I'll give Pennsylvania Republicans credit for one thing: when it comes to voter-ID laws, they appreciate candor.
After some jaw-dropping quotes from state House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R), Gov. Tom Corbett (R), and Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele (R), we now have this extraordinary line from Republican state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe.
For those who can't watch clips online, Metcalfe was asked during a radio interview about the prospect of a Republican-imposed, state-ID law disenfranchising eligible voters.
"I don't believe any legitimate voter that actually wants to exercise that right and takes on the according responsibility that goes with that right to secure their photo ID will be disenfranchised," Metcalfe said. "As Mitt Romney said, 47% of the people that are living off the public dole, living off their neighbors' hard work, and we have a lot of people out there that are too lazy to get up and get out there and get the ID they need. If individuals are too lazy, the state can't fix that."
So, in the mind of this state Republican lawmaker, folks living in a nursing home, for example, deserve to be condemned for "living off the public dole," and if they lack the means to jump through procedural hoops to overcome the most burdensome voting restrictions with Jim Crow laws, they also deserve to be condemned for being "lazy." The same goes for students, the disabled, veterans, and everyone else in the "47 percent."
Indeed, as far as Metcalfe's concerned, Mitt Romney has his back on this ridiculous position.
And who's Daryl Metcalfe? Ari Berman reports, "Like many Republicans, he's been a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council for over a decade. The conservative group drafted mock voter ID legislation that is remarkably similar to the bill that Melcalfe introduced in the legislature. He says that, 'I was a Tea Partier before it was cool,' and is best known for introducing 'birther' legislation requiring presidential candidates to produce their birth certificate before running for office. He's been linked to right-wing anti-immigrant hate groups and has been dubbed the legislature's 'most prominent critic of gays.'"
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Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with Mississippi and Alabama in the middle.
I grew up in the Philly area and in NJ but now live in south central PA... it's like being in a foreign country. I cannot believe that this is how the people are represented. UGH!
I can't believe this is how the people voted. DUH!
I knew a lot of well respected people who lived in Philly, during the 60's there was quite a bit of rascism. I remember Irish people and Black people didn't get along too well. I don't believe there was too much violence between them though, except for the occassional fist fight, the real mens' way of handling disputes, without weapons.
As a resident of central Pennsylvania I feel I must clarify one point here. Yes, it is similar to Alabama or Mississippi, but with one major difference: Alabama and Mississippi both have sizeable African-American populations. Central PA is the sort of place where white racists from Alabama would come to get away from federally-mandated school integration down home (I've seen this happen).
Strictly speaking, however, this troglodytic legislator is not from the part of the state we lovingly refer to as Pennsyltucky. The 12th district is in the suburban Philly area, where many of our loudest and most appalling reactionaries seem to originate for some reason.
That's Pennsyltucky to you, TC. :) I live here, sigh.....
Metcalfe, yet one more doubling down idiot who continues to spread lies.
Actually Metcalfe is right. If you're too infirm to get an ID, you're too infirm to vote. Maybe Democrats should get off their fat asses and bus people to ID centers, not just the polls on election day?
Because clearly, only the fit should be allowed to vote. We should award the franchise based on the outcome of public death matches.
Yes let us have a triathalon and only those who finish can vote.
Gawd what a dolt!
Taking my lead from DWIA
Do not scratch
Do not scratch
Do not scratch
If only the fit are eligible to vote, then it stands to reason that only the intelligent people can serve in Congress. And IQ tests include math and science. No Bible questions.
woo-hooo, sick people should not be able to vote, per Shoots! You're just the gift that keeps on giving. I do not subscribe to the idea that trolls should be ignored. Ignoring them allows them a soapbox with no rebuttals. He serves as a wonderful example and demonstrates just how nasty and ignorant people like him are. If he is a Poe, then let those who disagree with him show it.
That is not for you and Metcalfe to determine. Some of those people could very well be elderly and disabled Republican veterans and elderly and disabled Republican seniors. Oh and by the way infirm is defined as not strong: lacking strength and vitality because of sickness or age - nothing about being Fat or Democrats. I realize Republicans think they are the only people in this world that work hard and pay taxes, but I have a Flash for you Gordon, Democrats work hard and pay taxes. Judging by the people you put in Congress it is Republicans who are sitting around doing nothing and collecting a check.
That is the problem. The compassion is gone from them. They soothe their conscience by dehumanizing people. They thrive on the pigeon holing and labeling people "lazy" and "victims". While they are too lazy to invest their money on something real here, in off shore accounts. They call themselves victims for paying taxes (things they take advantage of) while living in this great place WE built.
Disgusting!
Oh shooter the little troll boy. You will not have a good november little man.
nice try shooter troll, get a life.
If he was a tea partier before tea partiers were cool, does that make him a John Birch Society member?
I remember when folks of his ilk were content to yell, "Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!"
"Hey, Metcalfe! The "Kids" have grown up, and are now old enough to vote. AND WE DO!"
Day, unfortunately some of those "grown up kids" lost their mental capacity and they vote for people like Metcalfe.
What? A privileged white, male, Christian Republican who is completely out of touch with how those who are different from himself live their lives? That never happens!
"privileged, white, male, and Republican" but most certainly NOT Christian!
If that's "Christian", I'm going to have to re-think what title I put on my spirituality!
I'm sure he considers himself Christian, though. After all, he hates all the right kinds of people!
I guess they've decided to jump on the Romney train leading to nowhere.Yup, they went there. They are the lazy ones, they dress up all perty and then pretend to go to work but, instead decide to make a stop and insult the majority of Americans who are already at their jobs and working extremely hard so that these Mother Scratchers' can stand outside on the lawns and make speeches that are insulting to everyone in this Country. They are the ones receiving Welfare and they are not participating in any kind of a jobs program, not even their own.
Since they are the Job Creators, where are the jobs? Romney says people need to earn more money so they can pay taxes. I wonder who is responsible for the level of wages these people earn? They want to destroy unions, whose primary purpose is to make conditions better for workers. How does that square with creating an environment of healthy wages for all? They are talking out of both sides of their mouths.
We are the Jobs, the 18th chapter in the Old Testament.
Yes st-john I've heard him make that claim.This is coming from a guy that invested in factories either layed off worker's and told them they could reapply at lower wage's or closed them down and shipped them to China or elsewhere.All the while getting rich on the back's of those worker's.Nobody should trust this forked tongued jerk.
Angel:
I had a brother and still have a brother-in-law in Eastern Ohio (think Western Pa) who bought/buy a hatred of the 47% even though the both were/are firmly in that group, but lack a sense of self-awareness that they rmeally are in that group, since they knew/know that the 47% is a code word for blacks, Latinos, and other groups they consider "undesirables". They recognize that only their lily-white skins separate themselves from the "real undesirables".
They are not the job creators. Nope, No . Nada, nyet. the job creators are us. the middle class, the lower class, the people that have to spend each and every check on things to keep us comfortable and alive. Living paycheck to paycheck we buy soap, foods, etc. If we have extra money, we become good job creators. Because supply and demand are the real creators. If there are 2000 people standing in line for an Apple5, you can just bet that company is going to hire more people to make more. If the economy is slow, nobody has money for extra goodies, so nobody hires.
Historically, the upper 1% have controlled 55-60% of the money in this country. right now, they control 96%!! So only 4% is being circulated! That's why there are no new jobs being created. its getting better, but until we can circulate a whole bunch of money, whether out of the GDP or a stimulus bill, the economy is going to hum along slowly for a long time.
Hmm. Didn't Jim Cramer say his dad would be disenfranchised with the PA law, and didn't PA have to bend the rules to allow his father to get his ID?
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/jim_cramer_pennsylvania_voter_id.php
Do you think Jim Cramer is one of those entitled folks who don't pay any taxes? My guess is that if he does pay taxes, it is at a much lower rate than most of us. How has he addressed this situation now that his father can vote? Will his father vote for Romney? Will Cramer, Jr.? I never watch him because I cannot stand his loud, aggressive BS.
Wait - I've got it! Obviously, the solution is for Jim Cramer's dad to adopt us all. Then we can all get "special treatment". That should work, right?
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
As to Jim Cramer I agree with what Stephen Colbert said to Cramer when he appeared on the Colbert Report shortly after the financial meltdown. Cramer needs to have footage of puppies and kittens behind him during his broadcasts.
OT, but, since Gov. Tom Corbett is championing the idea that those unregistered "voters" are too lazy to get properly registered, I have some questions about his ethics and morals. Before he condemns members of the 47%, I suggest he answer the questions about his relationship to Jerry Sandusky and the Penn St. sex scandal. Read this article and Google Tom Corbett and jerry sandusky. Tom Corbett was too lazy to aggressively go after the investigation and prosecution of Jerry Sandusky on sex charges, in spite of abundant evidence that there were grounds for an investigation. Don't let him deflect these questions. Force him to answer.
Thank you! Corbett needs to answer for his actions (and lack thereof) in the Sandusky scandal, and he needs to do so NOW.
These people ARE registered. They've been registered and been voting for years, even decades.
That's the point here. A voter registration card is no longer good enough. Matching your signature with the one on file isn't good enough. You have to have a photo ID. Which means everyone that already drives has to do nothing, while those who don't drive and don't need a driver's license now have to jump through all those hoops in order to vote.
I guess they hope that waiting 4 or 5 hours at a DMV will keep people from getting these ID's.
Until the states themselves get a bunch of vans with ID making equipment in them and drives neighborhood to neighborhood, handing out free IDs, I will consider this purging of voters and forced IDs as a Jim Crow act. People who cannot afford to get on a bus and go 1-2 hours away to get a photo ID, have to now struggle to get an ID. Why doesn't the state gets ID vans, and hit the neighborhoods. then everybody could have a photo ID, laminated in that van. But they have to start after this election, and work for the entire next 4 years to get everyone an ID. They will say its too expensive, but hey, "you thought this crap up, so its dropped in your lap."
Do the people actually believe the bile they spew? That would be scarier than a lie.
No they don't believe it. They do believe that we are stupid enough to believe whatever they tell us to think.
Actually, I think people who speak like this in public are being genuine. I challenged a Facebook acquaintenance just last week who made a similar argument, and all of her Georgia friends chimed in to support her. None of them would acknowledge that perhaps they had certain advantages in life that others didn't have -- a car, the money to pay for a certified birth certificate, the flexibility to visit the DMV during working hours, the good health to withstand a lengthy wait in line, etc. No, anyone who didn't have a state-issued ID just wasn't trying hard enough. One person went so far as to state that those people didn't deserve to vote, and would just cancel out her vote if they did. Not a single one of them was ashamed of their attitude, even when I pointed out that they were implying that they were better people than the poor, which is a dangerous path to tread. No, I was told that I was twisting their words. They didn't care about statistics like the fact that 25% of African-Americans and 16% of Hispanics don't have a photo ID, and so the racial/ethnic impact of a photo ID requirement was big. It was an entirely different worldview, to say the least.
Therein lies the conundrum of entitlement. Yes, the true entitlement, the stuff that people like myself (caucasian) have a very hard time seeing they have and others don't have. It's that stuff that drives them to defend their entitlement to deny any entitlement to others or threaten their perceived entitlement.
Reverse racism is what they call taking away their entitlement.
It has many forms. But not many will see it in themselves. Instead, they will say they are trying to take something away from me. In other words, I am entitled to have my entitlement and they are not entitled to any entitlement. Not seeing they have had and still have the invisible knapsack. http://ted.coe.wayne.edu/ele3600/mcintosh.html
I just flashed on an episode of "Shameless" where the main AA woman character Veronica was told she's lucky and she replied "If I was lucky I would have been born white".
Many of these "good" Christians are racists and they can and do find justification for their racism in their bibles. These were the people whom Obama mentioned in 2008 for their "bitterness" and holding on to their "guns and religion"
As been the case in many states where GOTP have a majority. Voter suppression is the motivation behind the strategy, and the cost to get such makes it a poll tax which is illegal.
A modest proposal for everyone who says... "Its easy to do"
Take away there identification, remind them if they leave work they will not get paid or may lose their job, have their boss call them at least twice with new projects with tight deadlines, let them figure out where they last had their identification documents, take away a passport if they have one, and move some of the critical documents to a location at least 100 miles away, make them use only public transportation, limit their mobility by using a knee brace that makes it difficult to walk, and then watch how long it takes them to get the job done.
That would be very amusing, and for bonus points lets video document it to see how they deal with the process. Could be a hit new reality show...
Modest proposal? More like a most excellent idea!
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
what a wonderful idea. Surely, since it's so easy, Rep. Metcalfe should be jumping at the chance to prove you wrong? :)
They roll this non issue out every time there's an election. Oh there's plenty of fraud...just not where they say it is (ie - voters trying to vote). It's with State Secretaries purging voters from voting lists (Hi, Katherine Harris). It's Karl Rove's data base that shows him where he needs to pour the most cash in order to dis enfranchise the most voters (and those voters are curiously black and Hispanic). I encourage everyone to read Greg Palast's new book Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps.
It's also with electronic voting machines (you know, machines that vote, right?) which don't offer paper receipts and mysteriously seem to flip the results at the last minute...
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
And the Supremes are all lined up to decide who will govern again. shudder....
Good point about those infernal machines....
And yes...I have no doubt the Supremes are warming up...double shudder....
Throughout recent history in Colorado, if one does not vote in a general election, they are purged from the rolls. You have to re register IF you missed a general election. If you vote in every general election for President, every four years, you continue as registered. why don't these states do that? Anyone that does not vote, is purged. they would do it after this election and force someone to register again if they want to vote. this, of course, allows the military, etc. to have a mail in ballot.
I wouldn't object if they had someone bring in a utility bill, or a welfare card, a library card, a student ID, or something like that to show that they are that person. Only one person can vote on that Identification. Its not like you could vote ten times on one registration. I've about had it with the voting laws they are trying to enforce. I hope the Attorney general keeps them all in line. Bring in troops if you have to.
Daryl Metcalfe and Mit Romney: separated at birth?
Separated from their brains?
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
I'm sure Mitt Romney appreciates Rep. Metcalfe's blunt translation -- "As Mitt Romney said, 47% of the people . . . are living off the public dole, living off their neighbors' hard work" -- of the words that Romney and his GOP sycophants are attempting to recast as courageous words of wisdom taken out of context, rather than the ignorant and hateful lies they are.
I am living on SSDI, and certainly don't feel like a victim. I am so relieved that we have this program, because i worked for several years in misery, and came home after work crying and in pain. I was a bigger victim when I was working than I am now. Because I was afraid to apply for SSDI. I worked for it and I deserve it. but I guess I'm one of those slackers that Mittens is talking about.
I can't believe how these worthless carpetbaggers and scallywags have invaded Pennsylvania since I left 11 years ago.
You couldn't pay me to move back there.
i never thought in this country we would have voter suppression but yet we do,that just a few are trying to make all the decisions of our country,you say that the poor and middle class don't know how to vote the problem is we want vote your way,what i see is the death of democracy and the birth of being rule by a few who thinks they can set up a communistic state,to many americans have died and paid the ultimate price for freedom you will fail as others has failed.
We have had voter suppression since the beginning of the Republic: Allowing only white males holding so much cash specie or owning so much land to qualify as voters; requiring qualified voters to vote by voice in open meetings and not by secret ballot; ad infinitum.
No, that's not a communist state, that is more likely a dictatorship, such as the right wing, no I'm not going to say it, but you'd be speaking German type of place.
It is simply beyond ones understanding to grasp how anyone could think this mindset was okay. He has latched onto Mitt's 47% stance, and further makes the assumption that the 47% is made up mostly of a Democratic base since the idea is to keep, or make it as hard as possible, for citizens to register their vote. The Republican party has been very clear on who these voting hoops will suppress, the Democrats. It is no wonder this branch of the government, the Republicans, do not like the Democrats... they don't believe in a 'democracy' at all.
You called? LOL
I've used Willow everywhere online for about 10 years. I use Willow on everything. So I saw your name and just had to comment. LOL
Seriously! Where do they find these people!!! Public servant my ass.
So apparently now those in retirement homes, college campuses and war zones are "LAZY" because they're resisting a law that makes it even harder for them to practice their right to vote! Which by the way is given to them "Just. For being. American!"
How can one even begin to think this way?
I think the Conservatives have always felt this entitled and wonderful, thinking they are some kind of overlord. they were just never brave enough to say it out loud before. Now as the right wing Fundamentalist Evangelicals are more outspoken. We are finding out what they really think. I will never again in my lifetime vote for a Republican.
Or the C Street Religious people, although Hillary Clinton used to go to prayer breakfast meetings there, which concerned me.
If all of these measures, designed to rig the election, are to work, Romney needs to make it a close one. Today's swing state polling doesn't bode well for Mitt to succeed at that.
For the GOP "No taxation without representation" has been twisted into "No representation without taxation".
Whoa this is getting weird...er.
The GOP will soon learn that women, LGBT, and disenfranchised voters who are illegitimately legislatively violated have a mechanism that prevents them from voting for you.
And, hopefully this year they'll "shut that whole thing down."
Exactly! And if Republicans are too backwards, extreme, and neanderthal in nature, we also cannot fix that. We can, however, vote them OUT! People like this will not be missed.
Wow - and I thought State Representative Dave Agema from Michigan took the cake for conservative insensitivity. I think he has some competition!
Lazy people need to vote this man out of office.
I'm wondering if my Ohio issued CDL license will be accepted this time, like it's been accepted for the last 12 years, exact same license as the primaries, because it has my street address and not my P.O. Box mailing address.
But then, if it had the P.O. Box it may not be accepted because it wouldn't have the street address?
.
I've got the same issue. My I.D. was stolen, so I have my P.O. Box on my driver license, but our legislators are Democrats in this state (CA), so they don't try to suppress voters in the law.
I'm sure if you call and ask for clarity you will get a standard answer. I just hope people in these states will have poll watchers to make sure people do not receive provisional ballots, when they are rightful voters.
These %^&*()s need to get voted out for their anti democratic b.s..
I hope Rethuglicants get a loud and clear message. Knock off the anti American voter suppression and stop trying to kill us. Yes, there are those that would be perfectly content if people continue to suffer and die. They have their righteous indignation because they live in a great place but have to pay taxes.