Hyde and Seek Reelection

The Republican assault on the electoral system continues apace. H.R. 4844, the so-called Hyde bill, introduces what is essentially a poll tax, a $100 government issued ID card said to thwart voting fraud that does not exist. I'l let President of People for the American Way, Ralph G. Neas, explain what this infuriating effort is really designed to do.

The House has passed a bill which is aimed at petty partisan advantage in the coming elections. It's an effort to keep senior citizens, the poor, the disabled, students and minority voters away from the polls, disguised as a measure to counter massive voter fraud which simply does not exist. We already have harsh criminal penalties on the books to deal with this issue. H.R. 4844 is redundant and unnecessary and a poor attempt to deal with the REAL problems in our election system. Undocumented immigrants are not lining up at the polls to vote illegally, and there is no credible evidence to support this claim. This is a disingenuous attempt to fix the election process that instead primarily targets those groups likely to vote against the ruling majority party in the House and the Senate. That's no accident. Weeks before mid-term elections that could change the balance of power in Congress, the House is continuing to pursue partisan advantage by trying to capitalize on unreasonable anti-immigrant fears. Shame on them.

Facing voter wrath in upcoming elections, the GOP is determined to quash the vote of those who have been most severely affected by Republican domestic policy.

Welcome to the new American century.