by TChris

A reformed felon who has paid his debt to society, who works hard and pays taxes, should be entitled to vote. Reformed felons are not second-class citizens, and society is not well served by depriving them of a stake in their government. Felony disenfranchisement laws differ from state to state, but Virginia’s is among the worst.

Felons must wait for years after their release from prison to apply for restoration of their voting rights, and the government must decide on each petition individually, case by case. ... Even Texas and Georgia restore felons' voting rights automatically when they have completed probation and parole.

A NY Times editorial today calls on Gov. Mark Warner to “strike a blow for democracy with the stroke of a pen by restoring the right to vote to more than 240.000 felons who are now out of prison.” It’s the right thing to do.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Surely you've heard the old saw: "Democracy is not a spectator sport." The earliest primaries are in a matter of four or five months, and they will shape the next Congress. Will it remain in Republican hands? Can we even afford to leave it in Republican hands any longer?

It took me until today to amortize in my mind the small fortune I contributed to losing candidates in '04, but I don't consider it wasted. I don't consider the campaigning time wasted, either. The old college try, and all that ....

My state primaries are in May. Soon enough I'll have to start contributing again and working for candidates.

Only in America, touted as the "greatest democracy," do less than 50% of the voters vote. We are a disgrace.

Resolve to be active in politics and take Congress back from the looters, plunderers, and sycophants charged with maintaining the public trust and public fisc who lack any scruples, concern for the people, or the cojones to vote an article of impeachment.

All four ballot initiatives backed by Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger failed at the polls yesterday.

Voters turned down his plans to curb state spending, redraw California's political map, restrain union politics and lengthen the time it takes teachers to get tenure. Voters also rejected four other statewide initiatives, including one requiring parental approval for a minor's abortion.

The polls should be closing soon. I haven't followed the elections around the country today, so here's a place to discuss them. Corzine in NJ and Bloomberg in NY appear to be winners. Who else, and what if anything do today's results portend for 2006?

Check out what local progressive political bloggers are saying about the elections:

• Virginia
• New Jersey
• California
• Ohio

More local blogs are on Blogpac. Just click inside the map for the state you are interested in.

by Last Night in Little Rock

This should be no surprise to anyone: Ex-Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, ousted by the state judicial discipline commission for openly defying a federal court order to remove his monument to the Ten Commandments after losing all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, is running for Governor of Alabama as noted here on Paper Chase.

It was always assumed that the whole charade was to start a run for Governor. It is now coming to fruition.

Is Warren Beatty getting ready to challenge Arnold Schwarzenegger in California? I don't really think he's going to run, but it sure sounds like he's testing the waters.

by TChris

As TalkLeft reported here, the Commission on Federal Election Reform presented Congress yesterday with a series of proposals, including the sensible idea that voting machines should produce paper copies of votes to permit an audit that would assure a machine is recording votes accurately. A NY Times editorial today addresses a more troubling proposal: "a voter identification requirement that would prevent large numbers of poor, black and elderly people from voting."

by TChris

This proposition is so sensible that we can expect the right wing to ridicule it:

"We should have an electoral system," the [Commission on Federal Election Reform] declared, "where registering to vote is convenient, voting is efficient and pleasant, voting machines work properly, fraud is deterred and disputes are handled fairly and expeditiously."

In a report that will be delivered to Congress today, a commission chaired by Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker III recommends a number of election reforms. The most important recommendation is this:

Gov. Arnie spoke in California today and broadly hinted he will run for Governor again. He said to expect an official announcement Friday.

So far, two Democrats have announced their intention to run, state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly. I doubt either stand a chance. How about Robin Williams?

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity plummeting, a growing number of Democrats are asking whether state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly should be the party's only choices for governor.

Prominent Democrats ranging from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and former Rep. Leon Panetta to non-politicians such as businessman Steve Jobs and comedian Robin Williams are mentioned in the quiet conversations of Democratic activists, although no one is saying anything -- at least publicly -- about jumping into the race

Former Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder has lost her bid to run for Manhattan District Attorney. Current Manhattan D.A. Robert Morganthau easily won in the New York Democratic primary.

Morgenthau, age 86 and in office since 1974, topped Snyder 59 percent to 41 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

That's good. Judge Crocker Snyder, while experienced and smart, was a hanging judge when it came to sentencing and a proponent of the death penalty, once writing that as to a certain defendant, she'd have "needled him" herself.

Morganthau has been DA in New York forever, but he's a staunch opponent of the death penalty and his office runs smoothly. If the cart ain't broke...

I've written before about my concern about former Judge and legal analyst Leslie Crocker Snyder's support for the death penalty. Crocker Snyder is running for Manhattan D.A. against long-time holder of the office Robert Morganthau.

Ellis Henican has a very disturbing article about Crocker Synder today.

Leslie Crocker Snyder, the swaggering ex-judge who wants Morgenthau's job, has been a booster of capital punishment, although she rarely mentions the issue these days. Over the years, she hasn't just supported the death penalty. She's promoted it, relished in it. At times, she's seemed to enjoy the idea of putting criminals to death. What other conclusion can we take from page 262 of her high-octane autobiography?

Convicted killer Terrell Martin was such a bad guy, she writes, "I would have been willing to give him the lethal injection myself."

She's no better with drug offenders:

The New York Times today endorsed Leslie Crocker-Snyder for District Attorney over Robert Morganthau.

There are some aspects of Ms. Snyder's record that give us pause. Unlike Mr. Morgenthau, she supports the death penalty.

Robert Morganthau, now 85, has been the District Attorney in Manhattan since 1975. In May, former state supreme court justice and current NBC legal analyst Leslie Crocker Snyder announced she would run against Morganthau in the Democratic Primary this November.