Count every vote?

From the party that nearly coined the mantra, “COUNT EVERY VOTE!” back in the 2000 elections, comes a message to democrat voters in Michigan and Florida:

Pound sand.

On Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, released a joint statement, urging the national parties to “seat our delegates.”

“The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy,” the governors said. Given the record turnout in this primary season, “it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans. It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions,” Granholm and Crist said.

No

The Democratic National Committee sent a pointed message to Florida and Michigan on Wednesday:

“We’re glad to hear that the Governors of Michigan and Florida are willing to lend their weight to help resolve this issue,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said in a news release.
“As we’ve said all along, we strongly encourage the Michigan and Florida state parties to follow the rules, so today’s public overtures are good news.”

But the answer is no, Dean continued: “The Democratic Nominee will be determined in accordance with party rules, and out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game.”

So the Democrats have in effect disenfranchised the vote of laid-off auto workers in Detroit, not to mention senior citizens and Latinos in Florida.

How magnanimous of the DNC.

But one must remember, disenfranchisement of the voters is nothing new in the liberal democrat playbook. Remember,

Disenfranchising the Military

Gore talks of “unity.” But now we learn the Clinton-Gore administration didn’t want any soldiers to vote on base.

Basking in his Florida Supreme Court victory last night, Al Gore waxed high-minded. “Both Gov. Bush and I should urge all our supporters to refrain from any comments . . . that could make it harder for us to come together as one nation when the process is completed,” he declared in a speech at his residence, delivered just in time for the 11 o’clock news on the East Coast.

But what about the actions of Mr. Gore’s supporters? Down in Florida, in a concerted effort to trim George W. Bush’s margin of victory, they challenged a great many overseas absentee ballots, many of which come from military members. County canvassers disqualified a total of 1,527 ballots from overseas, according to an Associated Press report–more than 40% of the total. What could be more divisive than disfranchising Americans who are risking their lives to defend their country?

For decades now, the DNC and the ilk of their leadership have loved to masquerade as a voice for “the common man;” but the dirty little secret remains– there is a clear pattern of and a marked willingness to throw the common man under the bus when it suits their agenda. From the many democrats who refused to vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (a much-higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats voted for the measure), to the “bimbo eruption patrols” during the Clinton administration that denied civil rights and due process to Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broderick; to their willingness to trample on personal property rights and parental rights to push an agenda or further a special interest, the Democrats have proven time and time again that they care for the common man to much the same degree that Ted Bundy cared about his dates.

Count. Every. Vote.

Oh Really?

In reality, the DNC’s decision to disenfranchise rank-and-file voters in Michigan and Florida, just to smite the leadership of their respective state parties, was a tactical error from day one. As a result, the DNC and their respective endorsed candidates have left themselves wide open for a beating by Republicans just as sure as if Howard Dean stepped in the ring, handcuffed and blindfolded, against Mike Tyson.

Fish in a barrel, my friends. Fish in a barrel.