On Saturday, Colorado House District 7 Democrats hosted their "Unity Dinner," featuring guest speaker Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who is most notable for the ongoing, bipartisan ethics investigation into her helping a bank get a bailout where her husband had invested over $200,000. She's also been known to make more than a few outlandish statements — like suggesting she wanted to "socialize" the natural resources sector.
Knowing her history, imagine our surprise when Waters made a statement we can finally support. According to Denver Post blogess, Lynn Bartels, Waters said at a news conference that “Colorado does not appear to be one of the states actively involved in voter suppression," and then, went on to define the tactics:
“Colorado does not require photo ID or employ some of the other tactics other states have employed that critics says amounts to voter suppression.”
Paging Denver Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson!
Last week Johnson attacked Secretary of State Scott Gessler as supporting "voter suppression, plain and simple" — only to quietly delete that allegation from her statement online.
We couldn’t agree more that Colorado doesn’t suppress voting. But, asking for voter ID is not the definition of voter suppression. In fact, this video looks more like voter suppression than simply asking for an ID, which one must present to get on an airplane, buy alcohol, get a library card and more.
Below is a map of voter ID laws throughout the country. Even traditionally-liberal Michigan requires a photo ID in order to cast a ballot.
Of course, the real question is – why is the Democratic Party so nervous about the legislative trend requiring voters to present photo identification? Seems like a lack of faith in its candidates to deliver the votes.