By FITSNews || A Democratic filibuster has killed off one of the Republican Party’s top legislative priorities – a voter ID bill that would have required citizens to bring a form of picture identification with them to the polls.
The bill would have also established a sixteen-day early voting period prior to primary and general elections.
Democrats filibustered the legislation, which they claimed was designed to suppress minority turnout. Republicans claimed that South Carolina needed to pass the bill in order to meet federal Justice Department requirements.
Either way, the filibuster successfully killed the bill thanks to the defection of four “Republican” Senators – Jake Knotts, Hugh Leatherman, Billy O’Dell and Luke Rankin. Of the four, Leatherman, O’Dell and Rankin were all Democratic Senators before switching parties at various stages of their political careers.
Just a week ago, these same four “Republicans” refused to break a filibuster on a bill aimed at blocking the implementation of President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine proposals in South Carolina.
SCGOP Chairwoman Karen Floyd – who had pushed hard for the voter ID legislation – was not immediately available for comment.
Interestingly enough, Republicans could have passed this legislation last year were it not for Sen. Larry Martin cutting a deal with Democrats.
Several Republicans blamed Senate President Glenn McConnell for his lack of leadership.
“McConnell cares more about ruling the Senate than advancing Republican issues,” one GOP Senator told FITS.
By Liberty For Me January 27, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Jake Knotts, Hugh Leatherman, Billy O’Dell and Luke Rankin are about as low as a person can get.These “men” should be tarred and feathered and ran out of the state. God I hate RINO assholes.At least the Democrats admit they are socialists
By Wesley Donehue January 27, 2010 at 11:55 pm
This post is asinine. The Senate debated this bill for just one day. It’s far from dead. As for several Republicans, the one who texted you hardly accounts for several.
By Mike at the beach January 28, 2010 at 1:16 am
No one should be shocked there- Ted Kennedy was about as Republican as those four…
By Calhoun Fawls January 28, 2010 at 3:04 am
In this world were everyone has to have a photo id for every other government service, its nuts one is not required for voting. LBJ lives!
By Ynotfirst January 28, 2010 at 6:35 am
None of these elected people represent We the People. None of em.
Vote out ALL incumbants.
By larrie January 28, 2010 at 7:22 am
Dems are opposed to photo id because it’s harder to commit voter fraud with a photo id.
By Rick January 28, 2010 at 7:27 am
Perhaps the Tea Party needs to look at this type of issue….isn’t this the issue that Acorn exploited to help Obama???? Pressure from within SC’s electorate????
By fitsnews January 28, 2010 at 7:40 am
Wes,
There are five or six Senators that speak with us on a regular basis – including three who interrupted our movie last night (we were watching “Traitor,” ironically) with calls and emails informing us of the latest goings-on in the State Senate.
Also, the only text messages we received last night regarding voter ID were responses from a member of Sen. McConnell’s staff to our inquires, and trust us, we wouldn’t have bothered this person had it only been one upset Senator making noise.
In the future, do not attack us and question our integrity because your caucus is a joke and can’t pass even the simplest Republican legislation.
-FITS
By Wesley Donehue January 28, 2010 at 8:09 am
Will – Your timeline doesn’t hold water as I was with those who speak with you on a regular basis.
- Wesley
By Wesley Donehue January 28, 2010 at 8:10 am
In addition, your title and first sentence suggest that this bill is dead, which makes no sense whatsoever after just one day of filibustering.
By Rylyn January 28, 2010 at 8:28 am
Jake Knotts was once a Democrat too in Lexington County before changing parties I believe – You might want to check on that. Was, was an operative word there – he still is. Reasoning behind this protest – They cannot bus people with fake voter ID’s to the polls to vote for them when they are in a crunch>
By sic hater January 28, 2010 at 8:52 am
Go go go Wes!!!! Sic Willie is nothing b ut a lying sac of shit in need of 24\7 callout. Give him the hell he so richly deserves for being such lying filfth.
By Toyota Kawaski January 28, 2010 at 9:01 am
Fits i see that Yankee ass education you got in PencileVannia did not teach you how to count how does 2 become 5? Besides any senator who communicates with you on a regular basis should have their head examined!
By Wesley Donehue January 28, 2010 at 9:08 am
Sic Hater – I’m not trying to call him out 24/7, but as Will typically calls out inaccuracies, so will I in this case.
- Wesley
By Taylor Swiftish January 28, 2010 at 9:11 am
Wesley – Is it Tom Davis or Mick Mulvaney this time?
By Darth January 28, 2010 at 10:28 am
New caucus, RINOs for voter fraud, founders: Jake Knotts, Hugh Leatherman, Billy O’Dell and Luke Rankin.
I Guess they’re RINOs since the Libertarians “know them by their fruit” and the low hanging stuff don’t cut the mustard.
By Libb January 28, 2010 at 10:31 am
Seems to me these outraged, so-called freedom loving, tea partying, psuedo libertarians should be more concerned about the fact that we vote on Diebold machines (do a little research, they are so hackable for vote manipulation) than this Ben Tillman inspired voter id bill. The first time I voted on one of these machines it changed my vote 3 times.
Any TRUE libertarian would be shouting from the rooftops about a voting process that allows votes to be recorded in the ether w/o a paper trail.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' January 28, 2010 at 11:00 am
I could give a shit about voter ID, but I hope the “voting season” portion of the bill never passes. It would only enfranchise the truly lazy.
By sclawboy January 28, 2010 at 11:06 am
It’s hard for me to vote more than once if I have to have a picture ID.
By Libb January 28, 2010 at 11:41 am
sclawboy, I’m curious, just how many people voted more than once?
By Aramis January 28, 2010 at 11:41 am
“The Senate debated this bill for just one day. It’s far from dead.”
Wesley,
Time will tell if you are being honest or if you are just a fraud, like so many others in your line of work.
By Pat Hendrix January 28, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Hey larrie,
Can provide you provide an instance of voter fraud? Bush and the Republican congress tasked the Justice Department with hunting down this wide-spread voter fraud and have so far caught 87 people, almost all paid for by local politicians in West Virginia and Kentucky. Even ACORN, the boogeyman of the right, has no convictions.
Come up with some ideas and win elections – it shouldn’t be hard with Harry Reid on the other side.
By Truth Lover January 28, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Wes you are smacking Will around like he smacked his girlfriend. FITS panders to ignorant morons with false and misleading posts. What’s funny is how many SAPS lap up his drivel like it’s the word of God. They get their blood pressure up and soil their confederate underwear. Of course there are some senators who kiss Will’s ass and make him feel like he’s somebody. Perhaps Senator Bright, who enjoys being referred to in this website as one the “good guys” (in the greatest perversion of that phrase ever uttered) is the mysterious texter?
By hans January 28, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Pat,
I watched election 2008 live on CNN. I distinctly recall a joyous man excitedly jabbering to the CNN commentator at a polling location in inner city Cleveland, Ohio, that he had voted for Obama “six times already” and that he “was going to vote a few more times…”
The sheepish commentator then added that such voting behavior was “probably wrong…” The guy then giggled and went back to the voting line. No investigation. No further commentary by CNN.
I’ve also seen clips of two Black Panther members dressed in para-military garb weilding batons at a polling location in Philly repeatedly warning white voters that “it’s a black man’s world now…” Desite photographic evidence of undeniable voter intimidation, Obama Justice refuses to charge both Panthers.
Incidentally, Pat, can you provide any documentation to suggest that photo id discriminates against anyone? I believe all AMERICANS deserve to know that their vote counts and that the process has complete integrity and accountability. Photo Id provides additonal integrity to the process.
By Rick January 28, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Good answer Hans…
By cfd007 January 28, 2010 at 3:01 pm
You have to have a photo ID to get a decent job and they would prefer a drivers license. You need a photo ID to buy beer, cigarettes and cash a check at the bank (unless your an illegal,) so what’s the big deal?
By Weighing In January 28, 2010 at 5:09 pm
The biggest thing that is left out here, is that there are some Senators that just don’t believe it’s fair to sit someone down (which is how you stop a filibuster) on just one day’s debate. The Republicans used a rule maneuver to get the bill on special order, so it could be taken up immediately. For FITS to suggest that one day of debate kills a bill is inaccurate. To suggest that above name Senators are opposed is inaccurate. Maybe what they should be congratulated on is collegeiatlity and statesmanship, by letting people be heard….something that is sorely missing in today’s arena, primarily from the likes of sites like this and left leaning media as well.
By Pat Hendrix January 28, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Hans, sounds solid. You think you were remember seeing something on CNN. And some nonsense about “Black Panthers.” Yeah, solid.
No, actually I don’t have a problem with proving who you are. I do have a problem with the excuse Republicans make that they lose elections because of voter fraud, which doesn’t happen in any real way. My point: Grow up.
By sid January 28, 2010 at 11:37 pm
So, Pat, if I’m getting you correctly, you don’t deny that voter fraud is taking place, and you don’t have a problem with people showing ID to vote to prevent this from taking place, but you just don’t believe any election outcomes have been changed by violators. If that’s accurate, then that’s good to know. You support a Republican position that is in opposition to the views of the Democrats. Who would have thought?
As for the Black Panthers in Philly, don’t play dumb. You know exactly what that’s all about. I can’t speak to what Hans thinks he saw on CNN, but anyone even remotely involved in politics knows the Philly case that Holder punted. It’s gonna come back to bite him, and maybe Barry. And you know all about it.
By Diane Giddings January 29, 2010 at 8:44 am
It’s time to make sure the candidates who run as Repubilicans are really REPUBLICAN and not RINOs……voter ID is a necessity…I watched as at least two people voted in 2008 who had absolutely no business voting in our county. I sincerely believe they had been sent by ACORN. Both had moved to another location (one out of state)but they retained their voter registration cards, which gave them permission to vote. The voter registration should be a chip on the Driver’s License or State ID card, which when swiped through a voting machine would bring up ONLY the precinct this person can vote in, and if he has already voted, would not allow him to vote again. And what do you expect of the four “legislators” mentioned? They need to be voted OUT of office.