Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, has said that he will veto a bill that was just passed by the Pa. Legislature that would require all voters to show some form of identification when going to the voting booth. This law has been fought for by Republicans all across the country who are trying to do everything they can to keep, the poor, the elderly, and minorities out of the booths because these people of course tend to vote Democratic, and Republicans will go to any lengths to hold on to power despite the fact that a large majority of the American populace is strongly against them.
In the last election, Republicans in many states, most notably Ohio, used every trick in the book to stack the election in their favor; amongst them was, putting fewer voting booths at polling places in poor neighborhoods that vote for Democrats, resulting in long lines of people waiting in the cold. Many people gave up in disgust and left, or simply could no longer wait because they had to be at work. Of course these problems did not exist in wealthier neighborhoods where the voters are more likely to support The GOP. Amongst the types of identification that would be acceptable are: Drivers license, which many elderly people do not have, a voter registration card, which cost money, bank statement, or get this: a firearms permit.
Rendell was quoted as saying "At a time in our nation's history when voter participation is dropping to alarming levels, the government should not be taking action that will turn away bona fide voters from our polls"
Democrats were against the bill partially because it would cause endless challenges to voting eligibility, another Republican trick from Ohio 2004. Republican poll watchers, many of them street thugs being paid by GOP operatives stand at the front of the line of people waiting to vote and challenge every voters ID, which results in even longer waits, and more disenfranchised voters who don't get to cast their ballot.
The Republican Party knows that it will have to use every dirty trick in the book, and some that have not even been invented yet if they want to hold onto congress in 2006, and the White House in 2008. Stealing the election in Florida, in 2000, and Ohio in 2004, will not be enough this time with Bush's popularity rating at 39% or less throughout the nation.
Of course Rendell's likely Republican opponent Lynn Swann, another rich black sell out of his own people, who is a former NFL wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers is all for the voter ID bill. "The idea that presenting a form of identification would somehow disenfranchise people is as ridiculous as it is untrue" said a statement Issued by Swann's campaign. I could not believe it when I found out that Swann was running as a Repub. He is almost sure to win the election because the Steelers are gods in Pittsburgh, and throughout a big portion of Pennsylvania. Every clueless idiot will vote for Swann just like the clueless idiots here in California voted for Arnold Swarzenegger for Governor in the recall election.
Erik Arneson a spokesman for David J. Brightbill who is the Senate Majority Leader of Pa., said in an AP article that he does not think that supporters of the bill would be able to come up with enough votes to override Rendell's veto. So far about half of states require some form of ID at polls. Last month Georgia became one of only 6 states to require photo ID. In another Republican trick, Voter ID cards are available to people who do not have a license or some other form of identification, but naturally they cost money, and in an especially egregious twist, the ID cards are unavailable anywhere in the City of Atlanta, which of course is where the poor, and minorities, who would need the cards would live. They have to scrape up the money, and then travel to some small out of the way Georgia hellhole to pick up their voting cards. This is the reason why Democrats must fight against any and all measures that Republicans try to ram down our throats regarding voting laws.
They will stop at nothing to hold on to power they clearly do not deserve.