A Great Bit of "WTF?"

I can understand getting kicked out of the WalMart parking lot for having an illegal voter registration drive. Or getting security called registering people door to door in a gated community. Not that I've EVER done either of these, of course. But really, there are some places that just ought to let people register to vote. Like, say, hospitals and shelters for US veterans. Because if anyone ought to be voting, it's the veterans.

So why is nonpartisan voter registration banned by the VA?

WHAT is the secretary of Veterans Affairs thinking? On May 5, the department led by James B. Peake issued a directive that bans nonpartisan voter registration drives at federally financed nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and shelters for homeless veterans. As a result, too many of our most patriotic American citizens — our injured and ill military veterans — may not be able to vote this November.

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this, except that it's absolutely bullshit to make it so difficult for them to get registered. Legislation has been filed in both houses of Congress to override the ban, but at this rate it might be too late to get it passed before the registration deadline for the November elections.

Alternet has a big article on the topic. H/T to Pam's House.