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That political power was the democratic party. >> you know, the republican party is the party of lincoln. the civil rights act, lyndon johnson president, he couldn't pass the civil rights act, the voting rights act, without the help of the republican party. the republicans supported it. there were democrats, let's see, former klansman robert byrd who became senate majority leader, al gore's father, etc., bill clinton's big mentor. hang on. known segregationist. so is there a point he's making here that's right, historic speaking? >> historically speaking there are examples you can pull out. >>...

That political power was the democratic party. >> you know, the republican party is the party of lincoln. the civil rights act, lyndon johnson president, he couldn't pass the civil rights act, the voting rights act, without the help of the republican party. the republicans supported it. there were democrats, let's see, former klansman robert byrd who became senate majority leader, al gore's father, etc., bill clinton's big mentor. hang on. known segregagationist. so is there a point he's making here that's right, historic speaking? >> historically speaking there are examples you can pull out. ...

Of the d.o.j.. >> to give the background you worked five years in the justice department in the voting section of the justice department? >> that's right. >> tell us what that is. >> we enforce federal election law all around the country, whether it's the voting rights act, election day monitoring. improving of voting laws in 16 states under the section 5 voting acts. a lot of work. >> the voting rights act is obviously needed, and we have this whole issue that came up with the new black panthers outside a polling place in philadelphia, and what did the department of justice do? >> they dismis...

Accommodations, now we're looking at a supreme court who just made a decision that sets us back on our voting rights. what must we do to obtain protection for our voting rights. we've got to, again, lobby the congress of the united states, work very hard, organize and even march to make sure that the gains that were made are not lost in this struggle. >> and, pete williams, just to bring you back in, the congresswoman just talked about the supreme court decision on the voting rights act which many saw as the most ironic of setbacks given the fact that the voting acts right that came out of the...

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