Posted on 06/24/2014 8:55:21 AM PDT by jazusamo
In a rare gesture, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) applauded Tea Party favorite Rand Paul on the Senate floor Tuesday to express his approval for Paul’s proposal to restore voting rights to ex-felons.
Paul, the junior Republican from Kentucky, plans to introduce legislation to restore voting rights to people convicted of nonviolent felonies.
Reid beamed over the development and noted that he introduced similar legislation earlier in this career.
“I want to congratulate Rand Paul,” Reid said. “About 15 years ago … I offered an amendment here on the Senate floor that said if someone has been convicted of a crime, a felony and they have completed their sentence if they go to jail, if they have completed their probation time if they got probation, if they completed their parole time, this is all over with, they should be able to vote.
“And that’s what Rand Paul said in his offering legislation saying if it’s a nonviolent crime, they should be able to vote when they’ve completed their time,” he added.
Reid noted that his own bill went “a little further” than Paul’s proposal.
Then Reid caught himself before landing the rising conservative in hot water with his GOP colleagues.
“I hope I don’t get him in trouble with his Republican caucus for congratulating him on this,” he said.
It was a rare moment of affection between Reid and Paul, who often clash over policy and Senate procedure.
Paul tied up the Senate floor for hours last year to protest President Obama’s drone policy and this year has held up tax treaties with Switzerland and other countries.
Paul unveiled his legislative plans over the weekend. He said he has a friend whose brother grew marijuana plants 30 years ago in college and still cannot vote because of a felony conviction.
“I think that’s wrong and unfair,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
I was going to bring up the notion of fed vs state issue. Perhaps this deals only with federal non-violent felonies? Regardless it is a state issue I think. I support restoring voting rights to non-violent felons (and gun rights too).
Nothin’ to do but watch as another “high hopes” candidate succumbs to the slime. This ship, the PMS Rand, has sailed.
100% of ex-convicts will vote Democrat.
Rand Paul is insane.
Or, a Democratic Party mole.
According to the link of the article I posted it’s for both state and federal crimes.
In a rare gesture, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) applauded Tea Party favorite Rand Paul ...
_____________________________________________
Tea Party favorite my fat Aunt Agnes.
I can see it now...
Paul/Reid 2016
(barf)
Ru Paul is a worthless DemocRat.
I actually think if you did the time you should be able to vote, own guns, the full kit and kaboodle.
Pretty soon, Republicans will be in jail for being Republicans.
Enough...with this idiot, just enough.
the RandyPaul circus continues unabated ... now a friend to felons ...
Paul should not be just ignored, he should now be actively fought against.
Hey, if Harry Reid likes him, how bad can he be? (cough.)
The trojain horse! Beware of Rand Paul!
Anybody think RP is still on our side??
.....me neither.
The RATS thank you for your support to increase the numbers on their eligible voter list.
The absurdity is legislators tacking on a felony charge on every petty crime conceivable.
I’m realpolitik kind of guy, it’s undeniable that felons vote majority rat (an 80’s era study concluded that Republicans may have not won the US Senate in 1980 if all felons could vote), therefore I oppose them voting.
Is that “fair”? I don’t care!
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