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Kathianne
06-10-2009, 05:40 AM
DOJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124451552193396877.html


Holder Winks at Voter Intimidation
On ballot integrity, the Justice Department is taking us backward.
By HANS A. VON SPAKOVSKY

When Eric Holder became U.S. attorney general, he promised to administer the law in an objective, nonpolitical manner. So it's disappointing that the Justice Department had spent the last several months misinterpreting key voting rights laws for nakedly political reasons.

Exhibit A: Justice's inexplicable dismissal of a civil lawsuit for voter intimidation against the New Black Panther Party. The Black Panthers weren't content to endorse Barack Obama. They sent their members to the polls last November to "patrol election sites." Fox News aired a video of two Black Panthers in military-style uniforms in a Philadelphia precinct. One of them was carrying a nightstick.

The complaint the Justice Department filed in January (before Messrs. Obama and Holder took over) says the Panthers made "racial threats and racial insults" to voters and "menacing and intimidating, gestures, statements and movements directed at individuals who were present to aid voters." One witness, Bartle Bull, a civil-rights lawyer who worked with Charles Evers in Mississippi in the 1960s, called it the worst voter intimidation he had ever seen.

Justice won the suit by default when the Black Panthers and three individual defendants didn't show up in court to deny the allegations. But instead of following through and getting an injunction to prevent this behavior in future elections, the department, now under Mr. Holder, dismissed the lawsuit against all but one of the defendants (the nightstick holder). Even then, Justice requested only a watered-down penalty: an injunction to prevent him from carrying a weapon in a polling place. But only in Philadelphia and only until 2012!

Exhibit B: Justice recently stopped Georgia from implementing a key provision of the Help America Vote Act. Passed in 2002, the act requires states to verify the accuracy of information voters provide on their registration forms by comparing it with state driver's license and Social Security records -- a sensible requirement. With input from Justice Department lawyers in 2008, Georgia implemented this verification process, including checking the citizenship status of applicants. It is a violation of federal and state law for a noncitizen to register and vote in federal and state elections.....

Kathianne
07-30-2009, 11:29 AM
Gald to see that Turley, a well known liberal law professor is pointing out the problem with the decision to drop charges:

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/07/30/obama-political-appointees-overrule-career-justice-officials-in-dropping-charges-against-new-black-panther-party-for-voter-intimidation/


...Career lawyers wanted sanctions against the Black Panthers who showed and had already won a default judgment against the men.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King reportedly recommended dropping the case to Mr. Perrelli who is third in command at the DOJ.

This has become a major story for conservative commentators — some of whom have taken it to an absurd degree to suggest that the Obama Administration is in league with the New Black Panthers. There may indeed to legitimate legal reasons for the decision, but on its face it is hard to discern why career staff would be overruled on this point. It is perfectly appropriate for political appointees to make decisions based on the policy priorities of the Administration. However, this is a straight-forward question under a federal statute. I do not know of any specific Obama policy that would undermine enforcement. This was a limited occurrence. However, the Justice Department seems to suggest this is not actionable conduct. At a minimum, there should be a fuller explanation of why this is not a violation and what are the limits for paramilitary groups parading in front of polling places.

Under the circumstances, the complaint seemed reasonable when it was brought in January, here. Under Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits intimidation, coercion or threats against “any person for voting or attempting to vote.” The Department simply sought an injunction preventing any future deployment of, or display of weapons by, New Black Panther Party members at the entrance to polling locations. By dropping the complaint, the Obama Administration suggests that other groups could show up at polling places with such weapons and military-style uniforms. What if this were the Aryan Nation or Soldiers of God? Doesn’t brandishing a weapon have an intimidating effect on voters? I understand that the case was weakened by the fact that a police officer allowed at least one man to remain. However, it seems that the section was seeking a modest sanction to keep this group (or other groups) from showing up in paramilitary outfits and weapons.

emmett
07-30-2009, 11:49 AM
Basically it is real simple. If it is in support of a Democratic cause...it will be dismissed. If in support of Conservatives it is hateful incitement. We all know this is true. I;m not being sarcastic by the way!

The Socialist agenda possesses the greatest weapon it can have. Successful brainwashing of the general electorate. Anyone else is a hateful enemy set to disrupt the common good and will soon be viewed as a terrorist which will be grounds to "disarm" the citizenry. That, if it comes to pass, will be the start of any civil unrest with the potential of escalating to Civil War.

I can't believe I am even saying this! Problem is I believe it! The government is slowly but certainly becoming the enemy of the base beliefs of the foundation of American society. The people who refuse to conform are not going to be pursuaded with the hogwash being spewed at them by the left. Government controls the press, the Senate, the House, has the President and will soon have the Court. What they don't have is the ability to change the minds of fundamentalist Americans who believe in liberty, freedom and the real American way.

Kathianne
07-30-2009, 11:52 AM
I've written a few letters to the editor using the Turley reference. Truth is, the MSM isn't covering these types of actions, most people don't know...