As Wisconsin voters head to the polls today for the spring primary they are reminded to take voter identification with them so to be able to cast a ballot. As we prepare to do that let us recall some simple facts that led us to this needless voter ID law.
We are all aware of the story about the boy who tore his dad’s lawn mower apart to make it run better. The fact the mower was not broken in the first place, and then cost even more to put back together, is the part of the story that is supposed to make us smile.
Truth is the Republicans in Wisconsin are like that boy. The voting system is the mower, and the cost associated with it for our democracy is far too high a price which now has to be paid. Much like the boy tried to find a problem with the mower the Republicans created voter ID for a problem that did not and does not exist at our polling places.
The GOP should not be rewarded for using partisan politics in this fashion.
Data shows that nothing nefarious was happening at the polling places in Wisconsin. NOTHING. There were no streams of voters pretending to be someone else, or voting twice. There were no throngs of folks using fake aliases to cast a ballot, and there were no elections that had been decided by all the wild claims. The only drama that takes place regarding elections are when Republicans breathlessly try to gin up their base with false-hoods about voter fraud.
We also need to be reminded that no Republican was able to stand up in the legislature and produce any court cases, judge’s rulings, or names of those who cast fraudulent votes. If there was such rampant voting abuses why did the Attorney General not investigate?
Voter ID remains one of the most shameful actions taken by Wisconsin Republicans.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Truth is, the WI GOP simply exploited an expanding weakness for Democrats in Wisconsin politics: they only go to the polls in “big” elections, while the bad-crazy GOP cryptos in suburban and exurban Milwaukee never miss even a school-board primary. The GOP is betting that the sense that it’s now a hassle to vote will keep many students and minorities from the polls, meaning that Democrats will no longer win in the big contests and thus guarantee a Republican theocracy in perpetuity in our poor beleaguered state. We can’t let ’em get away with it. Damn right I voted yesterday.
It’s sad that the only real case of voter fraud was Robin Vos’ soon to be ex wife signed divorce documents in Idaho in 2012 stating that she was a resident of Idaho and later voted absentee in Wisconsin. Robie didn’t start an in depth probe so we don’t know if they are checking the borders to see if she is sneaking back to vote for our Supreme Court.
It is a crushing effort to open up that wallet, Peter. Glad you were able to handle it.
Excellent example, Jim. And this political voter ID bill does not even address the Vos family voting fraud!
tom–my whole point is that Dems/liberals need to step up their game or give away the farm to the WalkerCombine forever. I’m a commercial driver, I have to open my wallet all the time anyway, but thanks for your concern.
Conservatives who once championed smaller government now champion ever more intrusions into every facet of our lives. The voter ID law is just one of those types of laws that had no foundation in fact to ever come to fruition but is now heralded by them as essential. Simply laughable expect it is so bad for our democracy.
I did a blog post once about how our state government used to be there if you needed them for something… which is, after all, their job (and, BTW, this is the Thompson administration I’m talking about). Now the state is like a cultist church you never wanted to join, taking over every aspect of your life. Wanna complain? Don’t dare, infidel.
Peter, you are so correct. I worked in the Assembly for a decade as a Democrat during the years Thompson served as governor. In fact my first day in the statehouse was the day TT was sworn into the Govs’. office for the first time (1987). The idea that government mattered and should be reformed to work better was central to TT. Like his welfare moves or not they were designed to create better long-term conditions for people. Today there are too many Young GOP Turks elected with no real life exp. and clearly no institutional knowledge of government and they seek to slash and burn as much as they can and claim that is governing.
I met Tommy Thompson twice, and it was a pleasure. The first time I was eating breakfast with some colleagues in the DNR cafeteria and he stopped by our table to chat for a few minutes and share a few jokes. The second time he was coming out of the Tornado Club with his ONE bodyguard and I just hailed him: “Hey, Governor!” He shook my hand and asked where I lived, and I said Fitchburg. He said something along the lines of, “Please don’t ask me to get involved in Fitchburg politics!” which totally cracked me up. I really miss those times. Does it show?
Tommy Thompson can be a classy guy. The man who lived in our home prior to James and I moving in was our friend. He worked for Thompson in the DOA. After the death of our friend Thompson wrote a personal note and sent a check to the family. For someone who had many people who could undertake the tasks like that for him it was Thompson who took the time to do it himself. That says something to me.
I have note on this blog that Thompson early in the first months of his time as governor walked to some offices at the statehouse and just popped in and said hello to folks. Our office was one of them and it was a real kick. He never forgot a name, was perhaps the most ‘ultimate politician’ I have ever watched do his thing. I wish he had never made that final campaign against Tammy as it tarnished his image and made him look small. For some it is hard to get off the stage.