A Trip Down Memory Lane: More Troubling Rokita Remarks

Over at TPM, they are upset about Indiana Sec. of State Todd Rokita's 2007 comments about African American voters, which TPM labels as "racially insensitive." But we should not forget the other remarks he made in the same speech, as I blogged about in 2007:

...I've been quite critical of Indiana Sec. of State Todd Rokita for his stance on some voter identification/voter fraud issues. I am now troubled by these new remarks of Secretary Rokita, not only because it might be a "Don Imus moment," but more fundamentally I am bothered by this: why is a state's chief elections officer addressing his political party trying to inspire county GOP members to stick together as group and as a team to win:
Rokita, who won re-election in 2006, quoted the dinner's namesakes of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan to inspire county GOP members to stick together as group and as a team to win.

"We need to be absolute and proud of our history," Rokita said. "I think we've forgotten how to do that. I think we've forgotten sometimes what we're about and the national media doesn't help us in that regard and the liberals certainly don;t help us in that regard.

"In a sense, that's what they are there to do and we can't blame them. What we have to do is remind ourselves of what we've done for this country and what we're going to do for this country...that we are still the party of purpose and not the party of 'No'" Rokita added.


That this is an acceptable topic for a public speech by a state's chief elections officer is one of the biggest scandals of all.

Posted by Rick Hasen at October 28, 2008 01:40 PM