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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJeb Bush Says His Own Brother Did Too Much To Protect Voting Rights
President George W. Bush is not a hero to voting rights advocates. His Justice Department gave the greenlight to voter ID laws, a common tactic by conservative lawmakers which prevents many younger, low-income and minority voters from casting a ballot. And Bush appointed two justices that joined the Supreme Courts 5-4 decision striking down much of the Voting Rights Act. Nevertheless, at an event in Iowa on Thursday, Bushs own brother claimed that the former president did far too much to protect voting rights and that he should have placed more emphasis on states rights instead.
Legislation President Bush signed reauthorizing much of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, according to Jeb, imposed too many regulations on top of states.
One of the most effective provisions of the Voting Rights Act, a provision that requires states with a history of racial voter suppression to preclear their new voting practices with officials in Washington before those practices can go into effect, was scheduled to sunset in 2007. Despite some of his other actions that were less supportive of voting rights, President Bush signed legislation extending these provisions for another 25 years. The Voting Rights Act, Bush said at the signing ceremony for this extension, broke the segregationist lock on the ballot box. He also offered a relatively nuanced understanding of Americas struggle with race. Though weve made progress toward equality since the Voting Rights Act became law, Bush acknowledged that the work for a more perfect union is never ending.
At his appearance in Iowa, by contrast, Bushs brother Jeb suggested that America has done enough to fight racial voter suppression and that it is time to back off. In response to a questioner who asked whether the Voting Rights Act should be reauthorized, the former Florida governor and presidential candidate warned against placing regulations on top of states as though we were living in 1960. Bush claimed that theres been dramatic improvement in access to voting since the Voting Rights Act was originally enacted, and thus there is not a role for the federal government to play in most places . . . where they did have a constructive role in the sixties.
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http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/10/08/3710494/jeb-bush-says-his-own-brother-did-too-much-to-protect-voting-rights/
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)bizarre times, for sure.
Baitball Blogger
(46,703 posts)haikugal
(6,476 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)obstacles they can devise in order to thwart some types of potential (i.e. Democratic) voters. And the Federal government should stay the hell out of it, period. Got it, Jebby.
angryvet
(181 posts)this guy was fit to be president?? He's as big a loon as the rest of the candidates.
-none
(1,884 posts)How did he ever get the image in the first place?
shraby
(21,946 posts)(re a statement she made at one time)
BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)....replaced with a bigger crook, Prick Scott.
Skittles
(153,155 posts)us Dems in Texas who put up with that nitwit Dubya for TWELVE years, and also Goodhair Perry and that pice of shit Abbott
Demeter
(85,373 posts)a wondering world wants to know.
d_legendary1
(2,586 posts)Those Plinko machines that keep voting Republican did affect voting rights!
ejbr
(5,856 posts)Response to n2doc (Original post)
trusty elf This message was self-deleted by its author.
The CCC
(463 posts)When people don't vote or vote republicon this is what you get.
malaise
(268,967 posts)Blacklivesmatter on Thomas Roberts minutes ago
Oops watch him walk it back by evening.
Doitnow
(1,103 posts)to do too much to protect voting rights? Rights are rights!
Skittles
(153,155 posts)radicalliberal
(907 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,173 posts)balls the size of watermellons
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)"...that was totally shitcanned in Florida in 2000"
3catwoman3
(23,975 posts)...of a watermelon seed.
tavernier
(12,383 posts)until he starts telling us all how Brother George was the greatest president that ever lived along with his side kick Cheney.
I think that's when the ghost buster people will truly have to come and save us, because there will be a green cloud and a reckoning like we've never seen before!
lbrtbell
(2,389 posts)You're making Trump sound sane in comparison.
Midnight Writer
(21,753 posts)Purged hundreds of thousands of legitimate voters from the rolls, put Kathryn Harris (W's FL campaign chairman) in charge of the election, and closed polling places in black districts. Things were so screwed up that Pat Buchanan won the Jewish vote in a landslide! (Something even Buchanan said was ridiculous)
And then he fought the recount, even though the election was so close that Florida law required one. (It was never officially finished)
mahina
(17,647 posts)Voted in the same place for many years, registered as a Democrat for the first time in 04, and was turned away from the poll, told she was not registered.
Of course she didn't know yet what we all know, that Florida broke the election, that ballot boxes were 'lost' all over the state, that the idiot king would cause so much harm.
This time we're ready. I just hope we're ready for what they've thought up this time. Fuckers.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Mike Nelson
(9,953 posts)Jerk!
IHateTheGOP
(1,059 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)IHateTheGOP
(1,059 posts)Gothmog
(145,168 posts)Jeb purged a ton of voters in 2000 and has tried to restrict the right of Democrats to vote
LWolf
(46,179 posts)Proud Liberal Dem
(24,412 posts)when talking about voting rights in light of the 2000 (s)election, is he really talking like preserving voting rights (in what is supposed to be a democracy that directly depends on them) is supposed to be a bad thing?
Demeter
(85,373 posts)The irony is so thick, you can cut it with a chainsaw, maybe; nothing less will do the trick.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)A real champion of discussing election integrity and a very short-lived discussion forum for Mr. Bush.
George W. Bush Facebook page: How Kerry Votes Were Switched To Bush Votes
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)He moves his lips.