http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: US presidential election, 2012) en-us Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:04:00 -0700 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/let-it-go-karl-rove-still-sore-about-us-election-night?start=0 Appearing on Fox News, GOP heavyweight Karl Rove used a discussion about the papal conclave to make a barbed comment about the media calling elections too early -- a reference to the night of the US presidential election in 2012, when he very publicly refused to accept Republican candidate Mitt Romney had lost, even after all the major networks had called the result in the Obama's favor.<br /> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:04:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/let-it-go-karl-rove-still-sore-about-us-election-night Karl Rove, Fox News, US presidential election, 2012, Elections in the United States, Exit poll, Papal conclave, Talking Points Memo Appearing on Fox News, GOP heavyweight Karl Rove used a discussion about the papal conclave to make a barbed comment about the media calling elections too early -- a reference to the night of the US presidential election in 2012, when he very publicly refused to accept Republican candidate Mitt Romney had lost, even after all the major networks had called the result in the Obama's favor. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mitt-romney-i-shoulda-been-a-contender?start=0 "It kills me not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done," failed US presidental contender Mitt Romney groused to Fox News. "Nero is fiddling," he scoffed. In his first interview since losing the election, Romney slammed President Obama's failure to head off the sequester. But he also blamed his own campaign for his loss, pointing to its failure to reach out to minorities, and his controversial comment that 47 percent of Americans are goldbrickers looking to game the system. Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:48:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mitt-romney-i-shoulda-been-a-contender Mitt Romney, US presidential election, 2012, Fox News, Barack Obama, Gaming the system, United States, White House, Newsy "It kills me not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done," failed US presidental contender Mitt Romney groused to Fox News. "Nero is fiddling," he scoffed. In his first interview since losing the election, Romney slammed President Obama's failure to head off the sequester. But he also blamed his own campaign for his loss, pointing to its failure to reach out to minorities, and his controversial comment that 47 percent of Americans are goldbrickers looking to game the system. http://news.linktv.org/videos/karl-rove-vs-the-tea-party-conservative-civil-war-in-the-us?start=0 Conservatives on the right wing of the Republican Party in the US accuse Karl Rove of selling out the party's base with his new Conservative Victory Project, a charge Rove denies. But the political infighting is delighting the party's rivals.<br /> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:43:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/karl-rove-vs-the-tea-party-conservative-civil-war-in-the-us Karl Rove, Tea Party, Republican Party (United States), Political action committee, Politics of the United States, Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, Bobby Jindal, Right-wing politics, William F. Buckley Conservatives on the right wing of the Republican Party in the US accuse Karl Rove of selling out the party's base with his new Conservative Victory Project, a charge Rove denies. But the political infighting is delighting the party's rivals. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-january-22-2013?start=641 In an inaugural address many saw as a blueprint for a more progressive second-term domestic agenda than his first, US President Barack Obama vowed a continued fight for equality of women and for the rights of gays and lesbians, to push for immigration reform and gun control, to address income inequality, and to tackle the warming of the planet. And a new documentary "Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield" follows investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill to Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen as he chases down the hidden truths behind America's expanding covert wars. <br /> Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:34:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-january-22-2013 Barack Obama, Inauguration, Afghanistan War, Yemen, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Jeremy Scahill, Drone, John Brennan, Richard Blanco, Covert operation In an inaugural address many saw as a blueprint for a more progressive second-term domestic agenda than his first, US President Barack Obama vowed a continued fight for equality of women and for the rights of gays and lesbians, to push for immigration reform and gun control, to address income inequality, and to tackle the warming of the planet. Also speaking on the National Mall were Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, and the Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco, who recited the poem "One Today." With their remarks, Evers-Williams became the first woman and first layperson to deliver an inaugural invocation, and Blanco the first Latino and openly gay poet to read at a presidential inaugural ceremony. We begin today's show in Washington, D.C., where some 800,000 people packed into the National Mall to witness the second inauguration of President Obama on Monday, the second-largest inauguration in history only behind Obama's first one four years ago that was the largest event in Washington, D.C.'s history. Myrlie Evers-Williams became the first woman and first layperson to deliver an inaugural invocation. She's the widow of Medgar Evers, the civil rights activist who was assassinated 50 years ago. One hundred fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 years after the March on Washington, we celebrate the spirit of our ancestors, which has allowed us to move from a nation of unborn hopes and a history of disenfranchised votes to today's expression of a more perfect union. We ask, too, Almighty, that where our paths seem blanketed by throngs of oppression and riddled by pangs of despair, we ask for your guidance toward the light of deliverance and that the vision of those who came before us and dreamed of this day, that we recognize that their visions still inspire us. They are a great cloud of witnesses unseen by the naked eye, but all around us, thankful that their living was not in vain. For every mountain, you gave us the strength to climb. Your grace is pleaded to continue that climb for America and the world. Myrlie Evers, delivering the inaugural invocation. Moments later, President Obama gave his inaugural address. We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries; we must claim its promise. That's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure—our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow-capped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That's what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared. We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends. And we must carry those lessons into this time, as well. We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully, not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. And we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice, not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice. We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal, is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall, just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone, to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth. It is now our generation's task to carry on what those pioneers began, for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts; our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal, as well; our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote; our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity. After President Obama delivered his inaugural address on Monday, Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco recited his poem called "One Today." Blanco is the first Latino, as well as the first openly gay, poet to read at an inaugural ceremony. RICHARD BLANCO: My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors, each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day: the pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights, fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper — bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us, on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives — to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did for twenty years, so I could write this poem. Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco reciting the poem "One Today" at President Obama's inauguration on Monday. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-obama-stand-ins-rehearse-inauguration?start=0 Can't make the inauguration this year? Get a jump on it anyway, and check out the dress rehearsal with stand-ins for President Obama and the first lady, complete with a swearing-in ceremony. Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:31:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-obama-stand-ins-rehearse-inauguration Michelle Obama, Inauguration, Barack Obama, Rehearsal, US presidential election, 2012, United States, Raw video, Stand-in, Associated Press Can't make the inauguration this year? Get a jump on it anyway, and check out the dress rehearsal with stand-ins for President Obama and the first lady, complete with a swearing-in ceremony. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-112812?start=184 <p>Twin car bombings kill scores in Damascus as rebels down a warplane in Aleppo, the Obama administration seeks to codify its kill list with a drone rule book, many Afghan regions remain at the mercy of warlords, and more.</p> Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-112812 United Nations, Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinians, Jaramana, Drone, Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia, Takhar Province, Human rights in Jordan, National Center for Human Rights (Jordan), Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Press TV reports that US President Barack Obama has come under a fresh round of criticism for his assassination drone war policies, amid revelations from The New York Times that shortly before his reelection, he ordered the preparation of a rule book for drone strikes overseas in case he would not win a second term, so that the new president would have restrictions in carrying out assassination drone strikes. Since Obama's reelection, the drone rule book project has lost its urgency. http://news.linktv.org/videos/racist-election-tweets-tracked-by-state?start=0 A group of geographers on the web site Floatingsheep tracked racist election Tweets first noticed by Jezebel to discover that the highest rates of the ugly blurbs came from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah, Louisiana and Tennessee. The source of most of the racist Tweets found by Jezebel? White teenagers.&nbsp; Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/racist-election-tweets-tracked-by-state Racism, Twitter, US presidential election, 2012, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, North Dakota, Louisiana, Utah, Georgia, US A group of geographers on the web site Floatingsheep tracked racist election Tweets first noticed by Jezebel to discover that the highest rates of the ugly blurbs came from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah, Louisiana and Tennessee. The source of most of the racist Tweets found by Jezebel? White teenagers. http://news.linktv.org/videos/obamas-second-term-south-koreas-perspective-linkasia?start=0 In the wake of President Obama's re-election, South Korean officials see an opportunity for strengthened US ties in the face of a rising China. Broadcaster MBC reports on what forms US-South Korean relations will take in the next four years.&nbsp; Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:58:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obamas-second-term-south-koreas-perspective-linkasia South Korea, Barack Obama, Kim Jong-un, North Korea, Politics of the United States, US presidential election, 2012, China, Pyongyang, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, LinkAsia In the wake of President Obama's re-election, South Korean officials see an opportunity for strengthened US ties in the face of a rising China. Broadcaster MBC reports on what forms US-South Korean relations will take in the next four years. http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-applauds-underdog-obamas-election-victory-linkasia-11912?start=0 Though the official rhetoric has been tense between the American and Chinese governments during President Obama's first term, he has enjoyed popularity with the Chinese people, who relate to his underprivileged upbringing. LinkAsia takes a look at Sina Weibo reactions to Obama's re-election. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:32:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-applauds-underdog-obamas-election-victory-linkasia-11912 China, Barack Obama, Sina Weibo, US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Government of the People's Republic of China, Mitt Romney, United States, LinkAsia, Yul Kwon Though the official rhetoric has been tense between the American and Chinese governments during President Obama's first term, he has enjoyed popularity with the Chinese people, who relate to his underprivileged upbringing. LinkAsia takes a look at Sina Weibo reactions to Obama's re-election. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinas-party-congress-propaganda-undermined-by-social-media-linkasia-11912?start=0 As China's once-in-a-decade leadership transition gets underway, the government has ramped up its propaganda machine. But as contributor Nicole Sy reports, users of the microblogging site Sina Weibo aren't buying it.&nbsp; Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:10:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinas-party-congress-propaganda-undermined-by-social-media-linkasia-11912 China, Barack Obama, US presidential election, 2012, Sina Weibo, Politics of the United States, LinkAsia, United States, Yul Kwon As China's once-in-a-decade leadership transition gets underway, the government has ramped up its propaganda machine. But as contributor Nicole Sy reports, users of the microblogging site Sina Weibo aren't buying it. http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-did-the-us-election-mark-a-fundamental-shift-to-the-left?start=0 Some are painting the the US elections as a major victory for a progressive vision of America. President Barack Obama was re-elected despite attempts by Republicans to paint him as an angry, socialist liberal, African-American infringing on religious rights. For the first time in US history, gay marriage was legalized by popular vote in three states. And in another first for the country, two states legalized marijuana for recreational use. So is the US shifting toward the left. Inside Story Americas discusses with guests Matt Lewis, Irin Carmon, and Frank Schaeffer. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:14:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-did-the-us-election-mark-a-fundamental-shift-to-the-left US presidential election, 2012, Same-sex marriage, Barack Obama, Drug liberalization, Republican Party (United States), Politics of the United States, Women in government, United States, Abortion debate, Legality of cannabis Some are painting the the US elections as a major victory for a progressive vision of America. President Barack Obama was re-elected despite attempts by Republicans to paint him as an angry, socialist liberal, African-American infringing on religious rights. For the first time in US history, gay marriage was legalized by popular vote in three states. And in another first for the country, two states legalized marijuana for recreational use. So is the US shifting toward the left. Inside Story Americas discusses with guests Matt Lewis, Irin Carmon, and Frank Schaeffer. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-tearful-obama-thanks-campaign-team?start=0 Tears roll down the cheeks of a far from aloof President Obama as he thanks the staff and volunteers who helped him to victory in this video released by his campaign. He tells the workers they are the source of his hope, strength, and inspiration.<br /> Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:07:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-tearful-obama-thanks-campaign-team Barack Obama, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, US presidential election, 2012, United States, Political campaign, Political campaign staff, Raw video, Associated Press Tears roll down the cheeks of a far from aloof President Obama as he thanks the staff and volunteers who helped him to victory in this video released by his campaign. He tells the workers they are the source of his hope, strength, and inspiration. http://news.linktv.org/videos/cautious-optimism-in-india-after-obama-win-linkasia-bulletin-11812?start=0 In the aftermath of the President Barack Obama's victory, Indian observers took the optimistic stance that Indo-US ties will remain stable. Contributor Ajoy Bose reports from New Delhi on what India hopes for in Obama's second term. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:02:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/cautious-optimism-in-india-after-obama-win-linkasia-bulletin-11812 India, Barack Obama, US-India relations, New Delhi, Politics of the United States, US presidential election, 2012, United States, LinkAsia, Yul Kwon In the aftermath of the President Barack Obama's victory, Indian observers took the optimistic stance that Indo-US ties will remain stable. Contributor Ajoy Bose reports from New Delhi on what India hopes for in Obama's second term. http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-tastes-democracy-from-afar-in-us-election-linkasia-bulletin-11812?start=0 Sina Weibo, China's microblogging platform, was flooded with posts about the US election from the moment polls opened through the end of President Obama's victory speech. Contributor Nicole Sy reports from Beijing on the first US election in China's internet age. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:45:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-tastes-democracy-from-afar-in-us-election-linkasia-bulletin-11812 Sina Weibo, Barack Obama, China, US presidential election, 2012, Microblogging, Beijing, Politics of the United States, United States, LinkAsia, Yul Kwon Sina Weibo, China's microblogging platform, was flooded with posts about the US election from the moment polls opened through the end of President Obama's victory speech. Contributor Nicole Sy reports from Beijing on the first US election in China's internet age. http://news.linktv.org/videos/can-us-republicans-win-back-latino-and-female-voters?start=0 Mitt Romney's poor performance among Latino and women voters is widely believed to have cost him the US presidential election. Is there anything the Republican party do to win back these key demographics?<br /> Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:35:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/can-us-republicans-win-back-latino-and-female-voters US presidential election, 2012, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Mitt Romney, Politics of the United States, DREAM Act, Republican Party (United States), Immigration reform, Barack Obama, Reproductive rights, Immigration law Mitt Romney's poor performance among Latino and women voters is widely believed to have cost him the US presidential election. Is there anything the Republican party do to win back these key demographics? http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-returns-to-washington-to-face-fiscal-cliff?start=0 With the election won, it's back to work for US President Barack Obama. Shortly before returning to the White House, he called leaders from the rival Republican party, who control the House of Representatives, to discuss the so-called "fiscal cliff" -- the point at which taxes are scheduled to increase while federal spending will be cut by more than $100bn, what experts say is a recipe for recession. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington on how Democrats and Republicans remain at odds on how to tackle it. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:02:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-returns-to-washington-to-face-fiscal-cliff Fiscal cliff, Barack Obama, US economy, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Government budget deficit, US debt, Tax cut, Government spending, Tax With the election won, it's back to work for US President Barack Obama. Shortly before returning to the White House, he called leaders from the rival Republican party, who control the House of Representatives, to discuss the so-called "fiscal cliff" -- the point at which taxes are scheduled to increase while federal spending will be cut by more than $100bn, what experts say is a recipe for recession. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington on how Democrats and Republicans remain at odds on how to tackle it. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110812?start=849 <p>Bashar al-Assad defends Syria as the last stronghold of secularism in the region, world groups organize global day of action in support of Myanmar's Rohingyas, bombings kill several people in Iraq, and more.</p> Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110812 Syrian Civil War, US-Israel relations, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Syria, Israel, United States, US presidential election, 2012, Rohingya Presenter, Male #1 Israeli media outlets reported a wide gap in the future relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Barack Obama. This comes a day after disappointment was expressed by Likud party government ministers. Reporter, Male #2 The future of the relationship between American President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the most prominent headline in Israeli media outlets. The consensus was that Netanyahu was hasty, and made a major mistake by what was described as a blatant intervention in favor of the Republican candidate Romney, that was done without assessing the possibility of Obama's return to the White House. Reporter, Male #2 Netanyahu tried to rectify the situation and issued strict orders to all his ministers, their advisors, and Likud members in the Knesset not to speak about Obama's victory without coordinating with his office. This came following Likud party members' negative reaction towards Obama who they described as "not good for Israel," and unreliable. Reporter, Male #2 However, others described the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv as at its best. Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote an article published in the Israel Today newspaper saying that Obama will repay the Jewish community that voted for him. Reporter, Male #2 International media also commented on the issue, but that reaction mostly differed from the Israeli analysis. The Guardian newspaper said Obama's reelection makes him more able, less confined, and more free to deal with Israel, suggesting that Obama will pressure Netanyahu to stop settlement construction, especially in East Jerusalem. The British newspaper recalled Netanyahu's disappointment by saying that the person who regretted most Obama's victory after Romney was the Israeli prime minister, who not only opposed Obama, but also publicly mocked him in the corridors of the United Nations when he lectured him on Jewish history. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110812?start=980 <p>Bashar al-Assad defends Syria as the last stronghold of secularism in the region, world groups organize global day of action in support of Myanmar's Rohingyas, bombings kill several people in Iraq, and more.</p> Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110812 Syrian Civil War, US-Israel relations, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Syria, Israel, United States, US presidential election, 2012, Rohingya In Israel, the meaning of US President Barack Obama's reelection victory has been a main topic of discussion, reports IBA. They wonder whether it will impact US-Israel relations, and whether it will affect Israel's own elections in January. Pundits in Israel are saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's implicit backing of Mitt Romney may have severely damaged Tel Aviv's relations with Washington. However, in a meeting yesterday with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro, Netanyahu seemed eager to offer congratulations to Obama. In a later panel discussing the election, Ambassador Shapiro insisted that there would be no change in the US-Israel relationship, while former Israeli ambassador to the US Salai Meridor suggested that Obama may indeed hold a grudge. As for the Jewish vote in the US election, exit polls released yesterday said that 70 percent of the Jewish electorate voted for Obama, while 30 percent said they voted for Romney. In 2008, Obama took 78 percent of the Jewish vote, while Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, won 22 percent. Additionally, while Jews make up only two percent of the US population, it will now have 10 members in the Senate and 22 members in the House of Representatives, all but one of whom are Democrats. It's an overall decline from 2010, when 12 Jews were elected to the Senate and 27 to the House. http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-win-the-view-from-china?start=0 President Obama's election victory is good news for China and for US-China relations, Peking University professor Yao Yang tells Reuters. Recent trade disputes do not reflect Obama administration policy and may have just been a way to get votes, he says.<br /> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:05:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-win-the-view-from-china Peking University, US-China relations, US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, United States, China, Reuters President Obama's election victory is good news for China and for US-China relations, Peking University professor Yao Yang tells Reuters. Recent trade disputes do not reflect Obama administration policy and may have just been a way to get votes, he says. http://news.linktv.org/videos/world-breathes-sigh-of-relief-over-romneys-loss?start=0 Barack Obama's reelection was welcomed and met with an international wave of relief despite challenging international cases. The residents of the Kenyan town of Kogelo, Hussein Obama's hometown, hope that Obama's reelection will contribute to some sort of prosperity in their poor town. Al Jazeera takes a look at the most prominent issues of the next four years, namely the situation in Syria, the continuing withdrawal from Afghanistan, and relations with Russia and China. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:29:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/world-breathes-sigh-of-relief-over-romneys-loss Barack Obama, Arab Spring - duplicate, Syrian Civil War, Foreign policy of the United States, Afghanistan War, US-Iran relations, US-China relations, US-Russia relations, George W. Bush, Afghanistan Presenter, Female #1 Obama's reelection was welcomed and met with an international wave of relief despite challenging international cases. The most prominent issues of the next four years are the situation in Syria, continuing the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the relations with Russia and China. Reporter, Female #2 The residents of the Kenyan town of Kogelo, Hussein Obama's hometown, are dancing with joy over the reelection of Barack Obama as the president of the United States. They are hoping this will contribute to some sort of prosperity in their poor town. Guest, Male #1 I am very happy that Obama won. I know that we will finally have some growth in our region. Reporter, Female #2 Will the American president fulfill this wish as he deals with an agenda packed with international issues and relations? In his first term, he started to tackle these issues and attempted to lessen the heavy burden left by his predecessor George Bush Jr. in Iraq and Afghanistan. The world is waiting to learn about his strategy for the next four years, but it is almost certain that many international community members are relieved. They are basing this sentiment on the positive image Obama portrayed in the past four years, and it is expected for him to continue this path in his second term. Reporter, Female #2 Obama changed the understanding of American military intervention abroad, and countered the policy of his predecessor Bush. He withdrew his forces from Iraq, and will continue the series of withdrawal from Afghanistan in accordance with the planned schedule that will completed by 2014. In 2008, Arabs were excited over Obama's election victory, an enthusiasm created by high expectations and campaign promises. Since the region is now facing what is called the "Arab Spring," Washington is expected to maintain its stance to observe the situation and deal with it by pushing for achieving the demands for democracy, and encouraging change while preserving its interests and ruling out direct interference. Reporter, Female #2 The most challenging issue is Syria. Obama adopted a pragmatic approach by pressuring the Syrian regime in order to sow division within it, and topple it from the inside while being cautious. Cautious that led the Syrian opposition to severely criticize the US administration that is not expected to change its stance. Reporter, Female #2 Obama resisted Israeli pressure to launch a military strike against Iran so he continues to bet on harsh sanctions, while waiting for some commotion from within the Iranian regime. The Iranian nuclear case is subject to a disruption at any moment since all options are on the table. Reporter, Female #2 To the east, it seems the strategic relationship between China and the United States is sensitive and complicated. China fears Obama's approach to Asia and his focus on establishing a foothold there, including a military component, but it is assured by the US' continued declining political influence in the world. Reporter, Female #2 Under Putin's rule, Russia aims to become a global power that competes with the West, and especially the United States. The collusion between the two countries over important issues such as the Syrian one further complicates their relationship. Moscow's residents didn't express much excitement for neither Obama, nor Romney but the idea prevails that "the one we know is better than a newcomer whose policy toward our country we're unfamiliar with." http://news.linktv.org/videos/defeated-again-romney-reaches-end-of-the-political-road?start=0 The re-election of Barack Obama means the end of the road for Mitt Romney. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from Boston, looks back at the career of the Republican candidate. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:22:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/defeated-again-romney-reaches-end-of-the-political-road Mitt Romney, US presidential election, 2012, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012, US presidential election debates, 2012, Politics of the United States, Governor of Massachusetts, Republican Party (United States), Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008, 2002 Winter Olympics The re-election of Barack Obama means the end of the road for Mitt Romney. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from Boston, looks back at the career of the Republican candidate. http://news.linktv.org/videos/young-minorities-women-fueled-obama-win?start=0 President Obama's coalition of young, Latino, African-American and female voters swept him into office. Mitt Romney's general lock on older white males wasn't enough to get him over. &nbsp; Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:19:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/young-minorities-women-fueled-obama-win US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, Politics of the United States, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, White people, United States, Associated Press President Obama's coalition of young, Latino, African-American and female voters swept him into office. Mitt Romney's general lock on older white males wasn't enough to get him over. http://news.linktv.org/videos/has-the-tea-party-left-the-building?start=0 Since a number of candidates backed by the Tea Party took it on the chin in the election, Reuters is declaring that the movement has peaked &mdash; and faded. Though it may still have some hooks at the grassroots level, the party has fizzled nationally. Nevertheless, the conservative faction of the GOP remains as strong as ever. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:57:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/has-the-tea-party-left-the-building US presidential election, 2012, The Tea Party, Republican Party (United States), Right-wing politics, Politics of the United States, United States, Reuters Since a number of candidates backed by the Tea Party took it on the chin in the election, Reuters is declaring that the movement has peaked — and faded. Though it may still have some hooks at the grassroots level, the party has fizzled nationally. Nevertheless, the conservative faction of the GOP remains as strong as ever. http://news.linktv.org/videos/world-reacts-to-obama-victory-with-ecstasy-relief-caution?start=0 <p>CNN reporters around the world on reaction to Barack Obama's US presidential election win, including wild celebrations from Kenya, muted enthusiasm in China, and very mixed emotions in Israel.</p> <p>Caption: A Japanese high school student blows a kiss at a cutout figure of President Obama during an election event at the US Embassy in Tokyo. <br /><br /></p> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:49:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/world-reacts-to-obama-victory-with-ecstasy-relief-caution Barack Obama, US presidential election, 2012, Kenya, Pakistan, China, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Nyang’oma Kogelo, US-Pakistan relations CNN reporters around the world on reaction to Barack Obama's US presidential election win, including wild celebrations from Kenya, muted enthusiasm in China, and very mixed emotions in Israel. http://news.linktv.org/videos/whats-the-secret-to-obamas-win?start=0 An improving economy, changing demographics favoring the president and middle class support were the keys to Barack Obama's win in his hard-fought race, conclude these anaysts from both sides of the political spectrum. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:42:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/whats-the-secret-to-obamas-win US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, Presidency of Barack Obama, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, Middle Class, Political spectrum, Reuters An improving economy, changing demographics favoring the president and middle class support were behind Barack Obama's win in his hard-fought race, conclude these anaysts from both sides of the political spectrum. http://news.linktv.org/videos/dems-hold-senate-gop-the-house?start=0 Democrats held their narrow majority in the Senate, grabbing GOP seats in Massachusetts and Indiana, and rebuffing Republican challenges in Missouri, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Republicans retained control of the House, assuring that President Obama will face continuing challenges with a divided legislature. Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:40:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/dems-hold-senate-gop-the-house US presidential election, 2012, US Senate, US House of Representatives, Election Day (United States), Massachusetts, United States, Politics of the United States, Democratic Party (United States), Indiana, Republican Party (United States) Democrats held their narrow majority in the Senate, grabbing GOP seats in Massachusetts and Indiana, and rebuffing Republican challenges in Missouri, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Republicans retained control of the House, assuring that President Obama will face continuing challenges with a divided legislature. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110712?start=35 <p>World breathes sigh of relief over Romney's loss, Bahraini regime strips 31 dissenters of their citizenship, Israel's annexation wall hindering Palestinian economic development a decade later, and more.</p> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110712 Israel, Syrian Civil War, Syria, United States, US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, Palestinians, Shia Islam, Politics of Iran, Human rights Presenter, Female #1 Obama's reelection was welcomed, and met with an international wave of relief despite challenging international cases. The most prominent issues of the next four years are the situation in Syria, continuing the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the relations with Russia and China. Reporter, Female #2 The residents of the Kenyan town of Kogelo, Hussein Obama's hometown, are dancing with joy over the reelection of Barack Obama as the president of the United States. They are hoping this will contribute to some sort of prosperity in their poor town. Guest, Male #1 I am very happy that Obama won. I know that we will finally have some growth in our region. Reporter, Female #2 Will the American president fulfill this wish as he deals with an agenda packed with international issues and relations? In his first term, he started to tackle these issues and attempted to lessen the heavy burden left by his predecessor George Bush Jr. in Iraq and Afghanistan. The world is waiting to learn about his strategy for the next four years, but it is almost certain that many international community members are relieved. They are basing this sentiment on the positive image Obama portrayed in the past four years, and it is expected for him to continue this path in his second term. Reporter, Female #2 Obama changed the understanding of American military intervention abroad, and countered the policy of his predecessor Bush. He withdrew his forces from Iraq, and will continue the series of withdrawals from Afghanistan in accordance with the planned schedule that will completed by 2014. In 2008, Arabs were excited over Obama's election victory, an enthusiasm created by high expectations and campaign promises. Reporter, Female #2 Since the region is now facing what is called the "Arab Spring," Washington is expected to maintain its stance to observe the situation, and deal with it by pushing for achieving the demands for democracy, and encouraging change while preserving its interests and ruling out direct interference. Reporter, Female #2 The most challenging issue is Syria. Obama adopted a pragmatic approach by pressuring the Syrian regime in order to sow division within it, and topple it from the inside while being cautious. Cautious that led the Syrian opposition to severely criticize the US administration that is not expected to change its stance. Reporter, Female #2 Obama resisted Israeli pressure to launch a military strike against Iran, so he continues to bet on harsh sanctions, while waiting for some commotion from within the Iranian regime. The Iranian nuclear case is subject to a disruption at any moment since all options are on the table. Reporter, Female #2 To the east, it seems the strategic relationship between China and the United States is sensitive and complicated. China fears Obama's approach to Asia and his focus on establishing a foothold there, including a military component, but it is assured by the US' continued declining political influence in the world. Reporter, Female #2 Under Putin's rule, Russia aims to become a global power that competes with the West, and especially the United States. The collusion between the two countries over important issues such as the Syrian one further complicates their relationship. Moscow's residents didn't express much excitement for either Obama or Romney, but the idea prevails that "the one we know is better than a newcomer whose policy toward our country we're unfamiliar with." http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110712?start=260 <p>World breathes sigh of relief over Romney's loss, Bahraini regime strips 31 dissenters of their citizenship, Israel's annexation wall hindering Palestinian economic development a decade later, and more.</p> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110712 Israel, Syrian Civil War, Syria, United States, US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, Palestinians, Shia Islam, Politics of Iran, Human rights IBA reports that Barack Obama was reelected US president this morning in a race that was not nearly as close as pundits predicted after Obama won the pivotal swing state of Ohio. Israeli officials were quick to offer their congratulations and pledge continuing friendship in working together over the coming four years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has close ties with defeated Republican candidate Mitt Romney, issued a statement saying that the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States is stronger than ever, and that he will continue to work with President Obama to ensure the vital security interests of Israeli citizens. Similar words were heard from Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Kadima Chairman Shaul Mofaz, and Housing Minister and Shas MK Ariel Atias. Meanwhile, Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party issued a statement calling on Netanyahu to take immediate steps to correct Israel's sticky relationship with Washington, and the National Union party issued a statement saying that Obama's victory gives a boost to the Israeli left. The Prime Minister's office issued an order to Likud ministers not to make unauthorized comments on Obama's reelection for fear such remarks could further damage the ties between the two leaders. A key focus for Obama's campaign was Israel and the Jewish vote. According to preliminary exit poll numbers, American Jews once again overwhelmingly supported the Democratic candidate with 69 percent of their vote, a sharp drop from the 78 percent support they gave him in 2008. In the congressional races, the split between the Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate appeared to be about the same as the current Congress. Republicans retained their majority in the House, while Democrats have kept their control of the Senate. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-best-is-yet-to-come?start=0 <span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 17.981481552124023px; background-color: #f4f0ea;">A fired-up Barack Obama claimed his hard-fought victory on stage in Chicago, tellling cheering supporters he has "never been so inspired." We have "picked ourselves up, and we have fought our way back," he declared. "We are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation. The best is yet to come."</span> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:53:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-best-is-yet-to-come US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, United States, Politics of the United States, Raw video, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, Al Jazeera English A fired-up Barack Obama claimed his hard-fought victory on stage in Chicago, telling cheering supporters he has "never been so inspired." We have "picked ourselves up, and we have fought our way back," he declared. "We are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation. The best is yet to come." http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-romney-concedes?start=0 Mitt Romney issued a heart-felt thanks to supporters and his family, including his wife, who would have "made a great first lady," he noted in his concession speech. He said he congratulated Barack Obama and "prays" that the president will be "successful in guiding our nation." Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:09:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-romney-concedes Mitt Romney, US presidential election, 2012, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, Barack Obama, Politics of the United States, Raw video, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, United States, The New York Times Mitt Romney issued a heart-felt thanks to supporters and his family, including his wife, who would have "made a great first lady," he noted in his concession speech. He said he congratulated Barack Obama and "prays" that the president will be "successful in guiding our nation." http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-dancing-in-the-streets?start=0 Times Square erupted in wild cheers, jigs and chants of "O-ba-ma" as a massive crowd gathered in the cold watched the election results on a giant screen in the heart of Manhattan. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:31:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-dancing-in-the-streets Manhattan, US presidential election, 2012, Times Square, Raw video, New York City, New York, The Wall Street Journal Times Square erupted in wild cheers, jigs and chants of "O-ba-ma" as a massive crowd gathered in the cold watched the election results on a giant screen in the heart of Manhattan. http://news.linktv.org/videos/result-obama-supporters-go-wild-at-chicago-rally?start=0 Thousands of faithful Obama supporters at the McCormick Center in Chicago celebrate as the president is re-elected for a second term. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:24:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/result-obama-supporters-go-wild-at-chicago-rally Barack Obama, US presidential election, 2012, Election rally, Chicago, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, Politics of the United States, United States, The Guardian Thousands of faithful Obama supporters at the McCormick Center in Chicago celebrate as the president is re-elected for a second term. http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-takes-it?start=0 A triumphant Barack Obama steamed into a second term as president in a near-sweep of the battleground swing states, carrying Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and New Hampshire (and maybe Flordia) to grab at least 303 electoral votes. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:28:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-takes-it US presidential election, 2012, Ohio, United States, Politics of the United States, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, NewsX A triumphant Barack Obama steamed into a second term as president in a near-sweep of the battleground swing states, carrying Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and New Hampshire (and maybe Flordia) to grab at least 303 electoral votes. http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-wins-landslide-victory-in-kenya?start=0 In the village where Barack Obama's father grew up, residents came out to vote in a mock election that saw the US president beat his challenge Mitt Romney by a landslide. Kogelo village has changed dramatically since Obama was first elected four years ago, and is hopeful that the man they consider to be their son will once again do them proud. Our Western Kenya reporter, Ouko Okusah is spending the night in Kogelo from where he sent us this report. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:58:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-wins-landslide-victory-in-kenya Barack Obama, Nyang’oma Kogelo, US presidential election, 2012, Kenya, Mock election, Siaya District, US President, Mitt Romney, United States, NTV Kenya In the village where Barack Obama's father grew up, residents came out to vote in a mock election that saw the US president beat his challenge Mitt Romney by a landslide. Kogello village has changed dramatically since Obama was first elected four years ago, and is hopeful that the man they consider to be their son will once again do them proud. Our Western Kenya reporter, Ouko Okusah is spending the night in Kogello from where he sent us this report. http://news.linktv.org/videos/excitement-builds-at-obama-election-rally-in-chicago?start=0 Obama's election night rally at the McCormick Center in Chicago begins to fill up with an energized and optimistic crowd, just as TV networks begin to make their first projections. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:13:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/excitement-builds-at-obama-election-rally-in-chicago US presidential election, 2012, Election rally, Barack Obama, Chicago, Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012, Politics of the United States, United States, The Guardian Obama's election night rally at the McCormick Center in Chicago begins to fill up with an energized and optimistic crowd, just as TV networks begin to make their first projections. http://news.linktv.org/videos/thanks-for-the-meme-ories?start=0 We might all be relieved the election is at long last over, but there is something we'll miss: Those oh-so-very-clever campaign memes. It's going to be a long time before anyone can top the unforgettable spins on Clint Eastwood blathering to his empty chair ... or the voluptuous possibilities of Mitt Romney's "binders full of women." Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:46:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/thanks-for-the-meme-ories Clint Eastwood, US presidential election, 2012, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, Internet meme, Mitt Romney, The New York Times We might all be relieved the election is at long last over, but there is something we'll miss: Those oh-so-very-clever campaign memes. It's going to be a long time before anyone can top the unforgettable spins on Clint Eastwood blathering to his empty chair ... or the voluptuous possibilities of Mitt Romney's "binders full of women." http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-has-90-chance-of-victory-nate-silver-explains-why?start=0 FiveThirtyEight blogger and statistician Nate Silver explains his poll predictions and why he has given Obama a 90% chance of victory. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:27:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/obama-has-90-chance-of-victory-nate-silver-explains-why US presidential election, 2012, Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Opinion poll, Politics of the United States, US electoral college, Statistics, United States FiveThirtyEight blogger and statistician Nate Silver explains his poll predictions and why he has given Obama a 90% chance of victory. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-registered-ohio-voters-forced-to-vote-with-provisional-ballots?start=0 Video of voters being forced to vote provisionally in Columbus, Ohio. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:10:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-registered-ohio-voters-forced-to-vote-with-provisional-ballots US presidential election, 2012, Voter suppression, Provisional ballot, Columbus, Ohio, Voting, Photo identification, United States, Ohio, Politics of the United States, Voter registration This video captures voters in Columbus, Ohio being forced to vote provisionally, despite being registered and having valid photo ID. A local attorney was present and advised voters not to take the provisional ballots. One remarks, "Bottom line is, it's a shame that we have to jump through all these hoops. This is what we gotta do just to get our voice heard." http://news.linktv.org/videos/romney-weve-put-it-all-on-the-field?start=0 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he wrote a 1,118-word victory speech on Tuesday as he concluded his years-long quest for the presidency, and claims he has no regrets. <br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:38:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/romney-weve-put-it-all-on-the-field Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Political campaign, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, Raw video, Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he wrote a 1,118-word victory speech on Tuesday as he concluded his years-long quest for the presidency, and claims he has no regrets. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012?start=0 Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012 US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Swing state, Voter suppression, Ohio, Early voting, Voter ID laws (United States), Mitt Romney, Florida, United States Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012?start=127 Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012 US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Swing state, Voter suppression, Ohio, Early voting, Voter ID laws (United States), Mitt Romney, Florida, United States Voting is underway across the country as Americans head to the polls to decide the 2012 election between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. The outcome will again hinge on the results in a handful of battleground states, namely Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Iowa and Virginia. Obama: "You've Seen Me Fight" for Change Addressing supporters in Wisconsin, President Obama said his initial campaign vow of "change" is still underway. President Obama: "So when I say, Wisconsin, that I know what real change looks like, you've got cause to believe me because you've seen me fight for it. And you've seen me deliver it. You've seen the scars on me to prove it. You've seen the gray hair on my head to show you what it means to fight for change. And you've been there with me. And after all we've been through together, we can't give up now, because we've got more change to do." Romney: Obama Has Failed to Deliver on Promise of Change President Obama finished a packed day of campaigning in Iowa, the state that effectively launched his White House run with a Democratic primary win in 2008. Speaking meanwhile in Ohio, Mitt Romney told supporters that Obama has failed to live up to his promise of change. Mitt Romney: "I know the president wants you to think about all sorts of diversionary issues to decide what's key in this election, but I think that the election comes down to this question: Do you want four more years like the last four years, or do you want real change? President Obama promised change, but he couldn't deliver it. I promise change, and I have a record of achieving it." NY, NJ Widen Voting Options in Post-Sandy Recovery Widespread concerns have been raised over how residents in areas hit hard by Superstorm Sandy will be able to vote today as some areas remain without power. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order allowing residents to cast a provisional ballot or “affidavit” in any polling place in the state, an ability New Jersey has also extended. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has announced displaced New Jersey residents can vote through email and fax, but state officials now say those voters will also need to submit a paper ballot. In one coastal county in New Jersey, officials reportedly hired a converted camper to deliver mail-in ballots to storm shelters. Barbara Netchert, Hudson County clerk: "Because the devastation across the state, all of the county clerks throughout the state of New Jersey have extended hours so that people can actually physically walk into our office and vote by mail, which is — they call it vote by mail, but it's really like a paper ballot, so that they fill out their application, they get a ballot today, they vote that ballot, and they can actually walk to the Hudson County Board of Elections office, which is right down the hall." New York City, meanwhile, plans to run shuttle buses today to bring coastal residents to the polls. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012?start=670 Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012 US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Swing state, Voter suppression, Ohio, Early voting, Voter ID laws (United States), Mitt Romney, Florida, United States Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. We go to Virginia, where volunteers with the tea party-linked group True the Vote are challenging voters at the polls. We speak with Brentin Mock, the lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012, a collaboration between The Nation magazine and Colorlines.com. Mock also describes voter suppression efforts in Florida, where True the Vote has also targeted alleged felon voters who will be asked to submit a provisional ballot if they attempt to vote today. It's been a long time coming, but today is the day when people across the country head to the polls to cast their ballots in what remains a tight presidential race. As they do so, voting rights advocates are closely watching, monitoring confusion over whether they're required to show photo ID. In fact, many of the most stringent new voting restrictions at the state level have been blocked or weakened by courts, including a key swing state, like Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, in the battleground state of Ohio, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted has issued a new, last-minute directive that would disqualify ballots not accompanied by a form accurately documenting the type of identification used. Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich was asked about whether this could lead to a greater number of provisional ballots, which could delay election results. This was his response Monday on CBS News. GOV. JOHN KASICH: A lot of people got ballots to vote early. And if you don't turn those in, you know, and then you show up to vote, then—that you become a provisional, you know, ballot operator. And so, it is possible, if it's very, very close, that, you know, we won't know the results of this for a while. But, you know, again, I'm just not a fortune teller, you know? I can't predict that. The provisional ballots could be numerous, but, you know, we'll see. We still have today, and then people can drop that absentee ballot into the ballot box on Election Day. Over the weekend, Democrats called attention to other voting challenges by filing a lawsuit to force Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott to extend early voting. Last year, Scott and the Republican state legislature reduced early voting times. Now voters are seeing waits of more than six hours at the polls. Still, the 2012 election is also expected to set a record for early voting. Thirty million Americans have already cast their ballot through early voting across 34 states. To talk more about about what's happening at the polls, what voters can expect, and who they can call if they encounter problems, we're joined now by two guests: Myrna Pérez is senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, part of the Election Protection Coaliton's voter support hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. In the battleground state of Virginia, we're joined via Democracy Now! video stream by Brentin Mock, lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012, a collaboration between The Nation magazine and Colorlines.com. His latest article is called "Tea Party Group Blocks Florida Voters, Stops Water Handouts at Polls." Welcome, both, to Democracy Now! Explain the title of your piece, Brentin. Sure. I mean, if it sounds a little ridiculous, that's because it is. I mean, let's take the second part of it, where poll watchers are basically trying to stop water from being handed out. You just talked about the really long lines in—throughout Florida, whether we're talking about Miami or Tampa. I was just in Tampa, and the lines were literally out the—you know, going stretching around blocks in many of the black neighborhoods. And so, what you had were Republican poll watchers who were standing by, looking for, I guess, voter fraud activity or something of that sort. When you had Election Protection volunteers going to hand out water to the people who were standing in lines, Republican poll watchers intervened, said this was illegal, said that the NAACP and SEIU volunteers were bribing black voters with water to vote for Obama, with the flimsiest of evidence. In fact, no evidence was even offered of this. Basically, you just had volunteers who were trying to hand out water to people who were standing in really long lines. Now, explain the lines. Well, so there's early voting going on right now in Florida. And at least in Tampa, there have been 15 different polling places where you can go to early vote, from last Saturday running all the way into this past current Saturday. And so, about three of those polling sites are predominantly African American, are in predominantly African-American neighborhoods. And, you know, starting with the Sunday previous, where there was a Souls to the Polls campaign, you had churches sending dozens of buses and vans full of people out to these locations to have people vote. And, you know, as a result, the lines have been, you know, backed up, you know, for going—you know, stretching back blocks. And it's been really hot in Florida. You have a lot of elderly people, a lot of disabled people in these lines. You know, unfortunately, to the credit of the advocates and the volunteers, they have been out densely trying to do whatever they can to help accommodate the voters, not—again, not to bribe them into voting for anyone, but just making sure that, you know, they have water, that some of them have chairs to sit down in if the line is too long. I spoke with people who had been in line as long as five, six, seven hours. True the Vote, who is funding it? I think people are still trying to connect the dots on, you know, where the major funding is coming from. We know in Florida, specifically, True the Vote has had a number of—has held a number of meetings and trainings with Americans for Prosperity. We know that Americans for Prosperity was founded and majorly funded by the Koch brothers. We haven't been able to connect direct dots between the Koch brothers and True the Vote, but we do know that True the Vote has collected money from the Bradley Foundation in Wisconsin. That was a group that was responsible for putting up the voter intimidation billboards in Wisconsin and Ohio. We know that they have, you know, collected money from a lot of tea party groups throughout not just in Texas, where they're—you know, where they were born out of, but also from a number of different other group—tea party groups around the country. So the money is coming in from a lot of places. We haven't been able to, you know, find the grand puppeteer yet, though. And do people identify themselves as True the Vote at the polls? No. So, there's a really tricky thing going on right now. I mean, True the Vote itself, you know, as an organization, is born out of the King Street Patriots tea party group in Houston, Texas. But they have these affiliates all throughout the country. So, in Florida, you have Tampa Vote Fair, which is now—you know, it's a tea—it's a True the Vote-trained volunteer group. And then, here in Virginia, where I'm at right now, you have the Virginia Voters Alliance, again trained by True the Vote, but we also have learned from the head of the Virginia Voters Alliance himself that True the Vote instructed them not to use True the Vote's name because of all of the legal—all of the lawsuits that True the Vote was having in Texas right now. So they basically said, you know, "Don't—don't use our name, not in your title or anything, so that we can have some kind of safe distance between each other." But I also think, you know, based off of certain lawsuits that exist right now, that True the Vote might be telling these tea party groups not to use their name, so—mainly because if any of these groups they have trained go out and they do do intimidation or if they do engage in anything that's unlawful, that True the Vote can kind of wipe their hands of it and say, "Hey, that's not one of our groups. You know, you don't see our name on there anywhere." You know, so—and there's—I'm not pulling that out of my head. I mean, there are some actual legal lawsuits that True the Vote is involved in in Ohio and also in Wisconsin, where they have literally said in their legal complaints that—that they have no ties to these groups and they're not responsible or liable for what these groups do when they go out to the polls, even though these groups have been trained by True the Vote. Now, an affiliated group with True the Vote, you write about, has challenged 75 people in Tampa, an official challenge, where the person has to sign—what is it? Under oath, that they know the person is not eligible to vote. Right, right. And I've been making this point a lot. A lot of reporters who have picked up on True the Vote over the past few months, they, you know, understandably and rightfully, have reported on what they suspect True the Vote will do at the polls, you know, based off of what True the Vote has said they would do at the polls. But that's really not the most dangerous part. The most dangerous part is what True the Vote does before people even get to the polls. And what—and through that, it's the filing of challenges. And in states like Florida, you can file—a citizen or a poll watcher can file a legal challenge, you know, at the county elections office, which is what happened in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is the seat. And so, Kimberly Kelley, who's the head of Tampa Vote Fair, a True the Vote-trained group, filed 77 challenges against people in the Hillsborough County area, over half of those in Tampa. And these people, when their vote—when their voting status is challenged, they don't know this. They won't know this until they show up at the polls and, you know, the person tells them, you know, "Your vote has been challenged." And at that point, that person will not be able to—will not be able to file a regular ballot. They will have no choice but to file a provisional ballot. This is completely unfair to a voter to not know that their vote has been challenged, you know, and you can understand the kind of frustration and confusion that this is going to cause, you know, if someone waits five, six hours in line, finally gets their right to vote, gets up to the front of the line, then they're told, "Well, actually, you can't go to the booth; you have to file this provisional ballot, because some person that you don't know has challenged you." I want to talk about Virginia in a moment after break, but I want to bring in Myrna Pérez, who has been following the issue of voting rights and suppression with the Brennan Center. Stick with Florida. Sure. Florida is an interesting case, because you had one of the most restrictive laws being passed by the state legislature that did a number of things. It put restrictions on third-party registration groups, which are groups that go into our traditionally disenfranchised and disadvantaged communities, groups like the League of Women Voters, who make—you know, their bread-and-butter activities is including people in our democracy. And the restrictions that were passed made it so onerous that they had to close down shop for a little bit. That's also the same law that brought us the early voting reductions. Fortunately, like as was the case with other laws around the country, the advocates and the voters fought back. And the courts definitely blocked and blunted a lot of the provisional—a lot of the aspects of this law that made it very difficult for voters. Now, we're still seeing some aftermath. One of the things that's obvious is that while the early voting restrictions are better than they were before, there clearly is a demand and a need for more early voting time. And one of the things that I like about the Florida story is that it speaks to a narrative of voters standing up for themselves. Here was a very suppressive piece of legislation, people trying to shut them out, and they responded in enormous numbers, being willing to wait in line, understanding that advocates have their back, and are there trying to exercise their fundamental right to vote in the face of a legislature that passed laws trying to stifle it. So I think we need to—we need to take away, you know, the very powerful and very beautiful thing that is happening, which is people realizing that, you know, our right to vote is fundamental, it is something that we should not be scared to exercise, and when it is challenged, we need to demand it. Are you getting many calls on your voter protection hotline from Florida? I am not in the call center that deals with Florida, but one of the things that we do know—and I do think that the viewership should know—is that if a voter has a problem, they should call 866-OUR-VOTE. It is a national nonpartisan hotline where there are trained legal volunteers who are able to answer questions that range from "I don't know where my polling location is?" "Am I still registered on the books?" or "Someone is asking me to present an identification." This is the day where, as Americans, we all come together, and our vote matters the same. It doesn't matter whether you are rich or poor, you know, young or old, rich or not, like—and we need to make sure that we exercise that right and take advantage of the opportunity being given to us. It's our civic obligation. We're going to continue our discussion after break. Brentin Mock is with us. He is the lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012. And Myrna Pérez, who is with the Brennan Center and is particularly involved with the voter protection hotline for people to call throughout today. This is Democracy Now! Back in a minute. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012?start=1282 Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012 US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Swing state, Voter suppression, Ohio, Early voting, Voter ID laws (United States), Mitt Romney, Florida, United States It has been a long time coming, but Americans across the country head to the polls today to cast their ballots. As they do so, voting rights advocates will be watching closely to monitor confusion over whether they are required to show a photo identification and fulfill other requirements that could lead to disenfranchisement. To discuss what is happening at the polls, what voters can expect, and what to do if they encounter problems, we are joined by two guests: Myrna Pérez, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and a member of the Election Protection Coalition voter support hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE; and Brentin Mock, the lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012, a collaboration between The Nation magazine and Colorlines.com. This is Election Day 2012. Let's go to a comment from a former top adviser to Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona's 2008 presidential campaign. Appearing on MSNBC on Monday, Steve Schmidt dismissed concerns of ineligible voters casting ballots and said Republican-backed voter ID laws are based on mythology. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, is you want everybody who's eligible to vote to vote. And that's how you want to win elections. And so, I think that all of this stuff that has transpired over the last two years is in search of a solution to a problem—voting fraud—that doesn't really exist when you look deeply at the question. But it's now part of a— Have you ever felt like you lost an election on voter fraud? It's part of the—part of the mythology now in the Republican Party that there's widespread voter fraud all across the country. In fact, there's not. But both sides are lawyered up to the nth degree, and they'll all posture back and forth on it, but it probably won't come down to the lawyers. Again, that's Steve Schmidt, who was the senior adviser to Senator John McCain when he was running for president. Again, we are joined by Myrna Pérez. She is senior counsel at the Brennan Center in the Democracy Program at New York University School of Law. And we're also joined by Brentin Mock. Brentin Mock is the lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012, which is a collaboration between The Nation magazine and Colorlines.com. Myrna Pérez, Steve Schmidt's comment. He is a top Republican strategist, though I'm beginning to wonder if he's going to switch his party affiliation, listening to him these days. It's certainly the case that there is no dispute that our election system needs to be free and fair and full of integrity. The dispute is over what means people are going to take in order to ensure that and how many people are going to be disenfranchised in the process. And the evidence documents that the kinds of restrictive laws that are being passed do not do anything to make—or do very little, if anything at all, to make our elections more secure. But what they do do is make it very difficult for eligible Americans to participate and to vote. And the question that we, as Americans, have to ask ourselves is, how many barriers are we going to put in front of the ballot box between eligible Americans and their fundamental right? And we need to make sure that we are not the victims of manipulation by partisans who want to rig the rules of the game such that they can be making the decisions as to who gets to participate and who doesn't. One of the examples that I like to use is the Texas photo identification requirement that is not going to be in place. The list of acceptable ID was created with such like target precision that there was a decision made that if you had a University of Texas ID, you couldn't use that to vote, but if you had a concealed gun license, you could. That's a specific kind of targeting of certain voters to make sure that some people have a voice, and those voices that politicians don't want to hear from— But wouldn't that be struck down by a court immediately? Well, the court—the court did block the implementation of this, so it's not going to be in place. But I think the— But that's not striking it down; it's just delaying implementation. Right now it cannot be implemented. It was challenged under the Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, of the preclearance provision. And it had—did not—the state did not meet its burden that it was not going to make minority and poor voters worse off. So that is not a law that people have to worry about in Texas. But you raise a very, very important point. There was so much back-and-forth of this, right up to the wire, that there's great confusion in Texas over what the ID requirements are. We're already getting reports that people during early voting are being asked for identification that is not required. The voter registration cards that the state sends out are misleading and suggest that the photo identification law, this stringent law that is not in place, is actually in place. And we see examples of like that, of the voter confusion happening in a number of instances, also in Pennsylvania. Even though the law will not be in place, we saw two websites in the county, you know, still have the old information when the law was active. And that's why it's really important, when voters are unsure or hear something that does not feel right, they need to call 866-OUR-VOTE, where we have up-to-date information, and we'll be able to help them out. Brentin Mock, let's go to Virginia. Now, Virginia is going to tell us a lot. Democracy Now! begins our broadcast tonight at 7:00 until 1:00 in the morning. That's Eastern time. We'll be broadcasting at democracynow.org online, and many public radio and television stations around the country will be running our election special. Seven o'clock is when we start. Seven o'clock is when the polls in Virginia close. Brentin Mock, talk about what's happening in Virginia, a key swing state. Right, and Virginia mirrors Florida in a lot of different ways, particularly with its felony disenfranchisement law. You know, Virginia joins Florida as one of the states that permanently—permanently disenfranchises anyone who has a felony conviction in their background. And you—that person has to appeal directly to the governor to have their voting rights restored. Also like Florida, there is up to a five-year wait for you to even be able to apply to have your voting rights restored if you have that felony conviction. But unlike Florida, Virginia didn't have a early voting period. So, right now in Florida, which we understand—we already know is a much larger state than Virginia, but Virginia is not Rhode Island, by any means. I mean, there are a lot of people in this state who are going to be lined up to vote today. In fact, they're probably already there at the polls. And we saw five-, six-, seven-hour line waits during—in Florida during early voting periods there. I can imagine what the lines look like here in Virginia, where there's been absolutely no early voting. Talk about Fairfax County elections board and the man they have spearheading their, well, voting rights laws and how they're implemented. Right. So, Fairfax County, which is a very important county in this campaign—in this presidential race, so important that Mitt Romney is having his post-election—I hate to call it "party." He's going to have his post-election event tonight here in Fairfax County. That's how important it is to the Republican Party. Place it for us geographically in Virginia and why it's so significant. Right, and—well, I'm sorry, what was the question? Place it for us, Fairfax County, within Virginia, geographically, and why it's so significant. In Virginia, right. I mean, it's a swing county. For the most part, it's—you know, how Fairfax goes is basically how Virginia will go. And Virginia itself is a swing state. It was important to Obama winning the election in 2008. And Romney, basically, for him to be able to win this year, he's going to need Virginia and—but, you know, Fairfax is really going to be the weathervane of how Virginia goes. And here in the election board, the Board of Elections, sits Hans von Spakovsky, who is—who has been the architect of a number of different voter suppression laws. He is a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, which is a conservative think tank. [inaudible] He's a huge proponent of voter ID laws. He's been a huge promoter of the purging programs that we saw happening in Florida with Governor Rick Scott. In fact, Talking Points Memo reported earlier this year that when Governor Scott was being—Florida's Governor Rick Scott was being sued because of his purging program, that he began to call on people to help really promote this, to really spin it in the media to make it sound like the purging was a good thing. And one of the—excuse me, one of the main people that he called was Hans von Spakovsky. And so, now Hans von Spakovsky is sitting in the Fairfax County Board of Elections with a huge amount of discretion over which votes will be counted and which will not. And his significance, why he should have so much power? I don't think he should. I mean, I think, you know, a lot of very smart election law experts believe that, you know, these kinds of election boards should be taken out of partisan hands and put into completely independent, nonpartisan, you know, operators. But right now, we know for a fact that Hans von Spakovsky is by no means a nonpartisan person. He is a very conservative blogger who works with one of the most conservative organizations out there, with the Heritage Foundation. He's one of the top advisers to True the Vote—one of their most trusted advisers, actually. And he has shared the stage, you know, not only with True the Vote's founder, Catherine Engelbrecht, but also with some of the secretaries of states in some of the other battleground states throughout—throughout the nation, such as Colorado's Secretary of State Scott Gessler. He shared plenty of thoughts and ideas on stage with South Carolina's attorney general when they were fighting against the Department of Justice to have their voter ID law implemented. I mean, this is a person who, at least for the last 20, 30 years, has done everything in his power to try to restrict voting rights for citizens. And Jane Mayer in The New Yorker wrote an excellent profile of Hans von Spakovsky to really detail not only the pure partisanship that he engages in, but also the drumming up of the voter-fraud mythology. He has been one of the main trumpeters of this idea that voter fraud exists. And, you know, she categorically debunked basically every single example that he provided where he tried to say that voter fraud had helped swing an elections. Myrna Pérez, can you talk about what's happening in New York and New Jersey? We have this crisis, Superstorm Sandy. In New York, 40,000 residents are displaced. Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey is saying that people will be able to email in their votes. Governor Cuomo has just issued an executive order you can vote anywhere, but that means you can't vote down ballot. And you can explain what that means. You can vote for president, but not if, you know—if the place you're going to vote has a state senator you would want to vote for, whatever, where you were living, you can't then vote in someone else's district for the state senator there. Right. Well, I mean, I think there are a couple of takeaways. One is, this was an extraordinary circumstance. We had a terrible, terrible storm. Many people were displaced. Many rescue workers can't be where they're supposed to be, because they were trying to keep people safe and to put lights on and to make sure that people were found and have the basic necessities. And we saw two governors take creative and unusual measures to try and make sure that people's fundamental right to vote could still be exercised. In New York, the governor made it such that certain—certain counties and people, that live in certain areas that were federally declared to be emergency zones, could vote by affidavit ballot anywhere they were at. And, yes, it is the case that they will not be able to vote for what sometimes people call "down-ticket races," and that's a very practical reason. The ballots are—the ballots are created for the location that they're at. And I think while there may be some lacking to that, what we do need to take away is that somebody was trying to account for the very unique situation that we're in and trying to provide a means for voters to be able to participate and to not be shut out. Now, in New Jersey, they did two things. One of them is getting more press than the other. One of them is the email. That is a—that is something that, in my view, is something that we shouldn't look at right now as a long-term solution, because there are still technological kinks that need to get locked out, and as—worked out. And as a practical matter, if you don't have power or you don't have electricity, the fact that you can email or fax your ballot in is of cold comfort and not likely to be much good to you. But, like New York, there is a provision for people to be able to vote if they are somewhere else, as long as they're in the state and as long as they're registered. It is going to have to be provisional. What I do want to tell— I mean, interesting on email is that, I mean, if they're talking about any long-term solution, like people say, "Oh, why don't we do that all over?" it goes to issues of privacy. People know who's voting for who. And it also goes to issues of technological security, and we need to make sure there's not glitches in computers and that people can have—I mean, it's something that certainly reformers and advocates—and some advocates look at as a possibility. But, you know, I don't think we're there yet as a permanent solution. Maybe one day the facts will change. But we cannot underestimate the importance, though, of the provisional balloting option, because that will not rely on electricity. It will allow people to vote from— And that is? That is, if they are displaced and they are registered to vote, they can cast a provisional ballot where—where that's closest to them. And like in New York, it will be counted as an operation of state law. What's interesting in New York and New Jersey is they're not considered swing states. They're both believed to be voting for Obama. And if many fewer people vote, it sort of goes to this whole question of the Electoral College, the possibility that President Obama could win the Electoral College, which would mean winning the presidency, but not win the popular vote. And this would further that, that there would be fewer people voting. Well, I think, as Americans, we should focus less on the horse race than about the voters. I mean, if there are fewer people voting because of a natural disaster, it is appropriate, I think, for the governors to take measures to make sure that more people can vote. And in my view, it doesn't matter whether or not the elections are close or they're not. People have a fundamental right to vote. The vote means something to people. Our democracy is more robust, the more people participate. And that's what these two—these two measures are designed to do, to try and make it such that more people can participate notwithstanding this horrible natural disaster that's happened. Final comments, Brentin, for what people should understand about what's happening right now? And we hope to have both of you back on tonight at some point during our special broadcast to report on what you've found throughout the day. Well, what I would like to do is just, you know, give my highest salute to the voters themselves. Sometimes reporters, such as myself, we're doing what we're supposed to do—we're supposed to report on and expose people who are trying to suppress the vote—but at the same time, voters are not stupid, Americans are not stupid. They are resilient. We have technology at our hands. And people, you know, have been showing in—at these elections, that they are not going to let any obstacles come between them and the vote. I mean, it's true, we should not have seven-, eight-hour lines of voting. But the positive thing is that people are actually waiting seven or eight hours to vote, and they're not letting anything—not True the Vote, not bomb scares, not people not disallowing water to be handed out to them—to stop them from going out to vote. And it's a true testament not only to the voters, but also to groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, which has been putting out the information proactively and aggressively long before election time came, and also to the Election Protection teams who have been out there willing to help anyone who needed anything. But right now, what we're seeing is democracy in action. Very quickly, Myrna, on immigrants, a final comment for people who are afraid, you know, that they are absolutely allowed to vote, but what if they could be investigated? Their fear that someone in their family could be deported, the whole questioning of immigrants and their rights to vote? OK. If someone is an eligible American and they are registered to vote and they have not been disenfranchised because of a criminal conviction or a mental adjudication, they have the right to vote. If someone is attempting to suppress that, there are people that will help you. Call 866-OUR-VOTE, report it. We will—we will do our best to counter the information. We will make sure that the election officials know about what's going on. We will put media scrutiny on the issue. Every eligible American that is registered should participate. And on the issue of prisoners in the states and ex-convicts, felons, the varying laws across the country. Mm-hmm. I remember speaking to a friend a while ago. When I said, "Are you going out to vote today?" he said, "I can't." And he talked about the state he was in, and he said he's never been able to vote. And I looked it up, and he was actually able to vote. Right, right. And people do not know, because these laws vary from state to state. That's exactly right. The first time I was on your show, it was about that. We are a patchwork when it comes to how our state laws disenfranchise persons with criminal convictions. We have some states, like Maine and Vermont, where you never lose your right to vote. You can vote from prison. You can vote even from prison. You can vote from prison. And one of the problems that happens when you have this patchwork is that there's misinformation. People don't understand, you know, what the rules are in their state. And one— The states where you never, ever can vote again? Well, when there's bright lines, that tends to be easier. Maine and Vermont, they tend to have not trouble, because they know that, you know. Kentucky and Virginia, they tend to know—they tend to be OK, because they know where the bright lines are. What you have—when you have the most problems are states like New York, where you can vote if you are on probation, but not if you're on parole. And one of the things that is really important is that people not disenfranchise themselves because they don't understand the state law, because what frequently happens is somebody will have bad information, and then they'll tell their cousin, and then they'll tell their girlfriend, and then they'll tell their girlfriend's best friend, and then you have these entire communities being misinformed about what their rights are. So what do you do? You can call 866-OUR-VOTE, and we can let you know what the state law is. But you should do that before election time. You should look up what your state rules are. If you are eligible to vote, you should register to vote. There are people that can walk you through the process. And you have to re-register if you were imprisoned? And— It depends. It depends on the state. That's a— So you should just call. Yeah, it's a complicated issue that has to deal with what their list maintenance procedure is, and there's no one right side. I want to thank you both for being with us. Myrna Pérez is senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, part of the Election Protection Coalition's voter support hotline. Their number, 866-OUR-VOTE. And thank you so much to Brentin Mock, lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch 2012, a collaboration between The Nation magazine and Colorlines.com. We'll link to your latest article, and we hope to speak to you both tonight to get the latest at the end of this historic day. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Back in a minute. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012?start=2792 Election Day 2012 has arrived, and the battle over voter suppression has reached a fever pitch in battleground states. Democracy Now! reports on the situation in Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. And, the fight continues to reveal the anonymous sources of "dark money" being used to pay for political campaigns. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:55:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-november-6-2012 US presidential election, 2012, Politics of the United States, Swing state, Voter suppression, Ohio, Early voting, Voter ID laws (United States), Mitt Romney, Florida, United States As in all recent elections, Ohio again is a crucial state to win for either presidential candidate. And once again, Ohio is at the center of charges of systematic suppression of the African-American vote. In a report for Democracy Now!, investigative reporter Greg Palast discovers that some early voters in the Buckeye State have received the wrong ballots. Palast is the author of "Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps." As in all recent elections, Ohio is a crucial state to win for either presidential candidate. Once again, Ohio is at the center of charges of systematic suppression of the African-American vote. Investigative reporter Greg Palast discovered that some early voters in the Buckeye State received the wrong ballots. He filed this report for Democracy Now! Hallelujah! Finally, it's Election Day in Ohio. Union workers and rural evangelicals are on the road driving to the polls. Ohio will probably pick our president today, Tuesday, but Democrats hope the election was decided on Sunday. This is Greg Palast reporting. Here, in the economically wounded heart of Dayton, Ohio, I'm going to church, because Sunday is "Souls to the Polls" day. Today is Souls to the Polls day? GIRL: Yes. Souls to the Polls day, when thousands of African Americans in Ohio will go from Sunday church to vote early. While most other Ohioans will vote on Tuesday, the clear majority of black folk in Ohio will vote early. This is the Freedom Faith Missionary Baptist Church, and they will load into the church van to take their singing souls to the polls. Terra Williams, a church member and leader of the Souls to the Polls movement, explains why African Americans vote on Sunday. TERRA WILLIAMS: Well, because typically on Election Day, everyone works. Particularly, most African Americans are probably working two or three jobs, and it's harder for them to get off that particular day. So, early voting hours for our community was very essential, especially weekend voting hours, because that gives us a time to get out and vote. Most of—most individuals are off on the weekends. And so, for us, in our community, it's easier for us to vote early on the weekends. We drive behind the church group to downtown Dayton, to the early voting station. And here's what we found: a line of nearly 1,000 voters snaking out of the state building and out into the parking lot. What happened? The Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted cut black church day voting from four Sundays to just one, and just for four hours, and at just one polling place for all of Dayton, all of Montgomery County. So, do you think that this is a good way to do it, where they just have one polling place for early voting? DAYTON EARLY VOTER 1: Well, that's probably not a good way, but that's the way it is now. So, we work with it. You know, it could be an hour or two in line. Are you up to it? DAYTON EARLY VOTER 1: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Can I ask who you're going to vote for? DAYTON EARLY VOTER 1: No. After hours of wait, voters were herded into this auditorium, where they were treated to a slide show. The government crowed that on Tuesday, the day when most whites vote, there will be 176 polling locations. Finally, 10 by 10, groups of voters were sent to get their ballots. But wait, these weren't ballots. These were applications for absentee ballots. What's going on here? Absentee ballots are not at all the same as a regular ballot. In U.S. elections, between one and three million absentee ballots are rejected by voting officials, effectively thrown in the garbage. Voting on an absentee ballot is like playing bingo with your vote. ELECTION OFFICIAL: Number 175. Number 175 and under can head up the steps. Stay to the left as you exit, 175 and under. But to reassure voters—or to fool them—this big notice was projected on the giant screen. "Early voting equals absentee voting." Oh, no, it doesn't. Not according to voting rights attorney Robert Fitrakis, professor at Columbus State University. I show the professor the absentee ballot form handed out at early voting and ask if this was legitimate or a common practice. Absolutely uncommon. And I would suspect it's either done out of incompetence for convenience or to defraud people of their vote. As you can see, on this form, you have to fill it out. And the secretary of state, Jon Husted, has come up with the notion that if you leave anything blank, even though it's irrelevant, your absentee ballot can be tossed. So, in other words, these voters could lose their votes. Absolutely. Jon Husted, as the Republican secretary of state, really has decided that he's going to deliver for the Republican Party, that the only way they can win is by throwing as many people as they can off the registration rolls and making it as inconvenient and difficult as possible to vote, particularly during early voting. It's outrageous! It's a systematic attempt to eliminate the hardcore base of the Democratic Party. And they're getting away with it. When you say the "hardcore base," is there a racial element? Oh, absolutely. It's the new Jim Crow. Back at the early voting station, we asked our souls from Missionary Baptist how they did at the polls. UNIDENTIFIED: How did your voting go, guys? DAYTON EARLY VOTER 2: It went great. Thank you very much. UNIDENTIFIED: Thank you to you, too. DAYTON EARLY VOTER 2: Thank you. UNIDENTIFIED: Did it all went—did it all go smooth for you guys? DAYTON EARLY VOTER 2: Yes, it did. UNIDENTIFIED: Beautiful. DAYTON EARLY VOTER 2: All right. Bye. Bye-bye. I didn't have the heart to tell them, those ballots may never get counted. This is Greg Palast in Ohio at early voting—or early voting suppression—for Democracy Now! http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-voting-machines-gives-obama-votes-to-romney?start=0 <p>An anonymous Pennsylvania voter filmed this footage of an electronic booth changing his vote for Obama to one for Romney. "I initially selected Obama but Romney was highlighted," he explains. "I assumed it was being picky so I deselected Romney and tried Obama again, this time more carefully, and still got Romney... I asked the voters on either side of me if they had any problems and they reported they did not." Mother Jones reports that a voting machine was taken offline today to be "recalibrated," but couldn't confirm it was the same one.</p> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:49:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-voting-machines-gives-obama-votes-to-romney US presidential election, 2012, Voting machine, Pennsylvania, Electronic voting, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Voting, Electoral fraud, Reddit, Viral video An anonymous Pennsylvania voter filmed this footage of an electronic booth changing his vote for Obama to one for Romney. "I initially selected Obama but Romney was highlighted," he explains. "I assumed it was being picky so I deselected Romney and tried Obama again, this time more carefully, and still got Romney... I asked the voters on either side of me if they had any problems and they reported they did not." Mother Jones reports that a voting machine was taken offline today to be "recalibrated," but couldn't confirm it was the same one. http://news.linktv.org/videos/ohios-auto-industry-saved-by-obama-divided-at-the-polls?start=0 The auto industry is an important part of the US state of Ohio's economy. One out of every eight working people in the midwestern state are employed by the automotive industry. Barack Obama, US president's auto industry bailout was seen as a boon to many businesses associated with the industry in the midwestern state -- but, perhaps surprsingly, not every auto worker supports the incumbent in today's election. <br /> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:53:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/ohios-auto-industry-saved-by-obama-divided-at-the-polls US presidential election, 2012, Barack Obama, Ohio, Automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010, Politics of the United States, Mitt Romney, Bailout, Lordstown, Ohio, Automotive industry, General Motors The auto industry is an important part of the US state of Ohio's economy. One out of every eight working people in the midwestern state are employed by the automotive industry. Barack Obama, US president's auto industry bailout was seen as a boon to many businesses associated with the industry in the midwestern state, but not every auto worker supports the incumbent. Bill Steere, owner of an auto manufacturer who was greatly aided by the Democratic president's bailout, says he will be supporting Obama's Republican rival in the election. Steere asks: Are future decisions going to be made, how are those going to impact me going forward? I think the answer for me is that it's not going in the right direction. However, Dave Green, a local union president, says an Obama presidency is more friendly to the working class and organisations like his: He at least believes we are the fabric of what this country is. Mitt Romney wants to take that fabric out. And we don't need unions anymore, so the attack on labor come Wednesday if we lose this thing ... we are not going to be able to grow, we are just going to fight and protect what we have. Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler reports from Akron. http://news.linktv.org/videos/torn-in-the-usa?start=0 And they're off! After President Obama's day of stumping to the music of Bruce Springsteen and Mitt Romney's multi-state-hopping race, it's in the voters' hands. Now, if only the electorate can pick a clear winner. Reuters is already looking at the tea leaves. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:14:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/torn-in-the-usa US presidential election, 2012, Bruce Springsteen, Politics of the United States, United States, Reuters And they're off! After President Obama's day of stumping to the music of Bruce Springsteen and Mitt Romney's multi-state-hopping race, it's in the voters' hands. Now, if only the electorate can pick a clear winner. Reuters is already looking at the tea leaves. http://news.linktv.org/videos/voters-machine-glitches-switching-votes-dem?start=0 The trouble begins. GOP voters in Colorado are complaining that glitches in all three machines used in early voting switched their Mitt Romney votes to votes for President Obama. "I'm really concerned about the integrity of the voting system," said one voter. An official believes voters may be accidentally hitting the wrong spot on the machine screens.&nbsp; Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:05:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/voters-machine-glitches-switching-votes-dem US presidential election, 2012, Colorado, Voting, Voting machine, Politics of the United States, Electronic voting, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, United States, Ballot The trouble begins. GOP voters in Colorado are complaining that glitches in all three machines used in early voting switched their Mitt Romney votes to votes for President Obama. "I'm really concerned about the integrity of the voting system," said one voter. An official believes voters may be accidentally hitting the wrong spot on the machine screens. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110612?start=972 <p>Russia and Qatar compete over ownership of Syrian people's voice, Britain's Cameron slammed for acting as weapons dealer to Arab despots, Kuwaiti emir vows tough measures against "illegal" protestors, and more.</p> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110612 Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Politics of Israel, Palestinians, United Nations, Syrian Civil War, Mahmoud Abbas, Gaza, Bashar al-Assad, David Cameron Last week's exit poll of American-Israelis voting in the US election showed Mitt Romney was favored over Barack Obama, with 85 percent of the vote to Obama's 14 percent. IBA interviews Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on what this says about the outlook of American-Israelis living in Israel, and how the Israeli government looks at the presidential election. http://news.linktv.org/videos/emergency-order-new-yorkers-can-vote-anywhere?start=0 Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed an emergency order allowing New Yorkers displaced by Sandy to be able to vote by special affidavit ballot at any polling site in the state. The votes, however, won't be counted until after election day, and New Yorkers might not be able to vote for local offices if those specific ballots aren't available at polling spots they chose. Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:05:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/emergency-order-new-yorkers-can-vote-anywhere Andrew Cuomo, US presidential election, 2012, Polling place, New York, Politics of the United States, Ballot, Voting, United States, Associated Press Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed an emergency order allowing New Yorkers displaced by Sandy to be able to vote by special affidavit ballot at any polling site in the state. The votes, however, won't be counted until after election day, and New Yorkers might not be able to vote for local offices if those specific ballots aren't available at polling spots they chose.