There are ways to avoid this sort of wreck at trial. But in San Antonio, the expert witness defending the Texas redistricting plans gave a big gift to the plaintiffs: “During his testimony, Alford also questioned how the Legislature redrew the lines for a current Latino opportunity district that stretches from West Texas to San Antonio that is currently represented by Canseco. “I would not have done what was done to the 23rd,” Alford said. It’s “less likely to perform” and elect a Latino. He later went further and said the Legislature’s changes to the district had invited a lawsuit.
“The state’s final witness in a key redistricting trial testified Wednesday that he would have advised the Legislature to alter its changes to a South Texas congressional district.”
Ouch. Wait, it gets worse.
“The expert — Dr. John Alford, a political science professor at Rice University — also said the redistricting map passed by the Legislature would keep the number of minority opportunity congressional districts the same, contradicting the state’s longstanding assertion that the map would create an additional seat.”
Wait again, it gets even worse:
Category Archives: Uncategorized
“Spare Us The Hysterics” on Voter ID
Here is the link to an editorial in the Chattanoogan.com over implementation of Voter ID in Tennessee. Below is just a taste – you really need to read the whole thing.
“Anyone who believes there hasn’t been voter fraud in Tennessee, as well as every other state in this country, needs professional help in coping with reality.”
Texas Voter ID in the crosshairs
Miami Herald: “Texas Voter ID law faces federal scrutiny.”
Dallas Morning News: Civil rights groups push for U.S. to void Texas voter ID law
Texas Tribune: Updated: Groups Urge Feds to Stop Voter ID Bill
If Texans want the voter ID law to actually be used in elections, one cannot help but wonder why it was submitted to the Voting Section at the Department of Justice, and not straight to United States District Court. Of course it is not too late. Texas could withdraw the submission by faxing a letter to the DOJ doing so, and file in USDC for approval.
Hillyer: “Deep corruption at the Department of Justice”
Over at the American Spectator, Quin Hillyer has “Deep Corruption at the Department of Justice.”
He covers lots of topic and has lots of links (which he apologetically notes), including DOJ’s “witchy” Office of Public Affairs and the hiring process in the Civil Rights Division.
Taxpayer pricetag for California mini-Voting Rights Act: $8,000,000
The Santa Clara Weekly has calculated the costs to the taxpayers of California’s version of the Voting Rights Act. $8,000,000. Now the costs can be weighed against the benefits. Remember, Section 2 of the (federal) Voting Rights Act applies also in California. California’s law is more plaintiff friendly than the federal law. A portion of the article: “For example, the LCCR sued the Tulare Local Healthcare District even though its five-member governing board includes two Indian-Americans, one Latino, and an African-American. The claim? That Latinos – one third of the district’s residents – were “shortchanged.” The LCCR also threatened Gustine Unified School District in Merced County with a CVRA lawsuit, even though the district has a large Portuguese-American population and three of the district’s five trustees – a majority – are Portuguese, according to a Feb. 24, 2010 Modesto Bee report.”
President Obama as LBJ?
No, not because of Voting Rights Act issues. More over at PJ Tatler.
“This morning, John Fund was on WMAL-AM, the talk radio powerhouse in Washington D.C. He mentioned that nobody in Democratic circles is defending Obama anymore. Buyer’s remorse is everywhere. Essentially, only those actually working for the Administration or Democratic Party, trapped inside the Alamo, are defending the fort now.”
Full story at link.
Campaign snitch website sparks laughter
Who would have thought you would ever see this nutty headline:
“Attack Watch, new Obama campaign site to ‘fight smears,’ becomes laughing stock”
The full story is here at the Washington Post.
Heritage Book event for Injustice
Gov. Rick Perry and the Presidential Briar Patch
Civil Rights groups are trying to taint Texas Governor Rick Perry for his support of Voter ID laws in Texas. You can only imagine this is a fight Perry wants. Voter ID is wildly popular among the public, with support ranging near 85% in some polls, and among a majority of Democrats and African-Americans, as well as white Republicans. Yet, reflexively, some groups, including the Soros-funded Demos, have sent a letter to the Voting Section at Justice complaining about the racially discriminatory actions of those in Texas who passed Voter ID. Politico has more here, and the letter. If Justice blocks voter ID anywhere, expect this to explode into a Presidential campaign issue overnight, and the supporters of voter ID will have a mighty political tailwind.
Oklahoma: “Voter ID creates few hassles”
Reports from yesterday’s elections in Oklahoma from Tulsa World:
Shelly Boggs, assistant secretary of the Tulsa County Election Board, said about two dozen voters were required to complete provisional ballots because they did not have proper identification. In the majority of cases, voters either presented IDs that were expired or did not have an ID.
The number is about twice what the Election Board sees during a municipal election, Boggs said.
But “it was nothing like we thought it might be,” she added.