Texas warns it could prosecute OSCE poll monitors

[cali]

LOS ANGELES — The southern US state of Texas has warned it could prosecute election observers from the OSCE, a global body that regularly monitors voting around the world, if they try to visit polling stations next month.

In a letter to the election-monitoring head at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Texas attorney general Greg Abbott said the group's views on the November 6 US elections were "legally irrelevant."

And he warned that OSCE observers, deployed for White House and other election races in two weeks' time, will not be allowed to come wthin 100 feet of a polling station in the famously no-nonsense state.

<snip>

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ip_kmjaIJMQO3A04g65yWwbNFKrg?docId=CNG.b779e3045dc68c5441cae614fb8aa344.211

[sakabatou]

1. Well fuck you, TX

Sorry to all those in that state.

[xxqqqzme]

2. Imagine my shock

at learning rethugs don't want anyone checking up on them.

[flamingdem]

3. It's war then

... what is this country coming to?

[dballance]

4. Well it is sad.

I'm not sure how they could prevent observers from coming within a 100 feet of the polling places since it legal to do. I bet they will have observers there trying to intimidate hispanic and African American voters.


So sad our elections have become such a farce international groups feel the need to monitor them.

[Sherman A1]

5. And TX could end up in some hot water.

I believe we are dealing with some international treaties here and they would then have the full force of Federal Law.

[Wednesdays]

16. Yeah, but what army's going to come in and enforce their law?

I mean, could you just imagine how ape the wingnuts would go if federal troops are even considered? Over a U.N. treaty?

[Sherman A1]

17. No army

I would think the job would fall to US Marshals and the Justice Department.

[redgreenandblue]

6. A statement one would expect from, I don't know, ...

... some dictator?

I mean seriously, this reads like a headline that would commonly refer to North Korea or Iran or something.

[Kurovski]

7. Fuckers. Oh now, what is it Tighty-Righties like to say about "If you got nutthin' to hide..."?

Yep.

[Waiting For Everyman]

8. That would be some great international publicity for how eff'd up TX is, now, wouldn't it?

Go for it Abbott, you self-important asshat. I'd love to see you be stupid enough to do it.

And then TX could watch its international tourism fall off a cliff. That would make you real popular there, I'm sure.

[tblue]

9. Can't handle the scrutiny, eh?

Then elections in Texas are by definition invalid.

I think the AG is bluffing. Notice they say 'COULD prosecute.' What's the effing crime anyway? Will they prosecute True the Vote too?

Do not be intimidated.

[Downwinder]

10. But is Abbott going to prosecute Bruce Fleming

for voting in Texas and PA in the same election cycle? Don't hold your breath.

[John2]

11. They were invited

They were invited by American Civil Rights Groups. This is an example of an Attorney General trying to use his office to exert pressure on people or intimidate a group. We'll see what Eric Holder does. They are doing nothing different than what True the vote does or Tea Party people monitoring for voter fraud. If the U.S. Government agreed to this Treaty, then it would be Eric Holder's responsibility to ensure this Texas Attorney General not interfere. So do he have the guts to does his job or is he scared of the right wing Republican Congress?

[renie408]

12. WHY??

[ananda]

13. It's that rightwing idiot asshole Greg Abbott.

Ick

[GeorgeGist]

14. Ffamously no-nonsense state.

The Onion?

[RomneyLies]

15. Diplomatic Immunity

They're bluffing their ever loving asses off.

[tosh]

18. Just secede already.

Be done with it.

[LeftyChristian]

19. Much ado

Hopefully the Affordable Care Act fully covers knee injuries since there is quite a bit of knee jerkin up thread

It is right there in the article "...OSCE observers...will not be allowed to come wthin 100 feet of a polling station...". There is nothing new or special about this law. NO ONE is allowed within 100 feet unless you are voting or are a worker. Kind of nice to not be harrassed by campaign workers and a sea signs to get to where I need to vote.

Abbott is an idiot for getting his feathers ruffled on this one...come to think of it Abbott is just an idiot. My prediction...no one will be arrested, the observers will be respectful of the 100 foot restriction since they will practically be able to see and probably hear everything that is going on and everyone will go on with their lives.

Much ado about nothing, but it sure did give the haters a nice open door to bash Texas...again.

[OldDem2012]

24. Don't blame the posters in this thread. The voters in your state elect guys like Abbott....

...so there's nobody to blame but yourselves for the Texas-bashing.

Get over it and do something about it.

[LongTomH]

20. Meanwhile.....this latest dispatch from Bizarro World:

From the Sunshine State News: Obama's Latest Brilliant Idea: Soviet Style Assassins to Supervise November Elections. The column is loaded with bits of brilliance like:

Wait till you hear what bastions of democracy make up this esteemed outfit.


Among others, think Belarus, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Russia, and Ukraine.

Let's look at the last on that list first, shall we? Ukraine. Our election process could learn a lot from Ukraine ... about assassination.

...........snip//

Did I mention Putin's Russia is also a member of the OSCE? So is the United States, by the way, but I have no idea why.

Apparently the U.N. agency OSCE has been "observing" our elections ever since the 2000 debacle, when Palm Beach County invented hanging chads and screwed up the George W. Bush-Al Gore election. Obama is just going along with the tradition, inviting nations with questionable-to-zero election tradition to serve as tasters at democracy's finest table. The question is, should he be going along with that tradition?

Apparently this brainiac, and most of the angry, old white males that make up the Teahadists, hasn't gotten the news that the Soviet Union fell apart two decades ago.

Bizarro world, indeed!!!!!

[efhmc]

21. I so wish these statements said, "the Texas AG" and not just Texas.

There are plenty here embarrassed but happy about this intervention.

Edited spelling

[Hutzpa]

23. +1

nt

[Hutzpa]

22. How do they plan to do that?

they're observing, is there any rule against observing?