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The Morning Plum: The Romney campaign’s disgraceful falsehood about military voting
The Morning Plum: The Romney campaign’s disgraceful falsehood about military voting
By James Downie
Willfully misleading attacks from Mitt Romney and his campaign aren’t new: “You didn’t build that” and “Obama’s apology tour” and so on have been a staple for the Romney camp. But the latest from the Romney camp just may be their lowest attack yet:
The article cited in the quote, from Buzzfeed, points out that while fraternal military groups are opposing the Obama campaign’s lawsuit, the groups “make no suggestion that the Democrats’ suit would restrict Ohio soldiers’ votes.” Their objection is purely “that the Obama move might set a precedent that giving soldiers special consideration is unconstitutional.” Despite the plain text of the various motions, the Romney camp is calling the Obama lawsuit “despicable” and an “outrage.” Not only are Republicans misleading voters, but they’re using our soldiers to do so.
Such a disgraceful maneuver is just the latest sign that the Romney campaign has an increasingly weak hand. Yes, their fundraising remains strong, and Obama’s behind in cash on hand, but otherwise the fundamentals of the race look very bad for the former governor. As Dan Balz pointed out yesterday, hispoor performance in July “has only raised the stakes for what the presumptive Republican presidential nominee needs to do in August.” And as Peggy Noonan wrote over the weekend, the cliche that the race doesn’t matter until after Labor Day is no longer true: truly undecided voters are only four to five percent of the electorate already, and voters who might change their minds make up only a little over ten percent.
Finally, when the electoral college comes into play, Romney’s chances looks even worse. “The more you look at it,” argues Michael Tomasky, “the more you come to conclude that Mitt Romney has to draw an inside straight like you’ve never ever seen in a movie to win this thing.” With a weak candidate and few ways to really change the basics of the race, the Romney camp is resorting to ever more absurd tactics.
link
By James Downie
Willfully misleading attacks from Mitt Romney and his campaign aren’t new: “You didn’t build that” and “Obama’s apology tour” and so on have been a staple for the Romney camp. But the latest from the Romney camp just may be their lowest attack yet:
Despite a spate of headlines out of Ohio that push back on the notion that President Obama’s campaign is trying to strip military members of voting rights in the upcoming election, Mitt Romney’s campaign is drilling down on the claim.
In a memo out earlier from counsel Katie Biber, Romney’s camp insisted that the suit the Obama camp filed — to restore early in-person voting rights to every Ohio citizen — is targeting military members.
The suit doesn’t actually say this, and papers the campaign has filed called it “appropriate” to give three extra days to military members (more on that here). The suit argues against creating two classes of voters, using the legal term “arbitrary,” which Romney’s camp is seizing on to make its point — along with the argument that it’s “unconstitutional.”
In a memo out earlier from counsel Katie Biber, Romney’s camp insisted that the suit the Obama camp filed — to restore early in-person voting rights to every Ohio citizen — is targeting military members.
The suit doesn’t actually say this, and papers the campaign has filed called it “appropriate” to give three extra days to military members (more on that here). The suit argues against creating two classes of voters, using the legal term “arbitrary,” which Romney’s camp is seizing on to make its point — along with the argument that it’s “unconstitutional.”
The article cited in the quote, from Buzzfeed, points out that while fraternal military groups are opposing the Obama campaign’s lawsuit, the groups “make no suggestion that the Democrats’ suit would restrict Ohio soldiers’ votes.” Their objection is purely “that the Obama move might set a precedent that giving soldiers special consideration is unconstitutional.” Despite the plain text of the various motions, the Romney camp is calling the Obama lawsuit “despicable” and an “outrage.” Not only are Republicans misleading voters, but they’re using our soldiers to do so.
Such a disgraceful maneuver is just the latest sign that the Romney campaign has an increasingly weak hand. Yes, their fundraising remains strong, and Obama’s behind in cash on hand, but otherwise the fundamentals of the race look very bad for the former governor. As Dan Balz pointed out yesterday, hispoor performance in July “has only raised the stakes for what the presumptive Republican presidential nominee needs to do in August.” And as Peggy Noonan wrote over the weekend, the cliche that the race doesn’t matter until after Labor Day is no longer true: truly undecided voters are only four to five percent of the electorate already, and voters who might change their minds make up only a little over ten percent.
Finally, when the electoral college comes into play, Romney’s chances looks even worse. “The more you look at it,” argues Michael Tomasky, “the more you come to conclude that Mitt Romney has to draw an inside straight like you’ve never ever seen in a movie to win this thing.” With a weak candidate and few ways to really change the basics of the race, the Romney camp is resorting to ever more absurd tactics.
link
Romney Smears Obama, Falsely Claims He Filed Lawsuit To Restrict Military Voting In Ohio
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/08/04/640491/romney-smears-obama-falsely-claims-he-filed-lawsuit-to-restrict-military-voting-in-ohio/
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