The racist states of the South — including the “honorary southern states” of Texas, Arizona and Alaska — do not like letting black and brown people vote, so 43 years ago the Voting Rights Act was signed into federal law, and ever since those officially racist jurisdictions have to get federal approval for any changes in voting law, still, because god knows we’d be back to poll taxes and grandfather clauses in about 10 minutes without the grownups keeping an eye on the crackers. So, obviously, today the “black justice” on the Supreme Court, wingnut blogger Clarence Thomas, was the brave lone voice of dissent, standing athwart the law that gave basic human rights to his race, yelling “no that shit is unconstitutional.” MORE »

Kind of. The governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue — an insane person — has submitted a brief for the case Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder, which will face the Supreme Court in April. The case challenges Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act which “requires federal approval for any change in election law in nine states, including Texas and Georgia, and parts of seven others.” In other words, the racist states. Perdue argues that this burdensome provision is no longer needed because things have changed — just look at all the votes that Mr. Blackington himself got in Georgia last November! MORE »

A reader emails:

Isn’t that Katherine Harris carefully positioned right behind the president at the Voting Rights event yesterday?

Why, yes, it is. As the White House’s own video shows, Katherine Harris was standing right behind President Bush as he celebrated the re-upping of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Black political enfranchisement, Katherine Harris - they go together like ecstasy and glow sticks. MORE »

• Real estate profits made by Speaker Dennis Hastert and other legislators raise new concerns about earmarks. [WP]

• Bush and EU leaders warn Iran and North Korea against developing nuclear and other weapons technologies. [WP]
• With midterm elections approaching, Republicans attempt to turn the Iraq War into a political asset rather than a liability. The Senate debate over Iraq hints at 2008 presidential race themes. [NYT; WP]
• Vote to renew the Voting Rights Act canceled after objections from GOP lawmakers. [WP; NYT; LAT]
• Eight troops have been charged with murder and kidnapping in connection with the death of an Iraqi civilian in April. [WP]
• The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer a year of free credit monitoring to veterans and military personnel whose personal data was stolen last month. [WP; NYT]

• Lawyers at the Justice Department warned that Rep. Tom Delay’s (R-Texas) redistricting plan was illegal under the Voting Rights Act but senior officials vetoed their findings. [WP]
• Senate Armed Services Committee seeks answers about Pentagon’s propaganda campaign in Iraqi media. Scott McClellan: “We’re very concerned about the reports. We have asked the Department of Defense for more information.” [NYT]
• Revelations about Samuel Alito’s views on abortion “are stiffening Democratic resistance and complicating the nomination for moderates in both parties.” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.): “Certainly the chance of a filibuster is greater today than it was the day Alito was nominated.” [WP, NYT]
• Conversation in 2004 with Time’s Viveca Novak is said to have motivated Rove to change his testimony in the leak investigation. [NYT]
• Prosecutors are investigating whether Jack Abramoff “brokered lucrative jobs for Congressional aides at powerful lobbying firms in exchange for legislative favors.” [NYT]
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) breaks from most in her party with support of Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) plan for withdrawal. Strategist: “If Karl Rove was writing the timing of this, he wouldn’t have written it any differently, with the president of the United States expressing resolve and the Democratic leader offering surrender. For Republicans, this is manna from heaven.” [WP, WT]
• Bush marks World AIDS Day: “I believe America has a unique ability, and a special calling, to fight this disease.” Dean says the administration has “stood in the way of important global efforts to curb this disease.” [WP]

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