Jack & Jill Politics

I have stumbled upon a truly amazing statement in the Herald Tribune of southwest Florida:

Negron said “citizens have a right to know who they’re voting for,” and added that he was “disappointed” to hear of Anderson’s decision.

He didn’t rule out a legal challenge.

“The election needs to be uniform in all of the counties,” Negron said.

A brief explanation:

Negron is Florida State Rep Joe Negron, the unfortunate soul who has to try and replace Republican Mark Foley in Florida ballot’s for this November’s elections.

Foley, of course, is the chief child abuser and hypocrite who not only harassed young Congressional pages, but committed the ultimate GOP sin of being gay (at least he wasn’t black).

The rule in Florida is that Foley’s name stays on the ballot even though he resigned.

seven of the eight election supervisors in the 16th Congressional District reluctantly agreed to post signs near each poll’s sign-in sheet telling voters that a vote for Foley would count for his replacement as the Republican candidate, state Rep. Joe Negron

Anderson is Palm Beach County Supervisor Arthur Anderson, the eighth supervisor of the crew above who said that “telling voters about the change is the Republican Party’s job, not his.”

Kudos to Anderson and boo-dos to Negron, unless he’s serious.

I recently heard the story of an election monitor in Philadelphia who witnessed Republicans actually steal ballots in the 2004 election. Ohio is notorious as well. And we’ve heard about intentional undersupplying of voting machines in Democratic-leaning, black neighborhoods.

If Negron is sincerely for uniform and fair elections, then maybe the people of Florida ought to vote Foley after all.