COLORLINES - Politics

White Born-Again and Evangelical Christians Dominated Alabama and Mississippi GOP Primaries

by Jorge Rivas on March 14 2012, 4:20PM

Mississippi has the highest African-American population of any state in the union but on Tuesday’s GOP primary around 8 in 10 Mississippians voters were white evangelical or born-again Christians.

Topics: GOP Primary, /NOW Blog, Politics

Rush Limbaugh Is Out of National Advertisers for Next Two Weeks

by Jorge Rivas on March 14 2012, 8:30AM

It’s been close to two weeks since Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a “slut” and the controversy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Topics: /NOW Blog, Politics

DOJ Texas Voter ID Ruling Is No Surprise Given State’s Faulty ‘Colorblind’ Policies

by Brentin Mock on March 13 2012, 10:11AM

Yesterday’s DOJ ruling was not a surprise to Texas. They sued the federal government last year in anticipation of it. Nonetheless, Texas Republicans were appalled yesterday. Sen. John Cornyn said it “reeks of politics,” which is, at best, dishonest.

Topics: Voting Rights 2012, Politics

Swing State Strategy? Pennsylvania May Be Next to Restrict Voting Rights

by Brentin Mock on March 12 2012, 9:58AM

A glance at other legislation pushed by the bill’s sponsor this session reveals a flock of efforts to curtail rights of minorities: an “illegal immigration” bill, a “right to work” anti-union bill, a “14th Amendment Misapplication” bill, and more.

Topics: Voting Rights 2012, Politics

White House Emails Detail Its Role in Pushing Out Shirley Sherrod

by Kai Wright on March 9 2012, 4:34PM

Speaking of Andrew Breitbart smearing important black people, Associated Press reports today on 2,000 pages of Obama administration emails over the Shirley Sherrod debacle. According to AP, the emails show the White House engaged significantly with Agriculture Department officials’ discussion…

Topics: Media, /NOW Blog, Politics

The Coming Battle Down South: Latino Voters vs. Anti-Immigrant Lawmakers

by Julianne Hing on March 7 2012, 9:47AM

Latino and Asian immigrants are the fastest-growing segments of the South, but their voting power still lags.

Topics: Politics

Judge Halts Wisconsin’s Toughest-in-the-Nation Voter ID Law

by Brentin Mock on March 7 2012, 9:35AM

One researcher found 220,000 people in the state don’t have the ID now necessary to vote. A judge has blocked the law pending a full trial, meaning it won’t be in play by the state primary next month.

Topics: Voting Rights 2012, Politics, Brentin Mock

Ann Romney: ‘We Can Be Poor in Spirit’ [Video]

by Jorge Rivas on March 6 2012, 10:16AM

The couple made $20.9 million last year, making more in a day than an average American makes in a year.

Topics: GOP Primary, /NOW Blog, Politics

Five Million Voters May Lose Rights in the 2012 Elections

by Brentin Mock on March 6 2012, 8:34AM

Two states in the Super Tuesday primaries—Georgia and Tennessee—are part of a wave of states that created troubling voting laws following the Tea Party Republican victories of 2010.

Topics: Voting Rights 2012, Politics, Brentin Mock

Why Do the GOP’s New Dogwhistles Sound So Familiar? [Reader Forum]

by Channing Kennedy on March 5 2012, 8:50AM

Colorlines.com readers discuss the GOP’s latest efforts to control our conversation on race and gender.

Topics: 2012 Election, GOP Primary, Politics

Rep. Luis Gutierrez Gives Romney a Latinos 101 Lesson on House Floor

by Jorge Rivas on March 2 2012, 2:08PM

U.S. House of Representative Luis V. Gutierrez of Illinois’ Fourth District in the heart of Chicago spoke on the floor of the House earlier this week about recent comments by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Topics: /NOW Blog, Politics

How a Racist Email Reveals the Grand Old Party Has Become a Petty Affair

by Kai Wright on March 2 2012, 10:12AM

It’s no great insight to point out it’s a tough election year for the Republican Party. But for all the hours of analysis spent sussing out how the GOP arrived in this place, a federal judge in Montana offered this week what is perhaps the most succinct explanation.

Topics: 2012 Election, GOP Primary, Kai Wright, Politics

Arpaio Says Obama’s Birth Certificate is Fake, Calls for Criminal Investigation

by Jorge Rivas on March 1 2012, 4:20PM

At a press conference on Thursday Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he suspects the birth certificate President Obama released last year is forgery.

Topics: /NOW Blog, Politics

Tea Party Star Andrew Breitbart Is Dead at 43

by Jorge Rivas on March 1 2012, 1:01PM

The conservative writer and a star of the tea party movement was 43.

Topics: /NOW Blog, Politics

Mexican Mitt Romney for President Releases Music Video

by Jorge Rivas on February 29 2012, 5:17PM

The fictional character has released a music video.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog, Politics

Angela Davis Calls DREAM Act One of Today’s ‘Most Important’ Fights

by Jorge Rivas on February 28 2012, 9:29AM

Author/activist Angela Davis speaks during the Independent Lens Examines Black History Month panel at the 2012 Winter TCA Tour on January 5, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog, Politics