July 24, 2007
Nothing Tastes Better at Lunch Than Voting Rights
As you, faithful DCist reader, should know, today is the day that you can take action for District voting rights. And if you haven't already, why not take your lunch break to call the toll-free number the folks at D.C. Vote have set-up (1-866-346-3008) and lobby a senator? If you're a District resident, you'll get patched through to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). If not, you'll get your home senator.
On top of the handy talking points you'll get, here's what DCist proposes you say when talking to the staffer that takes your call:
- There's no bigger bummer during your August trip to the beach than knowing that 200 years of disenfranchisement has yet to be corrected.
- If Mayor Adrian Fenty has to develop WMDs to get President Bush's attention, he will.
- If the Senate doesn't get moving on this soon, we'll let Jonathan Rees out and ask him to do his worst.
- The D.C. Council has indicated that it's willing to foot the bill for any member of the Senate who would like a "massage" from one of the city's many escort services. In exchange, all we ask is their support. That way, we all get, uhhh, a happy ending.
- But seriously, why not let this move forward? If anyone's concerned about the constitutionality of the idea, let the courts make the final call. If anyone's worried about the District eventually asking for two senators, fear not -- it'll take a constitutional amendment, and that's not something that happens quickly. And if anyone is worried about giving the Democrats one more safe seat, just know that we're being canceled out by the fine people of Utah and the extra seat they'll be getting.
So take a few minutes and make a call, and let us know how it went in the comments.
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Those talking points sound like a surefire way to get ignored by the various Hill offices.
It's a joke.
DC needs to be consistent in the way it presents itself to the government. If it's a state and wants state rights, then the 'we are not a state' argument for gun control needs to be reconsidered.
More lunchtime voting rights advocacy tomorrow:
http://www.dcvote.org/events/event.cfm?eventID=344
DC needs to be consistent in the way it presents itself to the government. If it's a state and wants state rights, then the 'we are not a state' argument for gun control needs to be reconsidered.
Great point, but don't expect that level of thought from the DC Vote crowd. Make DC a state, fine, ok DC you now have to:
Run your own prison system,
Run your own park system,
Run a legitimate higher education system (UDC doesn't count)
Prosecute your own felonies,
Do those things, and you can call yourself a state and be treated as such.
Of course none of this matters anyway. Even if by some chance Bush signs this bill into law or his veto is overridden, it will be a matter of days before the first court case is filed citing the following line from the US Constitution:
"The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. (Art. 1 Sec. 2)."
DC is not a state, hence it can not, under this Section have a representative in the House and no law passed by Congress can override what is written in the Constitution.
I am a DC resident. I called McConnell.
I got some staffer who just seemed annoyed (I was polite). When she said the senator is opposed to S. 1257 I asked why. She said he believes that it is unconstitutional, and then said with a snotty tone "If you had watched C-SPAN this afternoon you would have heard him explain why" (uh, yeah, because like most Americans that's how I spend my Monday afternoons).
Probably a waste of time calling, but isn't that the point? Who the hell do I get to call who has an actual VOTE in Congress?
(As an aside, McConnell is probably the biggest dick in Congress. And his staffers are following in his footsteps.)