The idea of asking United Nations monitors to observe the 2004 presidential election, a proposal embraced by some Bay Area Democratic House members, was rejected in a House debate so heated that one member was disciplined for her rhetoric.Only 33 Democrats agreed that federal funds should not be used to invite UN twinkies to observe our elections.
By a 243-161 vote, the House passed an amendment Thursday to the $19.4 billion foreign operations appropriations bill that would ban using federal funds to request U.N. monitors.
But wait, it gets better:
The highly partisan issue, a direct outgrowth of President Bush's disputed, razor-thin 2000 victory in Florida, reflects a continuing move by liberal organizations to enlist lawyers and other observers for the 2004 election to prevent a repeat of what they say was the huge disenfranchisement of minority voters in many states four years ago.Of course, it's a complete fairy tale, but that doesn't stop the Kool-Aid drinkers from constantly repeating it.
Republicans rejected the charge that the party manipulated the vote four years ago in Florida, pointing out that most of the counties where the biggest problems were reported were in the hands of Democratic election officials. They also say that Congress and the president have created the Election Assistance Commission and set aside $3 billion to help states modernize their elections and make sure every vote is counted.
Skipping some of the garden variety bloviations we get to the scummiest:
But Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., brought proceedings to a temporary halt when she accused Buyer and other Republicans of conspiring to steal the 2000 election from then-Vice President Al Gore.She's nuts, but they'll stand by her. Must be some powerful Kool-Aid.
"I come from Florida, where you and others participated in what I call the United States coup d'etat. We need to make sure that it does not happen again. Over and over again, after the election, when you stole the election, you came back here and said, 'Get over it.' ''
At that point, Republicans asked that Brown's words be "taken down,'' a parliamentary request for her to be ruled out of order and forbidden from speaking on the floor for the rest of the day. The Republican in the chair, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ruled her out of order.
"Members should not accuse other members of committing a crime such as, quote, stealing, end quote, an election," Thornberry ruled.
Brown appealed, and Buyer moved to table her move, entailing a roll call vote on the request to rule Brown out of order.
The Republicans won, in a party line vote 219-187.
