At the Dallas Morning News. Wayne Slater alludes that Republicans are pushing voter ID laws because they feel Democrats are more apt to commit voter fraud, and, as a result, the Obama Justice Department is fighting voter ID laws to protect Democrats from these efforts to fight voter fraud.  Occam’s Razor.

The Justice Department says Texas needs to provide some more information to assure the state’s new voter ID law won’t discriminate against minorities. Under the new law, Texans will have to present a photo ID to vote. The Republican Legislature passed the law, saying it was aimed at voter fraud. Democrats have fought it, saying it’s about discouraging minorities — who vote mostly Democrat – from voting. The Justice Department is required by law to make sure new voting laws in the South don’t discriminate against blacks and Hispanics.

If the Justice Department wants data about how it applies its voter laws, one place to look is Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott. Abbott has led the state’s defense of the voter ID law. Several years ago, Abbott announced there was an “epidemic” of voter fraud in Texas and he launched an investigation. Abbott found 26 cases to prosecute – all against Democrats, all but one against blacks or Hispanics. Of those, two-thirds were technical violations in which voters were eligible, votes were properly cast and no vote was changed. Not exactly an epidemic. But a spokesman for Abbott defended his crackdown on vote fraud, saying it’s a very real problem. Word is that Abbott is preparing to run for governor in 2014, and the voter ID law is very popular among Republicans. The law is supposed to take effect next year, before the March primary in Texas. But unless the state can satisfy the federal government that it wouldn’t discriminate, it could be delayed for awhile