Ballot Blow-up Continues

The bombshell allegations about the handling of absentee ballots by Democrats and their allies in the Working Families continues, as does a vicious round of in-fighting by Democrats over the scandal.

A second explosive story by the Times Union's Brendan Lyons saw the accusations of forgery and falsification of ballots only get deeper for a list of top Troy Democrats. According to the Times Union article, several dozen affidavits have been obtained from voters whose ballots have been set aside at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections following a court order.

Forgery of absentee applications and ballots is a crime, and the affidavits from the voters only add weight to the charges. The headaches for Democrats are about to get worse as a special prosecutor is waiting in the wings to take the case.

The ballot scandal draws in Democrats running for City Council and County Legislature in Troy. Democrats are privately conceding the ballot scandal will cost their party dearly in the 2009 local elections, and some of the party faithful are seeking to use the scandal to make a change in party leadership.

Popular Troy Democratic Chairman Frank LaPosta earned points this weekend, being the first Democrat to put out a press release stating his disgust with the episode and distance himself from the controversy. It is no secret LaPosta is favored by many Democrats as a potential leader of the troubled organization.

Embattled Democrat Chairman Tom Wade, on the other hand, looked like an absolute fool, trying to claim Republicans "orchestrated" the entire episode. Which brings political paranoia to a new and demented level. If the best defense Wade can offer for allegations of widespread fraud and forgery are bizarre ranting and raving, then you can see why Democrats are actively seeking his ouster.