I was going to post a comment on Jim Leach voting one way then changing his vote when the press was paying attention. However, the Loebsack campaign did such a beautiful job of summarizing it I could no improve. Hope it is ok to print this release:
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Contact:
Jason Friedman, Press Secretary
Loebsack for Congress
(319) 321-5884
jfriedman@loebsackforcongress.org
http://www.loebsackforcongress.org/Loebsack criticizes Leach flip-flop
Congressional Candidate calls for leadership
Democratic Congressional Candidate Dave Loebsack (IA-2) criticized
Congressman Jim Leach today on his flip-flop votes on bilingual voting
assistance.
Jim Leach recently voted against providing funding to print bilingual
ballots under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, while today he voted
against striking the same section from the Voting Rights Act.
“Apparently Jim Leach would like to appear to support the printing of
bilingual ballots but not provide the funding for them to be made. This is
what we have come to expect from our representative. He refuses to lead.
He refuses to take a stand on issues important to Iowans. He wants things
both ways and it just doesn¹t work,” Loebsack said.
Early last month Leach voted for a Republican amendment to the FY 2007
Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations Bill that would prohibit
funds from being used to enforce Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act that
would provide bilingual written materials and other assistance to voters.
“Leach joined his fellow Iowa Republicans, Steve King and Jim Nussle, in
voting for an amendment to deny funding that ensures Americans have the
resources available to vote, when he thought no one was watching. Then he
changed his mind when a similar amendment receiving national attention
comes up for a vote. This is not leadership,” Loebsack continued.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed the requirement that would-be
voters in the United States take literacy tests to qualify to register to
vote, and it provided for federal registration of voters.
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