Romney and Ryan bribe conservative voters with subs for vote

Can they do that?

Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney passed out Cousin's subs for free to willing voters. This wildly obvious election law violation not only made the national news, but is getting a serious look from the GAB, as well it should. Can you bribe someone with a sandwich? Well to answer that, ask a conservative if you can bribe a homeless individual with cigarettes, and see what they say. 

Here's John Nichols and Ed Schultz:

Channel3000: The state Democratic Party said it has filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board against Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan over what they call "subs-for-votes" election bribery. Romney and Ryan appeared at a Cousins Subs in Waukesha earlier Tuesday, where sandwiches were given away. State law prohibits offering something of value that is more than $1 in exchange for a vote.

WISN 12 News received a statement from the Romney campaign, which called the complaint laughable. "This is a laughable stunt by the Democrats designed to distract from President Obama's disastrous polices that have resulted in record job losses and skyrocketing gas prices. Democrats are willing to do and say anything to avoid a discussion about the president's three years of failure in the White House."

Here's Lawrence O'Donnell's Look at the sub giveaway:



Pretty blatant! Right from the candidate too. But the right wing is calling all this silly, even though they recently made a big deal about the BBQ for Votes incident by Wisconsin Jobs Now:

jsonline: Wisconsin Jobs Now!, a coalition of community and labor groups led by the Service Employees International Union held parties on Milwaukee's northwest side in which it offered voters free food, raffles and free shuttles to City Hall so they could cast absentee ballots in the recall election against Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). The incident had been dubbed "BBQ for votes" by conservative radio and organizations, including Media Trackers, which filed the complaint that led to the John Doe investigation. The group posted online stories quoting a single anonymous source describing what happened at the parties and accusing the labor group of breaking the law. But Collin Roth, one of its own staffers - testified in the John Doe that he was never told that he had to vote to get a ticket for free food or prizes.

Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf said it's not clear that the campaign bribery statute applies to groups offering absentee voting, as was the issue for Wisconsin Jobs Now!