The GOP, Legal or Illegal, Recount or Recall, in Wisconsin Apparently It Makes No Difference to Them; They Just Want to Win BADLY

Election fraud is a recurring theme among the conservatives, the GOP and Tea Partiers.  They claim to fear it, terribly, despite an absence of proof in investigations.  They have turned it into their mantra that Democrats are committing rampant voter fraud, stealing elections.

Maybe, just maybe, that's because they themselves are not honest, and so they project that same kind of dishonesty onto their opposition, using the rationale that if they do it, then the other guys must do it more.  It fits their conservative conspiracy theory world view.

What this recount needs is some costume drama; the faux Fox News pimp thing has been done to death.  Maybe it's time to return to the classics, what with the irregularities with the absentee Nun votes (see story below).  We need a proper comedic investigative reporter; maybe there's an intern at the Onion who isn't too busy?

Something in the tradition of the Monty Python Nuns or the classic British humor of Nuns on the Run, or given that we're talking about the possible voter fraud by Republicans who want to arm everyone in 2nd Amendment fervor, what about the ever classic if not classy Nuns with Guns?

There is definitely potential here for one or more James O'Keefe-style fake exposes, that is, if we can find a liberal willing to act illegally or compromise his and/or her journalistic integrity the way O'Keefe consistently has.  This is clearly a voter fraud story screaming to be written!

Monty Python Movie Nuns

Coltrane and Idle, Nuns on the Run

the ever classic Nuns with Guns

Following the story that is emerging on the Wisconsin DFL website

under the title GOP Election Fraud Exposed

May 05, 2011

GOP Election Fraud Exposed

Formal Challenge Reveals GOP Recall Petitions
Plagued by Pattern of Misconduct and Abuse

Tarnished Out-of-State Firm Hired by GOP Uses
Systemic Election Fraud to Fill Papers with Invalid Signatures

Hundreds of Claims from Wisconsin Citizens Prove
GOP Recall Efforts Illegitimate, Must Be Rejected

MADISON – A formal challenge to be filed later today against Republican recall petitions asks the Government Accountability Board to disqualify thousands of invalid signatures, and reject recall elections against three Democratic state senators, because widespread and systemic election fraud has tainted the entire GOP operation.


"The overwhelming evidence clearly shows a pervasive pattern of election fraud committed by the shady out-of-state organization hired by Republicans to collect recall petitions," said Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller.  "Thousands of Wisconsin citizens fell victim to lies and misinformation spread by the circulators, and the papers submitted by this operation contain a river of omissions and wrong information."

Miller continued:  "We believe that when the facts are reviewed, the GAB will throw out thousands of flawed signatures because they were fraudulent or defective. The vast depth of this misconduct calls into question the legitimacy of every signature collected by these circulators, and shows that the GOP effort failed to gather the valid signatures needed for recall elections."

The formal challenge, to be filed on behalf of the Democratic senators this afternoon, shows that the number of invalid signatures gathered through systemic election fraud would reduce the total collected against each of the three Democratic state senators well below the threshold required to trigger a recall election.  Miller and Democratic Party of Wisconsin counsel Jeremy Levinson will hold a media availability today at 4:15 PM to discuss the challenge.

The challenge of GOP recall petitions features scores of claims from Wisconsin citizens who were victimized by the wholesale election fraud of the disreputable out-of-state firm hired by Wisconsin Republicans to collect signatures.  Kennedy Enterprises received nearly $100,000 from the Republican Party of Wisconsin to circulate recall petitions.  Kennedy owns a tarnished reputation based on past offenses in Colorado.

The Democratic challenge shows that Kennedy Enterprises has continued these fraudulent practices while working for Wisconsin Republicans.

Some of the cases and examples of election fraud outlined in the formal recall challenge of GOP petitions to be filed this afternoon include:

• Senate District 12:  Of the 534 people contacted who had signed the petition, 9.2% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.

• Senate District 22:  Of the 225 people contacted who had signed the petition, 6.6% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.

• Senate District 30:  Of the 372 people contacted who had signed the petition, 8.6% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.

• Affidavit of a World War II veteran from Green Bay who was misled into signing a recall petition.  Upon learning he had been duped, veteran called the sheriff to get his name removed.  When confronted, the circulator claims he will remove the name, but a later review of the petitions reveals the veteran's name was never crossed off.

• Many affidavits attesting that Circulator Sherri Ferrell - who gathered nearly 3,000 signatures in two districts -- gathered signatures on Indian reservations claiming petitions were to support "schools," "Democrats," and "tribal rights."

• Affidavit of voter in Senate District 22 attesting that circulator John Prijic claimed the petitions were for work to be done on a local park.

• Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Annette Lord claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Senator Cowles.

• Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Richard Madrill claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

• William Pocan’s forged name appears on line 10, page 362 of circulator Kevin Pursell’s petition.  As his widow Corinne Pocan’s affidavit attests, William Pocan has been deceased 20 years, although his name remains in the phone book.   Pursell circulated numerous pages.

• Claims by many Wisconsin citizens who were misled by out-of-state circulators who claimed they could sign on behalf of other people.

• Numerous examples of fake addresses and signatures appearing on GOP recall petitions, as well as sloppily gathered signatures also missing critical information.

• Summary of out-of-state circulators hired by GOP with largest percentages of fraud or deception on GOP recall petitions:

Circulator	Circulator Home State	Calls completed to signers	Signers defrauded	fraud or deception percent
Sherri E. Ferrell	FL	384	136	35.42
Duane Schumacher	MN	207	63	30.43
Larry W Schumacher	Ok	226	50	22.12
Richard A Madrill III	CO	154	42	27.27
Matthew Bechtol	CO	105	31	29.52
Robert V Armstrong	OK	222	31	13.96
Karen Garr	IL	92	25	27.17
Mark Vigil	CO	96	22	22.92
Jay Taylor	CA	105	21	20
Richard Salway	NY	65	20	30.77
Jean Stussie	MO	74	17	22.97
Jonathan Megie	FL	56	16	28.57

"Dozens of affidavits and thousands of pages of evidence clearly show that the entire Republican recall petition process has been tainted by rampant election fraud on an unprecedented level in Wisconsin history," said Miller.  "Unable to gather signatures through traditional grassroots organizing and genuine support, the Republican Party of Wisconsin turned to a shady organization to collect signatures.  The outcome was a tarnished process, and if every invalid and suspicious signature is thrown out, as they should be, it’s clear that the people of Wisconsin have not called for these recall elections."

Yup, what this election cycle needs is some fake investigative reporters dressed as unconvincing nuns, if we have any hope of reprising the entertainment value of the Republicans in the 2008 election.