Jude and Hullabaloo both point to this latest example of Rethuglican contempt for the democratic (small 'd') process...along with yesterday's news coming from Michigan, it's also indicative of Rethug fear--an understanding that the public is sick of them...so, they seek to get themselves a different public, or, at the very least, a narrow, limited public.
Government 'of, by, and FOR the people' is anathema to them.
I asked a question in Jude's comments regarding a element of Wisconsin election law that should be the model for all States: on-site voter registration. When I lived in Madison I tended towards annual change of addresses (the infamous August 15th mass migration.) Voter registration, though, was easy: I'd bring a utility bill or something similar to the polling place, fill out my registration card, vote...and then several weeks later my receipt of the official registration card in the mail was sufficient proof for officially counting my vote. It was a simple, painless process.
Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, back to government 'of, by and FOR the people.' This is a little off-topic, but of late I've been hearing quite a bit of whining from the Rethugs about the gall of people to expect government assistance during or following a disaster. Well, I've got a few words to say to said Rethugs, beginning with Lehman Brothers...oh, also Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Bear Stearns.
And that's just for starters: what about all the various subsidies, incentives, guaranteed cost-plus contracts, tax breaks, infrastructure improvements, and so on that corporations have come to expect as a matter of day-to-day business? When they give it all back, THEN we can begin a conversation about what WE should expect by way of services from our government following a disaster--particularly if the disaster ISN'T "natural."
After all, it's OUR government, too.
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