Politics Plus

Things have changed a lot since 1965.  The Voting Rights Act has the support of moderates and liberals, but was opposed by conservative anti-Latino Republicans, mostly in the west, and racist Democrats, called Dixiecrats in the south.  Republicans representing the 1% saw an opportunity for power and made racism socially acceptable among their ranks by adopting the Southern Strategy.  The bigots who opposed the Voting Rights act then are now the Republican base.  Make no mistake they have wanted to Kill the Voting Rights Act ever since, and yesterday, they succeeded, at least for now.  I made my feelings clear yesterday in SCROTUS Skewered Voting Rights Act. Now here are reports by three of my favorite pundits, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell, followed by a bit more of my own analysis.

Photo credit: Colorlines.com

Chris Hayes covered the story in three segments.

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Two:

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Three:

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Rachel Maddow covered it in two segments.

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Two:

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Lawrence O’Donnell covered it in two segments.

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Two:

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Expect many House and Senate Republicans to make conciliatory noises at first.  To do otherwise would be an admission of their racist intent.  Many are more sneaky than that, especially in the Senate.  They will make an appearance of negotiating, just as they have so many times in the past.  We may be “just around the corner from a solution” for many years.  In the meantime, Republicans at the state level will be demonstrating the true Republican goose-stepping to separate as many Black and Latino voters from their right to vote as quickly as they can.  Every time they do so, it’s up to us to hang it around their neck, loud and often enough that even the most apathetic voters know what they are doing.

But I almost agree with SCROTUS on one thing.  It is not fair to single out just the states on the 1972 list.  Walker of Fitzwalkerstan, Kasich of Ohio, Snyder of Michigan, Branstad of Iowa, Corbett of Pennsylvania, Le Page of Maine and more are all pursuing racist Republican policies to disenfranchise minority voters.  The only fair way forward to to extend the Title IV map to all fifty states.  The only way to do that is to send Republican politicians to the unemployment line.  That will be more difficult, because Republicans will have stolen the right to vote from many.

Now more then ever,

every Republican in office is one Republican too many!

Here is the seventh article in our Republicans on Parade series, featuring individuals who personify what the Republican Party has become. Today’s honoree is Texas State Representative Jodie Laubenberg, for telling such a fantastic lie in the Republican war on women that it may stun you.

While you slept last night, the Texas House of Representatives had an epic battle over draconian anti-abortion legislation being advanced during a special session called by Governor Rick Perry. The bill has been introduced by Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, the official Texas ALEC Chair.

The only weapon Democrats have to fight this incredibly invasive legislation is time. They’ve mounted a filibuster of sorts (which is still going on in real time as I write) by offering over 20 amendments to the original bill. Republicans have responded for the most part by simply refusing to debate and tabling each amendment.

However, early in the amendment process, Rep. Laubenberg was debating the bill, and part of her argument concerned other, more indirect ways to get abortions. Specifically, Rep. Laubenberg claimed that "in the emergency room, they have what’s called rape kits, where a woman can get cleaned out."

Please pick your jaw off the floor. I heard that in real time on the live feed and couldn’t believe my ears. This woman actually believes that rape kits are some kind of unofficial Plan B? Clearly that abstinence-only sex education program in Texas didn’t cover rape, incest, or legislative idiocy… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>

I have other proof that Laubenberg is a Republican.  She has missed 85% of quorum calls and 60% of meetings of her House Public Health Committee.  She is clearly aligning herself with the work ethic of US House Republicans, to prepare herself for a career there. But her extreme misogyny proves her party even without that. She is so Republican, in fact, that she MUST be helped to experience unemployment.

Sadly, the measures passed.

I have often said that winning back the House of Representatives in 2014 is very unlikely, and as much as I hope we do, hope alone makes it less likely that we will win it back in future years.  So let’s start by seeing how Republicans are holding onto it.  It began as a classic bait and switch operation.  Republicans took advantage of American voters’ absurd belief that the damage to the economy by the Bush Regime could be undone overnight.  Heavily financed by the Koch Brothers, the Chamber of Congress, and other 1% vulture capitalists Republicans campaigned on jobs, promising to bring the economy around.  They captured so many state houses and state legislatures that they dominated the redistricting that occurs every ten years.  Then they brought out Project Red Map, software developed for the party by vulture capitalists, that can redraw boundaries to virtually guarantee more seats for Republicans in the US House.  It was so effective that, in 2012, although 1.4 million more Americans voted for Democratic House candidates, Republicans maintained control by a 234 to 201 margin.  Republicans gained control of the House at the state level, and I say again, that’s where we must go to get it back.  The Republican bait and switch tactic won’t work anymore, as people under Republican tyranny are developing buyers remorse., and we have an excellent opportunity to take state houses back in 2014.

On our final polls for this election cycle we also looked ahead to the 2014 race for Governor in every state that has one, testing the sitting incumbent against a generic opponent of the opposite party. Here’s what we found, grouped into three different categories:

Folks in a whole lot of trouble:

Many of the Republicans who were swept into office by the wave election of 2010 may have a hard time winning a second term if 2014 doesn’t prove to be another huge year for their party.

In Pennsylvania Tom Corbett trails a generic Democrat 47/37. In Maine Paul LePage trails a hypothetical opponent from the opposite party 49/41. Both of them became unpopular pretty early in their terms and have stayed that way.

Other Republicans who look highly vulnerable next time around are Florida’s Rick Scott who trails a generic Democrats 48/44, and Ohio’s John Kasich who leads a potential foe only 44/43. The good news for these folks at least is that their numbers have been on an upward trajectory during their second year in office- they both trailed by much wider margins at this time a year ago… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <PPP>

Photo credit: electoralvote.com

This polling data is over six months old, and public disaffection for Republicans is growing.

I chose today to write this article, because Ed Schultz just made the same point I have been making all along.

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Democratic Governors is most of the states they snookered in 2010 will go a long way to block Republican class warfare now and stop their plans do deny their right to vote to many Americans in 2016.  The battle will be hard, because it will be our voices against an elephant butt-load of money!