SEIU Organized Protest Fizzles in Houston

A protest promising to “encircle the hotel” at the True the Vote Summit in Houston fizzled.  The protest was organized by the SEIU.  Organizers had promised to hold hands the whole way around the hotel.  (No word on levitation attempts)  Bryan Preston has photos from the protest here at PJ Media.  It appears there weren’t enough protesters to encircle a tennis court much less the Sheraton.  Inside, the True the Vote event was sold out, with participants and organizers from 34 states.

Houston Police Mounted Rider Welcoming Committee for Voter ID Opponents

I’m at the True the Vote Summit in Houston.  Rode in from the airport with Hans von Spakovsky and James O’Keefe.  Arturs Davis speaks tonight along with Jimmy Carter pollster Pat Cadell.

Some leftists groups had been threatening to appear and “encircle” the hotel to oppose Voter ID and other election integrity measures.  “Not in My Houston,” they call themselves. 

It ought to get interesting if they try.  The Houston Police Department mounted squad seems to be ready for them.  Lots of horses passing the time grazing, seemingly waiting for the Not in My Houston crowd to arrive. 




Philly Democrats to formally launch Voter ID repeal effort Monday


Per NewsWorks: “A pair of Northwest Philadelphia lawmakers will introduce a bill in Harrisburg on Monday that calls for a complete repeal of the state’s controversial Voter ID law. . . Evans and other opponents argue that the law will only serve to disenfranchise mostly Democratic voters — namely the elderly and minorities — who don’t have or can’t easily obtain a photo ID.”


 


Yes, because so many elderly Pennsylvania voters were prevented from voting in Tuesday’s primary election Voter ID rollout.  Oh, wait. . .


 


Voter ID Gets Lots of Love on Primary Test Run – From Disabled Seniors:


Florence Hasson was on her way out of the Edgemont building at the Madison Senior Apartments in Chester when a younger woman on her way in called out to her.  “Don’t forget to vote,” said the younger woman, smiling.  “Oh, I won’t,” replied Hasson heartily.  She was in her wheelchair and about to be hoisted up into a Community Transit van when I caught up with her.  I asked her if she had a photo ID.  “I got everything,” she said.


She has a state ID, she said. And when it comes to voting, “I never had a problem,” she said.  She didn’t expect any today.  I asked her if any of her friends had concerns about the new Voter ID law?  “No,” she replied. Everybody’s got everything they need. . . Monique Jackson is the property manager at the senior community. She said she hasn’t heard anyone raise a concern about not having a photo ID.


 


Voter ID Law Can’t Stop These Two Guys – In Their 80’s:


The old man coming out of the voting room at the Fair Acres Geriatric Center was wearing a black Eagles cap and a black jacket. He was asked what he thought about the new Voter ID law.  “All you need is a driver’s license. What’s the big deal?”  He said he was exactly 88 years old. . . 

Seconds later, another old man who’d gone in to vote came out.  He’d begged off talking to a newspaperman on the way in, but apparently changed his mind on his way out. He presented his driver’s license.  “Does this look like me?”  “Close enough,” came the reply.  He is 85, soon to be 86.

Texas “Hit Back Hard” at DOJ Efforts to Delay Voter ID Case


BAM!
“It is no secret that the United States and the intervenors want to delay implementation of SB 14 until after the November 2012 elections. . . Having lost the initial battle in this Court over the trial date, their fallback strategy is transparent: bombard the State with massive discovery requests (many of which are only marginally related to the issues in this case), claim that discovery is moving too slowly, and then insist that the trial date be moved.”


  


Texas Redistricting has more.

NC gubernatorial favorite supports photo ID law

Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory encouraged his
supporters to bring photo identification to the polls during this week’s
early voting in support of a bill that would require voters to show
photo IDs at polling places.  The push for this initiative began last year when Republican
legislators filed the voter ID bill, known as the “Restore Confidence in
Government” act, which was vetoed by Gov. Bev Perdue. link.

In first opportunity since Reconstruction, Mississippi Republicans draw lines to increase Black representation

In a historic first opportunity, the Republican Mississippi House plan increases the number of minority majority districts by three (3) from 39 to 42, all with strong minority voting strength.  Of course, the Democrats complain that the plan endangers the entrenched white Democratic establishment.  There is the real possibility that white Democrats, in controlling the redistricting process for over a century, intentionally unrepresented minority representation for partisan reasons.

House Elections Chairman Bill Denny, a Jackson Republican, says the
changes preserve black-majority districts and reflect population shifts
since the last Census.

The vote came after a long debate that at times seemed
most about Democrats laying the groundwork for a lawsuit. The debate
included a vote that turned down an alternative map offered by Rep.
Omeria Scott, a Laurel Democrat.

Republicans, holding a majority for the first time
since Reconstruction, drew a map matching five pairs of House members.
Of those pairings, four are likely to eliminate a sitting Democrat, and
one is likely to eliminate a Republican.

full story here

“The Bite of Redistricting Shrinks Ranks of Blue Dogs”

The Wall Street Journal explains the rapid implosion of the few moderates remaining in the Democratic Party caucus.  Someone better call the Air and Space Museum to keep space for at least one next to the Space Shuttle.

The centrist Democrats known as “Blue Dogs” sometimes say they’ve been “choked blue” by the liberals who dominate their party. But now it is Republicans and redistricting that are threatening to cripple this once-influential group of House members.

Some estimate the number of remaining Blue Dogs or conservative Democrats will fall below 10 after the November election runs its course.

Here a few other headlines and stories on the issue.

“Blue Dog Dems Bark May Soon Be Silenced” – Newsmax – “carnage”
“Blue Dog Democrats face extinction in next election” – Politico – “poised to get pummeled”

PA Voter ID: “Smooth” Debut

The York Dispatch.  Seems the “testiness” was confined to Philadelphia, among people who already had photo ID. Someone get to these testy folks quick and let them know being disagreeable even though you have photo ID is NOT a winning strategy.  And therein lies their problem: opposition to voter ID is not a winning strategy.  Helping people you claim don’t have photo ID get a photo ID is a winning strategy.