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Corrupt America

Wisconsin Reading

Minnesota, Wisconsin Diverge As Twin Cities Outpace Northern Peers
Scott Walker Dramatically Rewrites Election Rules In Wisconsin
Wisconsin Ranks 32nd In Five-Year Job Growth Report
Medicaid Expansion Would Save State $1 Billion
Walker's Assault On Open Records
Walker Signs Bills Dismantling GAB, Overhauling Campaign Finance Law

Here's The Campaign Story That Should Be Front Page News For The Wisconsin Media

Federal Court Lifts Injunction In Scott Walker Case

A federal appeals court on Wednesday removed one barrier to restarting an investigation into possible illegal coordination between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups, a legal setback for the Republican who is locked in a tough re-election campaign.

Scott Walker Roundup

Scott Walker Does About-Face On Outsourcing As Campaign Issue
Scott Walker Aide Archer Lands New State Job With Big Raise
Companies That Outsourced Jobs Donated Primarily To Walker Campaign
WEDC Award Recipients Outsources Wisconsin Jobs To Foreign Countries
Scott Walker Received Money From Companies That Outsource Jobs
Is Walker Guilty - Or The Law Meaningless?
The Unelectable Whiteness Of Scott Walker
Lessons For Other States From Kansas' Massive Tax Cuts
The Failure Of State Economic Development Agencies
Wisconsin and Wyoming Tally Fiscal Cost of Rejecting Health Reform’s Medicaid Expansion

Wisconsin second only to Alabama in cuts to education
Gov. Scott Walker to blame for poor job growth

Walker Wanted Funds Sent To Wisconsin Club For Growth

Walker wanted funds sent to Wisconsin Club for Growth

Gov. Scott Walker encouraged outside groups and individuals to funnel millions of dollars into Wisconsin Club for Growth — a pro-Walker group directed by his campaign adviser — during the recall elections in 2011 and 2012, according to court documents unsealed on Friday.

Money Talks

The Daily Show
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The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Last Days Of A Scoundrel?

Scott Walker on Fox News dodges question on secret emails

Gov. Scott Walker declined again Sunday to answer whether he knew of the existence of a secret email system in his Milwaukee County executive office.

Instead, during the appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Walker called the controversy over the release of thousands of emails "old news" and said Democrats were trying to switch the subject from his budget successes.

I guess if you consider borrowing and digging the state deeper into debt than when your administration began, kudos, well done, Mr. Walker.

"If you look at the facts out there, this is old news," Walker said. "This is about a case that was closed last March. A Democratic district attorney in Milwaukee County spent multiple years looking at all this information. 

"The 27,000-plus pages of documents that were just released this week have been looked at by a team led by a Democrat from Milwaukee County, and last March he announced the end of that case, plain and simple. It's old news." 

Which, when the district attorney ended his investigation, brought charges against numerous individuals working for Mr. Walker.

His comments echoed those he made Friday while speaking to reporters for the first time since the release of the documents. 

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm's office launched an investigation in May 2010, lasting nearly three years and leading to the convictions of six individuals, including three Walker aides, an appointee and a major campaign contributor. 

Documents released Wednesday linked Walker to a secret email system that was used in his county office. The documents also showed close ties between his campaign operation and taxpayer-paid staff members during the months leading to the November 2010 election for governor. 

Now we have documents, discovered by further investigation, tying the governor to the secret e-mail system used for illegal campaign (and who knows what else, at this point) activities.

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace pressed Walker on whether he knew there was a private email account. 

Walker responded, "Again, it's one of those where I point out the district attorney looked into every single one of those issues." 

Wallace interjected: "But sir, you're not answering my question." 

Walker said, "No, because I'm not going to get into 27,000 different pieces of information." 

The governor continued, "The bottom line is a Democrat who led the district attorneys office, looked at all this, decided not to charge anything other than the individuals you mentioned, who were people who had worked for the county in the past but don't work for me today. 

Wow. Talk about being detached from reality. "Decided not to charge anything other than the individuals you mentioned." So Walker does realize his former employees were charged with committing illegal acts for his benefit. (Which is probably why they're not working for him anymore.) Now, more information points to the governor being involved with and knowing about such activities. Yep, old news. Move along.

"I think that's pretty straightforward. It's one of those things where they want to keep pushing this issue into the forefront because in the end the folks running against us can't counter our positive message when it comes to the economy and creating budget surpluses." 

Or, maybe those interested in the truth and honest politics just want to point out what a corrupt, lying bunch of Machiavellians the Walker administration has been all along. I'm so glad Walker has had such a positive message about the economy, but most Wisconsin workers actually want to see positives that translate to earnings, not just platitudes. And, as mentioned earlier, those "surpluses" are illusory. So, Walker's message doesn't hold water, and now we're finding out their whole operation is fraught with dishonest activities.

Mike Tate, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said there are additional questions that Walker needs to answer.  

"What we continue to see is the further erosion of public trust in the governor's judgment," Tate said. "Did he know his staff was breaking the law, and if he didn't, how is that possible with what has come to light? How will his public and campaign staffs interact moving forward? And how do citizens know that their tax dollars won't be misused by mixing private-public staff going into an election year?"

Luckily some are still looking into the e-mails and documents concerning Walker's improprieties. It's highly unlikely things are going to get better for Mr. Walker.

The Art Of Misdirection

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, Walker won’t say whether he knew of secret email system. Directly under this they also link, Soros-backed group pores over emails.

Things are equally corrupt on both sides, don't you know? Even if you do already know, the Journal still wants to remind you.  

I'm led to think the Journal wants us to hold judgment on Scott Walker (he's really not a bad guy) but maintain a vigilant eye on these agitating liberal operatives.

I wonder why Republicans (and, now the Journal Sentinel, for some reason) cast such disapproving snarls at George Soros. I get that he funds organizations that try to help human rights, education, and public health. But he's also, as the Republicans would say, a job creator. A businessman who made it big. One of the wealthiest people in the world. Just being megarich usually makes one 99% infallible for Republicans. But Soros is the exception. He supports policies that often align with the Democrats and, for this, there can be no forgiveness.

And, because Soros supports these Democratic policies, that makes him evil and conniving. 

But, back to the real story - Scott Walker's illegal campaigning. Isn't it a good thing that someone is looking over these e-mails? It's a pretty big story. Yet another Republican governor involved in petty politics, illegalities, and cover-ups. Shouldn't the Journal be pushing and pestering the Governor to come clean with the details? Open record requests and scouring e-mails?

Walker was the 'straight-shooting, no beating around the bush, get it done and make no excuses' guy.

Walker won't say whether he knew of a secret e-mail system? Come on Mr. Big Talk, Mr. Tough Guy. Weren't you the one who rode into office promising the moon and the stars? You were going to clean up the State, make the tough but needed decisions, and get Wisconsin going again. Oh, and the jobs! You were going to create so many jobs.

But don't worry, it's not your fault Scotty. And we'll be sure to keep an eye on that mean ole George Soros, too.

Scott Walker Scandal Reading

Emails Suggest Walker Aides Ran Illegal Vote-Purging Scheme

Scott Walker Emails Show Staffers At Work On Illegal Voter Caging

The six things we learned today about Scott Walker from newly released e-mails

Highly Racist Email Forward Found In Scott Walker Investigation Documents

Emails Suggest Scott Walker Knew Of Illegal Campaign Coordination

What Scott Walker's Email Scandal Shares With Chris Christie's Bridge Scandal: The Permanent Campaign

E-mails, Charges, Probes! Chris Christie? No, Scott Walker

What We Know So Far About Scott Walker's Developing Scandal

Walker Campaign, Conservative Groups Subpoenaed, Newspaper Reports

Walker campaign, conservative groups subpoenaed, newspaper reports

Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and more than two dozen conservative groups were recently subpoenaed by a special prosecutor, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Colbert Frightening Mainstream Media

Chuck Todd whines about Stephen Colbert making a mockery of our democracy, media, and legislative system. I guess he's upset that Colbert is exposing this corrupt, inequitable sham (which we propagandize as something fair and noble and in the best interests of the people) for what it truly is.

 

Stephen Colbert's mockery of elections, campaign finance, super PACs, politics, media coverage, and our legal system has been brilliant. He's merely shining a light on the scandal that is big business, political power, and the media that spoon-feeds their storyline.

Covert Campaign

Shouldn't those investigative watchdogs at the Journal Sentinel be doing a bit more in-depth analysis of the expanding scandal involving our duplicitous governor, Scott Walker?

Fed grants immunity to Walker's former spokesman in ongoing probe.

Update:

I don't consider blurbs in the online Newswatch section of the Journal to be "breaking the story". In a search for "Scott Walker" on the Journal Sentinel website, over the past 30 days, only nine "stories" reference the Cindy Archer debacle. I've seen more information (contextually) provided by Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars, and Daily Kos.

I am focusing on the online coverage primarily because that is primarily where people get their news. I've seen a couple of the nine "stories" alongside the headline story on the front page of the print edition. But, isn't the possible headline of "Corruption in the governor's mansion" as important as "Brewer's clinch division"? Yes, I'm being somewhat picky and this is essentially a matter of scale. But maybe because our news focuses on sports and the sideshow more than the substantive stuff, this is why our democracy is in shambles and we no longer focus on shared prosperity, how we ought to live, and matters of quality of life.

Walker has a history of poor decisions and dubious tactics, especially as county executive. How is this not a daily front-page story of a political tool participating in questionable, and possibly illegal, behavior? This should be the lead story. Not the Brewers. Not Frontier airlines. Not Marquette's new boss. But, the story of our (Journal Sentinel-supported) possibly crooked governor. Which seems kind of important considering the massive agenda and changes he is trying to sweep across Wisconsin.

But that's just my (now, hopefully, explicated) opinion. And, my fault for being brief in my initial one-sentence posting.

Aside:

It's also interesting to see the Journal Sentinel belittling recall elections. Proactively, it appears, trying to dissuade readers from giving any momentum to the efforts to recall Scott Walker.

News breakers? More like news manipulators and stiflers.

For Further Reading:
An Introduction to Walkergate
Walkergate: Tea-Parties, E-mails and Cronies! Oh My!