Scott's Sinister Suppression

One of the major under-reported stories of 2012 is the systematic Rethuglican effort to suppress the votes of Democratic constituencies. Using non-existent "voter fraud" as a smokescreen, Rethug-controlled legislatures in a number of states have enacted laws that would have the effect of suppressing young, minority and elderly voters through often elaborate and onerous requirements. For example, getting a "government photo ID" for some people without drivers licenses could mean taking time off from work, using public transportation to get to the local board of elections, and producing a birth certificate (which many elderly no longer have).

Think Progress has an article on the most aggressive voter suppression activity, namely Florida's voter rolls purge, and the national media blackout. Orchestrated by Rethuglican Gov. and Medicare fraudster Rick "Voldemort" Scott, the purge of the rolls is intended to disenfranchise thousands of voters who are likely to vote Democratic, and is reminiscent of a similar, infamous purge by then-Florida Sec. of State Katherine "Maybelline" Harris before the Bush/Gore election in 2000. Not surprisingly, the national media's not covering this story, which is part of the larger effort to deny citizens their right to vote simply on the basis of their party affiliation.

(photo: Gov. Voldemort, in an unretouched photo)