President Obama Makes Republicans Pay For Trying to Take Away Your Right To Vote

[babylonsister]

So happy he gave this speech today!

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/04/11/president-obama-republicans-pay-vote.html

President Obama Makes Republicans Pay For Trying to Take Away Your Right To Vote
By: Jason Easley
Friday, April, 11th, 2014, 10:45 pm

President Obama gave a rousing and passionate call to action where he told Republicans that he will continue to challenge every single attempt to suppress the vote.

Video @ link~



The president said:

Opportunity means making the minimum wage a wage you can live on. It means equal pay for equal work. It means overtime pay for workers who have earned it. It means continuing to extend the right of quality, affordable health care for every American in every state, because we’ve got some states that aren’t doing the right thing. We have states who just out of political spite are leaving millions of people uninsured that could be getting health insurance right now. No good reason for it. If you ask them what’s the explanation they can’t really tell you.

…

The principle of one person, one vote is the single greatest tool we have to redress an unjust status quo. You would think there would not be an argument about this anymore. But the stark, simple truth is this: The right to vote is threatened today in a way that it has not been since the Voting Rights Act became law nearly five decades ago.

Across the country, Republicans have led efforts to pass laws making it harder, not easier, for people to vote. In some places, women could be turned away from the polls just because they’re registered under their maiden name but their driver’s license has their married name. Senior citizens who have been voting for decades may suddenly be told they can no longer vote until they can come up with the right ID.

…

And as President, I’m not going to let attacks on these rights go unchallenged. We’re not going to let voter suppression go unchallenged. So earlier this week, you heard from the Attorney General — and there’s a reason the agency he runs is called the Department of Justice. They’ve taken on more than 100 voting rights cases since 2009, and they’ve defended the rights of everybody from African Americans to Spanish speakers to soldiers serving overseas.

What the president was talking about was all part of the same Republican agenda. Denying people access to healthcare while also denying them access to the vote is all part of punishing the “takers” in order to give more to the “makers.”

Republicans deny millions of Americans their fundamental rights, and President Obama isn’t going to tolerate it. President Obama has fought the Republican effort to suppress the vote for years. This president understands that inequality begins with unequal access to the polls.

The Republican governors who refuse to expand Medicaid can’t offer a justification for their actions, but they think that denying people healthcare is good politics. President Obama is the last line of defense for equality, and opportunity. Obama will not be a candidate in another campaign, but he is going fight to make sure that all Americans have access to the polls for years to come.

[brooklynite]

1. That's the "corporatist" "no better than a Republican" President Obama?

At least that's what I seem to read from some folks around here...

[babylonsister]

2. The very same! I try to ignore them. nt

[LLD]

3. Repubs took Obama's word on doing something about this

to doubling their effort to create more voter obstruction.

[PeteSelman]

4. Nice rhetoric.

I don't see how scolding them reverses anything. They still cancelled early voting in many states, you still can't take a piss in Florida if you're on line to vote. I don't see this crap being overturned anytime soon.

[babylonsister]

5. This is rhetoric?

And as President, I’m not going to let attacks on these rights go unchallenged. We’re not going to let voter suppression go unchallenged. So earlier this week, you heard from the Attorney General — and there’s a reason the agency he runs is called the Department of Justice. They’ve taken on more than 100 voting rights cases since 2009, and they’ve defended the rights of everybody from African Americans to Spanish speakers to soldiers serving overseas.

I think the fact the Prez brought it up is a positive; maybe something will happen-he has nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

[SunSeeker]

7. Yup. That's why the Right hates Holder so much. nt

[daybranch]

34. The real voter rights problem is Gerrymandering

This stacks the deck in many states including Obama's home state of Illinois. No one has voter rights when Gerrymandering occurs. What is Holder doing about this? What is Obama saying about this? Gerrymandering is the control every treasonous republican seeks to use to hold the people down and to reward their rich Republican/Libertarian benefactors. Its only purpose is to allow unfettered corruption by destroying accountability of officials to the people. I am waiting for Obama to say something. I am waiting for Holder to do something. Heck, I am waiting for almost any Democrat in office to say or do something. ,
All this blabber about giving Obama a House of representatives with a majority Democratic, but refusing to recognize that changing the structure of the processes in States to eliminate Gerrymandering is the best way to do that. Republicans used Gerrymandering to get the majority. We may not get it back until we get rid of Gerrymandering. Help us do that in Ohio as a start where although voters in 2012 voted equally for Democrats and Republicans you have 12 republicans versus only 4 Democrats in the House. Picking up 4 seats sure looks like a possibility if Gerrymandering is eliminated in Ohio. The House is Obama's problem and eliminating Gerrymandering will eliminate much of that House problem.
Please go to our MoveOn petition and pledge to help wherever you live. The link is http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/gerrymandering-in-ohio?source=c.fwd&r_by=99591
Thank you.

[alittlelark]

6. Nice Try........

............

[SunSeeker]

8. So what could Obama do that he isn't already doing?

[freshwest]

12. Walk on Water? Oh, yeah, that means he can't swim with the Big Boyz... n/t

[Cha]

17. "Nice rhetoric" is a bullshit cheap pot shot that means absolutlely nothing

coming from an anonymous poster on the internet while President Obama is out there on the front lines.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

20. Yea? Why don't you team up with Issa and investigate it? nt

[msongs]

9. what exactly have the republicans paid? nt

[babylonsister]

13. That remains to be seen, I think. Hi, msongs! nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

16. They are going to pay with their blood before it's over. nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

10. Get on with yo bad self, Prez-O! ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024809989

[BlancheSplanchnik]

23. lol :)

Love it

[blkmusclmachine]

11. Who wrote the speech? And will there be any ACTION, or was the speech all we're gonna get?!?!

[babylonsister]

14. Yea, he still sucks. Too bad, so sad. nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

15. WTF??? nt

[SunSeeker]

18. Are YOU going to take any ACTION or is your post all we're gonna get?!?!

Are you going whine that Obama is not a dictator who can force congress to pass voter protection laws, or are you going to take his message to your neighbors and GET OUT THE VOTE?!?!

[JoePhilly]

28. Bully pulpit!!! Pretty speech!! Bully pulpit!! Pretty speech!!

[steve2470]

19. big kick and big rec ! nt

[HooptieWagon]

21. Yea, and Obama scolded Wall St, too..

ZERO prosecutions. The Republicans are laughing their asses off.

[Exposethefrauds]

22. + 10000

Action is gathering dust in the closet along with the walking shoes.

[babylonsister]

24. That damn Obama, no prosecutions. The man

is useless!

[HooptieWagon]

25. A primary role of the Executive Branch is to enforce the laws.

Either:
1) Absolutely no laws were broken when Wall St crashed the Economy. This argument is ludicrous, since employees of several agencies were collecting evidence of crimes committed by Wall St. These efforts were then blocked by higher-ups, appointed by Obama and most assuredly carrying out his wishes.

2) Obama is protecting Wall St crooks from prosecution, by making sure his appointments are "on board" with protecting Wall St crooks.

3) Obama is completely clueless, and the agencies he oversees just do what they want and don't tell him anything nor consult with him in any fashion. Another ludicrous argument... Obama is simply not an ignorant and impotent figurehead.

[babylonsister]

26. This thread is about voting rights, not Wall Street.

So many problems, so little time or interest or support to fix them. But blame Obama, because he should be able to fix everything.

[HooptieWagon]

27. What has he done about voting rights?

...besides scolding republicans as they pass increasingly suppressive laws? Talk is cheap. And republicans will continue voter-suppression. And the only way they'll "pay" is if they suffer a heart attack from laughing so hard.... just like Wall St.

[dflprincess]

33. He's a tad late to the party

voter suppression has been going on for years - I suppose we should be happy he's finally saying something about it. Though I won't hold my breath waiting for Obama or Holder to actually do anything about it.

[red dog 1]

29. (DOJ has). "taken on more than 100 voting rights cases since 2009"..

How many of these cases has DOJ won?

I'm not being sarcastic here; I really want to know!

[TheKentuckian]

30. Made them pay what, when, and how?

[Doctor_J]

31. I don't see the "making them pay" part

good speech though. I hope he ramps it up for the entire next 2.5 years

[GoneFishin]

32. He sounds concerned. Let's see what actions he takes. nt