The American Spectator : Dead People and Other Voters

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Dead People and Other Voters

By Peter Hannaford on 1.17.12 @ 6:06AM

Perhaps Eric Holder should be more interested in California's sham redestricting.

Years ago the Democrats learned that the surest way to win a tight election was to have just the right number of dead people ready to vote. It worked in Texas in 1948 and Illinois in 1960 and may have worked in South Carolina in 2010 if Attorney General Eric Holder hadn't left well enough alone.

In late December he announced that the U.S. Department of Justice would block South Carolina's new law requiring voters to present photo IDs at the polls, a direction he reiterated in a MLK Day appearance yesterday. Holder's stated reason for the blockage was that the law would put minorities and poor people at a disadvantage. He ignored the fact that photo IDs are required to board airplanes; (from young people) to buy cigarettes or liquor; to buy certain over-the-counter medicines; and, in many stores, to buy things with a credit card. Never mind awkward facts when it's possible to depict the South Carolina legislature and Republicans in general as discriminatory.

Holder may soon regret his action which, like nearly everything else done by the Obama Administration these days, is intended to help get Mr. Obama reelected. South Carolina's attorney general, Alan Wilson, has announced that the Palmetto state is going to court to clear this blockage. He announced that his investigation shows at least 900 dead people voted in South Carolina in the 2010 election. If only Holder had left things alone, those 900 dead folks might just have easily voted again this year.

South Carolina's voter ID is similar to active laws now in place an half a dozen other states. ID cards are free, and readily available at South Carolina motor vehicle department offices. In addition, if a voter who comes to the polls without a voter ID can cast a provisional vote by signing an affidavit. Once it has been checked for accuracy the vote is counted.

The late, unlamented ACORN put new a twist on the dead-people-voting gambit: Their minions registered non-existent people in several states. In Seattle, in recent years, several were caught filling out voter registration sheets using names from the telephone book. In St. Louis, they filled in the names of baseball players. Currently, Indiana is investigating a case of fraudulent voting in South Bend.

In California, the Democrats have found a subtler way to skew voting. A voter initiative in 2010 took redistricting from the highly partisan state legislature and put it in the hands of a "citizen commission," presumably neutral. A much heralded vetting process culled some 35,000 applicants down to a commission of 14, five each registered Democrats and Republicans and four "independents." Because population in the more conservative inland had increased considerably since 2000, it was thought the Republicans might pick up some seats. The opposite occurred. On paper at least, it looks as if the party will lose seats in both the legislature and the Congressional delegation.

When the maps were published, the Republican Party began a signature-gathering effort for an initiative that would stop the state senate redistricting until it could be voted on by the public. The final certification is not yet in, but it looks as if it will qualify for the November ballot. If so and it passes, the Supreme Court will take the redistricting for that body out of the hands of the commission and develop its own.

Meanwhile, ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism group headed by former Wall Street Journal editor Paul Steiger, blew up the issue in a new report headed "How Democrats Fooled California's Redistricting Commission." It caught the left by surprise. No wonder. ProPublica is not some Republican PR device. It was created in 2008 by long-time active Democrats, Herb and Marian Sandler, whose foundation got it started. George Soros's foundation is also a major contributor. Steiger recounted his interview for the job with the Sandlers by asking them if they would be uncomfortable if his reporters uncovered information that would be embarrassing to one of their own causes. They said it would be "no problem." What they wanted was professional, disinterested reporting. And that is what his team has given them.

ProPublica says in spring 2011 several California Democrats met privately in Washington to map out a plan to influence the redistricting commission. They were sworn to secrecy.

The Commission announced it would hold a number of community forums to get genuine input. The Democrat planners worked assiduously to get allies to purport to be ordinary citizens. These were no grassroots. They were more like hothouse-grown specimens. ProPublica reported that, "One woman who purported to represent the Asian community in the San Gabriel Valley was actually a lobbyist who grew up in rural Idaho and lives in Sacramento."

And so it went until the new maps significantly helped Democrats, giving each Northern California representative, as one put it, "A ticket back to Washington."

That's a lot more complicated than getting dead people off pages in the telephone book to vote, but, hey, there's less risk and it can produces more Democrats in office.

About the Author

Peter Hannaford is a member of the board of the Committee on the Present Danger. His latest book is Reagan's Roots: The People and Places That Shaped His Character.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (60) | Leave a comment

Michael Tomlinson| 1.17.12 @ 6:40AM

Holder needs to remember it was and is the Democrat party with a history of racism. Considering the outlandish behavior in California Republicans should be demanding an amendment to the voting rights act to protect Americans and whites.

fckewe| 1.17.12 @ 7:37AM

The fathers and grandfathers of the RED party syncophants are the same KKK (Konservative Khristian Konspiracy) hoodwearers whose fill the RED party with racists today. The DEMOCRATIC party of the Civil Rights era South are the same guys who bat for the other team now. ~S~ Thank you for admitting your blatant and irrefutable racism. "Republicans should be demanding an amendment to the voting rights act to protect Americans and whites."

There IS NO WAY to take THAT out of context. It IS the context!

VonMisesJr| 1.17.12 @ 8:25AM

A Nursery tale: Mama Fckewe takes tea with the ladies. Mrs. Gold says "my son Arron is a doctor." Mrs. silver brags, "my daughter is partner at a Auditing firm." Mr's gold asks Mama Fckewe, "what does your boy do?"
"He is a troll!" He wanted to be a communist agitator like his father, if I can remember who his father was. But Fckewe was not smart enough to pass social studies.

Ground Control| 1.17.12 @ 9:27AM

"The Voice of the Sheeple."

VonMisesJr| 1.17.12 @ 3:46PM

The collectivist like to have their women like sheep: in common.

Fckewe is looking in the wrong place if he is trolling for females. The ladies on this site have class and would never associate with something so vulgar.

Imagine if he was your offspring? I'd move and not leave a forwarding address.

Brubaker| 1.17.12 @ 9:31AM

Your ignorance is truly amazing. Southern Democrats did everything in their power to block the civil rights movement.

Have you ever heard of Bull Connor, Orville Faubus and George Wallace? Do you know that in March, 1956, 97 congressional Democrats condemned the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, and pledged to continue segregation?

On June 9, 1964, Republicans condemned a 14-hour filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act by U.S. Senator and former Ku Klux Klansman Robert Byrd (D-WV).

The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is quite clear: It is the Democrats who have been and continue to be the party of racism -- despite their self-serving platitudes to the contrary.

MikeBee| 1.17.12 @ 10:17PM

In the 1850s, it was the Democrat party who wanted to keep their black slaves, while the Republicans worked to free them. In the 19th century, it was a Supreme Court made up largely of Democrats, and led by the Democrat S.C. justice who penned the decision, who held that black people were not human beings at all (Dred Scott). Later, in the early 20th century, Democrats would work hard to keep blacks out of the labor unions, making them lily white communist societies. It was Democrat elites who led the charge to Eugenics, and later to abortion, largely to lower the numbers of blacks in society. Shall I go on?

Fkeye, I know that you will instead choose to remain in your ignorance. Have a nice ignorant life!

runningdeer| 1.19.12 @ 2:46PM

The same to you mr. fckewe. Your title say's it best.
Here is a true story for you. Before the last presidential election I saw more black people with out of state car tags, usually women with clip boards or note pads) touring local cemetaries and odd as it was, they were writing information from recent grave sites. How do I know this for a fact? I watched them do it and I checked those sites.
This happened over a period of months and in predominately white cemetery's where there were few to no graves of black people. Small town church cemetery's .
I even had a letter to the editor of a couple of news papers print letters about this fact. Others had also witnessed it.
But to folks like you anyone who say's the word black is against black's. How can you be so stupid?

Brian Mc| 1.17.12 @ 6:54AM

I see a day when I show up to vote, only to find that I've already done so...silly me...attempting to exercise my civic duty, only to find that I'm trying to do it twice.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.17.12 @ 9:26AM

See? The BELL CURVE was right. Blacks are Stupid. They were too Stupid to fill out the Butterfly Ballot, in Florida. And, they're too Stupid to get a Voter I.D.

They're too Stupid to get in to College. Too Stupid to Pass a Civil Service Test. Too Stupid to Pass a Test for Promotion. And, too stupid to put their Hat on, right, tie their sneakers, or put a Belt in their pants.

They're too stupid to even CONSIDER, voting for somebody who's not a Democrat. They're so Stupid, that the can't wait to pull the Lever, to get 4 MORE YEARS of 17% Unemployment for themselves, and 46% Unemployment for their Kids. 4 More Years of Dangerous/Failing Public (Union) Schools for their kids. 4 MORE YEARS of the Ghetto. 4 MORE YEARS of Flash Mobs, and Businesses closing their doors, in the Hood.

Why is Holder still at Justice? Where are the Fast and Furious Hearings? What happened with the Black Panther Case? What's going on with his "BLACKS ONLY" Civil Rights Division?

WTF is going on with my Country?

Every BLACK in this Administration is an America Hating, Crooked POS.

Every last one of them. Especially the MUSLIM, and his Fat *SS Wookie looking Wife.

NEVER AGAIN!

SNAKESRULE| 1.17.12 @ 11:09AM

Don't sugar coat it man...testify.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.17.12 @ 11:16AM

Hey. I'm just agreeing with Holder.

SNAKESRULE| 1.17.12 @ 11:36AM

don't hold back...

SpiralArchitect| 1.17.12 @ 1:06PM

ROFL :)

Sam Levi| 1.17.12 @ 12:44PM

I wish you all would quit insulting Wookies that way.

Quartermaster| 1.17.12 @ 6:41PM

He's an anti-Wookie speceist. Worst case I've ever seen.

Kingofthenet| 1.17.12 @ 1:46PM

Smart enough to keep the Gravy Train, rolling, am I right?

Kingofthenet| 1.17.12 @ 1:58PM

At least they aren't stupid enough to vote against their own interests like many poor Rethugs.

the halfrican| 1.17.12 @ 2:23PM

Right on target !

Jim Strebbing| 1.17.12 @ 6:58AM

The Author didn't bring up two other states. First is Nevada where the State convicted ACORN of Voter Fraud. Second was the state of Minnesota where the State Attorney General refused to investigate the Fraud charges in 2008 and 2010. Independent groups then started working with various Minnesota County Attorney's. Well Over 3000 acts of voter fraud have so far been investigated. 105 people have been convicted of Fraud. 3000 people have confessed but got off because of a loop hole in Minnesota's Voter Fraud Law. Law states that you have known that it was Illegal to vote illegally. Apparently 3000 Illegal Aliens got off because they didn't know that you had to be a legal citizen to vote.

fckewe| 1.17.12 @ 7:31AM

SOunds like you convict people before any evidence is presented. How many of these 3000 "acts of voter fraud" panned out as actual criminal charges and trails by jury? ZERO!!!!!!! because it is only fraud IF it is a crime! Using the word 'apparently' doesn't make a kid in a halloween costume a real witch! you NEED evidence to have a witch trial! DO you have ANY concrete EVIDENCE to your claim? Or do you just rubber stamp Faux News reports and dogma?

Would you use the SAME yardstick in measuring Romney's 'acts of deceit, misrepresentation, fraud and embezzlement' @ Bain Capital. how many years in JAIL should he get, since you are soooo sure of your convictions?

Brubaker| 1.17.12 @ 9:47AM

As a matter of law and logic, you're wrong. An act of fraud is still an act of fraud, even if it does not result in prosecution.

If fact, an act of fraud is still and act of fraud even if it goes undetected.

KennesawJack| 1.17.12 @ 10:50AM

And that, my friend, is why there is no statute of limitations on fraud. No matter how many years pass after the fraud occurred, it can still be prosecuted. Won't it be fun when a Republican Attorney General gets to take a look at Acorn and their minions instead of this amazingly corrupt Eric Holder. Of course, that assumes the Republicans will have the cojoenes to pursue them. There is a first time for everything, I'm told.

DaveD| 1.17.12 @ 8:47AM

You failed to mention that some 2,800 dead people voted in the Minnesota 2010 elections. Who knows how many dead folks will vote this fall.

Jay T| 1.17.12 @ 9:19AM

DaveD-

Your information is not exactly accurate. What they found was that 2800 dead people showed up as eligible voters on the roll. This does not mean that they voted.

No, form of ID would prevent this. This clearly one government organization not properly talking with another one.

Big Bob| 1.17.12 @ 9:36PM

That specifically allows for more success when it comes to absentee ballots. The Voter Rights Act specifically charges states with the responsibility to keep their voter roles current and up to date. It is at this point states are choosing to ignore that mandate. I should say SOME states are ignoring it. Holder is refusing to prosecute any that are ignoring it so that 2800 CAN be on the list, and able to get absentee ballots if needed. It's a very simple process, but the fraud goes on in full view, as democrats charge states with disenfranchising its voters by requiring voter I.D. Had Minnesota had a voter I.D. law on the books, for example, those 2,800 names would have been removed, and/or not allowed to vote. Anyone claiming voter disenfranchisement is clearly gaming the system, more than likely to make it easier to cheat...pure and simple.

SpiralArchitect| 1.17.12 @ 1:08PM

ACORN is no longer around but the people of ACORN are...

The dead will rise again...to vote.

fckewe| 1.17.12 @ 7:24AM

Where was Mr. Hannaford in 2000, when 100,000 REAL LIVE ballots were not counted? Where was he when the BROTHER of the PRESIDENT to be DECIDED to NOT count REAL LIVE people's VOTES?

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.17.12 @ 9:48AM

I'm so sick of hearing the same old Sh*t, from the same *ssholes.

Al Gore (Who's Father, voted AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1064) lost the 2000 Election, NOT because he lost Florida, but because he lost HIS OWN STATE.

So, FCKEWE!

Redstateboy| 1.17.12 @ 1:16PM

Pennell.. Stating obvious though painfully true facts to irrational Liber-uls is considered by them to be a form of hate speech and would get you banned, blocked or booted from most outlets where opinions are allowed.

RCV| 1.17.12 @ 3:46PM

... and we're tired of hearing the same old racist crap from you, TP (an appropriate nickname, indeed!).

Redstateboy| 1.17.12 @ 4:46PM

RCV.. like all Liber-uls.. you're myopic and have no sense of the droll, the ironic nor the sarcastic.
You're so focused in the pursuit of your cliches'.

Brubaker| 1.17.12 @ 9:50AM

Where were you when they passed out brains?

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.17.12 @ 1:05PM

Oh, he was there. He just had his head up his *ss, so they couldn't install it. It's STILL up his *ss.

But, you already knew that, didn't you?

fckewe| 1.17.12 @ 7:25AM

This guy needs a legitimate story to have a legitimate opinion about. Like the demise of the pay phone or dysfunctionality of white wall tires on 4x4's.

jothepro| 1.17.12 @ 7:47AM

Hey fckewe, You, my man or woman or whatever you are are a fckewe idiot..

pineapple| 1.17.12 @ 1:07PM

fckewe, you are an insult to the "Where The Fukarewe" Indian tribe. I'm positive you're not even Indian.

idalily| 1.17.12 @ 3:21PM

Their site, their decisions about what they put up. Don't like it? Don't read it. That's the great thing about a free country.

Indy| 1.17.12 @ 8:07AM

No mention of NH? Recent video of people going to the polls and using the names of dead people still on the voter rolls to request a ballot. On the heels of that news, SC DMV said 900 dead people may have voted, investigation is ongoing.

Why no mention of how the DOJ sits on the sidelines and does not address the problem of making sure our military is not disenfranchised?

http://biggovernment.com/capit.....y-ballots/

Holder is only interested in going after "Red States" we are not equal under the law in his eyes.

The Bishop| 1.17.12 @ 8:37AM

To get an insider's view of the travesty that is the Eric Holder Department of Justice, I heartily recommend J. Christian Adam's book, Injustice. But don't plan to eat much while reading it. DOJ is a vomitus collection of leftist activists enthusiastically undermining law and justice. Sweeping this menagerie from office can't come quickly enough.

Big Bob| 1.17.12 @ 9:43PM

ditto on Christian's book!! very depressing, though. It can't come quickly enough, but I wonder if they will actually leave if voted out!!! Could they use Holder to challenge the outcome in the courts, putting the transition in complete limbo?? I posed that to one of the better known attorneys in D.C. a while back. That was before the Senate was "Deemed" to be in recess; that was before Fast and Furious. I have serious doubts about this administration's willingness to actually agree to a loss and leave office. Given their absolute disdain for the Constitution, I could see them refusing to leave for some lame ruse. It doesnt seem so outrageous, now....does it!!??

Dick Nome| 1.17.12 @ 8:47AM

Cemetery residents in Philadelphia always can be counted on to carry the day (for Democrats). If it gets really tight, the dogs and cats will turn out too.

Dave| 1.17.12 @ 9:57AM

For those just starting to read between the lines of corruption, this column may be startling news. For the rest of us who've been watching (for a long time) something other than Seinfeld re-runs, this latest California scam is simply *Ameritopia: The Next Phase.

*Read it and be enlightened. Or, keep watching those Seinfeld re-runs. Who knows? Maybe Newman will be named Postmaster General in Obama's second term.

Let's just hope there isn't one.

Anthony| 1.17.12 @ 10:02AM

Holder needs to be in a federal prison for his actions in "Fast and Furious".
That said, voter I.D. is the one tool available to help keep elections free from fraud and abuse, which is precisely why the reprehensible Holder is against it.
There is a reason that the DNC has focused its attention on having real D hacks elected state Secretary of States in the 50 states. This office oversees state and federal elections and can make or break the outcome, which is why they have become so important in recent elections.
The Ds need to steal elections. Obozo needs to steal the election in 2012 because he will not win in a straight up election.
Fighting voter I.D. at the polls under the assinine rubric of voter surpression, and having hack Secretary of States to insure voter fraud, are the ways the D party stays in power.

Rmm| 1.17.12 @ 12:22PM

Ditto, brother.
This pack of thieves reveal their utter contempt for the rule of law thru every action taken or word spoken. Holder is down-right incompetent who suits his role as Barry's lap dog. These people make me cringe.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.17.12 @ 1:08PM

OBAMA.

The "BUCK" stops there. Not, with Holder.

And he will PAY, when the Book of Life is read, at the end.

Redstateboy| 1.17.12 @ 11:48AM

C'mon!!!!!!!!! We All know why the Slave (aka Democrat) Party is vehemently against Voter ID cards... it's called CHEATING!!! Their arguments against Voter ID cards are so ludicrous it's as if they're presented by a 10 year old!!

Naturalborn Texicanette| 1.17.12 @ 12:09PM

TLP.....

FANTASTIC POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for strongly voicing, in NO uncertain terms, what all the rest of us wish we had the guts to do!!!!!!!!!!!

Tina B| 1.17.12 @ 12:29PM

Don't forget comic book characters.

megapotamus| 1.17.12 @ 12:55PM

There is one absolute indicator of electoral fraud that doesn't involve any individual necessarily. That is when the total voters exceeds the registered voters. I recall this happened with Gregoire being made Governor of Washington. Even if there were no prosecutable crime unearthed there (and I think there were a couple indictments), even if you could not determine that a particular ballot was cast illegally, ID requirements would be a minimal start to remedy that situation. As far as encumbering the voter, it doesn't but I wouldn't care if it did. If you cannot identify yourself you have no business in the voting booth. No legitimate business, that is. Objections to ID requirements come from one motivation: the desire to steal elections.

Al Adab| 1.17.12 @ 1:23PM

Afternoon everyone. Doesn't this issue tie in closely to the voter ID issue, or do the dead have as much right to vote as the living?

Quartermaster| 1.17.12 @ 6:45PM

One wag said a number of years ago, I want be buried in Chicago so I can remain politically active."

Alas, that applies to many place dominated by Democrat machines.

Kingofthenet| 1.17.12 @ 1:43PM

"in many stores, to buy things with a credit card"

This is absolutely NOT required by the Credit Card Companies, in fact a store can lose it's card privileges if they ask for ID. The CC companies GUARANTEE their cards Fraud or Not.

Louis Jenkins| 1.17.12 @ 3:56PM

Yeap. However, my credit card now has my photo on it. Horror of horrors.

Paul from SA| 1.17.12 @ 3:35PM

Democrats are going all-out defending this, even using the race card. I am very suspicious. I suspect voter fraud is much worse than reported.

If they don't care about a person's identity, why even have registration?

RCV| 1.17.12 @ 3:43PM

Let me get this straight: it was all a Democratic plot to take redistricting from the California Legislature -- which is overwhelmingly Democratic -- and give to a seemingly nonpartisan commission, so they could redistrict to favor Democrats, which the legislature itself could have done much more effectively? Clever, those Democrats!

Mr. Hannaford, you couldn't be absurd if you tried.

Pat| 1.17.12 @ 5:22PM

Eric Holder’s latest visionary move to help Obama’s re-election involves buying guns from the Mexican drug cartels while employing our domestic terrorist organizations to do the purchasing. The mainstream media will be alerted and fully briefed after the guns have been smuggled across our southern borders from Tijuana or Juarez and Washington has learned the names of Americans killed with these illegal guns. The Public Relations officer for the Attorney General’s office wanted a catchy title for this latest project and after hours of conference room brainstorming the unofficial name selected for the media’s usage is “2Fast and 2Furious” – catchy, huh?

FBI undercover agents - who have thoroughly infiltrated all our home grown terrorist organizations and who currently account for 76% of the official memberships - will be given the “seed” money to spend on the gun purchases. The point is to show how lax our gun control laws are – domestic terrorists can easily purchase guns illegally and, naturally, that means we need much more restrictive gun control laws – such as those laws helpfully enumerated by Handgun Control Inc. Upon getting wind of this reverse direction Fast and Furious type operation, the NRA has dubbed this the stupidest operation they’ve come across since Fast and Furious 1 went down.

Handgun Control bluntly hinted, in rebuttal, the NRA folks are playing the “race card” because Holder might be black or partially black like Obama. The NRA claims they are colorblind regarding Holder’s race but think killing innocent Americans to prove an imaginary point is stupid, just as they thought killing innocent Mexicans in the first Fast and Furious operation was also stupid. Our mainstream media folks have concluded the NRA is definitely playing the “race card” to hurt Obama’s re-election chances, Eric Holder is the smartest AG we’ve ever had and the president of the NRA is the “stupid” one, at least according to his third grade teacher – and that’s the official spin on this story which will be immediately released to the various wire services.

silver| 1.17.12 @ 5:36PM

Philadelphia always can be counted on to carry the day (for Democrats). If it gets really tight, the dogs and cats will turn out too.

Michael Tomlinson| 1.18.12 @ 6:11AM

"Considering the outlandish behavior in California Republicans should be demanding an amendment to the voting rights act to protect Americans and whites."

In a state where illegal aliens are voting and Asian-Americans are fabricating who they are who is being discriminated against? Americans and primarily whites who make up the majority of the California GOP.

The Democrat party has been and is the party of racism. It was Republicans who insured civil rights legislation passed. Men like George H.W. Bush who was warned he'd lose his House seat for supporting civil rights. To be replaced avowed Lloyd Bentsen who was a Democrta VP nominee.

In the south it is still and always will be Democrats who are racist -- Robert Byrd, Lloyd Bentsen, Sam Ervin, Friz Hollings, etc. al. Today, their hate and racism is embodied in Eric Holder, Valerie Jarret and Barack Obama.

kb street| 1.19.12 @ 1:09PM

Democrats cannot win in the arena of ideas, so they have to cheat. By gerrymandering, ballot box stuffing, tombstone voting opening sealed court records, and using innuendo and misinformation about things that are never backed up by facts, and now ignoring the Constitution.

I now understand why most democrats are atheists, because would you be able to tell the lies you do if you knew you had to defend them to a God that knows the facts.
I now believe that if a democrat says it: then it is a lie.
Democrats cannot win without cheating, so Voter ID discriminates against Democrats

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