Holder's Racial Politics

WSJ ^ | 12/30/2011

[Altura Ct.]

Eric Holder must be amazed that President Obama was elected and he could become Attorney General. That's a fair inference after the Attorney General last Friday blocked South Carolina's voter ID law on grounds that it would hurt minorities. What a political abuse of law.

In a letter to SC's government, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez called the state law—which would require voters to present one of five forms of photo ID at the polls—a violation of Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Overall, he noted, 8.4% of the state's registered white voters lack photo ID, compared to 10% of nonwhite voters.

This is the yawning chasm the Justice Department is now using to justify the unprecedented federal intrusion into state election law, and the first denial of a "pre-clearance" Voting Rights request since 1994.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act was created to combat the systematic disenfranchisement of minorities, especially in Southern states with a history of discrimination. But the Justice position is a lead zeppelin, contradicting both the Supreme Court and the Department's own precedent. In 2005, Justice approved a Georgia law with the same provisions and protections of the one Mr. Holder nixed for South Carolina. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board that an Indiana law requiring photo ID did not present an undue burden on voters.

A second case offers a further glimpse into the High Court's perspective on the modern use of Section 5. In 2009's Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, the Court declined to decide the question of the constitutionality of Section 5, writing that while it imposes "substantial federalism costs," the "importance of the question does not justify our rushing to decide it." But the Justices didn't stop there

[Tucker39]

I hope SC doesn’t let it end there. It’s time someone stood up to those cretans in the “justice” department.

[Old Sarge]

Contact your Congresscritters and urge them to vote in favor of House Resolution 490!

Impeach and prosecute the racist Socialist bastard!

[katana]

Under what exact statute or Constitutional provision does a federal cabinet member have the authority to override a State law? South Carolina should ignore him, tell him so many words to kiss their collective a**, and let him and his department take it through the courts. He’s the f**ing AG, no different than a hundred other political hacks and presidential brothers (RFK) who have held that job, not the Supreme Court.

[upchuck]

From the article:

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley tells us she "will absolutely sue" Justice over its denial of her state's law and that challenge will go directly to federal district court in Washington, D.C. From there it may be appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which would have to consider whether South Carolina can be blocked from implementing a law identical to the one the High Court approved for Indiana, simply because South Carolina is a "covered" jurisdiction under the Voting Rights Act.

In such a scenario, Mr. Holder's tactics could well doom Section 5 itself. That's a big gamble for the sake of trying to stir up election-year minority voter turnout

.Hopefully this can get settled by next November.

South Carolina
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[bksanders]

Trey Gowdy (SC) pissed Eric off at the F&F hearings, made him look foolish. Retaliation.

From a post of mine at Tea Party Nation:

"I believe we are missing the whole point the Department of Injustice is trying to make as their case. It has absolutely nothing to do with the "voter" possessing an ID. It has everything to do with the "voters" paranoia. The vast majority, if not the entirety, of these potential disenfranchised "voters" have outstanding warrants. The balance feel as if they do and probably should. Every "minority voter" that votes with a clear conscious has no problem proudly displaying their government issued identification, hence they are not amoung the ranks of the disenfranchised "voters". Requiring these "disenfranchised voters" to obtain a government issued identification is tantamount to "turning themselves in". You heartless conservatives…Hell I have to present an ID at Lowes simply to return a receipted item. The good people from North Wilkesboro might be doing the FBI's work."

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Amazing. Flipping govt expects us to buy insurance, but having an id is too much of a burden. What a pant load.

[susannah59]

I am heartily sick of racial politics.

For the love of God, enough already!!

The topic of racial politics came up today on Rush's program while Dr. Walter Williams was guest-hosting and he was talking to Dr. Thomas Sowell.

Dr. Williams mentioned that he had something on his website that white people should go and print out for themselves. Sure enough, it is there: a "Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon Granted to All Persons of European Descent."

I think we should all print one out, make a miniature version, then every time the "race card" gets pulled on us, pull it out.

"Wait, no, your argument is invalid, I have my amnesty and pardon here!"

"Now, let's talk about this like adult human beings, and leave race out of it."

[TXnMA]

"...8.4% of the state's registered white voters lack photo ID, compared to 10% of nonwhite voters."

Regardless of your race, if you are too lazy or stupid to go get an ID, then you certainly have no business voting.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Regardless of your race, if you are too lazy or stupid to go get an ID, then you certainly have no business voting.

Later in the article:
In October, the South Carolina Department of Elections reported that some 240,000 state voters lacked ID cards. The DMV now says more than 200,000 of those had allowed their IDs to expire, lived in other states or were dead.

40,000 is 1.1% of SC's voting age population. The Justice Department has stepped in it this time (again).

[cowboyway]

I am heartily sick of racial politics.

Also on yesterday's show Dr. Williams pointed out that there are people whose jobs are to be offended; Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al. In other words, as long as there's a buck to be made on racial politics there will be racial politics.