I will be speaking at the Western New England University School of Law on Wednesday, October 19 at 11:45 a.m.  The topic will be selective prosecution of voter intimidation statutes.

No surprise @ the link.  New York had the poorest showing in the country when it came to counting overseas and military ballots last November, a new report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission found. The national average for ballots counted was 93.2 percent. But in New York, 73.9 percent of the 22,303 ballots cast were counted.

A lack of enforcement by DOJ and willy-nilly waivers granted by FVAP results in thousands of voters being disenfranchised in 2010.  Of course, New York’s intransigence in failing to enact legislation to become fully MOVE compliant is part of the problem.  New York won’t budge until DOJ goes belatedly to a federal judge and finally begs the court to order New York into some state of compliance. 

I bet the co-author of the MOVE Act, Senator Schumer, didn’t expect New York to be stuck with the 2010 scarlet letter for throwing out the most military and overseas votes.   

This little tidbit @ the Hill on the Election Assistance Dysfunction Commission.  

Democrats on the Committee on House Administration have unanimously denounced a Republican recommendation to reduce spending within the legislative branch.
 
This week lawmakers proposed cost-saving initiatives to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. In a letter Thursday to the joint committee co-chairmen, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), House Republicans recommended eliminating funding for the Election Assistance Commission.
 
House Administration Committee Republicans have long advocated the dissolution of the EAC, an independent, bipartisan commission formed by the Help America Vote Act in 2002, saying the commission’s primary purpose had already been achieved.



In June, the House rejected a bill to end the commission, which Republicans said would save $33 million over five years.



“The Election Assistance Commission has fulfilled its function and is now a perfect example of unnecessary and wasteful spending,” committee Chairman Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) wrote in Thursday’s letter.
 
Committee Democrats responded swiftly to the recommendation, claiming that terminating the EAC would instead lead to problems.

From Poltico: 

An Indiana Democratic county chairman accused of submitting petitions with hundreds of faked signatures for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary resigned Monday, according to reports.

 

St. Joseph County Democratic Party Chair Butch Morgan stepped down from his position in light of the scandal, but insisted he had “done nothing wrong,” the South Bend Tribune reported late Monday night. Morgan also resigned as Democratic chair for Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District.

 

He faces allegations he submitted hundreds of forged signatures – including that of a former governor – on petitions to get Clinton and Obama on the 2008 Indiana primary ballot.

 

“I regret having to resign and hope no one will misinterpret the reasons for my resignation,” Morgan said in a written statement. “I have done nothing wrong and I look forward to an investigation that will exonerate me of any wrongdoing.”

 

Former Democratic Gov. Joe Kernan, who supported Clinton in the 2008 primary, told the Associated Press last week he did not sign the petition for Obama, although his name is on the document. When asked whether the signature on the petition looked like his, Kernan said “no, not at all. Nor does the printing look like mine.”

I will be speaking today at the South Texas School of Law in Houston at 3:30 local time in the Garrett-Towmes auditorium.  Topic:  Voter Intimidation, the New Black Panthers, the DOJ and Injustice.

 The ACLU and Demos have sent letters to Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers over his examination of student voting, characterizing the actions a violation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act (voter intimidation).  I’ve been searching the internet for a copy of the letter the ACLU and Tova Wang and Demos sent to the New Black Panther Party or the Department of Justice regarding the acts of voter intimidation by the black panthers in Philadelphia. 

A free copy of my book Injustice to the first person who can find such a letter from the ACLU or Demos.

More at PJ Tatler.

Thanks to the couple of hundred people who came out last night at King Street Patriots for King Street Live.  I always enjoy my trips to see you all in Houston and met a lot of new folks this time.  Sorry to anyone who didn’t get a copy of Injustice.  I thought there would be plenty given how many we brought, but people seemed to doing Christmas shopping yesterday for friends and family.  If you didn’t get a signed copy and would like one, let one of the folks at King Street know at a Monday night meeting and I will make sure you get it.  Of course if you don’t want it signed, there is a link over on the left hand side of the page (<———).

I will be appearing at the South Texas School of law today at 3:30 p.m.  

 Washington Post has a blow by blow.  One noteworthy part of the article is yet another example where the purportedly nonpartisan League of Women voters has injected themselves into the debate on terms seemingly far removed from their purported purpose.  “The League of Women Voters of Maryland levies harsh criticism of O’Malley’s redistricting plan, saying it goes too far for political gain and will contribute to polarizing Congress for the next decade.” 

 Tampa Bay Online:  “One in nine Pasco County residents is Hispanic, according to the 2010 Census, but the county will not have to publish bilingual voting materials and ballots.”

 South Florida Caribbean News:  “Commissioner Rebeca Sosa is advocating for stricter penalties for residents caught committing voter fraud with absentee ballots. During the Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Miami-Dade Commission meeting, Commissioner Sosa will introduce an ordinance she is sponsoring that would amend the County Code to make violators of current absentee ballot laws pay fines and/or serve jail time.”