WKOW: Anti-Recall Man Repeatedly Harassed Pro-Recall Residents at Their Homes

Recall Scott Walker
Fight Harassment

Update: Stoughton man cited for allegedly taking a swing at recall volunteer.

We can't ignore this. No matter that politicians see no need to protect this woman's sense of security in her own home.

Waukesha County man uses TV news video to phone and challenge recall signers at night. Police have been contacted.

“It’s 10:30 at night and there’s apparently somebody who knows where you live. It’s just a very unnerving and frightening feeling,” said Dane County resident and Recall Scott Walker supporter named Michelle.

By Tony Galli at WKOW News

A Hartland man told 27 News he used television news video to contact people who signed recall petitions against Governor Scott Walker, prompting at least one person to contact police.

“It wasn’t a harassing call by any means,” Kevin Stoll told 27 News.

A Dane County resident named Michelle, who asked that her identity be kept private because Stoll had already obtained some of her personal information, characterized a call she received from him Nov. 25 as harassing.

“It’s 10:30 at night and there’s apparently somebody who knows where you live. It’s just a very unnerving and frightening feeling.”

Michelle said Stoll was a stranger to her, refused to identify himself and challenged her to defend her decision to sign a recall petition.

“When this person seemed to be getting a little bit hostile, I ended the phone call and immediately contacted the authorities.”

Stoll told 27 News he used video from a 27 News story on the recall effort to get identifying information on people who signed petitions. The story was ninety seconds in length and included less than ten seconds of names, numbers and signatures on recall petitions, but that videotape was in motion and not highlighted.

Another Dane County resident, who also requested anonymity, said Stoll called her home three times shortly after the 27 News broadcast. The resident said she refused to answer Stoll’s final call, but an answering machine recorded it.

“You can’t even defend your position, now you won’t answer the phone,” the caller said in the recorded message reviewed by 27 News.

“You’ve signed a petition, where they put your name and number up on TV and you’re behaving like a (expletive) coward.”

Michelle said a Madison police officer conducted a preliminary investigation into the call she received and told her in the absence of the caller using abusive or threatening language or making repeated calls to her, the hands of law enforcement were tied. A Madison police spokesperson has yet to comment on the department’s handling of Michelle’s complaint.

Stoll indicated to 27 News he may be involved in verifying recall petition signatures, but provided no specifics and mentioned no affiliations with any political groups. Available online campaign finance records show Stoll contributed $400 to a republican district attorney in 2002.

Charlie Sykes and Paul Ryan: These Guy Are Good!

by bert
Any of us can bitch of course. But there is a reason that radio talk show host Charlie Sykes gets paid to do it all week long.

A Baryshnikov of bellyaching, Sykes is able to leap gracefully on "his" blog from complaining about an idea to cut Medicare when it's a Democratic idea to the geometrically opposite position in support of cuts. He gets from here to there because now the idea is Republican Paul Ryan's.

Paul Krugman of the The New York Times has noticed this same acrobatic about-face by the GOP on the issue of caring for our grannies.

So cutting Medicare by $500 billion is wrong--support Republicans, who [Paul Ryan, to be specific] want to cut it by $650 billion!

As snowboarders would say, that leap was sick.

The Hack Van Hollen

Update: MJS - There is a strong whiff of partisan politics from state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s lawsuit on Wisconsin's voter list.

It was all of one week ago that Attorney General Van Hollen was making a speech to Wisconsin GOP delegates extolling the virtues of Sarah Palin, saying she will help expand the Republican Party (MJS, Greg J. Borowski, Sept. 4, 2008).

Now this McCain Co-Chair, Van Hollen, says with a straight face that he has no conflict of interest and that he does not act for partisan or political reasons.

Borowski's MJS piece notes that, "Van Hollen stressed Palin's pro-life credentials, terming her 'somebody who believes in God, who believes in family, who believes in life.'"

Van Hollen also called the Republican Party a "family".

C'mon, is this not at the very least an appearance of a conflict of interest?