Wisconsin Republican Senator Believes Voter ID Will Help Romney ‘In A Close Race’

By Scott Keyes/Think Progress


SLINGER, Wisconsin — With polls showing a surprisingly tight presidential race in Wisconsin, the state’s new voter ID law could make the difference for Mitt Romney, according to the State Senate Minority Assistant Leader Glenn Grothman (R).

Grothman helped pass voter ID in Wisconsin last year, which disenfranchisescitizens who don’t bring a certain form of photo identification with them to the polls.

In an interview with ThinkProgress on Sunday, the number-two Republican senator argued that voter ID could be a boon for Republicans’ electoral prospects if the controversial law, which was recently blocked in state court, is reinstated in time for the November election. “Insofar as there are inappropriate things, people who vote inappropriately are more likely to vote Democrat,” argued Grothman.

KEYES: If it were upheld and in place in time for the November election, do you think — polls have shown a pretty razor-thin margin — do you think it might ultimately help Romney’s campaign here in the state?

GROTHMAN: Yes. Right. I think we believe that insofar as there are inappropriate things, people who vote inappropriately are more likely to vote Democrat.

KEYES: So if these protections are in place of voter ID, that might ultimately help him in a close race?

GROTHMAN: Right. I think if people cheat, we believe the people who cheat are more likely to vote against us.

Listen to it:

Wisconsin is perennially a swing state in presidential elections. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) carried Wisconsin by just 0.4 percent in 2004; polls this year suggest it could be another nailbiter. PPPgives President Obama a 6-point edge, 50-44, but Rasmussen put Romney ahead by 3 points, 47-44.

Approximately 300,000 Wisconsinites lack a government-issued photo ID, more than 27 times the margin that Kerry won by in 2004. If the polls are still close in November and voter ID is reinstated, Grothman may very well be correct that the new law will give Romney an edge on Election Day.

Wisconsin isn’t the only state where Republican legislators think voter ID could help their presidential nominee prevail. Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R) turned heads last month when he declared that voter ID “is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.” Turzai helped lead the push for voter ID in the Keystone State, whichpassed earlier this year.

Photographer Slams Fox News' Distortion Of His WI Protest Footage

by Justin Berrier

As Media Matters noted on March 3, 2011, Fox News used footage shot by a local Wisconsin photographer to falsely label Wisconsin union protesters as "violent." The video showed protesters confronting Republican State Senator Glenn Grothman as he attempted to enter the Wisconsin capitol building. Although the video clearly showed no violence being committed and in fact, the protesters breaking into chants of "peace" and "peaceful," Fox falsely depicted the crowd as "violent protesters" and an "angry union mob" who "ambush[ed]" Grothman.

In a statement to Media Matters, Phil Ejercito -- the photographer who shot the video -- responded, slamming Fox News' distortion of his material:

It sickens me to see the truth so willfully distorted. In deciding to release this video, I considered how it would be used, but I (perhaps naively) believed that the facts in the video would speak for itself - the people of Wisconsin are angry, Senator Grothman got a well-deserved ribbing, the Walker administration's lockdown of the Capitol is misguided, and Representative Hulsey acted honorably. It is simply astounding that the same faction of the right-wing that would claim that torture in Abu Ghraib was "fraternity hazing" would equate heckling as a "violent attack."

I have been covering these protests 24/7 from the outset, with no legal team or anything to guide me other than a dedication to truth and the people of Wisconsin. I believe I represent a growing grey area between citizen journalism and professional journalism. While I pride myself on the experience and professionalism with which I approach my job, I will admit to being somewhat starry-eyed upon dealing with national media. I initially refused to license my footage to Fox News, politely citing "qualms about the quality of Fox's reporting from here in Madison." Only upon receiving assurances that both Sen. Grothman and Rep. Hulsey would be available to provide context did I acquiesce.

Let there be no ambiguity: I condemn the use of my work to distort the truth about the spirited but non-violent protests here in Madison. I believe that this is a genuinely dangerous narrative that Fox News is helping to create. Prior to Gov. Walker's Feb. 11 unveiling of his budget repair bill, the last time a Wisconsin governor invoked the National Guard in response to labor, seven demonstrators were shot dead in front of the Bay View Rolling Mill. I am deeply disturbed to consider that my work is being misused to establish a fictional narrative of violence by the working families of Wisconsin, and I encourage people to watch the entire clip on YouTube for themselves to understand the full context and decide for themselves what truthfully took place.