Republican Tantrums Rewarded, the Big Lie and Judicial Activism by former WI Justice Gableman.

We don't have a civil society anymore, thanks to a deteriorating Republican philosophy that has morphed into daily manufactured points of outrage that stoke political tantrums that energize their base. They are bullies dead set on testing limits proudly, receiving encouragement from those they've "owned." 

This is what has replaced governing. In fact, their "convictions" are now based on whiny petulance ("the quality of being childishly sulky or bad-tempered")

The "Digging in his Heels" Tantrum: Scott Walker appointed Natural Resources Board member Frederick Prehn is digging in his heels and won't leave his expired seat because newspapers criticized him. Belligerent arrogance was his answer to a problem he created. Here's his response. Keep in mind these are the rantings of  a supposed "adult:" 

"Now I'm choosing to run with my convictions. When I get backed in a corner, I get trenched in. I've listened to a lot of constituents. Many want me gone, but many want me to stick with my convictions. I've had attacks on my personal character. And if the extremists think they'll get their way, they don't know me very well. When you say stuff like this you're singling me out as a second-class citizen. And I am not a second-class citizen. I will vacate that board when I'm ready to, or I've had enough or can't contribute anymore or the Senate confirms someone else. Then Evers can have his board."

Vos Crumbles after Trump Criticism, and How Unbiased are Judicial Activists? Thank you Robin Vos, for showing us what an authoritarian government looks like. Wow. State Journal: 

A day before Saturday’s Republican state convention, Trump lashed out at Assembly Speaker Robin Vos,; Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu; and Senate President Chris Kapenga, for not conducting a forensic election audit, particularly in Milwaukee. Vos said Trump was “simply misinformed.”

"Misinformed," Trump? Love the irony that Trump's bullshit is now raining down on WI Republicans. Welcome to our world.

Lying is what Trump does best! Republicans are now saying what liberals and the press has been saying for 5 years. But also keep in mind that no matter what Vos might say: “Don’t fall for their lies!” Trump said. 

“I think this is one of those cases where the president was just misinformed by his staff or he didn’t see the media reports,” Vos said

LeMahieu said Trump’s statement was “really unfortunate. I don’t know where he got that information from,” he said. “We’re auditing the election results.”

Vos thought this would help convince Trump:

Vos announced that former conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman will serve as the attorney who will oversee the election probe. Gableman was in the majority in a pair of 2014 cases that upheld Wisconsin’s voter ID law.

Exposed! Former WI Supreme Court Justice Gableman another rightwing Judicial Activist: You won't even believe what the former conservative "constitutional originalist" said to the fawning Republican convention crowd. Did you know liberal Democrats are evil?

Gableman: "I'm glad to be here — glad to see so many friends. When I fought evil every
day at the state Supreme Court for 10 years, I fought for you."

Gableman's history is also something you just can't make up:

1. He knew a lot of people at the convention were disappointed with how the presidential election was run. "And you didn't just grumble about it...you recognize that this one is where we draw the line."

2. Gableman attended a Nov. 7, 2020 rally supporting Trump.

3. Gableman was a former chair of the Ashland County Republican Party and relied on GOP support to win his 2008 state Supreme Court race against incumbent Justice Louis Butler. and later went on to uphold major pillars of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker's agenda.

4. Gabelman himself wrote opinions that upheld Walker's Act 10 collective bargaining law and shut down a semi-secret John Doe investigation involving Walker's campaign.

5. Gableman ran a false attack ad against Butler (who is black) during his 2008 campaign that prompted an investigation by the Wisconsin Judicial Commission. While staff at the agency alleged that Gableman ran the ad "with reckless disregard for the truth," Gableman's colleagues on the Supreme Court split 3-3 on whether to pursue the complaint, and it was dropped.

Republican voters did choose another crazy person, bigot, and QAnon poser Rebecca Bradley, so it's still a very activist court. 

Trump seeking phony VoteStand proof 3 to 5 million votes were illegal.

I'm beginning to realize that there isn't enough time in the day to cover a days worth of Trump's growing disaster. The following story speaks for itself, and should scare even Trumpian losers...oh wait, I should be nice to them so I can convince them their voting whim to dismantle the country is an understandable error in judgement:

Trump Embraces Conspiracy Theorist to Promote Illegal Vote Claim: Trump latches on to ‘VoteStand,’ which may not exist.

Mr. Trump is just not going to give up his claim that 3 million to 5 million illegal immigrants voted for Hillary Clinton, and he’s grasping for evidence.Continue reading the main story

On Friday morning, he looked to VoteStand, which calls itself “America’s first online fraud reporting app” for the smartphone but does not appear to actually exist beyond the Twitter account of its founder, Gregg Phillips.

Mr. Phillips at once said 3 million illegal immigrants voted and said he is still working to prove that.

As the debunking site Snopes.com wrote: “We scoured at least a dozen such articles for evidence to support the claim, but found none. All of them pointed back to the same source: a pair of tweets by someone named Gregg Phillips,

Reagan had a hand in mounting voter fraud and lack of confidence in elections....

Remember when Reagan undermined the confidence we all had in our elections?

Reagan worshiper Scott Walker must have forgotten the Gipper's many faults and missteps that prompted so much voter fraud.

Republican AG candidate Schimel pronounces Waukesha County clean, not "Ground Zero" for Voter Fraud?

Wow, Brad Schimel's partisan aw shucks cluelessness is getting even more unsettling by the day.

It was a jaw dropping moment, and of course ignored by the media, even the Journal Sentinel who got the scoop. Schimel spouted what was clearly a race based, partisan centric comment about voter fraud.

Schimel: "As it turns out, we're not ground zero for voter fraud in Waukesha County."

After going on a rant about how hard it is to find fraud, and then prove it, this was said:

JS Reporter: "So you said Waukesha wasn't ground zero for voter ID and voter fraud, is there a ground zero for voter fraud?"

Schimel: "I don't know the answer to that, but I do know what happens in my county...we typically have a very large voter turnout in the big elections, and I think that helps."

But if you can't check and there's no real way to know...my head is hurting.

Lilly white Republican Waukesha County is clean. Why even look for fraud, when according to Schimel, so many other unspecified places are so questionable. He couldn't name them, but...well, you know where they are, right?

It wasn't so long ago ballot bags were found open in Waukesha County, late reported votes were counted, a private record keeping system based on "trust" was put in place by the areas star of incompetence, County Clerk Kathy Nicholaus. Click here for an entire history of stories Nicholaus generated over her botched handling of votes and elections in "clean" Waukesha County.  She even came back when she was reappointed temporarily to her old job as clerk last spring, even while running for board supervisor. You can't make this stuff up.

The Journal Sentinel editorial board didn't appear stunned by Schimel's over the top statement. Breathtaking:

Sen. Fitzgerald cites fellow Republican accused of 13 counts of Voter Fraud as reason why we need ID.

Remember 50-year-old health insurance executive and Republican Robert Monroe, who was caught and charged with 13 counts of voter fraud? Voter photo ID at the polls would not have stopped this guy, and more importantly, current safe guards led to his arrest. He did register to vote in Milwaukee using his mothers address and a false Social Security number to vote there, leaving open the question as to whether a photo ID might have stopped him. But nobody is saying fraud doesn't exist, it's just rare.

Yet to hear Sen. Scott Fitzgerald version of the story, you'd think voter photo ID would have solved the problem. Fitzgerald was even eager to throw this fellow Republican under the bus to make his phony argument. I put together this Upfront with Mike Gousha audio only slide show:

WisPolitics: The Senate majority leader told "UpFront with Mike Gousha" he believes the upcoming election will yield examples of voter fraud. Fitzgerald pointed to news accounts that revealed a Republican advocate voted multiple times in a previous election as evidence of the need for the changes enacted by the blocked law.

But this kind of fraud is already as rare as Sasquatch sightings.

Just as interesting, in August, Monroe admitted what we already knew about conservative voters in general:

A Shorewood man charged with illegally casting multiple votes in various elections, including five in the 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall, has entered an insanity plea.

Great punchline, right? But I thought the following down-the-rabbit-hole example proving Monroe's insanity was also worth a mention:

Monroe's girlfriend, Nicole Mueller, had recalled several "brief amnesic episodes," including one occasion in which Monroe ordered a large pajama suit for her and had no memory of it later.

How insane is that?

Anyone else worried about that copy of your voter ID?

I'm wondering if "freedom and liberty" loving small government conservatives ever thought about what happens to those picture ID copies sent along with their absentee ballot?

Those seeking to vote absentee this fall will have to provide local clerks a copy of their photo ID before their ballots will be counted, GAB Director Kevin Kennedy said today.

Gee, I would hate to see a partisan election worker accidentally leave with a few copies in their pocket. Or maybe a quick smart phone pic when nobodies looking, so someone could print one out later just in time for another important election.

Spreading your ID around in the mail and left to the devices of a corrupt election official in a back room somewhere sounds like an even bigger problem than the mythical identity theft known as voter fraud.

Warm up the scanner folks, someone wants your ID...

The Incredible Republican Voter Fraud Guy!

From Shorewood Now's Jeff Rumage, this nicely researched report on the most outrageous case of voter fraud yet. Again, a photo ID would have done little to stop this “Stand with Walker” foot soldier. I’ll bet he was a big Voter ID supporter too:

According to a criminal complaint, 50-year-old health insurance executive Robert Monroe cast two ballots in the April 2011 Supreme Court election between David Prosser and Joann Kloppenburg, two ballots in the August 2011 recall election between Alberta Darling and Sandy Pasch, five ballots in the Gov. Scott Walker recall election in June 2012, one illegal ballot in the August 2012 partisan primary election and two ballots in the 2012 presidential election. 

He is accused of registering at his address in Shorewood, as well as in Milwaukee, using his mother's former Lake Drive address and a fake social security number. He is also accused of taking his son to vote in Shorewood, even though he was registered in Waukesha but was living in a college dormitory in Milwaukee at the time.

During the Pasch-Darling recall election in August 2011, he cast an early absentee ballot using his Shorewood address and in Milwaukee using his mother's former Lake Drive address.

Monroe allegedly voted five times during the Walker recall election in June 2012. He cast an early absentee ballot in Shorewood, and on Election Day, he cast ballots in both Shorewood and Milwaukee. He sent multiple messages to his two sons asking them to vote.

Posing as his girlfriend's son, Monroe requested Shorewood Village Hall send an absentee ballot to his address in Shorewood, even though his girlfriend's son actually lives in Milwaukee. Monroe voted and signed the absentee ballot with a false name without the knowledge of his girlfriend's son.

Monroe allegedly pulled a similar trick using the name of his own son, who lives in Waukesha. After receiving multiple text messages pleas from his father on Election Day, Monroe's son voted on Election Day in Waukesha, which caught the attention of the Waukesha Clerk's Office.

Monroe allegedly gave up false names and chose to go to another state in the 2012 presidential election. According to the complaint, he cast an in-person absentee ballot in Shorewood on Nov. 1, and then several days later, voted in person in Lebanon, Ind., where he owns a second house. He used his Indiana photo identification card at the polls in Indiana. 

Poetic Justice: Voter Fraud now used against Republican Primary Opponent.

What goes around comes around. No honor among thieves;

Crooks and Liars: Chris McDaniel, another Tea Party favorite who was supposed to breeze to victory over incumbent Sen.Thad Cochran, was defeated in Mississippi runoff and instead of conceding, hinted at voter fraud and then told his supporters he'd see them soon. 

Shorewood Walker Supporter commits Voter Fraud 13 Times.

Maybe it's just a case of conservative projection again when it comes to voter fraud. 

This amazing example of fraud proves the biggest cheaters are Republicans, who aren't as confident about winning as they would like us to believe. Maybe it's their agenda?

But this guy did take away my vote, and maybe yours too. WisPolitics:

Shorewood resident charged with 13 felonies over alleged multiple voting: Robert Monroe, a 50-year-old Shorewood health insurance executive, was charged Friday with 13 felonies related to his voting a dozen times in five elections between 2011 and 2012 using his own name as well as that of his son and his girlfriend's son. "During 2011 and 2012, the defendant, Robert Monroe, became especially focused upon political issues and causes, including especially the recall elections," the complaint asserts in its introduction.

After Milwaukee County Judge J.D. Watts ordered the records related to a secret John Doe investigation be made public after … According to those records, Monroe was considered by investigators to be the most prolific multiple voter in memory. He was a supporter of Gov. Scott Walker and state Sen. Alberta Darling, both Republicans, and allegedly cast five ballots in the June 2012 election in which Walker survived a recall challenge.

According to the John Doe records, Monroe claimed to have a form of temporary amnesia and did not recall the election day events when confronted by investigators. This double voting allegedly occurred after he was made aware of a double-voting investigation involving his son.

The investigation was initiated after authorities in Waukesha found that Monroe's son, Benjamin, had voted in person in Waukesha in the June 2012 recall election … An absentee ballot for Benjamin was also cast for Benjamin using the Shorewood address of his father. Also … an absentee ballot was cast using the name Grant Mueller, son of Robert Monroe's girlfriend, using the Shorewood address. The first election Monroe allegedly voted more than once was in the April 2011 Supreme Court race in which incumbent David Prosser faced Joanne Kloppenburg, a race so close that it eventually led to a recount.

Each of the 13 counts carries a penalty of up to $10,000 in forefeitures and three-and-a-half years in prison, for a total of $130,000 and 45-and-half years. If convicted of a felony, he would lose his right to vote.

Election Fraud? Talk to these two Republican Candidates!!!

Yes, the party of election and voting integrity just got caught in their own web of fraud and corruption.

Imagine a country (Idiocrasy?) under their control, and how common place this would become. You just can't make this stuff up.  

HufffingtonPost: Annette Bosworth is not having a good week: On Tuesday night, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate learned she lost her long-shot bid for the GOP nomination in South Dakota during a horrendously awkward live television interview with Fox News host Megyn Kelly. On Wednesday morning, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that the medical doctor had turned herself into the Minnehaha County Jail after authorities issued a warrant for her arrest.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) charged Bosworth with perjury following allegations that Bosworth claimed to have circulated nominating petitions while she was in the Philippines with her husband.

This doesn't look suspicious:

TPM: A top official for state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-MS) was with the leader of a local tea party group when she got locked in the Hinds County courthouse where primary ballots were kept on Tuesday night. The official was Scott Brewster, the coalition’s director for McDaniel's Senate campaign. The Hinds County Sheriff's department is now investigating how Central Mississippi Tea Party President Janis Lane, Brewster, and Rob Chambers ended up in the locked courthouse.

The McDaniel campaign's statement on the courthouse lock-in episode: "Our campaign sent people to the Hinds courthouse to obtain the outstanding numbers and observe the count. In doing so, they entered the courthouse through an open door after being directed by uniformed personnel. They were then locked inside the building," the statement continued. "At this point they sat down and called the county Republican chairman, a close Cochran ally, to help them get out. Eventually a Sheriff's officer showed up and opened the door to let them out."

"There are conflicting stories from the three of them [Lane, Chambers, and Brewster], which began to raise the red flag, and we're trying to get to the bottom of it," Hinds County Sheriff spokesman Othor Cain told the Clarion-Ledger. "No official charges have been filed at this point, but we don't know where the investigation will lead us."

Walker plays race card and claims his Voter ID law wiped out 100% of "Fraud."

Wisconsin's voter ID law was predictable loser to everyone but Scott Walker:

WPR: Judge Adelman decided to strike down the voter ID law, saying it violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it disproportionately affected black and Latino voters.

Walker’s insulting “only racist call other people racist” response is dog whistle politics at its lowest.

Walker: “I think that's an insensitive comment, to imply that one group or another is more or less likely to be able to get a driver's license or photo ID card,” Walker said. “I think it's pretty clear that people—regardless of race, regardless of income—have perfectly acceptable access to getting identification in the state of Wisconsin.”

Walker's “I know you are but what am I” comeback says more about his intolerant inner child than how desperate he is to win reelection. It was also pretty clear 9%, or 300,000 Wisconsinites didn't have what Walker demanded.

And when Judge Adelman found no evidence of voter fraud in Wisconsin (big surprise), Walker went over-the-top; not even one vote canceled by fraud would be tolerated. Who knew Walker’s Voter ID law made elections error free...perfect:

“The question I have for him or anyone else is, ‘Ok, tell me, identify which person it's alright to have their vote canceled on?' Because if there's one vote cast by someone who's not legal to vote in this state, that means at least one legitimate citizen of this state has had their vote canceled out by someone who voted illegally,” Walker said.

Heck, why even have elections then? But if we counted every fearful conservative worried about having their vote canceled…see, fraud.

Crazy Rep. Joel Kleefisch is just another Republican with the uncanny ability to see Voter Fraud.

Rep. Joel Kleefisch is just another example of a citizen legislator showing everyone just how unqualified he is to dabble in lawmaking. While Republicans continue to make the case some people aren’t qualified to vote, they still believe any citizen should be able to hold office. What about citizen legislators who show us over and over again that they have incredibly bad judgment?

Joel Kleefisch is that kind of lawmaker, and he recently wrote this about updating the voter ID bill hung up in the courts:

Everyone without a state ID could manage to obtain a free, state identification card at the DMV.

What could go wrong? Remember when a memo went out ordering DMV officials to not mention or post signs alerting voters they have the option of getting a free ID? Remember? The “ease” of getting a free ID is just so much tricky word play, when the intention is to simply not offer it. That wasn't the only trick either. Back then I wrote:

What prompted the sudden plan to close 10 DMV's? What about those longer DMV hours in a majority of Republican districts? What made Republicans think a 20 hour DMV work week served the greater interest of state voters and drivers? 

So how hard would it be to get a free voter ID? Funny thing, now we know.

“It boggles my mind that anyone can get through the rigors of daily life, like buying cold medication, renting videos, or getting mandatory insurance without an ID.”

A lot of things “boggle” Kleefisch’s mind. Sadly Joel, the last I looked the state constitution doesn't guarantee those "purchasing rights."

Yet the phantom menace of voter fraud is ever present. It's invisibility frustrates Kleefisch:

“Right now in Wisconsin, there is no way to determine if fraud was committed at the polls because we have no system protecting the integrity of elections.”

The conservative editorial board at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel surprised me today when they said scrap the law completely. Check it out here. I thought the comment below pretty much reflects my thinking, where it's really Republican projection:

"It appears republicans see themselves defrauding the system when they push for voter ID. Why else would they be so adamant over a virtually non-existent problem?"

Rep. Robin Vos can't make case for growing list of voter suppression ideas.

Voter suppression artist Republican Rep. Robin Vos is pretty sure he can do away with poll worker errors, all of them. But if not, well...someone's gonna lose their vote. These are the kind of "tough decisions" out "leaders" must make for us, especially those wayward adults who just can't make it without big government Republican guidance.

When you hear "leadership," run the other way, it means Republicans are going to pass more laws opposed by their constituents.

So, from the same guys who brought us the trouble and bumbled WEDC, comes a new perfect, error free election system that "protects" our vote. Can't wait?

On WKOW's Capitol City Sunday, Greg Neumann mentioned to Vos that many of the election solutions being proposed, are based on anecdotal evidence.  Nuemann pressed Vos for any strong data proving fraud is taking place:

Vos: "Well I believe it is, and once again a lot of what happens in the world is anecdotal."

Huh? He really did say that? But the following really stuck out as one big lie:

Vos: "...when they look at prosecutors, they have a lot of priorities. They're not going to go out looking for example for voter fraud,  because they have to prosecute people who commit crimes..."

Nuemann's next guest, United Wisconsin 's Lisa Subeck, corrected Vos by pointing out how JB Van Hollen set up a voter fraud task force. They don't have time Robin? You can see that near the end of the video:



What gets me about this sneering smart ass, is that Vos uses what I call the "Beaver Cleaver" take. I grew up watching the Beav, and as he got older he never seemed to lose those goofy little boy facial expressions, when he really should have. To illustrate, here's a group of Vos looks, from the nose scrunch to the concerned but innocent eye squint. Just a little bit condescending, ya think?

Voter fraud? Looks who's getting caught...

I came across a number of stories about who's racking up the most cases of voter fraud in the country, and surprise, it's coming from the party doing everything they can to prevent it. How odd is that. Here's a what they reported:

Raw Story: A Virginia Republican and supporter of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) pleaded guilty on Tuesday to perjury and 36 counts of voter fraud. The only other mainstream GOP candidate in 2011 to fail at signature gathering in Virginia was Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R). Nearly half of the 11,900 signatures his campaign turned in were unable to be verified by party officials. However, unlike Gingrich, none of Perry’s organizers have faced criminal charges. 

PolicyMic: With the recent arrest of former GOP candidate Jack Villamaino for felony charges voter fraud, it’s no wonder Republicans are so invested in voter fraud legislation. Given the zeal with which the GOP in state after state has gone after Joe Voter, it’s really a shocker that Republicans account for the majority of voter fraud: Adam Ward of Virginia (for Newt Gingrich, what a waste), Texas Governor Rick Perry, Indiana’s former Secretary of StateCharlie White, and now Jack Villamaino.

Here's a novel idea: Perhaps rather than working to repeal the voting rights of average citizens, the party willing to legislate morality for everyone else should be working on their own integrity, and maybe also spend some time on legislation that will actually address one of the many real problems the nation faces.

Addicting Info: Consider the following examples of voter fraud that have been committed over the past few years:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has recently closed two cases involving Strategic Allied Consulting, a Republican hired vendor. Although investigators found at least 11 voter registration forms that were of questionable authenticity, no charges were filed due to lack of evidence. Strategic Allied Consulting is the subject of three ongoing cases in Florida. A FDLE spokesperson said that no details could be provided regarding those cases.

Last November two Republican voters in separate states decided to prove how easy it would be to vote illegally. Both were arrested and charged with voter fraud.

In February 2012 a jury found Indiana’s Republican secretary of state, Charlie White, guilty on six counts of voter fraud, theft, and perjury.

Four staffers of Republican congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) were indicted last August, charged with submitting over 1,500 “forged and falsified” signatures in what the Michigan attorney general, also a Republican, called a “blatant” and “disgraceful” attempt to qualify the congressman for last year’s ballot.

NOTE: “In person” fraud of the type that is targeted by voter ID laws is “virtually non-existent.”

Voter Fraud Rampant in Wisconsin? Colorado Republicans make that claim.

Same day registration is not only the target of Colorado Republicans, in their efforts to suppress the vote, they’re now using Wisconsin to make their case. Did you know Wisconsin was the poster child for same day registration voter fraud?

This amazingly partisan article got a few good chuckles out of me. Notice how Democrats are “ramming” legislation through, unlike the Scott Walker Republican legislature with voter ID. The Democratic push back in Colorado is refreshing and encouraged:

Free Beacon: Colorado’s Democratic-controlled state legislature is ramming through an election bill that critics say will open the door to voter fraud and intimidation.

The “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act” is under consideration amid accusations that Republicans in other states have tried to suppress the vote by passing laws that require some form of identification in order to vote. The Colorado law would make mail-in ballots mandatory while eliminating local polling places and allowing people to vote on the same day they register.

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler, a Republican who has been an outspoken opponent of the bill said the two main provisions of the bill are “a recipe for fraud” … Wisconsin and Minnesota both have same day registration, and they have both seen large problems with fraud, Gessler said.

Really? Gessler does know that people in Wisconsin can read his ridiculous comments through one of the many internet tubes we can access? Another blog post will deal with outright Republican hypocrisy on recall elections based on one issue. Namely, guns.

Wishful thinking makes voter fraud a reality. They got caught, even without Voter ID.

Republicans love telling people how easy it is to commit voter fraud, except...it really isn't, and you will get caught. All bad results and all without voter ID.

I’m amazed at the balls a few people had trying to vote more than once. You can’t tell me Republicans didn't have any idea people would try to game the system, after telling them how many different ways they could vote more than once? Nice try, but we got em. Some of the cases are actually do to ELECTION FRAUD, a few unintentional, and some from shear stupidity:

jsonline: Milwaukee County prosecutors Thursday filed voter fraud charges against 10 people, including two accused of double voting in 2012 elections and two felons ineligible to vote.

A Milwaukee woman who is accused of signing a recall petition against Republican Gov. Scott Walker three times; and the petition circulator who collected those signatures.

Chad Gigowski, 27, is charged with voting in the November election in Greenfield and in Milwaukee, providing false information to a Greenfield election official and registering in more than one place … he told investigators he and a friend tried voting in at least two other spots before casting a vote in Greenfield. But records show he cast ballots in each city, according to the complaint. Gigowski faces up to 10 ½ years in prison and $30,000 in fines.

Brittany M. Rainey, 23, was charged with lying about her past as a felon to vote in last November's elections.

Caitlin B. Haycock, 24, is charged with a misdemeanor for signing her name and both her parents' names to a Walker recall petition on Nov 15, 2011. Haycock's parents, Virginia Hirsch and Mitch Haycock, separately signed Walker recall petitions on their own, the complaint said.

In another case linked to the Walker recall, Deborah Mehling is charged with a civil violation for signing a petition sheet as circulator even though her daughter had collected one of the signatures. Mehling faces a fine of up to $200.

Brian Uecker lived in Greenfield but in November voted in a ward in that city where he once resided but no longer lived.

Fozia Nawaz of Milwaukee voted in November in Greenfield, telling investigators she did so because it was easier.

Voter Fraud Excuse for Voter Suppression!

I've always wondered why voter suppression studies never counted for much, or weren't presented, in the case before the Supreme Court right now. Here's Chris Matthews with just one study:



Or this recent study:

According to a study conducted by Justin Levitt of the New York University Law School, “Many of the claims of voter fraud amount to a great deal of smoke without much fire…Most allegations of fraud turn out to be baseless—and that of the few allegations remaining, most reveal election irregularities and other forms of election misconduct, rather than fraud by individual voters. The type of individual voter fraud supposedly targeted by recent legislative efforts—especially efforts to require certain forms of voter ID—simply does not exist.” 

State Republicans Blame GAB for 156 Municipalities missing voter roll update.

State Republicans are trying to find some reason to turn our nonpartisan elections board into political appointees. So they're spitting mad at the Government Accountability Board (GAB) about something that's really out of their hands.

WKOW: Republican lawmakers interrogated the Wisconsin's top election official for over two hours on Tuesday. They say the Government Accountability Board (GAB) violated state law by failing to update the voter rolls in time for the April 2nd spring election. 

It’s hard to violate state law when the GAB’s job duties aren't written out in any law. That’s what make this more of that now infamous phony outrage:

But Republicans on the Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee say if the system isn't updated on time it could lead to voter fraud.

GAB Executive Director Kevin Kennedy said, "156 municipalities did not have their data entry in within 60 days after the election, including our two largest municipalities did not have that work done.  We still have 36 that don't have it done." 

As usual, our Republican masters are looking to discipline those who dare question their authority. Here’s the dumb ass running for state superintendent of public instruction:

Republicans on the committee want to know why local clerks can't get their job done in time. "That expectation's not been met, so why?" asked Rep. Don Pridemore (R-Hartford).  "Is it intentional?  Is it lack of good judgment?  Is it lack of priorities?"  

Amazing response. 

Newsbusters gets as much Mileage out of Possible Voter Fraud as they can.

The ink is barely dry yet, and NewsBusters has convicted another person of voter fraud.

Plus they’re getting as much mileage out of this story as possible, because after all, the myth of rampant voter fraud has yet to be proven.

And it’s got to be true because lying sacks of paranoia like John Fund and Michelle Malkin wrote about the story, and they’re never wrong:

On Wednesday, local Cincinnati TV station WCPO did a report (HT John Fund at National Review via Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin's blog) on how "The Hamilton County Board of Elections is investigating 19 possible cases of alleged voter fraud" (Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County).

This story is viral on the right. They will memorize and repeat this case over and over, like most eventual non-fraud cases:

The most potentially outrageous case involves Melowese Richardson, who "admits to voting twice in the last election." Even though "she has worked the polls since 1988," she offered a hopelessly lame excuse for the multiple vote ... On Nov. 11, she told an official she also voted at a precinct because she was afraid her absentee ballot would not be counted in time … states poll workers should have updated the signature poll book by flagging "absentee voter" next to the names of those who appeared on the list. Upon investigation it was found that none of the voters who appeared on the list were flagged, which included Richardson.

And that’s Richardson’s fault?

We’ll see if the other allegations hold up, but rest assured, the loony right wing will get as much mileage as they can out of this possible case of fraud.

Media Matters posted this analysis of John Funds rantings noting voter ID would not have stopped what happened:

Voter ID proponents like Fund insist that government-issued photo IDs must be required to vote in person. Of the 19 voters who are under investigation in Hamilton County, most voted early via absentee ballot and then went to cast provisional ballots at their polling place on Election Day. In each of those cases, the provisional ballot was rejected. So even if they were attempting to knowingly and fraudulently double vote, the system was already in place to catch them, and their second votes didn't count. So Fund might think that the Hamilton County investigation proves his point that voter fraud is a real problem, but in reality it demonstrates how extraordinarily difficult and, consequently, rare actual voter fraud is.

Republicans keep getting caught for Voter Fraud proving how easy it is to commit Voter Fraud.

If it's so easy to commit voter fraud, than why are the few bad apples still getting caught trying to prove their point?

Here's another wacky Republican who mixes the right to vote with the nonexistent right to show an ID buying beer.

AP: A Las Vegas Strip casino worker who agreed to plead guilty to trying to vote twice in the November presidential election thrust herself into Nevada’s voter photo ID debate on Thursday, saying she was trying to show how easy it would be to vote with just a signature.

“This has always been an issue with me. I just feel the system is flawed,” Roxanne Rubin said. Rubin, a 56-year-old registered Republican, originally faced a felony charge of voting more than once in the same election. Rubin noted that in December, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller asked the state Legislature to require voters to show photo identification at polling places.

Miller, who was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, said in a statement that if Rubin was trying to demonstrate how easy it would be to commit voter fraud, “she clearly failed and proved just the opposite.”