Blogging Blue goes out of it's way to smear Jeremy Ryan. What's up with that?

[Scuba]

"Segway" Jeremy Ryan has been a minor player in the Wisconsin protests, and his PAC has hardly raised the kind of money that's needed for any lavish trips. As a candidate for the Wisconsin Assembly, it's logical that Ryan would travel to DC to meet with Democratic leaders.

So what's up with this?

http://bloggingblue.com/2012/04/30/what-is-the-defending-wisconsin-pac-spending-its-money-on/

Among those groups was the Defending Wisconsin PAC, led by its Executive Director (and professional protester) Jeremy Ryan. You may remember Jeremy Ryan as the same individual who in 2011 solicited online donations to support his lifestyle because he didn’t want to get a job, and at the time I opined that if I were someone looking to support the recall efforts here in Wisconsin, I’d be hesitant to donate to Defending Wisconsin, given the financial difficulties of its Executive Director.

According to the January 2012 Continuing Report filed with the state Government Accountability Board by Defending Wisconsin PAC, the group raised $2,507.89 during the last reporting period (July 2011 to December 2011). During that same period, Defending Wisconsin PAC spent a total of $2,941.51, with $2,283.50 (just over 77%) of the total spent having gone towards food, lodging, and travel expenses.

Interestingly, much of the money spent on food, lodging, and travel expenses during the January 2012 reporting period seems to center on a trip Jeremy Ryan made to Washington, D.C. in early October 2011 to attend the Take Back the American Dream 2011 conference and do a little protesting with the “Occupy D.C. K Street” protests. While in Washington, D.C., it appears Ryan (pictured, left with Van Jones) stayed at the Historic Churchill Hotel (total bill: $1,048.48). Between October 2 and October 12, 2011 nearly $300 ($294.01, to be exact) was spent on meals in Washington, D.C., while another $683.05 was spent on travel/transportation. If you add in the $264.40 spent on plane fare to Washington, D.C., the Defending Wisconsin PAC spent $2,289.94 for one trip to Washington, D.C. – a trip that may have had absolutely nothing to do with the political upheaval in Wisconsin in 2011 and more to do with Jeremy Ryan’s desire to take a trip to Washington, D.C. to do some protesting without having to foot the bill himself.

To be honest, as I’ve investigated the Defending Wisconsin PAC, I’ve had a hard time figuring out exactly what role the Defending Wisconsin PAC has played in “defending” Wisconsin over the past year. A quick glance at the Defending Wisconsin PAC Facebook page shows a lot of activity by Jeremy Ryan to promote his personal blog, but there’s not much to be found to clarify what the Defending Wisconsin PAC is doing to “defend” Wisconsin. What’s more, the Defending Wisconsin PAC website is equally devoid of any concrete information on how the group has “defended” Wisconsin over the past year.

[Big Tent]

1. Blogging Blue

I agree that Blogging Blue could have consecrated on Walker or one of the Republican State Senate Candidates. I do generally like Blogging Blue and the article is an opinion piece, but I agree that they could have stuck to being an informative piece, I do like the information on Segway Jeremy. Segway Jeremy going to D.C. was a good cultural experience for the guy!

[milwaukeelib33]

2. I have a theory

I think what is going on in Madison with Jeremy and Miles has similarities to what's going on nationally with Occupy. Last year the fires of outrage were hot. The 99% was tired of the social and financial injustice that has been going on forever, and that our two party system has let us down.

Que the protests. Both here in Madison and across the country via Occupy, there was visible outrage that had momentum. The point that both parties have failed to bring justice, that our system as it stands is broken, had peoples attention and we were winning people over. But lurking in the background was the DLC types and party decision makers. While both movements stood for people over party, the figureheads of the party I believe took for granted that when push came to shove, whether any actions to address grievances was addressed or not, that we'd fall in line and support the (D) candidate come election time.

Now, it's election year. Nationally, because there has been very little done, there is still much disillusion. What the DLC'ers thought would be a melding of the movement to back the status quo has not materialized. So, now they intend to try to co-opt it via 99% spring or whatever.

Likened to Madison, the strong, heroic voices of change by Jeremy and others, only a year ago somewhat symbolic of the movement, apparently aren't all that important anymore. The party stalwarts have spoken, and the boisterous, progressive protests apparently isn't representative of what they want.

It's disgusting, really. All that was fought for for over a year. We have a candidate that has said that collective bargaining will be restored AND is backed by the majority of labor is basically being thrown to the side as well. It's an outrage. Living in Milwaukee, I've seen how Barrett treats workers- his way or the highway.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm just disgusted. Miles and Jeremy, real progressive voices have been discarded. I guess their usefulness had run it's course to some. I won't be surprised if Kathleen Falk is next. Somewhere, sometime, the TPTB will feel the need to get her out of the way. I'm sure we'll see it in blogging blue as well. Says something about them.

[Scuba]

3. Thanks, and welcome to DU.

[milwaukeelib33]

4. Thanks?

You asked the question, and a valid one at that. What's your take on the Blogging Blue post?

[Scuba]

5. Liberals eating their own, which is an unfortunate tendency of ours.