How far out of the Democrat party mainstream is the current slate of legislating liberals in Colorado? Rhode Island just passed a voter ID law with Democrats in control of both legislative chambers and an Independent as Governor. The Governor, Lincoln Chafee, left the Republican Party after many years, seeing his views as not aligned with a political party anymore, and he ran for Governor as an Independent.
Despite the ludicrious assertion by the Golden Dome's resident lecturing liberal, Rep. Claire Levy (D-Boulder), that such Voter ID laws would "disenfranchise" battered women, the Democrats in Providence saw fit to institute some basic ballot protection.
Why? Because it's common sense to ask someone to prove who they are before they're allowed to vote. As Plymouth Rocks pointed out in a brilliant piece of satire, we already ask for photo identification for virtually everything else in modern civilization, including your ability to interact with your democracy in every fashion except voting.
Looks like Senator Bennet should have CC'd the Ocean State Democrats on his letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, where he urged Holder to investigate the laws passed by states requiring voter identification. He cited an anonymous "study" that supposedly proved how harmful the law would be.
"These laws have the potential to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters and disproportionately affect particular populations. Studies have shown that as high as 11 percent of eligible voters nationwide do not have a government-issued ID. This percentage is higher among seniors, racial minorities, low-income voters and students."
But the Democrats in Rhode Island seem to feel that Bennet is chasing shadows. From Reuter's write up on the bill:
"Having reflected a great deal on the issue, I believe that requiring identification at the polling place is a reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections," Chafee, an Independent, said in a statement.
"Notably, I spoke with representatives of our state's minority communities, and I found their concerns about voter fraud and their support for this bill particularly compelling," he added.
…"As a minority citizen and a senior citizen I would not support anything that I thought would present obstacles or limit protections," state Senator Harold Metts, a Democrat, said in a statement after the bill passed.
What!?! You mean to tell us that Democrat National Chairman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was just race baiting when she called voter ID laws an attempt to "literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws"? It's all just partisan hyperventilating and Democrats latest excuse to accuse Republicans of hating the poor and minorities?
To a person still possessing a modicum of common sense, yes. What else would someone think when this is the type of law in question?
"Under the new law, poll workers will ask voters for identification beginning in 2012, and a number of non-photo documents such as a Social Security card or birth certificate will suffice for them to be allowed to vote.
In 2014, however, any identification will need to include a photo. The state will provide free photo identification, and provisional ballots will be made available to anyone without the proper documents."
Really, it's that simple. No Jim Crow. No conspiracy to disenfranchise battered women voters. Simple fraud protection and ballot security.
Why do Democrats in Colorado not seem to get that? Politics. They use attacks on voter ID laws as a way to stir up fear for fundraising and organizing. An old grizzled political fundraiser once told us the three most motivating emotions in politics were fear, greed and guilt. Democrats have relied on fear of Republican's mythical attempts at voter suppression for years, and voter ID laws are an excuse to trot out that well worn tactic.
When Democrats in liberal states like Rhode Island pass voter ID laws without much brouhaha, it exposes Democrats in Colorado for what they are: out of touch.
I have to respectfully disagree with your conclusion that Colorado dims are merely out of touch.
I have to think that they are part of an active conspiracy to allow if not encourage voter fraud. As evidence please recall the investigation by AG Gessler finding that as many as 11,000 illegal aliens were registered to vote.
Also please recall the extreme measures the dims used to shut down his investigation.
When you add that to the Soros connection to funding elections and his announced plan to try to capture as many state AG offices as possible and the answer is clear: There is an active conspiracy to undermine the election process in America and turn our nation into a socialist/communist sock-puppet of Europe.
I’m not convinced there’s a conspiracy here, Maadd. Jumping to conclusions like that is a good way to get the average person to tune out. I am convinced that requiring an ID to vote is such a common-sense policy that we should have no problem winning over the voters without accusing Democrats of a conspiracy to turn the US into Europe’s puppet. Let’s argue policy instead of the intent of Democrats.