Philadelphia Stories

Cautionary tales from the City of Brotherly Love, even those brother voters that don't exist who voted in places that were better not seen. John Fund, WSJ:

Over five years after the near meltdown of the Florida presidential recount, politicians are still arguing over how best to reform state election laws. Ground zero in that battle now is Pennsylvania, which features two close statewide races, for governor and U.S. senator.

Democrats claim anything that impedes or discourages someone from voting is a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Republicans insist the state's rancid history of voter fraud requires preventive measures. The conflict of visions, to borrow Thomas Sowell's phrase, couldn't be more complete.

Take the bill the GOP-controlled Legislature passed, which would require voters show a form of official ID or a utility bill; another bill would end Philadelphia's bizarre practice of locating over 900 polling places in private venues, including bars, abandoned buildings and even the office of a local state senator. City officials admit their voter rolls are stuffed with phantoms. The city has about as many registered voters as it has adults, and is thus a rich breeding ground for fraud.

Their current governor, former DNC head Ed Rendell, vetoed both bills.

Read on and weep. Chicago? Governor Blagojevich?