Secretary Peake actively opposed attempts to force the VA to provide voter registration opportunities under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, a decision that Senator Kerry characterized as being "without any legal basis or rational explanation." The odd excuse that providing voter registration would distract from the medical goals of the VA hospitals is counterproductive according to Scott Rafferty, a veteran voting rights attorney, who claims that VA facilities have been used for university libraries, parks, and even "pro-Republican demonstrations" as well as partisan voter registration drives. (One assumes it depends on which partisan viewpoint it is which does not distract from medical treatment).
As it happens, The United States is "unique in putting the responsibility on the individual, not the state, to register voters," says Project Vote Deputy Director Michael Slater. "Today 63 million Americans, about a third of eligible voting age population, are not registered to vote... when we try to shift the onus from the individual to the state we see reluctance--- and the VA is one example... It is likely that former soldiers seeking care at VA facilities will lose their right to vote in 2008."
Such obstructionism is regarded by Senators Feinstein and Kerry as an "insult to those who have fought to spread democracy and freedom overseas" yet are "denied the right to participate in their own democracy here at home." The Senators first wrote the VA in 2007, and did not receive the courtesy of a reply; at least in 2008, Peake did make a rather evasive response which basically stonewalled any questions. It is unlikely that the Senators can get legislation creating a veterans' voter assistance program passed (and signed by the President) in time to enable these veterans to vote in November.
Once more we see the hidden contempt the Bush Administration has for the young men and women it has so cavalierly sent to war, once their "usefulness" is compromised by being wounded and injured in that war. Then there is the disdain shown for the legislative branch (not even responding to a letter from two Senators?), as well as one more piece of evidence that Republicans are doing everything they can to restrict voting and reduce turnout across the board. The irony is very heavy here: citizens who have fought for democracy and our freedoms are deliberately being denied the exercise of the basic democratic rights for which they fought. Just why do you suppose Republicans do not want patriotic veterans to vote?
Based on a 25 April 2008 Project Vote article by Erin Ferns, http://www.opednews.com/articl...
UPDATE 4/26/08: Gulf War veteran Paul Sullivan, formerly of Fairfax, now with Veterans for Common Sense, sent the following:
Veterans Advocates Dismayed
"During a time of war, our Nation has a special and sacred duty to assist our fellow citizens who have defended our Constitution with their lives - our military veterans -- with registering to vote and with voting," said Paul Sullivan, Veterans for Common Sense executive director. "We encourage VA to allow non-partisan voter registration drives at VA facilities so that as many veterans as possible can actively participate in our democracy -- we owe our veterans no less for standing between a bullet and our Constitution."
Sullivan said that third-party groups could help the VA with voter registration.
"Reasonable steps should be taken by VA and non-partisan voter registration groups so that such activities do not interfere with the delivery of services, while at the same time protecting our veterans' rights to register and to vote," he said. "Hopefully, in 2008, America will see record voter registration and voter turnout, especially from our veterans, and most especially from our wounded, injured, ill, and disabled veterans in VA facilities."
Remember how, in the 2000 election, the Pentagon flew in a plane loaded with (late) absentee ballots to Tampa, FL, and insisted they be counted? Compare the attitude then and now--- perhaps the absentee ballots were known to be from Republican-oriented higher ranks, and the registration of lower-ranking hospitalized veterans after 5 years of war just might be suspected of being, er, Democratic?
Years later (2002) when I was working as a contractor for a Navy command at Crystal City after I retired from 38 years civil service, an NCO assigned by our Admiral to assist military members with registration and absentee voting in their home states asked me to help him with the registration/absentee voting drive. Both the NCO and the Admiral (both of whom had always voted Republican) knew that I was a Democrat and strongly opposed Bush. But the NCO and our Admiral considered my knowledge gained from decades of experience made me a strong asset to the team. They felt that my 38 years working under Hatch Act restrictions was especially valuable assurance to them of my understanding and acceptance of the prohibition against partisan activites on government property. Again, they were well aware of Navy Regs. that required them to allow and encourage registration and voting assistance to all military members in the command.
Personally, I believe that Congress should demand the immediate resignation of all government offcials involved in the denial of service members' right to registration and absentee voting assistance. Even more importantly and even more urgently, though, I believe these dishonorable actions should be right at the top of the Articles of Impeachments. This sorry excuse for a President must be held accountable for his war crimes and immoral treatment of U.S. troops.
T.C.
The impunity with which the Bushies flout law and oversight, and continue blandly to do as they please even after being exposed is alarming.