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Pennsylvania's Democrat governor Edward "Fast Eddie" Rendell has learned that attacking the US Military can result in a counterattack. His attempt to disenfranchise his states military absentee voters is under assault from an Army Specialist serving in Kuwait and another serving in Iraq:

Two soldiers from Pennsylvania serving abroad filed a motion in federal court yesterday to force the state to accept overseas absentee ballots received after Tuesday's election.

Without an extension, U.S. Army Specs. Matthew J. Schramm of Schwenksville, Montgomery County, and Steven J. Reitz of Venango County, probably won't have their votes counted, according to the court petition filed by lawyers with the Republican State Committee.

"With the war in Iraq a major issue in this election, it is especially imperative that the members of the military actually waging that war have their votes counted," according to the motion, which asks the court to extend the absentee ballot deadline until Nov. 17.

Schramm and Reitz, who are serving in Kuwait and Iraq, respectively, become the first faces put on the controversial ballot issue that until now has dealt in the abstract realm of potentially disenfranchised voters.

State election law requires that each county send out its overseas absentee ballots by Sept. 20. They must be returned by Oct. 29 for votes to be counted for all offices on the ballot, or by Election Day for only the Presidential vote. The delays in getting ballots out have been blamed on uncertainty over whether Ralph Nader's name would be on the ballot.

A sad state of affairs when those on the front lines fighting the war on terror have to fight a war on the home front too, but Spc. Schramm and Spc. Reitz have allies in America too.

U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) yesterday threatened to "use my power" to withhold National Guard funds from coming into the state "to support this governor" if any overseas military votes go uncounted. And, at a separate news conference, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) accused Rendell of using "heavy-handed partisanship" in opposing the extension.

Rendell was not available for comment yesterday, but last week he said he finds them "personally repugnant."

The battle has just begun, it remains to be seen whether these young American heroes will be able to vote this year. You should have less difficulty.