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Feingold Weighs in on WI AG's Plans for Prosecutor Poll Watchers
Wisconin's junior senator, Russ Feingold, joined the fray over Attorney Gen. J.B. Van Hollen's announcement this week that he would be sending 50 state prosecutors and agents to polls to protect against voter fraud.
"[T]he announcement and execution of your plans may have the effect of discouraging legitimate voters from attempting to cast their votes, and I urge you to reconsider your decision," Feingold wrote in a letter to Van Hollen published by the Capital Times. "I also encourage you to ensure that criminal law enforcement personnel are not deployed at polling stations."
Calling it "widely acknowledged" that law enforcement personnel can lead to intimidated and discouraged voters, Feingold asked for Van Hollen to provide detailed information about how DOJ employees will be deployed.
Yesterday, Gov. Jim Doyle called Van Hollen's poll watchers an "obvious Republican strategy." Last week, a court threw out a suit by Van Hollen that would have called for additional checks of voter registrations.
But Van Hollen doesn't seem to be fazed by these setbacks and detractors. The GOP AG sent a letter Wednesday asking chief district court judges across the state to alert him on Election Day in case he has to "initiate emergency election-related proceedings."
Josh
Zachary
Van Hollen's a shill. Plain and simple.
October 31, 2008 8:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's worse than a shill. He a determined criminal calling the bluff of We the people, believing he can pull off the crime.
Note he has escalated by hinting at escalation. He is way out of bounds, and the state legislature needs to flrocefully bring his America-hating ass back within the law until he can be impeached and removed.
October 31, 2008 8:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, it looks like the WI legislature is set to go to the Dems, so JB "JB" VanHollen may have rougher waters to navigate.
I agree with the comments that, for the most part, the city voting officials seem to be about protecting citizens' right to vote. Wisconsin has very liberal voting laws, including same-day registration on election day, and I believe that sticks in Van Hollens' craw.
Peg Lautenschlager is a decent and honest public servant who was smeared by the VanHollen campaign.
Interested in reading more about WI politics? Check out http://www.fightingbob.com/.
October 31, 2008 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
They stole 2000
and 2004.
Don't let Republicans steal any more!
October 31, 2008 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only reason he's in office is that fmr. AG Peg Lautenschlager got arrested for DUI. Wisconsin forever!
October 31, 2008 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey she was just a little messed up on pills... We likes our chemicals during those long cold winters...
October 31, 2008 8:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do we ever! Bottoms up!
October 31, 2008 9:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know a lawyer who worked for Peg. Something about Van Hollen: "not being the Anti-Christ, but certainly a soldier in his army"
Or something.
November 1, 2008 8:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
why isn't the ag being taken back to court? wisconsin election law appears to allow only appointed "election judges" from challenging the legitimacy of anybody seeking to cast a ballot -- and then places strict limits on the scope of the questioning. and has this goon been asked to explain why -- since provisional ballots include the identity of those who cast them -- why it's necessary to deploy prosecutors and police officers to voting places?
October 31, 2008 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I went to vote early and mentioned to the city employees that I was paranoid about my vote, due to people wanting to purge voters, they said: "We here are all on your side." That made me think that even the city officials are annoyed that someone would try to tamper with their commitment to voters being able to vote.
It makes me so mad that anyone would interfere with our sacred right to vote.
The repubs must just hate it that so many people are voting early. That so many have registered and are passionate to vote. And, especially, that they have no control over the droves of people who are coming out to vote - particularly the votes for Obama.
At the bank today, I shook hands with two black men who seemed dazed that a white haired white lady was wearing an Obama shirt and button. And the bank ladies were thrilled too - gave me a thumbs up!
A new day is coming..... and how sweet it is!
October 31, 2008 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
As someone who's been doing various kinds of voter education and election support for years . .. the elections officials who run things for the state overall, and for Milwaukee,(and presumably most of the state, but I don't know that from my own experience) are quite good and very interested in protecting the right to vote.
And if anyone you know has problems at the polls: call 1-866-OUR-VOTE!!!!
What we need to be thinking about is what kind of changes need to be made with national voting rights laws, to stop this kind of effort to game the registration system . . . Like this great piece from the Brennan Center for Justice, on Universal Voter Registration - that certainly would be a huge step forward! http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/universal_voter_registration_draft_summary/
Oh, and TPM - to the world Feingold may just be the "junior" senator from Wisconsin - but to many of us who've been fighting to get back from the wilderness the last eight years, he's . . . and I don't use this word lightly . . . a hero. (Remember that 99-1 vote on the Patriot Act, back in 2001? He was the 1 . . .)
October 31, 2008 9:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This kind of stuff is going to be a serious challenge for an Obama DoJ. You have what is apparently a widespread set of conspiracies to commit federal crimes and subvert the proper functioning of our government, but attempts to prosecute will be labeled as political revenge.
Luckily there's also the option of congressional hearings, with the power to issue subpoenas and compel people to appear. After enough light has been shone on the conspirators, public support for prosecution will likely be overwhelming.
October 31, 2008 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
getting power back to Congress to enforce its subpoenas is going to be a major task.
And the fact that if, as we all hope, Obama is elected next week, will not help this and could actually hurt it in a sense- the Constitution provides for a President who derives his power from Congress, and who is obligated to execute the laws written by it. Subpoenas were not enforced because the subpoeanaed individuals hid behind Executve Priviledge.
Since it is the President's job to execute the laws, the fact that he ignored Congress, and did not even bother to assert Executive Priviledge in some cases (I believe Rove had no standing for the President to invoke it- Rove's lawyer invoked it himself, if I'm not mistaken)it then becomes Congress's job to do the work the Presient won't, by exercising its power of inherent contempt, or by removing the President himself via impeachment.
If Congressional subpoenas have only the force that President Obama gives them, that is yet another disaster our Congresses, both Democratic- and Republican-led, have bequeathed us.
November 1, 2008 5:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does this guy buy hair gel by the gallon?
What a douchebag.
October 31, 2008 9:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha! I have to admit to the same thought. I was trying hard to focus on the issue here, but I was terribly distracted by that look he's so carefully cultivated. He looks just like a few political appointees I've been forced to work with (or around) in the last 8 years in DC. I'll be glad to see them gone.
November 1, 2008 8:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
That guy is like a stock villain from central casting.
October 31, 2008 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
and this type activity is what you see......what about what no one is seeing? this guy didn't just decide to take this on himself.
one of the biggest problmes for the bushcon now is: the sewage sprayers are not getting the desired results.
After massive coatings of sewage spray the results may not keep all bushcon employees out of jail.
Serious business for the looters now.
Voting will be made less and less attractive as the sewage dwellers see their lifestyle threatened.
October 31, 2008 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Heh. I had the pleasure of early-voting for a local (SF) proposition to rename one of our municipal facilities the George W. Bush Sewage Plant! Won't know how that went 'til Tuesday.
October 31, 2008 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, awesome. Whoever put that initiative on the ballot is a freakin' genius. Good luck, hope it passes! :)
November 1, 2008 8:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Year after year ,the same old repulsive statics by Rape-publican Sec of states & AG.prevent Americans from exercising their democratic right.Memo to voters never vote for Rape-puiblicans ever.
October 31, 2008 10:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me the next order of business for Democrats should be to get nominated at the state level, of every state, Progressive and Liberal Atty Gen.'s and Sec.'s of State to avoid this kind of crap next time around. We're building a solid majority in the congress now we need to ensure we can protect those majorities with the law rather than let them get stolen by anti-democratic hacks like Van Hollen.
October 31, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
same old repulsive tactics.
October 31, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Van Hollen is a disgrace to the state of Wisconsin. And that picture honestly makes him look like a complete tool.
October 31, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, but kind of a weak missive coming from Feingold. This AG deserves a much firmer bitch slapping and the political climate in WI permits such.
I voted for Russ when his big-person teeth were coming in, but his role in this presidential election has been nonexistent but for a "slip" to the Sentinel about how much he admired McClown. My hunch: There's a rift between Russ and Obama that isn't being reported.
October 31, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Respectfully: baloney. Coming from a fellow cheesehead.
Russ is not a demonstrative guy sometimes. Very easy to overread his statements.
November 1, 2008 1:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Van Hollen has a definite future on Faux Spews. He's one of those dudes who doesn't want folks that don't think or look like him to have an easy time voting. A fan of Joe the Plumber. A fascist.
October 31, 2008 10:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know what else to do but laugh at this guy. His existence is so tragic, terrfying and absurd all at the same time, that really, all I can do is laugh.
There will be a reckoning for these people. There must be. I don't want to poison the politics of the next few years, but how else can we restore an honest, dignified Governance?
October 31, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
OMG! Van Hollen is also a Master Mason of the sublime degree!
I have no idea what that means. But he sure is evil, masonic or not.
October 31, 2008 11:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Feingold's name wasn't at the bottom I'd have guessed that was written by Harry Reid or Evan Bayh.
October 31, 2008 11:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I can understand why Van Hollen would feel the need for extra security on Election Day, their glory days may be past them but they are still a big draw for the 40something set...
November 1, 2008 12:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like they want to win through the court instead of the ballot box once again. They want to win by spoiling as much Democrats ballots as they could and letting court decides the next president just as they did in handing Bush the presidency.
November 1, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Appletonian to the core. Dutch, reactionary... I am sure his grandparents voted for Ol' Joe, & they prolly knew Bob Welch, Sr., -- alumnus of same college as I, so I give my respect, on that -- who helped found the John Birch Society. Fun times.
November 1, 2008 9:47 PM | Reply | Permalink