Quote of the Day: Why Republicans Like Voter ID Laws

| Mon Jun. 25, 2012 3:55 PM EDT

From Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, telling a friendly audience about the state legislature's accomplishments this year:

Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.

Apparently this drew a "loud round of applause," and why not? Photo ID laws like Pennsylvania's are mainly about politics, and everyone knows it. They suppress turnout primarily among minorities, the poor, and the young, and those are well-known Democratic-leaning constituencies. In a close election, Pennsylvania's law might very well allow Romney to win the state.

Anyway, it's good to hear someone admit this. Usually they're smart enough to pretend that voter ID laws are about preventing voter fraud.

(Via Steve Benen.)