Black Caucus charges voter ID laws aimed at Obama supporters

The Congressional Black Caucus on Monday night took to the House floor to charge that voter ID laws popping up around the country are aimed at dissuading minority voters from voting, and making it harder for President Obama to win re-election.

"It is clear to me that whether racially based or not, this is a direct attempt, not only to undermine the election process, but a specific attempt to derail what surely would be and ought to be the re-election of Barack Obama," Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI) said on the floor.

She was preceded by other CBC members who postulated that voter ID laws are not meant to ensure votes are cast by legal U.S. residents, as supporters of these laws contend, but as a way to thwart minorities.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) added that supporters of these laws have made the "misrepresentation" that there was fraud in the 2008 election, "maybe because we elected the first African American president."

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) also drew a connection to these laws and Obama's election, and said he's not sure if the laws are being advanced due to "the color of the President" or because Obama "received record-breaking participation by the very same people that they're making it difficult to vote."

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