Voter Fraud?

From Oped.com

Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate GOP leader, called liberal and Democratic charges of a "War On Women" a "manufactured issue".   He and his party are engaging in wishful thinking, as evidenced by the widening lead of President Obama over GOP challengers among many female voters.   While McConnell can deny these concerns, right wing politicians worried about a replay of 2008 are manufacturing a remedy of their own to something that has not been a problem: voter fraud. Violations have been practically nonexistent by any standard.   The urgency of the move in state legislatures to mandate voter ID cards serves one purpose, and that is to hold down turnout of likely Democratic voters.   Studies show that approximately 11 percent of Americans -- about 21 million people -- lack a current government photo ID, disproportionately racial minorities, senior citizens, young voters, the working poor and people with disabilities.   Oddly enough, some laws would permit National Rifle Association membership cards as valid ID while not accepting student ID cards.   I have nothing against protecting the will of the people against fraud, but the real motivation for the new voter ID laws is as obvious as that of the old poll tax.   The net effect is the disenfranchising of what is still a sizable portion of our population.   Fraud should be punished, but 11 percent of us should not be held hostage based on a largely unfounded fear of what could go wrong.   Voting is a U.S. citizen's right.