Republicans are brazenly flaunting a criminal plot

Source: Raw Story · Bias: Far Left

Summary

“A free election is one where those in power have enough doubt about the outcome to make it worth rigging.” — Sen. Eugene McCarthy.There was a time, not long ago, when most politicians did all they could to ensure the public was kept blind to immoral, illegal, or questionable behavior. They closed their deals in smoke-filled rooms, collected their bribes, stuffed their pockets with cash, all out of the public eye.Those days are a distant memory, replaced by politicians who flaunt their criminality, boast openly, lie, cheat, and demand that no one holds them accountable. Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump lead a party that has spent decades spreading lies, misinformation, disinformation, and half-truths to advance their agenda around voter suppression, voter subversion, and the outright theft of certain Americans’ constitutional rights.Republicans continue to argue they have had to impose tough voter-ID measures to prevent what they describe as widespread voter fraud. But the real reason is that they would be beaten around the head and face if they ran solely on the issues.Trump said as much in 2020, when during a Fox & Friends interview he observed: “The things they had in there were crazy,” referring to voter protection and expansion proposals in a bill under consideration. “They had things — levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”This is larceny dressed up as concern about nefarious characters meddling with America’s elections. But the MAGA Republican fixation on election malfeasance has no basis in reality. Republicans have created a solution in search of a problem.Barrage of pressureLast year, Florida found 198 “likely noncitizens who illegally registered and/or voted” in the state out of the more than 13 million people on its voter rolls, according to a report from the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security. The office referred 170 of them to law enforcement.However, the Brennan Center for Justice cites a Loyola University School of Law study of voting patterns between 2000 and 2014 that found only 31 credible instances of voter fraud out of 1 billion votes cast. But the 24 states with voter ID and other restrictive laws are realizing their desired result of diminishing African American turnout.Which is why DeSantis, Trump, and MAGA influencers have ratcheted up their well-oiled voter suppression and election interference apparatus with the 2026 midterms on the horizon. The SAVE America Act working its way through Congress is a Republican Trojan horse designed to engineer an election power grab and critically undermine voting rights.“For months, we have warned of a drive by President Trump and his administration to undermine the 2026 election. It is unprecedented, outlandish. Now Trump himself is blaring his intent — and over the past week, the public issue has exploded,” Brennan analysts reported on Feb. 10.“Make no mistake: The SAVE Act would stop millions of American citizens from voting. It would be the most restrictive voting bill ever passed by Congress. It is Trump’s power grab in legislative garb.”In Congress, U.S. Sen John Thune has weathered what is described as “a barrage of pressure to change the rules and install a ‘talking filibuster’” but has so far resisted.“It’s time for Thune to grow a set of balls,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, said in response. “Nuke the filibuster, pass all this stuff and pass Trump’s executive orders.”SAVE FloridaTrump has mused openly about seizing states’ control of elections and nationalizing the process to ensure that he and his MAGA cronies can game the process. But this type of barefaced ambush must bear the imprimatur of law. For his part, DeSantis and the Republican-dominated Legislature have acceded to Trump’s wishes and have brought Florida onboard with more legislative legerdemain.During the recently concluded legislative session, Florida Republicans passed the state’s version of the SAVE America Act. In Congress, the Senate on March 17 began “a marathon” debate. Despite mounting pressure from MAGA supporters, it is unclear whether the bill reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions will pass.GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBEThe Florida bill, which DeSantis signed Wednesday, could disenfranchise millions of voters by putting in place a new set of barriers. Voters would be required to prove their citizenship, while the bill would disqualify student IDs as acceptable forms of voter identification.Meanwhile, the voter registration applicants’ citizenship status must be verified by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Until that happens, applicants will be registered as unverified voters and must cast provisional ballots.

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Republicans are brazenly flaunting a criminal plot
Raw Story

Republicans are brazenly flaunting a criminal plot

Far Left

“A free election is one where those in power have enough doubt about the outcome to make it worth rigging.” — Sen. Eugene McCarthy.There was a time, not long ago, when most politicians did all they could to ensure the public was kept blind to immoral, illegal, or questionable behavior. They closed their deals in smoke-filled rooms, collected their bribes, stuffed their pockets with cash, all out of the public eye.Those days are a distant memory, replaced by politicians who flaunt their criminality, boast openly, lie, cheat, and demand that no one holds them accountable. Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump lead a party that has spent decades spreading lies, misinformation, disinformation, and half-truths to advance their agenda around voter suppression, voter subversion, and the outright theft of certain Americans’ constitutional rights.Republicans continue to argue they have had to impose tough voter-ID measures to prevent what they describe as widespread voter fraud. But the real reason is that they would be beaten around the head and face if they ran solely on the issues.Trump said as much in 2020, when during a Fox & Friends interview he observed: “The things they had in there were crazy,” referring to voter protection and expansion proposals in a bill under consideration. “They had things — levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”This is larceny dressed up as concern about nefarious characters meddling with America’s elections. But the MAGA Republican fixation on election malfeasance has no basis in reality. Republicans have created a solution in search of a problem.Barrage of pressureLast year, Florida found 198 “likely noncitizens who illegally registered and/or voted” in the state out of the more than 13 million people on its voter rolls, according to a report from the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security. The office referred 170 of them to law enforcement.However, the Brennan Center for Justice cites a Loyola University School of Law study of voting patterns between 2000 and 2014 that found only 31 credible instances of voter fraud out of 1 billion votes cast. But the 24 states with voter ID and other restrictive laws are realizing their desired result of diminishing African American turnout.Which is why DeSantis, Trump, and MAGA influencers have ratcheted up their well-oiled voter suppression and election interference apparatus with the 2026 midterms on the horizon. The SAVE America Act working its way through Congress is a Republican Trojan horse designed to engineer an election power grab and critically undermine voting rights.“For months, we have warned of a drive by President Trump and his administration to undermine the 2026 election. It is unprecedented, outlandish. Now Trump himself is blaring his intent — and over the past week, the public issue has exploded,” Brennan analysts reported on Feb. 10.“Make no mistake: The SAVE Act would stop millions of American citizens from voting. It would be the most restrictive voting bill ever passed by Congress. It is Trump’s power grab in legislative garb.”In Congress, U.S. Sen John Thune has weathered what is described as “a barrage of pressure to change the rules and install a ‘talking filibuster’” but has so far resisted.“It’s time for Thune to grow a set of balls,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, said in response. “Nuke the filibuster, pass all this stuff and pass Trump’s executive orders.”SAVE FloridaTrump has mused openly about seizing states’ control of elections and nationalizing the process to ensure that he and his MAGA cronies can game the process. But this type of barefaced ambush must bear the imprimatur of law. For his part, DeSantis and the Republican-dominated Legislature have acceded to Trump’s wishes and have brought Florida onboard with more legislative legerdemain.During the recently concluded legislative session, Florida Republicans passed the state’s version of the SAVE America Act. In Congress, the Senate on March 17 began “a marathon” debate. Despite mounting pressure from MAGA supporters, it is unclear whether the bill reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions will pass.GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBEThe Florida bill, which DeSantis signed Wednesday, could disenfranchise millions of voters by putting in place a new set of barriers. Voters would be required to prove their citizenship, while the bill would disqualify student IDs as acceptable forms of voter identification.Meanwhile, the voter registration applicants’ citizenship status must be verified by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Until that happens, applicants will be registered as unverified voters and must cast provisional ballots.

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