At the center of the Bush administration's efforts to systematically supress voter turnout is (why am I not surprised?), Georgia native Hans von Spakovsky. A new report from Brennan Center for Justice and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law finds the Bush Administration used government institutions for partisan gain, and Spakovsky was their tool:

[The Bush] Administration used federal agencies charged with protecting voters' rights to promote voter suppression, influence voting rules, and gain advantage in battleground states. This was achieved through a four-pronged strategy: dismantling the infrastructure at the Department of Justice; fomenting a fear of rampant voter fraud (which has subsequently been disproved - it actually occurs "statistically...about as often as death by lightning strike"); politically motivated prosecutions; and restricting registration and voting.

Von Spakovsky played a key role in fomenting a fear of voter fraud - even writing under the pseudonym "Publius" in June 2005 to "warn of its dangers" and support restrictive photo ID requirements. He asserted that there was "no evidence" that such laws disproportionately disenfranchise minority voters but there was indeed a widespread problem of ineligible voters influencing election outcomes.

At the same time - despite his article and having served on the Fulton County Board of Election - von Spakovsky saw no conflict of interest in taking the lead on reviewing Georgia's proposed photo ID requirement as the DOJ is required to do. He proceeded to approve the law, overruling the career staff's near unanimous decision that it violated the Voting Rights Act by weakening minority voting strength. Both the state and federal courts later ruled the law unconstitutional.

Von Spakovsky was a recess appointment to the FEC and must receive Senate confirmation by the end of the year. A slew of former Justice Department professionals, Presidential candidates, elected officials and concerned citizens have stepped forward to oppose his nomination.

For this and more, Spakovsky receives the douchebag of the day award. I don't know about you, but it sickens me that the entire state of Georgia seems to have become a Republican test bed for unethical (and un-American) strategies to steal votes. Last week on our way to DC, we ran into Karl Rove in the airport. I can only imagine what the creepy bastard is cooking up here next. We need Minutemen at the Georgia border alright, but not for the Mexicans.

Related link: Bush nominee needs a refresher course in civics, by Cynthia Tucker.