GOP Racine County Officer Assaults Former Police Officer, Recall Volunteer

Caught on camera - Racine County Republican Treasurer,
Tom Bode's car reportedly tried to back up over
a recall volunteer this weekend, a former police officer
who photographed the car in question

The Republican Party in Wisconsin is scared. The rout of Republicans in Ohio looks to be followed by another rout in Wisconsin.

And Republicans have no idea how to react. Writes John Peterson, "Right now, they’re acting like cornered animals."

From Racine, Wisconsin comes this item, first reported in Root River Siren.

Caught on camera! At Right.

A Racine County officer, apparently upset about the Recall Scott Walker movement, tried to back up his car over a former police officer and recall volunteer in a parking lot in Racine, Wisconsin on Saturday - where the volunteers had permission to be.

From Wisconsin LeftyBlogs:



Tom Bode (left) with Gov. Scott Walker and Mrs. Bode
(From the Racine GOP Website)

Racine papers have been buzzing with acts of intimidation toward recallers from the weekend. One involved a guy in a Lexus who tried to back up his car over a former police officer and recall volunteer in a parking lot in Racine on Saturday - where the volunteers had permission to be.

The cop was smart and took pictures of the guy's car and the Siren put it up and within two hours we had confirmation the driver was the Racine County Republican Treasurer, Tom Bode.

A police report was filed yesterday and we are withholding the name until witnesses confirm it from photo's we were able to find of Bode from the county party's own website.

But we already know the car belongs to Bode.

The County GOP Chairman pretty much revealed he knew the person involved but skipped the part about it being an officer of the party

Update: Just A Man And His Lexus?

#1. No Back-up Lights

Well, it seems a police report has been filed against the guy who tried to back up his pretty Lexus SUV over a recall volunteer last Saturday.

#2. In Reverse

The Siren is sad to report the volunteer happened to be a retired police officer, who kinda knows what to do in high-stress criminal-type situations. Like take pictures of the car with license plates and tail lights. Notice in photo #1 the tail light is off, indicating the car is not in reverse. However in #2 it is easy to see the car has now been put in reverse because the tail light is lit up bright white. Photo #3 shows the car has been put back in drive and after a little more verbal abuse from the driver at the retired police officer/photographer (who was clearly standing behind the car) he sped away. Awkward for you Mr. Lexus.

Advice: If you are going to back-up over a pedestrian -and a police officer in particular - you should think carefully about whether a vanity plate is a good idea.

#3. Not in reverse

Apparently this jack-ass believed the petition circulators were wrong to be in the parking lot (which they were not) therefore his verbal abuse, intimidation and flirtation with running them down was completely justified.

In his comments to the article in the Caledonia Patch, Racine County Republican Party Chairman, Bill Folk confirmed the coordinated system of intimidation area Republicans are using against recall volunteers and against property owners who allow recall circulators on their property - something many volunteers have reported.

Folk said the driver told him he had "probably taken things too far". Ya think?

A school teacher who witnessed the incident said not only did the man squeal his car around the area, yelled abusive and profane things to the volunteers and of course tried to back his car up over a retired police officer - he did it all with young children in the backseat of the car. Klassy.