Ohio Republicans have the vapors

[Ed W]

The headline in Newsmax sounds ominous: Obama Campaign Sues in Bid to Suppress Military Vote.  Now, I don't normally read Newsmax.  I just stumbled onto the story.  Republican are hyperventilating and clutching their pearls in outrage, again.  Here are a few excerpts:

In a move that could have an impact on the final result of the presidential election, Barack Obama's campaign has sued Ohio to block a measure which extends early voting for members of the military.

...Republicans traditionally have had the lock on the military vote, and with Ohio being a key battleground state especially this year — Obama leads GOP challenger Mitt Romney there by only 6 points in the latest Quinnipiac University poll — these military votes could swing the Nov. 6 election to either candidate.

...The Obama campaign sued Republicans DeWine and Secretary of State Jon Husted, contending Ohio's two-tiered early voting process violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of equal protection under the law.

Wow!  That certainly makes the D Team look like a bunch of scoundrels intent on stealing every last vote in Ohio.  But wait, there's more.

...In addition, state law allows families of armed forces members and civilians overseas to vote through the Monday before an election, while early voting for all other Ohioans ends the preceding Friday. The Nov. 6 election falls on a Tuesday.

The Obama lawsuit said that the latter part of the Ohio law is "arbitrary" with "no discernible rational basis" — and that all voters should be able to vote on those days. The campaign seeks a court order invalidating the statutes.

...With the changes, most Ohioans now have until the Friday evening before the Tuesday election to cast a ballot in person. But military voters can continue to vote in person until Monday.

...A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15.

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Ohio-military-vote-Democrats/2012/08/03/id/447552

So, if I understand this right, military voters can cast a ballot the day before election day, a Monday, while mere civilians cannot.  And the lawsuit seems to be saying that all voters, not just the military, should be able to vote that Monday.  Romney, Faux News, and the rest of the Republican echo chamber are parroting the same story, insisting that the Obama campaign is trying to take away voting rights from our military, when the real thrust of the suit is to see that all voters can cast an early ballot.

The truth, it hurts.