David Dewhurst isn't the only Texas Republican U.S. Senate candidate who has announced support for the voter disenfranchisement laws the state's GOP legislature passed and Rick Perry signed into law before the U.S. Justice Department blocked its enforcement.
Ted Cruz on his web siteproclaimed support for the above-mentioned law on the very front page of his web site.
Like Dewhurst, Cruz thinks it's a cool idea to campaign for votes while calling for the disenfranchisement of those whose only crime is that they don't have a valid state-issued picture ID. I don't see how anyone can campaign for any office while trying to deny otherwise eligible voters the right to vote just because they are in no position to venture to a state DMV office where they may have to stand in line or go through a series of legal hoops just to obtain such an ID.
More below.
The lead page on Cruz's web site shouts loudly, "Don't mess with Texas Voter ID laws" while calling on those who land on his page to sign his petition supporting the anti-democracy legislation that is currently in legal limbo.
He may think it's perfectly cool and macho to shout his support for his state's voter disenfranchisement law (that's what it really is). But for someone who may not look, talk, or think like him and may not be in any position to spending time at a DMV office to obtain a valid ID, what Cruz and other Republicans are saying is "too bad, you can't vote" to these folks who may otherwise be eligible to cast ballots.
Anyone who wants to deny eligible citizens the right to vote while running for office has no business holding any elected office in our state or country. Ted Cruz may think he's defending the integrity of elections by requiring voters to have state-issued IDs, but what about those without the means, access to transportation, or simply the time to venture to a DMV office to secure such an ID.
Cruz seemingly has nothing to say to them other than just too bad, you can't vote.
That is unacceptable. Should he or Dewhurst (or anyone else fighting against voter rights) secure the GOP nomination, their candidacies must be totally rejected.