it doesn't make them WRONG.
Eric, let me issue the challenge again. PROVE to me that voter fraud, of all the types I listed, does NOT take place in Minnesota. Pretend that Mark Ritchie issued the challenge. Could you respond with something more substantive? Bueller? Bueller?
113 fraud convictions, 2,900,000 voters
During last night's Senate debate on Photo ID, DFL Sen. Patricia Torres Ray highlighted the DFL's most often-used argument , that there isn't a problem with voter fraud. Here's how Sen. Torres-Ray highlighted it:
DFLers contended there's no need for photo IDs. Before the debate, Sen. Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, said the proponents produced no evidence of voter impersonation in Minnesota.
Only 113 of the 2.9 million Minnesotans who voted in 2008 were convicted of voter fraud, Torres Ray said, and the vast majority of them were felons with valid driver's licenses who mistakenly assumed their voting rights had been restored when they were released on parole or probation.
First, voter impersonation isn't the only type of voter fraud that Photo ID will stop . The DFL's myth that Photo ID will only stop voter impersonation voter fraud must be shot down ASAP because it's a bald-faced lie.
At a March 8 House hearing, election judge Rick Smithson testified to how voter fraud was committed in the small town where he's a veteran election judge:
RICK SMITHSON: We had an incident. I live in a small town of about 900 people and we had - I'm not sure. I called one of the city council members to ask him. It was between 10 and 13 people came into the same day registration table. And by the way, I election judge all the time so I've seen situations like this, not necessarily exactly like this but very similar ones.
On this particular night, between 10 and 13 people showed up for same day registration. They all claimed the local laundromat address as their residence. When we challenged it, we called the State Auditors Office and we were told that there was nothing we could do about it. We were told that we couldn't interfere with their right to vote but we could make note of it.
Is Sen. Torres-Ray going to argue that these 13 people weren't committing voter fraud? Is Sen. Torres-Ray willing to argue that 13 people listing a small town laundromat as their address isn't highly suspicious? Is the DFL willing to fight with Sen. Torres-Ray in saying that this wasn't voter fraud?
If they're willing to do that, what does that say about Sen. Torres-Ray's and the DFL's willingness to either lie or willfully ignore the truth? If they're willing to do those things, doesn't that demolish their credibility on this issue? Doesn't their dishonesty discredit their arguments?
Let's dip into what impersonation is.
It isn't just when Frank Wilson of Lake Wobegon goes into the town of Garage Logic and asks for a ballot as Joe Soucheray. Voter impersonation happens when a group of people from Wisconsin comes into Minnesota and asks to do same day registration, especially if the people insist that the town's laundromat is their home address.
A great way to detect voter impersonation is when the PVCs for same day registrants are sent to the laundromat, then are returned as undeliverable or the peeople don't live at that address.
When the Cuyahoga River caught fire, people didn't need a detector to know that the river was polluted. It was self-evident. When the MnDNR says that a river, lake, stream or pond is polluted, it doesn't wait until the lake, river, stream or pond catches fire.
The MnDNR usually finds out that the water is polluted because they've taken water samples, then had the samples analyzed. These tests test for any number of elements, from mercury to phosphorous.
The point is that it's impossible to detect subtle types of pollution without testing it.
As straightforward as that is, the DFL is insisting that it knows that voter fraud isn't happening without testing for voter fraud. That's like me arguing my favorite fishing lake isn't polluted because it doesn't look polluted.
When Sen. Patricia Torres-Ray says that voter fraud isn't happening because there's few convictions of voter fraud, it's the same as me arguing that my favorite fishing lake is pollution-free because nobody's fished it besides me in years.
Finally, We The People don't work for the Patricia Torres-Rays and her special interest allies. The Patricia Torres-Rays of the world work for We The People.
It's time that We The People told PTR and her special interest allies that we insist on election integrity that's verified through Photo ID, not the honor system.
Tags: Photo ID , Voter Fraud , Voter Impersonation , Patricia Torres-Ray , Same Day Voter Registration , Election Judges , DFL , Pollution , Water Samples , Mercury , Phosphorous , Elections
Posted Saturday, March 24, 2012 12:33 PM
Comment 1 by eric z at 24-Mar-12 05:19 PM
But if these cases the person had a drivers license, isn't that a photo ID?
Are you saying presenting a drivers license would not be enough for you and Ms. Kiffmeyer?
You want to be issued yet another ID card? Different from a drivers license?
I do not understand. My wallet is uncomfortably thick already, and it surely is not because I carry lots of cash.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 24-Mar-12 09:28 PM
First, I won't speak for Rep. Kiffmeyer. If you want her to answer, email her & ask her what her policy is about Photo ID.
Next, here's what HF2738 says:
An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to the people. If the amendment is adopted, article VII, section 1, will read:
Section 1. Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United States for three months and; who has resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an election; who presents valid photographic identification as prescribed by law; and whose eligibility to vote has been established under this section shall be entitled to vote in that precinct. All voters must be subject to identical standards of eligibility verification before voting and the state must make photographic identification available to eligible voters at no cost to them.That means a state identification card must be issued by the state if the person doesn't have a state-issued drivers license or a passport.
Isn't that straightforward enough for you?
Comment 3 by E.Green at 24-Mar-12 11:19 PM
113 votes may be a small percentage of 2.9 million, but can change the outcome of a close election. In fact, MN "elected" a US SENATOR by a margin of only 312 votes. Many more votes than that were proven fraudulent - hundreds more than 113 ineligible felons were found to have voted illegally, but were not convicted because it was "unintentional".
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 09-Apr-12 12:53 PM
My state representative won by 13 votes. Statistically insignificant is the wrong matrix. Elections altered is what matters.
NFL draft is approaching
NFL draftniks like me can't wait for the full-day coverage of the NFL Entry Draft. That's especially true for Vikings fans this year. Following a dismal season, the Vikings need a great draft, filling alot of holes at alot of different positions.
After releasing Bryant McKinnie last year, the hole at left tackle is as big a hole as they've got. When the Vikings defeated Washington in the next-to-last week of the season, I thought they totally blew it. Had they lost, they would've started with the 2nd pick, which would've turned into Washington's first rounders this year, next year and the year after that. Plus Washington's second rounder this year.
For those keeping score at home, that means the Vikings would've had the 6th overall pick, the 35th overall pick and the 38th overall pick this year. That isn't great news from the standpoint that the Vikings certainly wouldn't have gotten USC OT Matt Kalil with the 6th overall pick.
This is what Todd McShay recently said about Kalil:
The Vikings just missed out on being able to cash in with the second overall pick, but with Baylor QB Robert Griffin III likely to be the pick there, Minnesota is in a position to finally begin shoring up its offensive line with an elite prospect. Kalil is one of the top left tackles I have evaluated coming out of college, with a skill set equal to Joe Thomas and a mean streak to go with it .
Joe Thomas is an elite LT. Being compared favorably with Thomas speaks volumes. The part about Kalil having "a mean streak to go with it" must make Adrian Peterson, Christian Ponder and Toby Gerhart smile from ear-to-ear.
Scott Wright at Draftcountdown.com has equally complimentary things to say about Kalil:
USC OT Matt Kalil is the reason that his former teammate Tyron Smith, who was the #10 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, was relegated to playing the right side in college. Kalil, whose brother Ryan plays for the Carolina Panthers and is one of the leagues premier centers, isn't a finished product but he possesses the physical tools and intangibles to develop into an elite blindside protector.
Having an elite blindside left tackle to protect the QB and open holes for Adrian Peterson would be a positive step forward for the Vikings. In the second round, Wright predicts that the Vikings will pick Zack Brown, an athletic outside linebacker from North Carolina .
If the Vikings get an elite LT with the third overall pick and an athletic outside linebacker in the second round, they will have started filling alot of the holes they've got.
As the countdown clock edges toward zeros, check back with DraftCountdown. Scott Wright is one of the most diligent mock draft people in the business. That's proved by his record and his willingness to be one of the few people who'll mock the first three rounds.
Other than the guy with Jimmy Johnson hair, Mike Mayock and Pat Kirwan, I can't think of another guy whose mock drafts I'd trust more than Scott's.
Tags: Minnesota Vikings , Matt Kalil , Zach Brown , Adrian Peterson , Christian Ponder , Mock Drafts , Todd McShay , Mel Kiper , Scott Wright , Pat Kirwan , Mike Mayock , NFL
Posted Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:11 PM
Comment 1 by eric z at 25-Mar-12 08:26 AM
Where was Tom Brady picked?
Jarad Allen?
Just asking.
Third overall pick can be guesswork as much as fifth through seventh round.
And then there was the last time I recall the Vikings had two first round choices - do you remember Demetrius Underwood?
Wait and see.
There's Blackmon as best wide-out. There's the cornerback from LSU. Enjoy your waiting. Enjoy second guessing if they don't take the tackle.
Comment 2 by eric z at 25-Mar-12 08:29 AM
Another for you. Pat Williams and John Randle, where were they in their draft year?
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 25-Mar-12 11:30 AM
JR was an undrafted FA. I don't know hwere PWill was drafted. Brady was taken in the 6th round (199th pick, same as Joe Shaw, BTW). Jared Allen was a 4th round pick.
In any draft, there are only 2-3 can't miss players. In this instance, Kalil is part of that group. He's got a nasty streak. His technique is exceptional. His only weakness is fixable by dedicating himself to adding a little weight & turning that weight into muscle.
Claiborne sounds like a top talent. Blackmon will quickly turn into a Pro Bowl WR.
Yes, I remember DU. He was taken with the Vikings regular pick. The Vikings' first pick was Daunte Culpepper, taken 10th with the pick they got from Washington for Brad Johnson.
No, that wasn't the last time they had 2 first rounders. The last time they had that was when they traded Randy Moss. They turned those picks into Troy Williamson & Erasmus James.
Comment 3 by eric z at 26-Mar-12 12:55 PM
Some called Ryan Leaf "can't miss." San Diago did miss.
Comment 4 by eric z at 26-Mar-12 12:57 PM
I always wondered why nobody ever thought to make Troy Williamson a corner. Clank-hands don't matter as much there, and Williamson surely was good at knocking the ball down to avoid a reception.
Comment 5 by eric z at 26-Mar-12 12:58 PM
Like JR, Pat Williams was undrafted. There's a Wikipedia page on him.
Comment 6 by Bob J. at 27-Mar-12 08:56 AM
Don't forget that we're talking about a team with the worst offensive line in the NFL that also released both its starting guards. Kalil at number three, assuming he's there, is an utter no-brainer. Which is why I worry about Rick Spielman, who has shown he's a no-brainer in so many other ways, doing the right thing.
Comment 7 by Gary Gross at 27-Mar-12 09:52 AM
Bob, have faith in Spielman. Everyone talked about how it wasn't necessary to draft Adrian Peterson. We already had Chester Taylor, whom everybody thought was a very good RB.
Adrian had a lengthy history of injuries, too.
Spielman traded the Vikings first rounder a few years back. In return, we got a DE named Jared Allen.
Spielman's problems haven't happened in the first round. They've happened in the 2nd & 5th rounds.
Comment 8 by Bob J. at 27-Mar-12 12:27 PM
I do have faith in Spielman. I have faith in his ability to ruin football teams, as he did with the Bears and Dolphins.
I also note how he helped take a team one play from the Super Bowl just two years ago and turn it into a three-win monstrosity.
Though the fault for that is not entirely his due to occasionally Looney Tunes coaching from Mr. Frazier, promoting this man to general manager was perhaps the single most jaw-dropping move by Zygmunt that I have yet seen. And this guy wants HOW much of our money for his playground?
