Saturday, August 6, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Voting Rights Act, at 40, faces reauthorization amid topsy-turvy politics
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Many in the civil-rights community think white Democrats blithely blame minority districts for their own failures.
But Edward Blum, a fellow with the Washington-based Center for Equal Opportunity, and a longtime crusader against race-conscious public policy, said Democrats and their allies fool themselves if they underestimate how much racial districting has cost them, and what a blunder it would be for them to override Georgia v. Ashcroft.
"They would truly be digging their own grave for control of legislative bodies really for the next generation," Blum said. "It is highly unlikely Democrats would be able to regain control of the U.S. House or any of the legislative bodies in any of the covered Deep South."
No group has more at stake than black members of Congress. All of them are Democrats. Many have considerable seniority and would wield great power if the Democrats regained control of the House.
"Section 5 ought to be allowed to gracefully expire in 2007," said Vanderbilt University political scientist Carol Swain, whose book "Black Faces, Black Interests" was cited in Georgia v. Ashcroft as evidence that simply electing more minority representatives may not maximize the influence of minority voters.
But, Swain said, "Apparently black members of Congress have grown comfortable with being in the minority. Otherwise, why would they endorse a strategy that works against the long-term interests of their party?"
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002423743_voting06.html