Senate renews 1965 Voting Rights Act

[kpete]

Senate renews 1965 Voting Rights Act
BY LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The 1965 Voting Rights Act, which opened voting booths to millions of black Americans, won a 25-year extension from Congress Thursday as Republicans sought to improve their standing with minorities before the fall election.

The legislation, approved 98-0 by the Senate after last week's overwhelming House passage, now goes to President Bush, who told the NAACP earlier in the day that he looked forward to signing it.

"The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation in our nation's history," Bush said in a statement. "It has been vital to guaranteeing the right to vote for generations of Americans and has helped millions of our citizens enjoy the full promise of freedom."

A centerpiece of the 1960s civil rights movement, the law ended poll taxes, literacy tests and other election devices that had been used for decades to keep blacks from voting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060721/ap_on_go_co/voting_rights;_ylt=AqnKk1VA.gK7.HwFnXMNCaGs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OTB1amhuBHNlYwNtdHM-

[Mabus]

1. Oh no.

Every time Bush talks about legislation it gets cut or otherwise f'ed up. The only question is, what else can they do to steal elections. We gotta keep an eye the signing statment that accompanies this one.

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. An all dem black folks, dey be so grateful to Massa George

dat dey all gonna flock to da polls an vote Republican

in every district that has Diebold voting systems.

Who the fuck does he think he's kidding.