What, This Wasn't a Law Already?

Leave it up to Barack Obama to have to explain to the Senate why voter intimidation and lying to poor people about voting rights should be against the law. He's just proposed a bill that we can all get behind. It reads in part:

`(2) No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall knowingly deceive any other person regarding--
`(A) the time, place, or manner of conducting a general, primary, run-off, or special election for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, or Delegate or Commissioner from a territory or possession; or
`(B) the qualifications for or restrictions on voter eligibility for any election described in subparagraph (A).'.

[...]

REPORTS WITHIN 72 HOURS OF AN ELECTION- If a report under subsection (a) is received within 72 hours before the election described in such subsection, the Assistant Attorney General shall immediately investigate such report and, if the Assistant Attorney General determines that an act of deception described in subsection (a) occurred, shall immediately undertake all effective measures necessary to provide correct information to voters affected by the deception.

You just have to wonder why it took so long. Call your senators here and encourage them to co-sponsor it. This is necessary for a lot of reasons, although a few horror stories point the way pretty clearly.