Comic relief: Repug sign thief suspect cries rape

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that a San Diego area Kerry supporter wanted to show his enthusiasm for the ticket by putting a nylon sign on his garage. He had had political signs stolen before and so set up a "Republican trap" with a motion-activated alarm, a floodlight and a video near the sign. Midnight: the suspect triggers the alarm and tries to rip the sign from the garage, but realizes it is tethered. He drops the sign and jumps a fence and tries to jog a way. Neighbors call the Sheriff's department as the victim pursues, and then takes down the would-be thief. He sits on the suspect until the police get there. When the police arrive, the suspect says the victim "had jumped him and tried to rape him". But victim has a video tape. After reviewing the tape, the suspect is taken to the station and cited for attempted petty theft. Full story here: Sign Stealer Cries "Rape!"

•  Priceless

  Nolan, 40, said he "had a pretty good feeling" he would catch someone in the act and was overjoyed that his homemade security system did its job.  

  "It's my Republican trap," he said."

  Yes.  I love it.  

  by chi mai on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 09:08:33 AM PDT

•  Hope they're not too hard on the guy

  After all, if he joined the GOP in the last four years, maybe the only thing he ever learned about elections was that they necessitate a lot of stealing.
  

  by sean incognito on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 09:09:02 AM PDT

•  LOL

  Democrats steal signs too of course, and realistically speaking this is quite an overreaction to sign theft... but hilarious :-)

  by Elizabeth D on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 09:21:25 AM PDT

•  Republican Stealing Signs falls flat on his face

  This one is funny too

  From Rocky Mountain News via the K/E board:

      A Lakewood Republican stealing campaign signs late one night got nabbed when he ran across a low- hanging driveway chain, fell face first onto a pilfered sign and the concrete and knocked himself unconscious

      Randal Wagner, 50, was loaded into an ambulance, treated at Lutheran Medical Center for abrasions and facial cuts and issued a summons.

       Wagner, who unsuccessfully tried to steal a "Dave Thomas" congressional sign that evening, had signs for other Democratic candidates in his Toyota pickup, Wheat Ridge police reported.

      "I did a very stupid thing," Wagner said Monday, admitting theft of the signs. "I got caught up in the political passions of this highly contested election."

      Wagner said that he and his wife, Jan, who was driving their pickup that night, "want to apologize to the people" they have offended.

  by lawnorder on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 09:33:54 AM PDT

•  You know what is not funny?

  That this type of mentality pervades all the power structure of the Republican Party. The mindset of the sign-stealers is the same one propelling Tom Delay, Bush and Cheney. Triumph at all costs, society be damned!!

  What I believe is superior to what you believe and I will do "whatever it takes" to make my point prevail: steal signs, steal elections, defraud voters, supress voters, invade another country and start a bloody war based on lies.

  It is likely that the sign-stealer is viewed with admiration in the GOP and he ends up with a party office.

  by sersan on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 11:03:32 AM PDT

•  This is great

  I certainly understand the impulse to rip down signs, I've wanted to do it many times myself.  But I never do, because it's just not right to suppress someone else's free speech.  I wouldn't want someone to rip my Kerry signs down, so I give them the same respect.

  I wonder how many liberals are getting caught tearing signs down?  I like to think we're better than them about this, but I don't know.

  by Subterranean on Sat Oct 30, 2004 at 10:30:17 PM PDT