Uh oh, fake Democrat holds fund raiser, stumping state GOP over unintended consequences.

What if you held a fake primary and the phony tries raise money, or worse, tries to win? How could that affect the plans of the incumbent? What started off as an allowable attempt at election fraud, has now morph into a Pandora's box of possibilities.

Caledonia Patch: Tamra Varebrook, the "protest" candidate for the 21st Senate District, is hosting a fundraiser Thursday (today), but the state GOP had no idea and has no involvement.

State Sen. Van Wanggaard is under recall here in Racine County (against) former Sen. John Lehman. In an email to Patch, Varebrook explained the event as more of a get-together. “Tomorrow's event is a gathering a friends, family, and supporters. We are against the recall of Senator Wanggaard, Governor Walker, Lt. Governor Kleefisch, and the other 3 senators. Our focus is to remind the constituents…”

Patch requested an interview with Varebrook to ask her what she'll do with the money she raises, but in a second email message back to us, she declined to comment.

Ben Sparks, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, had no idea Varebrook was holding a fundraiser. "This is the first I've heard of it ... The state party is not expending further resources past getting names on the ballot." The county party is also not involved, "A placeholder candidate is just that. If this were still a three-way race, it might make sense, but otherwise, I really have no idea."

Ken Brown of the Racine TEA Party said "If she uses the money to actively campaign  … Or she could keep it in her fund and donate it toward the election campaigns of other Republicans … Varebrook can hang on to the money and use it to run for office again one day.

This is only the beginning too. The GAB's decision to allow Republican fake candidates, ignoring the statute that makes it illegal to lie to an election official, has opened the door to every lying scoundrel (conservative) to throw their hat into the ring. How long will it be before we also lose faith in the electoral process and the candidates running in them?

Go Stuff your Bully, Arrogant, Uncompromising, Authoritarian, One Party Takeover up Your Collective...!

But alas, we'll never hear that from the Democratic Party. We'll never hear that from our elected Democratic Party lawmakers. And we'll never hear it from our liberal reporters, pundits and anchors.
We need to bring both sides together, right? Over the last 30 years, have you seen the Republicans offer any "togetherness?"

Wisconsin State Journal columnist Chris Rickert, like so many "thoughtfully" clever conservatives, never noticed the uncompromising takeover of our state government. It was a winner take all statewide coup. I know, that's what the voters had in mind? But wasn't changing everything in one year without compromise, or consideration of a protesting public, just a little bit worrisome to anyone on the right? Like when it comes to electoral integrity:

The effort by real Democrats to remove six fake Democrats … who cares? Recruiting the fakers to extend the election … isn't much different than recalling a duly elected governor a year into his term and a bunch of state senators simply because you disagree with their policies.

Rickert waxes sarcastic about what to him was a simple disagreement. He never noticed the process or protests. Civil unrest? That happens all the time.

But the unusual rhetoric by the GAB, and folks like Rickert, treat actual law like an opinion you can take or leave. State law clearly defines the rules about "false statements" when running as a candidate. (Hint for Rickert-the false part; running as a Democrat when you're not):

Rickert: Even more disturbing, though, is the idea that a major American political party could get someone officially labeled as not one of its own. Last I checked, there are no litmus tests under state law for calling oneself a member of any political party.

The litmus test Rickert refers to is called...lying. Something that is almost unrecognizable now.

Here in uber-liberal Madison, I'm regularly accused of carrying water for conservatives. But I've heard it from both sides … We try not to get too worked up about it. Name-calling is only one of those million things to do, after all.

Rickert sees criticism of his reasonably flawed logic as “name-calling.” Nice try Chris, but lying is still wrong, and a dictatorial one party takeover, with the face of the Republican Party, is still anti-democratic.

Oh, and one final irritation to straighten out:

Let's face it: We're already about as low as pure partisanship can go. Why stop digging now?

Neither the public or the Democratic Party started this. They are reacting to something, or didn’t you notice that either?

Election Fraud ensures Election Integrity? State Republican Voters approve of Fake Democrats.

Democrats could have stopped this before, but let it go. Now they're gonna pay.

Nothing says corruption more than manipulating elections by lying, and then having the balls to tell everyone you're doing it. Last summer fake Democratic candidates in the recall elections, so naturally, the state GOP is pointing to that time saying "see it's okay."

No, it's not. Check out the actual law the GAB appears to be ignoring:

jsonline: An attorney filed a complaint Thursday with state election officials to kick six fake Democrats off the ballot in the upcoming recall elections. But the plan violates state election law, said the filing from Milwaukee attorney Jeremy Levinson. He asked the state Government Accountability Board to boot the six from the ballot. The board is to meet on the matter on Tuesday.

I was really fascinated by what Ben Sparks said, a clueless looking spokesman for the Republican Party:

“The complaint filed today by attorney Jeremy Levinson is nothing more than a publicity stunt."

A publicity stunt, for who…that doesn’t make any sense? What is he talking about? But comments like that in some magical way, makes sense to conservative voters who drool over such snappy comebacks. Here's WKOW: 

Conservative Media, most of TV and Radio, accepts outrageous, costly Fake Democratic Candidates in Recall. Yawn!

Letting the Republicans run wild, to go unchecked basically, is not just a dangerous game to play with our democracy, but normalizes an already radicalized authoritarian party. I've included our local TV coverage of this now normal, and apparently, routine event.

WSJ: The state GOP has lined up six fake Democrats to run in upcoming recall elections targeting Gov. Scott Walker and five other Republicans.

GOP spokesman Ben Sparks says Gladys Huber will run for governor; Isaac Weix will run for lieutenant governor; and Gary Ellerman, Tamara Varebrook, James Engel and James Buckley will run in four state Senate recalls.The elections are scheduled for May 8 and June 5. 

And the outrageous, galling excuse for draining the taxpayer wallets for these unnecessary primary's:

Sparks says running what he called "recall protest candidates" guarantees a clear primary date and ensures no Republicans will face a general election that day, when Democrats likely will turn out in huge numbers to select a gubernatorial challenger. He says the party doesn't plan to spend any money on their campaigns.

Fake Primary Democrats, Again?

Where are the Republican voters, on their party's decision to run "FAKE" Democrats again in the upcoming recall primaries? Is this really a sign of confidence? Does this ethically cut it with conservative business owners and families? Is the lust for power and idea of spending taxpayer money on phony primary opponents okay with their fellow Republicans. Didn't they just criticized the recall elections as costly and a waste of taxpayer money? 

I guess conservative voters uproarious endorsement of what is truly an unmistakable authoritarian power grab, says it all about the radical nature of their citizen army of brownshirts.   

Republican Recall Dirty Tricks: Lawsuit over new districts, run fake Democrats again, and intimidate petitioners.

I wonder how recall voters will react in the voting booth when they have to choose between actual government policy, or fake Democrats wasting taxpayer money?

AP: Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he hasn't ruled out running fake Democrats again in recall elections targeting GOP incumbents in order to give them more time to campaign.

The Democratic Party says it will file paperwork on Tuesday to recall Republican Sens. Van Wanggaard of Racine, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls and Pam Galloway of Wausau. Fitzgerald will also be targeted for recall. 

But the dirty tricks won’t stop there. If Wisconsinites are so supportive of Walker’s austerity plan, then why intimidate recall petitioners, threaten to shred their own deceptively gathered petitions, and move to overrule the GAB? But that’s not all.

Fitzgerald says he also expects a lawsuit to be filed over whether old district boundaries or new ones should be in effect for recalls.

Looks like the Fitzgerald’s gerrymandering took place, not for population changes, but for pure political advantage to maintain one party rule despite voter sentiment.