WALKER – RESIGN to Truth

The photo to the right comes from “freeze frame” of a video interview done by WISN TV, as Walker makes his first public comment regarding the John Doe Investigation indictments. Can freeze frames provide a portrait of a split second which might prove to be as effective as a visual lie detector test?

It is clear that Walker is now bound by the gag of the investigation, meaning that he has been interviewed, and therefore is bound to silence.

The similarities of Walkergate to the Watergate conspiracy have not been missed by observers. It is nearly 40 years ago that the political scandal involving abuse of power and bribery and obstruction of justice; led to the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974. Walker’s fate seems to be traveling on the same journey, and it has been commented, and tweeted that Walkergate is now in the “I am not a crook” stage, in reference to a Nixon speech where he said the same shortly after details of Watergate broke.

One of the popular songs of the time was written and sung by Arlo Guthrie; “The Presidential Rag”. His lyrics filled the air waves with questions that were circling through the mind’s of people across the country, like “If you didn’t know about that one, then what else don’t you know?”

The video below sets Arlo Guthrie’s song in the frame of John Doe investigation as it circles closer and closer to Walker, much as another investigation of another era finally forced the first resignation of a sitting President of the United States.

The complete “Presidential Rag” with Arlo Guthte.

Wisconsin – Open for (SHADY) Business

Why does Walker attract and surround himself with such a shady bunch of aides and associates?

Pictured above in Wisconsin’s State Capital (adorned with New York and Italian marble, Wisconsin oak furniture, a thirty-foot skylight and an Edwin Blashfield mural symbolizing Wisconsin’s past, present and future) are some of the faces of those thus far indicted in John Doe investigation. On the ceiling left: Mike Heubsch ceiling right Kelly Rindflesch framed left: Kevin Kavenaugh Framed right: Brett Davis foreground center: Mike Russell

This is beyond coincidence
They are pictured before Walker in the elegant and stately surroundings intentionally; to draw the stark contrast of their alleged and shady actions against the background of beauty, to underscore their betrayal of all that is Wisconsin.

The cliches that befit the circumstance run rampant, like a litany of from the lips of a dark, drunken clown – “Won the battle lost the war” – “A man can be judged by the company he keeps” – “To the victor goes the spoils” – “He brought it on himself” (Please feel free to add more in the comment section)

Let’s face it. We know from our own and individual life experience that these things don’t happen by chance or ill luck. Guilty or not, Walker has surrounded himself with the people accused, as a direct result of his own actions; as the wrong answer to a defective equation. You don’t spend years in the company of people with loose morals by chance, but by choice.

Unless This Is Nipped in the Bud

Walker’s habit of surrounding himself with people of questionable credentials, and affiliations did not end when he was County Executive. His most recent, scraping the barrel, appointment was Jocelyn Webster, now WI Dept. of Administration’s Communications Director. She has never lived in Wisconsin before her appointment to the $90,000 job for which she was given a $10,000 stipend to move from Texas. She is linked to shady deals of Karl Rove and the Office of Political Affairs in the Bush Administration. Will she be the next Walker associate to be indicted in a future scandal? She certainly has the resume.

Enter the Deer Czar
James Kroll (pictured left with Walker) will have no problem comfortably adjusting to the title “deer czar.” Kroll is the talkative Texas deer biologist tapped by Gov. Scott Walker to figure out what’s supposedly wrong with the management of Wisconsin’s deer herd and the hunting seasons that are of almost mythical import in the state. He has never lived in Wisconsin. Not a day. Yet, this is a state where John Muir spend his boyhood, and the state where the word “ecology” was born through the work of Aldo Leopold and the “Sand County Almanac” – and Walker needed to import a Deer Czar from Texas, the same state where he visits regularly to fill his recall campaign war chest?

The John Doe Indictments – A Symptom if Deeper Woes

The embarrassing accusations coming forth in the John Doe (The Deer Czar must not of culled that one) Investigation are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface is the mass of sharp frozen edges that is tearing a deep hole in the hull of Wisconsin. The Walker course was set with the aid of a national right wing front, dominated by operatives who may truly believe that illegal actions justify the means. We see this daily in the form of vilification of teachers, unions, heath care, and any and all regulations as demonstrated in the mining bill.

The End Of Walker Cannot Come Soon Enough.

"Walker is No Extremist" – Wis. State Journal

Wisconsin State Journal Sunday, October 10, 2010 Our Endorsement: Scott Walker best for jobs in race for governor. But Walker is no extremist. The Republican has been repeatedly re-elected in a hugely-Democratic county. Wisconsin State Journal Endorses Scott Walker Now, just a year later It becomes clearer just how Walker was repeatedly re-elected in a hugely Democratic County. Integrity Remains In Tact MILWAUKEE — A day after investigators accused his former top aides of using a secret computer system to do political work on the taxpayers’ dime, Gov. Scott Walker denied knowledge of illegal activity taking place during his time as Milwaukee County executive. “I think it’s very clear when all this is done, no matter how much time it takes — and again, my campaign has been involved in cooperating with them for more than a year — but I have every confidence that when this is completed, people will see that our integrity remains intact,” Walker said. Walker Denies Wrongdoing

June 5,2010 Journalism Ethics Conference goes global Journalists and citizens from the United States to India used their laptops and other mobile devices to participate in the second annual journalism ethics conference, “New Journalism – New Ethics?” staged by the UW Center for Journalism Ethics. John Smalley, (Pictured above) editor of the Wisconsin State Journal, speaks during the What Ever Happened to Verification in Journalism? session at the conference. Just before the conference, the center, with partners, published one of the first comprehensive reports on the ethics of not-for-profit investigative newsrooms. The report was discussed at a special session of the conference.Ethics Journalism Conference Ethics is great to discuss, but ethics in action is the mark of the courageous.

On Integrity – Wiki

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes.

In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

Account for the Discrepancy or Alter Their beliefs

Walker

Judging from his past, it is a safe bet that Walker will blame the unions, the press, the democrats, the protesters, and just about everyone and everything else before he admits complicity in any illegal activities. Infact, the endorsement of Sunday October 10, 2010 was dead wrong – he is an extremist.

Wisconsin State Journal

Apparently, the editorial board of the Wisconsin State Journal should schedule a meeting with a top item on the agenda – Ethics. The board of the newspaper, with a strong and leading political voice, threw their weight behind Walker and, in so doing, holds responsibility for his winning vote.

They now have an ethical responsibility to the people of Wisconsin to account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

POLL – 41% of Voters Live in Milwaukee?

Many People of All Stripes Surprised – Really? How could this Be?

The Marquette University Law School poll released Tuesday shows 51 percent of 701 registered voters polled approve of Walker’s performance while 46 percent disapprove. The poll has a 3.8 percentage-point margin of error.

I am a lefty blogger, and even though I try to get my head around the views of the right, my associations and personal values are drastically skewed to the left. That said, after a million signatures were collected to trigger a recall of Gov. Scott Walker, how could a poll reflect that 51% of respondents approve of his performance? Is that possible? Granted, this poll was conducted before the most recent John Doe charges were released, but still…

We all know the problem with polls; how the questions can be slanted to achieve a desired result and that the headlines of news stories do not necessarily reflect the specific results, and methods of any given poll.

The Poll Was Administrated by Charles Franklin
Mr. Franklin is a political scientist who was interviewed on Here and Now last week by host Frederica Freyberg:

Frederica Freyberg:
What are you doing this week?

Charles Franklin:
This week we’re interviewing 700 registered voters statewide. We include cell phones, which is increasingly important. And we’ll be out with results on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m.

Frederica Freyberg:
Is this who’s ahead for Democrats in a recall?
Charles Franklin:
We’ll be asking a variety of questions, including some questions about the recall.

Frederica Freyberg:
I think what you’re telling me is wait for you.

Charles Franklin:
Wait for it.

Video of Full Interview

http://www-tc.pbs.org/s3/pbs.videoportal-prod.cdn/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf

Watch Polling specialist assesses recall movement on PBS. See more from Here and Now.

Franklin currently tweets as @PollsAndVotes

Even Mr. Franklin acknowledges his astonishment at the number of signatures collected to recall Walker.

41% ????

I am not statistician or mathematician, but looking at the polling data by region, something stuck out like a protester in the Assembly Gallery. The data under “Region” seems to suggest that 41% of respondents were drawn from the Milwaukee area?

See Methodology-MLSP Jan
I do know that many people in the “Milwaukee area” are so red that they might approve of Walker even he were indicted. I also know that 41% of of the population of Wisconsin do not reside in the greater Milwaukee area. If you look at the details you will also find a great number of refusals and hang-ups. I doubt the skewing was intentional, but since Mr. Franklin will be polling the people of Wisconsin on a weekly basis, I suggest that he check and correct this obvious flaw in the sampling.

Read More About Mr. Franklin’s Poll
For more on the Right weighting of this poll Walker Poll Grossly Mis-weighted

3rd Down and 7 in Walker STUPIDBOWL

Walker’s Office was 7 yards (25 feet) from Secret Email Network

Russell’s county office was less than 25 feet from Scott Walker’s on the third floor of the Courthouse, the complaint notes. Rindfleisch succeeded Russell as deputy chief of staff.

7 yards

That is the distance between Walker’s desk and the secret email network. So, Kelly Rindfleisch is sitting in an office just a few steps away from Walker, communicating on a secret network to organize and arrange campaign fund raising events – and he didn’t know what was going on? Well, if Walker was unaware, it certainly smacks of incompetence. For a governor who boasts for merit pay for teachers based on competence, it is time for the Governor take a drastic pay cut – or better yet resign to allow a more competent leader to take his place.

“If you didn’t know about that one, then what else don’t you know?” “You said you’d never go along with that kind of stuff nowhere.” The Presidential Rag

Recognize the lyrics above? It is from a song by Arlo Guthrie. He sung the words in the early days of Watergate scandal, when when Nixon claimed to know nothing about the break in. Below is another quote from the Rindfleisch complaint. A private email from Walker to top staffer shortly after Darlene Wink admitted to campaigning for him on the taxpayer’s dime.

“We cannot afford another story like this one,” Walker wrote to Timothy Russell, his longtime aide and adviser. “No one can give them any reason to do another story. That means no laptops, no websites, no time away during the work day, etc.”

The criminal complaint notes that the activity on the secret email network diminished after Darelene Wink’s resignation. BUT, the email suggests Walker’s knowledge of the secret activities and the illegal activities originating 25 feet from his desk.

What Next – Will Walker go for the 1st Down

Judging from his past, it is a safe bet that Walker will blame the unions, the press, the democrats, the protesters, and just about everyone and everything else before he admits complicity in any illegal activities.

Even as the new charges were being announced, the GOP Assembly shoved through the mining bill against the drumming, protests, and sad and angry tears of dissension. The same thing all over again. Yet, another bill, written in the golden halls of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was pushed, slammed, and bludgeoned through echoing the tactics of so many other legislative maneuvers of the past year.

History repeats itself, so we can expect a similar parade of events that passed over the course of a year in the Nixon White House and Watergate – culminating in the headline:

NIXON (WALKER) RESIGNS!

Arlo Guthrie said and says it all.

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Enjoy the Ride

Walker Named in CRIMINAL Complaints

Below are the snips cut from two separate criminal complaints

Criminal Complaint Rindfleisch

Criminal Complaint Russell

In the early days of the John Doe investigation Walker assured the people of Wisconsin that he was incapable of breaking the rules since he was an Eagle Scout and the son of a Baptist Minister.

This Eagle Scout could have been mentored by Prosser and…. Enough said.

John Doe – More Charges Loom

The Circle Tightens – More Arrests on the Horizon BREAKING TODAY Email Network operated out of Walker County Exec Office “In the course of the investigation, it was learned that a private e-mail network was established and operated out of the County Executive’s office and that the private network was used to communicate both political campaign and government work related information to select individuals,” said a press release from District Attorney John Chisholm. Walker’s state office and his campaign had no immediate comment. Read Rindfleish Crimminal Complaint From Daniel Bice – Journal Sentinel Bice is doing a meticulous job of reporting the details of the investigation with the precision of a surgeon. A new round of criminal charges is coming soon against at least a couple of Gov. Scott Walker’s former county staffers for doing extensive campaign activity while on the taxpayers’ dime, sources say. The charges – which should be filed by District Attorney John Chisholm’s office in the next week or two – will be part of the long-running John Doe investigation of Walker’s aides and associates during his tenure as Milwaukee County executive. Daniel Bice – Journal Sentinel On Line BREAKING TODAY Two staffers who worked directly for Gov. Scott Walker while he was county executive were charged Thursday with illegally doing extensive political work while being paid by taxpayers to do county jobs. Kelly Rindfleisch, deputy chief of staff to Walker in 2010, faces four felony counts of misconduct in office for working for then-Rep. Brett Davis’ 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor while on the county clock. Davis, who lost in the Republican primary, is now Walker’s state Medicaid director. Daniel Brice Ex-Walker aides accused The next round of charges will serve to draw an ever tightening circle around Scott Walker as the investigation is destined to move into his campaign for Governor. The time line at the right suggests that legal darts have been tossed to the near left and the right of the Governor while he has assured voters that he has the values and integrity of an Eagle Scout. He is often described as a polarizing figure which is like saying that many people are starting to giggle at the emperor’s new clothes. The next round of darts will strike ever closer to the Governor as Darlene Wink, his constituent services coordinator, resigned after acknowledging that she was doing campaign-related work on county time. Gardner has already made a guilty plea to the charges of illegally funding Walker’s campaign. Oh, and this is interesting – Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. received 14 Million dollars in state grants! Read “Walker Rail $$$$ Whoooooops!” Would you invest $166,000 to get a cool $14 MILLION? That’s what William Gardener did. Oh, and it was your money. The darts are striking fast and furious toward the middle of the target. Of course, it is possible that Darlene was campaigning for Walker on the tax-payers dime without his knowledge or encouragement. It is possible that Gardner funneled 60k into Walker’s campaign without the Gov suspecting anything. Oh, and the 14 million in grants to Gardner’s railroad? Well, he probably would have been awarded the same cash even if he had not been a contributor to the Walker race. Do you see where this is going? How many maybe’s, could have’s, and possible’s can be thrown through the air without a bulls eye?

Timeline The Investigation began on May 5 of 2010 Check the benchmarks of the events below with the most resent at the top. The name Walker is highlighted to demonstrate his close proximity to the suspect parties. January 5, 2012 Prosecutors charge Russell and veterans official Kevin Kavanaugh with multiple felonies for stealing more than $60,000 from Operation Freedom, a program honoring veterans. Russell’s domestic partner, Brian Pierick, is charged with child enticement. December 13, 2011 Jensen is arrested and jailed for refusing to cooperate with the John Doe investigation. November 1, 2011 Real estate executive Andrew Jensen asks an appeals court to allow his grant of immunity to be given in secret. The court later rejects the request. September 28, 2011 Walker says he is safe from the John Doe probe, citing the fact that he is a former Eagle Scout and the son of a Baptist minister. September 14, 2011 Authorities execute a search warrant of the house of Cynthia Archer, a former top-ranking county administrator for Walker. Archer had been moved out of her state job as deputy administration secretary shortly before the raid. July 21, 2011 Tom Nardelli, Walker’s former county chief of staff, resigns his state job abruptly, but Nardelli said his decision was not due to the John Doe probe. July 7, 2011 Gardner is sentenced to nine months’ probation after pleading guilty to two felony counts of violating state election laws. April 14, 2011 Nettesheim grants immunity to Cullen Werwie, spokesman for Walker and a former campaign staffer. April 11, 2011 Gardner, the railroad executive, is charged with two felonies for election law violations for funneling more than $60,000 in campaign donations to Walker and other politicians. Gardner agrees to plead guilty to the charges, and Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. agrees to pay a $166,900 fine. December 7, 2010 Nettesheim grants immunity to Rose Ann Dieck, a retired teacher and Milwaukee County Republican party activist. December 21, 2010 Authorities conduct raids of Russell’s Milwaukee home and West Milwaukee business office. November 15, 2010 Chisholm and his staff meet with Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and others at the state Department of Justice to ask for their help with the John Doe investigation. Van Hollen eventually rejects the offer. Nov 1, 2010 Authorities subpoena emails from Walker’s campaign – one day before the general election. Walker campaign hires former U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic of Michael Best & Friedrich to handle the request. August 20,2010 Authorities seize work computer of Tim Russell, county housing director and Walker’s former deputy chief of staff. August 9, 2010 Authorities execute a search warrant of Wink’s house. May 18, 2010 Nettesheim agrees to expand the investigation to include allegations that railroad executive William Gardner improperly funneled campaign donations to the Walker campaign and others through Gardner’s employees. May 13, 201 Darlene Wink, Walker’s constituent services coordinator, resigns after acknowledging that she was doing campaign-related work on county time. May 5, 2010 Former Appeals Court Judge Neal Nettesheim authorizes Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and his office to conduct a John Doe investigation.

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Wisconsin NOT on Obama Visit List

Obama’s last Wisconsin visit Jan 26, 2011

Reposted from November 11, 2011

Fresh from his address to a joint session of Congress, Obama will promote his agenda to attract more manufacturing to American soil by showcasing the bookends of American industry – a conveyor belt maker in Iowa that evokes a resurgence of the United States’ industrial prime and an Intel plant in Arizona that symbolizes the promise of high technology.

Obama will highlight energy security Thursday in Nevada and Colorado and wrap up Friday by pushing education and training proposals at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Presidential travel following the State of the Union is commonplace, allowing presidents to temporarily bask in the afterglow of their prime-time performances, milking their message before key constituencies.

Scheduling or Strategy?

Time to Stand with Wisconsin

Double checking the map, Wisconsin is a gray shaded battleground state.

A day after his State of the Union address, President Obama visited the headquarters of power technology company Orion Energy Systems, Inc. in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. In a speech, Obama called for the U.S. to “up [its] game” in a time of increasing global competition. The decision to make Wisconsin the first state Obama visited following his State of the Union address was seen as making political sense, given the upcoming 2012 presidential election and the state’s central position in the “Midwest battleground”.Obama national visits

– It’s been a long, long year

Wisconsin has been engaged in the struggle of its life over the past 12 months. Many have noticed how Obama has been less than aggressive in his mounting the bully pulpit in support of the unions, teachers, seniors, and children of Wisconsin. As time passes without some message of strong support from the President through this whirlwind of vilification and attack, progressives can only begin to question his virtual silence through a challenged Spring Supreme Court race, an historic recall action against 6 GOP state Senators, a ruling of the State Supreme Court that dismissed the legislature from constitutional impertives regarding open meetings rules, and now, another historic recall effort against the governor of the state.

Bully Up

Why the silence? Wisconsin looks to Obama to take a stand against the Koch Bros., ALEC, Americans for Prosperity whose largess threatens the very heart of democracy. Secretary of Health Services (or Czar) sought a federal waiver exempting Wisconsin from receiving funds promised by the Heath Care Law that would leave seniors cut from medicare and families, mothers, and children stripped of the safety net of Badger Care. This at a time when the infant mortality rate in Milwaukee is that of a third world country.

Wisconsin is now in the midst of a historic recall of a sitting governor and four senators.

Climb up that bully pulpit and talk to us. We are on your side. We miss you.

The STATUS of the STATE

You Won’t Hear it from Walker

The Status of Wisconsin Beautiful

The people of Wisconsin are witnessing a glorious service of country. The spirit of the people will not be denied, as proven through a year of progress and despair, leaps and falls, wins and losses – yet the tide of voices sweep the beach of oppression daily, constantly, in a beautiful rhythm, pulsing from the heart of freedom itself.

February 26 (Reuters) – A crowd estimated at more than 70,000 people on Saturday waved American flags, sang the national anthem and called for the defeat of a Wisconsin plan to curb public sector unions that has galvanized opposition from the American labor movement. Mar 15, 2011 Wisconsin Awakens a Sleeping Giant As Wisconsin’s attack on workers spreads to other states, so does the historic uprising that began in Madison. June 14, 2011 Wisconsin Court Reinstates Law on Union Rights (New York Times) The Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for significant cuts to collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state, undoing a lower court’s decision that Wisconsin’s controversial law had been passed improperly. August 9, 2011 (New York Times) Published: Republicans Hold On to Wisconsin Senate After Recall Vote Two Republican state senators lost their seats in recall elections around Wisconsin on Tuesday, but Republicans maintained their control of the State Senate, ultimately handing a defeat to union groups and Democrats who had spent months and millions of dollars trying to wrestle away at least some of the state’s political power.

So Damn Proud Of Wisconsin!

Thompson Stands with (Johnnie) Walker

If you can’t say anything sober, don’t say anything at all

Thompson embarrassed himself and Wisconsin through slurred words and alcohol induced bravado at a “Stand with Walker” rally in Wauwatosa. What was he thinking? If he wasn’t a candidate for Senator his comments and bluster might have been dismissed, but instead, he came out in angry defense of Scott Walker, union busting, and the validity of the recall process and its one million signers. Who could support the lose cannon who pranced and stripped off his blazer in front of the Wauwatosa crowd? Thompson’s behavior would be in character for a whiskey guzzling bull rider, but a Senator?

He stood making cry-baby sounds in mockery of union workers. He threatened the million who oppose Walker with the taunt, “We will make you black and blue!”. He dismissed the recall as frivolous since Walker had committed no crime, ignoring the fact that Tim Russell, the man who served as Walker’s chief of staff when he was County Executive, is facing two felony counts.

His means of support for Walker is not working any more than the policies Thompson is attempting to defend.

Tommy, retire before you bring any more shame to yourself or the state.

Oh, and get to a meeting.