Republicans Revisit Jim Crow Laws: Want to Require Photo ID to Vote

Across the nation, Republican state legislatures and governors are pushing the idea of requiring that voter’s present picture identification at the voting booth. The GOP is rewriting voting laws in at least thirteen states thus far and more may be on the horizon. These efforts are being implemented under the guise of “fraud prevention.”

In South Carolina, Governor Nikki Haley, although there is no evidence of fraud in any recent elections, Republicans have changed laws to require a picture IDs at the poll in order to vote. Just last week Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Rick Perry of Texas signed into law the requirement for a valid picture ID to vote. This week, in Florida, Governor Rick Scott is expected to sign a similar requirement into law. In Ohio, changes will reduce the number of provisional ballots cast on election day and do away with the five-day period in which new voters can register and then immediately vote, a rule that some say invited fraud.

Democrats argue that these laws are aimed to discourage voters, particularly those who don't have photo IDs, typically the poor and minorities. They also contend that such laws are equal to those implemented albeit unconstitutionally, during the period of Jim Crow in America where literacy test and poll taxes were put in place to keep poor whites and African Americans from participating in voting.

Although the fifteenth amendment forbids laws that obviate voting based on race, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 protects the rights of minority voters and eliminates any voting barriers obstructing voters rights, the Republican Party strongly support these measures.
Strange it seems given that these strict constitutionalist cannot point to any reference in the constitution of bill of rights requiring an ID to vote. Another concern is that many, including disabled, students and the elderly may not have “officially” accepted ID’s such as pass ports or drivers licenses. GOP-controlled statehouses nationwide are also restricting early voting, and imposing stricter rules on those who can register to vote.

These changes for some equate to a new poll tax. ID’s cost money, and some people just don’t have the money to get them. A study conducted by the New York University’s Brennan Center in 2006, claims that 11% of the American voting-age public—that means tens of millions of people—don’t have a photo ID.

GOP More Concerned With Obama than China Passing US

Since the Democratic party took an old-fashioned butt whipping from the GOP during the midterm elections, one can only assume that their “just say no” mantra and incessant attacks on President Obama and his administration will not only continue, but might even accelerate and become more pointed.

As a result, we should all be on guard for the Republican-dominated Congress, along with the assistance of Fox news and other right-wing extremist groups, to ask for investigations into the fledgling Obama administration. If this speculation is true, then there are several areas for certain that the GOP will likely target over the next few years.

First, based on what has already transpired over the past two years, it is clear that Representatives Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Lamar Smith R-Texas, will likely lead the charge. Both have been attacking the Obama administration since day one through often strange and bizarre press releases. Now after this past Tuesday, the actually have some pull, since they will most probably become the chairs of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Judiciary Committee, respectively. And what does this mean; it means that they now have the power to subpoena presidential staff and appointees. But what will they investigate?

Well, based on all of the attention Attorney General Eric Holder received for not investigating the New Black Panther Party, one should expect to see a monumental government waste of money on this. The Obama administration decided to limit the scope of the civil case and the Department of Justice was strongly criticized by the GOP for dropping the case against some of the members of the party. Then there will also be some interest in how the administration dealt with the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Issa has made it clear that he had some major issues with how the president handled the natural disaster, stating that the Obama was more concerned about his image than the oil spill.

Whatever happens, it will be very interesting. It won’t be a surprise if they decide to hold hearings on his religious beliefs or whether he was truly born in America. So the question is, how long will it take for the Republican-led House to start investigating the Obama administration?


If they do, it will show me just how stupid the GOP and worse, how much they hate America. For if they were competent and loved this great country, they would focus on the nation and not politics. It is as if they cannot see how China is running around us like the Roadrunner. China has the world's longest network of high-speed rail, giving China more high-speed rail tracks than the rest of the world put together. But Republicans don’t see this and say stupid things like they do not want high speed rail. That is what the Governors-elect of Wisconsin (Scott Walker) and Ohio (John Kasich) said during their campaigns. This has also been a point made by Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the committee's ranking GOP member, who said that he believes high-speed trains are a good idea, doesn’t agree with the projects selected by the Transportation Department for funding. Other idiots include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida, Governor-elect Rick Scott.

Republicans have shown they are the party of no, but now they are the party of China, doing all they can to make certain the pass us by as number one in the world as soon as they can.