Obama Calls For Voting Chief's Firing

Says Justice Official Should Be Dismissed For Saying Minorities Often Die Before Old Age

(AP)  Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama said Friday the head of the Justice Department's voting rights division should be fired for saying voter ID laws hurt the elderly but aren't a problem for minorities because they often die before old age.

John Tanner's remarks came during an Oct. 5 panel discussion on minority voters before the National Latino Congreso in Los Angeles. Tanner addressed state laws that require photo identification for voting, saying that elderly voters disproportionately don't have the proper IDs.

"That's a shame, you know, creating problems for elderly persons just is not good under any circumstance," Tanner said, according to video posted on YouTube. "Of course, that also ties into the racial aspect because our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do. They die first.

"There are inequities in health care. There are a variety of inequities in this country, and so anything that disproportionately impacts the elderly has the opposite impact on minorities. Just the math is such as that," Tanner said.

Tanner declined a request for an interview Friday to explain his remarks.

Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Tanner had worked for the department's voting section since 1976, the last two years as its chief. Tanner's tenure also includes a stint in the White House counsel's office during the Clinton administration.

"Mr. Tanner is an attorney who works to protect civil rights on a daily basis," Ablin said, adding that the official had won numerous awards from African-American groups. "Nothing in his comments deviated from his firm commitment to enforce the law, and it is unfortunate that they have been so grossly misconstrued."

In a letter to the Justice Department, sent Friday, Obama called Tanner's remarks a disgrace and asked Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler to dismiss him.

"Such comments are patently erroneous, offensive and dangerous, and they are especially troubling coming from the federal official charged with protecting voting rights in this country," Obama wrote.

Ablin said the Justice Department "continues to have full confidence" in Tanner, effectively rejecting Obama's demand that the voting chief be dismissed.

It is well documented that black Americans - particularly black males - have shorter life expectancies than whites. But blacks do live to become senior citizens.

A black person born in 2004 had an average life expectancy of 73.1 years, about five years less than for whites, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Obama also criticized Tanner for clearing a Georgia law that requires voters to show government-issued photo IDs at the polls. It was upheld by a federal judge last month.

Opponents say photo ID laws will disenfranchise minorities, the poor and the elderly who don't have driver's licenses or other valid government-issued photo IDs. Supporters of such laws say they are needed to prevent voter fraud.

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider Indiana's photo ID law this term. Indiana's law is similar to Georgia's.

[gunnerv1]

Blow it out you azz Hussain! and while your at it, put on an American Flag pin.

[realpatriot1]

Look at the logic of what this fool said. Voter id laws are a problem for the elderly but not for blacks because, according to him they don''t live to old age. That must be real news to elderly African-Americans
that they were lucky enough to make it to old age like whites.

It must be interesting to minorities to know that whatever effects the elderly has the opposite effect on them. Huh?

The proposal must be applied equally and if it makes it more difficult for any citizen to exercise their right to vote than it''s a bad idea.

To try to rationalize away the impact upon minorities, or anyone else, on the basis of ridiculous
and unfounded statements about who lives long and who doesn''t is not what those assigned to protecting the rights of all Americans should be engaged in.

[adian1-2009]

I can''t understand Obama''s claim. And mind you, I''m a Democrat 300%. Mr. Tanner just made a statement of fact. His comments were more a kind of lament for things being the way they are. He was merely advocating for equality in health care, etc. What''s with Obama? I miss to see the offensive contents of Mr. Tanner''s comments, either to blacks or to any other ethnic group.

[antoniof123]

If IDs are required it would make it more difficult for the Democrats to cheat.




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Posted by tcoleman12 at 05:36 PM : Oct 19, 2007

So you want the Republicans to continue to cheat. Real smart you can no longer blame the messenger the time is coming.

[sendreidpelo]

If anyone should be fired, it should be you, steppin'' fetchit, for crying "racism" while enjoying your dinners with KKK Byrd.

I suppose he dons the white sheets while you wear the overalls - and the topic of discussion at mealtime is "Uncle Tom''s Cabin"???

Or is it Fort Pillow, Boy Obama?

As for Michelle Obama, she''s sounding more and more like the shrill Jackie Jackson sounded before Jesse dumped a new kid - not her''s - on the house.

[realpatriot1]

If republican election officals can manage to get extra voting machines into republican districts but none into heavily democratic districts(Ohio 2004), why should we expect that minorities will not have a difficult time getting the id cards in some instances?

Why isn''t the current system of proof of residency(social security card, utility bill, etc.)not considered adequate? Why are they tryimng to make it more difficult for citizens to vote?

The answer is that, like Chavez and Sadaam, they know they can''t win a fair election. They didn''t win in 2000 or 2004. The last time that a republican won a fair election was in 1988. The demographics of the country have changed and they want to hold onto power.

It ain''t happening!

[abbe91]

"If IDs are required it would make it more difficult for the Democrats to cheat.
Posted by tcoleman12 at 05:36 PM : Oct 19, 2007"

... whereas it would still be easy for Republicans to cheat thanks to Diebold and others.

[abbe91]

Photo IDs would be OK as long as you can get them for free, and a mailing sent to all voters to inform them about it. Otherwise, photo ID laws would indeed disenfranchise minorities.

[cfin5]

After reading the article I see no racial remark here, but rather the opposite. Mr. Obama has pulled racial bunnies out of the hat before and this is another example of it.

[tcoleman12]

If IDs are required it would make it more difficult for the Democrats to cheat.