How terrified is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and the state’s GOP about the news that in just 30 days, Wisconsin Dems have already obtained 90% plus of the signatures they need to trigger a recall election? Why, they’re scared enough to actually try to sink the whole proceeding with this pathetic tactic.
Wisconsin Republicans have mounted a new response to the effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker — filing a lawsuit today against the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections, alleging that Walker’s 14th Amendment constitutional rights are being violated by the procedures the board uses in verifying, accepting or rejecting petition signatures.
The state GOP’s legal complaint argues that the GAB’s procedures for recall petitions, which involve the incumbent’s campaign challenging duplicate signatures of people who would have signed more than once — place an undue burden on the Walker campaign. Under the law, the incumbent has a ten-day review period, in which to submit challenges.
“The GAB’s position that it is the responsibility of the Walker campaign to identify and challenge duplicate signatures flies in the face of the idea of a fair electoral process,” the party said in a press release.
Of course let’s remember that “the idea of a fair electoral process” to Wisconsin Republicans is one where Wisconsin Democrats are regularly disenfranchised and misinformed of their right to vote at all as the GOP puts up as many roadblocks as possible to curtail voting among the poor and elderly.
The only problem here according to them is the unconstitutional part of Wisconsin’s constitution that allows recalls.
Jim C.
I wouldn’t cross the street to piss on this asshat if he was on fire.
Well, maybe I would. Just not on the currently burning parts.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
FTFY.
BGinCHI
I thought these Originalist morans didn’t much care for pesky amendments. But of course they gallop straight for anything that will help with their trashing of all the other protections in the Constitutions.
This is weak sauce.
Somebody is having a scared.
John PM
And to think I was under the impression that modern Republicans thought that the 14th Amendment was a bad thing.
Villago Delenda Est
Republicans always whine about ‘technicalities’, except when they see them as a way out of being responsible for their actions.
Jay in Oregon
That’s not even an original scheme; it was the basis for Bush v. Gore in 2000.
What a miserable little puke Walker is. Clearly, he didn’t get his ass whupped enough growing up.
Chuck Butcher
One could mention running false flag candidates…
Linda Featheringill
I saw this on TPM and had to laugh out loud. Being recalled violates his 14th Amendment rights? Ha!
Baud
What are you talking about? That wasn’t a burden on Walker campaign at all.
gbear
Before this is over, Walker is going to be asking armed conservatives to converge on the capitol and act as his personal army to prevent his eviction.
I don’t think that there’s any bottom to how low he’ll go.
I’m very much looking forward to the day he’s removed from office. What a party that will be.
JCT
Wow, now this is pathetic. Karma is a bitch, Walker — hope you had a grand old time trampling on everyone else’s rights.
kay
I think it’s bad politics. I thought Walker was slicker than this.
Wisconsin voters are violating the Governor’s rights?
Ugh. Just looks and sounds weak and whiny, and all about HIM.
Amir Khalid
Reposted from previous thread:
Ich bin kein Anwalt. But the grounds for a lawsuit seem frivolous at best. The recall procedure has been in place for decades, as the story notes. Ten days to challenge petitioners’ signatures has been considered enough time all this while. How does the state GOP expect to convince a judge that this time it’s not enough?
gaz
BWAHAHAHAHA…
that is all.
Linda Featheringill
@kay:
What is this about people who choose to sign the petition are given more weight than people who choose not to sign?
JCJ
Another thing about this is where the lawsuit was filed – Waukesha County – the heart of Wingnutopia. Why not Dane County where Madison is or Milwaukee County, other than the obvious reason?
kideni
And then there’s Fitz the lesser, Assembly Speaker Jeff, who wants to get rid of the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board and reestablish the partisan system that everyone hated before. These people are not just sleazy but creative and resourceful in their sleaze.
eric
How does the party have standing to claim his rights will be violated.
The Republic of Stupidity
Translation: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah… waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…
***sob… choke…*** Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…
No one of importance
I have one word for Walker.
Diddums.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Shorter Walker: “Some item in the Wisconsin constitution or law that can cost me my job can’t be constitutional!”
Like most Republicans, Walker doesn’t like any law unless it was signed into law by himself. The sick part is that this asshole (and those like him) will challenge the election results if he loses. You can bet that his people would happily be going over every vote, one by one. Which is exactly what they are whining about now…lol!
“Any way the wind blows…”
as long as it’s in their favor.
pete
@Linda Featheringill: Per TPM, they claim:
So anyone who double-signs (illegally, in that you can only sign once) is, um, trying to claiming more weight for their signature since if you don’t sign you can only not be counted once, no matter how many times you refuse to sign, so its a 14th amendment issue. This is completely insane.
If you had 13 items in the 12-item express checkout, and I only had 12, then you are discriminating against me and violating my civil rights? I look forward to reading the judge’s ruling on this one.
markg
@JCJ: The case is being heard in Waukesha, before a judge who was a former republican legislator, by some coincidence I’m sure, because Walker signed into law a few weeks ago a new venue provision that allows anyone suing the State to file the lawsuit anywhere in the State. Formerly, a suit against the State had to be filed in the capital, Madison.
ellennelle
@markg:
oh, this is ripe. i’d like to see them try to convince anyone outside their republican cult there that this was not part of the plan for the little switcheroo.
a little worried that this is (a) filed, as you say, in the infamous waukesha county, and (b) that the supreme court is, well, what it is.
which is, to put it mildly, pretty damn desperate. especially in light of the ongoing investigation.
but yeah, pretty desperate; were he sure about his chances of winning, this would not even be the least bit necessary.
gaz
@Odie Hugh Manatee: I hope they collect 1000% percent of the signatures necessary to recall him.
Hell, I’d like to see more recall sigs than votes he initially got, by several orders of magnitude. Anything else is letting this douchewhistle off too easy.
Contest this! beeeyotch!
Benjamin Franklin
Walker is buying time. Imagine how long it will take to determine if there have been duplications of sigs.
It’s not rocket science.
Benjamin Franklin
Walker is buying time. Imagine how long it will take to determine if there have been duplications of sigs.
It’s not rocket science.
Gretchen
People wouldn’t have been inclined to sign twice except that Walker partisans were making a show of destroying petions. So anybody who wanted to be sure their signature would count would be inclined to sign twice to make sure.
rikyrah
This is who they are…
period.
no shock in the least.
Karen
When do you end up fined or in jail because you signed the newly illegal petition? And if he gets away with it, count on it spreading to every Republican state.
Hmm….it could be used to make elections anywhere illegal…not voting Republican puts undue burden on people who do?
The day it becomes illegal to be a Demcorat gets closer and closer…
Chris
This is amazing: whenever I read stuff like this, it makes me want to go give money – sometimes more than I have – to whomever the victims of this bullshit happen to be. Congratulations, Wisconsin GOP: you’ve proven that corporations aren’t the only instruments of capitalism you can endow with personhood; you’re now proving that you can talk directly to the dollars in my wallet and snake-charm them straight out, and into the coffers of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
Even dollars that aren’t there. But I suppose that’s a standard GOP skill, given the party’s idea of what constitutes sensible economic policy.
buckyblue
The state Supreme Court will give Walker whatever he wants, they are not a deliberative body of constitutional scholars, but one with a majority of political hacks. GOP uber alles. It may take armed insurrection to recall Walker.
Bullsmith
Walker has the whole government to deny Dems votes, but if and when they actually win a vote, then that’s a whole gang of young bucks ganging up on his lonely, valiant, constitutional right to remain in power.
“Democracy” is word much like “Crowbar” to these folks. It’s a tool you can use to steal from folks.
Epicurus
This reminds me of the scene in Citizen Kane where they are considering which front page to run after the election: “
KaneWalker Wins in Landslide” vs. “Fraud at the Polls!” Hmmm, which one are the Rethuglicans likely to use?Marvin
Politics politics, one scandal after another.
Marvin
It is going to take some honest people to turn this world around. You can tell what we deserve by what we get.