(Let’s not repeat that virulent meme, “voter fraud,” eh? Since, let’s face it, that’s a felony, and not many people want to risk a felony to vote. No matter how much the Republicans would like to make that dream come true. And if somebody comes up with something catchier than “voter disenfranchisement” I’d like to hear it.)

As always, Bradblog has the goods:

John Boyd, an Albuquerque, New Mexico based elections attorney who worked with the Democratic party in the state during the 2004 election, sends us the following inside account of the scandal surrounding recent reports that purged U.S. Attorney in NM, David Iglesias, was removed for his unwillingness to prosecute claims of “voter fraud” in the state prior to the 2004 Presidential Election.

The Republicans attached to their complaint a few examples of what they alleged to be “clearly fraudulent” registration applications. This was to show how dire the situation was and how badly the state needed a more expansive interpretation of its voter i.d. law. Suffice it to say that we investigated the ostensibly fraudulent registrations and it turned out that they were clearly not fraudulent.

For example, one woman had signed two different registration applications, both of which were accurate. She signed one on a desk and one on her hand as she was walking across campus, with the result that her two signatures appeared different.

Another involved a couple who had registered at a voter registration drive table but had not received their registration cards. Worried that their applications has been lost, the husband returned alone to a registration table and filled out two new forms and, with his wife’s permission, signed her name.

These were “Exhibits A and B” to the Republicans’ allegations of rampant voter fraud. Only one of all the supposed examples was actually fraudulent. It was a registration application that a teenager had filled out as a prank. The testimony was clear that his name would never have appeared on the rolls because of the cross-checking that occurs with respect to every new registration, nor was there any indication that he would even have dreamed of trying to vote.

It was this evidence – if it can be called evidence - that the Republicans presented to David Iglesias when they demanded that he appoint a federal task force to get to the bottom of the “serious voter fraud problem” facing New Mexico. Iglesias understandably blew it off.

Every day a new low from these guys.

Read Brad’s whole post. It’s full of great detail on yet another ginned up VRWC scandal.

NOTE Often, when we look to the blogosphere to disintermediate and gut the SCLM, we think of TPM and FDL first. Let’s not forget Bradblog, who’s been in there punching on this key issue without letup for years. (And a hat tip to the originator of citizen journalism of quality, Paul Lukasiak.)