Way back when OJ Simpson was on trial for the murders of Ron and Nicole, and later on, when the Goldman family filed a civil suit — one of the most telling moments was when Simpson's lawyers attempted to slander Ron Goldman.
Goldman was a hero, trying to defend Nicole — if OJ was truly innocent, the lawyers would have held Ron up as a hero. But instead, by attacking his persona they implied that Ron deserved to be murdered. And likewise Nicole.
If there was truly one moment that convinced me of the despicable corruption of OJ Simpson, it was that moment — that appalling betrayal of common human decency.
Today ... we have seen a thematic replay of that same betrayal.
Mueller is a lifelong Republican. He was appointed by a Republican president. He is a former marine who served honorably. He is a lawyer with a well-deserved reputation for fairness. As a prosecutor, he has a well-deserved reputation for recognizing the limits of the law. Whether one agrees with his report or not, one still has to respect the credential of this public servant.
And yet, today — the Republican members of the House of Representatives attacked him on every front, as if he were the guilty one — and not the man he was charged to investigate. Instead of thanking him for his service, instead of respecting his credentials, they made him out to be their enemy.
In that, they were no better than OJ Simpson and his cutthroat lawyers attacking the reputation of the man that OJ murdered in a fit of rage. That a jury of idiots did not vote to convict is their failure. The evidence was there.
Likewise, the failure of the House Republicans to recognize that they have sold their souls to a steaming pile of corruption — history will not be kind to them. But I hope the voters will be even more unkind in another 466 days.
NORTH CAROLINA VOTER SUPPRESSION WRIT LARGE!
Just when the rest of the World is avoiding use of Social Security numbers....see the potential?
Jonathan Zasloff
In case you want to know how voter suppression works, take a look at this. It's from the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. This is the way to get a special "Voter Photo ID." Seems straightforward enough.
But there is a catch.
In order to give them the last four digits of your SS#, obviously you would have to show them your Social Security card.
But in order to get a Social Security card, per the Social Security Administration website, you have to show them -- a photo ID.
Joseph Heller would be proud.
There are workarounds. If you have a birth certificate and proof of residency, you can get a non-operator North Carolina ID card. IF, of course, you are willing and able to wait in line for several hours at the North Carolina DMV. (You can make an appointment there, but the very friendly and helpful operator explained to me that you can't get an appointment until mid-September). If you have a non-operator North Carolina ID card -- which is what low-income folks who don't drive have -- then you cannot renew your card online, like drivers can, so no matter what they had better be ready to wait for a loooong time. As always, it's very expensive to be poor.
Now, someone CAN navigate through all of this: if they have the time, and the resources, and can figure out how to get off work in order to spend several hours in line, and get to the appropriate office (two of the North Carolina DMV offices in Durham do not issue drivers' licenses). And of course they need to make sure that they do it in time. It took me several days and a bunch of work to figure all of this out, and I have a good bit of book learnin'. Imagine a smart and committed but low-income and not very sophisticated person trying to do it. If they make a mistake, they have to start all over again. (By the way, if you need to order your birth certificate and get an ID card, it will probably cost around $60, which poor people usually have lying around the house).
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is voter suppression.
