Comments on: There there, little boys 'n girlz, Daddy Ashcroft knows best

There there, little boys 'n girlz, Daddy Ashcroft knows best

troutfishing — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 10:30:05 -0800

- Bush Adm. sues to give Ashcroft authority over voting disputes under the HAVA Act. "...Bush administration lawyers argued....that only the Justice Department, and not voters themselves, may sue to enforce the voting rights set out in the Help America Vote Act.....would reverse decades of precedent..... Since the civil rights era of the 1960s, individuals have gone to federal court to enforce their right to vote.....in legal briefs filed in connection with cases in Ohio, Michigan and Florida, the administration's lawyers argue that the new law gives Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft the exclusive power to bring lawsuits to enforce its provisions." I'm reminded of Andrew Card's September 1, 2004 comment "that President Bush views America as a ''10-year-old child" in need of the sort of protection provided by a parent."

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 10:34:56 -0800

They don't believe in voting rights, or any rights for us citizens, at all, do they? We all know that Ashcroft would be completely and thoroughly partisan, and disregard established law entirely, if he was the sole authority. I guess that's their strategy for 2004? Not the Supreme Court again, but the AG? It's just un-American, and sickening.

By: JollyWanker

JollyWanker — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 10:41:56 -0800

'm reminded of Andrew Card's September 1, 2004 comment "that President Bush views America as a ''10-year-old child" in need of the sort of protection provided by a parent." I'm reminded of it as well, tf, but with all due respect, I think that's bullshit. Bush doesn't really think of Americans as ten year olds, rather he demonstrates the same failing that many some unintelligent people I know demonstrate: they, annoyingly or amusingly, depending on your tolerance for these sort of people, assume everybody else is stupider than they are. Bush is, I'm sure, constantly being told that he's smart and capable and committed by sycophants, handlers and opportunists around him; anyone with eyes, ears and a reasonable capacity for analysis will quickly determine that's not the case. To paraphrase the Ancient Chinese Wise One, he's the fool that doesn't know he's a fool - the most dangerous men of all.

By: Trik

Trik — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 10:56:09 -0800

What 10 year old is well off with a moron or an idiot as a parent.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 10:58:49 -0800

Jolly Wanker - you know, I was just quoting Andrew Card. But in regards to "To paraphrase the Ancient Chinese Wise One, he's the fool that doesn't know he's a fool - the most dangerous men of all." : I think that's quite consistent with the possibility that Bush thinks of America (note : Card said "America", not "Americans") as a ten year old in need of guidance. That seems possible to me. That's the way Bush behaves : arrogantly paternalistic.

By: rafter

rafter — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:01:39 -0800

(I won't compare Bush to Hitler, I won't compare Bush to Hitler, I won't compare Bush to Hitler....)

By: 2sheets

2sheets — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:11:54 -0800

I guess our remaining option will be armed insurrection.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:31:50 -0800

2sheets - Well, I wouldn't go that far..... that's a court of last resort. There are armies of lawyers mobilized by the Dems to slug things out. It may be a long battle.

By: sic

sic — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 11:32:00 -0800

Troutfishing, I am praying that Bush loses the election in three days and fades from the international scene so that you can finally get a good night's sleep. It's hard work. . . cheers.

By: four panels

four panels — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 12:07:00 -0800

Measures how a society ranks on a spectrum stretching from democracy to despotism. Explains how societies and nations can be measured by the degree that power is concentrated and respect for the individual is restricted. Where does your community, state and nation stand on these scales?

By: The God Complex

The God Complex — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 13:45:21 -0800

Whatever man. After they lose they can enjoy a $1000 Sundae at Serendipity in New York.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:18:38 -0800

2sheets ... i'm afraid you're right ... if we can't sue the government for our voting rights, then what recourse do we have if we are deprived? ... and why should we regard that government as legitimate? disenfranchise the people and you de-legitimize the government ... let's hope that some sanity prevails

By: Hildegarde

Hildegarde — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:35:33 -0800

At what point do we send in the UN to fix this so-called democracy?

By: eustacescrubb

eustacescrubb — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:38:28 -0800

Dear God, I don't ask you for much, but please, please, please deliver us from George W. Bush.

By: HTuttle

HTuttle — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 16:42:48 -0800

Ignoring the deep Democrat history of voter fraud is just sticking your head up your arse.

By: Blue Stone

Blue Stone — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:05:20 -0800

By: jalexei

jalexei — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:39:08 -0800

Ignoring the deep Democrat history of voter fraud is just sticking your head up your arse. We deplore it, actually, but (for this round at least) there is nothing I've read or heard about from the Democrat side that even remotely resembles the scale and scope we're seeing from the RNC. I welcome links proving otherwise.

By: gesamtkunstwerk

gesamtkunstwerk — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 19:15:17 -0800

I keep thinking, now they've gone too far-- the media, voters will have to take notice. But a large segment just don't care. Can any Bush supporter explain to me how this is a good thing? Doesn't this concern you?

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 19:55:40 -0800

the media will take notice when it happens--after the election.

By: a3matrix

a3matrix — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:21:04 -0800

Man, Ashcroft having authority over anything is disturbing to me. He is one creepy mofo. So is Tom Ridge

By: substrate

substrate — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:35:29 -0800

Democratic voter fraud typically seems to be stacking the deck with a few deceased voters so the effect is to water down peoples vote. The Republican approach to voter fraud is to keep certain people from voting. They correlate skin colour to income brackets and use the realization that the lower income brackets tend to vote Democratic and so suppress their vote. They do this through misinformation usually. Both are illegal and immoral but I find using racial profiling to determine who's voting rights should be targeted more insidious. I'd rather see a few people who shouldn't vote cast votes than a few people who should've been allowed to prevented from voting. It's sort of like the law. Yeah, sometimes due process sucks and the bad guys get away with murder but it's better than the alternative.

By: Space Coyote

Space Coyote — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:55:24 -0800

Can any Bush supporter explain to me how this is a good thing? Apparently "but .. but .. but .. the other guy's have done it too! It's our turn now!" is good enough for some.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:56:11 -0800

"Ignoring the deep Democrat history of voter fraud is just sticking your head up your arse." (posted by HTuttle at 4:42 PM PST on October 30) - HTuttle, who's ignoring history? - Nobody, but I'm talking about the present.....where we are now. Run the clock further back, and the Republican Party was the party of Lincoln, sure. But that's irrelevant to the issue at hand.

By: nofundy

nofundy — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 04:51:47 -0800

Hard to imagine today that the rePublican party was once the defenders of civil rights. Right up until segregation and Jim Crow was outlawed. Then it got too close and personal and uncomfortable when the servants could use the front door and actually vote.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 05:19:15 -0800

Yeah. I'd love to take a poll - even here on thoughtful, intellectual Metafilter : "Do you know what the term 'Yellow Dog Democrat' refers to?"

By: mecran01

mecran01 — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 06:38:04 -0800

Does anyone else just want to go to bed for a week until the election has been decided again by the Supreme Court?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:15:30 -0800

"that President Bush views America as a ''10-year-old child" This goes to the heart of what scares me most about GW Bush. I've lived under plenty of presidents I've disagreed strongly with (Reagan, Bush, Sr.) but I always considered them competent statesmen. I never feared that their sheer cluelessness could lead to disaster. With W, I worry about that a lot.

By: Danf

Danf — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:24:50 -0800

2sheets. . as valid as your first comment is. . well I would have a caution about uttering stuff like that. . .unless you are not worried about a knock on your door in the night and a free trip to gitmo. . .

By: dejah420

dejah420 — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:36:20 -0800

"Do you know what the term 'Yellow Dog Democrat' refers to?" Well, I do, but I've grown up (mostly) in the American Deep South. It's a particularly regional usage that, it is my belief, dates back to Reconstruction, post Civil War. William Safire, in his book New Political Dictionary claims the origin as the 1928 Presidential election. But I'm fairly sure I've seen the phrase in pamphlets from the 1870s that were circulated around an election. But without access to a good political library, I'm not absolutely positive...it's possible I'm confusing the timelines between "brass collar Democrats" and "yellow dog Democrats". As to this incredibly transparent grab for power by the Bush Regime, I'm no longer surprised by anything they do. Anxious, upset, bothered, but not surprised. Hopefully, some "activist" judge will slap them down for being the little theocratic fascist-wannabes that they are.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 15:15:44 -0800

asshole (flash, i think)