Welcome U.N. Observers!

They're coming to America to make sure our elections are fair and transparent.

And, they need your help.

This fall, U.N. observers will be coming to the U.S. from countries from Albania to Zimbabwe. They'll be making sure that voting in November's election is completely fair and that all votes are counted.

Many observers will be coming thousands of miles and will need your assistance. They will arrive in a new country and will need shelter and food.

MoveOut.org is now seeking American citizens who will provide quarters for our friends from abroad and who will make their stay as comfortable as possible. If you cannot provide shelter, please send in cans of food.

Yeah, it kinda got bad at the end, but the beginning's not so bad. I'll work on this and post a new version. Perhaps I'll post it somewhere else...

After that, we need big signs that Citizens can wave along our roadsides as the observers arrive. Yes, those signs will be serious. Or, at least the messages will be serious.

Note that they're coming at the request of the State Department. And, this is something I didn't know:

In November 2002, OSCE sent 10 observers on a weeklong mission to monitor the U.S. midterm elections. OSCE also sent observers to monitor the California gubernatorial recall election last year.

And, raining on our comic parade, the Washington Times informs us that these are not exactly United Nations observers. Rather, they're from the OCSE:

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the largest regional organization in the world with 55 participating nations, will monitor the U.S. election on Nov. 2. Members include Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and the United States.

That article also includes word that at least someone - if not the Bush administration - opposes foreign election observers:

"For over 200 years, this nation has conducted elections fairly and impartially, ensuring that each person's vote will count. ... Imagine going to your polling place on the morning of November 2 and seeing blue-helmeted foreigners inside your local library, school or fire station. The United Nations has sent monitors to Haiti, Nicaragua, Angola, Mozambique ... and now the United States?" [Rep. Steve Buyer, Indiana Republican] said on July 15.

"The constitutional authority to ensure the integrity of U.S. elections rests with the states and the Congress..."

Politics · Sun, 08/08/2004 - 17:28 · · Importance: 1