Uppity Wisconsin
Making Wisconsin Progressive Again
GOP Buys Up Ron Kind Net-Domain Names
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 8:43am | mal contends
The Wisconsin GOP won't have U.S. Atty Stephen Biskupic around to do their dirty work in the 2010 election.
But they don't need him to take the low road.
Here's a sign of the campaign we should expect.
Apparently, the Republican Party of Wisconsin is buying up the Internet domain names to trip up a Congressman Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) run for Governor in 2010.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin's mob has reserved the following sites:
RonKindForGovernor.com (WhoIs.net)
KindForWisconsin.com (WhoIs.net)
KindForGovernor.com (WhoIs.net)
What do these guys think they are accomplishing by this cheap stunt?
Is the GOP really that afraid of a fair and open election? Pathetic.
But they don't need him to take the low road.
Here's a sign of the campaign we should expect.
Apparently, the Republican Party of Wisconsin is buying up the Internet domain names to trip up a Congressman Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) run for Governor in 2010.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin's mob has reserved the following sites:
RonKindForGovernor.com (WhoIs.net)
KindForWisconsin.com (WhoIs.net)
KindForGovernor.com (WhoIs.net)
What do these guys think they are accomplishing by this cheap stunt?
Is the GOP really that afraid of a fair and open election? Pathetic.
Feingold Hits Van Hollen
Fri, 10/31/2008 - 1:57pm | mal contends
Bring Cell Phones to Fight DOJ Asst AGs and Special Agents
Thu, 10/30/2008 - 12:36pm | mal contends
Sheboygan County District Attorney Joe DeCocco, a Democrat, called Van Hollen's plan to use state agents and lawyers to monitor polls Tuesday a dog and pony’ show. DeCocco said his search of state law ‘did not locate any mandates of providing prosecutor coverage at polling sites, or any authority to do so.’ ‘The attorney general has no authority in this state to supervise elections,’ Doyle told reporters. He again said the move by Van Hollen is part of a national effort by Republican Party leaders to ‘try and raise questions’ about the voting process - questions that they hope keep some voters from casting ballots.
Voter Suppression Incidents 2008
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 2:28pm | mal contends
The Brennan Center for Justice is compiling a comprehensive synopsis of current voter suppression incidents around the country of which McCain co-chair and Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen' dismissed suit comprises just one of many.
The Voter Suppression Incidents 2008 is an excellent resource, please check it out.
And spread the word: The nonpartisan Election protection coalition (http://www.866ourvote.org/) is fighting voter suppression and is a great resource. Look them up with any problems or concerns: Call 1 866 OUR VOTE (1 866 687 8683).
Bush Seeks Forced Provisional Voting in Ohio
Fri, 10/24/2008 - 8:25pm | mal contends
Incredible! Bush wants the US DOJ to look into the GOP's proposed Ohio vote suppression scheme using HAVA, seeking forced provisional voting that suppresses legal voters.
After being shot down by the US Supreme Court on using the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) for the purpose of declaring eligible voters to be tentatively ineligible because of database mismatches - a purpose that the text of HAVA expressively forbids - Bush and the Republicans will not give up.
As the Milwaukee Branch of NAACP and the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association write in their amicus brief in the Van Hollen v. GAB Wisconsin case, provisional voting is inherently suppressive, and many provisional voters will not be able to come back the next day to corroborate their legal voting status, and leave the voting process with questions about whether their votes counted.
Wisconsin Obama worker allegedly assaulted; victim accused of being with "ACORN"
Sun, 10/19/2008 - 12:08pm | mal contends
Here's an appalling story that surely is a violation of civil rights worthy of investigation by US Atty Biskupic and AG Van Hollen.
From RFDblog at Kos:
This is scary stuff! Here in Caledonia, Wisconsin (near Racine) one of our volunteers was physically assaulted by an angry man. 58 year-old Nancy Takehara of Chicago told the story:
"The next thing I know he’s telling us we’re not his people, we’re probably with ACORN, and he started screaming and raving," Takehara said. "He grabbed me by the back of the neck. I thought he was going to rip my hair out of my head. He was pounding on my head and screaming. The man terrified me."
Think about this. Where would this person have ever heard of ACORN? Why would he be so upset? Candidates like to say "elections have consequences."
Well, election rhetoric also has consequences.
"This negative stuff has to stop," said Takehara. "We’re all Americans. This is all about protecting our democracy, not about attacking each other."
From RFDblog at Kos:
This is scary stuff! Here in Caledonia, Wisconsin (near Racine) one of our volunteers was physically assaulted by an angry man. 58 year-old Nancy Takehara of Chicago told the story:
"The next thing I know he’s telling us we’re not his people, we’re probably with ACORN, and he started screaming and raving," Takehara said. "He grabbed me by the back of the neck. I thought he was going to rip my hair out of my head. He was pounding on my head and screaming. The man terrified me."
Think about this. Where would this person have ever heard of ACORN? Why would he be so upset? Candidates like to say "elections have consequences."
Well, election rhetoric also has consequences.
"This negative stuff has to stop," said Takehara. "We’re all Americans. This is all about protecting our democracy, not about attacking each other."
America is not a one-party state
Sun, 10/19/2008 - 9:55am | mal contends
No words of condemnation suffice to describe the repugnant anti-democratic actions of J.B. Van Hollen and the Republicans on voter suppression.
Here's another piece that comes close. From the Democratic Strategist:
Let’s say it simply – America is not a one-party state. The people in the federal law enforcement and criminal justice systems are supposed to stay out of politics – not work to support the party in power. There are specific rules and long-standing institutional traditions in the DOJ against publicly announcing a major political investigation during the last few days of an election campaign. ...
McCain likes to argue that 'I’m not George Bush'. But Dems can fairly reply 'No, but the DOJ will obviously be run in exactly the same, repulsive way that it was during the Bush administration.'
In fact, it’s actually ironic. The last-minute intrusion of the FBI into the 2008 campaign actually gave John McCain the ideal opportunity to show that he really would be a different kind of Republican from George W. Bush. Instead, he used the opportunity to show that he will be exactly the same.
Here's another piece that comes close. From the Democratic Strategist:
Let’s say it simply – America is not a one-party state. The people in the federal law enforcement and criminal justice systems are supposed to stay out of politics – not work to support the party in power. There are specific rules and long-standing institutional traditions in the DOJ against publicly announcing a major political investigation during the last few days of an election campaign. ...
McCain likes to argue that 'I’m not George Bush'. But Dems can fairly reply 'No, but the DOJ will obviously be run in exactly the same, repulsive way that it was during the Bush administration.'
In fact, it’s actually ironic. The last-minute intrusion of the FBI into the 2008 campaign actually gave John McCain the ideal opportunity to show that he really would be a different kind of Republican from George W. Bush. Instead, he used the opportunity to show that he will be exactly the same.
GOP Voter Fraud Hoax Gets Knocked Around
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 9:01am | mal contends
The desperate GOP is lying in unison. It's what they're good at.
And truth and civil rights aren't going to stand in the way. It would nice if just one GOP official would stand up and say, 'This is wrong. Suppressing voters is wrong,' Dare to dream.
Andrew Burmon has a piece in Salon knocking down the lie in Behind the GOP's voter fraud hysteria.
Dem Legal Brief: Van Hollen Is "Dead Wrong" in Suppression Suit
Fri, 10/10/2008 - 6:25am | mal contends
Wisconsin can lead the way on October 23 in the most intensely political arena in American society: The courtroom.
Pretensions aside, the judicial branch of government is a dressed-up tool of political power.
As in most areas of government, today’s Republican Party is committed to acquiring power at extreme costs, indifferent at best to the rule of law and democratic values.
In J.B. Van Hollen-Republican Party v. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) et al, we may see a public display of how low the GOP has gone when Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi rules on a motion to dismiss Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s futile attempt at voter suppression.
No doubt Van Hollen will be rewarded for his political fidelity, while civil rights, the rule of law, and voting rights—well, these remain mere liberal concerns to the smirking GOP.
Pretensions aside, the judicial branch of government is a dressed-up tool of political power.
As in most areas of government, today’s Republican Party is committed to acquiring power at extreme costs, indifferent at best to the rule of law and democratic values.
In J.B. Van Hollen-Republican Party v. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) et al, we may see a public display of how low the GOP has gone when Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi rules on a motion to dismiss Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s futile attempt at voter suppression.
No doubt Van Hollen will be rewarded for his political fidelity, while civil rights, the rule of law, and voting rights—well, these remain mere liberal concerns to the smirking GOP.
NYT: Voter Suppression Illegal and Widespread
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 8:29am | mal contends
Update: Montana GOP drops registration challenges
via mal contends - Today's NYT has a piece by Ian Urbina with the not reassuring news that Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has plenty of company in using the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to try to suppress voters.
via mal contends - Today's NYT has a piece by Ian Urbina with the not reassuring news that Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has plenty of company in using the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to try to suppress voters.
On Monday, the Ohio Republican Party filed a motion in federal court against the secretary of state to get the list of all names that have been flagged by the Social Security database since Jan. 1. The motion seeks to require that any voter who does not clear up a discrepancy be required to vote using a provisional ballot.
WisPolitics' Recording Shows Van Hollen Lied
Tue, 10/07/2008 - 6:59am | mal contends
Update II: For up-to-date developments, see the Election Law at Moritz site, including the GAB's brief for a motion to dismiss.
Update: WisPolitics piece at http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=138219.
Contradicting his earlier claims that "(there was no discussion with anybody involved in leadership with the Republican Party (or the McCain campaign) about this (voting rule) lawsuit before it was brought," as Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has said earlier last month, WisPolitics has uncovered new audio (posted at WisPolitics) revealing Van Hollen promising action on alleged "voter fraud" during an address at the Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Brennan Center Releases Voter Purging Report, It's Ugly
Tue, 09/30/2008 - 6:26pm | mal contends
Update: CBS News on Voter Purging, Little-Known, Problem-Ridden Process That Could Endanger Your Vote
The Brennan Center for Justice has just released its comprehensive report on massive voter purging, the practice of striking voters from voter rolls.
Download Executive Summary
Download Full Report
Wisconsin is fortunate in that the General Accountability Board has steadfastly refused to prematurely strike voters from its voting rolls, despite the GOP and Attorney General and McCain co-chair J.B. Van Hollen's efforts. In fact, the "Board also decided not to adopt a rule flagging voters on the poll list ...," much less striking a name from the voting rolls.
Download Executive Summary
Download Full Report
Wisconsin is fortunate in that the General Accountability Board has steadfastly refused to prematurely strike voters from its voting rolls, despite the GOP and Attorney General and McCain co-chair J.B. Van Hollen's efforts. In fact, the "Board also decided not to adopt a rule flagging voters on the poll list ...," much less striking a name from the voting rolls.
'Ballot Security' in Wisconsin Has Civil Rights Workers Wary
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 9:37am | mal contends
It has brought to our attention that "(s)enior Justice Department officials told civil-rights organizations they plan to deploy hundreds of poll monitors in November to prevent voting-rights violations and deter fraud (Perez, Wall Street Journal, September 9. 2008).
In light of the Wisconsin DOJ/GOP's efforts at voter suppression (that now looks to fail) and the McCain Campaign project sending misleading absentee ballots to voters, the presence of U.S. DOJ officials at polling places has civil rights groups nervous, though it's not confirmed that the DOJ officials will be in Wisconsin at this point.
As Evan Perez writes in the Wall Street Journal:
In light of the Wisconsin DOJ/GOP's efforts at voter suppression (that now looks to fail) and the McCain Campaign project sending misleading absentee ballots to voters, the presence of U.S. DOJ officials at polling places has civil rights groups nervous, though it's not confirmed that the DOJ officials will be in Wisconsin at this point.
As Evan Perez writes in the Wall Street Journal:
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Tags: Civil Rights, 2008 election, ACLU, Barack Obama, Breaking Wisconsin Politics, civil rights, Evan Perez, GOP dirty tricks, J.B. Van Hollen, John McCain, NAACP, Reince Priebus, Steven Biskupic, US Department of Justice, voter caging, voter suppression, voting rights
866 Our Vote Fights Vote Suppression
Fri, 09/26/2008 - 5:12pm | mal contends
Though Attorney General Van Hollen's voter suppression effort looks to fail, few doubt that the GOP has more tricks up its sleeve.
The nonpartisan Election protection coalition (http://www.866ourvote.org/) is fighting voter suppression and is a great resource. Look them up.
Any problems or concerns: Call 1 866 OUR VOTE (1 866 687 8683).
Van Hollen's Vote Suppression Set to Fail
Thu, 09/25/2008 - 9:23am | mal contends
In this day and age we're still fighting off voter suppression?
Yes, it's the age of the ahistorical GOP.
But Wisconsin citizens can take solace in the fact that Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's scheme that forgets that the civil rights movement ever happened (and fails to appreciate the immorality of suppressing voters) looks doomed to fail.
Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi will not rule on a dismissal motion until a couple of weeks out from the election.
Van Hollen and Wisconsin GOP will play Chickenlittle running around telling everyone that an implied conspiracy of fraudulent voters will corrupt the election, but the GOP's proposed remedy to this election conspiracy fantasy, voter suppression, would not be implemented in time to impact the November 4 election. That's the take-away of Judge Sumi's hearing yesterday.