Thursday, October 28, 2004

Running Up Against the Army in a Battleground State

Republican lawyers are busy challenging the often ethically challenged voter registration rolls in Ohio. But one of the curious twists is the case of Surjo Banerjee.

Lawyers originally questioned the 40 year old Banerjee's residency. He listed his brother's residence as his address with the registrar. But he doesn't spend much time there. He's usually somewhere else.

That's the kind of thing that should raise the hairs on an election lawyer's neck. And the Republican lawyers challenged his qualilfications as a voter.

It was hard for Mr. Banerjee to fight back, since SGT Banerjee was busy fighting in Iraq. It's his second tour there. He was part of the US Army in the Gulf War, too.

The lawyers retreated when it came to light. All that time overseas is kind of required when you're career US Army. Their retreat was so massive, they withdrew all 2,319 challenges they had originally filed in Banerjee's home county.

Hey, the Army might be forgiving. But if they had a Marine in that batch, who knows. (SF Chronicle)

No comments: