Walker Drags First Amendment Down Rabbit Hole with Him! Are Protest Rules Legal?

With everything that's going on in the state, it might seem suspicious that the Walker administration would take the bold unconstitutional move to restrict the free speech rights of protesters, unless it's either a diversion tactic or just arrogant power.

I know one thing, the Democrats will not learn one thing from this experience, from pushing their own agenda through as boldly and completely as the Republican majority (I didn't say quickly), or to keep the pressure on month after month by passing their own to-do list.

How hard is it to report on the new rules governing free speech and redressing the government? Why hasn't the press gone to law professors or constitutional attorneys for the answer, instead of asking protesters or pro-Walker clones?

Sly in the Morning, on 1670 WTDY, talked to attorney Mike Riley, from Axley Brynelson Law:

Rob Zerban's Challenge to Paul Ryan Takes First Big Step with Powerful Ad.

Rob Zerban couldn't be more on point than with this look back at Paul Ryan:

Tax Cuts and Vouchers; Two Ideas that will Never be Allowed to Die.

Revelation!!!?

Two mind numbing truths have emerged from the following article about a recent Republican town hall; voucher schools are for conservatives, and taxes are never ever low enough (if they were, Republicans would have nothing else to do or talk about).

Chippewa: State Sen Terry Moulton has been holding listening sessions throughout the district since he took office 11 months ago. But Monday’s session in Chippewa Falls was his first since a recall attempt was filed against him three weeks ago.

Fewer than 12 people were there, and they lived in the building.

Katherine Hartman, an apartment resident, spoke of an anti-bullying law targeting students that has been introduced in the Assembly. She said it is her hope that it would be expanded to include adults, particularly political bullying she alleged is being conducted by some teachers.

Hartman told of a 7-year-old who came home from school and proclaimed, “I hate Scott Walker.” She also accused some teachers of letting politics get in the way of teaching, and stated many conservative teachers are afraid to speak out for fear of discrimination.
“Forty percent of the state’s budget is kindergarten through grade 12. If this is (indicative) of what’s going on in our school systems, then you boys had better get into the voucher system,” she told the politicians.

The old "conservatives are afraid to speak out" BS (hey, they have Walker to back em up now), and get a liberal free voucher system going.

As far as taxes go, cuts and freezes are never enough...

Augie Boehm of Chippewa Falls said he was under the impression that there was a property tax freeze, yet he said Chippewa Falls School District taxes are rising this year.

“And I’m reading that next year the school taxes are going to go up again,” he said. “If we’re doing the cuts, and I agree with them, why isn’t the school doing its part?“

Too bad taxpayers in his day didn't pull the education rug out from under him.

Walker thugs continue to use vilification and intimidation to smear Constitutionally protected Protesters and recall Petitioners.

The “smear” tactic is precisely what Gov. Walker supporters are utilizing now, by ginning up fear, possible obstruction and fabricating the existence of irate business owners. For Walker supporters, the recall itself threatens their authoritarian one party control of Wisconsin. A state they "took back"…from other Wisconsinites.

Brookfield Patch: Police received at least 10 calls related to recall activities in the past week, on top of the half-dozen calls they responded to on Black Friday. Some complained to police that petition supporters were blocking entrances to the Brookfield Public Library or upsetting business or restaurant patrons. Brookfield Ald. Jerry Mellone tried but failed to persuade police officers that anti-Walker organizers were violating city ordinances.

Again, no arrests were made or citations issued. Police said demonstrators were complying with the city's rules on picketing and staying on public sidewalks or parking lanes.

So what happened that threatened the Walker gripe on our state?

Brookfield Ald. Jerry Mellone contacted police Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to argue recall activists were breaking city ordinances and should be cited outside Brookfield Square mall and Qdoba, Police disagreed.

A woman told police Sunday that a man was taking pictures of all the drivers stopping at Brookfield Square mall to sign petitions to recall the governor. 

The now familiar tactic of Walker brownshirts shouting and disrupting petition locations (to scare the daylights out of business owners), is gaining steam and working:

Boulder Venture Property Management said it was getting "numerous calls" from tenants, saying verbal fights were breaking out between anti- and pro-recall people and they should be removed "before things escalate." One "very upset" restaurant patron said the signers were on the sidewalk but their cars were parked in the private restaurant lot. Police said the business should post signs saying parking for patrons only. 

So much concern over the improper use of a private parking lot? Amazing.

One woman called police twice to complain that petition supporters were causing traffic hazards outside the mall at Blue Mound Road and Main Street. Officers found no hazards.

Petition activity on Washington Drive near the Capitol Drive off-ramp drew three complaints Wednesday afternoon about traffic hazards. Police monitored the area for 20 minutes and said the road was wide enough for motorists to pull over to the side without causing a hazard.

Someone walked into the police station to say recall volunteers were blocking the doors to the city library about 12:54 p.m. Wednesday. But library and police officials said recall organizers were standing on the sidewalk in front of the library and not causing problems. A person opposed to recalling Gov. Scott Walker was urging people to not sign the petition.

This would all be outrageously humorous, if it wasn't so scary.

For these pocket cafeteria Constitutionalists to do so much to threaten and discourage the rights of their fellow Americans to redress their government, is by itself, unimaginable. But what's even more unthinkable; It could also be a dangerous harbinger of things to come if they ever find a way to keep political power. 

Paul Ryan is Politico’s “Health Care Policy Maker of the Year?”

As another reminder of what happens when the media treats “both sides” as equals and holds back from actual critical reporting, the title above is the end result. Saying it better than anyone has so far, here’s a quick analysis by Washington Monthly blogger Steve Benen:

The Nation: It’s been several months since the political world debated Paul Ryan’s approach to health care in detail, so perhaps Politico has forgotten some of the more important realizations from the debate. Let’s remind the publication of the relevant details.

First, Ryan’s health care agenda repealed the entirety of the Affordable Care Act—in the process, taking coverage away from millions of Americans—and replaced it with nothing. What’s more, by scrapping the ACA altogether, Ryan would add billions to the deficit, and his plan simply asserted the opposite without evidence.

Second, Ryan’s plan claimed to control health care costs. A closer look reveals that Ryan’s claims were wrong. Indeed, Ryan pushed to shift Medicare cost burdens from the government to families, and apply the savings to more tax cuts.

Third, accusations that the Ryan plan would “end Medicare” were accurate. The right-wing lawmaker intended to scrap the existing program, replacing it with a privatized voucher scheme—and the vouchers wouldn’t cover escalating costs.

Fourth, though it often went overlooked, Ryan’s proposed changes to Medicaid were a tragic mess. And perhaps best of all, independent scrutiny found that the numbers in Paul Ryan’s plan simply didn’t add up.

To know all of this, and give this guy an award “Health Care Policymaker of the Year” anyway, is madness. Blogger Digby jokes that “To honor [Ryan] for his work on healthcare policy is akin to honoring Governor Scott Walker as Public Employee of the year.” 

Walker Lies about Paid Recall Petitioners, gets Caught.

Finally the definitive answer to Walker’s ridiculous claim that recall petitioners are getting paid. As if that’s the only way those lousy Democrats could motivate people to take action, right?

Channel3000: Gov. Scott Walker has been repeating a claim lately that he believes organizers will force a recall election because some recall petition circulators are being paid. The groups behind the Walker recall effort said people aren't being paid to circulate recall petitions.

You would think that’s all that needs to be said about the issue, something that could have been easily checked a thousand times. But no, the media’s preoccupation with time consuming pointless debates treats every fiction and lie like an actual argument. Here’s Scott Walker:

"I've assumed all along that between activists and paid circulators, if they paid enough people they'd ultimately be able to get that number," said Walker in an interview. 

A knowable lie, especially from the top lawmaker in the state. Yet Walker is allowed to get away with his baseless assertion...until now. WISC got this jaw dropping response;

WISC-TV followed up with the governor, to ask if he had proof of any recall circulators being brought in from out of out of state or paid to gather signatures.

"I haven't talked to any of the circulators, not at all," said Walker. "My assertion was that if they did what they did in Ohio, which was they paid circulators along with activists and they got close to a million there in a state about twice our size, if they do that, they'd be more than likely to get enough to get on the ballot."

“My assertion?” A quick check with the people behind the Walker recall (something that could have done easily since the start of the recall), reveals the truth:

United Wisconsin and the Democratic Party assert they're not paying anyone except supervisory staff. Paying recall circulators is not illegal in the state of Wisconsin. The Government Accountability Board said Tuesday that it hasn't received any complaints or contact about any circulators being paid.

Channel3000 should at least be credited with finally putting the governor on the spot, and mentioning this little additional piece of projection:

The Republican Party of Wisconsin paid a Colorado company to bring in petition circulators this summer during Senate recall elections.

Smokey gets Smoked!!

First the government changed Smokey the Bear to Smokey Bear, giving up the traditional "the." Now  Republicans like Rep. Eric Cantor wants to put Smokey in the center of their scorched earth policy:

Washington Post: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor(s) latest installment of his “YouCut” contest in which he invites the public to identify federal spending to whack in the name of budget-balancing.

The YouCut proposal targets the Forest Service’s “environmental literacy” and “conservation education” programs, saying that it’s wrong for taxpayer dollars to go to “generate issue-oriented advocacy” … giving the axe to none other than the beloved icons Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Yes, that’s Smokey of “only you can prevent forest fires” fame and Woodsy, who charmingly warns schoolchildren to “give a hoot, don’t pollute.”

Anything to save a teensy bit-o- money: 

Nixing those programs would save $50 million over 10 years, the Web site says.

Forget the learning program put together by the Forest Service years ago, a program that helped filled day and overnight camps like nothing else:

A Forest Service spokesman defended the value of the programs, saying they “introduce some 25 million American children every year to the wonders of nature, helping create interest in their environment and instilling a lifelong relationship with it.”

Just for fun, here's the original Smokey the Bear recording by the Sandpipers:

Conservative Cancer Killing our Courts.

Republicans used to attack the courts and judges that ruled against them, charging judges of liberal activism. You don’t hear that much anymore for a reason; they've taken over the courts.

So this is what they call freedom and liberty? This report says it all:

The report was released by the Justice at Stake Campaign, the Brennan Center for Justice and the National Institute for Money in State Politics.

“In Wisconsin and elsewhere, we saw a withering assault on fair courts,” said Bert Brandenburg, executive director of the nonpartisan Justice at Stake Campaign. “These weren’t isolated proposals. The same special interests that have poured money into court elections used state legislatures to mount a national attack on impartial justice.” Wisconsin’s decision this year to jettison public financing of judicial elections was part of an unprecedented national attack on state courts that followed the 2010 judicial and legislative elections “legislatures across the country unleashed a ferocious round of attacks against impartial justice,” the report says, and a campaign to roll back public financing was part of the siege. “The story of the 2009-10 elections, and their aftermath in state legislatures in 2011, reveals a coalescing national campaign that seeks to intimidate America’s state judges into becoming accountable to money and ideologies instead of the constitution and the law,” warns the report, entitled “The New Politics of Judicial Elections: 2009-2010.”

The legislative attacks likely will continue into 2012, says the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald replaces current district map, with Fall 2012 map!!! Election Fraud? Misleads voters?...illegal?

UPDATE 11:13 am: I left a message with the GAB regarding the old and new maps, so that information will be coming soon. I did call Sen. Jon Erpenbach's office about the possible deception, and was told that they weren't surprised at the confusion. The new maps, "for purposes of representation," are currently in effect. But for the recall elections, they are not. So an elected official can choose to present the redistricted map as "current," without running afoul of the law.

That's what I know so far. Bizarre? Is anything coming out of this administration ever on the level? I'm still maintaining the "current" presentation of maps is intentionally deceptive. It's also true that not many voters will check their district map, since they generally know who they voted for in the past, but it is still just another misdirection play.  
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Sen. Scott Fitzgerald is one fine huckster, and perfect example of what his party represents. I don't know if the following is illegal, but how could it not be? Thanks to Sly in the Morning, this outright fraud is out there for everyone to see.

The Recallfitz web site posted this amazing problem:

Map DEC 5 Posted by recallfitz

Apparently Scott Fitzgerald’s best defense against recall is telling his constituents they don’t live in his district anymore.

For the purposes of the recall, Wisconsin Senate District 13 comprises Assembly Districts 37, 38, and 39, and includes the towns of Lake Mills, Fort Atkinson, Watertown, Deerfield, Horicon, Mayville, Lomira, Beaver Dam, Fox Lake, and northern Oconomowoc, among others.

Map of Wisconsin Senate District 13: This map is also printed on the back of our petitions.

For the recall, the new redistricting lines do not apply. The new redistricting lines aren’t scheduled to take effect until Fall 2012. The people of our district elected Scott Fitzgerald and now we’re recalling him, simple as that.

Proof? Try the links from Sen. Scott Fitzgerald's web site as pictured here:

But Fitzgerald completely misleads voters with the new redistricting map by clearly claiming its current;

Wisconsin Exporting 170 Occupy Movement supporters East.

Occupy backers are leaving our fair state to "Take Back the Capitol," as reported by Fox 6: 

About 170 Wisconsinites gathered in Glendale Monday morning and loaded four buses headed for Washington D.C. It's part of the "Occupy" movement, and they say they're planning peaceful protests as part of the "Take Back the Capitol" event. The group consists of people that are unemployed or underemployed, and they'll participate in four days of protest events that they say will focus on eliminating corporate greed and demanding justice for the 99 percent. 

Here's Ed Schultz with Yahoo News' Chris Moody and OWS' Jesse Lagreca talking about the governors concerns over the influence of Occupy and Frank Luntz's Orwellian advice:

Radical Fringe Group Wisconsin Right to Life may have offered incentives to "bolster support" in summer recalls

UPDATE Tues. 11:50 am: It looks like Wisconsin Right to Life didn't get many takers for their gift card:

jsonline-Dan Bice: Milwaukee County prosecutors have cleared two groups - a conservative one opposing abortion rights and a liberal labor organization - of voter bribery charges after conducting a four-month John Doe probe into the allegations. "There's no prosecutive merit to these allegations," Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf said today. "In respect to both parties, they were acting in good faith."

Wisconsin Right to Life (and Wisconsin Family Action Coalition) had been accused of offering rewards for volunteers who signed up sympathetic voters in state Senate recall races. The investigation found that no one actually ended up requesting or receiving the gift or gas cards being offered. Right to Life offered "rewards for volunteers who make an impact … by educating and encouraging family and friends to vote by absentee ballot." Those who signed up 15 "pro-life/pro-family voters" by July 5 would get a $25 gift or gas card as a reward. The person signing up the most people in each Senate district would win a $75 gift or gas card. The program was coordinated with a second group.

Also cleared was Wisconsin Jobs Now!, a coalition of community and labor groups led by the Service Employees International Union. It had held parties on Milwaukee's northwest side in which it offered voters free food, raffles and free shuttles to Milwaukee City Hall so they could cast absentee ballots in a recall election … dubbed "BBQ for votes" by conservative groups, including Media Trackers … But Media Trackers' source - Collin Roth, one of its own staffers - testified in the John Doe that he was never told that he had to vote in order to get a ticket for free food. But Media Trackers' press releases and stories … carried the headline: "Source Reports Wisconsin Jobs Now! Engages in Illegal Election Behavior." But that's not what Roth said in his John Doe testimony.

"Did anyone tell you that in order to get a ticket for food you had to sign up to vote?" Landgraf asked, according to his John Doe filing.

Roth responded, "No, not explicitly, no."

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We hear a lot about how Democrats supposedly paying people to go out and vote. Not a lot of convictions. It’s really conservative projection. Those Democratic dirty tricks were already in the Republican play book, or at least on the to-do list. 

So low and behold, the far right wing fringe group Wisconsin Right to Life is looking at possible election fraud:

TMJ4: The Milwaukee DA's office confirms a decision could come as soon as Tuesday morning about Wisconsin Right to Life, a conservative group accused of using incentives to bolster Republican support earlier this year. The group is accused of offering gift cards to volunteers in order to get out the vote for the July recalls.

Marquette Political Science Professor John McAdams isn't sure 'right to life' violated any laws, equating the actions to a 'get out the vote' drive. "This is slightly different, in that, it was paying people to cast absentee ballots, but not paying the voters to cast absentee ballots."

Huh? Of course, no story is complete if you don’t bring up “both sides do it.”

After Democrats faced similar claims and investigations for giving free food and shuttles to drop off ballots…

Not guilty! But thanks for the diversion tactic.   

This is Progress...Republican Style.

We want to get our mail more slowly...?

Republicans are once again proving how hard they're concentrating on jobs, jobs, jobs by doing away with 28,000 jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.....

Walker Thug Defaces Petition, caught, Jailed! 68 year old Woman sought for ripping up yard sign.

Since more of these stories are surfacing, we can only assume conservatives find that anti-democratic, anti-Constitutional behavior to protect their "leader" is the only "tool" left to take back their country. 

I met with a couple from Blue Mounds who told me their recall Walker sign was stolen and roofing nails were spread out along their gravel driveway. 

Out of West Bend, one thug was caught:

Channel3000: A West Bend man has been arrested and accused of defacing recall petitions for Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

Police said the 30-year-old man stood in line outside the house of a teacher in West Bend Sunday. And, when he was given the clipboard to sign, he scribbled out some of the names. Officers used a license plate number given by recall organizers to find the man after he left. Sgt. Matt Rohlinger told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the man will likely appear in court Monday. He's being held in the Washington County Jail. 

He's out of jail now, and one of the volunteers would like this guy prosecuted to discourage others. Here's great coverage from Fox 6 in Milwaukee, and Mike Lowe:



The one thing you'll notice is that the guy above and the woman below were both identified via their license plates...Doh!

A woman accused of destroying a sign to recall Gov. Scott Walker is facing possible charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct in Chippewa County.

Police say the 68-year-old woman parked her minivan by a group of recall volunteers at an intersection in Chippewa Falls this past weekend, grabbed one of the signs, ripped it up and drove away. The Chippewa Herald said witnesses called police after getting the woman's license plate number.

The Republican Ruling Class Condescends, Treats us like "a child who throws a tantrum."

400? That’s all they could get to show up for a star studded rally?

Walker supporters have only sneers to support each other now, as many in the state have decided Wisconsin can be managed in a more civil bipartisan way.

Our Republican one party rulers seem to also think condescending remarks to non-conservative citizens is acceptable behavior, since after all, what they did “was good for you.”

Leadertelegram: About 400 area Republicans and supporters of Gov. Scott Walker escaped the snowflakes Saturday afternoon to stand behind the governor amid recall efforts. The group heard a succession of pro-Walker and anti-recall speeches during a "Stand With Scott Walker" rally at the Ramada Convention Center in downtown Eau Claire.

The arrogance of power is on full display here:

Brian Westrate, chairman of the Eau Claire County Republican Party, told the crowd those supporting a recall of the governor are like a child who throws a tantrum. "After you mature a bit ... you'll know what we did is good for you," he said.

Ah, the authoritarian father figure role. Nothing scary about that perspective or reminiscent of despised dictatorial leaders around the world. But oddly enough, an out-of-state former Senator from Minnesota decided it was okay to meddle in Wisconsin's recall effort, even though Scott Walker hates that...  

Norm Coleman, a former Republican U.S. senator from Minnesota, told the group Walker and Wisconsin GOP legislators have made the tough choices ... "This rally is not just about defending Scott Walker, it's about defending America," Coleman said.

Because Democrats are the traitors? First they came for the......but there was some resistance:

The protestors were peacefully holding signs calling for a recall of Walker. One protestor was decked out in a Santa Claus suit holding a sign saying "Santa Says Recall."

Churches Contemplate No Gun Signage.

Thanks to the Republican administration, we now have gun ban sign pollution everywhere, all because about 40,000 gun loons want to carry their hobby with them...and win a few political arguments.

Signs are everywhere unfortunately, distracting from the appearance of a proud homeowners property, and possibly hurting struggling businesses just trying to serve their clients.  But what about churches?

WSJ: The state's new concealed carry law is causing churches to discuss whether to post signs banning concealed weapons, and at least some parishioners are finding the discussion pretty tricky … what they should say or look like.

The Rev. Jeff Wild, Advent's pastor, shows a glowing heart that is so hot it is melting a nearby handgun. Rev. John Mix, a church member and jail chaplain who's an artist on the side … "My idea was that it is radiating the kind of love that disarms weapons," Mix said.

One of those people is Advent member Ken Streit, a clinical professor at the UW-Madison Law School. Streit said while he's not in favor of people packing heat at church, he doubts a sign would really stop anyone intent on doing harm. His primary objection is that the law's advocates have forced churches and other organizations to react to their agenda.

"Who's pushing our button to do this?" he asks. "It feels like the (National Rifle Association) is getting us to post a sign, which is sort of like free advertising for them."

Koch Brothers Client Buys Partisan Run Railroad in Wisconsin.

The Koch bothers are starting to grab control, via clients they support in their business. What else can explain this obvious coincidence:

CapTimes: The Kansas-based new owners of Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. want to make one thing perfectly clear: Their purchase is a railroad deal, pure and simple. "We're poised to help the economy of Wisconsin take off," says Ed McKechnie, spokesman for Watco Transportation Services.

But given the political activity of WSOR founder Bill Gardner — who has admitted to $70,000 in illegal and excessive campaign contributions to Gov. Scott Walker and others and was sentenced to two years' probation — some wondered if there was more to the story. And a quick Google search reveals a link between Watco and Koch Industries, the Wichita-based natural resources conglomerate: Koch is the largest customer of Watco and the Koch brothers have been big Walker supporters.

Conservative Media Trackers Vilifies before Verifies. They got the mileage out of the bashing Sen. Lena Taylor, that's all the mattered.

The phony outrage and self righteousness of Walker supporters is surreal to say the least! But now we can look at them as political frauds, mudslinging provocateurs, attempting to disparage the recall effort with recent recall shenanigans that undermine the electoral process. 

jsonline-Dan Bice: Media Trackers - a conservative outfit that digs up dirt on liberals - recently scored a public relations coup by linking state Sen. Lena C. Taylor and her mother to possible voter fraud in the April election.

The story got prominent play in the Journal Sentinel, talk radio, conservative blogs, WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) and other media outlets. Each reported the claims made by Media Trackers about the sometimes controversial senator … Including one major assertion that turns out to be spurious. In particular, Media Trackers had suggested Taylor and her mother might have been "accessories" to voter fraud for their role in helping a felon named Russell Collins vote illegally in the April election. In reality, Collins had been released from custody weeks before the election. That means he was legally free to vote.

This is how the alarmists and paranoid conservative freaks at Media Trackers report what they found to the media:

"Last week, we saw Sen. Taylor introduce legislation that would allow felons the moment they leave jail to vote," Brian Sikma, communications director for Media Trackers told the Journal Sentinel. "But looking at what we found, it looks like she didn't even wait for the law to change. She was, in fact, an accessory to one felon voting on April 5 when that individual was ineligible to vote under Wisconsin statutes."

Others in the media were also ready to prosecute … "Is it not news that Lena Taylor and her mother are involved in assisting an ineligible felon to vote?" wrote conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes on his blog. "The law was broken when this guy voted. Isn't that a problem?"… Channel 4 reporter Charles Benson said on air, "Media Trackers says one of those people who voted from here is a convicted felon, and that would be illegal."

Asked if Media Trackers should offer an apology to Taylor or her mother, Sikma said he didn't think so. "We stand by the information we were given," he said. Even if it turned out to be incomplete.

Wisconsin Public Service Corp. says it may fire 74 workers... or not...for no specific regulation...come on Walker give 'em some money!

This is the most half-hearted threat by a Wisconsin business, to snag a little taxpayer cash from Scott Walker, anyone has ever seen:

Channel3000: Wisconsin Public Service Corp. said it may have to lay off 74 workers at its Green Bay and Rothschild power plants because of increasing regulatory costs … tied to environmental regulations associated with running coal-fired power plants.

Utility spokesman Kerry Spees said there's not a specific regulation that's driving up costs. He acknowledged it's possible that no workers are ultimately laid off. 

But you never know...right?

Walker balanced budget by cutting Sexual Assault Victim Services grant. It's Working.

It’s working…again?

Tough budget decisions have benefited big business in Wisconsin, resulting in …nothing much at all but job losses. But the most needy, like sexual assault victims, have been abandoned. This is what conservative voters and the Walker administration thinks is working.

Channel3000: The Wisconsin Justice Department plans to dramatically cut funding for organizations that help sexual assault victims. DOJ provides grants to victim service providers through its Sexual Assault Victim Services program. Agency officials warned providers in November that they plan to cut the grants by 42.5 percent … had to make the cuts because the state budget has imposed a 10 percent cut to all state agencies and another $174.3 million in cuts on top of that.

The Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault is calling the cuts disastrous. DOJ officials said they are aware of the challenges the cuts present but they have little choice.

Walker and the DOJ made sure we knew they were tough on sex crimes. Just don't bring up the victims.  

Walker takes Credit for June Seasonal Jobs Jump, Republicans Criticize Obama for December Seasonal Jobs Jump.

The recall elections in summer worried the Walker administration so much, they bragged about an increase in job numbers in June that they knew were “very questionable” and “suspect.” Scott Walker touted the numbers anyway.

In fact;

jsonline; The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C., said the monthly statewide jobs numbers in Wisconsin are subject to a margin of error of plus or minus 9,500 jobs - about the same amount as the net increase in total public and private jobs that was reported for June.

But still the Walker administration used the numbers, claiming they accounted for almost all of the jobs created in nation. Conservative radio talk host oozed praise, even though the job numbers were an average of all jobs lost and gained nationwide, with a few states beating Wisconsin handily. But this was a ploy to help those poor Republican senators up for recall.

Walker’s jobs in June came in higher, but… 

…Werwie from Walker's office pointed out that the preliminary private-sector jobs figure for June was actually revised upward the following month by almost 2,000 jobs. But in the meantime, the next installment of the monthly survey showed that the number of jobs in July dropped by 10,800 - almost as many positions as were created in June.

The report said the increase in jobs was "questionable" because most of the jobs were created in tourism industries that "rarely lead employment growth…"

Walker was right about one thing, when it comes to BS, “it’s working.”

Conservative Activist Supreme Court Majority wants Majority Vote to allow private verbal abuse of Minority.

How arrogantly beautiful is this; ‘since we have a majority, let’s create rules that require a majority vote. That’s only fair!!?’

That’s what our conservative activist majority of Justices in the State Supreme Court want to do to keep controversial discussions “private.”

jsonline: A state Supreme Court justice wants to make it easier to keep some of the often-fractious court's discussions private. Wisconsin's Supreme Court in 1999 started holding public meetings on virtually all of its administrative matters. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson proposed the court hold all of its proceedings, including deliberations on cases, in public. Abrahamson made a series of proposals that she said could improve civility on the court. The court rejected the idea in September.

Now, Justice Patience Roggensack wants to roll back the court's policy so that many issues are discussed in public only if a majority of the court votes to do so.

How convenient.

Roggensack's proposal … All other administrative discussions would be held behind closed doors, unless a majority of the court wanted to publicly talk about a particular issue.

Amazing.

Out-of-State Tea Party Express Gives Marching Orders to Walker Supporters from Georgia!!

Another OMG moment to be sure.

Walker and his drone army of lawbreakers and recall harassing thugs, continue to cry bloody murder over imagined liberal outside groups reeking political havoc against the administration.

But the whining rings hollow; Atlanta, Georgia's Tea Party Express, (an outside group) is trying to tell Wisconsin voters how wonderful our governor is, by sending harassing email press releases to the media. Express' Amy Kremer is another conservative who believes the ends justify the means, regardless of the impact on real people. See, problem solved...this year. But in the past, budgets were balanced by governors who didn't destroying professions, lives or generate a recall.

From WPT's Here and Now, this amazing insight into what blind allegiance to the dollar and merciless authority figures looks like:



One more thing; the idea that union money must be taken out of elections, but not big corporate money, demonstrates a bizarre disconnect. They've been dangerously suckered into creeping fascism, and the scary thing is, they seem to like it.

A Must Read Recall Petitioner's Story!!!

I don’t usually post someone’s entire story, but I’m not sure how long a link to the Caledonia Patch will last, and I wouldn’t want the following recall petitioner’s account to disappear with time. This great account was written by Jason Patzfahl, and you can read it here or give the Patch a little visit:

Part of me wishes I really did need to "Get a f****** job" like so many right-wingers have been screaming at me for the past two weeks - then I would have more time to volunteer and collect signatures to remove Walker from his perch. But work and family come first, and since my kids were suffering from strep throat the ENTIRE Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I could not get out as much as I wanted to. When I do make it outside however, I try squeeze every signature out of every person with at least a little bit of common sense left in Milwaukee. (In other words, people who don't listen to 620 WTMJ or watch Fox News)

I pack my little Hyundai full of signs, signs that have to be held, signs that lean against poles, signs that have to be hung around necks, signs that can be taped to tables, signs that reflect light, signs that get heavy after three hours of holding them, signs that smell like paint and give me a damn headache, signs that are made of cheap particle board and give me slivers . . . you get the picture.

I usually meet a mother and daughter team that "have been working the corners together" as a team since the days of the Senator Mary Lazich recall. They are angels and troopers and are out EVERY SINGLE day. We have fold-able tables, more clipboards than you can count, big rocks to hold the clip boards down in the wind, pockets full of those orange hand-warmers and kleenex to wipe our constantly runny noses. We drink hot chocolate and coffee, rotate out for potty-breaks and take turns holding signs and waving and instructing citizens how to fill out the petitions.

We change locations based upon police interference or signing traffic. We scout the area for busy intersections with good parking and public areas for our signs and tables. We are fluid and mobile. We set up in minutes and often collect more than 100 signatures in three hours.

Personally, I have found the city to be much more hospitable - there are many, many "This is what democracy looks like" car honks, very few middle finger waves and almost never does anyone shout anything negative out of a passing car.

In the suburbs of Greendale and Franklin it is a much different story: As you may be aware, I had a full can of soda thrown at my head, we can't go two minutes without someone in a $40,000 foreign car rolling down the window and telling us that "Teachers are greedy" or "Get a life" or "F*ck off!" And to be truthful, most of these comments have come from women (they must have a thing for Sean Hannity).

Occasionally someone has the audacity to get out of their car and harass us in person. They park their Lexus or their Cadillac SUV right near us, walk over and lecture us on what a great job Walker has done in Wisconsin "balancing the budget." And when we confront them and tell them that he "balanced the budget" on the backs of the working-class and lower-class people of the state and that Wisconsin led the nation in job losses last month (10,000) they stutter, and mumble something about greedy teachers again, give the old finger wave and head back into their foreign car with the leather seats and turn on Charlie Sykes and let their blood pressure rise as they listen to the hate spewing from their Infinity speaker system.

Then there is the guy in his hunting overalls in the beat-up red truck who signed the recall petitions, "Let him stay" and "Let her stay". When Sara snapped his picture, wrote down his plate number and informed him of the $10,000 fine and felony conviction coming his way he actually, literally started to cry and beg not to be turned in - turns out he has been out of work for two years and is just "really upset" and only likes Walker because now he can carry a concealed gun and protect his home under the "castle doctrine". Looks like he could have used some work, say in the light-rail industry that Walker let walk away.

We never turned him in.

I remember way back (like 5 years ago) when if someone said they were a teacher, the usual response was "God bless you, you have a tough job" or "It is a shame what we pay our teachers" was the usual response. Now all of a sudden teachers are greedy bastards for demanding such things as affordable health care and a decent retirement package after dedicating 30 years to educating our children.

How dare they? Teachers have it easy - paying their own college loans off on a low salary, then paying their own way through a master's degree (in order to keep their license) and then renegotiating contracts every two years to give up salary to compensate for affordable health care. What thiefs, what leeches, what greedy sons-of-bitches right? B.S.!

If teaching is so easy and it pays so well, why doesn't everybody become a teacher and take on what is apparently the world's easiest, best-paying job? Because it is none of the above. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Try it some time, then you might understand why 50% of all teachers quit within the first 3 years.

Politifact's Amazing Disconnect; Lie of the Year...not so much.

A picture worth a thousand words...

It really is amazing, considering the facts as spelled out by Think Progress:

Under his proposal, beginning in 2022, people turning 65 will receive a pre-determined “premium support” payment to purchase private coverage. The insurers will offer a basic package of benefits, but traditional Medicare — the program that President Lyndon Johnson enacted in 1965 — will literally stop enrolling new beneficiaries. Rather than paying health care providers directly — and using its market clout to secure better bargains and other efficiencies for enrollees — the government would now pay multiple private health insurers pre-determined amounts per beneficiary to act as middle men between patients and providers.

It will no longer guarantee seniors a defined package of benefits, but will instead only offer a defined contribution towards their health care costs. As the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of Ryan’s proposal explains, “the payment for 65-year-olds in 2022 is specified to be $8,000, on average, which is approximately the same dollar amount as projected net federal spending per capita for 65-year-olds in traditional Medicare.” However every subsequent year, as health care costs increase, the government’s contribution “would grow at a slower rate,” inflation, and the age of the enrollee. By 2030, under the proposal, the premium support would “only cover 32 percent of a typical 65-year-old’s total health care spending” and would decrease every subsequent year.

PolitiFact concedes that this is, in fact, “a huge change to the current program.” But it’s more than that. Capping costs to beneficiaries, closing the traditional fee-for-service program, and forcing seniors to enroll in new private coverage, ends Medicare by eliminating everything that has defined the program for the last 46 years
 

Ryan Projects the Propaganda by taking the "Moral High Ground."

Paul Ryan’s fear campaign continues unabated, obscured by the usual “I know you are but what am I” tact, and a whole lot of conservative projection. In fact projection is the GOP’s primary offensive weapon; “where a person subconsciously denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, usually to other people.” 

While Ryan accuses the Democrats of fear mongering his cost shifting health care reform plan for Medicare, where care is controlled by insurance companies and the free market, he actually does them one better by warning typically paranoid conservatives we’re about to “lose our country.”  

Big Government:“We can be like Republicans in the past–trim the edges, slow things down, make things more affordable, buy time. Or we can do what is necessary to save our country. We’ve got to understand that there are core principles involved here–that if we compromise too far, we can win but we will still lose the country.”

Scared yet? Thank god we Ryan to ease our worries and to take the "moral high ground." He'll talk some sense into us…via propaganda. Or as Ryan puts it, “educate” the public with corporate Prosperity PAC money.

Rep. Paul Ryan, chair of the House Budget Committee, also leads the Prosperity PAC, a political action committee … Prosperity Action is trying to change the premise of the debate about spending, to help educate the country, to educate grassroots activists … if we win that kind of an election, then we will have the moral authority to make the changes needed. I believe that President Obama is going to campaign on the idea that he offers the country a kind of security, that the Republicans will feed Americans to the wolves to help their rich friends. He’s going to use resentment, fear, and envy.

Ryan convincingly denies the truth by portraying the wealth disparity as resentment, fear, and envy, when nothing could be further from the truth.  

Projection? Sure. The funny thing is, Ryan ignores or denies legitimate criticisms of his “free market” plan of self-rationing. The insane notion that insurance companies and hospitals will lower rates and cut their profit margins, while taking Ryan’s taxpayer premium support money in a supposed free market, is pure lunacy. To add insult to injury, Ryan also wants insurers to dump those with pre-existing conditions into a costly taxpayer supported high risk pool. Ryan socializes the risk, and privatizes the profits.

Besides appealing to conservative’s willingness to play the picked on victim of their misunderstood ideology, Ryan positions himself as one of the few wonkish numbers crunchers the party is willing to tolerate. That’s why the following string of big words sounds so impressive to Republican voters:

We must reject that substantively–statistically and quantitatively, but also seizing the moral high ground.

And when you seize the moral high ground, like Scott Walker has, you can do anything you want. 

ACLU Criticizes New "Pay for Protest" Rules.

Here's an image of the ACLU letter:

Here's WKOW 27's Tony Galli:

Sen. Tim Cullen may run for governor.

As one of the more moderate Democrats, and a member of the Wisconsin 14, Cullen brings an impressive knowledge base with him. Check out this short story from Channeld3000:

State Sen. Tim Cullen said on Friday that he thinks Walker has divided the state in a way that he has never seen before and he wants to bring people together. Top of mind for Cullen, a Janesville native who represents the 15th District, is how he thinks the Walker administration is spending too much time on issues that aren't helping the economy. Other local political watchers said that they think Cullen has a chance.

Greg Peck, the opinion page editor for the Janesville Gazette newspaper, said Cullen's strong ties to the area as a former city council man and school board member could help him in a statewide race.

Walker's Cuts to Education Hurting Special Education Students Hard.

Guess it’s NOT working…again? Spending on public education was cut more than any other state in the country, and with those cuts, dire consequences.

Edweek: Disability advocates are upset that some Wisconsin school districts want to be able to cut special education spending without losing losing federal funds.

Disability Rights Wisconsin said they just recently learned of a May letter asking for changes to the portion of the federal law requiring districts to keep spending on students with disabilities level from year to year. The clause is intended to buffer special education from the budget cycle and political whims.

Generally, school districts can only cut special education spending if there's an actual decrease in expenses.

Wisconsin school districts, noting the challenging economic times, asked for penalties to be waived … "This change will not reduce the services being provided to children with disabilities … But Jeffrey Spitzer-Resnick, managing attorney for Disability Rights Wisconsin, said his organization has already heard from parents and others who say services for their children have been reduced. If a student worked with an aide last school year for example, his or her new education plan erases the need for an aide … He said he understands that school districts are cash-strapped, but that doesn't mean they don't have to continue upholding the law. "When political decisions are made like the state of Wisconsin did, it has consequences," Mr. Spitzer-Resnick said. "You're still stuck with IDEA and maintenance of effort."

A private sector school has created this horror story:

Edweek: A private boarding school connected with the Hershey chocolate company says it was trying to protect other students when it denied admission to a Philadelphia-area teenager because he is HIV-positive.

The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of the unidentified boy, claiming the Milton Hershey School for disadvantaged students violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2008 to reaffirm that HIV is a qualified disability. 

One more thing:

Attorney Ronda Goldfein says her client requires no special accommodations. He is an honor-roll student and athlete who controls his HIV with medication that does not affect his school schedule, she said. Goldfein said the HIV discrimination cases she has seen in recent years usually boil down to one person's word against another.

"The reality is, people don't usually admit it like this," she said Thursday.

The World According to Scott Walker.

Gov. Scott Walker lives in a completely different world than the one I'm familiar with. You may not recognize Walker's version of reality, to the one you might read about in the papers, blogs or see on local TV newscasts. Check out this highlight edition of his recent Newsmax Interview:

“The majority of the people of Wisconsin elected me to do exactly what I said I’d do … I’d still make sure that we protected seniors and needy families and children and ultimately do things like putting more money in the classroom.

Bitter revenge is just a breath away for Walker…

“We did all those things and so a handful of folks want to stand up and cry foul. It’s really because they want to continue to take money out of the pockets of workers without their permission. So in the end … it’s about us standing up to protect workers and the state of Wisconsin as well.”

Ever the victim, Walker imagines the recall started before he became governor…

Walker was elected governor by 124,000 votes last November … He says the recall effort started immediately, two months before he was even sworn in.

Ever the peacemaker...

“…we’ve got a plan to bring the people of our state together,” he added. “Not just among the party but in the larger context, public and private, local and state, coming together to help put our state back to work.”

Walker also forgets taxpayer money is actually converted to WAGES, earned by public employees. It’s their money, not the taxpayers…

Walker said … Some of the money that taxpayers contribute goes toward union dues which are then partly used for political activity which aids candidates who help the unions.

Walker imagines…

That the money goes to politicians “who promise, many times in secret, to add more employees, more benefits, more government spending.

Walker came into office promising to bring in policies that would create 250,000 jobs … that figure stands at only 29,000 as he approaches his first anniversary. Still, he called that “a tremendous shift” from what had happened in recent years.

This is where the idiotic GOP revisionist history erases the Great Bush Recession, and blames state Democrats for the loss of jobs during the global crash…

“In the last three years before I took office, 2007-10, under my predecessor and with Democrats in charge of the legislature, Wisconsin lost 150,000 jobs," he said. "In the first six months we gained almost 40,000. We’ve had our challenges in August and September and October but that’s in large part because of the national and global economy.

And in that dog-eat-dog free market world of risk, Walker wants government to interfere…

“If you’re a small business and you want to add five more employees, oftentimes you’re going to say ‘what other costs are coming up in the next year or two’ and if people aren’t confident that they can manage those costs, they’re not going to add jobs.”

Banks Boot Vets...get Caught.

So you want the free market in control, want the banks deregulated and support the troops? Suckers!!!!

IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff explains, with Rachel Maddow:

The Justice Party...?

I like the Justice Party. Check out Rocky Anderson's platform. Rachel Maddow just let's Rocky roll.....

Tax cuts for wealthy Good! Tax cuts for everyone else Bad!

Rachel Maddow lays it out so well that even a tea party voter will understand how hypocritical they've been...

Walker's Recall Due to "bold, courageous" Transformation of Government?

It’s frustrating to watch pundits debate the presidential race without any consideration of the unrest in states with pushy authoritarian Republican governors. You would think the enraged state voters might be leaning left after rebelling against the draconian solutions instituted by the GOP gov’s.

So I found this Scott Walker declaration bizarre, arrogant and clueless:

TampaBay: "Whether it's Rick Scott in Florida, Rick Snyder in Michigan, John Kasich in Ohio … there's just a ton of bold, courageous new governors who've come in, and we're ready to transform America," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told a Republican Governors Association gathering in Orlando this week.

Thanks to theillusorytenant for noticing this amusing disconnect from realty (love the adoring comments):

Newt "BJ" Gingrich?

I was a little surprised by this story about Newt Gingrich from Lawrence O'Donnell last night. Holy crap comes to mind:

Walker Wrecks Christmas; Mistakenly Schedules something else During Noon Tree lighting?

Was Gov. Scott Walker dumb enough to schedule something on the day and time the Capitol Christmas tree lighting would have been penciled in?  

AP: Even the annual lighting of Wisconsin's Christmas tree couldn't escape politics. Protesters turned their backs as Gov. Scott Walker lighted the tree on Friday and one Democratic state senator complained that about the timing of the ceremony. Sen. Bob Jauch of Poplar says Walker purposefully held the lighting in the morning because he was afraid protesters would disrupt the noontime event. A couple dozen protesters at the morning ceremony did not interrupt Walker or cause any disruptions.

But why in the morning?

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the lighting was done in the morning because the governor had other commitments and could not attend over the noon hour.

Commitments that couldn’t be put off until after the noon lighting? Merry friggin’ Christmas to you too.

About 200 people were at the lighting ceremony, but Jauch says there should be more than 1,000. He says Walker ruined a normally joyous occasion.

From Channel3000, this early coverage of the protest and tree lighting:

While Walker loses jobs, U.S. Unemployment Numbers Fall from 9.0 to 8.6%

The big headline that should send a panic through the Republican Party:

Signs of Hope in Jobs Report; Unemployment Drops to 8.6%

Republicans have done everything possible to kill the economy, assuming of course, that they would be able to reverse all the damage they've done over the last few years. But...

NY Times: The American unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to its lowest level in two and a half years in November, despite the many global crises batting against the economy.

There's no reason to celebrate just yet, but it is a good sign.

Walker thugs Shred Recall Petitions, Walker Administration Shreds Constitution to protect fragile Governorship.

Gov. Walker must think the founding fathers would approve of charging "the people" a little fee, not to mention getting approval from, the government they want to protest. This is one of the most amazing developments in our state yet, and another reason why another year (or three) of the Walker administration is such a bad idea. Again, where are the tea party pocket constitutionalists? They too will have to pay for any counter protests to defend their dictator. 

Here's just a short sample of the "new rules" just posted by the folks at blue cheddar: 

This DOA policy change is aimed at cracking down on freedoms in the Capitol building ... 22 page DOA policy … effect(ive) January 1st, 2012 after a “two week education period”. Starting with most WTF policy point first:

*No civil legal recourse is available for death, injury, damage or theft of property that a Wisconsin citizen may experience in a state facility. The state and its departments, employees, agents, are “held harmless” for all suits, damages, claims, or other liabilities related to death, injury, damage, or theft of property.

*Helium balloons are not allowed in the Capitol.

*Where a “public area” is can change at any time and the only areas deemed public are the ground and 1st floors of the Capitol.

*All “events” must have a permit but for “spontaneous” events and spontaneous events must occur in response to a “triggering” event which occurred in the previous week or is occurring. Events that are advertised by social media and other means 7 or more days before the event are not “spontaneous”.  

For those who are wondering if this will be challenged...

From the S.S.Along facebook page–and I assume this is Chris Reeder writing: “I have been in touch with the ACLU, and am working to obtain legal counsel.  

Here's an interview by Sly in the Morning with one of the Solidarity Singers:

AFSCME's Marty Beil calls recall restrictions unconstitutional, may go to court.

Is it my imagination or is the Walker administration throwing as much shit up against the wall as they can, to get labor and Democratic groups to spend all their cash pursuing the state down every rabbit hole.

We have the DOJ and GAB going after recall petitioners, the GOP is suing the state over a redistricting law they just passed, the Capitol has new "fee for protest" rules that should be unconstitutional, voter ID is being challenged, a John Doe investigation involving Walker continues to grind in the background, a collective bargaining challenge, and there's a push to redo the recall law. I'm sure I probably forgot a few things too.

Now AFSCME's Marty Beil is considering suing the state for possible free speech limits on gathering recall signatures on state property. Channel 3000:

The head of the largest union representing Wisconsin state workers said Gov. Scott Walker's administration is placing unconstitutional restrictions on where signatures to recall Walker can be collected.

Wisconsin State Employees Union Director Marty Beil sent a letter of complaint Wednesday to the secretary of Walker's Department of Administration. His letter said those restrictions are a violation of the workers' free speech rights and asked that the policies be rescinded.

"We find this to be extremely restrictive, to the point that we think it actually violates the rights of state workers. So if (Secretary Mike Huebsch) decides not to resolve these issues, we're prepared to move to court," Beil said. 

Free speech, Redressing your Grievances will now Cost You. Is this Constitutional?

Here comes another rabbit out of the Walker hat. If you thought such terms as “authoritarian” or “creeping fascism” were over the top, you might want to rethink that. 

Gov. Scott Walker has come up with a road block politicians in the turbulent 60’s didn’t even think up. Instead of freedom and liberty, we’re getting government red tape and firewalls erected between citizens and elected politicians.

If this is how Republicans view the Constitution and they’re service to “we the people,” we’ve got a real problem:

jsonline: Gov. Scott Walker's administration could hold demonstrators liable for costs for extra police presence or cleanup and repairs following protests at the Capitol, under a new policy unveiled Thursday. The policy, which also requires more permits for events at the statehouse and other state buildings, took effect Thursday.

Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said in a statement. "This policy ensures our ability to appropriately staff events for the safety of those participating."

Because the media gave a pass to the Walker administrations overreaction and over supply of security at the Capitol, Scott Walker can now claim “fees” attached to our First Amendment rights are only fair. But the details of one important element to the protests was not provided:

The policy does provide some leeway for spontaneous gatherings triggered by unforeseen events, according to the Department of Administration.

What leeway? Better plan ahead too...

Demonstrations in February and March … cost some $8 million. Smaller protests at the Capitol have continued throughout the year. Groups must obtain permits for all activity and displays in state buildings and apply for those permits at least 72 hours in advance.

If you want to get the attention of your elected representative, get out the wallet and don't be "noisy:" 

Groups holding demonstrations could be charged for the costs of having extra police on hand for the event. Costs associated with a counter-protest could be charged to that second group.

The costs would be $50 per hour per Capitol Police officer - costs for other police officers would depend on the costs billed to the state. The police could require an advance payment as a requirement for getting a permit. Any damage or cleanup after a demonstration could be charged to organizers.

Events can be terminated if they interfere with the business of the Capitol, including when noise from an event exceeds 90 decibels - about equal to a lawn mower or busy nearby roadway.

Hey tea party freedom fighters, where are you now...? Here's NBC 15's coverage from Zac Schultz: