Bill Clinton: GOP Voting Crackdown Worst Since Jim Crow

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Former President Bill Clinton weighed in on Republican efforts in several states to pass new restrictions on voting, comparing the measures to the Jim Crow laws of the past.

"There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and all the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today," Clinton said in a speech at a Campus Progress conference in Washington.

He specifically called out Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) for trying to reverse past precedent and prevent convicted felons from voting even after they've completed their sentence.

"Why should we disenfranchise people forever once they've paid their price?" Clinton said. "Because most of them in Florida were African Americans and Hispanics who tended to vote for Democrats. That's why."

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/bill-clinton-accuses-gop-of-disenfranchising-minorities.php?ref=fpblg

[Drale]

1. Hasn't Bill spent the 2 weeks praising GOP terrorists? /nt

[Pterodactyl]

2. I think the assumption that criminals will vote Democratic is dumb.

[reformist2]

8. It's not about criminals, it's about race - Clinton is exposing the Republicans.

I was never one to say such things, but racism is very much alive.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Florida used the felon law to keep non-felons from voting in 2000. Any law that restricts

voting rights can be used to disenfranchise other people.

[lilyin]

4. I miss Bill

He was the best.

[No Elephants]

10. Monica, is that you?

[SugarShack]

5. Why is Bill not out there helping the soc sec debate? he tried to raise the tax cap on us to 140K

and most people are for that. why is there no discussion of that type of fix? why would the rich care if we raise the tax on our wages into the program from 107 tp 140K???? And, why no talk of this. when you ask around, this is the suggestion that I hear the most. we are willing. but not to cut the age or benefits. this is cruel. i did not work all my life for a dem prez to do this...to hurt most of the people in the country.

[No Elephants]

12. Helping with the OASDI debate? He wants to help pass Ryan's budget.

[Tx4obama]

6. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz got called out in June for using a Jim Crow analogy

See here: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0611/Wasserman_Schultz_retracts_Jim_Crow_analogy.html

[No Elephants]

11. How many of the formerly Jim Crow states still vote Democratic, as they had been since Lincoln?

Jim Crow is a fine analogy.

[iwishiwas]

7. Come to WI Bill--the same thing is happening-has happened.

[Uncle Joe]

9. I agree with Bill and I also believe that's the true motivation behind the "War on Drugs," it's

actually a political war; criminalizing and disenfranchising the people and being waged for the naked pursuit of power.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.