Bill Clinton: GOP War On Voting Is Most Determined Disenfranchisement Effort Since Jim Crow

By Ian Millhiser

Speaking yesterday at the annual Campus Progress convention, former President Bill Clinton called out the GOP’s state by state efforts to make it harder to vote — a war on voting designed almost entirely to reduce the number of Democrats who cast ballots:

I can’t help thinking, since we just celebrated the Fourth of July and we’re supposed to be a country dedicated to liberty, that one of the most pervasive political movements going on outside Washington today is the disciplined, passionate, determined effort of Republican governors and legislators to keep most of you from voting next time. There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and all the other Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today.

Getting rid of same-day registration. Some states getting rid of all advanced voting. Governor of Florida proposed to reverse his Republican predecessor’s signing of a bill that gave people the right to vote when they got out of prison and they’d finished they’re probation period, even if they didn’t have a pardon—that’s one of the most important things we can do. Why should we disenfranchise people forever once they pay their price? Cause most of them in Florida were African Americans and Hispanics and would tend to vote for Democrats, that’s why.

Why do we want to get rid of same day registration? Why has New Hampshire made it almost impossible for college students who come from other states but live in New Hampshire most of the year to vote there? Why is all this going on? This is not rocket science. They are trying to make the 2012 electorate look more like the 2010 electorate than the 2008 electorate.

Watch it:

Clinton is exactly right to question why anyone who professes a love of liberty could work so passionately to prevent Americans from exercising their most sacred right to vote, and the examples he cites are just a small taste of the GOP’s pervasive effort to keep people from going to the polls. Numerous GOP state legislatures rammed through “voter ID” laws, which disenfranchise thousands of elderly, disabled, and low-income voters. Republicans typically justify these voter disenfranchisement laws by claiming that they are necessary to combat voter fraud at the polls, but in-person voter fraud is only slightly more common than unicorns. A recent Supreme Court decision upholding a voter ID law was only able to cite one example of in-person voter fraud in the last 143 years.

Similarly, Republicans declared war on campaign finance regulations intended to allow candidates without massive corporate or other wealthy donor support to still compete fairly in an election. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) gutted his state’s public financing system for candidates to pay for a voter disenfranchisement law. And a 5-4 Supreme Court decision just declared laws enabling publicly financed candidates to defend themselves against unlimited corporate attack ads unconstitutional.

It’s much easier for the GOP to win the game, after all, if they can make it impossible for the other team’s players to even take the field.

No Biden Rumors: Obama October Surprise to Dump Biden?

Joe Biden to Become No Biden?
* Rumors Persist
* A Visit to Barack Obama Campaign Offices
* A Visit to the Campaign's Website


[Click images to enlarge.]


Will Joe Biden become No Biden?

As reported earlier [No Biden: Rumors Swirl Over Obama Dumping Biden for Hillary Clinton], rumors have been circulating about that the Obama-Biden ticket is about to become the Obama-Clinton ticket.

The scenario: Sometime between October 2 and 5, Joe Biden will plead poor health and drop off the ticket. Hillary Clinton will then ride to the rescue of the Obama campaign that earlier spurned her. The Democrat ticket will then sweep to victory in an unprecedented, albeit Machiavellian move.

We received this email a few days after our last story:

I got this email over the weekend from retired USAF friend, have no idea as to its authenticity. Been told it's from excellent sources within the DNC:

"On or about October 5,2008, Sen Joe Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary R Clinton." This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.

Thinking, "this is how rumors get started," a little road trip seemed to be in order.

If Joe Biden were not the solid VP pick--and due to be replaced in the rumored "October Surprise"--it would seem that there wouldn't be much of an investment made by the Obama campaign in Obama-Biden campaign materials and merchandise.

We visited three Obama campaign offices in three different states, called several others in a few states picked at random and checked out Barackobama.com's online store to see what the situation was.




There seemed to be plenty of campaign material for Barack Obama, sans Biden. In fact, "Obama-Biden" didn't seem to be much on display at all in any of the offices.

It's been nearly a month since Barack Obama named Joe Biden as his vice-presidential pick: what's the hold-up with the Obama-Biden campaign materials? Why is there almost no Obama-Biden merchandise available?

This is a candidate who's campaign has planned for this race for months--some would say years.

As was stated, there is no end to the "Only Obama" campaign materials.





Joyce, in the Portland OR Obama office told us that, "No one has any (Obama-Biden campaign merchandise)".

"We don't have any Obama-Biden stuff. The national campaign says it's sold out and back-ordered. It'll be about two weeks until we get any."

Two weeks?

That would place the date around the 4th or 5th of October, incidentally.

Joyce did note that she herself was wearing an Obama-Biden T-shirt.




We talked to Paul in the Washington PA Obama office--which was busy at the time--and he told us that there wasn't any Obama-Biden signs, t-shirts or stickers in that office, at least right now.


We were told that there were "some Obama-Biden buttons. We're asking a $50 donation for them."

Paul noted that there were "street signs coming in on Monday" (September 22). He was pretty sure they were Obama-Biden.

We'll check back then.


Dan, at the Belmont office in Bellaire OH, said, "No, we don't have any Obama-Biden signs or T-shirts. They're supposed to be coming in the next couple weeks."





We talked to Al and Ramona in the Wheeling WV Obama office. They informed us that they were told "Obama-Biden merchandise would be available the first week of October".

Again, that "first week of October" date is cited.

Maybe the campaign offices are caught in a supply problem. Maybe not.





But, we're not conspiracy theorists, so we decided to check out Barackobama.com's store at the website.

On the right sidebar is a list of merchandise categories. The fifth one down is for "Obama-Biden". We skipped that category--for now--to check out the "New Arrivals" in Obama campaign merchandise. The merchandise is a major source of funds for the campaign.





Not only are all of the hats and t-shirts for sale, but also the signs, stickers and buttons. All of the Obama offices we visited were separate from the local Democrat Party campaign offices.

What's the 'New Arrivals' at BarackObama.com?





All of the "new arrivals", with the lone exception of a Obama-Biden yard sign, feature Barack Obama--by himself.

So, the Obama campaign's not exactly going overboard to promote the Obama-Biden ticket.

At least, that's our observation.

Then, the Obama-Biden section of barackobama.com was visited.




There are eight items in the section: a few buttons, a few stickers, the yard sign mentioned above and a thin paperboard rally sign.

There are over 100 t-shirts for sale on the site--only one of them mentions "Obama-Biden".

Since we last visited the site and took the above screenshots, more new merchandise is posted as available. What was it?





Three more shirts plugging the Obama ticket.

On September 11, Bill Clinton met with Obama in NYC. What did they talk about? The Times of London gets no linkage here, but did have the story.

THE former president Bill Clinton is to ride to Barack Obama’s rescue in the coming weeks by holding joint events with the Democratic presidential candidate.

The Obama team hopes the “Bubba factor” - Clinton’s appeal to white, working-class voters - will revitalise its campaign and staunch defections to Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

A source close to the Obama campaign said: “Bill Clinton is on board. He’s making all the right moves and he and Barack Obama are going to campaign together.”

Is Bill the only Clinton who will "Barack Obama’s rescue in the coming weeks"?

It's been 30 days since Obama picked Joe Biden for the ticket--there are 44 days left until the election--almost the halfway point.

That Obama-Biden campaign materials will be available in the "next couple weeks" or "by the first week of October" is way past the halfway mark between the election and when Joe Biden was picked.

McCain-Palin signs were evident the first weekend that John McCain announced his pick for vice-president.





Despite Obama-Biden having almost a week's headstart on McCain-Palin, a visit to johnmccain.com shows the site has been transformed into "McCain-Palin". There nearly 30 McCain-Palin items for sale at the McCain website store. "McCain-Palin" is the first category of merchandise listed at the site.


A look at the websites themselves might be instructive.

McCain, who the Obama campaign paints as "Internet-challenged" has transformed the site into "McCain-Palin", with the ticket at the top of every page we visited.





Obama-Biden was featured at the top of every page but one at barackobama.com

That page was the online store: a campaign cash cow.





So, maybe the Obama campaign is simply going with what sells best.

"Obama" is a winner.

"Obama-Biden", not so much so.

Which is either grist for the rumor mill--or a sign of "CHANGE".

The readers can decide for themselves.


by Mondo
images: dbkp

Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin: "But Hillary..."

Presidential Moments:
First in a Series


Click image to enlarge.


Another piece of information emerges from the Irony Curtain, of the KG3.

by Irony Curtain

Dem National Conv, Denver: 21 Pix from the Inside

Weird Scenes from Inside the Gold Mine
Wednesday in Denver
Inside the Pepsi Center
Democrat National Convention




"John Edwards couldn't be here tonight..."

CLICK images to enlarge.

Our man, RidesAPaleHorse, DBKP Special Roving Convention Correspondent, files his report from Denver, assisted by "his friend Kevin", who shot the pix Wednesday.

22 scenes from inside the Democrat National Convention in Denver.



Some Dem Mayors Get Together




Putting on the Ritz

















Glitz




The paparazzi







Excitement inside the Pepsi Center




At the podium...




...and on the Big Screen





Security




Need a break outside the Pepsi Center






One from Tuesday night








"Greeting, earthlings! I come in peace."





The Democrat ticket






Turn out the lights, the party's over.





Another day done in Denver


Good shots, Kevin!


by RidesAPaleHorse
images: My Friend Kevin