Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) statement on his vote on "The Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities".  (38 Senate Republicans rejected the U.N. treaty on rights for persons with disabilities) Read Rubio's statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

My Vote on the "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities"

By Senator Marco Rubio

December 4, 2012

http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/fighting-for-florida?ID=d78d5933-dbe0-454c-9bef-a5b6e00f5122

My late grandfather was one of the most influential people in my life. Until his death when I was 13, "Papá" was a mentor who spent countless hours on our front porch with me discussing history, politics and baseball. As a Cuban immigrant, he knew how special America is, and it's one lesson from him that I will never forget.

Papá was also my hero for the way he lived his life. Stricken by polio as a boy, he would be disabled for the rest of his life.  He would often walk miles to work at a cigar factory to provide for his family. Because of his disability, walking was difficult for him and he would often return home at night with his clothes dirty from repeatedly falling to the ground.  But he kept getting up, and lived a life that I admire and will never forget.  Because of him, I knew from a very early age the inherent dignity and beauty evident in every disabled human being on earth, whether they were born with their disability or developed it in the course of their lives.

The landmark Americans With Disabilities Act enshrined into law many fundamental rights to help disabled people live better lives.  As Americans, it should make us all proud because it is one reason the United States has set the gold standard in the world for disability rights.  It has helped demonstrate to everyone else one more dimension of our exceptional people, by ensuring that our disabled brothers and sisters have better opportunities to rise above their physical limitations to stake their claim on the American Dream.

As the Senate considers the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today, it’s important to note that a failure to approve it would in no way diminish what we have accomplished in America on disability rights, just as its passage would not improve the laws affecting Americans with disabilities.  Furthermore, nothing on this treaty compels other nations to raise their standards or in any way improve the care they afford to persons with disabilities.  Therefore, I stand in opposition of its ratification today.

The treaty's supporters have argued that its passage will elevate disability rights abroad, to the benefit of disabled people not fortunate enough to live under laws like ours and also to disabled Americans when they travel. However, the United States already promotes disabled rights and better laws abroad through the State Department and our foreign embassies.  The Americans With Disabilities Act (and subsequent improvements to it) should be the law upon which other countries base their own laws protecting their disabled people and aiming to make their lives better.

I believe America's example should lead the way on achieving stronger universal disability rights instead of the United Nations, the governing body entrusted to oversee this treaty's implementation. The American example of millions of disabled Americans living their dreams is a stronger force to compel other countries to do the same than a United Nations body populated by such chronic human rights abusers as China and Russia, nations that fail to respect the fundamental rights of everyone, much less their disabled.

When this treaty was originally negotiated, a bipartisan consensus existed that this treaty would not address abortion. This is an appropriate position when you consider that, too often, unborn children in the United States and across the world are aborted because their disabilities have been detected while in the womb. When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee debated this issue in July, I offered an amendment to make clear this Convention does not create, endorse or promote abortion rights as reproductive health.  I made clear its intent was not to change U.S. domestic laws on this matter. All my proposed change did was state very clearly that, at the end of the day, this Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is about protecting persons with disabilities, regardless of their stage in life.  Because this important change was not adopted and for all the reasons I’ve outlined here, I cannot support Senate ratification of this treaty.

###

Stuart, FL - Today Congressman Allen West released the following statement ending the race for Florida's 18th District:

"For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly.  We have made progress towards that goal, thanks to the dedication of our supporters and their unrelenting efforts to protect the integrity of the democratic process.  While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.

While there are certainly still inaccuracies in the results, and the actions of the St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County Supervisors of Elections rightly raise questions in my mind and for many voters, after much analysis and this past weekend's recount in St. Lucie County, our legal team does not believe there are enough over-counted, undercounted or fraudulent votes to change the outcome of the election. 

While a contest of the election results might have changed the vote totals, we do not have evidence that the outcome would change.  Given the extremely high evidentiary hurdles involved in a successful challenge, I will not ask my generous supporters to help fund a drawn-out, expensive legal effort with little chance of success. Therefore, we will not contest the certification or challenge the seating of Congressman-elect Murphy.

Serving the people in the House of Representatives has been among the highest honors of my life, but this seat does not belong to me, or for that matter, to any individual.  It belongs to the people. 

I want to congratulate my opponent, Patrick Murphy, as the new Congressman from the 18th Congressional District. I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own.

I must thank my wife Angela, and my daughters Aubrey and Austen for their support, patience, understanding and most of all, love. These are three of the toughest women I know. They have sent me off to defend our nation overseas at war, and to Capitol Hill to serve our nation in the House of Representatives. They have all handled the challenges of these last few months, and the last many years, with amazing grace. I know they will be by my side for whatever is our next chapter.

I want to thank my congressional and campaign staff for their service, and most importantly, I want to thank all of our tremendous supporters who provided their time and money to power our campaign. I am humbled by the dedication and perseverance of our supporters, and their commitment to a free and prosperous America.  I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for our campaign, but most importantly, what they have done, and will continue to do for our country.  None of us should let the outcome discourage us. We should only redouble our resolve. 

Above all, I want to thank God for his blessings, and for blessing me with the opportunity to serve.

Only God knows what is in store for each of us. I have dedicated my life to serving this nation, and the results of this election will not change my purpose. Just as I did in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, just as I did on Capitol Hill, I will continue to fight for our Republic. 

Our nation will not overcome our challenges overnight, and the road ahead for each one of us will not be easy. But this nation would never have become that shining beacon of light if our founders had chosen the easy path 236 years ago.  We all must proudly continue their legacy.

For the protection and preservation of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, I shall remain steadfast and loyal.  God bless you and God bless these United States of America."

TEQUESTA, FL - Beverly Hires, a volunteer, today is requesting immediate action on her petition issued earlier this week to State of Florida in reference to the recount for Allen West.  Please read the full petition below:

Dear Honorable Ken Detzner,

Attached is my petition requesting that you as Chief Elections Office for the State of Florida take such actions as provided by law to assure an accurate count of ballots in the 18th Congressional District. I copied and pasted it below as well.

Sincerely

Beverly Joy Hires

18213 Se Fairview Cir

Tequesta, FL 33469

561-398-0754

SECRETARY OF STATE

STATE OF FLORIDA

IN RE VOTE TABULATION            Case No:__________________

AND OTHER IRREGULARITIES                             

CASTING DOUBT TO VALIDITY

OF ELECTION RESULTS OF

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 18

PETITION THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE TAKE ACTION TO COMPEL THE RETABULATION OF VOTES IN ST LUCIE COUNTY AS AUTHORIZED BY FLORIDA STATUTES 97.012(14), (15) and (16).

Now comes petitioner, Beverly Joy Hires, as a legal elector of Congressional District 18,  and hereby requests that the Honorable Secretary of State as Chief Elections Officer of the State of Florida,  take such actions as provided by law to accomplish an accurate vote result in a manner that assures the electorate that every legal vote be counted and treated equally, so that a correct and true certification of this election results, free of the taint that has casted substantial doubt as to the correct result.

Vote tabulation irregularities and the failure to follow proper procedures in the handling of the counting process in St Lucie County, have resulted in substantial doubts as to the true vote and outcome of this election.  As explained  by  Gertrude Walker , Supervisor of Elections, 3,650 ballots were counted twice and 1,950 ballots not counted at all on election night due to confusion and failure to follow proper procedures.  Later, on Sunday November 11^th, the Supervisor conducted a partial machine recount of 3 days of early voting that were identified by the Supervisor as the group of ballots effected. The results changed the total numbers counted for those 3 days by 809 or by 3.2%.  The change in numbers of ballots reflected that the previously double counted ballots were 83% in favor of Patrick Murphy and 17% in favor of Allen West and thus substantially narrowed the race almost triggering an automatic recount.  Further,  the partial recount was flawed.  If indeed, only those 3 days were in question, the partial recount should have corrected both the double counted and uncounted ballots, and a 1,700 reduction in total votes for the 3 days recounted should have been the result, not a 803 ballot change.  Clearly, the explanation given is inaccurate and not the only irregularity.  Even if partially correct, there must be still many double counted votes reflected in the unofficial certified total!   More likely, this result is evidence of a systemic ballot handling and tabulating problem not isolated to the 3 days identified by the Supervisor, nor even limited to just early voted ballots.

Further if “all” ballots cast in the race are considered, under and over counted or unread for other reasons, a mere 192 votes gain by Allen West, in a race where over 330,000 ballots were cast, would result in an automatic recount .  Given the bias of over counted ballots seen thus far, it is likely that the outcome of the race would be different.  It is this petitioners good faith belief that not only would a re-tabulation and accounting of all ballots in St Lucie likely change the outcome of the race, but that without a full re-tabulation, the processes and irregularities have cast into doubt the validity of the race with an outcome that does not reflect the true choice of the electors.

Without a complete accounting and re-tabulation of ballots cast in St. Lucie County, this race will remain under an ominous cloud of suspicion, casting doubts that go to the heart of the electoral processes that will remain for a very long time.   Given the relatively small burden and the huge irreparable harm to the public that would ensue, a full accounting and recount is required to assure not only that every vote is treated and counted equally, but that the true winner be determined so that the individual actually winning the majority of votes, represent the 18^th District in Congress.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Wherefore, Petitioner prays that the Honorable Secretary of State as Chief Elections officer with plenary authority to take actions to assure that the fundamental rights of the electors of the 18^th District have their votes counted equally, and that the correct winner represent them is Washington, DC, :

1.    Send such agents to St Lucie County to secure the ballots to prevent compromise;

2.     Take legal action to compel re-tabulation of all ballots;

3.    Set forth procedures regarding the re-tabulation of all ballots to assure each vote is treated equally, and;

4.    Any other action as provided for by law as determined to be just.

Respectfully,

BEVERLY JOY HIRES

18213 SE Fairview Cir.

Tequesta, Florida 33469

Phone 561-398-0754

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Florida Rep. Allen West said Tuesday he filed a circuit court complaint challenging the official result of his House race, which ended with him losing re-election by 2,442 votes.

The lawsuit asks the St. Lucie County court for a preliminary injunction that would order election officials to recount early votes in the state’s 18th Congressional District and refrain from certifying the results until the process in complete. The court could not be reached late Tuesday afternoon to verify the filing.

The West campaign points to a wild swing of votes in favor of Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy on election night as the reason for their concern.

Click link for complete Fox News story:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/13/west-campaign-asks-for-court-injunction-to-get-recount-in-contested-race/