We’ve all grown accustomed to politicians distorting the truth, especially when it comes to discussing the actions and positions of their opponents, but this lie from Romney is about as blatant and outrageous as I’ve ever seen. From Romney’s Facebook page:
President Obama’s lawsuit claiming it is unconstitutional for Ohio to allow servicemen and women extended early voting privileges during the state’s early voting period is an outrage. The brave men and women of our military make tremendous sacrifices to protect and defend our freedoms, and we should do everything we can to protect their fundamental right to vote. I stand with the fifteen military groups that are defending the rights of military voters, and if I’m entrusted to be the commander-in-chief, I’ll work to protect the voting rights of our military, not undermine them.
This is an absolute, incontrovertible lie. Ohio has had early voting since 2005; people could show up and cast their vote for three days leading up to election day. But the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature changed that so that only members of the military can vote early. The Obama campaign filed suit against the new law because it treats different groups differently without a rational justification (having special rules for absentee voting by military members overseas makes sense, but this deals with in-person early voting). And that lawsuit does not seek to do away with early voting for the military, it seeks to allow everyone to vote early.
Since 2005, hundreds of thousands of Ohio residents have voted early. That increases participation and reduces the congestion on election day, which was a serious problem in 2004 in that state (that’s what prompted the law to allow early voting). What the lawsuit seeks is clearly stated in the complaint:
Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment, preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction prohibiting Defendants from implementing or enforcing the HB 224 and SB 295 changes to Ohio Rev. Code § 3509.03, thereby restoring in-person absentee voting on the three days immediately preceding Election Day for all Ohio voters.
The partisan liars at Breitbart.com are all over it, claiming that the lawsuit is “intended to disenfranchise some unknown number of military voters.” This isn’t just a lie, it’s slanderous. It seeks to falsely portray Obama as trying to keep members of the military from voting. It’s just plain disgusting. And the media should damn well call Romney out for it.
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Randomfactor
August 8, 2012 at 11:40 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Journalism died decades ago in America. Lying about your opponent no longer carries any downside.
zmidponk
August 8, 2012 at 11:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
You’re forgetting Hanlon’s Razor. It’s possible Romney isn’t lying about Obama’s suit, he’s just too stupid to properly understand it.
machintelligence
August 8, 2012 at 11:52 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This deliberate mischaracterization to miss the point is becoming so prevalent with the Republicans that I wonder if it is time to give them a dose of their own medicine. Actually, it has already started: Colorado Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has accused Mitt Romney of paying no taxes for 10 years. When asked to explain how he knew this to be true, he explained that he was not certain, but had seen no evidence that Romney had paid taxes. Sauce for the goose…
Jordan Genso
August 8, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It’s retribution for Mitt Romney claiming that Harry Reid is a Senator from Nevada.
Pieter B, FCD
August 8, 2012 at 12:27 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is just another in the list of outrageous lies about Obama that have received little note amongst the chattering classes, but Harry Reid’s prod for more financial disclosure from Willard Romney has provoked howls of outrage and cries of McCarthyism. Michelle Bachmann’s McCarthy-like accusations of Islamist infiltration are met with shrugs. Liberal media, my ass.
d cwilson
August 8, 2012 at 2:51 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Not a chance. Mitt is many things: Awkward, full of verbal ticks, dishonest, weird, and maybe even slightly sociopathic, but he’s not stupid.
He knows. He just doesn’t give a shit.
YankeeCynic
August 8, 2012 at 3:34 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’m an Ohio resident (so long as I’m on active duty Ohio will consider me a resident), and I’m planing to take full advantage of Ohio’s early voting while I’m living overseas in November. Since it means I’ll be able to vote, I’m grateful that such a provision will remain intact at least for me. But everyone in Ohio deserves to be able to do the same, regardless of military service.
Also, Breitbart.com says something intellectually dishonest and morally reprehensible? Alert the media.
peejaybee
August 8, 2012 at 3:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hey, Ed, someone pointed out to me that there is still early voting for civilians in Ohio, just not in the three days before the election.
It doesn’t change the point of the post at all, but you know how some folks will take one inaccurate fact as license to disregard the whole thing.
dan4
August 8, 2012 at 8:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is like claiming that lawsuits against interracial marriage bans will disenfranchise people of the same skin color who want to marry.
Crudely Wrott
August 9, 2012 at 12:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
How does this differ from my service? I’ve built houses, stores and banks* the value of which far exceeds the compensation I received for my labors. While I honor the sacrifice of my brothers and sisters who volunteered for dangerous service, I must ask why their efforts are more important than mine and those who labored alongside of me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the labor of a soldier increase the net worth of my country (I was born five and a half years after the second world war and have always regarded with awe what my country’s people did then and in the years following; they did increase our collective net worth, no question about it). Then as now each day there are folks that sacrifice their strength and their bodies to lift the loads that produce the edifice that services all citizens as well as the military establishment in a tangible and bankable way. Surely we all deserve the same accommodation when it comes to access to the voting booth. WTF, Mitt?
Mr. Romney has led a privileged life and I doubt that he has ever been troubled by callouses. What excuse does he have for his soft, pink hands when placed beside my rough and scarred hands? Would anything he might say be intelligible? I doubt it. I could also beat him arm wrestling, not that that means much.
*thank you, John Prine.
Romney Breaks the Truth Meter. « Foster Disbelief
August 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] tactic in modern politics, but this is more than a distortion. This is a flat out lie. From Dispatches from the Culture Wars, although you can read about it just about anywhere: We’ve all grown accustomed to politicians [...]