My Sixth Sense on DC Voting Rights: I See Black People

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:13:46 PM EST
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Fred Hiatt can not understand why the Republicans blocked the voting rights bill for the District of Columbia:

WASHINGTONIANS probably could live with Republicans' sabotaging their latest chance at congressional representation; that's nothing new. More galling are those Republicans too gutless to admit their true position.

Well, I doubt Washingtonians are quite as nonchalant about their voting rights as Fred Hiatt is with their voting rights, but the intriguing question is 'what true position is that Mr. Fred'?

Mr. Fred asks:

The ferocity of GOP opposition to democracy for the District became clear last week when the White House dropped its pretend indifference in favor of an all-out assault, complete with the threat of a presidential veto. What's unclear are the reasons for this antipathy.

Unclear? What is it that you are not seeing Mr. Fred? Do you NOT see black people? There is your reason.

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My Sixth Sense on DC Voting Rights: I See Black People | 19 comments (19 topical)

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Couldn't be... Could it? (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by Molly Bloom on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:29:33 PM EST

Gee BTD you can't possibly be right, surely you remember this succinct discussion of the GOP, the Democratic party and racism. Everything you and I understood about the history of race relations in this country is wrong!

Poor Senseless and Ringless Ones (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by squeaky on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:43:10 PM EST

A few of can also see the racism who are not as well endowed as you BTD, with your sixth sense. Yes a very few of us have a special super secret decoder ring, with the rare racism feature as an add on. Too bad that feature was discontinued right before Katerina hit NOLA.

What would it take (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by andgarden on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:47:25 PM EST

to make statehood a reality?

A Republican state (none / 0) (#4)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:51:02 PM EST

Many Republicans I talk to (none / 0) (#11)
by andgarden on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 05:30:46 PM EST

think that Puerto Rico leans Republican. Any insight?


: When we get slots in Cuba and admit DC (none / 0) (#12)
by bx58 on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 05:59:29 PM EST

It would become half-dem, half repub. The republicans would learn to live with it.
They all need to wet their beaks.

: Purple really (none / 0) (#14)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 06:03:32 PM EST

It's been tried before (none / 0) (#6)
by Jen M on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 02:28:46 PM EST

When the national capital of Brazil moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brazilia. Rio became a state. It didnt last 20 years.

Bad idea.


So true BTD! (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by annefrank on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 01:55:38 PM EST

Was in DC this week and saw many blacks with "Taxation Without Representation" auto tags and "Impeach Him" yard signs.

Pretty funny (none / 0) (#18)
by bx58 on Sun Mar 25, 2007 at 01:09:13 AM EST

Most plates have the taxation protest on them.

How's the neck and eyeballs doing after your visit; checking driver to licence plate must have been tough?

Just kiddin.


: BTD's diary was about blacks in DC (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by annefrank on Sun Mar 25, 2007 at 11:13:43 AM EST

Neck and eyeballs are doing fine - we stayed in a black DC neighborhood. The "Impeach Him" signs were in white neighborhoods.

D.K. (none / 0) (#7)
by Che's Lounge on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 02:32:18 PM EST

District of Katrina.

: DC is a disaster (none / 0) (#8)
by bx58 on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 03:38:47 PM EST

Terrible public schools,some of the worst crime,a corrupt local(and national) government. Who would want such an international embarrassment?
The real crime is the fact that the people who should be doing something about it would rather hole up in their cozy mansions in upper Northwest.
At least they hire locals to clean their mansions and raise their kids...ask me how I really feel.

Funny thing... (none / 0) (#9)
by Rich on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 04:40:57 PM EST

The proportion of Whites in the DC voting age population has grown over the past couple decades. The city has 8 wards, plus four at-large seats and a council president. Three of four at-large seat holders are White; the Council President is Black. At least one past Council President was White. One ward is majority White, two are fairly evenly divided and may now be majority white, in terms of voters--both have White councilmen. Whites are beginning to run in wards that have Black majorities, but significant numbers of White gentrifiers. I suspect that some of the willingness of Republicans from Virginia and other places to support statehood (if linked to an extra seat in Utah) may have to do with the changing population of the city. There have been White candidates for mayor in the past--one had represented a majority Black ward and had a long history in the Civil Rights movement. Others have been independent or Republican. We may see trulycompetitive White mayoral candidates in the next 10 years. Ward Two Councilman Jack Evans has signaled that he may be that person, although he may be too linked with the business establishment to do well with a lot of voters, regardless of race.

Big Tent (none / 0) (#10)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 05:05:57 PM EST

So how come you did not mention that the Dems themselves pulled the bill after the evil rethugs offered a motion that would repeal the gun ban in DC? Dems don't want blacks to be able to defend themselves?

GOP Forces House Democrats To Pull DC Voting Bill

It goes back to committee (none / 0) (#13)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 06:02:57 PM EST

if that is allowed.

But of course the concept of local control is suddenly jettisoned by the federalism proponents when it suits them.


: ditto (none / 0) (#17)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 07:29:00 PM EST

for gun control.

If I had to guess (none / 0) (#15)
by andgarden on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 06:10:32 PM EST

I'd say that the next step is a closed rule.


: Of course (5.00 / 2) (#16)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Mar 24, 2007 at 06:29:23 PM EST

If the Dems wanted to do something on this, THIS one would have been a closed rule.
The idea was to make the GOP stop the bill.
No heroes here.