4 reach plea deal in tire slashings Politicians' sons agree to misdemeanors (Gwen Moore Milwaukee)

After a two-week felony trial culminating with notes from a conflicted jury, four Kerry-Edwards campaign workers - including the sons of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) and former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt - had their charges in the Election Day 2004 tire-slashing reduced to misdemeanors and accepted the deal.

The fifth Democratic staffer accused of crippling Republican vans won a jury acquittal by sticking with a fight against the felony charge.

"Any other case like this, they would have made the offer (to reduce charges) right away, but for the people involved," said Adam Essling, attorney for Lavelle Mohammed, one of the four men who made no-contest pleas Friday afternoon.

There is a difference, too. It is not entirely clear how much of being reported on violence is true (calls to Stupak are). Also current potential violence is emanating from anger caused government intervention in individiual rights. The article you have taken the time to post is about trying to steal an election. I guess it is the other side trying to take away individual rights — the right to vote.

The GOP has got to start *pre-empting* these tactics.

Standard procedures, straight out of the liberal playbook:

1) Play the race card
2) Claim death threats

GOP leaders should have spoken out LAST WEEK, talking to protesters on the hill. Tell them:
1) no violence, nothing that could be interpreted as racist
2) videotape EVERYTHING
3) Say to the media: Dems have a standard playbook-—FIRST they will “find” a racial incident, then they will claim they’re getting threats...they do it every time they get in trouble with voters. They may even go so far as to plant “agents provacteur” among the crowds. They may fake threatening phone calls (remember when they shut down that radio station in Chicago?).

That’s the kind of thing Republicans need to say BEFORE they’re put on the defensive. References to Alinsky wouldn’t hurt either.

For the media’s benefit, perhaps they could include DEM violent incidents in their pre-emptive remarks. Something like, “Remember, Dem campaign workers slashed tires at a GOP office in Wisconsin. We don’t condone such tactics. They invaded and shut down GOP headquarters in ______. Shots were fired through the front door of campaign hq in _____. We don’t engage in such tactics. They sent Black Panthers with night sticks to intimidate voters in Philadelphia...and our Justice Dept refused to prosecute. Such thuggery is repulsive. ..... “

Yeah, me too. They don’t listen when I call them or GOP HQ.

Another recent thing that bugged the heck out of me. Late in the game the GOP started their mantra about “16,000 new IRS agents”. Yeah, scary. BUT....

I’ve been calling them since last August telling them that the health care bills DO NOT INCLUDE any costs for staffing/equipping those 154 new federal agencies, commissions, boards, etc. I called all over Washington, even spoke to one of the “scorers” at CBO. They all said the same thing: “that cost hasn’t been estimated”.

So, scary as those new IRS agents might be, don’t you think voters would be even MORE angry if told the bill will create 250 THOUSAND new federal jobs?! I won’t go into my calculation, but that’s about what it will take.

Our GOP leaders have a tin ear for this sort of thing. It’s GROWING GOVERNMENT-—not just the IRS-—that has voters so angry.

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