GOP Recruits Homeless for Green Party Ticket

Arizona Democrats say a Republican operative's effort to get homeless people and drifters to register as Green Party candidates marks a new low in political dirty tricks. The party is seeking to have the "sham" candidates removed from the ballot, and the Green Party itself has urged voters to steer clear of candidates for state office recruited by the GOP's Steve May, the New York Times reports.

May, who admits that the candidacies are likely to draw votes away from the Democrats, says he is merely helping to empower people. The Green candidates he signed up include a penniless tarot card reader who is running for state treasurer. "Did I recruit candidates? Yes. Are they fake candidates? No way," May says. "Even if I wanted to control these guys, they’re uncontrollable,” he added. (More Arizona stories.)