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Will Rush Limbaugh Be Indicted for Voter Fraud?

alternet.org — As Ohio election officials investigate illegal crossover voting in the 2008 primary, questions arise on Limbaugh's role.

Who dugg this? Made popular Mar 22, 2008

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  • patpl22391, on 03/22/2008, -35/+124When Democrats vote in the Republican primaries they are 'exercizing' democracy and being courageous for voting outside their party (and don't forget that Moveon.org did the same thing). When Republicans do it they are perverting the process and screwing everything up! Tell me, who gave the Republicans McCain? Democrats and independents, so all of you need to shut up. Also for those clamoring for Clinton to get out of the race, where were you guys a couple months or so ago and why weren't you clamoring for Obama to get out of the race then considering how far behind in the polls he was. Hypocrites, all of you.
  • JoEBlack982, on 03/22/2008, -31/+99this is ***** retarded. Daily Kos did the same thing with Mitt Romney. Even if you could prove voters switched parties for malicious intent, that can't possibly be considered a crime. voters are allowed to do whatever they want in the voting booth. the end.
  • inactive, on 03/22/2008, -19/+80But what law has Rush broken? Anyone?
  • down4six, on 03/22/2008, -56/+90ummmmmmm, if the sheep in Ohio wanted to "maliciously" change parties just because someone told them too, they should be fined. Whatever happened to free will? If it was a campaign orchestrated from moveon.org, no one would of even blinked
  • Wosat, on 03/22/2008, -21/+51When libs vote in the Republican primary to kill Mitt's campaign, it's "democracy in action". When conservatives vote in the Democrat primary to keep Hilldawg's campaign alive, it's "fraud".
  • light65733, on 03/22/2008, -14/+38Let us also include prosecuting Mr. Clinton, for encouraging cross-over voting on Limbaugh's Show on election day!
  • JettaMan, on 03/22/2008, -16/+37Why is it Liberals always try to destroy a person rather than argue ideas? Democrats were allowed to vote for the Republican nomination in several states and you didn't hear Republicans whining about it.
  • lhbaker, on 03/22/2008, -5/+24The whole strategy is to prolong the process and break Obama's bank. Then, when the dust settles, McCain will announce his running mate: Joe Lieberman.
  • inactive, on 03/22/2008, -8/+27Pondering this question before casting judgment. How can there be voter fraud on one hand, and not political accountability for lying or distorting the facts and record of those running for public office. You can basically lie, cheat and steal in political campaigns to slander your opponent and not have to worry about any repercussions. Until you get honesty in political campaigns you are never going to get an honest politician.
  • WhiskeyWrites, on 03/22/2008, -14/+31I think the reason they would go after Rush is that it's much easier to make a case that he encouraged the act. It would be almost impossible to figure out what individual voters fraudulently voted in the democrat primary unless they went around telling everyone they did...
  • ColonelJessup, on 03/22/2008, -7/+24Operation CHAOS is working like a charm.................................
  • inactive, on 03/22/2008, -4/+19She didn't win in Texas. Buried for not letting the fact that you're uninformed stop you.
  • dsmyre, on 03/22/2008, -16/+29They wrote comments on their affidavits like "Only for one day!" How dumb. They deserve to be charged.
  • brent0n, on 03/22/2008, -12/+24i don't like limbaugh, but it's not a crime to vote for a candidate that you don't support. :) haven't we been voting for the lesser of two evils for ages?
  • drowningfish, on 03/22/2008, -2/+14Not in an election decided by delegates...
  • inactive, on 03/22/2008, -10/+21How is this different from Obama asking for support from Republicans? Obama is actively asking republicans to register as democrats in Pennsylvania and vote for him. Is he asking them to switch for good, or for the GE? He isn't saying so. He is only asking for their support now, for the primary. Will he ask for it Nov? We'll have to wait and see.
  • bluelightnin90, on 03/22/2008, -18/+28Rush may be a bastard, but he shouldn't be prosecuted for this. I am neither a democrat or a republican, I'm independent. There is no way I can agree with everything any one party says. I believe in personal liberties and economic freedom, with as small of a government as possible. Back to my point. Just because someone tells people to do something doesn't mean that they have to do it, it is one thing to force people to do things with a threat, but just asking somebody to do something should not be illegal. If those people decided to do something illegal, THEY themselves are responsible, not anybody who asked them to do it.
  • alacrity2005, on 03/22/2008, -1/+11why don't you check the official delegate count for texas and then get back to us about your "facts." Hint... Obama 93. Clinton 90. Now, how is that a win for Clinton?

    Way to jump in without knowing what the hell you're talking about. You fail at the internets.
  • Charlotte_Web, on 03/22/2008, -2/+12One question -- What is this knucklehead author's qualifications to be speculating on election law?
  • dagnome1984, on 03/22/2008, -5/+14False. Ian Bernard on a nationally syndicated broadcast radio show told people to register republican so they can vote for Ron Paul.
  • yfph, on 03/22/2008, -3/+12As my criminal law professor told our class last semester, "If you are Republican, go to the polls and vote for Hillary; if you are a Democrat, go to the polls vote for Romney."
  • heypetray, on 03/22/2008, -16/+25Are you Rush? *Wide Eyes*
  • SheilaNoya, on 03/22/2008, -10/+19The Republicans are out in force today. I wonder how proud they are of McCain's new campaign video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaP9eiWuX3s
  • EuphopiaB, on 03/22/2008, -6/+15Unlike asking people to commit murder, these voters could legally vote for the other party's candidates. He was inciting people to do something that is legal, so your analogies are irrelevant. Similarly, I you may not like that he says this, but I highly doubt we want the FCC regulating what people say when they break no law. Someone asking people to assassinate the president, alright, fine them; fining someone for asking people to do something that isn't illegal is just *****.
  • fluxion, on 03/22/2008, -9/+18telling people to commit perjury so they can vote for someone is the crux
  • compdude32, on 03/22/2008, -10/+19If he did what? tell people who he thinks they should vote for? Well if that is illegal then every major news orginazations leadership should be in jail right now, as well as most politically active citizens.
  • ThugThrasher, on 03/22/2008, -0/+8i'm not quite sure how it's unconstitutional. Find where in the constitution it speaks about people's rights when they are voting in primaries? I must have missed that
  • compdude32, on 03/22/2008, -12/+20Giving a political opinion and asking someone to kill someone are two majorly different things. No crime was committed by Limbaugh he gave a political opinion.
  • alextripp, on 03/22/2008, -5/+13Exactly, any time the Democrats do something its considered smart or right or whatever, but as soon as a republican does the same thing its completely wrong and they get punished. Its completely ridiculous.
  • eir574, on 03/22/2008, -1/+9You are free to vote for any candidate regardless of your political affiliation or lack thereof in the general election. Parties are not legally required to allow you to vote in their primaries, or even to hold primaries at all. Primaries are the particular method some parties have chosen to select their nominees. In the end, that doesn't have to be done democratically. You may want it to be, but you'll need to take that up with the parties themselves.
  • SpinningHead, on 03/22/2008, -2/+9He didnt say "he talked to limbaugh". He said he was "on Limbaugh's show"
  • eddielxix, on 03/22/2008, -17/+24Incitement to commit a felony. Similar to using the radio to instruct someone to go find and kill someone, to go block a military establishment, to steal things. If someone incites a person on the public airwaves to commit a crime, they have broken the law. That is why you always hear things like, "Do not try this at home" or "We aren't saying you should do this because it is illegal" in order to protect themselves. The FCC can also fine him and Premiere Broadcasting, even if he isn't jailed or fined by law enforcement.



    Doubt he will go to jail, but he could face FCC fines like Opie and Anthony when they encouraged a couple to have sex in a church which was incitement to commit a crime.
  • kingUssop, on 03/22/2008, -8/+15Anyone, be they repuke or demoncrat, should be punished by law if they broke the law here. End of story. Just goes to show you why you don't jump head first into doing something that sounds incredibly fishy...
  • chanop, on 03/22/2008, -6/+131 word, No. The rules in these states allowed for parties to cross over in these primaries. The states ***** themselves and should have realised something like this was plausible
  • inactive, on 03/22/2008, -1/+8Also in Texas, it is an open primary where you don't have to change parties to vote in the other parties primary.
  • bpb404, on 03/22/2008, -11/+18Well said
  • airburst, on 03/22/2008, -2/+9Does anyone think it's a little odd how you have to swear allegiance to a party before you have the right to vote?
  • hardwickj, on 03/22/2008, -10/+17Freedom of Speech. End of story.

    I hate the man as much as anyone, but I've always believed in the Freedom of Speech, no matter anything else. Despite FCC fines, public outcries of morality, etc. If someone wants to say something, they should have the right to say whatever the ***** they want to. This is the 5th amendment people. It's one of the primary concerns our country was FOUNDED ON.

    It is not Rush Limbaugh who is at fault here. It is the electoral system.
  • turpenine, on 03/22/2008, -4/+10no... you don't get it at all.
  • lhbaker, on 03/22/2008, -5/+11The 'sheep' in Rwanda were happy to do what the radio told them to do. Genocide ensued.
  • clickx, on 03/22/2008, -3/+9You should.
  • oldman, on 03/22/2008, -0/+6Not true! the primaries are the sole concern of the parties that put them on. This is why uyou get a Republican ballot or a Democratic Ballot but not both. (Does this mean you've never voted? Are you even a citizen?
  • MixMastaKooz, on 03/22/2008, -4/+10No, when "libs" vote in Ohio Republican primaries and lie in an affidavit that they are Republicans and swear that they support the Republican platform, then it's fraud. When "libs" voted for Mitt in Michigan, which I assume is an open primary state where no affidavit needs to be signed, it's perfectly legal. Just like no Republicans will be prosecuted in Texas for voting in the Dem primary.

    You have a false unstated premise that all primary laws are the same. Ergo, your argument is not valid.
  • heypetray, on 03/22/2008, -1/+7Okay. You DID say "Please"...

    Please give me your social security number.
  • fluxion, on 03/22/2008, -2/+8he commited voter fraud. it's in the article, just not emphasized very well.

    ""Here we have a real instance of spurring people on to engage in illegal election activities with a real intent to affect the outcome," Slater said. "That is voter fraud. People were encouraged to break the law. They had to declare allegiance to a political party and sign a document under penalty of perjury. Intent is what matters in voter fraud.""
  • defska42, on 03/22/2008, -6/+12I thought Digg was full of RP "state's rights" advocates? I'm not saying that you necessarily are one, but you are being dugg up which means their must be a conflict of interest here. The article clearly says:
    "What Limbaugh encouraged Republican voters to do in Ohio was a fifth-degree felony in that state, punishable with a $2,500 fine and six to 12 months in jail. That is because in order to change party affiliation in Ohio, voters have to fill out a form swearing allegiance to that party's principles 'under penalty of election falsification.'"
    In Ohio, this is a crime; and therefore your statement "this can't possibly be considered a crime" is erroneous.
    Do I think individual voters shouldn't be allowed to vote for whoever they want? Of course not. I think it is a stupid law -- elections should all be open. But, people like Limbaugh who have control over sheep who have no minds of their own should be held accountable for using their position to influence people to act illegally.
  • Shiftgood, on 03/22/2008, -2/+8This guys been doin it all day... report him
  • Ramenhood, on 03/22/2008, -14/+19It's called a political strategy- a good one. Nothing illegal has been done here. Thank God we live in a free country. Democrats do the exact same thing too, you know.
  • eddielxix, on 03/22/2008, -1/+6The story says they admitted it. Why do I need to prove it.
  • SpinningHead, on 03/22/2008, -10/+15Yeah, I cant wait until all us liberals are straight shooters like bush and cheney.
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