The Washington Post has two stories that show a major disconnect within the GOP. And, the Post lets them get away with it....surprise, surprise.
First, Marchers Celebrate Voting Rights Act in Atlanta:
Thousands of marchers joined many of the icons of the American civil rights movement Saturday morning as they walked through the streets of Atlanta to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and to built support for extending protections from that bill....The landmark law, which is set to expire next year, helped transform U.S. politics and led to rising numbers of minorities elected to govern. But some conservatives have suggested that parts of the law are no longer necessary, especially the section that requires nine states, mainly in the South, to seek federal approval of voting rules changes.In other words, "conservatives" a.k.a. Republicans are threatening re-enactment of the Voting Rights Act. Then, there's this one,GOP Plans More Outreach to Blacks, Mehlman Says:
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman stood before a roomful of black journalists last week fielding pointed questions about his party's mostly shaky relationship with black voters.So, the GOP wants to attract more minorities, while simultaneously undermining minority voting rights.
Asked about the southern strategy that used race as an issue to build GOP dominance in the once Democratic South, Mehlman acknowledged that Republican candidates often have prospered by ignoring black voters and even by exploiting racial tensions. But he pledged that such neglect is a thing of the past. "Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.
That's just brilliant. And I love this:
Often, Mehlman speaks in deeply personal terms. He told the black journalists that he views open housing, voting rights and civil rights bills passed in the 1960s as the most important laws of the 20th century.Yeah, those voting rights were important in the last century. Not now.
