Obama Stops Senate Dems From Screwing Us Over on Voting Rights

See this is why I consider myself an independent. What are Senate Democratic leaders doing hotlining the confirmation of a man who has been disenfranchising voters in Georgia?! Thank goodness Obama was there to stop them!

TPM reports on Roll Call’s report:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Wednesday derailed a plan blessed by Senate leaders to vote on controversial Federal Election Commission White House nominee Hans von Spakovsky, a move giving Democrats time to breathe in the ongoing Senate stalemate on FEC nominees.

According to Democratic Senate aides, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) struck a deal mid-week to hotline four FEC slots that must be confirmed by the Senate before next year. As part of the proposed deal, a voice vote on fellow commission nominees only would take place if no Senators objected to von Spakovsky’s nomination.

But a vote on the deal, which was expected to come to the floor as early as today, appeared to be off by mid-day Wednesday after Obama — and unconfirmed others — voiced concerns that von Spakovsky’s nomination was too controversial not to go through regular floor proceedings.

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Also See Related Article: “6/12/07 Obama Targets Bush Nominee Who’s Been Suppressing Black Voting Rights”