Voter Suppression Showdown, Round 2: Von Spakovsky (6/13/2007)

[CatWoman]

Following Bradley Schlozman's memorable performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, former senior Civil Rights Division Hans von Spakovsky will be appearing before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration tomorrow. The occasion is a confirmation hearing for a spot as commissioner at the Federal Elections Commission, but the senators (the committee is chaired by U.S. attorney firing bloodhound Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is a member) are sure to spend plenty of time grilling von Spakovsky about his past at the Justice Department.

A group of former voting rights attorneys in the Division put it most succinctly in a letter to Sen. Feinstein yesterday urging rejection of his nomination: von Spakovsky was "the point person for undermining the Civil Rights Division's mandate to protect voting rights." Von Spakovsky reported to Schlozman, and the two worked together to purge voters from the rolls, ensure that voter ID laws were approved with no fuss, and punish lawyers who did not toe the line.

But while Schlozman was the enforcer, von Spakovsky seems to have been the brains of the operation. Von Spakovsky, unlike Schlozman, had a background in election law and had been pushing the voter fraud canard for years -- to great effect.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003415.php

[pscot]

1. From the Third Reich

to the upper levels of the Bush justice department in one generation. Only in Amerika.

[CatWoman]

2. does anyone know if this testimony has taken place yet?

[Oilwellian]

3. Found it

Looks like it already happened but the committee webpage has the video posted. I think it's under the guise of von Spakovsky being appointed to the FEC and in need of Senate approval. Hopefully they ask him some hard questions.

http://rules.senate.gov/hearings/2007/061307hrg.htm

[Oilwellian]

4. Von Spakovsky (damn, what a name) testimony begins around 43 mins n/t

[CatWoman]

5. thank you very much, George

:hi: