Author Topic: U.S. Mulling How to Delay Nov. Vote in Case of Attack (Read 797 times)

infinite59 · « **on:** July 11, 2004, 06:14:51 PM »

U.S. Mulling How to Delay Nov. Vote in Case of Attack

Sun Jul 11, 2:56 PM ET Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior House Democratic lawmaker was skeptical on Sunday of a Bush administration idea to obtain the authority to delay the November presidential election in case of an attack by al Qaeda,

Reuters Photo

U.S. counterterrorism officials are looking at an emergency proposal on the legal steps needed to postpone the presidential election in case of such an attack, Newsweek reported on Sunday.

"I think it's excessive based on what we know," said Rep. Jane Harman (news, bio, voting record) of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, in a interview on CNN's "Late Edition."

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned last week that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda network want to attack within the United States to try to disrupt the election.

Harman said Ridge's threat warning "was a bust" because it was based on old information.

Newsweek cited unnamed sources who told it that the Department of Homeland Security asked the Justice Department (news - web sites) last week to review what legal steps would be needed to delay the vote if an attack occurred on the day before or on election day.

The department was asked to review a letter from DeForest Soaries, chairman of the new U.S. Election Assistance Commission, in which he asked Ridge to ask Congress for the power to put off the election in the event of an attack, Newsweek reported in its issue out on Monday.

The commission was created in 2002 to provide funds to states to replace punch card voting systems and provide other assistance in conducting federal elections.

In his letter, Soaries wrote that while New York's Board of Elections suspended primary elections in New York on the day of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, "the federal government has no agency that has the statutory authority to cancel and reschedule a federal election."

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Rochrkasse told the magazine the agency is reviewing the matter "to determine what steps need to be taken to secure the election."

Republican Rep. Christopher Cox (news, bio, voting record) of California, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN that the idea of legislation allowing the election to be postponed was similar to what had already been looked at in terms of how to respond to an attack on Congress.

"These are doomsday scenarios. Nobody expects that they're going to happen," he said. "But we're preparing for all these contingencies now."

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It sounds to me like Bush is going to do whatever he has to, to stay in power. I don't know what the big worry is, Kerry is his frat buddy and brother.

Montana00 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2004, 06:44:16 PM »

yea i still dont think kerry can win the election.
but im sure bush aint got shit on another terrorism attack happening in the US.

Don Jacob · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2004, 03:35:29 AM »

you're absolutely right brian...we should all go out and vote if another september 11th type attack(s) happen the same day of the election!

Don Seer · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2004, 04:52:58 AM »

so disrupting the election keeps bush in power? and probably under martial law.

conspiracy guys gonna love this one.

especially since they've been predicting it!

infinite59 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2004, 05:22:38 AM »

Quote from: Jake La Motta on July 12, 2004, 03:35:29 AM

you're absolutely right brian...we should all go out and vote if another september 11th type attack(s) happen the same day of the election!

Spain had a major attack just before it's elections and the election process continued on without error.

In America's last presidential election, we didn't have any attack on this country, and the elections were a fraud.

Anyway, I don't see what an attack on this country has to do with people's ability to drive a couple miles to the nearest voting booth.

Montana00 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2004, 07:27:30 AM »

even if a terrorist attack happens around the elections, if kerry wins he wont be president till mid-january.

7even · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2004, 07:46:45 AM »

prolly the neo-cons plan another attack, like they did 3 years ago.. in september if I remember right.

..dont trip.. Im not saying it's true, but it's possible