Topic: Liberal Fascism
You may remember Jennifer Granholm, the comely but not too impressive former Governor of Michigan. Jen was once considered to be a rising star of the Democratic Party, but her two terms at the helm of the Wolverine State were a disappointment to say the least. Now she’s a commentator on Al Gore’s Current TV and an occasional contributor to the Huffington Post. Oh, and Granholm was born in Canada, a point of some relevance in connection with one of her recent HuffPo blog posts.
Headlined “Voter Suppression Is Treasonous,” Jen’s rant accused the GOP and conservatives of trying to disenfranchise voters by mandating such fascist measures as presentation of a valid ID at polling places. Oh, the humanity! She writes:
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu said that every battle is won before it is fought. The Republican Party wants to prevent the battle from happening at all. It's very shrewd and it's totally un-American.
In November, five million eligible voters will find it harder to exercise their rights in America—150 voter suppression laws have been introduced in 30 state legislatures across the country.
The most common tactics: requiring photo ID, restricting registration drives, limiting early voting and imposing onerous residency requirements. Who do these laws most directly affect? The poor, the elderly, minorities and the young. And how do those groups typically vote? Democratic.
Never mind that her accusations are totally over the top—despite Sun Tzu's endorsement. That’s not the best part of the story. Over at National Review Online, Greg Pollowitz read Jen’s post and, recalling that she hails from Canada, checked to see how they do it up there. Here’s what he found on the official Elections Canada website:
I'm homeless. How do I vote?
Eligible electors who are homeless or have no fixed address are welcome to register and vote.
Everyone who votes must prove their identity and address. This page lists all the types of proof of identity and address accepted at the polls.
Here are some of the ways you can prove your identity and address at the polls:
•To prove your identity (name), you can show a piece of ID with your name on it, like a fishing license, library card, social insurance card (SIN card), birth certificate or Veterans Affairs Canada Health Identification Card.
•To prove your address, you can show an official letter called an "Attestation of Residence." If you have gone to a shelter for food or lodging, you can ask the shelter administrator for this letter.
•If you don't have documents to prove your identity and address, you can take an oath and get someone you know to vouch for you. That person has to be an eligible elector in the same polling division as you, and he or she must show authorized documents that prove his or her identity and address.
For more information, please contact Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868.
Who knew that we were living right next door to a vicious, vote- suppressing fascist regime?
Oh, and Jen? The United States Constitution defines treason pretty specifically: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” (Article III, Section 3). Nothing in there about requiring prospective voters to show an ID card…