Hillary comes out swinging -- for voting rights

In the first major policy speech of her presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton called for automatic, universal voter registration, as well as a national standard that would require each state to offer at least 20 days of early in-person voting.   She also called for Congress to give the federal government the power to review changes in state voting laws before they go into effect.

She also called on Republicans to "stop fear mongering" about the bogus issue of  so-called voter fraud.

The occasion was Clinton's being awarded the Barbara Jordan Public-Private Leadership Award at Texas Southern University in Houston.    

For those too young to have known her, Barbara Jordan was this magnificent African-American Congresswoman from Texas, with a voice like God, whose rhetorical thunder and moral authority could make strong men quake.   Jordan had a first rate legal mind that made her (in my opinion) the star of the House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Nixon impeachment. 

Unfortunately, she died much too young of multiple sclerosis -- but not before she gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 1976 and was mentioned as a possible running mate for Jimmy Carter.    Bill Clinton later said that he would have appointed her to the U. S. Supreme Court if her health had permitted.   Instead, she returned to teaching ethics at the University of Texas School of Public Affairs.

Jordan was lesbian and had a partner of 30 years.   This was well known to close associates but had not been a subject of public discussion during her time in Congress, which was well before the Barney Frank era.

Back to Hillary Clinton.    Voting rights was a good choice for her to take on as her first big campaign speech as a first order issue;   it also fit well in the context of receiving the Barbara Jordan Award.   And, thinking politically, it doesn't hurt for Hillary to be associated with the memory of one of the most powerful and admired women in Washington history:  Barbara Jordan.


Ralph