WISCONSIN - Recall signature gatherers attacked, signatures stolen

[kpete]

Published March 22, 2011, 08:45 AM
Come back with those petition signatures!


River Falls police were asked to track down and find a suspect who had made off with a batch of Sen. Sheila Harsdorf recall petition signatures late Sunday afternoon. The alleged theft occurred on the sidewalk near EconoFoods. The male suspect pretended he wanted to sign the petition to recall Harsdorf but instead swiped the forms with signatures and drove off. The man drove back in five minutes and tossed the petition toward the group of volunteers. Either it was a poor throw or they couldn’t catch. The paperwork landed on wet pavement.

By: Phil Pfuehler, River Falls Journal
River Falls police were asked to track down and find a suspect who had made off with a batch of Sen. Sheila Harsdorf recall petition signatures late Sunday afternoon. The alleged theft occurred on the sidewalk near EconoFoods. The male suspect pretended he wanted to sign the petition to recall Harsdorf but instead swiped the forms with signatures and drove off.

The man drove back in five minutes and tossed the petition toward the group of volunteers. Either it was a poor throw or they couldn’t catch. The paperwork landed on wet pavement.

With a vehicular and suspect description, an officer traced the man to his home near the River Falls Area Hospital.

.......................

MORE:http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/event/article/id/98114
via: http://bloggingblue.com/2011/03/22/recall-signature-gat...

[Drale]

1. I would not be surprised if it was the good senator himself

that did it.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Well, yeah, maybe…

if Sheila recently got a sex change operation she's not talking about…

[Drale]

9. She can't wear a disguise?

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Here she is,

disguised as a normal person:

[aggiesal]

44. Here she is disguised as a man ...

[mitchtv]

2. that should be a bad bust

we'll see what happens

[kpete]

3. why wait....

The man seemed indignant that a police officer was at his door and denied being near EconoFoods. Then he said he couldn’t be accused of stealing the petition signatures because he returned them.

When informed of his arrest, he allegedly resisted being handcuffed and began yelling about police brutality. His wife, also home, told her husband to calm down.

As he was taken outside, the man’s cat tried to slip out the door. The officer stuck a foot out to block the animal but accidentally kicked him in the head. Again, the man began yelling about police brutality.


http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/event/article/id/98114

[zbdent]

8. "hen he said he couldn’t be accused of stealing the petition signatures because he returned them."

hmm ... an admission of guilt.

Of course, he'll get off free ...

[BR_Parkway]

12. Wait, isn't it just us dirty fucking hippies who yell about police brutality?

Isn't one of their meme's all about law and order?

Oh yeah, the other guys always want to take our position when it suits them - unemployment, food stamps, financial aid... the endless list that they want to do away with whenever it's not them who's depending on it.

[PCIntern]

14. the cat was trying to escape this lunatic household...

the cop did a disservice to the animal...

[kpete]

15. PCintern

i worry about the cat as well...
peace, kpete

[Botany]

49. His wife, also home, told her husband to calm down.

aka he is a goof ball and you can have him.

[russspeakeasy]

50. She should have said "this is as calm as he gets".

[Botany]

52. the man can not be too bright; assault somebody and drive away in front ....

..... of a crowd of witnesses. Licenses tag #s are easy to trace.

[Thunderstruck]

4. "He said he found the sight of the Harsdorf-recall petitioners very disturbing."

As the process of democracy usually does to his type. Drives them crazy when liberals do it. Pretty funny.

[Scuba]

29. Bingo.

[Beartracks]

56. It's simply fear of the unknown.

He's probably not familiar with the processes of democracy. I bet he's familiar, however, with the shoot-from-the-hip, constitution-be-damned processes, though. Maybe he thinks that crap IS democracy, and he doesn't know REAL democracy when it happens right before his very eyes. Perhaps he's been taught that the kind of activity he witnessed in front of EconoFoods is some kind of anti-American plot, instead of what it is: freedom.

--------------------------

[savalez]

58. I find the sight of Pub petitioners disturbing too, but i just walk on by.

funny indeed.

[aquart]

5. What is the penalty for tampering with electoral process?

Because this is NOT a misdemeanor crime. They fined him $177 for "disturbing the peace." That is NOT what he did.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. It's gotta be a felony.

Eric G. Johnson, the DA, was a Toxic Tommy Thompson appointee. McCain carried St. Croix County in 2008.

Do the math.

[annm4peace]

22. I would think it is a felony also

aren't republicans always trying to pass some bill for voter ID and other related bills because of "voter fraud" and tampering with the election process?

I look forward to how this plays out

[annm4peace]

23. I would think it is a felony also

aren't republicans always trying to pass some bill for voter ID and other related bills because of "voter fraud" and tampering with the election process?

I look forward to how this plays out

[David__77]

16. They usually don't like to press these things to the maximum extent that can.

I'm not sure I disagree with that perspective. We want to err a bit on the side of leniency. But we better be prepared to defeat these sort of tactics.

[jtuck004]

26. Ok. How 'bout just Felony assault? eom

[xchrom]

6. Recommend

[ejpoeta]

13. i think they will just get more signatures faster as a result of this.

people don't take kindly to this kind of bs.

[lz1122]

53. I agree

Just like how Walker eventually won with the collective bargaining bill. You may have one the battle but the war still goes on and maybe more people will see this and participate. Another sleeping giant may have been awaken here.

[MadMaddie]

17. Here we go with the Brown Shirts

They will cheat and they will attack when they are losing. He should be prosecuted.

[socialist_n_TN]

19. Yep. I worry about that too.......

I think we might have to consider some security measures in the near future.

[toddwv]

18. $177.00 fine.

Should have charged him by the signature.

That was a very poorly written article, btw.

[Initech]

20. Stay classy, tea party.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

37. what do you mean "stay" classy?

I wasn't aware they ever HAD any class.

[socialist_n_TN]

45. I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm......

And he agrees with all of us.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

46. I was kidding as well

[butterfly77]

21. ...

[Zoeisright]

24. Typical repuke. Lie, steal, and cheat to thwart the will of the people.

Fucking assholes.

[hifiguy]

47. Well said

+1.

[deacon]

25. The GOP is a truly messed up party. n/t

[Enthusiast]

27. Teabagger! nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

59. Why do a lot of these Baggers seem to have anger management problems?

Of course it helps them regarding media exposure.
The MSM loves an angry shouting mob a lot more than a peaceful protest.

[Enthusiast]

60. Yeah. I think they are

encouraged to display anger. Probably in some little Koch Brother pamphlet somewhere.

[gtar100]

28. The GOP is riddled with haters of democracy.

That's why they prefer to call us a 'republic'. We need to remember that these people do not respect democracy or the will of the people. They want power and are willing to do anything they think they can get away with to get it.

[MedicalAdmin]

42. Yah - that "it's a republic, not a democracy..." crap bugs me too.

My response is usually that it is a democratic republic, unless they are saying that we are a totalitarian republic. Usually they backpedal then and we can have a discussion on how words have more than one meaning and just because they lose wood whenever anyone says democratic (as in party) that doesn't mean that our republic isn't founded on democratic (i.e. the people vote) principles.

This can sometimes lead to a discussion about corporate welfare and why we allow companies or anyone except people to have any say in elections. When they bring up unions I tell them that I would be fine in limiting the unions voice (small as it is) if corporations were limited or eliminated as well. Then we can chat about publicly financed elections and why those work better than our corporately funded elections. ...

But that entire "republic" crap is just ignorance wrapped in bacon and smothered in mayonaise. Plaque for the head.

[louis-t]

48. Republic is the entity, democracy is the style of government.

Something even teabaggers can understand. I've used it to shut teabaggers up several times. They have no response.

[MedicalAdmin]

54. Well and consisely said.

I'll use that.

[tpsbmam]

30. I'm going to hell for what I'm about to say.....

I hope the asshole was trying desperately to cling to his house, which was close to foreclosure. The $177 is the last straw -- he loses the house (the reasonable sounding wife takes the cat and leaves his stupid ass for a better life without him) and he ends up having to live off of whatever government assistance he can qualify for. Oops, it's not there for him because this sorry teabagging moron worked to elect people who would give him just a couple of rights -- the right to be alive and the right to breathe. The rest is up to him to figure out. Oh wait, there may be kids involved......oh, fuck it, their parents' should have done a better job taking care of them -- it's not our problem.

Okay, I have a rich fantasy life sometimes and I don't seriously wish any of the above on the guy. I do hope that the fine will really make money tight this month -- asshole needs a greater penalty than he got to learn that you can't just damn well do anything you want to thwart the will of the people with whom you disagree.

[AlbertCat]

33. the right to be alive and the right to breathe.

Now now.... he has the right to own an assault weapon too!

So, for those only left with (made up) 2nd amendment rights, I'm writing a cook book:

50 Mouth Watering Recipes for Gun

There'll be

Gun Florentine
Extended Clip and mango salad
Assault Weapon medley in chipole sauce
Concealed Handgun surprise
Chocolate and Uzi bombe

[seabeyond]

31. why is "attacked" in subject line. i didnt read about an attack. theft, yes. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

36. That references a different incident in the 2nd link, where a petitioner

was sucker-punched by an unidentified assailant.

[seabeyond]

39. appreciate it. got it, thanks. nt

[Botany]

51. where a petitioner was sucker-punched .....

.... I hope the victim files an assault charge against him and files a civil suit too.

These weaselly little people just hate it when people stand up to them and their "Fox News
/Rush Limbaugh filled brains" just can not take "it" because they know deep down inside their
souls that they are right and liberals are wrong and don't really love America like they
do because they are real patriots ..... Glen Beck tells them that is the truth every night.

[ck4829]

32. Kick

[matt819]

34. Perhaps a democratic nation can come to their aid

Makes you wonder whether a nation truly committed to democratic ideals will take this opportunity to bomb Wisconsin to support the rebels, who are seeking to create a democratic society in their tribal region.

[sueh]

35. So much for "civil disobedience" in response...

to these republicans.

[marmar]

38. Standard right-wing Jackboot thuggery these days.

nt

[southernyankeebelle]

40. Gee, I wonder if this will be reported on False News Network?

[MedicalAdmin]

41. Sounds like the cop did his job.

There was no assault and no battery. There was theft, but with a return within 5 minutes he could claim that he made a mistake (no intent = no conviction), and so the charge was a good one and will stick. Sometimes you have to settle for what you can prove.

And the investigation of messing with the electoral process, although serious and likely justified, is going to be pretty hard to prove, also because of the difficulty of proving intent and premeditation.

Seems to me we shouldn't assume that this guy is a teabagger or a wound up tight GOPer. Was he? Likely IMHO, but the article doesn't indicate that he was more than stupid and belligerent. Now I'll be the first to admit that it fits the profile but let's not jump to conclusions.

[Swampguana]

43. what a sad little man

[Oldtimeralso]

55. I Feel Sorry for the Cat...

being accidentally kicked in the head. It may cause brain damage, but we know the cat's owner suffers from that already.

[RufusTFirefly]

57. Don't worry. The governor will find a way to put a stop to this subversive petitioning

He'll probably get it hidden in a last-minute amendment that the Democrats won't even have time to read before the vote.

At least that's my understanding of how the current Wisconsin government works.