Any constitutional lawyers want to explain how making schoolkids swear loyalty to the United States violates the First Amendment but not making adult voters swear loyalty to their new party?

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has launched an investigation that could lead to criminal charges against voters who maliciously switched parties for the March 4 presidential primary.

Elections workers will look for evidence that voters lied when they signed affidavits pledging allegiance to their new party…

After the election, some local Republicans admitted they changed parties only to influence which Democrat would face presumed Republican nominee John McCain in November. One voter scribbled the following addendum to his pledge as a new Democrat: “For one day only.”

Such an admission amounts to voter fraud, said [board member Sandy] McNair, who pushed for the investigation…

Lying on the signed statement is a fifth-degree felony, punishable by six to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Here’s the statute, although the mechanics are convoluted so you’re better off reading Wired’s analysis. Essentially, you’re only in trouble if you perjure yourself by signing an affidavit affirming your new loyalty — but the affidavits are supposed to be demanded as a matter of course and if you refuse to sign you only get a provisional ballot. Exit question: Should we expect any bipartisan outrage over this like we saw when the Virginia GOP toyed with the idea of a loyalty oath for their own primary? Or are we playing by Obama rules here, where ordinary political sins are absolved if it benefits the left to do so?