Punishing Minorities!

By Jeff Simpson

North Carolina recently passed sweeping new "Voter ID" laws that are some of the most restrictive in years. 

The measure requires voters to present government-issued photo identification at the polls and shortens the early voting period from 17 to 10 days. It will also end pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-old voters who will be 18 on Election Day and eliminates same-day voter registration.

Democrats and minority groups have been fighting against the changes, arguing that they represent an effort to suppress the minority vote and the youth vote, along with reducing Democrats’ advantage in early voting. They point out that there is little documented evidence of voter fraud.

 In Wisconsin, not to be outdone by crazies from elsewhere in the country, is looking to trump NC.  

Wisconsin's voter ID law is currently tied up in the courts. Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, believes his revised bill would be constitutional. Those who can't afford a photo ID would have to reveal to election officials their lack of income or sign an affidavit why they don't have a birth certificate to get an ID: “This is very similar to Indiana's current photo ID law that was held in the U.S. Supreme Court,

 As far right and repressive as it is to begin with, Glenn Grothman is always willing to pull something even further right:

A Republican legislator is circulating bills that would make it more difficult to vote in Wisconsin.

This time, state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) is trying to limit voting by early, in-person absentee voters and impose new requirements on those helping residents living in assisted living facilities to vote. A third bill would weaken big-money donors’ disclosure requirements. 

Despite the paltry 0.0000017% conviction rate, Republicans continue to spread the myth of “widespread voter fraud” and are pressing on with proposals that would solve this so-called problem. In reality, their solutions would merely disenfranchise voters who are more likely to cast ballots for Democrats.

That motivation became crystal clear when state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) stated that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would have won Wisconsin last fall if the nation’s most restrictive voter ID had been in place on Election Day. When requested by OWN, Darling couldn’t provide documentation of the 200,000 illegally cast ballots that would have swung the election to the Republicans.

 Well America has been looking for someone to actually stand up for what is right and not tow the company line.  Finally we have someone when Colin Powell did just that!

Speaking at the CEO Forum, where Gov. Pat McCrory was in the audience, Powell said he believed the legislation would make it more difficult for all individuals to vote.

"I want to see policies that encourage every American to vote, not make it more difficult to vote," he said, according to the News & Observer. "It immediately turns off a voting block the Republican Party needs... These kinds of actions do not build on the base. It just turns people away."

General Powell did not stop there, he went a step further:

During his speech, Powell pushed back on the idea, which McCrory has cited, that voter ID laws curb voter fraud.
"You can say what you like, but there is no voter fraud," Powell said. "How can it be widespread and undetected?"
He continued, "What it really says to the minority voters is ... 'We really are sort-of punishing you.'"

Which explains everything in Wisconsin.  Meting out punishment to anyone who dared vote against them has been the Republican party of Wisconsin's obsession since they took over the reigns in 2010.  

Wait until you see what they have in store if they win another election!  

Fact or Fiction?

By Jeff Simpson

I stumbled upon a discussion on facebook recently between a few people on the far right fringe of WI.  In it, they were discussing the popularity of different republicans in taking back the White House in 2016.  

This was the original discussion post:

Good news for Wisconsin Republican and Conservatives! Paul Ryan has the highest approval number and Walker comes in 7th. Also 2 Floridian's Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush at 3rd an 4th most favorable.

I am beginning to believe that Ryan is still our best shot..but Rand Paul does have a chance...I'll still need to see how he contrasts with the Dem's candidate and how the centrists take to Rand Paul. My fear is the press will force him into defending or denying his Father's ideas and positions, which will take up a lot of the energy Rand would need to make his positive case.

Thoughts?

Which of course led to them lamenting amongst themselves that the only way a democrat can win is election fraud and that no republican can win statewide until we enact voter ID because despite the republicans massive popularity in our state, the democrats just cheat.

Without taking the time to point out that the republicans control every branch of government in WI or a myriad of other facts, someone posted this as "proof" -

Mark Lahti Well Jeff. Just for starters. I followed three different vans with out of state plates carrying around the same groups of people from one polling place to another. They all went in and same day registered then voted. While inside watching same day registrants I observed them all using a letter that appeared to be a form letter as some some proof of residency. This went on all day. That was just one polling place in one city. These type of reports were coming in from all areas. Fraud was RAMPANT. I saw it first hand. The problem with the system is that there is vertically nothing you can do after the fact. Voter ID will go a long way to curtail this.

Monday at 11:35pm via mobile · Like · 1

Ken Brown Mark is correct, until we get a Statewide election for Governor or President with full Voter ID in place, we'll not get a good handle on just who much fraud is going on out there.

So my question to YOU is....do you really think that van loads of people with "out of state" plates were driving polling place to polling place and voting in the last election?  

Fact or fiction?