Scott Walker the Divider and Thief.

Giving credit where credit is due, Paul Fanlund, editor and executive publisher of The Capital Times, showed us how Scott Walker gained success by dividing and turning neighbor against neighbor for power:

Years before Donald Trump, Scott Walker was already dividing us: Max Boot in Foreign Policy magazine and was headlined: “America will survive Trump, but it won’t ever be the same.” Boot’s money quote: “What most troubles me about Trump’s presidency is the extent to which he is dividing Americans … in service to his own political ambitions.”

That also precisely describes Scott Walker. Indeed, Wisconsin’s governor had a six-year head start on Trump in the art of prevailing by dividing.

In the Bizarro State of Wisconsin, Walker's divisive agenda really means bring us together; From my own research, here are a few other points I'd like to add to Fanlund's piece: 

1. Walker: "We need to change the tone in America from chants and rallies that fixate on racial division. Instead of focusing on what divides us, we need to concentrate on what brings us together." 

2. On Aug. 21, Walker was asked if he would meet with representatives of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he answered: "Who knows who that is? I meet with voters. Who knows who that is. That is a ridiculous question. I'm going to talk to voters. It's a ridiculous question." 

Because members of Black Lives Matter aren't voters, don't deserve representation?

Let's not ignore the actual numbers...facts!

The partisan gap over Walker in Wisconsin was the largest for any governor in any state where exit polls were conducted last month. And it was the biggest partisan divide in any race for governor or U.S. Senator in Wisconsin on record, based on exit polls dating back more than a quarter-century.

Over that time span, partisan loyalty in Wisconsin has become almost universal in contests for major office among voters who identify with a major party. And “crossover” voting (Republicans voting for Democrats and vice versa) has all but disappeared. 

Democrats controlled by Washington's Big Government Bureaucrats? No, no, no! A favorite Walker line claims Democrats owe everything to Washington bureaucrats, the shadowy evil that must be feared. Check out Democratic Rep. Gordon Hintz, the new Democratic Majority leader's comments from 2015, where he passionately exposes that blatant lie. Who's controlled again?

Walker also said this: "...message that says in America we believe in the people and not in the government." In the articles comment section, one reader had this reply: "So the career politician tells us not to believe in him. Message accomplished."

Bizarro World Walker thinks "fighting" is good, a way to bring us together: 

Harwood: "When you talk about fighting and winning, sometimes when I hear that, it sounds to me like the emphasis is on the fighting, almost like you're running to be the hockey team enforcer."

Walker: "Well I think right now people do want to fight in America. I think people want a fighter who can win, get the results. I fought, I won, I got results, and I did it without violating my conservative principles."

Letting Festering Racial Tensions Build is Scott Walker's Way: Nothing says dangerous disconnect more than ignoring what divides this country...because that will only bring us together:

Huffington Post-Don't Focus On 'Racial Discord' Or You'll Only Create More: "If we focus on unity we’re going to get more of that. The families of the massacre in Charleston showed us the way. I think it’s a prime example if we focus on things that unite us, ways to share the American dream."

Destroying their Democratic Enemies, by electing Pedophiles and Liars: 

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi (said), "I think (Wisconsin Republicans) made a deliberate decision that their main goal, despite the stated goal of creating jobs, was to destroy their enemies."

Which again brings me to MSNBC's Joy Reid's commentary. I've believed this for years, but it's also reflected in rural Republicans voters frustration and feelings of being left out. No kidding, that's because they're politicians haven't served them well, ignoring their communities under the guise of small government. "We won" made it even clearer, whether pedophiles or liars, it didn't matter, anything but a Democrat:

Walker’s Magical Repair Tour through Wisconsin to push “Divide & Conquer” fight between Public Employee Health and funding Public Education!

Scott Walker is in full panic mode over his low approval ratings. It's so bad that he's decided to hit the road on a statewide "listening" tour finally, you know, like Russ Feingold does all the time. Let's be clear, listening isn't a Republicans strong suit, so don't be surprised if Walker doesn't suddenly change his tune. Each of the issues Republicans changed in the short video below were opposed by the public:



But can state taxpayers afford the over-the-top security Walker thinks he'll need to protect himself from his dangerous liberal opponents? My guess is Walker will continue to hold closed invitation only appearances with friendly company supporters and their captive employee audiences.

Divide and Conquer Game Plan, again?: Walker will also be doubling down on what made him the most divisive governor in the nation, pitting Wisconsinite against Wisconsinite. These are the kind of energizing battles Walker's base falls for hook-line-and-sinker every time, guaranteeing high Republican turnout that wins them elections. Walker laid out his latest scheme, to...

...save money by shifting state employee insurance coverage from Wisconsin health maintenance organizations to a self-insured model.

And using that possible "savings" to divide and conquer again:

“Tonight, I commit to investing every penny of savings to the general fund from these specific reforms to support public education.”

It was so obvious, even the Democrats caught onto the plan and uncharacteristically responded. WPR audio:

Democratic State Sen. Jennifer Shilling: "It sort of seems to be pitting state workers and their health insurance benefits against schools." 

Ya think? Note to Democrats, stop with the wimpy qualifiers like "sort of," "it seems like," "we're not sure but," "my respected colleague," and take a friggin' stand for gods sake:

Walker says Americans want his "divide and conquer" leadership in Washington!!!

Unfortunately, my rants about our dictatorial rightwing authoritarian governor and presidential candidate were right on the mark. Scott Walker even tipped his hand early on when he said he would run for president only if the Senate flipped into Republicans control. That was his not too subtle message that he wanted a one party system of government, devoid of resistance, or he wasn't going to try.

That for me was my epiphanic moment; for Walker, it's his agenda or nothing. Resistance will be futile.

Now within reach of the presidency, and as I predicted, Walker wants to grease the skids by getting rid of the Senate's filibuster. This is no small or random issue; just like in Wisconsin, Walker doesn't just defeat his opponents, he destroys them by making them irrelevant.

Despot Alert: In a shocking admission, Walker made it clear nothing would get in his way of carrying out his no compromise agenda. This is even more troubling than his Canadian wall comment. In Chuck Todd's final question on Meet the Press, which by the way was not included in the transcript, Walker was asked why his "divide and conquer" style would be a good thing in an already divided Washington. Not surprisingly, just the though of total control put fire in Walker's answer:

Todd: "The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a newspaper that endorsed you in 2010 and endorse you in 2012, recently called you the most divisive politicians in living memory. We have Washington here, I'll be honest with you, it's hopelessly divided, and polarized, and partisan. How do you somehow be the guy who unites us...what do you say to that...?"

Walker: "You know what Americans want more than anything? They want Washington to work. 

Coming together, working across party lines, we've seen for decades in this city, that politicians on both sides, I might argue Democrats more than Republicans on both sides, have largely worked together in ignoring the debt and deficit problem in the country ... so just working across party lines if it doesn't mean getting things done, is not what Americans are looking for.

What they're looking for are leaders who actually get things done. And sure, did I get some push back, yea because I came in and instead of talking about things, I'm gonna get right to work and start fixing things ... What I learned going forward ... You gotta talk about it and constantly explain to people what's at stake, what's at risk, what do we need to do to help future generations ... and that's what we did. Sometimes the status quo defenders don't like it, and their not going to like that a lot in Washington. But I don't  care. And that may mean some of the leaders of my own party. But I'm willing to push back on that. 

Cause I think American now more than ever want someone who's going to fight, but someone who's going to fight and win for them. That's actually going to get results, do it without compromising principles. I think more now than ever, we need a leader in America that's actually been tested, because we see how bad it's been when you have somebody who wasn't, that's the kind of leader I'll be."

UPDATE: Want more proof? You'll notice how Walker is now admitting he doesn't care about "the other" political party anymore:

“We’re going to shake things up in Washington when we get there. We’re going to wreak some havoc and put the American people back in charge. I think people have seen I’ve been able to wreak havoc in our state capitol on the big-government special interests. The difference is I governed like a red-state governor, and I lived in a blue state,” Walker told reporters.

Scott "Divide and Conquer" Walker blames Obama for Racial Tensions and Police Killings?

Logic and common sense tells us that when racial tensions increase under a black president, it’s because racists are not happy about who they see in the White House.

But turning that logic on its head, Scott Walker is peddling the idea that Obama is one drumming up racial tensions against whites. This isn’t even dog-whistle stuff anymore, folks. Since Obama became president, Republicans like Walker have successfully rationalized away racism as a device used against them by racist minorities trying to divide the country.

Exploitation to Divide Americans? Ya think?

It’s ironic really, since it was Scott Walker who was caughton video saying his goal was to divide and conquer his opponents.

Scott Walker is now leading the victimized white man’s attack against black racists who are demanding that their lives matter too, at the same time denouncing protesters redressing their government. He's vilified similar protesters in Wisconsin who turned out by the hundreds of thousands when he attacked labor, even comparing them to ISIS. Nice campaign strategy:

Scott Walker alleges ‘a rise in anti-police rhetoric’ under President Obama: Walker said Wednesday he was alarmed by the "disturbing trend of police officers being murdered on the job" and by the "rise in anti-police rhetoric" that has accompanied President Obama's time in office.

"Instead of hope and change, we’ve seen racial tensions worsen and a tendency to use law enforcement as a scapegoat. This kind of attitude has created a culture in which we all too often see demonstrations and chants where people describe police as 'pigs' and call for them to be 'fried like bacon.' This inflammatory and disgusting rhetoric has real consequences for the safety of officers who put their lives on the line for us and hampers their ability to serve the communities that need their help. We need to change the tone in America from chants and rallies that fixate on racial division."

Walker is fixated on banning dissent, which he sees as a divisive “tone,” and wants to replace it with positive messaging and happy talk. In other words, ignore the problem.

“Instead of focusing on what divides us, we need to concentrate on what brings us together."

Remember this Walker comment, that should have been a campaign killer, but wasn't:

On Aug. 21, Walker was asked if he would meet with representatives of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he answered: "Who knows who that is? I meet with voters. Who knows who that is. That is a ridiculous question. I'm going to talk to voters. It's a ridiculous question."

Giving America a clean slate, free of the racial struggle’s that brought us the Civil War and 60’s civil rights movement, Walker wrote this jaw dropping statement:

"This isn’t the America I grew up in or that I want my children to grow up in."

Walker’s strategy is similar to his party’s strategy; build on GOP misinformation that makes people “believe” what isn’t true:

AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for Walker’s presidential campaign, said “We’re drawing attention to a problem that needs to be addressed. When police are being targeted because of the uniform they wear, that’s a problem that needs to be dealt with. This is an issue that Americans believe is getting worse, not better.” According to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, 107 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2013 — the lowest number since 1949.   

Walker: "America must be, not only the land of the free, but the home of the brave. An America that is unintimidated."

Republican and former Nixon White House Council John Dean warned us few years ago about Scott Walker’s “rightwing authoritarian” characteristics and ambitions. Check it out here.

Some in the media have already declared him a “dictator in waiting.” Walker already said we need a foreign policy "that puts steel in the face of our enemies." 

We’re now at that moment of clarity. In a foreign policy speech at the Citadel in South Carolina, Scott Walker, career politician and foreign policy dufus, gave us all a glimpse at how he would eventually become ruler of the world:

"As president, I will send the following message: The retreat is over." 

"America will not be intimidated. And neither will I." 

"How can we possibly deter our sophisticated adversaries in Eastern Europe and our competitors in the South China Sea if we cannot defeat the barbarians of ISIS and roll back the theocrats in Tehran?"

"Clearly, we can no longer afford to be passive spectators while the world descends into chaos."

"Confronted by these two forms of evil, President Obama and Hillary Clinton seem somehow to believe they can sit on the sidelines, hoping Iran will defeat ISIS for them. They fail to realize that, in this prevailing anarchy, the two sides feed off of each other, growing stronger at the expense of our Sunni and Shia allies trapped in the middle."

"To believe that a stable and lasting Middle East can be built by working with Iran, any more than by working with ISIS, isn't statesmanship. It is pure fantasy."  

In an even more frightening threat, especially after seeing Walker destroy his political opponents in Wisconsin, he wants to continue surveilling every American citizen: 

He said the nation must "restore counter-terrorism and surveillance programs," drawing a sharp contrast with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a presidential rival who has said the government's bulk collection of data violates the constitutional rights of everyday Americans.

Despite warnings against fostering the military industrial complex, Walker would double down on his preparations for preemptive wars:

Saying the U.S. military has been weakened by budget measures, Walker called for reversing that trend, saying that defeating ISIS and containing Iran would require a "greater investment of U.S. resources."

Our frightened little governor's preoccupation with tourism...ah, I mean terrorism, should give some pause:

Walker misspoke a couple of times. He quickly corrected himself after saying "tourism" instead of "terrorism" and he garbled what was to be one of his more memorable lines. Walker was to say, 

"Yes, the world is complex, but some things are simple: There is good and there is evil." 

Instead, he said, 

"Yes, the world is complex, but there are simple things out there: There is good and there is bad."

God will someone wake me from this Walker nightmare? Here are the more jaw dropping moments:

And from someone who's been there before, came this assessment of Walker's world conquest ambitions: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served under then-President Bill Clinton, disagreed in a recent opinion column:

"Today, America's place in the world is far stronger than it was in 2009 thanks to the leadership of President Obama and former Secretary Clinton. They renewed alliances, relentlessly pursued our terrorist enemies, and forged international coalitions on Iran sanctions and on the fight against climate change."

Walker on the Black Lives Matter movement: "Who knows who that is?"

Since when does a career politician have time to spend on solving the nations race relation problems?

Remember, just talking about police shootings and the mounting number of black victims will only make things worse:

"One, I think in general if anyone focuses on racial discord we’re going to get more. If we focus on unity we’re going to get more of that. The families of the massacre in Charleston showed us the way. I think it’s a prime example if we focus on things that unite us, ways to share the American dream." 

Even after all the press and interrupting a Bernie Sanders event, Walker never heard of the Black Lives Matter movement:

CNN: Gov. Scott Walker stumbled through a question Friday about whether he would meet with representatives of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"I meet with voters. Who knows who that is," Walker said, apparently referring to Black Lives Matter activists. "I'm going to talk to American voters, period."

"It's the same way as saying we meet with the tea party. Who is the tea party? There's hundreds of thousands of people ... It's a ridiculous question. I'm going to talk to voters. This is a ridiculous question."

These are the kinds of disjointed answers Walker is known to give when presented with something he hasn't already rehearsed for weeks. The comments section offered up these insights:

1. It's "rudiculous" to expect Walker to answer intelligently.

2. oh no, someone asked him questions he was not prepared to answer. Didn't have that one in the script. He gave a totally off the wall answer - I'd call it more than stumbling. Followed up by the tea party reference?? incoherent. Bet he was received real well. No wonder he is dropping in the polls.

3. should be; walker stated " I meet with campaign donors"

Scott Walker rolls out grand One Party Vision, ignoring solutions for Racial and Economic Disparity.

I thought it was odd that those “big Washington special interests” Scott Walker is always talking about were only made up of unions, and not the multitude of GOP special interests, like big energy, big banks and big corporate special interests. And that's by design. Since business is the magical cure for what ails the country, Walker thinks focusing on real solutions will only make our problems worse.

For Walker and every other Republican, self worth is derived from serving an employer and being employed. But if you're at home taking care of a family, between jobs or even just working a minimum wage job, you're not included in Walker's grand plan. 

Walker's recent comment about racial tensions highlights his attitude about every problem tearing this nation apart:

"One, I think in general if anyone focuses on racial discord we’re going to get more."

So ignore the problem, don't bring it up, and it will disappear automatically under Walker's more positive message, which is to demand unity. Oddly, as I've point out in the video clip below, he must first unite us by carry out his master plan to divide and conquer us:

Huffington Post-Don't Focus On 'Racial Discord' Or You'll Only Create More: "If we focus on unity we’re going to get more of that. The families of the massacre in Charleston showed us the way. I think it’s a prime example if we focus on things that unite us, ways to share the American dream." 

Walker's determination to roll out his purely ideological vision, with no real world solutions, goes even further than his wacky GOP opponents and corporate billionaires:

Other presidential candidates -- Republican and Democrat -- have called for a broader conversation about systemic racism in the nation's justice system in the wake of high-profile shootings of unarmed black men across the country. Bipartisan calls for criminal justice reform have also grown in and out of Washington, with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch joining in. 

Walker's vision of accountability and a government in the hands of hard working Americans, can only be attained through the benevolence of big business. But business now has the ability to force us live a "healthy lifestyle," make religious decisions in our personal lives, and uses their corporate size against us to push their agenda in Washington.

Knowing all this, here are a few Walker quotes (lies) meant to distract voters from his real and frightening agenda:

Gov. Scott Walker has said the GAB should be dismantled, replaced with “something completely new that is truly accountable to the people of the state of Wisconsin.”

"We’re bringing new and bold leadership from outside of Washington that takes power away from big government bureaucrats and union bosses and puts it back where it belongs: in the hands of hard-working Americans."

"Common sense reforms to create a government that is limited in scope and—ultimately—more effective, more efficient, and more accountable to the public."   

Walker's Reason to Oppose Equal Pay: It pits one group (women) against another (men)!!! He's serious.

It's hard to imagine conflating the fight for equal pay with "pit(ing) one group of Americans versus another."

But that's what Scott Walker did on a right wing Boston Herald Radio Show last week, conveniently "forgetting" how he did just that with public workers. You can actually see and hear him saying "divide and conquer" in the video below. So, does that "pit one group of Americans versus another?

Right Wing Watch: Gov. Scott Walker attacked Hillary Clinton for her advocacy for equal pay legislation, saying that she was trying to “pit one group of Americans versus another.”

“But I think even a bigger issue than that,” he said, “and this is sadly something that would make her consistent with the president, and that is I believe that the president and now Hillary Clinton tend to think that politically they do better if they pit one group of Americans versus another.”

He said that, in contrast, “Americans are hungry” for leaders who will “make every American’s life better” rather than those who want to “pit one group against another group out there.”

Did Scott Walker just talk himself out of a job? 

Walker not a Divider, getting a national image makeover?

It looks like Scott Walker is getting a national makeover. But first....

He isn't a Divider? Attention “Stand with Walker” Borg-like followers, you’re about to see how your own party can flip the Scott Walker legend around by twisting what you already know.

Whether you’re dealing with the real world news cycle or bubble world red state fantasies, citizens here know Scott Walker.

It's Walker's “divide and conquer” strategy...or is it?: Come on, get serious, we even have video proof:

We've seen article after article proving Wisconsin is the most divided state in the country.

The partisan gap over Walker in Wisconsin was the largest for any governor in any state where exit polls were conducted last month. And it was the biggest partisan divide in any race for governor or U.S. Senator in Wisconsin on record, based on exit polls dating back more than a quarter-century.

Over that time span, partisan loyalty in Wisconsin has become almost universal in contests for major office among voters who identify with a major party. And “crossover” voting (Republicans voting for Democrats and vice versa) has all but disappeared.

So check out this unintentionally daffy Washington Post article that gets it all so very wrong. Amazing:

link here

"The newest smear against Scott Walker: The New York Times is already labeling him small-minded and exclusionary: Mr. Walker, a small-town minister’s son ... is a product of one of the most politically and racially polarized regions of the country, metropolitan Milwaukee. Get it? He’s from a “racially polarized” region so that must mean . . . It’s an unsubtle way of calling him racially divisive without bothering to come up with any facts."

No facts? Really? The heavily researched picture to the right was just made up? But Wisconsinites had no clue, right, because Walker concealed his "divide and conquer" plan so well?

"I bet you didn't know Walker was so racially divisive. Well, neither did he or the voters who supported him in three elections. He did a boffo job of concealing his exclusionary instincts by expanding state health care for the poor and a variety of worker training programs. Then again, the surest way into the hearts of Republicans is to be smeared gratuitously by the Times and the rest of the liberal media. He can wear that as a badge of honor — and then prove how wrong they are." - Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Right Turn

Walker's presidential strategy portrays Minimum Wage Work Force as Unreliable Employees taking Drugs.

The latest Republican attack on the lower and middle class is the ugliest and most degrading one yet, hoping to justify low wages for everybody not lovably wealthy.

First, you have to believe the poor and middle class aren't interested in showing up for work every day. And they wonder why they’re getting minimum wages.

    

Second, you have to believe their drug habit is keeping them from getting a higher wage job.

Enter Scott Walker, who’s running for president on these two important divide and conquer points, highlighted below:

Governor Scott Walker: “As I traveled my state, I hear employers, small business owners say, overwhelming: ‘We have jobs. We just need workers. And we need two things: people who know how to show up every day for work, five days a week, and gimme someone who can pass a drug test.'”

But I challenge anyone who believes this, to rationalize away the the example below, which is a typical situation for most low income workers:

For Wisconsin workers who currently depend on public assistance, like 21-year-old Milwaukee waitress Peyton Smith, the burden of the law would be much more personal.

“For [Governor Walker] to put another barrier in front of us is like saying we’re guilty, but we’re not guilty,” Smith told ThinkProgress. “It’s already hard to go down there and file for government assistance. We have to report in every day, fill out papers. Now I have to take the time out of my busy schedule to take a drug test? Come on!”

Smith, who has a three-year-old daughter and another baby due soon, works about 20 hours a week at Denny’s — though she has repeatedly requested full-time employment. Because it’s a tipped job, she makes just $2.33 an hour, and currently relies on food stamps to feed her family.

“I’m willing to work. I’m not lazy at all,” she said. “But the jobs we can get are horrible, low pay, and we can’t get the hours we need. As a parent, it just sucks. I want things that are healthy for her, but the fruits and vegetables she needs to grow as young child are expensive.”

And yet, Smith will get Walker's drug test, because it's all part of the plan to define her as an unreliable employee and lazy drug addict who deserves to be on a minimum wage. A hike in the wage will only encourage her. She's where she belongs:

Jennifer Epps-Addison with Wisconsin Jobs Now ... accused the Governor of “stigmatizing the hardest working people in our economy. "There were times even I couldn’t navigate the process, as a law student with a college degree. The system is set up to disempower people and make them frustrated enough to give up before receiving the help they need.”

And of course, our pocket conservative constitutionalists are not deterred by...the constitution:

Courts have ruled that similar mandatory drug testing programs imposed by other states and the federal government were unconstitutional.

Walker ran and won because he was..."for something?" Another big lie...

Okay, so the news media has decided not to question Scott Walker's rousing acceptance speech that made the wildly ridiculous claim the midterms were all about "being for something."

Ah, apparently no one has talked to a conservative voter lately. They're against their own government for gods sake, not to mention health care, SS, Medicare/Medicaid, unemployment, consumer protection, environmental protection, clean energy, climate change, education, Obama, Democrats, liberals, peace, food stamps, decent roads, rural high speed internet, local control, legalization of pot, biotechnology, state colleges, controlling student loan debt...etc.

Having it both ways, again: I edited together the following video clips to prove Walker is lying again, during his acceptance speech of all places. Mary Burke's campaign was a positive attempt to sell Wisconsinites on a better business plan for the state. Walker and his campaign surrogates smeared her and a successful major state company. That's "for something?" Rachel Maddow pointed out what Walker and the Republicans were against. Walker voters know I'm right:



Here's an adoring letter to the editor from a "stand with Walker" low information voter:

Gov. Walker creates electricity in a crowd. It is not empty hope, it is a vitality you can feel and want to be a part of. Last night, most of our nation made a resounding statement that they wanted to be a part of this type of electricity and contribute from a positive position.

Gov. Walker is the real thing. He is a success because he governs from a positive position in an attempt to impact as many of the people as possible in a way that will improve their lives.