Wis. Dems: We Will Challenge GOP 'Racket' Of Recall Signatures

[cal04]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/wis-dems-we-will-challenge-gop-racket-of-recall-signatures.php

Wisconsin Democrats, who have been waging a campaign to recall Republican state senators and take a majority back in the chamber, are now firing back at the Republican counter-campaigns to recall the Dems. On a conference call with reporters on Thursday morning, state Dem chair Mike Tate and attorney Jeremy Levinson predicted that they would able to successfully challenge the validity of much of the signature-gathering effort by Republicans -- which Tate repeatedly called a "racket."

"At the heart of the Republican effort from the start was a mercenary spirit that naturally used deception and fraud to gain signatures," charged Tate. "In the coming days, you will see affidavits from citizens in these targeted districts who were deceived into signing petitions by the Republican roadies who often refused to identify themselves by their real names."

In particular, Tate said that the Republicans brought in paid signature gatherers from out of state, who were paid on a per-signature basis, and that some of these gatherers had criminal records.

(snip)
In addition, Tate said that the Dems had stories on hand of people being misled into signing: "We've had people lying saying this is in support of (Democratic state Sen.) Dave Hansen, not to recall Dave Hansen. There are going to be examples of these mercenaries who are paid to collect as many signatures as possible, not valid signatures."

[Drale]

1. How embarrassing is it going to be to the repukes

when most of the repuke gathered sigss are thrown out and most of the dem collected sigs are accepted?

[msongs]

2. paid signature gathering should be outlawed - gather sigs only if u believe in the cause nt

[dhill926]

5. agree..............n/t

[LynneSin]

11. agree +1 to the infinity

Most of the people who do this work are day job workers looking for any money they can get. Probably the same people who stand outside those liberty tax stores wearing a Statue of Liberty costume. I mean, I don't fault these folks, most are unemployed or underemployeed looking for anyway to suppliment their income. Many of them do have criminal records because those with records have a tough time finding jobs because of those records.

And because of the sheer volume of signatures needed for some of these things, many of these day workers figured hell, whatever it takes to get someone to sign because that's more money for me. It's like shopping for a TV - you know where they get paid commissions and where they get paid straight salary. A commission store will be all over you trying to make the buy whereas non-commissions could care less if you buy or not.

And it really does get down to the concept of 'Is this what the people really want?'. If it is - the signatures will come naturally without little to no costs to those initiating the signature gathering (things like buying pens and photocopying signature sheets). For those who realize no one is interested, they realize that only money will will help their cause.

I say this practice should be banned!

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[think]

4. good to see the Republican base

out gathering signatures....

[sinkingfeeling]

6. OMG, paid per-signature gathers? Isn't that what drove the GOP over the clift on ACORN?

[LynneSin]

9. No that's what the GOP use to get signatures, like funding iniatives to get Green candidates...

on the ballot.

I think there should be a ban on 'pay-per-signature' workers. If you have to pay someone to get signatures there is a greater chance of corruption. If people really feel that compelled to repeal a candidate or put them on a ballot, it'll happen because people fought for it.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. You're right. The GOP accused ACORN of paying people to register voters.

http://www.patriotactionnetwork.com/profiles/blogs/nevada-charges-acorn-illegally

LAS VEGAS -- Nevada authorities filed criminal charges Monday against the political advocacy group ACORN and two former employees, alleging they illegally paid canvassers to sign up new voters during last year's presidential campaign.

[gratuitous]

7. SOP for the GOP

They can't mobilize volunteers like the Democrats do. The GOP base for the most part doesn't "volunteer." So they have to pay, usually some little crap amount that is no way comparable to the haul they're looking to loot from the system, but they understand the concept of spending money (as little as possible) to make money. The problem is that even with a little money to grease the wheels, they're selling a horrible product that nobody wants to buy. So they have to lie, cheat, cover up and misdirect the marks to get what they want. (For our lurking friends from across the political aisle, ask yourself why these little Divine Deceptions are necessary if your cause is so right and just.)

Years ago, when Democratic volunteers worked to sign up people to vote, the Repressive Right saw an opportunity to increase their registrations as well. The trouble was, the unregistered voters were heavily Democratic. Not a problem for our RR pals; they just discarded the registrations for the "wrong" party. So legislatures all over the country enacted laws that said if you're going to have a voter registration drive, you have to turn in all the cards. In a further demonstration of their inventive prowess, repressives began filling out bogus registrations for groups like ACORN, and then yammered about how ACORN was abetting voter fraud by turning in cards for Mickey Mouse or Haywood Jablowme. ACORN outsmarted them, citing first the legal requirement that they turn in all cards that were filled out, and helpfully separating out suspicious cards for the local elections boards. No credible case was ever brought against ACORN for knowingly signing up an ineligible voter. So, another tactic had to be tried that would keep the rabble from exercising their right to vote. That time it worked, thanks to the cravenness of our Democratic elected representatives, and ACORN is no more.

I hope I live long enough to see a criminal RICO case brought against the Republican Party.

[LynneSin]

8. Republicans did the same thing with Bob Casey, when trying to get a Green candidate on the ticket

That was hilarious. I forget the candidate's name but Santorum, realizing he was going to be shellacked by Casey in the 2006 election thought if he could get a Green candidate on the ticket he might be able to win. The Casey family has had a history of anti-abortion stance but that was mainly the father (Casey Jr thinks there are enough abortion laws on the books, outside of that Casey Jr is very progressive) and Santorum figured a Green candidate would narrow the gap.

So they found some no-name to run for US Senate on the Green Party and then the republicans hired a bunch of people who would be paid by the signature to get enough votes to put the candidate on the ballot. PA has some very stringent requirements to get your name on the ballot including a high number of signatures.

Casey smartly challenged the signatures and the challenged showed that more than half the signatures were bogus putting the tally well below the number needed to get on the ballot. Who footed all of this - Rick Santorum.

Casey ended up beating Santorum by 19 points.

[Zorra]

10. Predictable. You can always count on republicans to lie and cheat.

Like the sun rising in the morning.