WISGOP and their voters insist they are not racist...

...surprise? I'm not seeing a mass exodus of conservatives, angry and resentful that their own Tump Party makes them appear racist. Really, illegal voter drop-ins and wetbacks? Who does that appeal to...let me see now...?

Under the banner “Blue Wave Kit,” it referred to “illegal voter drop-ins” and suggested the recipe for Democratic gains was to “register millions of corpses and illegals to vote Democratic.” Printed on the toilet disc images were the words “corpses” and “wetbacks” ... indicated the “kit” could be used to “scrub away conservatives” and “destroy America one election at a time.”

Caught!!! Of course, the WISGOP likes to pretend Trump Party voters aren't normally doing everything they can to make racism an unconscious and automatic position.

Barron County Republican Party officials apologized Thursday for a post about undocumented immigrants on its official Facebook page that included what is widely considered to be a racist slur. That type of rhetoric does not reflect our views and has no place in our party or our politics.” Barron County GOP co-chairman Bob Newville added, “I’m just sick over this.” “The posted content is highly offensive, unacceptable and has no place in either the Republican Party or Wisconsin politics,” Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said.

"No place in the Republican Party?" It's the Trump Party now to be clear.

Freed White Republican Nationalism in Milwaukee spills out...

While I was thinking about how I would put together the following blog post, story after story kept popping up about the Trump wave of white nationalism sweeping the Republican Party. Oh sure many in the GOP have renounced what Trump said, but almost no one dared to mention Trump's name or called for any measures dealing with public outrage.

WISN12 had this amazing story that got very little reaction on twitter...even the signature right-wing misspelling, "Demorcrats," wasn't enough to get a mention?

And of course the following cover art featuring Trump in a way that might break get through to those blind obedient admirers:

Or these....

WISGOP offers "safe space" for Oppressed Dane County Republicans in weird ad.

Poor Republicans, they still haven't forced every Wisconsin liberal to pack up and leave the state since taking control. Fearful Republicans still can't express themselves in public. When will conservatives stop being blamed, victimized and questioned over every little failure. What can they do to strike back?

Well, the Republican Party of Dane County knows...they've put out a whiny radio ad blaming "liberals" again for the negative consequences of their own supply side agenda. Isn't it interesting that people are more angry and frustrated now since Scott Walker took over almost 6 years ago.

Here's a clip of WISGOP's radio ad that is oddly similar to the fake radio ads Randi Rhodes played in her show, titled "Republican Rehab." Check them both out for a good laugh...oops, I've just victimized Republicans again:

Ad: "Are you a conservative in  Dane County? Do you feel oppressed? Are your days filled with micro aggression's from your liberal co-workers? Are you afraid to talk politics, worried about the consequences if you - come out of the closet as a Republican. There is hope. The Republican Party of Wisconsin has a "safe space," just for you..."

Here's the scarily similar parody ad "Republican Rehab:

State to be renamed Wisgop!

Look, I've never claimed to know everything about politics, but I feel like I should have known this; inauguration donations are no longer going to charities like they did under the Democrats, they're going instead to prop up our one political authority, Republicans, whether you like it or not.

And Republican voters will think nothing of it:

WaPo-Wonkette: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker got re-elected somehow — mandate of heaven, we guess — and he’s putting together plans for a big inaugural hootenanny. Now, in years past, inaugural events in Wisconsin used to also double as fundraisers for charities, like Boys and Girls Clubs or other worthy causes. But that was merely a tradition, and an apparently outmoded one, so with his 2011 inauguration, Walker turned the admission fees for inaugural events into a Scott Walker/Republican Party of Wisconsin fundraiser, which raised quite a bit of campaign cash and not a few eyebrows. So it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that for 2015, he’s doing the same thing, raising money for a great Wisconsin charity: Scott Walker. Tell us more, Saul Newton of One Wisconsin Now:

For $20, the public can go ice-skating with the Scott Walker. [sic] For $50, the public is allowed to listen to music with Scott Walker. For anyone who wants to pray with Scott Walker, the cost is $25. The money raised from these events goes to Walker’s campaign and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The Boys and Girls Club recently received their consolation prize: a photo opportunity with the Governor himself.

Again, I didn't know this, but it fits into the rightwing authoritarian movement. Everything is centralized and funneled into maintaining the GOP's grip on power.

One Wisconsin Now's Scott Ross: "The Republican Party of Wisconsin isn't being inaugurated and the idea Wisconsinites have to donate to a political party to participate in activities like this is another disgraceful example of a governor whose only concern is partisan political politics." Ross said it was "reprehensible" that Walker recently had a "photo op" with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County when the group won't receive any inaugural celebration proceeds.

Walker's decision exposes our "pay-to-play" corporate Wisconsin marketplace, not that it seems to matter anymore to conservative voters. This is the natural way of things:

Walker's decision to give funds to the state GOP comes after a court ruling in September that lifted limits on contributions from political action committees and blocked the portion of the law that puts limits on the amount a candidate can receive from political parties and legislative campaign committees.

WISGOP competes with Onion!!!

Fantasy world revealed...if only it was that easy.

Phony Outrage!!! Are Republican not the most shameless losers ever?

You may have heard, Republicans appeal to their voters intelligence, not their emotions. Give us all a huge frigging break.

The phony outrage over DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is so over the top, surprisingly promoted by the press, that I can't sit back and just shake my head. This is what the conservative tea party "stand with Walker" base needed to get out to vote and donate money; phony livid outrage.

Thanks to the media, like jsonline, picking up on the WISGOP mindless talking point:

"Wasserman Schultz used domestic violence language to critque Walker's record."

She did? Domestic violence...really? I immediately thought of a Flintstones metaphor, where cavemen dragged women by their hair. But leave it to the right wing losers who have nothing else run on but a created pile of phony outrage. Here's Schultz's quote: 

"Scott Walker has given women the back of his hand. I know that is stark. I know that is direct. But that is reality. What Republican tea party extremists like Scott Walker are doing is they are grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back. And that's unacceptable. It is not going to happen on our watch."

True. Oh, I forgot, I'm outraged. Don't take my word for it, check out this ridiculous response by our would be governor (if Walker becomes president), Lt Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch:

Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who said she was "shocked" that domestic violence language was used to discuss political disagreements. "I think the remarks were absolutely hideous and the motive behind them was despicable," Kleefisch said.

Dumb? Of course. A reference to domestic violence? Thank you WISGOP/Scott Walker Campaign for saying it was.

ALEC exec and State Rep. Leah Vukmir even asked Mary Burke to denounce Schulz's statement, who, oops, came out with a very clear comment a few minutes after the the phony outrage surfaced on Wednesday:

Burke campaign: "That's not the type of language that Mary Burke would use, or has used, to point out the clear differences in this contest. There is plenty that she and Governor Walker disagree on — but those disagreements can and should be pointed out respectfully."

Maybe the Republicans will ask Rep. Ron Kind, Mark Pocan and President Obama to also denounce. Oh, that's coming? See if you've heard this before:

Walker campaign spokeswoman Alleigh Marre told reporters that Burke's statement didn't go far enough and that she should be asked why she stopped short of denouncing the comments and asking the Congresswoman to apologize.

 God this pathetic. Look at the national coverage over nothing, this trumped up piece of WISGOP lunacy:

Thankfully, Schultz didn't backtrack to badly:

"I shouldn't have used the words I used. But that shouldn't detract from the broader point that I was making that Scott Walker's policies have been bad for Wisconsin women, whether it's mandating ultrasounds, repealing an equal pay law, or rejecting federal funding for preventative health care, Walker's record speaks for itself."

As on person commented:

 In other News............

1) Right-wing republicans are "outraged?" Big deal - For them it is a way of life!

2) Scott Walker is raising money? Scott Walker is ALWAYS RAISING MONEY! Slow news day?

WISGOP outsources Billboard Picture: Russian "Wisconsin" Miner?

Bumbling WISGOP president Joe Fadness stepped in it again, as only a “stand with Walker” supporter could. This is almost too laughable to believe. jsonline-Jason Silverstein:  

The Wisconsin Republican Party outsourced part of an advertisement against outsourcing jobs: The party bought space on several billboards throughout Wisconsin criticizing Democratic gubernatorial challenger Mary Burke for outsourcing jobs to China … But BuzzFeed reports that this miner is neither Wisconsinite nor Chinese immigrant — the photo is a stock image from Russian photographer Andrey Bortnikov, whose personal page identifies the miner as a current Russian citizen.

Admit it, with incompetence like this, there has to be illegal coordination between the Walker campaign and WISGOP:

A party representative said that the billboard ran for one day, Wednesday, and was removed.

With just the right measure of sarcastic aplomb:

Joe Zepecki, communications director for Burke's campaign, wrote in an email: "If Scott Walker had the same level of concern for Wisconsin workers than he has for Russian coal miners, maybe we wouldn't be dead last in the Midwest, tenth out of ten, in private sector job creation on his watch."

At Uppity Wisconsin, this bit of incredibly bad Walker outsourcing information reared its ugly head:

WISGOP caught in outrageous lie about Mary Burke. Walker Campaign must be Desperate.

Imagine how Scott Walker would campaign for president, if this is the best he and his party can do.

Yes, it's another phony Walker/WISGOP ad campaign lie by WISGOP!! Doesn't there have to be some tie to reality? Guess not.

And it appears WISGOP’s Joe fadness got caught in another lie. Like a side show circus act, Fadness bends facts into lies, awing the crowd of "stand with Walker" voters. Fearless Fadness has no moral or ethical boundaries:

WSJ: The Wisconsin Republican Party's latest attack ad against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke uses misleading video to suggest Burke didn't attend Wednesday's School Board meeting. In fact, Burke participated in the closed meeting by telephone, Madison School District spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson said.

But technically she physically wasn't there. Modern use of telephones doesn't count in this backward Bizarro World of GOP politics. Was Fadness embarrassed? Are you kidding:

In an emailed response, Wisconsin GOP executive director Joe Fadness stood behind the ad. "Give me a break. The video and accompanying press release accurately depict that Burke chose to attend a campaign event over attending the official meeting in person. To suggest otherwise is nothing more than a desperate attempt to distract from Burke's abysmal record …

…blah, blah, blah. And why would conservative voters allow the use of deceptive comments and ridiculous lies to win elections?

Even the video's interviewer had his agenda figured out:

Burke spokesman Joe Zepecki said, "Scott Walker and his Republican Party make up an awful lot of stupid things to say about Mary Burke, but this one is right up there for among the stupidest."

The on screen statements are even wrong:

Burke was physically absent, she did participate in the meeting by conference call, board member Dean Loumos said. Board member Ed Hughes said the members' name placards shown in the video were not used at Wednesday's meeting, nor did did board president Arlene Silveira sit in the spot the photo shows her in. Loumos said an unidentified man attempted to take pictures of the Wednesday meeting before being told to leave. "And he came back, trying to sneak taking pictures from outside the window," said Loumos. "This is really low-level type of stuff."

WISGOP attacks Trek Bike's free speech rights to defend itself against Walker's political Smear Campaign

Warning to out-of-state businesses, don't get on the bad side of Gov. Scott Walker. 

For a party that hates frivolous lawsuits, using courts, and supports Citizens United, they sure hate it when the tables are turned.

Trek CEO John Burke featured a full page ad in local newspapers defending his company from political attacks by Mr. “Open for Business” Scott Walker. Apparently, free speech and the money that pays for newspaper ads is now illegal for businesses that have a blood tie to a political candidate.

WISGOP’s Joe Fadness continues to highlight the party’s hypocrisy and willingness to flip flop at a moments notice to maintain power. The ends do justify the means for these pirates, even if it means bashing successful state businesses. LaCrosse Tribune:

The Wisconsin Republican Party has filed a complaint with the state elections board over a full-page newspaper ad by Trek Bicycle Corp., saying it amounts to an illegal contribution to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. She is the sister of Trek president John Burke. 

That wasn't all:

The company had broken the law by responding to criticism from the Walker campaign about outsourcing by Trek. "Trek's advertisement uses corporate funds to aid the campaign of Mary Burke and uses language mirroring Mary Burke's talking points," the complaint reads.

Trek spokeswoman Marina Marich said in a statement: "The governor's television ad clearly attacked Trek, and Trek is entitled to defend itself under the First Amendment by running its own advertisements containing the true facts. We are confident that our letter published in newspaper advertisements is constitutionally protected free speech that fully complies with Wisconsin law."  

For those who don't check the comments, here one that nailed it:

Anonymous said...Sounds like the Republican Party is alleging coordination between Trek and Mary Burke's campaign. Haven't they been claiming (incorrectly) that coordination is allowed under Wisconsin law -- or at least should be following the latest US Supreme Court rulings favoring "corporate free speech"? So what's their position? That collaboration is legal for Scott Walker, but illegal for Mary Burke's campaign?

New WISGOP Billboard tells lies and half truths! That's all they've got!

JR Ross at WisPolitics wrote this about the new GOP billboard pictured here, with my included "corrections:"

The state GOP put up a billboard on I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison greeting those on their way to the Dem State Convention with a knock on Mary Burke over jobs. The DNC quickly fired back that the billboard has two "swings and misses." The party noted Wisconsin Politifact rated the claim that Doyle's policies led to 133,000 jobs lost as "mostly false," while pointing out Walker promised to create 250,000 new jobs in his first term and that he is unlikely to meet his pledge.

WISGOP & Rep. Robin Vos stumped party Democratic leaders and candidates are held accountable, criticized by their voters.

The Borg like Republican Party is having fun sticking it too liberals, progressives and Democratic voters for simply criticizing and questioning their own candidate for governor. What an odd concept.

Who would ever do that says Rep. Robin Vos.

According to the in-the-tank for Scott Walker radio host Charlie Sykes:

The video is but a small sampling, but it is indicative of some of the rumblings among grassroots progressives that have dogged Mary Burke since she first jumped into the race.

With fair nonpartisan leading questions like; "How do you feel about Mary Burke outsourcing hundreds of jobs to China," which isn't something she ever ever did, I wonder how the not so informed voter would react initially?

Or how about this man-on-the-street question; "Trek hasn't paid corporate taxes in decades, how do you feel about that?" Wait a minute:

According to the records, Trek files under “Subchapter S” of the tax code, which enables the company to avoid corporate taxes and pay as individuals at a lower rate.

Oh, that's why they didn't pay corporate taxes. Just a note, Mary Burke never ran the business in Wisconsin, just saying.

And yet, it's possible Republicans will stay in power based on these complete deceptions, no real solutions, and credit card spending. And they sleep very comfortably too.

WISGOP Store Shelves Bare, Devoid of Ideas, and thankfully, Clearance Priced.

Talk about living in the past! Here's what you can buy from the P.T. Barnum's of American politics, the Republican Party:

Keep in mind, these guys are "helping" reelect Walker.

Oh, don't embarrass easily? Try one of these "party of ideas" buttons?

A Few GOP Convention Side Issues Walker wants us to Ignore....

Real issues like jobs and health care take a back seat to these important votes at last weekends GOP convention in Milwaukee. jsonline:

Without debate, the convention passed a resolution opposing the Common Core.

Any alternative plans? Nope.

Oh, and here are a few "side issues" Scott Walker said should get all caught up in:

The convention approved resolutions that included backing "right-to-work" legislation, election reform, gun rights and an expansion of charter school and voucher programs across the state "without limits or strings attached."

Just to recap:

Delegates rejected a measure that demanded Wisconsin pass a bill to declare the Affordable Care Act null and void in the state and forbid state and federal agents from enforcing the act. One delegate said on the floor, "If we pass this, we'll be the laughingstock of America."

Walker said that when Democrats were in charge in Madison, the state's unemployment rate was 9.2%. It's now 5.9%, he said. In December 2010, Doyle's last month in office, the unemployment rate stood at 7.8%, as the state and country were recovering from the Great Recession.

The Journal Sentinel is one of the few papers to note how the Great Recession affected jobs under Gov. Doyle. 

Wisconsin GOP can't stop slide into Tea Party's race to Dystopian Future.

Now we're supposed to believe tea party Republicans aren't as wacky as they appear, or that their dramatic move to the extreme right isn't a result of their general paranoid and authoritarian philosophy.

Suddenly, they're now the victims of their own party leaders, the same leaders they blindly followed using the same repeated talking points that replaced curiosity and information. Their own principled dictatorial conservative leaders are now coming after them.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist … Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me."-Pastor Martin Niemöller

Oddly, the media always compares these right wing teabillies with "the left," who they say are just as extreme, pushing for higher minimum wages, pay equity, hedging our bets on climate change, health care for all and support for public education. Ouch, they nailed us. The next thing you know "lefties" will demand more open and free elections.

Here's what's playing out in Wisconsin against the poor radicalized neo-confederate tea party:

WSJ: Party activists are pushing a more conservative agenda, particularly opposition to the new Common Core standards and an attempt to censure party moderates.

Adams County GOP chairman Richard Church said "There are some that believe that the right path is to be more moderate and get more of the middle. There’s others that believe the right path is really to stay strong with conservative principles and get back to the party’s roots.

Dan Krueger, a Columbia County Republican (said) "What (Republican officials) are trying to do is marginalize the grass roots activists. They’re trying to make the constitutionalists look like fringe lunatics."

That would be hard to do. But one Republican State Senator pointed out a few other examples:

"They’re just upset with people who don’t agree with them on everything," State Sen. Luther Olsen said, ticking off several other issues where he disagrees with his party's right wing, such as repealing a law requiring DNA be taken from those charged with a felony, eliminating 4-year-old kindergarten, arresting government employees who implement Obamacare and retaining the right to secede.

Walker Republicans usher in new "Red Scare?"

The "Red Scare" is back, but in two different ways. 

1. Republicans fear commie "socialism" via ObamaCare, gay marriage, gun regulation
and the redistribution of wealth in a pay gap reduction. That won't do, and they want to take the country back.

It isn't RED yet?

2. Ironically the same GOP that continually resurrects forms of the "Red Scare," to basically beat back liberalism, also wants to turn Wisconsin..."Red." Looks like Dylan Ratigan was onto to something when he named it "Corporate Communism."

Researching images for this post, I ran across this very interesting book about other "Red Scares," that believe it or not, bear an amazing similarity to the tea party Republican campaign today. Here's a description of Landon Shorrs book, pictured here, from 2012:

The loyalty investigations triggered by the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s marginalized many talented women and men who had entered government service during the Great Depression seeking to promote social democracy as a means to economic reform. Their influence over New Deal policymaking and their alliances with progressive labor and consumer movements elicited a powerful reaction from conservatives, who accused them of being subversives. 

Author Landon Storrs draws on newly declassified records of the federal employee loyalty program--created in response to fears that Communists were infiltrating the U.S. government--to reveal how disloyalty charges were used to silence these New Dealers and discredit their policies. The loyalty program not only destroyed many promising careers, it prohibited discussion of social democratic policy ideas in government circles, narrowing the scope of political discourse to this day.

 What's old is seemingly new. Walker has already hinted that he will run for president if the Senate flips to Republican, which would give him ultimate power to do whatever he "thinks" is best for us. Remember Paul Ryan's comment?

Upfront's Mike Gousha asked Ryan about all the polls that directly contradicted Ryan's positions on the minimum wage, extending unemployment etc. Ryan just laughed. 

"It sounds simple...but if I believe this is counter productive for the very people we're trying to hurt...to help...and will hurt them by doing this, but it's politically popular, what does that say about you as a moral person...leaders have to take positions that may not be popular sometimes if they think they're doing the right thing."

The Republican Party's Secessionist Convention

Secessionist talk coming from the Republican side of the aisle is nothing new. I'm thinking southern states, most notably Texas.

So what’s up with Wisconsin's Republican Party leaders denying any interest in secession? It’s just a matter of time, and Republican dominance, that adopting such an idea will take hold. Red states secessionist talk is just part of the conversation.

"Be it further resolved that we strongly insist our state representatives work to uphold Wisconsin's 10th Amendment rights, and our right to secede, passing legislation affirming this to the U.S. Federal Government."

Secessionist Impulse: Who’s surprised the GOP’s amped up hatred of government would naturally lead to state’s rights and secession? Not me, but party leaders in Wisconsin “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” deny it’s a serious problem. From an April 4th article by Dan Bice:

jsonline: Dan Feyen, chairman of the Republican Party's 6th Congressional District, sent a memo to all Republican lawmakers making clear that he did not support the resolution … He noted that the proposals were adopted after many people had gone home.

Wow, nothing wrong with adopting proposals after people had gone home? Sneaky? No excuse.

Joe Fadness, executive director of the state GOP, (said) "Each year, hundreds of resolutions are discussed and debated at the local level before being forwarded to the state.

Funny, patriotic Democrats never seem to include secession in any of their talks.

GOP members of the Assembly and Senate were not taking the resolution seriously. "It makes us sound like Texas," said the veteran lawmaker.

But we are trying to be just like Texas in every way, including secession:

Michael Murphy, vice chairman of the Republican Party's 4th Congressional District, added that he personally supports Wisconsin's right to secede from the United States if the state's voters so choose.

Nine Republican lawmakers came under fire in 2012 for another creative reading of the 10th Amendment. The GOP legislators told a tea party-aligned group that they would back a bill to arrest any federal officials who try to implement Obamacare in Wisconsin. "Just because Obama was re-elected does not mean he's above the constitution," state Rep. Chris Kapenga of Delafield told the Journal Sentinel at the time.

Kapenga must have missed the Bush/Cheney push to create the “Unitary Executive,” a super powered Republican president, lord and master over the other two branches of government. (The GOP has made it clear they would defy popular opinion to install their agenda) 

For example; take their “public flogging” of Republicans who don’t agree with the parties Borg like agenda:

Feyen forwarded a second resolution that expressed a vote of "no confidence" in Sen. Luther Olsen of Ripon and Rep. Steve Kestell of Elkhart Lake. The two have come under fire from some conservatives for supporting the Common Core State Standard … The Republican Party's 2nd and 4th congressional districts passed similar no-confidence resolutions for Olsen and Kestell. "It's more of a public flogging, if you will, from our delegation," Murphy told Wisconsin Reporter.

Notice too how the Tenther's write the united States of America, with a small u. 

False Equivalence: Unfortunately, reporter Dan Bice seems to think a “death with dignity” proposal by Democrats is in anyway comparable or outrageous as Borg like adherence to state’s rights, Second Amendment remedies and secession. Don’t think so Dan. 

The Joe Fadness Follies....continue.

Is WISGOP executive director Joe Fadness having a mental breakdown? I used to give him credit for being just a little bit slower than RNC chief Reince Priebus. I gave him way too much credit.

Fadness seems to think the Mary Burke statements below are actual flip-flops. I've read them over and over again...can you see the difference?

From MSNBC, 04/03/14:Burke is an unequivocal supporter of the Affordable Care Act and wants to expand Medicaid in the state, which Walker has refused to do.[1]

Burke in Interview with Green Bay Press-Gazette Editorial Board, 04/03/14:Certainly, Obamacare has its problems. That was a really rough rollout…We have to make sure it is a system that’s working, and it needs to be changed if it’s not working.[2]

Fadness hates Burke

Obviously, I don't want to spend a lot of time on this, but really...is Fadness crazy? I can only assume the Republican Party of Wisconsin's admission they're already out of campaign ammunition is not sitting well with Walker.

I've said it before; this Joe Fadness guy is truly Onionesque. His knack for unintentional humor is enough to brighten any liberal blogger day. Enjoy the following for its raw madness:

Fadness: “Only a liberal Madison millionaire would try to hoodwink voters by changing positions on a key issue twice in one day. It’s no wonder the Democratic base hasn't accepted her ... Wisconsin should be alarmed by the disturbing trend of Burke’s lies and contradictions.
 “Which is it Mary Burke: Do you unequivocally support Obamacare and the havoc it is causing across the country, or do you agree with Governor Walker that the Obamacare boondoggle is flawed and must be repealed? Voters deserve a Governor who can hold a position for longer than 8 hours.”

Don't miss this Joe Fadness moment either.

WISGOP's Joe Fadness stands by outright lies about Mary Burke.

The bumbling thugs at WISGOP have become more of a laughing stock than an actual party campaigning for Scott Walker. In true party form, RPW will not correct their mistakes and campaign errors to make the race for governor and honest one:

WISGOP bungler, Joe Fadness

WSJ: The Republican Party of Wisconsin isn't backing away from a statement about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke's plans to self-finance her campaign, even though it was based on an erroneous report … "It was widely reported that Burke planned to spend $8-10 million in the race, yet she is now hedging her bets amidst a struggling campaign and her inability to create traction with voters."

Here’s the funny part; as proof, party leaders pointed to another fringe right wing source appropriately named, “Right Wisconsin.” Even worse, Right Wisconsin is part of the Journal Sentinel, hosted by conservative radio wacko Charlie Sykes. Gee, I wonder what could go wrong?

The State Journal asked for the party's source of the "widely reported" figure. State GOP spokesman Jesse Dougherty cited a Jan. 15 report by conservative web site Right Wisconsin … (the) article stated: "Does Democratic candidate for Governor Mary Burke really intend to spend $8 million of her own money this year? According to a public policy report from Foley and Lardner, the answer is yes."

A spokesman for the law firm said the report was retracted.

End of story? Not quite. The WISGOP goons, under the guidance of executive director Joe Fadness, had this Onionesque answer:

After being informed about the retraction, Fadness issued a modified statement to the State Journal saying "self-financing numbers as high as $10 million have circulated for months." He did not disclose a source for the $10 million figure and the March 27 press release on the party's website remains the same.

Hey, if a few people are still mislead...and it’s true, that $10 million number has been circulating, thanks to WISGOP’s daffy Joe Fadness. Holy cow.

GOP touts Tax Free Corporate, Rich, Sugar Daddy Agenda.

Refreshingly honest fascism:

Hey, what about us homeowners and employees?  

Walker and state GOP campaign target, former Democratic Governor Jim Doyle and Mary Burke, for causing Great Recession...again.

Since we know former Gov. Doyle did not cause the Great Recession, it seem almost ridiculous to hear the head of the state Republican Party continue to blame him for it. Is WISGOP's Joe Fadness stupid? But do keep it fresh in our minds, Joe, how Republican free market policies caused the the Great Recession, wiping out jobs and businesses in Wisconsin.

Does this also mean Republicans will give up saying, "Oh sure, blame Bush," or will they successfully have it both ways from an uncritical media? 

Cheap shot artist, and not too smart: Fadness is shocked Doyle donated money to Mary Burke’s campaign. He thought money went only to Republicans? Maybe the legislature can "reform" that too.

Before the Republicans took over in D.C., we were looking at “surpluses as far as the eye could see,” remember? Heck, read Fadness’ reminder of how bad things got under GOP control:  

jsonline: Joe Fadness, executive director of the state Republican Party, was quick to criticize the donation. "Mary Burke and Jim Doyle set Wisconsin into a downward spiral, and it's no surprise that this same team is funding and advising Burke's campaign to take Wisconsin backward," Fadness said. 

Fadness should also check the calender. In fact, Burke wasn't really there to for the plunge (Feb 2005 to Nov. 2007. And yet, after all is said and done, Doyle’s job creation numbers were on the upswing.

Burke's campaign would be wise to thank Fadness for keeping the Great Recession front and center.