Wisconsin newspaper rips into Governor Walker after document leaks expose corruption

[lutefisk]

Editorial: We are ruled by feudal serfs of corporate capital

...THE DAY HAS COME. The feudal serfs of corporate capital rule Wisconsin, as Britain’s Guardian newspaper has revealed in a detailed examination of documents associated with the John Doe inquiry into wrongdoing by Gov. Scott Walker and his cronies. The details are disgusting. A governor of Wisconsin is seen jetting around the country, begging for money from billionaires like Donald Trump. Legislators are little more than errand boys for big business interests seeking to avoid basic accountability — even when children are exposed to lead paint. And Supreme Court justices decide cases precisely as their campaign strategists and donors desire...

This is horrifying. And this is not Wisconsin. Scott Walker is making a great state into something small and vile. The governor has been exposed. He has shamed himself, and he has shamed Wisconsin — a state that some of us remember, and love.

Cap Times editorial LINK

It's about time for the press to call out GOP "rising star", favorite of right wing billionaires, college dropout, and brazen outlaw Scott Walker.

[atreides1]

1. Let's not forget

The part played those voters that:

1. Voted for him in the first place!
2. Voted for him again, during the recall!
3. And those that didn't even bother to show up to vote, either time!

Those men and women are in office because of voters, those voters have to held accountable for their part in the Walker fiasco!!!

[tazkcmo]

2. yep

Same with Kansas.

[RoBear]

13. Yeah.

I really thought we'd be rid of Brownie at the last election, but he's still here. I really think low voter turn-out is the reason. His disapproval ratings are very high, but there he sits with his fat ass in the governor's chair, still insisting that things will turn around.

IDIOT!

[StevieM]

20. To be fair, I think most people in Kansas understand that Sam Brownback has been a disaster for

their state and regret having elected him.

[tazkcmo]

22. Re-elected him.

To be fair.

[StevieM]

23. And I think that Kansas has reached a point where the people know they made a terrible mistake.

Brownback is the most unpopular governor in the country.

[tazkcmo]

24. I doubt it.

Based on my interactions with Kansans here in Kansas City, they would rather have him than any Democrat. They are too fearful of their guns being taken away, have deep rooted racism towards Obama and an even deeper hatred for HRC.

My sister lives in KCK as do both her adult children. They'll be voting the straight GOP ticket due to their distrust of HRC as will most, bu not all, Kansans I've spoken to.

Having said all that, I would be pleased to see your assertions and beliefs be accurate.

[Scalded Nun]

29. To be fair, I do not think the people in these states even care about the damage

They have their guns, their hatred, their ignorance and their bigotry. The elected officials continue providing support for those ideals.

Who needs anything else?

[lutefisk]

4. And the voters could very well reelect Walker in 2018

Republican hate radio has a lot of influence in Wisconsin, the Republicans control every part of the state government, and the mainstream press has really give Walker and the corrupt Republican legislature, Supreme Court, and Attorney General a free pass, for the most part.

And maybe the majority of people respond to the Republican "divide & conquer" strategy (scapegoat teachers and public employees) used by Republicans over the past six years.

Or maybe we're just not that bright...

[elmac]

6. Michigan is the same way

I wonder if there's something in the water because we have lots of that.

[AllyCat]

21. It's amazing how many friends and neighbors think he

will just "lose" in 2018. Once I get out of Madison, I realize he will be re-elected. The hate runs strong.

[StevieM]

31. Assuming he runs. He may have his eyes on the White House in 2020. (eom)

[LakeArenal]

9. As someone who worked tirelessly for the recall

I reject your synopsis.

People of Wisconsin worked long and hard against Walker. He had more money, outside Wisconsin aid, apparently used illegal means to achieve his goal. They used gerrymandering, tampering with voting machines, closing polling stations, hampering voters, losing ballots, corrupt appointed judges, collusion with Super PACS. All with impunity.

[lutefisk]

14. I agree with your points

It's not as simple as my reply above might have implied.

[HereSince1628]

25. Voter turnout in the recall was the highest WI turnout for a nonpresidential election in 60 years,

I think the only usually democratic county in the state with a poor turnout was Menominee, which is the Menominee Reservation, where 28% of the voting age population turned out.

Turnout was really remarkable in Republican heavy suburban counties turning out over 80% of adults of voting age.

With regard to 'those in office'. Speaker Vos (R, aka that little angry man) has called for a probe... but not about what you might think should be done...

'UpFront': Vos calls for special prosecutor to investigate John Doe leaks
9/19/2016

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said all leaks from the secret John Doe investigation should be looked at by a special prosecutor.

Vos was a guest Sunday on "UpFront with Mike Gousha," produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.

Vos discussed the leak of more than 1,000 documents from the Doe probe to the British newspaper, The Guardian, which published them last week. The records from the probe had been ordered sealed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Vos and other top Assembly Republicans have called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the leak to The Guardian. But under questioning from Gousha, Vos said earlier leaks by conservatives from the Doe probe to the Wall Street Journal should be looked at, too.

"Whoever leaked those documents committed really the only crime that occurred during much of this John Doe investigation," Vos said of The Guardian leak. "The simple release of the documents had prejudicial value, which is why the judge had said don't allow it to happen."

<snip>

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=378426

[Coyotl]

3. And Donald Trump is part of the criminal conspiracy, he even admitted it during a debate! LOL.

We need a list of Trump's known crimes.

Walker goes to NY and solicited money for a PAC he is not supposed to coordinate with, and in Trump's office gets a $15,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Club for Growth. Trump during a debate says he gave money to Walker, an admission of a campaign law violation.

We need to call Trump what he is, a criminal running for President.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Funny how a small Newspaper prints the story.

You know darn well Gannett owned Journal sure as heck is not going there. Friends and collegiate associates have been telling similiar stories for years. Koch Brothers have a strangle hold on Wisconsin Politics much like we see with Adelson-Wynn in Nevada. This is what happens when the public is not paying attention and worrying more about their FaceBook likes.

[mopinko]

8. yup. putting stooges in every elected body in the state.

i worked the 6th cd 2 years ago, and omg. the radio up there is disgusting. the commercials that were airing against dems were devastating.
they have even managed to stuff tea baggers into county boards up there.
i had a voter literally in tears over what walker hath wrought. her husband had recently died for lack of health care thanks to walker.

sean duffy is the biggest stooge out there. rumor has it he will run for senate in 18, when baldwin is up. there are some high hopes up there to take the open seat. i may have to camp up there for a while if my friend kelly westlund (who posts here occasionally) runs for it.
duffy was on the koch's short list of must keep seats, but he is unopposed now.
watch what they pour into the senate race.

[Wellstone ruled]

15. Funny how things change as the

result of complacency. Have known of Duffy for many years,Mr.Obey and our family go back a few decades.He first mentioned what he was up against in '99 and the power of the Koch Family with their Extraction Holdings as well as their Pulp and Paper companies with major EPA mandated upgrades do to take effect. As for Duffy,his entry to Politics seemed to be as a result of a bunch of bumper chasing law suits. Do know many of Walkers Political operatives are Frat Buds from a couple State Colleges.

Funny how people surround themselves with their drinking buddies. And am referring to Walker.

[Stuart G]

7. k and r..for exposure..thanks for the link and the post...

[usaf-vet]

10. UP VOTE this post.

Wisconsin needs to expose the governor for what he is vile.

[phallon]

11. Where is Nichols on this story

The Nation spent a lot of ink tearing into the Democratic Party. The Nation magazine on this to date? Crickets. Don't understand.

[lutefisk]

16. John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times

So I'm guessing he had a hand in the editorial and is on top of the story behind it.

[phallon]

17. Thanks! I hope so.

Because I am sure he has the dirt. Can't wait.

[gratuitous]

12. Yes it is horrifying; but "not Wisconsin"?

Turn this charlatan out of office, and I'll go along with that.

[Still In Wisconsin]

18. That's an excellent editorial, but it's in the Cap Times. I will get excited when

a paper non-liberals read prints something like this.

That is to say, I'm not holding my breath.

By the way, no slap intended at the Cap Times, a paper I really like, but nobody outside of Madison liberals and former Madisonians (like me) ever reads it.

[TonyPDX]

19. He'll be re-elected. For some incomprehensible reason, they love him there.

[HereSince1628]

26. A few people, maybe. Mostly it's low participation in non-presidential years

Since WI went to off-year elections for governor the republicans have done very well.

Dems lose a significant fraction of inner-city participation in the off-years.

[lutefisk]

27. Not to mention all branches of state government are dedicated to his reelection

Sure, low participation in non-presidential year elections have helped Walker win elections, but since winning he has managed to pervert our state government to serve his ambitions to become the POTUS. He is an utterly amoral man, a megalomaniac, who has consolidated power and secured the loyalty of underlings who are willing to go to prison to protect him (and have). He relentlessly raises money (apparently breaking the law in the process) and campaigns, but he does not govern in any ethical sense of the word. It seems implausible that such a dull, uneducated man could do what he's done, but it's true.

[HereSince1628]

28. Gaining all branches of gov't is certainly how WalkFitzProsserstan was created

The 2010 midterm election debacle enabled the excessive gerrymandering, the vote suppression, elevation of Prosser aka The Strangler to the supreme court, etc.

It also greatly energized the reactionary right. They had leverage against the liberals and they supported its aggressive use, mostly because they wanted aggression.

[Coyotl]

30. Now that he has been outed as a criminal, he won't be serving time as Governor.

But, he may be serving time in Wisconsin