The latest big lie from Mitt Romney is a false claim that Obama is suing to prevent members of the military from voting early in Ohio. USA Today reported what the suit is really about:
Rob Diamond, director of veterans and military family voting for the Obama campaign, said Romney is fabricating his claim: “The Obama campaign filed a lawsuit to make sure every Ohioan, including military members and their families, has early voting rights over the last weekend prior to the election.”
Obama political adviser David Axelrod, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said Romney’s claims are “false and misleading,” and that the lawsuit is about “whether the rest of Ohio should have the same right” to early voting as members of the military.
“I think it’s shameful that Governor Romney would hide behind our servicemen and women to try and win a lawsuit to deprive other Ohioans of the right to vote,” Axelrod said.
It was believed after the 2004 election that an insufficient number of voting machines led to long lines in Democratic areas, suppressing the vote, and that if not for this problem Kerry might have beat Bush. It is therefore obviously in the interest of the Obama campaign to do everything possible to facilitate voting in Ohio.
While Fox is running this with a misleading title and some misinformation, they at least are including the facts of this case:
Top Obama campaign officials told Fox News in interviews that the lawsuit in no way tries to restrict the voting rights of military members. All they are trying to do is even the playing field for all voters in Ohio by allowing early voting up until Monday for everyone, including members of the military, because they believe a two-tiered, early-voting process is unfair.
Here is what the complaint actually says:
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs request of this Court the following equitable relief:
A. An order declaring that lines 863 and 864 of Sec. 3509.03(I) in HB 224, which amended Ohio Revised Code § 3509.03 by changing the deadline for in-person early voting from the close of business on the day before Election Day to 6 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day, and the SB 295 enactment of Ohio Revised Code § 3509.03 with the HB 224 amendments, violate the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution;
B. A preliminary and permanent order prohibiting the Defendants, their respective agents, servants, employees, attorneys, successors, and all persons acting in concert with each or any of them, from implementing or enforcing lines 863 and 864 of Sec. 3509.03 (I) in HB 224, and/or the SB 295 enactment of Ohio Revised Code § 3509.03 with the HB 224 amendments, thereby restoring in-person early voting on the three days immediately preceding Election Day for all eligible Ohio voter
Nowhere does Obama try to take rights away from military personnel.
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.
It has been the tactic of the Republicans, not the Democrats, to attempt to suppress the vote, contrary to the interests of a democratic system of government. It is also damaging to democracy for one party to concentrate on misinforming the public while avoiding discussion of the actual issues while campaigning. This is just one in a long list of Romney lies–a much longer list of Romney’s lies can be seen here.
