Wisconsin Republicans move to restore electoral integrity

By Phil Boehmke

In the course of a normal day most of us are required to show a photo I.D. for simple and trivial matters like writing a check at the local Walmart. Many companies require their employees to show their photo I.D. to enter the workplace and move throughout the facility. There is nothing sinister or restrictive going on, these are just routine precautions and normal business practices.

In the state of Wisconsin numerous attempts to pass legislation requiring voters to present a valid photo I.D. have been thwarted by obstructionist Democrats who until this year have controlled the legislature and the governorship of the Dairy State. Voter fraud had been tolerated by ruling Democrats under the irrational guise of protecting the minority community from being disenfranchised. The fact that questions of voter eligibility and possible fraud occurred in solidly democratic districts was of course purely coincidental.

With the swearing in of the new Republican controlled legislature and new Governor Scott Walker, a new day has dawned in Wisconsin. According to wispolitics.com:

Senator Joe Liebham (R-Sheboygan) and Representative Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) introduced a bill requiring a photo id to vote or register to vote. Senator Liebham and Representative Stone have been at the forefront of efforts to protect the integrity of the election process here in Wisconsin. Following this announcement Senator Joe Liebham issued the following statement.

“Requiring voters to prove their identity is a reasonable requirement and a key step in restoring confidence and integrity in Wisconsin’s election system. The vast majority of Wisconsin voters support this measure of responsibility and the legislature should approve this photo id legislation on their behalf.”

The Republican controlled legislature of Indiana passed a similar law which was challenged by Democratic operatives, but was upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Representative Terese Berceau (D-Madison) has voiced disapproval calling the law “expensive, unneeded and extreme.” Bercuau has dusted off the tired old rhetoric of disenfranchisement, while ignoring the fact that the current system lends itself to voter fraud which taints the process and disenfranchises honest citizens.

New Governor Scott Walker hopes that the law will be enacted quickly enough to be implemented in time for this April’s election for the state Supreme Court. At this point implementation by April would be a long-shot, but at least the process has begun and the state of Wisconsin is another step closer to having fair and honest elections.

Meanwhile south of the border in Illinois, the Democrat controlled lame duck legislature passed the largest tax increase in state history in the final minutes of their session. The ink had barely dried on the job killing tax increases before Democrat Governor Pat Quinn signed them into law. Don’t look for any legislation requiring photo I.D. for voters in the state of Illinois anytime soon, without the loyal votes of Chicago’s large deceased community the Democrat Party would have to resort to more expensive and costly forms of voter fraud.

January 13, 2010

paboehmke@yahoo.com