State officials in Texas and Iowa have succeeded in putting the United States in the company of countries like Iran and North Korea this week after pledging to block access of international observers with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to polling places — even going as far as threatening to arrest the monitors. The actions are in direct violation with our long-standing position vis-a-vis other nations. It is a shameful position that, again, makes our country look like a hypocrites in demanding such monitoring in other countries but not allowing it in our own.
Greg Abbott, the Texas attorney general, sent a letter to the 57-member observer mission, warning that “the OSCE’s representatives are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place. It may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”
Thomas Rymer, a spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has said that the group always abides by local election laws. He correctly notes however that the denial of access to polling areas suggested by these officials, and the threats of arrest, contradict our own obligations under international law. Both Texas and Iowa officials have threatened to arrest monitors from the OSCE who come within a certain distance to the polling places. In Texas, it is 100 feet. In Iowa it is an extraordinary 300 feet.
Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz insisted that “Iowa law is very specific about who is permitted at polling places, and there is no exception for members of this group.” In the 2008 election, international OSCE election observers were turned away from polling stations in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Texas as well has having problems in areas of Colorado, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Admittedly, these monitors act under generally defined provisions but these states are undermining our ability to take such a position in the future in other countries.
Yet, lawyer and Fox News Anchor Greta Van Susteren has defended the threats against international monitors: “The election is none of their business. We ought to be able to police our own election.” Of course, that is precisely the same argument used in Iran, China, and other countries. It is another example of what is often referred to as “American Exceptionalism” that we are simply unique and above the rules that we apply to other nations.
Even though state law may be clear, it is up to the State Department to make known to the states any clear obligations under international agreements. Notably, these monitors have been in the United States after being invited in by George W. Bush — a correct and admirable decision.
Source: Politico
“Could temporary diplomatic status be conferred, to bypass the patchwork quilt of laws and attitudes?”
Seems to me that diplomatic immunity is tied to representatives of sovereign nations, not international organizations. So, my uneducated guess is that idea would be a stretch and probably not feasible.
However, I’m not sure that’s necessary from a legal standpoint. Turley says it is up to the State Department to make known to the states any clear obligations under international agreements.” So, assuming the US has entered into a treaty that provides for this particular group to go into polling places, then federal law (i.e., the treaty) would trump any state law prohibiting their presence in polling places. It’s not clear to me that there is such a treaty, however.
Even if there were, that wouldn’t prevent a clown like Abbott from making good on his threats to arrest observers in violation of Texas state law. Although they’d win in court eventually, Abbott, as I note above, is interested in the favorable publicity he’d receive from provoking a confrontation. Thus, however unsatisfying because it’s bad for our international image and moral authority whenever trying to persuade other countries to allow same or similar election monitoring, the best course here is exactly what the Obama administration and the OSCE has done–lay low and avoid a confrontation.
Abbott gets to enhance his reputation among the hard core voters who decide Republican primary elections in Texas while the US takes a hit on its international reputation and ability to influence fair elections abroad. Sad but true.
This is all about publicity. Abbott, as mentioned above, has higher political ambitions. Crapping on the UN and anything international/Europeanish is a political winner with the Limbaugh/Hannity/Beck crowd in Texas. All that matters in Texas for any statewide election is winning the Republican nomination. Thus, this stunt by Abbott is a political winner. I’m sure Abbott is hoping for some kind of confrontation, either with the Obama administration or with OSCE because it would only bring more attention to his actions and thus increase its political value to him.
Oklahoma AG just joined Texas and Iowa.
Dear Democrat,
Do you want to know what the desperation of a dying party looks like? It looks like the Republican Party of Texas borrowing tactics from post-Soviet autocrats and South African Apartheid leaders.
Republicans tried to block voting rights, and we stopped them in the courts. But they’re still attempting acts of intimidation and lies at the polls. And so the group that the U.S. co-created to monitor election fairness has come to Texas.
The OSCE first monitored elections in the United States in 2004, after the Bush Administration invited them. Yes, the Bush Administration first invited OSCE to America.
Now Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott is responding to their presence just like any corrupt dictator would. He’s threatening to arrest any election monitors who dare to make sure that our election in Texas is allowing voters fair access to the polls.
This is insane.
Republicans in Texas realize that their crazy and harmful positions put them far to the right of most Texans. And so they’re flailing about, obstructing the law, and acting like the dictators and autocrats America has always fought against.
Just when you think that Texas Republicans can’t get anymore crazed and unhinged, there they go again.
The choice between radical crazy, and what will be the future of Texas, is clear. We’re glad to have you with us on the side of sanity and progress.
Yours,
Gilberto Hinojosa
Bruce,
Nobody.
Now is the part of your script where you rant about Obama wanting to take your guns despite the fact he has done nothing of the sort in addressing the issues of gun control.
No one from either party is interested in repealing the 2nd Amendment and the whole issue is simply a straw man argument playing to the fearfully stupid.
If you’d like a legitimate reason to criticize Obama, look at his continuation and expansion of Bush Administration polices that erode your other civil rights like those found in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 14th Amendments like the “kill list” program in an effort to both oppress the public and further consolidate power into a unitary executive in contravention of the Separation of Powers Doctrine.
But no one – I repeat NO ONE – is trying to take your guns from you.
That’s a false argument based in appealing to fear and playing to the emotions of the Constitutional and legally/politically ignorant for partisan purposes.
There are far more egregious and real infringements of your civil rights being driven by both the President and the GOP to be concerned about.
Bruce,
You don’t look very gay. Thinking of changing names?
To answer you rationally is a waste of time.
Bukko,
Is your TSA nicer than the USA version?
Gene:
One of the first things the facist did was disarm the population. Who in this country wants to do that?
Bukko,
Question retracted. Followed the linkage.
Bukko Cannuko,
Wanna reveal your paradise? I’ve exposed mine almost daily as being Sweden.
P Smith:
You mean agitatorn and thugs like Jimmie Carter in Venezulea?
Justice:
You mean like the black panthers tried to do during the last presidential election?
The US doesn’t send “observers” to other countries, it sends agitators and thugs to disrupt the electoral process. It happened in Greece, it happened in England, it happened in Nicaragua, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Palestine, Iran (twice), and many other countries.
When the US “exports democracy”, it removes democracy from – or prevents democracy in – the country being harassed and molested.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/texas-an-election-model-for-autocrats/2012/10/31/00498252-239e-11e2-8448-81b1ce7d6978_story.html The Washington Post likens Abbott to Putin. He would like to become the governor of Texas, if Perry decides to retire. I guess republicans think the only way they can win is by intimidating minority and young voters. It is especially true in Texas with the rising latino population. I doubt that I will be living here when the republicans in Texas are finally thrown out of office but it will happen because the demographics are not on their side.
Buh… buh… buh… What if those OSCE observaterrrrrrrrists come in those U.N. black helicopters that are part of Agenda 21?!?
Way back when “Dr. Strangelove” came out on film, “precious bodily fluid” paranoiacs like Gen. Jack D. Ripper were the laughable lunatic fringe. Now they’re in control of many of the levers of government, and they’re doing their best to throw ’em all into reverse, no matter what the current FORWARD speed is. I’m so glad I got outta the U.S. in time. Good luck, folks back there.
Also, Greta may have the wallpaper, but much like the other nattering nitwit of newz – Nancy Grace, you’d be hard pressed to prove either of them are lawyers in anything other than a technical sense.
The downward spiral into fascism desires a cloak of secrecy that simply doesn’t work as well as it did before the Information Age. Given our government’s collective cavalier attitude about international treaties, I really don’t want to hear them whine any more when other countries ignore said treaties to our detriment. You broke it, you bought it.
Hey Greta we cannot. Your anti democratic cronies are set up to stop American citizens from voting. What the courts have stopped them from doing by legislation they will do by intimidation.
Could temporary diplomatic status be conferred, to bypass the patchwork quilt of laws and attitudes?
“State officials in Texas and Iowa have succeeded in putting the United States in the company of countries like Iran and North Korea …”
That is their job these daze.