GOP's Portman calls Manchin's voting reform compromise a 'federal takeover' of election system

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) called Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.V.) recent memo on federal voting rights legislation, which was viewed largely as a compromise for opponents and supporters of a more sweeping reform bill, "a federal takeover of the election system."

"What he's saying to the state of Ohio ... [is] 'We're gonna decide how redistricting is done, we're gonna take away it away from the democracy in effect,'" Portman said, referring to one of Manchin's call to ban partisan gerrymandering. "Right now, in Ohio, our state legislature makes that decision. These are elected representatives and he wants to take it away and make it a federal responsibility through some kind of a commission."

Manchin's blueprint received some praise from Democrats last week, but Portman's opposition to it appears to reaffirm the widely-held belief that it would fail to secure enough Republican votes to pass the Senate without altering the filibuster. Portman is often one of the more moderate lawmakers in the upper chamber, and, barring any major surprises, he'd likely have to be among the 10 GOP senators to cross the aisle if Manchin's strategy was to stand a chance.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gops-portman-calls-manchins-voting-175207621.html

[msongs]

1. well doh , the constitution says the feds ultimately run the fed offices election system nt

[The Magistrate]

2. Damn Right, Sir

That's what is needed to curb the malfeasance of Republican state governments.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. "Right now, our state legislature makes that decision..."

And Ohio’s state legislature has a super majority of Republicans! Who would trust a bunch of Republicans to re-draw districts to be more fair??

STFU Rob. Moderate, my ass.

[Takket]

4. Federal rules always override state rules. I'm surprised an elected member of Congress

does not know this???

[Casady1]

5. Will some newsperson

Ask these jerks” what is the history of states controlling the election process”?

[Mad_Machine76]

7. It's as much of a "takeover" of the election system

as ACA was a "takeover" of the health care system. Republicans need new material.

[Midnight Writer]

8. Lindsey called it a "power grab". The RW messaging machine is running on all cylinders.

[WHITT]

9. Repubs Are Idiots

Repubs voted for the 1964 Voting Rights bill and reauthorized it over and over again across the decades and never a peep about it being a federal takeover, because it was merely a baseline, just as S1 is an updated modern baseline.