Texas threatens to arrest international election observers!

Aroddo · Oct 25, 2012

Greg Abbott, the Republican Attorney General of Texas, issued a stern warning this week to members of a United Nations-affiliated delegation expected to be on hand to monitor voting at polling places around the country on Election Day.

In a letter to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a body created by U.N. charter and responsible for helping to ensure the integrity of elections, among other tasks, Abbott warned the diplomatic poll-watchers that their involvement in U.S. elections could have strong legal repercussions.

"It may be a criminal offense for OSCE's representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place's entrance," he writes. "Failure to comply with these requirements could subject the OSCE's representatives to criminal prosecution for violating state law." Such a restriction makes election monitoring highly difficult.
....

click the link for the full article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/greg-abbott-texas-un-elections_n_2010081.html

Well, this practically confirms that the election process is rigged. Don't see any other reason to hush up one of the most defining processes of a living democracy.

----
update: Fox News interviewing the Attorney General Greg Abbott

Link to video.

woody60707 · Oct 25, 2012

Why is the UN here again? And why are they concerned about following US law? But yes, Texas is rigged, it's plain as day that if it wasn't rigged, obama would be getting 90% of the vote.

Aroddo · Oct 25, 2012

they were actually requested to appear because of serious complaints regarding the us voting process.
I DID put in a link to the article ...

woody60707 · Oct 25, 2012

Sorry, I was being a tad silly with my comments as i think the notion the reason some people in Texas might not want the UN-ish type people looking over their shoulder is because of rigging... in texas LOL.

BTW they have been International observers for US elections since 2002. And outside of a few minor items, they have had nothing but praise for how the US has run our elections. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2004#International_observers

None of the bogeyman voter fraud claims from both Dems or Repubs have ever been shown to pan out.

Aroddo · Oct 25, 2012

er ... the issue is not voter fraud ... the issue is electoral fraud.

you know, preventing certain people from voting, scaring voters away, destroying ballots, manipulating voting machines, manipulating voter registrations ...
all being done and documented in the usa

woody60707 · Oct 25, 2012

Well go tell the OSCE about it, because they have never seen it.

rugbyLEAGUEfan · Oct 25, 2012

Don Quixote would be proud of the lot of 'em

anandus · Oct 25, 2012

You know that something's amiss with the electoral process if you have Rick Perry as governor

Bakspatel · Oct 25, 2012

I lol'ed, the country of freedom and democracy requires election observers.

Lone Wolf · Oct 25, 2012

And these We$tern hypocrites slam Russia for being 'undemocratic' :gripe:

Ailedhoo · Oct 25, 2012

Dear Texas

Election observers are not figures to threaten, especilly if one wishes to promote the USA as their self-perclaimed title of "the Land of the Free."

Reputation is a important consideration and this legal threat against agents of the largest chat room of the international community with symbolic importance is going to lead one to question thy reputation.

If you want people to follow your example then you too must follow your example.

Hope your having a nice day

Ailedhoo

Core Imposter · Oct 25, 2012

I don't see the problem. Texas is simply enforcing its laws.

If you don't enforce your laws stuff like this happens:

A man robbed a Kansas City restaurant Tuesday night armed with a samurai sword, police said.

The suspect entered Church's Chicken, at 55th and Prospect, just before 10 p.m. Tuesday wearing a dark-gray hooded sweatshirt and carrying the sword, according to a statement from the Kansas City Police Department.

The man was described as a light-skinned black male standing between 5 foot 4 and 5 foot 5, weighing 120 to 130 pounds.

The suspect drove off in an older-model brown two-toned Chevy pickup truck, possibly from the 1980s.

You don't see stuff like that happen in Texas because (1) they enforce their laws, and (2) a chicken clerk in Texas would have a .357 under the counter...

Ailedhoo · Oct 25, 2012

MisterCooper said:
I don't see the problem. Texas is simply enforcing its laws.

If you don't enforce your laws stuff like this happens:

A man robbed a Kansas City restaurant Tuesday night armed with a samurai sword, police said.

The suspect entered Church's Chicken, at 55th and Prospect, just before 10 p.m. Tuesday wearing a dark-gray hooded sweatshirt and carrying the sword, according to a statement from the Kansas City Police Department.

The man was described as a light-skinned black male standing between 5 foot 4 and 5 foot 5, weighing 120 to 130 pounds.

The suspect drove off in an older-model brown two-toned Chevy pickup truck, possibly from the 1980s.

You don't see stuff like that happen in Texas because (1) they enforce their laws, and (2) a chicken clerk in Texas would have a .357 under the counter...

I would like to know how stopping international observers from doing their day job is "enforcing the law" or why it is necessary law in the first place. You just bought a random case and threw it into a unrelatable issue.

Also please keep on topic also: your attempt to bring a "guns solve everything" rheotric is... unfounded for a thread about a election. This is after all the Chamber where we are serious on issues and tend to follow debate rules.

There is a electoral problem with the Texas case. Dismissing the issue as "enforcing the law" would be like saying a act of oppression was ok because "it was enforcement of the law."

Core Imposter · Oct 25, 2012

If Texas law does not allow international observers privileges beyond those available to ordinary Texas citizens, or non-citizens for that matter, then said observers must obey the law. If one does not have law and order how can one ensure legitimate elections?

You can't seriously take the position that these people can waltz in and do as they please. Do they have diplomatic privilege? Are they in the country legally? The state of Texas has the right and duty to ensure that they are not breaking the law.

And if the law is not being upheld citizens are free to defend themselves, with guns or with swords (and accept the consequences to their liberty that result).

Ailedhoo · Oct 25, 2012

MisterCooper said:
If Texas law does not allow international observers privileges beyond those available to ordinary Texas citizens, or non-citizens for that matter, then said observers must obey the law. If one does not have law and order how can one ensure legitimate elections?

...and how is banning electoral observation ensuring law and order? These are members of a international body that represent international law. Also Texas is a part of the USA so techically it would have to answer to Frederal law and then the international law.

You can't seriously take the position that these people can waltz in and do as they please. Do they have diplomatic privilege?

They are UN officals so yes.

Are they in the country legally? The state of Texas has the right and duty to ensure that they are not breaking the law.

What the bloody heck would the UN have to gain by breaking "the law?" They are represenative of a international body that the US is not just a member of but a big player in.

Texas's security concerns should be based on issue of some diplomatic figures who have been set to do their job on behalf of the United Nations which the United States is part of which Texas is within.

And if the law is not being upheld citizens are free to defend themselves, with guns or with swords (and accept the consequences to their liberty that result).

I like to know how a thread about electoral observation turned into a thread on the "right to bear arms." This is the Chamber mate. We are focused on the topic at hand.

Agent327 · Oct 25, 2012

Interesting to note that nowhere is mentioned which specific law would be criminally broken by having independent observers present, the purpose of which is "to observe" (as stated in a letter in response to this apparent threat to arrest said observers). The suggestion that having international observers present at random poll stations would "interfere" in any way with the voting process seems rather ludicrous.

Core Imposter · Oct 25, 2012

Ailedhoo said:
...and how is banning electoral observation ensuring law and order? These are members of a international body that represent international law. Also Texas is a part of the USA so techically it would have to answer to Frederal law and then the international law.

You have the order wrong. The people are soverign and yield rights to their local government who then yield rights to their state government who then yield rights to the national government who then yield rights to international elites (seeking to enslave all mankind). You liberals have the pyramid upside down (and this is why we need weapons)

Please post evidence that UN officals automatically have full diplomatic rights and evidence that diplomats can ignore all local laws. I think you are assuming a lot of stuff here. The State of Texas should be given the benefit of the doubt here, if they are saying that these people must obey the law then they probably know what it is.

What the bloody heck would the UN have to gain by breaking "the law?" They are represenative of a international body that the US is not just a member of but a big player in.

The core of the UN are international elites seeking to set up a one world government. They must break the laws that protect us to enslave us.

Texas's security concerns should be based on issue of some diplomatic figures who have been set to do their job on behalf of the United Nations which the United States is part of which Texas is within.

When will you understand that the people are on top and governments are institutions that are supposed to serve the people not rule them.

I like to know how a thread about electoral observation turned into a thread on the "right to bear arms." This is the Chamber mate. We are focused on the topic at hand.

If you are unable to understand the necessity of the public being armed to ensure liberty that is your failing, not mine. This is the Chamber, where honest debate is not stiffled by those whose political agenda is to stiffle the freedom of expression. If I have violated a forum rule I am sure a moderator will deal me a blow. Until that happens I will not be bullied about nor will I remain silent in the face of your remarks.

Attacking Texas officials without having any true knowledge of the applicable laws might be fun. I might even laugh. But there is not one shred or iota of proof here that anyone has done anything wrong.

Formaldehyde · Oct 25, 2012

Bakspatel said:
I lol'ed, the country of freedom and democracy requires election observers.

What I think is far worse is that many Americans adamantly object to something they insist occurs in other countries. And the most vocal objections seem to be coming from people who claim there is a massive amount of election fraud in the US, despite not being able to find anything but a handful of isolated cases.

Yeekim · Oct 25, 2012

Lone Wolf said:
And these We$tern hypocrites slam Russia for being 'undemocratic'

Actually, in this case that is a remark that could legitimately be made without using your :gripe:

persona.

Core Imposter · Oct 25, 2012

OSCE is the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Texas ain't Europe.

See here:

The OSCE announced earlier this month that it would send 44 observers to polling places around the country on Election Day in order to monitor possible disputes that could arise in the voting process. The move came in response to a petition from liberal-leaning voting rights groups, including the NAACP and ACLU, that suggested the OSCE's presence could help combat what they fear will be a concerted effort to suppress votes from supporters of President Barack Obama.

Obviously this group has an agenda. They are not coming here to protect Texas voters from efforts to suppress votes from supporters of Govenor Romney, nor to guard against Texas voters suppression. The article says they are here to support the liberal cause.

Remove the plank from thine eye.

Texas threatens to arrest international election observers!

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