Voter Suppression in Wisconsin, Courtesy of the GOP and Americans for Prosperity

[babylonsister]

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/voter-suppression-wisconsin-courtesy-gop-an

September 22, 2010 09:00 AM

Voter Suppression in Wisconsin, Courtesy of the GOP and Americans for Prosperity
By karoli
audio at link~


If you can't win the vote fairly, suppress voters. This has been a Republican tactic for years, and it's running rampant in Wisconsin. While polls are showing Russ Feingold at a shocking disadvantage to his teabagger opponent Ron Johnson, the GOP and Americans for Prosperity are working behind the scenes on a voter suppression scam that is on a far wider scale, but no different than Republicans have used for years.

Here's how it works: A mailer is sent to registered voters. Any mailers returned by the post office are put in a database and those voters are submitted to be purged from voting rolls. Of course, the targets are never Republican voters. They're Democrats, and generally minority voters in particular. Here's a better explanation from the Brennan Center for Justice:

Voter caging is the practice of sending mail to addresses on the voter rolls, compiling a list of the mail that is returned undelivered, and using that list to purge or challenge voters registrations on the grounds that the voters on the list do not legally reside at their registered addresses. Supporters of voter caging defend the practice as a means of preventing votes cast by ineligible voters. Voter caging, however, is notoriously unreliable. If it is treated (unjustifiably) as the sole basis for determining that a voter is ineligible or does not live at the address at which he or she registered, it can lead to the unwarranted purge or challenge of eligible voters. …Moreover, the practice has often been targeted at minority voters, making the effects even more pernicious. {Brennan Center, “A Guide to Voter Caging,” 6/29/07}

snip//

One Wisconsin Now has uncovered this plot with evidence, but don't assume this is limited to Wisconsin. I guarantee you it isn't. They are targeting as many states as they can, but particularly swing states. Expect Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona just to name a few to have the exact same operations afoot.

Voter suppression undermines democracy. It is a bully tactic to disenfranchise minority and young voters. If you're as angry about this as I am, consider visiting Save Wisconsin's Vote and taking action.

[Blue Owl]

1. Something STINKS

and the stench is coming from the GOP.

[napi21]

2. I just posted a similar story about Oregon. T. Hartmann is

discussing it on his show today and none of the media is paying any attention!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x91810

I think I'l send a request to Keith, Rachel & Ed to see if I can't get at least one if not all three shows to cover this crap!

[babylonsister]

3. I missed your post; sounds pervasive. I hope someone notices. nt

[Viking12]

4. Probably not as effective here in WI as it might be in other places.

We allow registration at the polls (aka "motor voter"), so a 'purged' voter can just re-register. It may discourage some if they would have to go home to retrieve ID.

I can see, however, where it would be a huge problem in states that require registration well in advance of the election.

[Qutzupalotl]

5. Quick link to Save Wisconsin's Vote

http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/swv2010/swvhome.html

[CoffeeCat]

6. Question...

I hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but I had to express my utter
shock that Feingold is losing that much to a tea bagger.

Wisconsin is usually pretty Democratic, isn't it?

How can this be? Incumbents usually fare well, unless they've messed up
big time. This makes me sad.

[babylonsister]

7. You're not, and I don't understand it either. I think maybe

the media is making more of this than is should be, but I don't know.

From this a.m.~

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9179407

Feingold Counts on Being Underestimated

[CoffeeCat]

11. What troubles me...

is that we hear about formal voter-caging shenannigans--and we've got the media
meme against him. Then we have the PPP poll, which is questionable--and if I'm
remembering correctly, that particular polling group has been way wrong, almost
as if they were being used as part of propaganda campaigns.

It bothers me that we see that people are messing with this election. Now, we've
got questionable polls attempting to back up a Feingold loss and the media making
sense out of a Feingold loss. When it seems to make no sense at all.

His constituents are happy with him. Wisconsin is not a red state. It is
fairly Progressive.

Nothing about this makes sense.

[PeaceNikki]

10. The polls are skewed and counting on Democrats not showing up

since the incumbent party usually sits out mid-terms.

This is why is so very important that we spread the word and vote... and bring 5 of our friends with us. Viking12 is right that this tactic won't be as effective here as other places, but I think Russ will win.

It'll be tight, but he will win. However, a tight race leaves a lot of room for shenanigans to be effective and tip the scales toward pure shit. **cough** Bush/Gore **cough**

[Sal Minella]

8. Good information, thanks.

I wondered how Karl Rove was keeping his obnoxious little self busy these days.

[PeaceNikki]

9. Kicked and R'd.

Wisconsin democrats... FINE Democrats like Russ Feingold need your help.

Please spread the word.