Denial Is A River In Wisconsin, Too

Looks like I have to throw another brick at PolitiFact.

The Democratic Governors Association said Walker "is denying Democrats the right to vote."

It can be argued that Wisconsin’s photo ID law will lead some people who tend to vote for Democrats to stop voting. It’s certainly true that most Wisconsin residents who don’t have a photo ID will have to get one in order to vote.

But words matter. The association goes too far in saying Walker is denying Democrats the right to vote. That is simply not the case.

We rate the claim as Pants on Fire.

Really?  Because it seems to me the entire purpose of every Republican-born voter ID law is to indeed deny traditional Democratic groups from voting.  It indeed places barriers interfering with the right to vote, and does it in such a way that it reduces turnout for Democrats.  Hell, PolitiFact freely admits that much.

The DGA’s evidence essentially amounts to a prediction that the photo ID law would cause some voters who tend to back Democrats to stop voting. Giangreco replied by saying: "I think that the (photo ID) law is tantamount to denying people the right to vote."

It seems to me that it's at worst half-true by PolitiFact standards, but that in an of itself would be a tacit admission that the sole purpose of voter ID laws in red states is to reduce turnout among Democrats.  Lord knows we can't have anybody fact check that particular claim.  Better to call it Pants on Fire lie and dismiss the controversy altogether.


Funny how that works.  Claiming something factually incorrect that "goes too far" is the standard for the dreaded Pants On Fire rating at PolitiFact, even if there's some truth to the matter as the site admits, but apparently that standard doesn't apply to Herman Cain, Rick Perry (who gets several passes), Orange Julius, or for a crapload of Michele Bachmann lies.


Go figure.