The Legitimacy of our Government Depends on the Legitimacy of the Vote

The Legitimacy of our Government Depends on the Legitimacy of the Vote
House Chamber, Washington, D.C.
January 20, 2010

Mr. Speaker:

I never thought I would see the day when a commentator entrusted by a major broadcast network with the ability to reach millions of listeners would use his influence to incite voter fraud, but this week we passed that unfortunate milestone.

On Friday the 15th, MSNBC commentator Ed Schultz told his nationally syndicated radio audience: I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts Id try to vote ten times. I dont know if theyd let me or not, but Id try to. Yeah, thats right. Id cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. This could be dismissed as an unfortunate verbal excess brought on by the passion of the moment, except for the fact that when given the opportunity to retract the statement, Mr. Schultz embellished it in a way that makes it crystal clear that his words were deliberate and calculated. He said, I misspoke on Friday. Im sorry. Im sorry. I meant to say, if I could vote 20 times thats what Id do. Later he said, Let me be very clear Im not advocating voter fraud, Im just telling you what I would do.

Mr. Speaker, exactly how does one not advocate voter fraud when three times on national broadcasts you say thats what you would do?

This can only be interpreted as incitement to commit voter fraud in a pivotal election in the course of our nation. As such, it strikes at the very foundation of our democratic traditions and our constitutional institutions. In every election -- win, lose or draw -- it is of utmost importance that the vote be fair, that it be accurate, and that it has the confidence of every citizen both those in the majority and those in the minority. If we cannot trust the sanctity of the vote, we have destroyed the legitimacy of that vote and with it the legitimacy of our government.

All of our governing institutions and all of their acts rest upon a single foundation: fair and free elections which guarantee that those who exercise authority under our Constitution do so deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

It is this principle that Mr. Schultz has sought to desecrate and demean. His statements excusing voter fraud weaken the single most important mechanism of our democracy and undermine our form of government.

His words deserve indeed, they demand the contempt and condemnation of every American. And they deserve immediate action by those who have accorded him his broadcast platforms and whose silence and inaction thus far can only be described as a disgrace.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Tom McClintock
• Voter Fraud
• Ed Shultz
• Scott Brown

[bf4594]

When I went to see Rep. McClintock the other day, having preconceived notions on what I would find and was pleasantly surprised. I did not find a Republican "tool" but rather an articulate individual, concerned for his country and trying to make a difference. FYI, he gave Pres. Clinton credit for the only positive budget ( last 4 years) out of the previous 40 years. He then went on to slam the spending of Pres. Bush. As you can imagine, he is not happy with President Obama's spending direction.

[scuzzydirtbag]

Ed Schulz is an idiot.

[Pupthepony]

What a waste of the House's time! Ed Shultz was not serious.

[gdement]

Agreed - he's anything but a tool.

He's one of the most independent minded and well-spoken politicians out there today.

During the primary, some critics complained that he wasn't good at making friends in the GOP. They meant it as a criticism, but to me it just means he doesn't let the party establishment control him.

He sticks to his conservative convictions, with or without the GOP. I'm sure his independence hurts his standing with party leaders, luckily he doesn't need much funding.

[olmstead4077]

this dude is a tool