MJS Channels Nixon for Scott Walker

The Milwaukee Journal from 1973 (above) -
The golden age of journalism when corrupt
politicians such as Richard Nixon were held
accountable, - Today, the Journal-Sentinel is
not a check on Wisconsin's own Nixon, Scott Walker.
The Journal-Sentinel actively promotes his career,
shields Walker's corruption, even creating an
enemies' list in service to Scott Walker. And now,
the Journal-Sentinel formerly endorses Walker.

Update IV: A fact for future reference, James L. Santelle is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Update III: If a federal grand jury is looking into Walker's conduct while serving as Milwaukee County executive, it would be sitting in Milwaukee. Federal grand juries are empaneled for 18-month terms and may be inquiring into a number of matters at the same time. No mainstream journalist has even asked Walker the question of whether he or his defense attorneys have met with federal investigators or federal prosecutors.

Update II: Seen May 21, former U.S. Attorney turned Scott Walker defense attorney Steve Biskupic leaving the Federal Courthouse in downtown Milwaukee, accompanied by Michelle Roberts, former first chair of criminal division and an appellate lawyer and litigator, now with Biskupic’s firm.

Update: According to well-informed sources, Scott Walker has met with federal prosecutors in the last several weeks in a separate investigation looking into public misuse of office.

This, in addition to already having met with Milwaukee County John Doe investigators probing what and by whom crimes arising out of the 2010 Walker for governor campaign may have been committed.
---

"Overzealous political associates sometimes get in trouble. The John Doe probe doesn't justify a vote against the governor"

So reads the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel as it continues its in-kind contributions to the Scott Walker campaign.

Racing with our friends at Cognitive Dissidence and other sites to write the Nixon parallel.

How the Journal-Sentinel is able to divine that associates [passive voice] got into trouble, and that the man at the top is innocent is unclear. The editorial writers at the Journal-Sentinel are not from Wisconsin, so old Wisconsin values are not held

"I will not place the blame on subordinates, on people whose zeal exceeded their judgment and who may have done wrong in a cause they deeply believed to be right. In any organization the man at the top must bear the responsibility. That responsibility, therefore, belongs in this office. I accept it."
- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel May 1, 1973

That quote above is from Nixon pretending to take responsibility for Watergate and the cover-up.

But Walker and his mouthpiece don't even bother with the last two sentences about responsibility and accepting responsibility.

Walker says nothing in public, and the Journal-Sentinel excuses Walker for him.

It is simply not credible that Walker did not know that the aides he hired and promoted ran his 2010 campaign out of the Milwaukee County Executive's office.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel—The Death of a Newspaper

The Milwaukee Journal from 1973 (above) -
The golden age of journalism when corrupt
politicians such as Richard Nixon were held
accountable, - Today, the Journal-Sentinel is
not a check on Wisconsin's own Nixon, Scott Walker.
The Journal-Sentinel actively promotes his career,
shields Walker's corruption, even creating an
enemies' list in service to Scott Walker.

Update: MJS defends Walker against recall in editorial, ahistorical and incoherent. Not one word about lies, about promises broken, about Walker's condoning aides' stealing from veterans. MJS calls families protesting Walker, "tantrums."

There was a time when journalism played a vital role in democracy, holding politicians to account for their actions in office.

When newspapers competed  to investigate and report stories on corruption, lack of transparency and betrayal of the public trust, papers specifically served as a counter-weight, performing a reformist function in a democracy.

Not anymore (with some notable exceptions).

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is a cautionary tale of what happens when media empires decide that their news product ought to promote the career of its chosen politicians, the public, the facts and the truth be damned.

Paul I. Tascoupe has a wrap-up of the Journal-Sentinel's latest effort to spin the news for Scott Walker's campaign against the Wisconsin people who demanded Walker's recall election in the face of the Journal-Sentinel's unyielding support for Walker throughout his myriad scandals and the recall effort.

The Journal-Sentinel changed a headline on jobs to help out Walker who realizes his 250,000 new jobs is a posturing promise that has no chance in hell of being met. Walker also realizes that his spin and statements are not meant to last; lie and evade and the Journal-Sentinel is there to cover for him.

From Tascoupe:

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Graeme Zielinski had this to say about the 'controversial headline.'

“The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been a reliable friend to Scott Walker over the years, with a few notable exceptions. They have endorsed him, they have opposed his recall, they have adopted his talking points and here, they seek to add to the fog created solely by Scott Walker himself over the historic job losses endured by Wisconsin, we argue as a direct result of Walker's "divide and conquer" policies. Our candidates frequently dispute assumptions made by Scott Walker Republicans in their unrelenting propaganda machine, but never does this result with the state's largest paper then using that "controversy" to modify or describe the fact or number itself. That the Journal Sentinel chose to do so in this case, or at all, shows a deep-seated bias that hangs from the publisher to the editor on down, corrupting the content of the news pages of Scott Walker's favorite paper. This was a mistake, pure and simple, and the paper's failure to own up to it sounds very much like the same never-ending stream of justifications that flow from the lips of Scott Walker himself.”

New strategy should be: Scott Walker is a liar

Tim Russell - Walker's top guy and criminal scum
who stole from veterans

Update: Our most candid of recent Wisconsin members of Congress tells it like it is. “The governor has a severe problem with the truth, whether it be the way he’s handling this investigation, whether it be the jobs numbers, the whole routine he had that somehow, this attack on the working people of this state was a budgetary matter, along with the budget. He has a very bad relationship with the truth overall,” said Russ Feingold, speaking at a press conference with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on May 23.

By now it's clear local print and broadcast news refuse to hold Scott Walker to basic standards of good government, burying stories of Walker corruption and crime.

In the case of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the outlet has become a GOP propaganda organ displacing a newspaper.

Here's a 'tactic,' tell the truth about Walker.

Tom Barrett should look into the camera and say what most everyone—including Republican partisans—know fully well: Scott Walker is a compulsive liar who cannot be trusted.

A candidate who speaks the truth will capture the imaginations of voters despairing their government is lost to narrow, anti-public interests bankrolling Scott Walker.

Walker sold out the people of Wisconsin, even condoning stealing from veterans. This truth should be told.

Walker's condoning aides' stealing from veterans should disqualify this rat

Stealing from veterans really ought be enough to prevent this corrupt rat, Scott Walker, from being elected. If only the media will cover it. If a Democrat had ever done something like what Walker's gang did, we would get saturation coverage and screams of outrage from GOPPers from Superior to Racine. But Walker condones these crap.



Scott Walker = John Doe = Rat



Scott Walker set up his friends, Multiple Kelly Rindfleisch, Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh as paid employees of non-profits intended to help veterans and their families.

Scott Walker should be toast.

If his aides' stealing from veterans is not enough to catch the Wisconsin electorate’s eyes as the mainstream press hides the story, alternative media stays busy and brings these low lives’ actions to the fore.

Ernest A. Canning ( Vietnam vet (4th Infantry, Central) won't let up, and Walker can spin all he wants.



Ernest A. Canning is a Vietnam veteran
and leading legal critic of Scott Walker's
criminal involvement in WalkerGate,
and Walker's voter obstruction project

Operation Freedom, advertised by then Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, "thanks our Armed Forces members and veterans for their service." (July 5, 2009).

But in October of 2009, Scott Walker inexplicably ordered the transfer of $19,000 in Operation Freedom funds and financial control over to his then Deputy Chief of Staff, Tim Russell who had no experience running a non-profit. Mr. Russell then allegedly stole thousands of dollars from Operation Freedom and used the money to pay for Caribbean and Hawaiian vacations and a political trip to Atlanta to meet with Herman Cain's presidential campaign. Walker Investigations.

Joe 'Ragman' Tarnovsky, United States Army (28 January 1968 to 22 Oct 1970): "The following award is being presented to Scott Walker, Kevin Kavanaugh and Tim Russell for actions BELOW and INFERIOR AGAINST VETERANS: The Distinguished RAT BASTARD Tail for Thievery and Lack of Accountability."

Let's look at Kevin Kavanaugh.

Mr. Kavanaugh, Scott Walker's close friend and political appointee to a Veterans Commission, faces several serious felony and misdemeanor charges for embezzling at least $42,232 from the Military Order of the Purple Heart between 2006 and 2009. Mr. Kavanaugh allegedly took the money from donations that included more than $28,000 given by former state Rep. Mark Gundrum, who had donated his legislative salary to the group while serving on active military duty in Iraq. Mr. Kavanaugh is also alleged to have stolen money earmarked for children of Wisconsin military service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The criminal complaint said he and his wife had credit card debt exceeding $40,000. Control of Operation Freedom funds was transferred from the Military Order of the Purple Heart to the Cudwoth Legion Post in February 2009, a chapter of American Legion, a nationally recognized veterans organization. Walker Investigations

Then there's Multiple Kelly Rindfleisch. According to the criminal complaint against Rindfleisch [check it out, it's utterly damning of Rindfleisch], a GOP operative brought in to secretly and illegally work on Walker's 2010 campaign out the Milwaukee County Executive's office, she worked on Operation Freedom as well (p. 3,4). Rinfleisch is up to her eyes in illlegal activity caught on her communications, and the best she can realistically hope for is a pardon from Scott Walker, which he refuses to rule out. Reads the complaint, quoting Rindfleisch who communicated on the secret e-mail system run out of Walker's executive office after Rindfleisch assures her partners she is on a secret system, later retrieved by prosecutors. Asked what are her policy areas, Rindfleisch says:

(Rindfleisch is chatting with another friend) Friend: Who do you work with? Rindfelsich: tim russell Friend: What are your policy areas Rindfleisch: fran, I don't have specific policy areas, I do projects tim gives me Friend: what's your title? Rindfleisch: policy advisor Friend: that's fancy Rindfleisch: but I don't need fancy Friend: I wish you didn't work for government...now I can't talk to you about campaign stuff online Rindfleisch: I'm on my laptop, separate system Friend: oh...not shit, so it's cool? Rindfleisch: yah Friend:are you going to be helping out the campaign too? Rindfleisch: really, half of what I'm doing is policy for the campaign, its policy stuff but its for use over there Rindfleisch: I'm also doing Operation Freedom

Congratulations are due Rindfleisch, however, because as an Operation Freedom, Scott Walker appointee, she didn't embezzle from veterans—that's an achievement in the land of Scott Walker who condones unethical and illegal behavior. Rindfleisch merely is charged with four felonies for misconduct in public office.

So Rindfleisch just admitted in her court filing that these statements are true, and that she only took the Milwaukee County job as a campaign position for the election season. Put this together with then-County Exec Walker being the sole person signing off on Rindfleisch's hiring and promotion, and you see that Scott Walker brought Kelly Rindfleisch on as a campaign worker, but paid her out of the County Executive's Office, in clear violation of state law. And lastly, let's not forget that Rindfleisch admits in the chats that she does projects for Tim Russell and has the separate laptop and computer system. And what did Scott Walker do on the night the Darlene Wink resignation happened, and the Walkergate web was starting to be revealed? He sent Tim Russell (who Rindfleisch was doing projects for on the separate laptop and wireless system, remember) the following message: 'We cannot afford another story like this one. No one can give them any reason to fo another story. That means no latops, no websites no time away during the work day, etc." (Scott Walker) via Jake

Writer Ernest A. Canning ( Vietnam vet (4th Infantry, Central) notes:

To establish proper venue in Milwaukee County, prosecutors allege in the Rindfleisch complaint that, per her personnel file, "Rindfleisch claimed her residence as 133 South 93rd Street, West Allis, Wisconsin," which just happened to be the residence of "James Villa, former Chief of Staff for the Milwaukee County Executive Office and long-time personal friend of Scott Walker. He served as informal advisor to the Friends of Scott Walker in 2010." According to WPR, in his change of venue motion, Gimbel alleges that the case against Rindfleisch should not be heard in Milwaukee County Circuit Court because she did not actually reside in Milwaukee County at the time she was employed in the Milwaukee County Executive Office. However, the official complaint alleges that Villa testified Rindfleisch began living in his home several days per week "to fulfill her residency requirement as a Milwaukee County employee." According to the prosecutors' complaint, that allegation was confirmed by "chats" pulled from Rindfleisch's laptop. County employment as cover for campaign activity WPR reports [emphasis added]:

"The governor has distanced himself from Rindfleisch, although a copy of her personnel file obtained by Wisconsin Public Radio shows Walker was the only person to sign off on her hiring. He was also the only person to approve her promotion two months later."

In last month's article on the continuing "John Doe" investigation, we noted that Rindfleisch's promotion to Walker's Deputy Chief of Staff placed her less than 25 feet from the door of Walker's office as County Executive. That was at the same time, according to the Rindfleisch complaint, that she was routinely using a secret email system set up by Walker's former Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Russell to carry out extensive campaign activities on behalf of Walker's campaign arm which calls itself Friends of Scott Walker. But the complaint also alleges that Rindfleisch began her illegal participation in campaign activities during office hours from the moment she began working in the Milwaukee County Executive Office. The change of venue motion, placed in the context of the allegations contained in the Rindfleish complaint, suggests that extraordinary efforts were made to evade the residency requirement in order to bring a political operative (Rindfleish --- who was also previously tied to the Assembly Republican Caucus Scandal that put several high-ranking state officials in jail several years earlier), into the Milwaukee County Executive Office in order to misuse that position for the political advantage of Walker in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. The fact that Walker signed off on both her initial hire and her later promotion strongly suggests that Walker was in on the scheme from day-one. That inference is reinforced by the "smoking gun" 5/14/10 emails between Walker and Russell and between Rindfleisch and Russell. That series of emails reveals that Rindfleisch pulled the plug on the secret email system just ten minutes after Walker told Russell, in the wake of public exposure of former Milwaukee County employee Darlene Wink's illegal political missives sent during office hours: "We cannot afford another story like this one…That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the day, etc." All-in-all, these points seem to back up our contention from last week, in the wake of the establishment of his new Legal Defense Fund, that Scott Walker may be now be a target of prosecutors in the long-running "John Doe" investigation which has already led to the indictments of four of his former top deputies.

Further notes Caning:

The fact that Walker signed off on both her initial hire and her later promotion strongly suggests that Walker was in on the scheme from day-one. That inference is reinforced by the "smoking gun" 5/14/10 emails between Walker and Russell and between Rindfleisch and Russell. That series of emails reveals that Rindfleisch pulled the plug on the secret email system just ten minutes after Walker told Russell, in the wake of public exposure of former Milwaukee County employee Darlene Wink's illegal political missives sent during office hours: "We cannot afford another story like this one…That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the day, etc."

Scott Walker should be toast no matter how much money he gets in from out-of-state. If his aides stealing from veterans is not enough to catch the Wisconsin electorate's eyes as the mainstream press tries to hide the story, alternative media like this stays busy and keeps these low lives' actions to the fore.
Some choice quotes from veteran friends on Scott Walker:

Joe ‘Ragman’ Tarnovsky United States Army (28 January 1968 to 22 Oct 1970)
Company A, 27th Combat Engineers
28 August 68 to June 69
Crew Chief/Door Gunner
240th Assault Helicopter Company
Mad Dog Huey Gunships (UH-1C Hueys)
In-Country, South Vietnam (28 August 68 to 22 October 70)

■“The following award is being presented to Scott Walker, Kevin Kavanaugh and Tim Russell for actions BELOW and INFERIOR AGAINST VETERANS: The Distinguished RAT BASTARD Tail for Thievery and Lack of Accountability.”
■“What else can you expect from a MILITARY SLACKER that lives and enjoys the freedoms paid for by others that chose to serve America in her Armed Forces.”
■“At least Benedict Arnold had the guts to openly fight against the American Veterans he sold out!”
■ ”They steal donated funds from American Veterans, what’s next, they’ll be wearing a chest full of military awards and decorations?”
■ ”Maybe since Scott Walker is a military slacker and failed to wear one of the military uniforms of the Armed Forces of The United States and feels inferior in the presence of American Military Veterans, this is his way of lashing out for his lack of military service to our country.”
■“Men like Scott Walker and his co-horts wrap themselves in the American Flag, the same Flag used to cover the caskets of our Brothers and Sisters that died for this country, that isn’t being enough of a hypocrite though, now they must steal funds well meaning Americans donated to support those that served.”

Lem Genovese, Yankee Medic:

"What did you expect for a GOP governor that wants to remove unions and collective bargaining from Wisconsin. You get what you paid for in Walker and embezzlement is just another nail in his re-call coffin."

Ed Mattson:

“Definitely disappointed in embezzlement. Those in power and their friends always find a way to beat the system. This is why I’m voting to throw ALL THE BUMS out. From Obama’s privileged few to Pelosi, GSA, and all the rest, your time is coming to an end. As a veteran and taxpayer, we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. Damn the whole lot of you!”

Marine - pictured in Vietnam standing guard in
rain, after bout with malaria -
"Stealing from veterans is as much a tradition
as Mom and apple pie;
raping mom and stealing apple pie."

Gordon Duff, USMC Vietnam War:

“Stealing from veterans is as much a tradition as Mom and apple pie; raping mom and stealing apple pie.”

Dan Garza, U.S. ARMY Ranger

Founder and CEO
OPERATION: ENDURING GRATITUDE
Executive Director
Liberty Manor for Veterans
Tampa, FL 33688

“It is hard to believe that these two [Russell and Kavanaugh] could do something like this!!! To think we fight, bleed and die so these pukes can financially gain makes me think it’s nut cutting time!!! I have a hard enough time raising funds for our nonprofit without people like these.”

If Scott Walker is innocent ...

Would he not say so?

Some John Doe investigators come around asking questions, I look into their eyes and tell them what's what.

Why doesn't Scott Walker?

Tim Russell, Kelly M. Rindfleisch, Darlene Wink are co-conspirators.

Walker refuses to explain the creation of his criminal defense fund, and no one can even get a statement from Walker that he is innocent of criminal misuse of his office.

The prosecutions are not yet closed and Walker is hoping he can run out the clock.

Texas murdered innocent man

Carlos DeLuna murdered by the state and people of Texas
Photograph: Corpus Christi police department

"It 'came to that' the first time you sentenced a man to death you knew to be innocent."

The quote is from Spencer Tracy as a composite character of Robert H. Jackson and other jurists in Judgement at Neurenberg (1961), a film worthy of the topic.

A brief interlude from our corrupt governor to note the killing of an innocent man, Carlos DeLuna, by the state of Texas, chronicled by Columbia University law professor James Liebman.

The best coverage has been in England, Ed Pilkington at the Guardian. See also Michael McLaughlin at Huffington, Andrew Cohen at The Atlantic, and the Death Penality Infomation Center.

Self-declared libertarians are silent when the state kills men whom they know to be innocent. Truth is they don't care that much about justice or life. Ron Paul, where is he? Wow, he's silent.

From the Guardian:

A few years ago, Antonin Scalia, one of the nine justices on the US supreme court, made a bold statement. There has not been, he said, "a single case – not one – in which it is clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit. If such an event had occurred … the innocent's name would be shouted from the rooftops."

Scalia may have to eat his words. It is now clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit, and his name – Carlos DeLuna – is being shouted from the rooftops of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. The august journal has cleared its entire spring edition, doubling its normal size to 436 pages, to carry an extraordinary investigation by a Columbia law school professor and his students.

Scott Walker Lying on Jobs ... Again

Wisconsin border states and job loss; we're dead-last
under Scott Walker

Scott Walker is giving even politicians a bad name.

Pay no mind that Wisconsin is dead-last in the nation in jobs lost.

Just in time for his recall election in June, Scott Walker has sent out the word: Wisconsin is experiencing "steady (even) accelerating job gains."

The Orwellian character, John Koskinen, the chief economist and division administrator for the division of research and policy analysis, Wisconsin Department of Revenue is spreading the good news for Walker. [Here's Koshinen talking to the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce Luncheon (April 14, 2011); here's Koshinen talking to the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation (March 2010).]

So, according to the Scott Walker administration, Wisconsin is doing wonderfully in job creation.
 
Koskinen's assurances of a rosy Wisconsin jobs picture now that Scott Walker is in charge is picked up by the MacIver Institute, the Wisconsin Reporter and Charlie Sykes. And those three—mouthpieces though they be—are never wrong; facts-only for these outlets, even if facts place the GOP in a bad light so powerful is their committment to truth.
 
The Orwellian reference above is made because Koskinen bears a resemblance to Squealer, the propagandist character in Orwell's Animal Farm, who constantly tells the citizens how great and productive everything really is.
 
Koskinen says if the jobs picture were really this horrible, people would be flooding the state with unemployment claims. Gee, I'm no economist but could it be that many jobless get told what to do with their unemployment claims by Walker's Department of Workforce Develelopment, hence they stop filing claims in the wake of the worst recession since the 1930s?
 
So Walker slashed community financing, punched public workers with a body shot, punished public school districts, rejected over $800 million in federal support for labor-intensive railroad projects, while taking away local control, in favor of Walker's ideological and corrupt agenda.

But all is well, we are told. And Scott Walker would never lie to the Wisconsin people.
 
On a positive note, the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) predicts that should Walker survive the recall election and continue his economic and fiscal policies, "Wisconsin will just start to look a bit more like Arkansas."
 
That's positive because it could be worse, we could be Mississippi.
 
Some advice to the Tom Barrett campaign: Speak candidly about Scott Walker and tell the Wisconsin people they simply cannot trust Scott Walker to be a straight shooter.

Scott Walker’s God-awful Jobs Record in One Chart

Scott Walker's awful jobs record

David Dayden has great piece on the job killer.

Writes Dayden:

Menzie Chinn at Econbrowser gives us this chart, reiterating something I have been saying for quite a while about Scott Walker’s jobs record. Aside from the “divide and conquer” collective bargaining assault, this is something I feel Walker has the most vulnerability on in his recall campaign. Walker definitively campaigned on bringing 250,000 jobs to Wisconsin over his four-year term. We’re a little over a year into that. In this time, he’s barely put jobs into positive territory. It would be nearly impossible for Walker to reach his 250,000 target by now; he would have to average job growth equal to the strongest in Wisconsin history. Nonetheless, Walker recommitted to the figure at the state Republican convention over the weekend:

Gov. Scott Walker recommitted Saturday to his pledge to create 250,000 private-sector jobs by 2015, a promise all the more difficult to achieve since he first made it because of anemic job growth during his tenure.

Speaking to the GOP faithful at the state Republican Party’s annual convention in Green Bay, Walker said he believed job growth has been better than government statistics have shown and that he could still meet the 250,000 job vow if he serves a full term [...]

Walker first made the jobs promise during that campaign, but since he took office in January 2011 just 5,900 jobs have been created. New jobs numbers are due Thursday.

'It’s a commitment I made in 2010 and it’s a commitment I make today,' Walker said.

Over the past year, Wisconsin was dead last in job creation.

Registered Business Entities Down in Wisconsin at DFI

Scott Walker's extravagant promise to create 250,000 jobs and 10,000 new businesses is a broken promise.

As one indicator among many, new Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) data does nothing to promote Walker's making good on his promises.

Data at the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) show a new loss in business entities registered at DFI. (Umhoefer, MJS)

Business law attorneys advise that the liability shields in business entities that register with the DFI—such as service corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs)—are attractive to the formation of new businesses, thus the statistic of a net loss of new businesses registered at the DFI is a negative sign for Scott Walker's grand promise of a new economy "open for business," as coupled with Wisconsin's job loss leading the nation.

Many business entities are registered at DFI for purposes other than the immediate start-up of a new business, such as registering the name of a new entity for future concerns that would not interfere or conflict with existing business interests.

Turns out targeting the working class, local communities and education is not the boon for business that Walker says.