Monday, August 6, 2012

Obama’s anti-military stance in Ohio

Powerline ^ | 08/05/2012 | Paul Mirengoff

Under current Ohio law, the period during which voters can cast their ballot early ends three days before the election. However, the law has an exception for members of the military. They are allowed to vote early right up until election day.

The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have filed a lawsuit to overturn this law. They argue that it is arbitrary and unconstitutional to afford special consideration, flexibility, and accommodations to military voters to make it easier for them to vote in person. In court papers, Team Obama repeatedly asserts that there is no good reason to give special flexibility to military voters.

Fifteen Ohio military groups have intervened in the lawsuit to defend the Ohio legislature’s decision to give special consideration to military members. They argue that there are valid reasons for the consideration, such as special logistical challenges faced by military personnel. And they call Obama’s position that military members should not have extra flexibility “offensive.”
Team Romney is attempting to gain political mileage from the Obama campaign’s legal position. However, Obama’s spokesmen, including David Axelrod, defend that position on the grounds that they are not attempting to deny military members the extra three days. Rather, they want to restore prior Ohio law, under which all voters could vote on those days, not just military members. And they complain that the Romney campaign is misrepresenting the Democrats’ position.
But, as noted, Team Obama’s legal position is clear from its court papers — it doesn’t believe that there is anything that justifies giving military members extra flexibility when it comes to voting. Indeed, it finds the contrary, pro-military view so weak as to render unconstitutional the special consideration granted to military members.
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