Showing posts with label 2012 recall scott walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 recall scott walker. Show all posts

May 23, 2012

As Journal-Sentinel Flacks Away, Scott Walker Goes off Script

Scott Walker meets with his propaganda team
Scott Walker said Kelly Reinfleish, "did what she was expected to do" after Walker hired and promoted her in 2010 in the Milwaukee County Executive's office.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel again parrots the GOP line: "Two weeks out from Wisconsin's historic recall election, Gov. Scott Walker appears to have momentum, money and motivated supporters on his side."

Momentum and motivated supporters?

Did Marley, Stein and Bergquist really write this lede?

Their piece's supporting facts and data present far less than a rigorous empirical case supporting their conclusion.

Scott Walker's campaign headquarters
To the contrary, out of the GOP bubble Scott Walker for the first time in Wisconsin history, has to hide his campaign headquarters so unpopular is he with a broad coalition of Wisconsin families.

The MJS piece quotes Mark Graul, GOP operative four times; cites Walker spokeswoman, Ciara Matthews twice; cites Ben Sparks, spokesman for the state Republican Party three times; and omits Walker's war on women.

Its reference to the criminal John Doe probe omits quoting from the criminal complaints that have resulted so far in 15 felonies and three misdemeanors, and in another first a sitting govenor establishing a criminal defense fund; no mention of Walker's top aides stealing from veterans; no mention of Walker usurping local control of communites; power grabs, massive cuts to education and so on.

The rest is false equivalence and tripe not worthy of Marley and Stein's typical writing. Don't know much about Bergquist.

For example:

Walker still faces considerable challenges, from determined opposition from union supporters to a John Doe investigation of his former aides while Milwaukee County executive and the fact that the previous two governors facing recalls in the country both lost. But Democrats face challenges of their own, from Walker's modest lead to the small numbers of undecided voters who could still be persuaded.
Out of the GOP bubble, Cognitive Dissidence offers this today:

Walkergate: He Said, She Said

He, being Scott Walker, discussing Kelly Rindfleish in a radio interview. [Walker] said:

'She did what she was expected to do.'

She, being Kelly Rindfleisch, discussing what she was doing while employed by Walker at Milwaukee County, said (top of page 4 of criminal complaint)

'really, half of what I'm doing is policy for the campaign...its policy stuff but its for use over there...I'm also doing operation freedom'

Isn't it refreshing to hear Scott Walker finally tell the truth?
Walker hired several aides who committed felonies that Walker says are a "distraction," so presumably Walker should get a pass from breaking several criminal state and federal statutes.

Rindfleisch's reference to Operation Freedom is Scott Walker's PR gig pretending to support veterans by appointing cronies who embezzled $10,000s meant for veterans and families, and using "the money to pay for Caribbean and Hawaiian vacations and a political trip to Atlanta to meet with Herman Cain's presidential campaign," among other dishonorable and criminal deeds.

One would think this would be quite a story dominating the campaign. But the Milwuakee Jounral-Sentinel has buried the story along with every GOP media outlet.

Kelly Rindfleisch was brought in from Columbus County, violated the residency requirement for Milwaukee County employment staying at the home of James Villa, former Chief of Staff for the Milwaukee County Executive Office and long-time personal friend of Scott Walker, and informal advisor to the Friends of Scott Walker in 2010. (The Brad Blog)

The MJS doesn't think what looks like conspiracy to secretly break Wisconsin law is sexy enough to cover during the historic recall campaign.

As the apparently weary Walker said, Kelly Rindfleisch "did what she was expected to do."

Enough of that, MJS, tell your readers about Donald Driver's dancing.

May 22, 2012

Scott Walker Is Desperate

Walker calls for lawyers and money
Scott Walker's campaign headquarters is secret.

Scott Walker refuses question-and-answer sessions with the Wisconsin people.

Scott Walker refuses press conferences.

Scott Walker refuses to make public his schedule.

Scott Walker makes media appearance with only rightwing outlets.

Scott Walker sets record fundraising of $10-millions, mostly from out-of-state.

Scott Walker presided over an economy bleeding jobs making Wisconsin the worst in the nation, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Scott Walker caused the state to lose tax revenue due to pay inequality.

Scott Walker refuses to disclose why he has set up a criminal defense fund, and transferred money from political campaign.

Scott Walker won't address calls to instruct current and former staff to tell the truth to criminal investigators.

Scott Walker is facing a federal investigation, along with the Milwaukee county John Doe criminal probe.

Conclusion of Scott Walker: His opponent is desperate.

May 21, 2012

Scott Walker Should Make Public Call for Aides to Tell the Truth

It's easy.

Scott Walker's appointees and subordinates accused of everything from child enticement to embezzling from veterans to corrupt use of public office should receive this public statement from Walker:

Tell the full truth to John Doe criminal investigators. The Wisconsin people deserve the truth.
- Scott Walker

Tim Russell, Kelly Rindfleisch, Brian Pierick, Darlene Wink, Kevin Kavanaugh, and Bill Gardner, this means you.

If Scott Walker refuses to issue this simple, decent statement demanding the truth, Tom Barrett should call for a public statement from Walker demanding these people tell the truth.

And we as citizens should ask why Walker would not make such a call for the truth.

Furthermore, Barrett should vow that anyone serving in his administration is under standing orders to fully cooperate with criminal investigators at all times, and anything less than the full truth is unacceptable.

President George W. Bush in 2005 said, "I have instructed every member of my staff to fully cooperate in this investigation" of the leak of the name of a CIA non-official cover (or NOC) agent.

May 20, 2012

Pres. Obama, please come to Milwaukee for the late Spring time

Glory days - February 2008
Update: See also Where's The DNC In Wisconsin?

President Obama won a huge victory in Wisconsin in February 2008, capping a string of 10 straight wins launching Obama's path to victory in the Democratic presidential primary.

Today, as Wisconsin families campaign after successfully demanding a historic recall election, Clancy Sigal writes:

Obama is afraid or unwilling to come to Wisconsin to back up his most fervent supporters. With only a little more time to go, in a finely balanced contest, with the Republicans outspending progressives 20-to-one, Obama’s Democratic National Committee stubbornly refuses to invest a penny in the battle to unseat Walker.

This is kamikaze politics. A Walker victory would be a disaster for Democrats nationally. If a grass-roots movement like the citizen Recallers manages to dump Walker it could be the start of a liberal-progressive rollback all across the country.
Many variables exist in the race, indisputably among them is Milwaukee County turn-out.

I did some heavy field work in Milwaukee's South side in 2008. I have never seen such intensity and in a word, joy in wards where many people almost never vote.

I'll remember a black woman walking up to me and saying, "nice shirt!" commenting on my Obama t-shirt soaked in sweat in the August heat. After I told her, "we're going to win this year, count on it;" she replied: "Oh, I know we will."

I checked the voting histories on my walking list, and these people—black, brown, Polish, disenchanted veteran, young and old—did vote in February and November 2008 and in massive numbers.

That's why Republicans, from civil rights pretender Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Corporatism) all the way down to the various idiots Scott Walker has installed as election inspectors, are desperate to obstruct Wisconsin voters from getting to the polls.

President Obama, absent a nuclear crisis: Get to Milwaukee fast, and while you're at it, give Beaver Dam, Wausau, Eau Claire and Racine a quick drop-in to let us know you're still fighting whom FDR called "economic royalists" with a major GOTV effort.

There are four state Senate recall elections on June 5 as well:


  • District 13 - Lori Compas v. Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
  •  District 21: John Lehman v. Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine)
  •  District 23 -  Kristen Dexter v. Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls)
  •  District 29: Rep. Donna Seidel (D-Wausau) v. Rep. Jerry Petrowski (R-Stettin)
Very often doing the right thing is good politics. This is one of those times.