[okie01]

Can somebody explain to me how the Justice Department on its own can block any State law?

Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act grants the Department of Justice the power to block any state law concerning the voting process...in fourteen states.

And only those fourteen states.

Never mind that the South Carolina law is word-for-word identical to the Indiana law -- which was approved in full by SCOTUS. Eric Holder has the power to block the law in South Carolina (but he didn't have it in Indiana).

He will lose in court, of course. But, in the meantime, he will delay its implementation as long as he can.

Is Section 5 constitutional, since it applies to only fourteen states? Of course not. And it was this feature that led Barry Goldwater to famously vote against the Voting Rights Act, claiming (rightly) that it should apply to every state. For his trouble, the Democrats labelled him "racist" -- a title that tars all Republicans even today.

Now you now...

[katana]

Thanks to you and to Lentulus Grachus (Salve Te!) for the answer. The State of S. Carolina should still ignore the order and let the DOJ take them to court. Civil disobedience (disobeying an unjust law) in its highest form.

[Nita Nupress]

Wow. I didn’t know all that. Thanks.

[itsahoot]

{Now you now}

Ted Kennedy, the gift that keeps on giving.

[dennisw]

That’s exactly what the deal is and South Carolina better get an expedited hearing in the Supreme Court.... In time for the 2012 election.

Twin racist scumbags Bammy Boy and Holder need to be evicted Nov6th 2012