Doyle Drawing Swords After First Blood

April Post

The sexiness of campaign finance reform raised by McCain-Feingold was never an issue discovered by polling; was never an issue for 30 second TV ads; was never an issue in any candidate’s top three reasons to run for office.

Yet, campaign reform gets more attention than a candidate’s 10-point plan to reduce taxes, or improve education, or any other stuff the polls say rank higher than the administration of our elections.

So the point is, when nearly every academic think-tank and dozens of big-city newspapers confirm voter fraud occurred, what is the point in denying it, as the Doyle operation continues to spin?

Wouldn’t the political path of least resistance lead to Doyle eliminating this nuisance of an issue by getting something on his desk, signing it, and running an editorial board, Feingold-esque, victory lap?

Here’s your answer;

However, a careful review of the facts shows that in 2004, paid Democrat operatives were far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression efforts than their Republican counterparts. Examples include:

• Paid Democrat operatives charged with slashing tires of 25 Republican get-out-the-vote vans in Milwaukee on the morning of Election Day.

• Misleading telephone calls made by Democrat operatives targeting Republican voters in Ohio with the wrong date for the election and faulty polling place information.

• Intimidating and deceiving mailings and telephone calls paid for by the DNC threatening Republican volunteers in Florida with legal action.

• Union-coordinated intimidation and violence campaign targeting Republican campaign offices and volunteers resulting in a broken arm for a GOP volunteer in Florida.

Talk about pinning the tail on the donkey.

In Wisconsin, it boils down to the Republican Party beating the Democrats to the issue.

Cheating occurred. It was an organized cheating effort. The cheats were Democratic operatives.

By spinning this reality, Doyle and the Democratic machinery are looking silly and disconnected:

The restrictive GOP Voter ID bill would do nothing to address the Republican allegations put forward. ...Instead of engaging in scare tactics and misinformation campaigns, Republicans should work with Governor Doyle to put in place his reforms to improve the way our elections are conducted from top to bottom.
State Democratic Party Chair, Joe Wineke

Misinformation campaigns? Allegations?

Vote fraud and voter registration fraud were significant problems in at least a dozen states around the county. Vote fraud is a reality in America that occurred not only in large battleground states like Wisconsin…

Joint task force in Wisconsin found “clear evidence of fraud in the Nov. 2 election in Milwaukee,” including more than 200 felon voters, more than 100 double voters and thousands more ballots cast than voters recorded as having voted in the city. .

To bottom line it; passing campaign reforms doesn’t get anyone elected.

If the Republican bill is signed by this Democrat governor, it translates into little value for GOP legislative campaigns. But it does demonstrate to mainstream voters that a Democrat governor is fixing an issue Democrat organizations are being blamed for.

With little upside for Republicans and a lot of downside for Doyle, why the vetoes?

Just get ‘er done - and Move-on.org.