To The Point
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On today’s “To the Point,” Warren talked with Andrew Kohut, President of the Pew Research Center about whether younger generations are more supportive of same-sex marriage. Kohut says yes. But in the clip below, Ryan Anderson from the Heritage Foundation and author of the book, “What is Marriage?” disagrees.
Ahead of the Supreme Court hearings on Prop. 8 and DOMA, gay marriage advocates held a vigil at LA City Hall. More here.
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act covers all of nine states and localities in seven others whose histories of racial discrimination in voting led Congress to require them to get federal permission whenever they change voting laws. First passed in 1965, after voting-rights marchers were attacked by sheriff’s deputies in Selma, Alabama, it’s been extended several times, most recently in 2006, with huge majorities in the House and the Senate and the signature of President George W. Bush. Today it was lawyers for Shelby County, Alabama whose lawyers told the court the Act is not just out of date, but unconstitutional. During arguments today, the US Supreme Court was sharply divided. Justice Scalia called Section 5 a “racial entitlement.” Supporters called it as relevant now as when it was enacted. We hear about the arguments, how they were received and the prospects for a decision in June.
Guests:
- Robert Barnes: Washington Post, @scotusreporter
- Gary May: University of Delaware
- Ilya Shapiro: Cato Institute, @ishapiro
- Nancy Abudu: American Civil Liberties Union, @nabudu
Andrew Cohen wrote a piece that provides historical context for today’s Supreme Court Challenge to the Voting Rights Act. Read it here at The Atlantic.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while Martin Luther King and others look on, August 6, 1965.
On today’s show, we ask: Do we still need the Voting Rights Act?
“I think the vast majority of Americans are united in the fact that if we want to see fewer abortions, we have to have better access to birth control and contraception…. If we’re talking about mainstream values, I think it’s really important to note that the Romney/Ryan ticket is pretty opposed to increasing American women’s access to birth control.”
— Irin Carmon, Salon.com
“Abortion is an issue that divides us. We need to look at what we agree on right now and we need to fix this country first.”
— Ann Stone, Republicans for Choice
The US Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade, and the Obama Administration calls it “settled law.” In last week’s vice-presidential debate, moderator Martha Raddatz asked about abortion. Vice President Joe Biden said his Catholic religion required him to oppose it in his own life, but refused to impose that on others, calling it a decision between a woman and her doctor. Raddatz asked Congressman Paul Ryan, who’s also Catholic, if supporters should fear a Romney administration. He, and the website of the Romney campaign, said “elected representatives,” not “unelected judges,” should make that call. Would Romney sign legislation to overturn Roe v. Wade? Would he appoint new justices to replace aging supporters of a woman’s right to choose? Has he been clear about his own views on reproductive rights or the standards he would apply to his power of appointment?
Guests:
- Irin Carmon: Salon.com, @irincarmon
- Ann Stone: Republicans for Choice, @aews
- Janice Shaw Crouse: Concerned Women for America, @CWforA
- John Gramlich: Congressional Quarterly, @johngramlich
