Voting Florida Style

by Saul Bloodworth

The election has started, and the first complaints are coming in — by international observers. The OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation), an international body based in Europe, has sent some 50 to 100 observers to the U.S, however, they are kept from observing.

One group, led by the Patrick Meinhard, a member of the German parliament (and a liberal, which means center-right in Germany), was turned away in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The group was only allowed to monitor one single location. On top of that, it was one that has been handpicked by Florida authorities.

"This is inacceptable," Meinhardt told the Financial Times in Germany. "You can't tell election observers what they can or cannot observe." Meinhardt is especially upset, since this happens in Florida, of all places, the State that became famous for voter fraud and voter roll cleansing in 2000.

It should not surprise anybody that this is not covered by the American media.