PA House Majority Leader Causes Stir With Comments On Voter ID Law

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG (CBS) -- The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House has caused a stir with remarks about the controversial, recently-enacted voter photo ID law.

Speaking at the GOP state committee meeting over the weekend, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, an Allegheny County Republican, was running down a list of achievements by the legislature in the current session.

PoliticsPA.com reports Turzai as saying (quote) "Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done." (endquote).

"He's saying that for the first time a Republican candidate – presidential candidate – is going to have a fairer playing field," says Turzai's spokesman Stephen Miskin. "Just like every other candidate is going to have a fairer playing field, because they're going to insure that the voter, that each individual vote, rather, is protected."

But Democrats pounced on Turzai's comment, portraying it as an admission of partisan motivations in enacting the new law, renewing their charge that it is an effort to suppress Democratic votes.