Greg Abbott Slams President Who Signed the Voting Rights Act
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott Tuesday afternoon promised to never return to the days of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the Texas Democrat who lost the South for Democrats for decades so he could ensure African Americans the eternal right to vote. LBJ signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965, banning racial discrimination in voting.
But in a stunning move Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Abbott posted this to Twitter:
The tweet is in response to a tweet from fellow Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s tweet, defending Gov. Abbott from The Washington Post Editorial Board which excoriated Abbott for his “over-the-top” voter suppression efforts.
The Post’s Editorial Board slams a 2011 Texas law, “which three federal courts have struck down. Zombie-like, it refuses to die, owing to the unembarrassed determination of Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans in Austin intent on resurrecting Jim Crow-style obstacles to the ballot by any means they can finagle through the judiciary.”
“Mr. Abbott and his ilk in other states are playing a short-term game, whose horizon — the November presidential election — is in plain sight,” the Post accuses.
Yes, Gov. Abbott is working to suppress the rights of minority voters to help the GOP win the White House and other down-ticket races.
Take him at his word.
“Texas won’t return to days of LBJ” under his watch. Texas will continue to suppress the voting rights of minorities. Gov. Abbott made his intentions loud and clear. The question now is, will Congress restore the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court gutted it in 2013?
Â