In her October 29, 2008 column “Election Protection” Amy Goodman quotes ‘veteran activist’ Harvey Wasserman, co-author of four books on elections and voter rights as saying:

“The GOP is trying to disenfranchise these 200,000 people by challenging their right to vote, asking the secretary of state here, Jennifer Brunner, to let the counties investigate and knock off the voter rolls, if they choose to, people who have minor discrepancies in their Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers. And the secretary of state has rightfully showed that many of these mistakes come from typographical errors when the numbers are entered in at the agencies.”

Then again, Amy, maybe the GOP is trying to ensure that those who vote are legally permitted to do so.  Just what is a minor discrepancy in a social security or driver’s license number?  If the voter provides a nine digit number in the familiar XXX-XX-XXXX sequence and all the X’s are between 0 and 9 is that close enough?  If they have a driver’s license or sheriff’s ID and the numbers don’t happen to match their voter application, just chalk it up to “typographical errors”? 

You see disenfranchised voters; I see voter fraud. 

The issue is far too important to let us ‘agree to disagree’.

If you think the 2000 or 2004 elections were a travesty of justice what happens when the results on Nov 4 are overturned because of massive voter fraud?

Groups like Acorn and media sympathizers such as yourself are making a mockery of our electoral system.

A picture ID is hardly a burden when imposed to ensure fair, free and valid elections.