Dems Set Wheels In Motion On Revising Voting Rights Act

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Congressional Democrats are already setting wheels in motion to fix the damage the Court did to the Voting Rights Act, but they’re prepared for a long and complex haul.

Because Democrats only control one chamber of Congress, they’re effectively confined to beginning the process in the Senate, which is why early statements from Senate Dems refer to action they plan to take, while House Dems are stuck pressing Republicans to take the issue seriously.

But that’s enough to sketch out a roadmap by which they might successfully re-establish pre-clearance standards under Voting Rights Act.

“As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I intend to take immediate action to ensure that we will have a strong and reconstituted Voting Rights Act that protects against racial discrimination in voting,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said in a statement after the decision.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/06/congressional-democrats-set-voting-rights-act-wheels-in-motion.php?ref=fpblg

[BumRushDaShow]

1. The 2014 election will be key here to take back the House

and get some work done.

[adieu]

3. The Dem's 2014 tag line should be

If you don't vote for us in the House of Representative seats, 2014 may be your last relevant election. And then explain the changes to the VRA.

[NYtoBush-Drop Dead]

10. good start, but it needs to be catchier and more succinct...

like... VOTE DEMOCRATIC OR YOU'LL BE DROPPING YOUR DRAWERS AND BENDING OVER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! or THROW OUT THE REPUGS OR YOU'LL BE F*CKED AND YOU WONT LIKE IT! or THROW OUT THE WING NUTS!

[demwing]

22. "Vote for the Right...to Vote"

There are so many reasons to vote, but without your essential right to have your vote counted, none of those other reasons will matter.

Vote for the right to vote, and in 2014, vote the Democratic Party Ticket.

[tofuandbeer]

13. !

[modrepub]

4. We got nearly half the vote last election cycle

and still didn't retake the house. It's the legislative elections were loosing at the wrong time. The GOP has gerrymandered every district it could to make it much harder for us. In my home state of PA we won half the vote for the house but only won 5 of 13 seats and really none of the house votes was even close.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. It will take a Democratically controlled House for this to happen.

I think that's a longshot for 2014, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[Sherman A1]

15. Agreed

I don't see it getting anywhere in the current world.

[fasttense]

25. Dems will never take back the house since the Dancing Supremes have outlawed voting while liberal.

Now that it is open season on poll taxes for minorities, the elderly, the poor, students and anyone else RepubliCONS hate, I doubt there will be enough votes to take back the house. There is no way enough people are going to be able to jump through the ever changing hoops, barriers and just plain poll taxes that the uber rich have and will set up.

And I think with good firm poll tax laws put into place in most states (with the help of the Koch bothers' ALEC), Democrats will never get elected back into the presidency.

Way to go Dancing Supremes, you have turn America into RepubliCON land forever.

Here's hoping you can meet your poll tax in time for the next election.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Absolutely necessary. Thanks for the news. n/t

[mpcamb]

6. I agree and I think it should be a forefront issue

Last edited Sat Jun 29, 2013, 08:36 AM - Edit history (1)

for Democrats running in the 2014. It's an 'us' v. 'them' descriptor and should be defined as such on a national level... that is, if the spineless DCCC can see fit to use it that way.

[Cha]

5. Thank you! REC

[dkf]

7. Well I hope so.

That's a pretty obvious move.

[ffr]

8. I have a better plan. No more Republicans

Not on the national level, not at the state level, not at the local level.

No more!!!

[Aristus]

9. If the repukes fight this, they can kiss that "outreach effort" goodbye.

If they listen to Phyllis Schlafly instead of young people on their way up, the R's are fucked, anyway...

[sheshe2]

12. K&R! nt

[Left Coast2020]

14. Its not only the Repukes, its the Tea-freak sewer dwellers

Thats who we need to get out of Washington. They are the f-wads that are f'ing up everything. And as it stands now, we need 16 seats--not including bats*** Bachman. Her seat could go D. So 16 is the number we need to focus on. That is unless someone here thinks we can't get her seat. She won by what, 2,000 or so? Or was that by a few hundred?

And BTW, I say let them fight it! Then show the country how scummy R's are. D's should not be nice to them. Just throw it back in their face, and leave a little for KKKarl Rove too.

I'm really looking forward to the possibility they could become extinct in the next few years.

[Enthusiast]

24. We could deal with the the Repukes and the Tea-freak sewer dwellers. We could whip they ass!

The problem is righties masquerading as Democrats. It is the entire problem. It is as plain as the nose on your face.

[DCBob]

16. House Rethugs will probably block this.

but they still need to try. Put them on the record as voting against the America voter.

[hue]

17. We have to act on this--as Sen. Leahy states...

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Modest proposal---all states must submit changes to the DOJ for review.

That way, it is not discriminatory. And it would prevent things like Ohio 2004. Since federal elections affect people all across the country, the country---i.e. we---have a right to make sure that elections are fair.

[drm604]

19. I like this.

Then no one can whine that they're being judged on 40 year old events. My only question is, at what level? It doesn't seem feasible for the justice department to have to rule on every change in every precinct.

How does the current process work?

[felix_numinous]

20. I know it is 2 different issues,

but I wish election laws would be written to not only assure racial equality in every state, but a paper trail as well. This would make any shenanigans provable in court.

[IrishAyes]

21. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO FIX IT!!!

Damn, but I've been steaming over this.

[Enthusiast]

23. If the Evil GOP uses this supreme court ruling to win elections.

It means war!

[graham4anything]

26. Once the dems win everything in 2016, all will instantly change back...til then

we need to spend as many dollars as it takes to beat them at the polls.

What we need is to have 10 times MORE voters because of this, not less.

money no object should be the motto, spend 100 times more than they will and reclaim our vote.

only reason any of them won was that only about 1/4 the voters in those states voted.
they have ZERO extra voters, so those vote totals are the exact highest they can get

we need one vote more in every place.