Biden takes on issues of voting rights at NAACP convention

Biden takes on issues of voting rights at NAACP convention

Vice President Joe Biden delivered an enthusiastic speech to the NAACP in Houston on Thursday, to build support for President Barack Obama and drawing contrasts with the Republican Party on issues of civil rights. In the wake of recent conflicts voter identification, Biden has deviated from his typical campaign speech to zero in the voting rights, arguing that Republicans were making it more difficult for certain groups to vote. Implementing laws requiring voters to present official identification to the polling booth, Biden said, the GOP sees "a different future, where voting is made ​​more difficult, not easier." The Democrats have said that these laws are politically motivated and designed to eliminate the minority vote, because fewer people in minority groups carry government-issued ID. Republicans, meanwhile, make the case that such laws prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the system.

The issue was a hot topic this week at the NAACP convention, where Attorney General Eric Holder spoke Tuesday and slammed the states that have considered or attempted to implement these laws, including Texas, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania . Call for founding the group, Mr. Biden on Thursday called the crowd to "remember this (NAACP) at its base was all about." "It was about the right to vote, because when you vote, you have the right to change things," he said. He called the crowd to imagine what the Department of Justice might look like under a Romney administration. "Imagine the recommendations and that he may choose for the Attorney General or the head of the division of civil rights," he said, drawing scorn from the audience. The Vice President also mentioned some number of other issues, including energy, health care, women's issues and education. in each case, he compared Obama's policies with those of the Republican Party. he particularly criticized the GOP for obstructing what he sees as the key legislation since Obama took office.

From:cnn.com