Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute calls for a “new” Voting Rights Act in a Roll Call column infested with errors.  A sample:

Ornstein flat-out lies when he writes: “Florida’s first efforts here resulted in widespread embarrassment, with longtime voters — and native-born citizens — notified they were being barred from the rolls.”

Poppycock.  Florida did no such thing.  Florida took no such action.  No letter from Florida to a potential non-citizen said the voter was being “barred from the rolls.”  Norm Ornstein is not being truthful, period.

Then Ornstein gets his facts wrong about Texas. “The Texas law has been challenged by the Justice Department as discriminatory, and a federal court heard the case earlier this month.” 

Wrong again.  The DOJ did not challenge the law in federal court.  DOJ played defense.  Texas brought the challenge in federal court as a plaintiff to get the law approved.  Ornstein’s error ascribes an offensive attack by DOJ that never occurred.

Then this AEI “scholar” gazes clumsily into his crystal ball:

“Do not be surprised if the court, on a 5-4 vote, demolishes preclearance once and for all, in the heat of the presidential campaign.”

Actually, be surprised, be very surprised if that happens.  The Supreme Court hasn’t even granted cert yet in any Section 5 challenge.  That would be quite an accelerated schedule, to grant cert, brief the case, conduct oral arguments and decide the case all in the next 100 days. 


Finally, without a lick of evidence, Ornstein says Voter ID laws represent “a wave of new laws in states designed to curb and suppress voting.”  Really?  I’ve participated in multiple discussions involving Voter ID legislation in multiple states and the design of the laws is simply to ensure that the person voting is who they say they are.  There is never any discussion on this nonsensical conspiracy theory unbecoming of someone working at the American Enterprise Institute. 

What does Ornstein suggest as a cure?  Of course a big federal power grab – creating a national ballot and changing election day to the weekend.

Naturally, none of these errors in this Roll Call piece will prevent it from being called thoughtful and interesting in some circles.  Roll Call’s editor John Bicknell was negligent in publishing this slop.  It also demonstrates the deception endemic to opposition to voter ID laws.

Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute calls for a “new” Voting Rights Act in a Roll Call column infested with errors.  A sample:

Ornstein flat-out lies when he writes: “Florida’s first efforts here resulted in widespread embarrassment, with longtime voters — and native-born citizens — notified they were being barred from the rolls.”

Poppycock.  Florida did no such thing.  Florida took no such action.  No letter from Florida to a potential non-citizen said the voter was being “barred from the rolls.”  Norm Ornstein is not being truthful, period.

Then Ornstein gets his facts wrong about Texas. “The Texas law has been challenged by the Justice Department as discriminatory, and a federal court heard the case earlier this month.” 

Wrong again.  The DOJ did not challenge the law in federal court.  DOJ played defense.  Texas brought the challenge in federal court as a plaintiff to get the law approved.  Ornstein’s error ascribes an offensive attack by DOJ that never occurred.

Then this AEI “scholar” gazes clumsily into his crystal ball:

“Do not be surprised if the court, on a 5-4 vote, demolishes preclearance once and for all, in the heat of the presidential campaign.”

Actually, be surprised, be very surprised if that happens.  The Supreme Court hasn’t even granted cert yet in any Section 5 challenge.  That would be quite an accelerated schedule, to grant cert, brief the case, conduct oral arguments and decide the case all in the next 100 days. 


Finally, without a lick of evidence, Ornstein says Voter ID laws represent “a wave of new laws in states designed to curb and suppress voting.”  Really?  I’ve participated in multiple discussions involving Voter ID legislation in multiple states and the design of the laws is simply to ensure that the person voting is who they say they are.  There is never any discussion on this nonsensical conspiracy theory unbecoming of someone working at the American Enterprise Institute. 

What does Ornstein suggest as a cure?  Of course a big federal power grab – creating a national ballot and changing election day to the weekend.

Naturally, none of these errors in this Roll Call piece will prevent it from being called thoughtful and interesting in some circles.  Roll Call’s editor John Bicknell was negligent in publishing this slop.  It also demonstrates the deception endemic to opposition to voter ID laws.