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| Abbott: a self-serving public servant |
For all the petty nastiness noted before, the most grotesque reality that belies Greg Abbott's claim to have taken the high road is what we should properly call his voter suppression law. To call it "Voter ID" is just to buy into GOP spin that masks the reality.
First, some background.
Abbott's Voter Suppression Law started out as a national GOP project. As the Texas Tribune's Ross Ramsey recently reported, Republican legislators in Texas did their best to hide the damage they intended to inflict while the measure was debated and discussed during the 2011 legislative session. Then-Sen. Tommy Williams researched how many would be disenfranchised - some 500,000 to 844,000 voters would be left without the credentials needed to exercise their constitutional rights. Williams "requested the information and then did not share it with fellow lawmakers."
How's THAT for honest, open government? Oh, did I mention that Williams was considered one of the few MODERATE Republicans in the Texas Senate?
Recently, Abbott earned the right to have this law renamed after him given his personal and professional triumph in keeping it alive for his race against Wendy Davis. Just before early voting, he successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to leave it in place this one last time - despite the court striking down a similar law in Wisconsin as unconstitutional (see also my previous look at Abbott's statements about this issue, and those who have criticized him for it).
Now that Abbott has, once again, used his public office to serve his partisan interests, what to do about it? Today at a rally in San Antonio, Wendy Davis saw this as a rallying cry.
What I'm encouraging people to do is to respect and honor...those voices who want to be a part of this process but who Greg Abbott denied the opportunity to do so. Respect and honor them by coming and voting and electing a Governor who's going to restore their voices (see video below).
First, some background.
Abbott's Voter Suppression Law started out as a national GOP project. As the Texas Tribune's Ross Ramsey recently reported, Republican legislators in Texas did their best to hide the damage they intended to inflict while the measure was debated and discussed during the 2011 legislative session. Then-Sen. Tommy Williams researched how many would be disenfranchised - some 500,000 to 844,000 voters would be left without the credentials needed to exercise their constitutional rights. Williams "requested the information and then did not share it with fellow lawmakers."
How's THAT for honest, open government? Oh, did I mention that Williams was considered one of the few MODERATE Republicans in the Texas Senate?
Recently, Abbott earned the right to have this law renamed after him given his personal and professional triumph in keeping it alive for his race against Wendy Davis. Just before early voting, he successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to leave it in place this one last time - despite the court striking down a similar law in Wisconsin as unconstitutional (see also my previous look at Abbott's statements about this issue, and those who have criticized him for it).
Now that Abbott has, once again, used his public office to serve his partisan interests, what to do about it? Today at a rally in San Antonio, Wendy Davis saw this as a rallying cry.
What I'm encouraging people to do is to respect and honor...those voices who want to be a part of this process but who Greg Abbott denied the opportunity to do so. Respect and honor them by coming and voting and electing a Governor who's going to restore their voices (see video below).
President Obama, too, singled out Abbott's Voter Suppression Law in a call to Texas Democrats this morning. He suggested that this, along with many other issues, should encourage their get-out-the-vote efforts.
Texas Republicans passed a voter ID law that a Federal judge ruled unconstitutional calling it intentionally discriminatory and likening it to a poll tax - and they're fighting to keep it in place. I hope these things get you fired up
Texas Republicans passed a voter ID law that a Federal judge ruled unconstitutional calling it intentionally discriminatory and likening it to a poll tax - and they're fighting to keep it in place. I hope these things get you fired up
(see clip below for audio):
The Abbott campaign has a VERY different take on who's encouraging voter turnout. Campaign Manager Sarah Floeke's spin would be comical if it weren't so disturbingly removed from reality. She makes an astounding claim in an email from the campaign last night:
The Democrats are crowing because voter turnout is down. According to Battleground Texas senior adviser and former Obama national field director Jeremy Bird, "The early vote numbers this year are very encouraging for Wendy Davis and the Democratic ticket – and all signs point to this being a fight to the finish."
The Democrats are crowing because voter turnout is down. According to Battleground Texas senior adviser and former Obama national field director Jeremy Bird, "The early vote numbers this year are very encouraging for Wendy Davis and the Democratic ticket – and all signs point to this being a fight to the finish."
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| Disturbing distortions |
How Floeke distorts reality into an unrecognizable, self-serving goober gives a good indication as to what an Abbott administration might be like. So let's unpack this.
Floeke pulled the quote from Bird's memo last Friday that early voting was way up - presumably because of his organization's efforts. So he was actually "crowing" because of what he thought was INCREASED voter turnout. It turns out his figures were off-the-mark, based on inaccurate figures as the Texas Tribune reports.
Floeke pulled the quote from Bird's memo last Friday that early voting was way up - presumably because of his organization's efforts. So he was actually "crowing" because of what he thought was INCREASED voter turnout. It turns out his figures were off-the-mark, based on inaccurate figures as the Texas Tribune reports.
Now, watch closely for the sleight-of-hand...
Floeke's takes Bird's quote and uses it as if it were about the LOWER turnout figures - numbers that should be of great concern to him, hardly a cause for celebration. For this, I nominate her for an honorary degree from the James O'Keefe School of Professional Ethics.
Again, it's hard not to laugh at Floeke's amateurish attempt at deception. What's not funny is that such dishonesty by a senior member of a major campaign hardly registered because it's just business-as-usual there. It should be seen as a disqualification for public service. But then, Abbott Campaign isn't really about wanting to serve the public.
BONUS: Wendy Davis revs up supporters for final block-walks in San Antonio this morning:
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