Tomorrow, the next round in the battle over a bill that would give the District of Columbia voting representation in Congress begins anew with a rally in downtown Washington:
The District’s campaign for representation in Congress is reviving with the biggest flowering of activism in more than a decade, as people locally and across the nation try to build support for a voting rights bill that could pass the House of Representatives next week.
“People have sensed the opportunity of a generation to do something,” said Ilir Zherka, executive director of D.C. Vote, an advocacy group.
The D.C. government, churches, the city teachers union and taxi drivers are mobilizing residents for a march Monday on Congress, to be led by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). Activists have championed the cause by holding voting rights happy hours and handing out T-shirts at colleges.
Nationally, hundreds or even thousands of activists — many identified with the Democratic Party — are writing and calling their lawmakers. Voting rights supporters are holding talks on the D.C. issue this month in Pennsylvania, Florida and Hawaii and throwing a mock tea party in Seattle. Four Washington area rock bands are doing an East Coast tour billed as an effort to “turn a 200-year-old issue into the flavor of the year.”
The question is: Will the burst of activity bring the city any closer to success in its decades-long effort? Liberal activists won’t easily change minds in the Republican House leadership and the White House, which strongly oppose the D.C. vote legislation.
Nor will a few thousand marchers change the fact that the bill is just plainly unconstitutional.
“Demonstrations don’t change the constitutionality, or lack thereof, of a bill in Congress,” said Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).
But then what does the Constitution matter to a bunch of crybabies.
Previous Posts:
A Vote For D.C. That’s Unconstitutional
Congress Examines Legality Of D.C. Vote Bill
White House Opposes D.C. Vote Bill
The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies
Will Bush Veto The D.C. Vote Bill ?
Memo From The Washington Post: Ignore The Constitution, Just Vote Already
D.C. Vote Bill Stalls In The House
The Washington Post: Ignoring The Constitution Again
The D.C. Vote Bill Is On It’s Way Back
The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies Are Back
May 16th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
[...] Again The D.C. Vote Bill Is On It’s Way Back The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies Are Back The D.C. Vote Bill: The Battle Begins Anew The D.C. Vote Bill Is Back The D.C. Vote Bill: Back In Congress House Passes D.C. Vote Bill [...]
June 27th, 2007 at 7:56 am
[...] Again The D.C. Vote Bill Is On It’s Way Back The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies Are Back The D.C. Vote Bill: The Battle Begins Anew The D.C. Vote Bill Is Back The D.C. Vote Bill: Back In Congress House Passes D.C. Vote Bill [...]