Rick Wiley, state GOP executive director, discovered the vandalism on the morning of Election Day.

"It was unbelievable that people could stoop this low in a political campaign," he said. "I figured it had to be someone from the opposition. But I didn't think someone on the paid (John) Kerry campaign would do this."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quoted sources Sunday as saying the five were paid staffers.

Wiley didn't say whether the vandalism prevented anyone from voting, but he said poll watchers were about two hours late.

Just before election day, the GOP tried to have 37,000 voters challenged or removed from the rolls because they didn't go to the Post Office to sign for a registered letter from the party. Given that, I'd say there's a good chance that keeping these guys away from the polls actually helped people to vote, since their purpose was to stop anyone who didn't look Republican enough from casting a ballot.

(Disclaimer: tire-slashing is bad in any party.)