I know, a cryptic title – so follow me here. But any comments by Representative Scott Garrett in support of women’s suffrage as this country celebrates the 90th anniversary later this week would be in conflict with his consistent vote against the rights of those who aren’t wealthy corporate donors.

It is a real good thing that the right for women to vote isn’t up for reauthorization as well – because you never know what Garrett will come up with to deny them the most basic right as an American.

Why do I say this? Back in 2006, Garrett was only one of 33 Representatives to vote AGAINST the reauthoriziation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In attempting to explain a vote that seemed to anyone with a conscience as insensitive and racist, Garrett said the following:

Now, I have been here now for 3 years, just as the gentleman from Iowa has been as well, and I can think of many other very important significant legislations that we have reauthorized. But for the life of me, and I stand to be corrected, I cannot think of any other bill, any other important issue, whether you are dealing with the air, the water, the environment, our schools, our education or our health, our defense or otherwise, I cannot think of any other areas, and again I stand to be corrected, where we have reauthorized something for two and one-half decades. So I think that is the first area that we need to be addressing, and you are rightfully so for bringing it up.

Just as a side note on this, I did put in an amendment that would limit this down to 6 years, but that was the proverbial compromise amendment if we were not successful in getting your amendment to the floor tomorrow which would eliminate the multi-lingual ballots entirely.

Now, Garrett had a number of issues with the reauthorization, but his first two are incredibly telling. For starters, he felt that equal rights for something as basic as voting should only be reauthorized for 6 years, and not 25. Garrett’s own words on this issue were that “circumstances in this country will be significantly different than they are today 25 years hence”. His second issue? That ballots would not be English-only.

I ask this – what could possibly change in this country that would make the right to vote obsolete?

Cross-posted from Blue Jersey by Adam L aka clammyc

So, someone sent me a way too long video that they received which was of the “you eeevil soshulist Demmocrats better watch it cuz we are coming to git ya” variety, and I decided that it was way too easy to come up with a powerful rebuttal.

That being said, I put this little video together to remind everyone just how things were back when Republicans ruled Congress (and the White House).  And that this is precisely what they will do if they regain power.

Enjoy…..

First, here’s NY Rep. Anthony Weiner ripping into Republicans like Scott Garrett for voting against the 9/11 Health Bill:

And courtesy of BlueJersey.com, clammyc’s take on the issue:

Of all of the scummy things that Rep. Garrett has voted against (cuz he doesn’t actually vote FOR anything), this is one of the worst:

A bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to people sickened by World Trade Center dust fell short in the House on Thursday, raising the possibility that the bulk of compensation for the ill will come from a legal settlement hammered out in the federal courts.

The bill would have provided free health care and compensation payments to 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who fell ill after working in the trade center ruins.

So those who were brave enough and put their time, lives and health on the line to help those in the days and weeks after 9/11 have to fight in court to have the diseases and illnesses they got from serving this country after the 9/11 attacks.  This vote actually had a huge majority – it got support from 255 Reps and voted against by 159 – far more than 50% support.  But it failed to get a 2/3 majority and lost by around 20 votes.

Now, only 12 Republicans in the entire House voted for this, and 4 of them were from New Jersey.  You know, the state that had the 2nd most victims on 9/11.  And guess who was the one Representative that couldn’t even stomach helping his own fellow New Jerseyans pay for the health problems that arose from them stepping up for their country in its’ darkest day?

There is no excuse.  Nothing can be more indicative of what Garrett’s priorities are, and who his is as a person to his core.  There is a quote I saw recently that goes something like this:

Don’t tell me what you believe. Tell me what you do and I’ll tell you what you believe.

How true it is, Rep. Garrett.  How true it is.