Dean's In Favor Of Full Voting Rights For D.C.

[undergroundrailroad]

Council Members Endorse Dean

Dean's In Favor Of Full Voting Rights For D.C.

POSTED: 11:21 a.m. EDT September 9, 2003
UPDATED: 11:27 a.m. EDT September 9, 2003


WASHINGTON -- Several D.C. City Council members announced their support for Howard Dean during a breakfast in the District Tuesday.


The council members said of all the candidates, Dean is the one who has come out most strongly in favor of voting rights for the District.


Council member Adrian Fenty said "Everyone should have a vote in Congress and we don't have one right now."

"We clearly want full representation in Congress and Howard Dean is 100 percent behind that," Vincent Orange said.

Dean is the former governor of Vermont and council members Jack Evans thinks he has national appeal. " He's come out with a lot of strong support for the American people economically and otherwise has a great record as a governor in Vermont," Evans said.

Dean met with council members and others at the Phoenix Park Hotel on Capitol Hill and said District residents are getting a raw deal. "There's no reason why people should be hampered by geography to live here, who are American citizens and can't have the same rights that everybody else does and that's why I support full voting rights for D.C.," Dean said.

Jim Graham made it clear why he's throwing his support behind Dean. "I'm for him for one principal reason, and that is contrast with what we have now," Graham said.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

1. Great news

Knew this was coming, but it's excellent news for Dean

[On the Road]

2. With the DC Primary Front-Ended

I don't know why other candidates didn't take this position. He's going to win major support with this announcement, and the other candidates are going to look like "me toos" if they come in later.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

5. Alright!

This is great news. I am going to college in DC and this is a very important issue for me...I really hope that Dean and all the other candidates take the DC primary seriously, because it will hopefully call attention to the great injustice that has been done to the people of DC since our nation was founded.

[goobergunch]

3. Great news

and another reason to support Dean!

[CMT]

4. it is a question of civil rights

the residents of DC deserve their full civil rights and Dean recognizes this.

[tedoll78]

6. No taxation without representation, dammit!!!

[TheDonkey]

7. All democrats should be for this...

knowing that DC is a largely Democratic city, giving them 2 senators and representatives according to their population(I guess 1?) would definetly help the Dems in the Long run.

[Rose Siding]

8. We all are!

Until we get elected to the Senate.

Dean's thrown his support behind a more moderate change here- just to have the one rep be allowed a vote. It's pragmatic and might get enough support to pass.

[tedoll78]

13. Considering that..

more people live in DC than Montana, I think they are entitled to two senators.

Hmm.. I wonder if those senators would be Democrats or Republicans.. hmm..

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

17. Exactly why it's heavily opposed by Pugs.

6, or so, new Dem Congressmen.

[Mairead]

9. Why should DC be treated specially?

As opposed, for example, to becoming (for national and state voting purposes only) e.g. a district of Virginia or Maryland or both? What's the rationale for full statehood? I've never understood it.

[dsc]

11. because they have been seperate for

well over a hundred years. Also Maryland doesn't want them. I would accept that as a compromise but only if Maryland truely wanted DC.

[ButterflyBlood]

16. one compromise suggested

was that DC's rep gets voting privilages and residents are allowed to vote for Maryland's senators in senatorial elections.

[cally]

10. About time for a Dem candidate to stand up

for the right to vote and representation in DC. I see it as the one of the last vestiges of the Civil War. DC hasn't gotten voting rights because the District votes Dem and is has a large percentage of African American voters. Let every citizen have the right to elect a Senator and Representative.

Coming from a large state, I have huge problems with the electoral system. That's another topic.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

12. Dean leads in the fight once again

The Doctor is IN!

[AnAmerican]

14. Sorry...Dean is not leading this one

"Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is scheduled to make a campaign appearance in the District Sept. 18 during a rally to encourage involvement in local D.C. issues. Topics of discussion at the rally, sponsored by Ralph Nader’s nonprofit Democracy Rising organization, include restoration of D.C. General Hospital, increased funding for schools and libraries, and D.C. statehood.

"Dennis Kucinich is very much for the right of residents in D.C. to vote," said David Kelley, the Kucinich campaign’s issues director. "All Americans’ votes should count. It’s antithetical to democracy, that’s what it is."


My emphasis

http://www.thecommondenominator.com/090803_news2.html

Dennis is generally out in front on the issues important to us.

[ButterflyBlood]

15. not to bash Dean, but this isn't some ultra-brave stance

since DC will never ever elect a Republican for anything, obviously any Democrat would be in favor of this. Dean deserves credit for taking charge here, but his stance is hardly out of the ordinary.