One of the Ohio Republicans who pushed a state law to toughen voter ID restrictions to “prevent fraud” because there’s no reason why “citizens wouldn’t have a driver’s license” would himself lose the right to vote under the law because his license may be revoked for an Indiana DUI.
On April 23, an Indiana state trooper pulled Rep. Robert Mecklenborg over for a burned out headlight on a 2004 Lexus he was driving. After failing three separate field sobriety tests, Mecklenborg allegedly refused to take a breath test and was placed under arrest. A blood test later revealed that he had recently taken a Viagra.
“Given that he likely is not in possession of his own drivers license (it should have been confiscated and suspended in accordance with Indiana DUI law and procedure), perhaps he will opt to arrest his drive to repress voting rights,” the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s Carolyn Fiddler wrote in a blog post.
Mecklenborg’s arrest was first reported by local news station WLWT. His arrest report has been posted online. It shows that Mecklenborg was accompanied by a 26-year-old woman, who a local blogger claims has “personal connections” with Concepts Show Girls strip club, which is right near where Mecklenborg was arrested.
Republican stupidity really cannot be demonstrated in the real world any better than this. In their zeal to make voting as hard as possible for students, the elderly, minorities, and the poor, this asshole caught drunk and on Viagra with a 26-year old girl near a strip club would in fact revoke his own right to vote, on top of being a criminal douchebag while proclaiming to the world that only bad, evil people would be against a voter ID law. They can’t even take over the country when the means to take over the country are literally handed to them, because they’re too busy thinking with the wrong head and getting arrested for breaking laws they are supposed to be writing in the first place. Joss Whedon could not pen better material for any medium.
The irony, it forms myriad threads that interweave on so many different levels, it creates a 17-dimensional sweater. I understand that yes, Republicans are still dangerously crooked bastards who will destroy the country given the first opportunity to enrich themselves (and proceed to do so on a daily basis) but the Darwinian elimination of the ones who are just too stupid to get that simple process down? Why, that’s the only moment of levity we have on this ginormous wallowing dirigible bound for the lower planes.
And yes, there are strip clubs in Indiana.
buckyblue
There are strip clubs but all the girls look like Bobby Knight, the hottest thing any Indiana man would want to see.
scav
my god, visible ankles in IN? !
Patrick
Not having a drivers license will keep old people from voting; since many don’t have one. However, what I don’t understand is why Republicans would do this. Don’t old white people vote Republican? Certainly, they voted overwhelmingly for McCain. The age splits in the last Presidential race were dramatic.
elisabeth
While it may be harder for him to vote I bet he’ll be re-elected easily.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
actually the best strip clubs, are always in the least progressive places. the sex industry thrives on taboo. when strip culture came within a red whisker(see what i did there) of becoming mainstream, the strip clubs themselves suffered economically.
that of course is beside the point.
the damage here, is that he can get an acceptable i.d., probably from several sources, and without waiting in line for a state, non-drivers i.d. card. it’s the people who aren’t as connected, or don’t have similar levels of access that suffer from their own circumstances, and, or the exact same sort of stupidity he is guilty of here.
funny the government can’t make you buy health insurance, but they can make you maintain current photo i.d.
eemom
genius.
A pity I never heard that in my herb-enhanced days, when my brain could have done it justice.
JGabriel
Zandar:
To be fair, this is more along the lines of Paddy Chayefsky material, doncha’ think?
.
JGabriel
Modereratered dammit, just for quoting Zandar, who used a bad drugword.
Help me, please!
.
Catpause
A republican mugshot in time: driving drunk over the state line with a hooker in a new car purchased “out of state” to skip on sales tax while hopped up on boner pills. Weirdly enough, of all these transgressions vaigra without a prescription is probably the perp-walk charge.
beltane
I’m surprised a Republican hasn’t introduced a bill requiring proof of church membership to vote. Isn’t this as Thomas Jefferson intended?
squiregeek
Why is the criminal justice system interested in Viagra consumption by motorists?
cbear
This country is on the edge of moral collapse when an innnocent gooper congresscritter can’t go on a fact finding mission to an Indiana titty bar without having some lusty young stripper slip boner pills into his drink and enticing him to drive into the waiting arms of the liberal/progressive police.
Fucking hippies.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
This will come to nothing and won’t affect gooper efforts to suppress voting because…IOKIYAR. Righteous, upstanding drunk-driving Repups aren’t voter frauds you sillies. Anybody with skin color clearly is. When will we learn!
Quiddity
Re:
I wonder if that’s 3 different kinds of tests (and what might they be?), or one text applied 3 times.
UPDATE: Police report says failed HGR, one-leg stand, and walk & turn.
TRIVIA: The guy’s birthday is April 1. What a fool.
Villago Delenda Est
Not sure about Jefferson, but Madison definitely intended it when he insisted on including a clause in Article VI of the Constitution that only white male Biblical literalist Christians need apply for offices under that document.
harlana
he was probably also going to witness to said titty bar employees and bring them to Jesus and a wholesome Christian life
Quiddity
CORRECTION: Not HGR field sobriety test, but HGN (horizontal gaze nystagmus).
“Standardized administration procedures include: holding the stimulus 12-15 inches in front of the suspect’s nose; keeping the tip of the stimulus slightly above the suspect’s eyes; always moving the stimulus smoothly; always checking for all three clues in both eyes; starting with suspect’s left eye; checking the clues in sequence: (1)lack of smooth pursuit, (2) distinct nystagmus at maximum deviation, (3) onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees; always checking for clues at least twice in each eye.”
“Nystagmus is defined as “an involuntary rapid movement of the eyeball, which may be horizontal, vertical, rotatory, or mixed.” Alcohol slows down the eyes’ ability to rapidly track objects and causes to eyes to oscillate, or “jerk”, before they normally would in a sober person. Alcohol stimulates the nerve endings, making nystagmus more pronounced in intoxicated persons. As a person’s blood alcohol concentration increases, the eyes will “jerk” sooner as they move to the side. “
Al (from Indiana)
Now it’s only fair for Ohio to return the favor.
Linda Featheringill
Rep. Meckleborg crossed a state line in order to pursue his personal relationship with this young lady. Is that illegal? Or would he have to transport her across a state line? What were the details about Spitzer’s travels?
Ben
I don’t think there is anything wrong with Indiana. Ever been to Indianapolis? Tons of fun. Great food and really nice people.
Linda Featheringill
And in defense of Indiana:
There are a lot of little Indianans there. Somebody must be doing something right.
scav
Well, depends on your definition of successful and successful =/= right.
russell
Yes, the sight of such boneheaded incompetent asshattery is very entertaining.
Unfortunately, when they crash and burn, they will take the rest of us with them.
actually the best strip clubs, are always in the least progressive places
The last place I was “propositioned” was on I-95, northbound, in South Carolina. They had a couple of young girls at an offramp, showing leg and trying to wave guys off the highway and into the parking lot of some big-ass strip club.
Black girls, natch, we all know how much folks love them some brown sugar.
I just laugh when I hear conservatives and/or red-staters go on about morality.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with Indiana.
It was a Klan stronghold for quite a long time, and it’s also the place where they tried to make pi equal to three, by law.
I have been down around Bloomington. The folks were great, and I enjoyed myself quite a lot. Stayed with a buddy of mine at what was (and is) basically a hippie communal homestead. It was morel season — yum!
So, a mixed bag.
Rick Massimo
Zandar, you’re extremely naive if you think this is really gonig to come to its natural conclusion. He’ll say “Hey, I can’t lose my license over this; I won’t be able to vote” and because he is a white Republican, the court will agree that that would be a terribly unfair thing to let happen and that wil be the end of it, save for maybe some court costs.
Because laws are only for, you know, THOSE people.
Duane
not a congresscritter but a state Rep. and my question is how did this not get found out until now…..i guess the being in another state helps….
harlana
He was probably taking this girl to church and, well you know, like Judge Prosser, he slipped and the liquor just fell into his mouth
harlana
eemom: i’ll have to remember that one: The Cardigan of Irony
Mike in NC
There are parts of SC where there are “Gentlemens Clubs” practically on every corner, right next to an ABC store and a Baptist church.
murbella
props for the firefly reference.
the truth is conservatives want to tell other citizens what to do….and they can rationalize any slimy illiberal action in the Holy Name of Divided Government, the “Freed” Market™, and Distributed Jesusland™.
Commenting at Ballon Juice since 1937
Make the olds pass a driver’s exam to collect social security. Better yet, drug test them.
(Sorry, Wonkette is closed for the holiday)
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
The dashcam video is pretty entertaining – watch here. It’s important to him that the trooper know he’s a lawyer, and of course he wants to be sure that passenger can “leave immediately.”
harlana
murbella: and if you are on the “loser” end of the spectrum, then God has abandoned you and you don’t deserve any rights to anything
Yutsano
Bella: Am I wrong for watching the video just to check the trooper out? :)
And when the trooper says, “This is not Ohio, this is Indiana, we do things different here” I LOLed.
The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik
I would also like to take umbrage at the idea that there’s “no reason a citizen shouldn’t have a driver’s license”. While it’s looked down upon by ‘Real Murkins!’, there ARE places where one can get by without needing to drive, thus needing a license. You know, those decadent urban enclaves(tm) with subway systems and such. I mean, I HAVE one despite not owning a car and living near one of said decadent urban enclaves(tm), but I know plenty of folk here who don’t simply because they don’t need a car to subsist. Hell, I still have a WV License simply because the only time I do drive is when I’m home (or making a trip to and from there).
And you know, some people take buses and taxis too.
harlana
hip hop artist: omigosh, what a FLAMING IDIOT!!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@ Yutsano Of course not. That trooper showed more patience than I would have, LOL.
Lurker 2.0
As someone else has pointed out, one does not need a driver’s license to vote (not that the law isn’t a complete pain in the ass-I worked voter protection the first year it came into effect, and I recall an article about nuns being turned away because of it).
Tim Connor
I don’t think you get it. The fact that these arse wipes are still in business suggests that Americans –taken as a whole –are addicted to either stupidity or self destruction.
I’ll believe the Republic has future in its current form when the GOP goes the way of Enron, and is replaced by something else.
Teejay
This is one staunch liberal who’s been voting since 1974 and
always had to show a picture ID (drivers license) @ the voting place. Why is this an issue?
Yutsano
State troopers tend as a whole to be a lot more laid back than their other law enforcement brethren. It probably has to do with the fact that they get to interact with a very wide swath of the population every day. I know I’d rather get yanked over by a stater than a city cop any day.
gordon schumway
Catpause @ 9:
Jack Johnson and Chuck Berry went to jail under the Mann Act for less. There’s some difference between those two guys and this politician I can’t quite put my finger on…
Joel
The Colts.
Mnemosyne
If you forgot to bring your license, or if it had expired, or if you’d just moved and it didn’t have your current address, were there other ways for you to prove your identity (like, say, with a utility bill and photo ID from work)? Because that’s what they’re taking away — alternate ways to prove your identity in order to vote. They’re trying to make it so that only people who have current driver’s licenses with current addresses that match precisely with the records are allowed to vote, no exceptions.
In Colorado, they passed a driver’s license law so strict that at one point a US passport was not sufficient proof of identity. Think about that for a while before you decide that getting a driver’s license is no big deal.
jane from hell
God, that video is Teh Lulz. And yes, the trooper has the patience of a saint.
Corner Stone
Any chance of someone dropping an Open Thread?
Cermet
Sorry but when you ask ” Isn’t this as Thomas Jefferson intended?” the answer is he felt that you have to rape your slave and sell slave family members down the river to enhance your life style (that is: sit on your ass as have others whip/beat and murder slaves to make you wealthy.) Not a good counter example.
MikeJ
Why is he supporting Indiana strippers instead of creating jobs in his district back home?
TooManyJens
I guess blind people aren’t Real Murkins in GOP-world.
gnomedad
That’s true in Illinois, where my 17yo son is soon to get his license. We’ve also had trouble coming up with utility bills with his name and address on them. :)
Nutella
@gnomedad
Wow, I just checked the Illinois ID list and it looks like the only thing a kid could do to prove residency is get two different ‘official’ school transcripts. If the kid has only gone to one school or no schools from his current address there doesn’t seem to be any way to get a license. I wonder how most people do it?
Woodrowfan
wasn’t “The Women of Lawrenceburg, Indiana” a Playboy pictorial back in the day??
Citizen_X
It’s not. That detail is virtue of the fact that Indiana has a Zero Tolerance law: if you have traces of any psychoactive drug in your bloodstream, you get charged with DUI. So, if you ran out of pot 3 weeks ago and have been stone cold sober ever since, too bad–still counts as DUI.
Citizen_X
Crap. Post contained dickpill reference. I’ll try again:
It’s not. That detail is virtue of the fact that Indiana has a Zero Tolerance law: if you have traces of any psychoactive drug in your bloodstream, you get charged with DUI. So, if you ran out of pot 3 weeks ago and have been stone cold sober ever since, too bad—still counts as DUI.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Actually, the detail is by virtue of the fact that Mecklenborg refused a breath test and was given a blood test for alcohol pursuant to a search warrant. In addition to alcohol, other substances are screened for, which is how it became known. It’s not a psychoactive drug, but since there was blood pulled and tested, it showed up.
ABL
“The irony, it forms myriad threads that interweave on so many different levels, it creates a 17-dimensional sweater.”
that’s just literary brilliance, right there.
Kathleen
Every time I’m tempted to go “Neener neener neener” to Minnesotans for pouting because the thugs they elected ruined their holiday weekend, I have to stop and think, “Oh, yeah. I live in Ohio. Home of Kasich, this clown, and state legislators that eneterained testimony from a fetus.” Sigh.
Kathleen
Correction. Entertained. Not wearing glasses.
Southern Beale
Well, perhaps they can take this up at the Ohio State Capitol building’s new full-service bar … can’t make this shit up …
Mnemosyne
I’m pretty sure the little blue pill is not psychoactive, though I’ve never taken it myself.
karen marie
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q) @31: What a WATB!
Citizen_X
Well, it does make a lot of guys believe they’re major studs…
henqiguai
I believe the little blue pill is theoretically available by prescription only. When found and he was asked, maybe he forgot to claim he has a prescription.
rikyrah
karma is hilarious sometimes.
Ken
I haven’t had to show a photo ID in several years in WNY, and I vote every damn chance I get.
I’d like to hear Mecklenborg’s filibuster to his wife & children over this episode.
Ken
squiregeek (#11); just smart-ass guessing that the vitamin V may redirect blood from one head to another.
Sloegin
Simple enough, attach a rider that requires lawmakers to have current drivers licenses to be able to vote at the legislature.
What’s good for the goose and all that.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@efgoldman.
This guy’s district is very close to the border of Ohio & Indiana and perhaps it seemed “safer” to go there than to an Ohio strip joint, LOL.