Dobbs labeled 9th Circuit Court of Appeals “something akin to a Soviet-style aggregation”

Written by Kurt Donaldson

Published

On the October 6 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, host Lou Dobbs stated “it is hardly a secret that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is something akin to a Soviet-style aggregation.” Dobbs made his comment after CNN correspondent Casey Wian reported that an Arizona law requiring voters to show identification at polling stations was temporarily suspended by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit while the court hears an appeal of a lower court's decision that would have allowed the law to go into effect.

The Arizona law, known as Proposition 200, which passed in a 2004 referendum, would require prospective voters to present proof of citizenship to register to vote and either picture identification or two pieces of nonphoto identification to receive a ballot. Proponents of the law say it would help stop illegal immigrants from voting; opponents claim the law “discriminated against minorities and the poor, who might not have funds to obtain the necessary proof of identification.”

From the October 6 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

WIAN: The U.S. House of Representatives and 19 states have passed voter ID laws. But in just the past two weeks, judges have suspended laws in Georgia, Ohio, Missouri, and now Arizona.

Arizona officials plan to ask for an emergency review of the order, first from the full 9th Circuit itself, and then if that fails, from the United States Supreme Court, Lou.

DOBBS: How quickly can they move to the U.S. Supreme Court, because it is hardly a secret that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is something akin to a Soviet-style aggregation?

WIAN: Within the next couple of days, they can move it to the Supreme Court, if the emergency appeal is rejected by the 9th Circuit. Arizona officials say they're running out of time. As we mentioned, there's a deadline coming up on Monday for voters to register to participate in the election. And they're having to rework their entire voting procedures that they've worked so hard to craft. So they want to get this resolved as quickly as possible.

DOBBS: Casey, thank you very much. Casey Wian reporting.