Rigging the Game in the Keystone State

As if any further proof was necessary, a Republican lawmaker from Pennsylvania has openly admitted that the GOP sponsored voter ID law was designed for partisan advantage. On June 25^th the Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Rep. Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), told an audience that Pennsylvania’s  new voter ID law “is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.” The comment earned this response from Steve Benen of the Maddow Blog, “the state lawmaker's candor was a reminder that Pennsylvania's voter-ID law isn't about the integrity of the process; it's about ensuring Republican victories by rigging the game.

Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), Youtube video

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that “More than 758,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have photo identification cards from the state Transportation Department, putting their voting rights at risk in the November election, according to data released Tuesday by state election officials.

The report continues, “The new numbers, based on a comparison of voter registration rolls with PennDot ID databases, shows the potential problem is much bigger, particularly in Philadelphia, where 186,830 registered voters - 18 percent of the city's total registration - do not have PennDot ID."

Let there be no confusion, the GOP is trying to “fix” the 2012 presidential election.  This is no time for those who fight on the side of the angles to sit one out.  Both the Obama Justice Department and voting and civil rights organizations have ample grounds on which to challenge the Pennsylvania voter ID law (read voter suppression) in court.

by Brent Scott