POLITICS: Senator Clinton Pushes for Voting Holiday: Also Ex Felons Should Vote

Flanked by former presidential candidate John Kerry, Senator Clinton joined with several other Democrats in urging that federal election days be made a national holiday. The purpose of this would be to encourage voting. She is also pushing legislation that would allow ex-felons to vote in elections as well.



Friends of Hillary her election campaign is pushing this bill hard. It highlights a fundamental difference between the two parties. Republicans want to eliminate the possibility of voter fraud, while the Democrats seem bent on letting everybody vote eligible or not. The ex-felon voting item is just icing on the cake. So after thier election loss in which they out-raised the Republicans what are the Democrats offering? Ex Felons voting? Removing the pro abortion plank to garner votes? Opening up the balloting to anybody, citizen or not that has a pulse and can get to the polls? May be time to start looking ahead to 2012!

[edit on 2/18/05 by FredT]

[edit on 2/18/05 by FredT]

I'm really not a fan of Hillary or the Democrats, but I think these are both wonderful ideas. I also think there should be a television in every home, free advertising to ALL candidates in equal measure, and an end to corporate sponsored politics in general. A truly representative democracy, where every individual is encouraged to take part in the daily decisions affecting the country, would solve many problems we have now with corruption and graft.

Of course the American political system was designed and implimented to take power away from the mob, empower the elite, and generally remove political nitty gritty from the fore front of everyday people's lives. The American people aren't really qualified to run their own government anyway, a frightening percentage have a hard enough time remembering what the R and L on their shoes stand for.

In a way, the American people have been bred like the cows they consume. We're less of a danger to our handlers and ourselves if we accept our fate with sluggish apathy and blissful (drug induced) detachment.

I would like maybe to institute this kind of government after most people are dead. After the next great war, disease pandemic, yellowstone, whatever, then there might be a chance of success. I think we're closer to a return to paradise than ever, and it's never felt so far away.

well part of the 5th amendment says "nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" so the ex-felon part should be up to the states not congress but the holiday part i like the idea of.

No sorry, this is ridiculous. If they honestly think people aren't voting because they can't due to work (and quite frankly I don't see people not being able to vote because it's a work day) then move election day to a Saturday. Adding a holiday is moot since many companies in the private sector do not even adopt all federal holidays as it is. All it does on those days (the extraneous ones that not all companies close on since it's not mandatory to do so) is place a burden on the working parent who's children now don't have school and need to be provided for. It does guarranty that Banks, the Post Office and Schools would be closed and this is more disruptive than making a stop on the way to or from work.

As for allowing felons to vote, I don't see the big deal with this after they have served their time, paid their dues and are re-established in society. Maybe a two year waiting period and they automatically become eligible again. However if it ever goes so far as allowing non-citizens to vote I will be screaming. No way!

Well, the part about ex-felons voting would surely improve her chances in 2008...

Since when can't ex-felons vote?

This is yet another backhanded arrogant leftist slap in the face of african americans. The largest single group of ex-felons is in the black community, Hillary is worried about thier inability to vote.

LOL!!!

This is great the ballot counters can have a day off as well!

That makes the whole thing easier to fix, nice one fellas!

Voting.. lol... as if they even bother counting especially if your black or hispanic!

Making electn day a federal holiday s IMHO just about the only good dea I have seen come out of the democratic party in years. However extending the right to vote to convicted felons (there is no such thing as an ex felon just as there are no ex alcoholics once you have been convicted of a felony you are a felon for life) Is just about the dumbest idea I have ever heard, it is the equivalen of allowing high school drop outs to teach university classes. A felon has shown, by thier own actions, a lack of sound judgement, a complete and utter disregard for the laws of the USA, and a willngness to hurt and victmise others for thier own self aggradisment.
Fleons should not ever be allowed to vote.

My dad had no problems voting last year,

and as long as they are American citizens they should have EVERY right to vote.

[edit on 18-2-2005 by deeprivergal]

This is the worst ignorance i have ever seen! People in here are shouting that they want felons, who have proven that they have an utter disregard for the rules of society, to have voting rights, and then claiming that it doesn't matter because if your not white your vote doesn't count. How can you have faith in one part of the system and not another? And who says that the right is racist? Does anyone remember the Boston Bus Riots? Also who was the racist party last century? Oh ya, that's right.....Democrats! Just look up what Strom Thurman and his classic filabuster that went on for over a day to stop civil rights legislation.

My opinion on felons voting rights? Let the states decide. It is their right since there is nothing in the constituion. However the federal government is using the same power to make that a part of the constitution as the power that allowed the Supreme Court to allow abortion. I feel that felons should not be allowed to vote because they are detrimental to society and would make dangerous choices for our elected officials. The officials they would vote for would change the prision and criminal justice system so it is easier for them to get out when at this point people are purposely doing crimes because our prision system is so wonderful.

Along the lines of this subject i find it funny how the Democrats are for felons getting their voting rights but are not saying a word about the loss of the right to own a gun if convicted of a felony. They don't want anyone to have a gun so you can't let felons have them but of course a vote is not as dangerous as a gun....Votes can kill more people than a gun. It's the bullets and a finger on a trigger that kill people with guns.

Maybe i am a rightist, Maybe i am a constituitionalist, however this country has been set up so that change does not come easy to our national system for one important reason :

So that politicains who want to get elected cannot go and drastically change the system because that is the flavor of the week. I am not saying that any rightist has not done this, if they did i would condemn it too, I am not the biggest fan or even a fan of the patriot act. However i feel that there are times where people should not have certain rights and this is one of them. Thank God that i have the right to say what i am in this article and the rest of you in yours. Just remember, without our constitution set up the way it is, ATS would never be allowed to exist. GOD BLESS THE USA!

Who missed this part?

She is also pushing legislation that would allow ex-felons to vote in elections as well.

EX-Felons Have paid their debt to society and have every right to vote in this country.

deeprivergrl as I have said there s no such thing as an ex felon. There are felons who have done thier time and paid thier debts, but they are still felons.

Originally posted by deeprivergal
Who missed this part?

She is also pushing legislation that would allow ex-felons to vote in elections as well.

EX-Felons Have paid their debt to society and have every right to vote in this country.

OK if they can vote then they can have GUNS............how's that.......

There are always exceptions to the rule guys. Be a little open minded. Sometimes you just have to understand why someone does what they do

No we don't. The reasons someone commits a crime are irrelevant. The fct theat they did is what matters. Though the reasons they did so may well be valid it does not change the fact that they broke the law. Once a felon always a felon.
That is not to say they can not change thier ways and become a good member f society, however thier redemption also does not alter thier earlier actions.

Until our country solves the pressing problem of non verified voting machines, that keep no record nor possibility of recount, there is no point in anything else regarding voting.

Bush cannot prove he had won the election, neither can anyone disprove anything done on those voting machines. I do not know how Chuck Hagel of Nebraska can show his face, since he ran the voting machine company there, then won the election in a State where no Republican had been elected to the Senate for many years.

Hillary is hoping they will rig the election for her in 2008 over Arnold? Hey Arnold is a done deal, the classic "Superman," or if you will "Soviet man," given the direction of politics in places such as Homeland Security that relies upon supposed "ex-KGB," people.

What a touching gesture, allowing felons to vote on machines that can be rigged either way, depending upon the next stages of ripping off your freedoms via "divide and conquer," tactics.

Oh yeah for all of this nonsense passing as government, "none dare call it treason,'" especially when it so called "succeeds."

I guess you have to live it to understand it. For the record, in my opinion, you don't have any clue as to what you are talking about.

Sorry to burst the bubble of love here, but there won't be an election in 2008. Terrorist nuke attack will happen before then, GW will become "king" for life the the aftermath.

Originally posted by deeprivergal
I guess you have to live it to understand it. For the record, in my opinion, you don't have any clue as to what you are talking about.

Deep I do have sympathy for you and (I think it was you who mentioned) your father.
However regardless of his motivaton, the extuenuating circumstances etc. What ever crime was comitted was heinous enough to garner him a felony. If I commit murder there is no justification for it, If I murder the man who murdered my wife, child etc. it may be understandable, but it still can not be justified. The same can be said if I commit armed robbery to feed my family. No matter how understandable a crime may be it is never justifiable.