Fla. Lawmaker Says 2000 Election 'Stolen'

[gldstwmn]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._florida_fight

By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Think the passions from the 2000 presidential election have cooled? Certainly not in the House, which voted Thursday to strike a Florida representative's words from the record after she said Republicans "stole" that closely fought contest.

The verbal battle broke out after Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., proposed a measure barring any federal official from requesting that the United Nations formally observe the U.S. elections on Nov. 2. His proposal was approved 243-161 as an amendment to a $19.4 billion foreign aid bill, with 33 Democrats joining all 210 voting Republicans in voting "yes."

Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and several other House Democrats have made that suggestion. They argue that some black voters were disenfranchised in 2000 and problems could occur again this fall.

"We welcome America to observe the integrity of our electoral process and we do not ask, though, for the United Nations to come as monitors at our polling stations," Buyer said.

"I come from Florida, where you and others participated in what I call the United States coup d'etat. We need to make sure it doesn't happen again," Brown said. "Over and over again after the election when you stole the election, you came back here and said, 'Get over it.' No, we're not going to get over it. And we want verification from the world."

At that point, Buyer demanded that Brown's words be "taken down," or removed the debate's permanent record.

The House's presiding officer, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ruled that Brown's words violated a House rule.

"Members should not accuse other members of committing a crime such as, quote, stealing, end quote, an election," Thornberry said.

When Brown objected to his ruling, the Republican-run House voted 219-187 along party lines to strike her words.

[dissention]

I saw that on CSPAN yesterday and was APPALLED. They treated Corrine Brown with such disrespect that I sent her an email thanking her for what she said and not to back down.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by dissention

I saw that on CSPAN yesterday and was APPALLED. They treated Corrine Brown with such disrespect that I sent her an email thanking her for what she said and not to back down.

So did I! I told her to keep saying it!

[dissention]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

So did I! I told her to keep saying it!

She is a fantastic woman from what I hear. Probably one of the few who actually does her job and represents the people who elected her.

[estranged4life]

reading about the UN monitoring the polling stations sounds odd to me, Even though I am growing ab-so-lute-ly sick about hearing about the Florida fiasco (Even after reading a book about the subject) if it will shut the people up then I am all for it.



Best quote from the Florida snafu came from a 86 yr.old Democrat from NYC, While being interviewed for the NBC Today show:

"If ya ask me I think those folks in Florida have been out in the sun too long and burnt their brains".

[Keith]

FREE CORRINE!

An elected 'by the people' representative has been silenced. What has happened to this great country?

and my heart skips a beat..

thank you, Ms. Corrine. You are a true patriot.

[Keith]

thank you Ms. Corrine Brown.. you are a true patriot.

dang red wine...

[DeeGeMe]

She didn't say anything. Nothing at all. That's what the official record shows anyway--once they had her comments stricken from the congressional record. Free country my ass. Preach to 'em Connie--tell it like it is and don't ever shut up! That's what a hero looks like. Now if we could only get about 534 more just like her in the House of Reps. . . .

[darklinensuit]

I've never understood how they can call it a record if they get to select what gets included. To me, it should be like court testimony - it all gets written down.
A little off topic, but Linda Ellerbee has some scathing words in "And So It Goes" about how the lawmakers are allowed to go back to change the record of what they said to reflect what they meant to say. Ridiculous!

- Jake

[amber]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I've never understood how they can call it a record if they get to select what gets included. To me, it should be like court testimony - it all gets written down.
A little off topic, but Linda Ellerbee has some scathing words in "And So It Goes" about how the lawmakers are allowed to go back to change the record of what they said to reflect what they meant to say. Ridiculous!

- Jake

I agree. I'm always confounded when i learn, (in my naivete) that laws and records can be changed, though they are supposed to be under the pretense of unequivocal legality. It makes me think "how, then, can we be distinguished from the fascist gov't's of earlier this century who changed their country's history, and the education of their history?" It's just so...stalin and czech republic, and hitler and propoganda - and in my mind so OBVIOUS recently in our country that I can't believe most of the population does not see through it immediately or care enough to make a huge stink - the project of consuming keeps us all very busy, just as capitalist society counts on...it's so mind boggling that i can hardly spend too much time thinking about it or learning all the details, because then i would know how truly incomprehensible the state of the world is on a cellular level...and if you think about too many details of that, well, sorrow coiuld just overtake your life...and i'm really fundamentally joyful.
anywhoo...

[Tango]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

A little off topic, but Linda Ellerbee has some scathing words in "And So It Goes" about how the lawmakers are allowed to go back to change the record of what they said to reflect what they meant to say. Ridiculous!

- Jake

I bought that book when it first came out years ago! LOVED IT! I used to watch her "Overnight" show.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by Tango

I bought that book when it first came out years ago! LOVED IT! I used to watch her "Overnight" show.

I missed Overnight (strict bedtime in those days), but And So It Goes is maybe the funniest book I've read. I have her book Move On as well, which is well written but more serious.

- Jake