I Guess the Black Vote Just Isn't Quite As Valued

Not good.

Over the bitter objections of some black leaders, the U.S. Justice Department approved a plan Thursday for New Orleans' first elections since Hurricane Katrina.

The department still needs to approve a few polling place changes but otherwise gave its blessing to plans to hold elections for mayor, City Council and other posts on April 22.

Department officials also said they will send observers to monitor the balloting.

Black leaders have charged that Louisiana officials have not done enough to ensure that voters scattered by the storm will be able to vote. The state plans to set up satellite polling places around the state for New Orleans residents driven from their homes, but chose not to create such stations outside Louisiana.

"Two-thirds of the eligible population has been disenfranchised," the Rev. Jesse Jackson complained after the Justice Department decision. "This is more onerous than the poll tax laws of 1965."

How much more obvious can the Bushies be? The Ohio vote where poorer black precincts were made to wait 8-9 hours to cast a vote? Florida in 2000 and 2004 where the voting rolls were purged to get rid of tens of thousands of black votes? This?

The message is nothing if not clear: if you're black and you're not casting a vote for Bushies, well, they'd just as soon prefer you didn't vote at all; they'll do everything in their power to make sure you don't.