Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday entered the turbulent political waters of voting rights, signaling that the Justice Department would be aggressive in reviewing new voting laws that civil rights advocates say will dampen minority participation in next year’s elections.
Declaring in a speech that protecting ballot access for all eligible voters “must be viewed not only as a legal issue but as a moral imperative,” Mr. Holder urged Americans to “call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and, instead, achieve success by appealing to more voters.”
The speech by Mr. Holder could inflame a smoldering partisan dispute over race and ballot access as the 2012 campaign cycle intensifies. It comes as the Justice Department’s civil rights division is scrutinizing a series of new state voting laws that were enacted — largely by Republican officials — in the name of fighting fraud.
This happens as we learn that the Supreme Court will be ruling on the Arizona Immigration Law. That one could have wide-ranging impact on the challenges DOJ currently has underway to the immigration laws in South Carolina, Alabama and Utah.
Remember a little over a month ago when the poutragers were...well, poutraged...over the looming settlement in the state attorney general's case against mortgage fraud? Based on tips from unnamed sources, they were certain a settlement was close and that it would be a cave - not by the attorney generals - but, of course, by the DOJ and Holder. Turns out it was a classic case of pre-emptive outrage. As we know now, there was no looming settlement and we still don't know the details of what one will look like.
Coming from the other direction, The Daily Caller is keeping up its relentless attach on Holder over the Fast and Furious initiative. They're still working on rounding up Republican members of Congress and presidential candidates who are willing to join their effort to get Holder fired. And President Obama is having none of it!
"This comes as no surprise to those of us who have been watching Attorney General Holder and the work of his Justice Department."
ReplyDeleteYep. I'm seeing the "finally" and "about time" all over the place. They act like he's just picking this up.
Eric Holder: Let me be clear: voter fraud is not acceptable – and will not be tolerated by this Justice Department.
ReplyDeleteThe END!