« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Audio Recordings Reveal WI AG Promised Action Over Fraud at RNC
New audio uncovered by the Wisconsin news site Wispolitics.com, reveals that during a speech at the Republican National Convention, Wisconsin's attorney general, J.B. Van Hollen promised action on voter fraud.
At the time of the statement, Van Hollen hadn't filed suit against the Government Accountability Board -- which oversees state elections -- demanding that they verify all of the voter registrations filed since January 2006. As a result, his statement at the RNC stands in sharp contrast to his claims that the suit is not politically motivated.
"There was no discussion with anybody involved in leadership with the Republican Party (or the McCain campaign) about this lawsuit before it was brought," Van Hollen said earlier last month.
"We're out there fighting to make sure that within the context of 'little-L,' liberal voter registration law that we have in the state of Wisconsin, that even though in the context of that law we can't prevent everybody from voting who isn't entitled to vote and preserve the right for everybody who is entitled to vote, to vote, but we are going to do our best, as the lawyers for the state of Wisconsin, as the defenders and protectors of the law of the state of Wisconsin, of the people who are there to defend your right to have your vote matter," Van Hollen said on September 4th at the RNC.
"We are out there front and center everyday and you'll be hearing much more from the Department of Justice in the coming months about doing what we can to make sure that those people who have illegally and illegitimately registered to vote, don't have the opportunity on election day to show up and take away your vote by casting one that is not legal," he continued.
Joe Wineke, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was distressed at the audio of Van Hollen's statements.
"If JB Van Hollen is claiming this lawsuit isn't political, then why did he discuss it with the RPW Chair at a partisan political convention and then send signals to fellow Republicans that he was mobilizing the Department of Justice to take action?," said Wineke in a press release.
Listen to a portion of the audio of Van Hollen's speech here.
Josh
Zachary
I believe that's what is called a smoking gun.
There is so much else going on today with more McCain Implosion. Josh & Co - you really need to make sure this get some attention on the front page, perhaps with a link in a Josh or Gary blog entry on the left hand side. This really is a major subject. We may all be jumping with joy over the polling, and it's quite possible that the tide has turned to the degree that this won't stop Obama from winning. But all of these "voter fraud" tactics could have massive down ticket impact in close races for Senate and Congress. We can't lose sight of that in our focus on the top of the ticket. This tactics may save a few seats that come back to bits us in the behind over the next two years... or six years if they are Senate seats.
The Muck doesn't appear to have as much traffic/comments in the election crunch as it does during the rest of the year when it's often the centerpiece of the TPM Family. So make sure to highlight all of these out front so people see them and spread the word.
John
October 6, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
He also has the distinction of being Co-Chair of the McCain for President Wisconsin Campaign. How can this not be a conflict of interest? He's another Ken Blackwell in the making.
Calling RICO, come in RICO...
October 6, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just what I was thinking. Taking up where Blackwell left off.
Cretins.
October 6, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I intend to vote first thing on Nov 4 - just in case they challenge me. This is beyond ridiculous.
October 7, 2008 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
These men are beyond despicable. They've cost the "lower 48" millions, if not billions in earmark and pork barrel tax dollars to benefit the few while mocking and deriding the very states pimped by them....for decades. This investigation is the tip of the Stevens iceberg, there are decades of Stevens
legacy that have been ignored by 20 years of Repub control in both houses in DC.
Ted Stevens was walking "down a hill in San Francisco" (while schmoozing/conspiring with his corrupt cohort on the phone)....if San Franciscans were aware that Stevens was in SF at all would create a water shortage from the entire population taking "rape victim showers" to wash his filth out of their appalled psyche's
October 7, 2008 11:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you have early voting, do it. They can't challenge your vote once it has been cast, and they don't have the resources to stand at every early voting site all day long on the off chance that a caged voter might show up.
Again, if you can, vote BEFORE November 4th.
October 7, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Given that the Republican Party is dealing with ensuring that no individual voter cheats by voting as someone else, are not duly registered to vote or voting in the wrong polling place, etc. Perhaps the Democratic Party should take the position, publicly,
that they too want to ensure the integrity of the upcoming election. And since the Republican Party is working on the individual voter aspect of possible vote fraud, we will join them in this endeavor by concentrating on the vote counting process, to ensure that all legitimate votes are counted, and counted correctly. To that end, we will be working on the ground, at the polling places, in this years election; and we will be introducing legislation requiring that all vote tabulation systems have the capacity for examination for any technical problems and allow for a verifiable recount.
October 7, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink