Althouse: Group offers $10,000 reward for info leading to arrests for the destruction of signed recall Walker petitions.

November 22, 2011

Group offers $10,000 reward for info leading to arrests for the destruction of signed recall Walker petitions.

"One Wisconsin Now... launched the effort after anonymous posts appeared online from people who said they would gather signatures to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker but then destroy the petitions instead of turning them in."

84 comments:

edutcher said...: Anybody offering rewards for phony signatures?; 11/22/11, 2:04 PM
traditionalguy said...: Wisconsin is one funny State.

But if this happened, a Doctor can simply write an excuse for it.

My suggestion is they look in Illinois where the Legislators hide the important stuff.; 11/22/11, 2:05 PM
madAsHell said...: Who funds the One Wisconsin group?

I love it. I think I can hear heads exploding.; 11/22/11, 2:06 PM
Scott M said...: This is what democracy looks like. An endless parade of bad behavior on both sides.

Fun.

Hopefully there are serious people doing working for Wisconsin's benefit in the here and now because, come 2021 when everything collapses, you're all going to have to work together when the talks with the Michigan/Illinois Confederation break down and they invade.; 11/22/11, 2:08 PM
gerry said...: "...anonymous posts..."

have such credibility.; 11/22/11, 2:11 PM
ElPresidenteCastro said...: Moby must be stopped.; 11/22/11, 2:21 PM
rhhardin said...: You can't make the reward too high or somebody will do it.; 11/22/11, 2:22 PM
Anonymous said...: So if I have my wife sign a petition, then I throw it away, turn myself in and get arrested...I get $10,000?

If this is a felony, it might be the first step in a promising political career for me.; 11/22/11, 2:25 PM
BarryD said...: O.J. Simpson offered a hefty reward for anyone who would find the real killer, too. That didn't mean there was one.

This doesn't constitute evidence of "an endless parade of bad behavior on both sides." One group does something as a publicity/propaganda stunt. Take it for what it is, until there's evidence for anything else.; 11/22/11, 2:27 PM
m stone said...: I'm not making a move until Garage weighs in on this one.; 11/22/11, 2:39 PM
Triangle Man said...: If this is a felony, it might be the first step in a promising political career for me.

Only if you're drunk when you drive yourself to the police station.; 11/22/11, 2:39 PM
Roger J. said...: I do enjoy Wisconsin politics--its a non-stop show; 11/22/11, 2:40 PM
BarryD said...: ...with a couple of underage girls in the car and some crack.; 11/22/11, 2:40 PM
MadisonMan said...: I did read in the paper today about someone who took a petition, ostensibly to sign it, and then ripped it up before driving away.

They got his plates. Hello Felony. There were 3 other signatures on the ripped petition.; 11/22/11, 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...: "Only if you're drunk when you drive yourself to the police station"

"...with a couple of underage girls in the car and some crack."

From your lips, straight to Marion Barry's ear. You guys know how to party!; 11/22/11, 2:43 PM
Triangle Man said...: They got his plates. Hello Felony. There were 3 other signatures on the ripped petition.

I glimpsed a sign at the Midvale "Recall Drive-through" about the consequences for doing this. I wonder how vigorously it will be pursued by the DA.; 11/22/11, 2:44 PM
Triangle Man said...: From your lips, straight to Marion Barry's ear. You guys know how to party!

False! Marion Barry did crack in a hotel room. Completely different.; 11/22/11, 2:45 PM
Anonymous said...: If the fraud is real, and not fraudulent fraud, then hell yes, get the bastard(s).

As someone else here already has suggested, though, I suspect a Moby.; 11/22/11, 2:47 PM
Wince said...: "YOU CANNOT PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER!!!"; 11/22/11, 2:49 PM
Henry said...: Sounds good to me. People shouldn't destroy signed petitions. People shouldn't accuse opponents of destroying signed petitions without evidence. If the money is never awarded it won't prove that no dirty tricks were played (you can't prove a negative), but it does raise the barrier for post-hoc accusations.; 11/22/11, 2:56 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Oh, I see. This is like the "Occupy Wall Street" story. Cooked up.

Nobody walked off with 10,000 sheets of paper ... without it being NOTICEABLE to the garbage collectors. Even shredded. The paper would end up looking like confetti among the shredded ruins.

I see GIMMICK.

And, I think there's gonna be an attempt to bump up the "signatures collected" numbers with phony data.

And, ya know what? I'm not the only suspicious person in America. Who doubts news stories, now.

The "other effect?" Given that so many people are terrified they can get their identities stolen ... What makes you think lots of strangers can come over to ya ... and ask "please sign my petition."

In the old days ... I'd see people outside of Walmarts. Some had as many as 8 different petitions. And, you'd be approached as you were coming out the exit door.

Some of these kids were real good! They'd explain what each petition was about. Letting you "choose." Remember when it took these appeals to get stuff on the California ballot?; 11/22/11, 2:59 PM
Calypso Facto said...: "Only if you're drunk when you drive yourself to the police station"

Or into a creek/tidal channel.; 11/22/11, 3:03 PM
Carol_Herman said...: The California measure to recall the governor, at that time, Grey Davis, tells an interesting story.

The money for the drive came from conservatives. They wanted to run Tom Campbell against Davis. But at the end, Schwartenegger swooped in and collected the nomination. (Bringing all the technical savvy from his wife's side of the family: The Kennedy's.)

Grey Davis had gotten taken for a ride by ENRON. (A year or two before ENRON blew up. California was "charged" for so much of its electrical needs ... we had a few major crises. Higher electrical bills, that frosted off most voters, here. And, college/universities going without power. And, not enough backup generators. So years worth of research went down the toilet.

Against Grey Davis, it was the perfect storm!

And,Grey Davis WAS an ambitious man! He thought he'd walk right into the presidential nomination slot back in 2000. Taking out Davis though, in a recall election, opened the door to Algore.

I don't see an issue that will take Governor Walker out. First, he fixed a budget crisis by going after the teachers union. You didn't know how unpopular this group has been?

Walker didn't even swing at them the way Chris Christie enjoyed (and still enjoys) support in New Jersey.

Two options ahead?

One: Not enough signatures to put this on the ballot. OR

TWO: "SUSAN" ... The lady Clark called ... and her "It's a Shame" went viral.; 11/22/11, 3:07 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Wisconsin's NOT a "funny state" by any means!

Wisconsin is a TOSS UP STATE in 2012. Everybody in the nation will be focused on Wisconsin's election results.

I think it's just a question of WHEN Donald Trump comes out and runs as an INDEPENDENT!

What's happening now? All the8 contendahs think they're earning "chips" ... to somehow land in the next presidential "sweepstakes." (That's on par with watching Jon Corzine betting on BONDS!); 11/22/11, 3:09 PM
Dose of Sanity said...: I saw this story hit on facebook (the threats to destroy the petitions). It's based on lifted facebook conversations, for what it's worth. That suggests that it's not a democratic "ruse", but also suggests that it won't be a serious threat (despite the puffery of the posters).

http://politiscoop.com/us-politics/wisconsin-politics/570-tea-party-plans-premeditated-felony.html

Remember, destroying recall petitions is thuggery. http://www.620wtmj.com/blogs/charliesykes/118011324.html; 11/22/11, 3:19 PM
Sofa King said...: Meanwhile, in *actual* election fraud news...; 11/22/11, 3:31 PM
MadisonMan said...: Why not just lay them aside and forget about them?

Being too busy to turn something in surely can't be a crime.; 11/22/11, 3:38 PM
Henry said...: An elderly woman in my college neighborhood ran for school board once. All her petitions were thrown out because she used violet ink.; 11/22/11, 3:50 PM
Edward Reiss said...: Dose of Sanity,

I checked the politiscoop website, and looked at the screen shots they captured. Unfortunately, I could not find any of the people in the discussion--including the one with the Guy Fawkes mask warning the alleged ballot shredders they would be breaking the law.

I wonder if politiscoop is either inadvertantly participating in a falsehood.

Alternatively, it could be on ourpose. I note the maudlin tone of the article.

Also, why are these assumed to be Tea Partiers?; 11/22/11, 3:53 PM
WineSlob said...: GAB Whores Suddenly Abhorred
What Republicans Have Always Deplored
Phony Petition Toters
Cheating the Voters
Voters Disenfranchised and Ignored.; 11/22/11, 4:09 PM
Known Unknown said...: Michigan/Illinois Confederation break down and they invade.

Ohio will be taking out Michigan with a pre-emptive strike. Illinois, with Indiana on one side and Iowa on the other, will be all alone. And vulnerable.; 11/22/11, 4:13 PM
Anonymous said...: If they were offering a reward for information leading to convictions, I'd be all in favor. Even so, I'm glad to hear that the poor proles of Wisconsin-- who as recently as August couldn't afford the $15 it costs to disrupt a Rotary Club luncheon where Paul Ryan is speaking-- have finally come into some money.; 11/22/11, 4:14 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey, has someone been reading Iowahawk's old posts about the strife-torn Midwest?; 11/22/11, 4:18 PM
Triangle Man said...: If they were offering a reward for information leading to convictions, I'd be all in favor.

From the first line of TFA "A liberal group is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who gives information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those who destroy recall petitions."

Paul Zrimsek is all in favor!; 11/22/11, 4:23 PM
Triangle Man said...: Also, why are these assumed to be Tea Partiers?

Because the Tea Party is the faction of the right that does something more than grouse in blog comments.; 11/22/11, 4:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Yep, all in favor. Professor, fix your headline.; 11/22/11, 4:26 PM
Michael Haz said...: False flag action.; 11/22/11, 4:29 PM
DADvocate said...: Wisconsin's NOT a "funny state" by any means!

Funny, how?; 11/22/11, 4:41 PM
mariner said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 5:57 PM
Chuck66 said...: I thought civil disobedience was a good thing.; 11/22/11, 6:06 PM
Fen said...: Because the Tea Party is the faction of the right that does something more than grouse in blog comments.

Yah, but they don't resort to force or violence. So I really doubt they would grab and tear up petitions.

I smell Moby. The Libtards need to play the victim. Its all they got.; 11/22/11, 6:14 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Just a bunch of republican'ts showing their typical contempt for the democratic process.; 11/22/11, 6:29 PM
rhhardin said...: you can't prove a negative

Is that true?; 11/22/11, 6:32 PM
gadfly said...: Strategies developed by extreme left-wing unionists are so easy to see. First there was the claim that United Wisconsin's website had been subjected to a cyber attack by pro-Walker supporters (Garage contributed to that BS here at Althouse). Then came the unsubstantiated claims that Dem petition signature gatherers were being threatened by conservatives. Now the anti-unionists are supposedly gathering petitions for Walker's recall with intent to destroy them instead of turning them in.

Liberals always believe that because such tactics are common in their own campaigns - everyone must think that way. However, when we review the bidding, it is always the the union thugs who employ these tactics. Reread the articles here and here to refresh you memory on what happened during the earlier recalls.; 11/22/11, 6:40 PM
Dose of Sanity said...: @Edward

Can't say for sure. My best guess is those people got spammed and choose to hide themselves from public searches via facebook privacy controls.

@ Madison Man

"Forgetting" is probably a crime.
Forgetting may not be.

I'm guessing both are, but prosecution is another story...; 11/22/11, 6:42 PM
Fen said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 6:45 PM
Fen said...: Ritmo: Just a bunch of republican'ts showing their typical contempt for the democratic process.

Proof? Name them.

More likely, the libtards are using a Moby to set up another Tu Quo:

"Lets pretend they did it so we can be excused for doing it too"

Its how you guys go through life.; 11/22/11, 6:46 PM
Jason said...: I find it funny how all of a sudden the Dems care about voter fraud when its one of their recall petitions involved.

If its a ballot that will be in favor of a Democrat, its no big deal.; 11/22/11, 6:51 PM
Scott M said...: "you can't prove a negative"

Is that true?

You can't prove it's not.; 11/22/11, 6:56 PM
DADvocate said...: Just a bunch of republican'ts showing their typical contempt for the Democratic process.

Yes. Absolutely.; 11/22/11, 7:12 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 7:30 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Proof? Name them.

More likely, the libtards are using a Moby to set up another Tu Quo:

"Lets pretend they did it so we can be excused for doing it too"

Lol. This is the dumbest, most cynical and self-defeating bs excuse for an idea that I've heard you ("people like you"?) come up with.

Its how you guys go through life.

Thanks for the mindless insult. It's nice to know that a partisan for the same side that runs a guy as inarticulate and self-defeating as Rick Perry still has bigger priorities than an intelligent political agenda.

Your whole slate of candidates sucks and shows how stupid and pointless the Republican party has become. But keep insulting me. Somehow that will help you.

Also, let's make all politics look like a James Bond movie. Double agents, yeah!

You watch too much TV. Thinking for yourself must be a real chore.; 11/22/11, 7:31 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: BTW, what the hell is a "tu quo"?

Is it an attempt by an uneducated dipshit to pretend that he understands logical argumentation?; 11/22/11, 7:33 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Speaking of Republican't dipshits, I love this ad that was just put out by the Romney campaign.

Let's hear it for Republican't honesty!!!

They're their own "mobies".; 11/22/11, 7:38 PM
sorepaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 7:40 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: You tell 'em, SORECLAWS!!! You stand up for the perception of Republican't competence and integrity!

Someone's got to do it.

I mean, if this guy can do it, then so can you!; 11/22/11, 7:43 PM
Der Hahn said...: If it's not illegal to sign multiple copies of a petition (and I'm making a big assumption that it is not, and that duplicate signatures are de-conflicted at some point), is there an real effect to collecting signatures and not turning the petition in?; 11/22/11, 7:53 PM
sorepaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 8:06 PM
Paul said...: Bet they destroyed their fake signature list to keep people from seeing they were fake and at same time blame it on others.; 11/22/11, 8:14 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Why are insult trolls so stupid?

Why are ideologues so impractical?

I don't support Mitt Romney.

The kindest thing I've called him on these threads is "the human weathervane."

Good. Then just admit that if this is the Republicans' best attempt at "electable", then there is something seriously wrong with the party, and philosophy, you hope to use to defeat those evil Democrats.

But you won't. Because you're a silly asshole. And very stubborn.; 11/22/11, 8:15 PM
JAL said...: Your whole slate of candidates sucks and shows how stupid and pointless the Republican party has become.

And wonderboy Obama shows ...; 11/22/11, 8:22 PM
Ex-Dissident said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 8:22 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: "Your whole slate of candidates sucks and shows how stupid and pointless the Republican party has become."

And wonderboy Obama shows ...

... how little it takes to beat them.; 11/22/11, 8:24 PM
sorepaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 8:34 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: (1) Mitt Romney is probably not the most electable Republican.

This is called an "opinion". And the reason you provide no evidence for it as if it were an actual fact, is because you have none.

"Probably" is the weasel word you write that gives it away.

You can thank me later.

(2) There have always been things wrong with the Republican Party. There have usually been even worse things wrong with the Democratic Party.

Another opinion, this one has the virtue of being even more vague than the last one.

Thank you for showing us your inability to come up with a specific thought.

(3) A political party doesn't stand in a one to one relationship with a philosophy. Certainly not under the kind of party system that has evolved in the United States.

So what? Who cares about this theoretical point? And if the Republican'ts are a party not wedded to a philosophy, show me an example of that. On what plank in their shopworn platform have they been pragmatic and flexible? Dummy.

Scram, stupid troll.

So sorry to get in the way of your mental masturbation session. You can stroke your own ego, challenge-free!, at your own website or some other private forum.

But on this one your wanking will be subject to occasional interruption. Didn't mean to see what I walked in on. But then, you were the one wanking.; 11/22/11, 8:48 PM
Anonymous said...: Ewww, Sorepaw wanking, what a visual, shudder.; 11/22/11, 8:54 PM
garage mahal said...: If sorepaw, PhD, can read Dave Obey's mind and report it to us as fact, he can surely tell us who is ripping up these recall petitions? Two now, I think?; 11/22/11, 9:07 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Ewww, Sorepaw wanking, what a visual, shudder.

He's furtively tugging on his brain, and ending up with a mass of spent, wet, limp noodles.

Good to see the gang is back.; 11/22/11, 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Ritmo and Garage, isn't it strange how Sorepaw fixates on you two? That's not healthy.; 11/22/11, 9:18 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Definitely not healthy.; 11/22/11, 9:20 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 9:22 PM
garage mahal said...: This would be a great time for some really awesome computer humor from the 80s, wouldn't it? Like "You.are.a.computer" Ha. Ha. Robot.; 11/22/11, 9:37 PM
Anonymous said...: LOL, Garage, he is playing with HIS unit.; 11/22/11, 9:42 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: A masturbating robot is even more unfortunate than the other possible scenarios.

But why did he name himself "sorepaws"? Is there some kind of animal cruelty thing going on with him? Are his forelimbs calloused, too?

Is he a werewolf?; 11/22/11, 9:47 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/22/11, 9:47 PM
Anonymous said...: Ritmo, poor Sorepaw, its got to be tough going through life performing mental wanking using sore paws. Maybe his robot jokes are a result excessive self abuse.; 11/22/11, 9:53 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: Well, if he can't get others to abuse him...; 11/22/11, 10:06 PM
Karl said...: Down in the bottom right corner of WI, I have seen only one recall ( Governor Scott) Walker station. It's at the Kenosha roll yer own cigarette store run by a Grateful Dead | Phish-following looking dood.

My youngster saw a number of kiddos waiting to sign the recall at the local tertiary school.

Still waiting for these douche bags to appear at some place where normal folks frequent.

Happy to monkey wrench your circle jerk.; 11/22/11, 11:03 PM
Mary Beth said...: I found two or three of the people on Facebook who were supposed to have had the conversation about destroying petitions. I didn't find the conversation that was quoted on their walls or on a separate FB page that both had commented on. This was over a week ago so they may have made their profiles private by now.

Believing that some petitions have been destroyed will take out some of the sting if they aren't getting as many signatures as quickly as they hoped.; 11/23/11, 12:42 AM
AllenS said...: If I decide, using my own initiative, to gather recall Walker signatures, and then decide to destroy them, what exact law or laws have I broken?; 11/23/11, 5:47 AM
AllenS said...: If anyone thinks that I broke a law, please cite a statute or a case law making your case.; 11/23/11, 5:52 AM
Christopher in MA said...: "Marion Barry did crack in a hotel room."

Wrong. Bitch set him up.

ALH, Triangle, I like your ideas, though. We could start a new reality show - "Are You Sleazier Than A Democrat?" Have your people call my people; we'll do lunch.; 11/23/11, 8:10 AM
sorepaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/23/11, 10:05 AM
Unknown said...: The whole thing is a Hoax

Here is the facebook page on which they have "outed" themselves the last few hours. Without actually saying so.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Burn-Notice/127747064001477?sk=wall

Definitely up there with Triumph the Insult dog and THE ONION.; 11/23/11, 11:51 AM