Mark Kirk, the Republican candidate for Senate in Illinois, is planning on sending out special "voter integrity" squads to help prevent voter fraud. Where are they headed? Oh, just to four largely black neighborhoods in Chicago.

Isn't it great to see someone taking a stand against the widespread problem of voter fraud? Who cares if the so-called "Justice" Department has turned up "virtually no evidence of any organized effort to skew federal elections"? It must be a problem, because, uh, ACORN, or something.

Kirk was recorded talking last week with various state GOP big shots about his plan to send "lawyers and other people" to "vulnerable precincts... where the other side might be tempted to jigger the numbers somewhat." Those "vulnerable precincts," by the way, are Rockford, Metro East, and South and West Chicago—predominantly African-American neighborhoods.

Not that race has anything to do with it! No, a bunch of suited-up Republican lawyers questioning the credentials of voters on the south side of Chicago is race-neutral, not to mention exactly the right way to make sure the elections in this country are spotless clean and jigger-free.

[TPM; image via Getty]