There's a phrase I think we'll be hearing a lot of in the next week, so I thought I'd start practicing early:
"Now what?!?"
Up to you whether to accompany this utterance with an eye roll, a forehead smack, or a sigh, but whatever gesture you choose, you'd better damned well like it.
Today's "now what?!?" item: Democracy Now! is reporting that Bush administration lawyers are filing briefs that claim only John Ashcroft has the right to go to court to defend individual voters' rights to cast their ballots. In the past, private citizens have brought voter suppression cases to bear with the help of groups like the NAACP; this would not be possible under the proposed conditions.
Here are some bits from the show's interview with former Justice Department attorney Steve Mulroy:
MULROY:…With respect to HAVA, the help Americans Vote Act that was passed two years ago by congress, the Department of Justice has taken the position in the lawsuits under HAVA that are sprouting up around the country, there is no private right of action. This is a controversial position. I think it's debatable on the merits, but the interesting thing is some people have criticized the justice department because it's not completely unprecedented for the Justice Department to take this position, but somewhat unusual. Normally, you would think that the agency that's charged with enforcing the law would welcome assistance from private groups in also enforcing the law….
AMY GOODMAN: What about the fact that it's ultimately all in the control of John Ashcroft?
STEVEN MULROY: Well, from the perspective a progressive or a person who is very concerned about preserving Voting Rights Act, certainly that could lead to suspicions, because, you know, I mean I don't think we need to recite the record of John Ashcroft for the last several years. If you don't trust the current Attorney General to vigorously enforce protections, you know, regarding voter access to or do it in a fair manner, then one natural check in the system would be if you had a private right of action, that's one of the advantages of having a private right of action in something as fundamental as voting rights in that area. So, obviously, that's a concern.
Um, well, yeah…
This on top of wolves stalking the country, Eminem as the new conscience of America's youth, and the Osama redux. I think I'd better choose eye rolling; my forehead is getting sore.
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Jessica Clark is a writer, editor and researcher, with more than 15 years of experience spanning commercial, educational, independent and public media production. Currently she is the Research Director for American University’s Center for Social Media. She also writes a monthly column for PBS’ MediaShift on new directions in public media. She is the author, with Tracy Van Slyke, of Beyond the Echo Chamber: Reshaping Politics Through Networked Progressive Media (2010, New Press).
