Posted on 07/20/2006 10:40:28 AM PDT by presidio9
Two Democrats called on President Bush to use his rare appearance before the NAACP's annual conference to renew the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, arguing that such a step would ensure a basic right for minorities.
Signing the legislation, however, would require Bush to pressure the Republican-controlled Senate to act quickly in passing the renewal that the House approved last week. A Senate committee passed the bill on Wednesday and the president is scheduled to address the NAACP on Thursday after rejecting the civil rights group's invitations for five straight years.
"He could sign it right here on this stage," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., told the NAACP on Wednesday, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., appearing with Clinton and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) of Massachusetts on a voting rights panel, seconded Clinton's suggestion but warned: "Don't be bamboozled."
"You don't just talk the talk, but you also walk the walk," Obama said. "Ultimately laws are only as good as the people who are enforcing them."
Clinton, perceived as the Democratic front-runner among White House hopefuls, and Obama, a rising star often mentioned in presidential talk, focused on an issue that the party hopes will energize a core Democratic constituency.
In recent years, Republicans have tried to chip away at Democrats' long dominance of the black vote; Democrat John Kerry captured nearly 90 percent of the vote in 2004. Democrats have fought back to keep a critical part of their base.
With midterm elections less than four months away, Democrats have criticized the Bush administration, accusing the Justice Department of lax oversight of the Voting Rights Act. Republican divisions over renewal of the act have given the Democrats another issue to highlight.
Some conservative Republicans, mostly from Southern states, objected to federal oversight in their states and said the renewal, as written, unfairly punishes states that have overcome their racist pasts.
The crowd at the NAACP meeting gave Clinton and Obama similar warm receptions. Some attendees stood and applauded, and many cheered when the two senators were introduced. A group gathered before the stage to take pictures of the two and Kennedy.
At one point, a handful of people chanted "Run, Hillary, run," an apparent reference to 2008.
"He could sign it right here on this stage . . . ."
Mr. Rove's office will call you, Madame.
The fact these people lionize the likes of Rodham and Osama Obama indicates they've already been bamboozled.
All the guns are loaded, by the Sunday shows Bush will be worse than the worst POTUS in history.Check out the WP today as an example. The bad weather in St.Louis will probably be his fault by the evening news.
He should know, having supported Bill "Executive-Order-Stroke-of-the-pen-law-of-the-land-kinda-cool" Clinton.
So with all that's around for them to use, THIS is what the Dems are going to ride into the fall as an election issue? Guess that Dubai/immigration thing didn't work out for ya. That's what happens when you don't have the balls to take stands on issues and claim that your demonstrable--PROUD--refusal to lead is your idea of leadership.
Needless to say, Bush didn't mention that it was the Southern Democrats who mainly voted against the '65 Act.
Misprint; should read "a handful of planted operatives for the Hillary for President Campaign, bussed in by Clinton staff, chanted 'Run, Hillary, run,' an apparent reference to 2008 (all according to the plan to continue to keep the Blacks on the Plantation, as they were escorted to the microphone range for the photo-op.
I agree with your point, but I would modify it to say that we've effectively ended institutional racism in this country, in the sense that Jim Crow laws have all been eradicated. There are still individuals who are racist, but we can't legislate against the condition of people's hearts and minds (even though the Democrats try).
Maybe "Run, Hillary, run!" meant that they were urging her to leave the stage.
Personally, I'd like Bush to tell the NAACP that it's an insult to the American people to assume that they're all racists, and to Blacks in particular to assume that they still need special help from Marse Teddy and Miss Hillary to get their "rights" in the year 2006. And that a "Voting Rights Act" that forces local election boards to print up ballots in Tagalog, Russian, Arabic and Urdu is an un-American bunch of BS.
I believe I read that the government just filed a suit against Euclid, Ohio, using the act.
Yeah, but they are still pissed off that Ebonics isn't one of the required languages on the ballot, and that they can legally only vote ONCE per person....(except in St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc.)
I wonder if someone could attach an ANWR drilling bill to this....
What a slimy, sick, bitch. She has no sense of right and wrong, lacks grace and decorum, and yet people think she's just a fabulous woman.
If she dropped dead tomorrow, I'd say:
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