Bush Official Blames Black Voters for Creating Their Own Lines in '04 Election

[babylonsister]

Bush Official Blames Black Voters for Creating Their Own Lines in '04 Election

Posted by John Byrne at 4:16 AM on October 13, 2007.

John Byrne: "I am concerned about the extreme lengths Mr. Tanner went to in order to justify the reasons African-Americans were not treated equally," Rep. Conyers said.

This post, written by John Byrne, originally appeared on Raw Story


Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) rebuked a Justice Department voting official Friday night who said Ohio's African American voters faced long lines in the 2004 presidential election because blacks tend to vote at night.

Justice Department Voting Section Chief John Tanner's "investigation of the 2004 election in Ohio concluded that long lines and late voting precincts were due to the fact that white voters tend to cast ballots in the morning (i.e., before work) and black voters cast ballots in the afternoon (i.e., after work)," Conyers said in a release.

Why did African American voters suffer long lines in Ohio?

Tanner wrote in a letter TPM Muckraker uncovered that "...the principal cause of the difference appears to be the tendency in Franklin County for white voters to cast ballots in the morning (i.e., before work), and for black voters to cast ballots in the afternoon (i.e., after work). We have established this tendency through local contacts and through both political parties, and it accords with our considerable experience in other parts of the United States. Morning voters may wait in line several hours, as happened in white precincts, without keeping the polls open after 7:30 pm; this is not the case, however, at sites where voters arrive after 5:30 p.m."


more...

http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/65150/#more

[me b zola]

1. Just like they blamed the victims of KatrinaBush

Seems to be a pattern of republicans targeting & abusing citizens, often African Americans, and then blaming them for being abused at their hands. :crazy:

[journalist3072]

2. No sir, Mr. Tanner. The principle cause seems to be not enough voting machines placed in

predominantly African-American neighborhoods.

Mr. Tanner might want to refer to this Washington Post article:

Several Factors Contributed to 'Lost' Voters in Ohio

By Michael Powell and Peter Slevin

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tanya Thivener's is a tale of two voting precincts in Franklin County. In her city neighborhood, which is vastly Democratic and majority black, the 38-year-old mortgage broker found a line snaking out of the precinct door.

She stood in line for four hours -- one hour in the rain -- and watched dozens of potential voters mutter in disgust and walk away without casting a ballot. Afterward, Thivener hopped in her car and drove to her mother's house, in the vastly Republican and majority white suburb of Harrisburg. How long, she asked, did it take her to vote?

Fifteen minutes, her mother replied.

"It was . . . poor planning," Thivener said. "County officials knew they had this huge increase in registrations, and yet there weren't enough machines in the city. You really hope this wasn't intentional."

[IndyOp]

3. How about considering that both groups went in the morning...

but that African Americans took the time to go back in the afternoon when they were unable to cast their vote in the morning because of a lack of machines.

:grr:

[alittlelark]

4. I heard that earlier this week....

Disgusting divisive lies w/ NO proof to back them up. But then when did these parasites let 'proof' or 'facts' get in their way? Just red meat for their racist base.:puke: :mad:

[MrMickeysMom]

5. Because blacks tend to vote at NIGHT?

Is that right? What- Is that supposed to be like, "They mostly come out at NIGHT... mostly"?

If "they" know so much about when black or white voters show at the polls, they would have naturally been prepared with all kinds of hours to vote, and well lit parking in those precincts. Yeah... "Here, light this cross, cause it'll be dark soon and they need to find their way."

Give me a break.

[Joanne98]

6. Blame the victim. Just like Katrina. PUKES!

[MLFerrell]

7. Yassir...

Them thar lazy Negros can't wake up as early as we pure white folks.

:sarcasm:

Just when I think that the members of the * administration can't disgust me any more...