Bush DoJ Appointees Overruled their Own Voting Rights Act Attorneys to Approve Texas Redistricting Plan!
Unanimous Recommendation by 8 Staffers, Including Head of Voting Rights Division Ignored!As With Georgia Photo ID Case, Bush Makes Mockery of Voting Rights Act, Ranking Democrat Calls for House Judiciary Committee Investigation
Washington Post, in a stunning front page splash today, is reporting that political appointees in George W. Bush's Dept. of Justice overruled their own attorneys in the Voting Rights Act unit who had recommended against Texas' state redistricting plan for Congressional districts. That new redistricting plan was key to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's (R-TX) controversial strategy in the state which eventually resulted in 7 additional Republicans being elected to the U.S. House in 2004.
Eight staffers at the DoJ, including the heads of the Voting Rights Division advocated against the redistricting in a 73-page memo, but Bush political appointees agreed to allow the changes to go through anyway! The Voting Rights Act requires DoJ pre-approval of changes to electoral law in several states where minority voting rights have historically been an issue.
The disturbing revelation is similar to one reported two weeks ago in which the Bush Attorney General overruled 4 of 5 staffers who had recommended against pre-approval of Georgia's new Photo ID requirement at the polls. That law has since been struck down by Federal Courts which described it as a "Jim Crow-era Poll Tax."
The Bush administration has made a mockery of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which celebrated it's 40th anniversary over the summer. Rep. John Conyers has now asked for a full investigation by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee...
Full Story, Link to Full Memo and the Complete Text of Conyers' Press Release:http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002107.htm---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.comVELVET REVOLUTION - The revolution has begun...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us*** The BRAD SHOW On the Air via RAW RADIO!
***
http://www.BradShow.com*** Broadcast coast-to-coast and around the globe!