Gov. Scott Walker needs to resign NOW! Admitting felonies on tape. What a moran!

Gov. Walker admitted to felony crimes, conspiring to use
the force of law to pursue a Republican political agenda.



Walker admitted that they are investigating Democratic senators for political reasons. Walker is TOAST as of today!

Move aside Breitbart - progressives are light years ahead of you :rofl:

the science nerd in me feels compelled to point out that light years measure distance and not time, of course you could have meant it that way but most people usually use it in the sense of time.

:eyes:

They will find a way to make it into some liberal problem...and of course they will have the help of much of the media in doing just that.

Koch Whore: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Part 1
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x557020

Koch Whore: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, part 2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x557021

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

Just like Clarence Thomas, even being caught red-handed means nothing. Someone in power would have to prosecute Walker, and I am sure the AG is a repub too and so nothing will happen. Don't hold your breath waiting for US AG Holder (Even more useless than Gonzo!) doing anything, either.

Koch Brothers money trail (in WI) as an infographic

Then they say it's not as bad as Blagojevich, then they've changed the subject.

All of those people lost their jobs based on fabricated spliced video.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-berney/top-six-revelations-in-th_b_827129.html

1. Walker and the Senate Republicans are conspiring to withhold Democratic lawmakers' paychecks. ...
2. Walker sees billionaire David Koch as "one of us." ...
3. Walker is planning to threaten state workers with layoffs. ...
4. Walker has a plan to lie to Senate Democrats and pass the bill while they are not aware of the vote. ...
5. Walker considered planting fake protesters to cause trouble among the real protesters. ...
6. Walker is corrupt. ...
...........

================
Blogs > Nation in the News
http://www.thenation.com/blog/158793/governor-scott-walker-puppet
Is Governor Scott Walker a Puppet?

Breaking news and analysis of political, social, economic and cultural activism that mainstream media commonly ignore, by John Nichols.
Wisconsin's Political Crisis Is a Good Deal More Serious Than Its Fiscal Crisis
John Nichols = http://www.thenation.com/blogs/beat

Sure, Wisconsin has financial troubles. Just about every state does. Instead of addressing them in the same way the state traditionally has, however, the governor is using what he calls a “crisis” as an excuse to bust unions. ......

Awkward? Wisconsin's governor claims he's gotten 19,000 e-mails, many of them supportive of his plan to bust public unions. Then more than 80,000 Wisconsinites attend the largest rally yet to oppose it...

...with his implicit acceptance of their offer for a generous free trip to CA.

Remember when the Republicans were more discriminate about who they investigated?
Now, worse than Nixon, they are IN FACT going after all the Dems in political office in the Wisconsin Senate!

========================
Nixon ordering investigation of Jews.

N: Please get the names of the Jews. You know, the big Jewish contributors to the Democrats. Could you please investigate some of the -------. (expletive deleted)

Next day:

N: What about the rich Jews? The IRS is full of Jews, Bob.

H: What we ought to do is get a zealot who dislikes those people.

N: Go after them like a son of a bitch.

Yet more laws broken, it seems:


from Home » Discuss » Latest Breaking News
Hissyspit Wed Feb-23-11 11:58 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4745357

===============
WATCHDOG EXPLORING CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND ETHICS LAW-BREAKING BY SCOTT WALKER DURING FAKE CALL WITH BILLIONAIRE “DAVID KOCH”
http://campaignmoney.org/press-room/2011/02/23/watchdog-exploring-law-breaking-walker


If Walker broke the law, he should resign, says watchdog

Washington, D.C.—Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisc.), in a taped telephone conversation released last night, appears to suggest political coordination while talking to someone he believes is one of his political donors, David Koch--a possible illegal action, according to campaign watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund.

“In a call with who he thought to be billionaire political donor David Koch, Gov. Walker may have broken campaign finance and ethics laws,” said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign Action Fund. “If he did, he should resign.

“If you didn’t believe it before, you have to now—this fight isn’t about the budget, it’s about favors for corporate special interests,” continued Donnelly. ....

....

http://host.madison.com/wsj/article_531276b6-3f6a-11e0-b288-001cc4c002e0.html

The following is the transcript of the conversation between Gov. Scott Walker and who he thinks is billionaire donor David Koch, although it is actually blogger Ian Murphy, who goes by the name Buffalo Beast. The transcript includes comments and asides made by Murphy.

Walker: Hi; this is Scott Walker.

Koch: Scott! David Koch. How are you?

Walker: Hey, David! I'm good. And yourself?

Koch: I'm very well. I'm a little disheartened by the situation there, but, uh, what's the latest?

Walker: Well, we're actually hanging pretty tough. I mean-you know, amazingly there's a much smaller group of protesters-almost all of whom are in from other states today. The State Assembly is taking the bill up-getting it all the way to the last point it can be at where it's unamendable. But they're waiting to pass it until the Senate's-the Senate Democrats, excuse me, the assembly Democrats have about a hundred amendments they're going through. The state Senate still has the 14 members missing but what they're doing today is bringing up all sorts of other non-fiscal items, many of which are things members in the Democratic side care about. And each day we're going to ratchet it up a little bit....

(Here is the part about conspiring to investigate the senatorsa to achieve political ends no doubt abuse of power and likely a felony)

........

Koch: Now who can we get to budge on this collective bargaining?

Walker: ...I think the paycheck will have an impact...secondly, one of the things we're looking at next...we're still waiting on an opinion to see if the unions have been paying to put these guys up out of state. We think there's at minimum an ethics violation if not an outright felony.

Koch: Well, they're probably putting hobos in suits.

Walker: Yeah.

Koch: That's what we do. Sometimes.

Walker: I mean paying for the senators to be put up. I know they're paying for these guy-I mean, people can pay for protesters to come in and that's not an ethics code, but, I mean, literally if the unions are paying the 14 senators-their food, their lodging, anything like that...

(Here's the plan about tricking the Dems)

If you heard I was going to talk to them that's the only reason why. We'd only do it if they came back to the capital with all 14 of them...

Koch: Bring a baseball bat. That's what I'd do.

Walker: I have one in my office; you'd be happy with that. I have a slugger with my name on it.

......

(Here is conspiring with other governors)

I talk to Kasich every day-John's gotta stand firm in Ohio. I think we could do the same thing with Vic Scott in Florida. I think, uh, Snyder-if he got a little more support-probably could do that in Michigan. .........

(Here is Walker acknowlewdging Koch has someone involved in Wisconsin)

Koch: Now what else could we do for you down there?

Walker: Well the biggest thing would be-and your guy on the ground is probably seeing this ...

(tape interrupts and I wonder what we might not be getting yet?

(Here is Walker's glee when offered a junket. You have to listen to the tape to appreciate his delight with the offer.)

Koch: Well, I tell you what, Scott: once you crush these bastards I'll fly you out to Cali and really show you a good time.

Walker: All right, that would be outstanding. ... Thanks for all the support...it's all about getting our freedoms back...

Koch: Absolutely. And, you know, we have a little bit of a vested interest as well.

Walker: ... Thanks a million!

Not too much detail will be shown about the exact transcript I think. Fake Koch leads a lot of the more offensive statements (baseball bat, Mika and her ass etc..)

Nothing will come of it...

at the behest of and funded by outsiders with an agenda to pollute & steal from the public coffers.

1. That wasn't me. I never said that stuff. They doctored the tape.

2. I knew it was a prank all along, so I was just "playing along." I thought my comments were so absurd that no one could possibly believe I meant them.

At 7:42 of the first video, Walker is admitting (without any provocation) his offer to "talk" with Dems is not genuine but a lie, a game, a ploy while people's lives and livelihoods are on the line. Walker is feigning hope for a compromise, but only to stab the dems and Wisconsin union workers in the back.

While not illegal, THAT is an impeachable offense, in my opinion. Walker is undermining the public trust in their government.

X-POST: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x492162

Did Gov. Scott Walker Break the Law During Prank Call?
— By Andy Kroll Wed Feb. 23, 2011 12:01 PM PST

Did Wisconsin Scott Walker break the law during his phone conversation with a prank caller posing as right-wing billionaire David Koch? At least one campaign finance watchdog, the Public Campaign Action Fund, is exploring whether Walker violated a ban against political coordination in Wisconsin.

Walker believed he was speaking to Koch who—along with his brother, Charles Koch—is among the richest men in the US and major funders of dozens of right-wing groups. The political action committee of Koch Industries, the brothers' business empire, was a top donor to Walker's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. In reality, though, Walker was actually speaking with Ian Murphy, a self-described gonzo journalist and editor of the Buffalo Beast. The prank has stirred up a major national controversy, with critics crying foul over Walker's comments to the faux "David Koch."

In his conversation, Walker says that GOP lawmakers in "swing areas" will need support for their decision to back Walker's controversial budget repair bill, which would cut collective bargaining rights for public-sector unions, among other changes. Walker appears to hint that the fake David Koch could be the one to provide that outside support .......

This simply cannot disappear. We need to know what their intentions are, when they are elected to public office. It is a public trust.

What percentage do you suppose are attorneys?

One has already publicly called for Walker's resignation.

Governor Scott Walker
Wisconsin State Capitol

Dear Governor Walker,

I am informed that a tape recording has been released in which you apparently held an
extensive discussion with someone you believed to be your campaign supporter, David
Koch. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel states that the caller was actually a reporter,
pretending to be David Koch, and it has posted a transcript of the recording. It appears
that you admit the call occurred, and have not contested the authenticity of transcript.
David Koch is the billionaire businessman who reportedly contributed thousands to your
campaign and who the media claims is a key source of funding for shadowy political
groups that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking your political adversaries in
our state.

At a historic moment in our State’s history, brought on by your refusal to compromise
with elected officials regarding the elimination of worker’s rights, you still refuse to talk
with Democratic legislators. However, you apparently have no problem taking a phone
call from “Mr. Koch” and to:

• Discuss your strategy to lay off public workers to seek partisan advantage to pass
your agenda;

• Discuss your plan to lure Democratic legislators to the Capitol on the pretext of
negotiation, but then state that you would never actually negotiate;

• Discuss your plan to use the pretext of negotiation to get a quorum for legislative
fiscal action that Republicans so far have not been able to do;

• Discuss that you considered the “planting” of paid troublemakers into the
peaceful protests at our Capitol; and to

• Give your enthusiastic acceptance to an offer from “Koch” to fly you out on a
vacation to show you a “good time” once you “crush these bastards.” Your
response was “That would be outstanding…” Given that Koch’s businesses could
reap vast rewards with the ‘no bid’ sale of the Wisconsin’s power plants that you
propose in your budget repair bill, this response is severely troubling.

Governor Walker, this tape would make Richard Nixon blush. If the recording and the
items discussed by you are indeed your plans, you have no business being in public office
in our State, and should resign.


Sincerely,
Tim Carpenter

February 23, 2011 - http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/entry/crew-wi-governor-violated-state-law-by-sending-troopers-after-missing-legli

CREW: WI Governor Violated State Law by Sending Troopers After Missing Legislator | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Washington, D.C .- Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-partisan government watchdog group, asked the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to investigate whether Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker violated state law by sending the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) to the home of Democratic Senate Leader Matt Miller. CREW also submitted open records requests to the Office of the Governor, Office of the Senate Majority Leader and the WSP seeking records regarding the use of the troopers. Click here to read CREW’s letter to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Click here to read the open records requests.

“Governor Walker has many tools at his disposal to fight the state’s public employees, but using troopers to track down a political opponent crosses the line,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. Sloan continued, “The governor’s conduct is especially egregious in light of a Wisconsin law specifically barring troopers from taking part in any dispute between an employer and employee over wages, hours, labor, or working conditions -- the subject of the governor’s bill.”

CREW’s complaint alleges that by abusing his position as governor to send the WSP to Sen. Miller’s home, Gov. Walker obtained an unlawful benefit – the use of the troopers – in an effort to gain an advantage in his wage dispute with the state’s public employees. Further, CREW charges that Sen. Fitzgerald and WSP Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald may have conspired with the governor to unlawfully send state troopers after Sen. Miller.

Notably, it was Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald who asked the governor to call on the WSP, aiming to send a message to Sen. Miller and his caucus. The WSP is headed by Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald, father to both the majority leader and state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. Superintendent Fitzgerald took office on February 14, 2011, the same day the governor’s bill was introduced, and just three days before Sen. Miller asked Gov. Walker to call on the troopers for assistance.

“Superintendent Fitzgerald should be devoting his time to the WSP’s stated mission enforcing traffic laws, helping motorists in need, inspecting trucks, school buses and ambulances and assisting local law enforcement agencies with natural disasters and civil disturbances, not illegally intervening in disputes at his son’s behest,” said Ms. Sloan. “Would Sen. Fitzgerald have had the nerve to suggest the WSP get involved if his father wasn’t running the agency? And wouldn’t a more independent superintendent have refused the request?”

“As the country watches events unfold in Wisconsin, the state’s Government Accountability Board must act quickly and firmly to ensure all Americans that the abuse of law enforcement authority will not be tolerated and that even powerful political officials are not above the law.” said Ms. Sloan.

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2011 11:10 ET
Fake "Koch brother" calls up Wisconsin governor
Scott Walker chats with a liberal prankster pretending to be a billionaire Koch brother, reveals union-busting plan
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/02/23/koch_walker_call/


.... So Walker will happily take a call from a Koch brother. He says that he considered "planting some troublemakers" among the protesters. He is convinced that everyone is on his side. Like most people who only watch Fox, he has a skewed impression of the popularity of his union-crushing proposals. ........

..... So! A Koch brother can call up a nationally prominent Republican elected official and get an audience whenever he likes, basically. That is not particularly surprising, I guess. .........

:rofl: Oh the joys of infamy :rofl:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/scott-walker

Wisconsin Democrat: Scott Walker Exposed As 'Cocky' And 'Gullible,' Has Pushed Us Away From Negotiations
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/wis-democrat-walker-exposed-as-cocky-gullible_n_827165.html

WASHINGTON -- A member of the crew of 14 Democratic state senators who fled Wisconsin to prevent passage of a sharp anti-union measure, said a revealing prank phone call involving Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has strengthened the resolve of those breaking the quorum and pushed them even further away from the negotiating table.

State Sen. Chris Larson, in a brief phone interview before a meeting with his colleagues, called Walker "cocky" and "gullible" for believing that David Koch, the billionaire conservative bankroller, would call him up to discuss political tactics.

On a tactical level, however, he called the prank -- pulled by the website Buffalo Beast -- a major blunder on Walker's behalf. "He just gave it all away right there," Larson insisted.

............ "...A lot of the Republicans who are rubber-stamping legislation have to be seeing him as a liability at this point."

======================
Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/22/walker-unions-wisconsin-protests_n_826908.html

WASHINGTON -- Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law, he could be forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.

Under an obscure provision of federal labor law, states risk losing federal funds should they eliminate "collective bargaining rights" that existed at the time when federal assistance was first granted. The provision, known as "protective arrangements" or "Section 13C arrangements," is meant as a means of cushioning union (and even some non-union) members who, while working on local projects, are affected by federal grants.

It also could potentially hamstring governors like Walker who want dramatic changes to labor laws in their states. Wisconsin received $74 million in federal transit funds this fiscal year. Of that, $46.6 million would be put at risk should the collective-bargaining bill come to pass ........

Scott Walker: (NOT) Tough on Crime!
September 15, 2007
http://bloggingblue.com/2007/09/15/scott-walker-not-tough-on-crime/


So according to an article in the MJS, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker wants to eliminate Milwaukee’s work release jail facility, known as the Community Correctional Center. The closing has been recommended due to the cost savings that would come from closing CCC and eliminating its staff, as well as through the elimination of maintenance costs for the facility, which hasn’t exactly aged well. I had an opportunity to work at CCC back in 1999 and 2000, and it was in dreadful shape then, and from what I’ve been told little’s been done to improve conditions for inmates and staff since then.

What’s interesting to me about the proposal to close CCC is the position that closing the facility is going to save the County millions of dollars, when in reality the cost savings probably won’t be that significant. Putting 350+ offenders on GPS bracelets year-round – which is what’s being proposed for individuals who are either at CCC now or would be sentenced there in the future – isn’t really going to be as big a cost-saving move as the article in the MJS would have folks believe. The cost of GPS monitoring averages roughly $15 per day per offender (a conservative average), and with 350+ offenders at CCC, that’s a cost of just over 1.9 million dollars per year. The article in the MJS says the county’s going to lease the GPS equipment for 148,000 dollars per year, but what I’m left to wonder is how well the new system will be run. I’ve seen firsthand how employees at CCC run the electronic surveillance program that currently exists, and I know from talking to offenders they consider the program to be a joke. It does little to hold offenders accountable, because offenders know that if they violate their conditions of ES, very little will probably happen to them.

I worry that this GPS system Scott Walker’s so gung-ho on is only going to give people a false sense of security, because GPS bracelets won’t stop offenders from engaging in criminal behavior, nor can they tell the individuals doing the monitoring when a crime is being committed by someone wearing a bracelet.

This is a bad idea on a lot of levels, and I think it’s a shame that Scott Walker is so hell-bent on gutting the county budget that he’d start making cuts to security.

Scott Walker is a (Criminal?) Doofus
12 February 2011 | 6 comments
http://www.fbesp.org/synapse/?p=102

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has announced a plan to end collective bargaining rights for public employees working for the state.

I’m no legal scholar, but this strikes me as a flagrant violation of the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which states in Section 7 (§157) of “Employee Rights”: “Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing”.

..................

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Text of Governor Walker's Fireside Chat

"... the bill I put forward isn’t aimed at state workers, and it certainly isn’t a battle with unions. ....

Our bill is about protecting the hardworking taxpayer. ...

It’s also about the small business owner who told me about the challenges he faces just making payroll ....

Our measure asks for a 5.8% contribution to the pension and a 12.6% contribution for the health insurance premium.

... some have questioned why we have to reform collective bargaining to balance the budget. The answer is simple the system is broken: it costs taxpayers serious money – ...

... our democratic institutions call for us to participate. That is why I am asking the missing Senators to come back to work.

... their failure to come to work will lead to dire consequences very soon. ... (at least) 15 hundred state employees will be laid off before the end of June. If there is no agreement by July 1st, another 5-6 thousand state workers -- as well as 5-6 thousand local government employees would be also laid off. ...

.... May God richly bless you and your family and may God continue to bless the great State of Wisconsin.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20110222/US.Wisconsin.Budget.Unions/
By RYAN J. FOLEY, AP
13 minutes ago -

MADISON, Wis. — On a prank call that quickly spread across the Internet, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was duped into discussing his strategy to cripple public employee unions, promising never to give in and joking that he would use a baseball bat in his office to go after political opponents.

...........

The call ... showed Walker's cozy relationship with two billionaire brothers who have poured millions of dollars into conservative political causes, including Walker's campaign last year.

....

Democrats seized on Walker's recorded comments as evidence that the governor plans to go beyond budget cuts to crushing unions.

"This isn't about balancing the budget. This is about a political war," Rep. Jon Richards of Milwaukee yelled Wednesday on the floor of the state Assembly.

The governor's plan would strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights and force them to pay more for their health care and retirement benefits. Unions could not collect mandatory dues and would be forced to conduct annual votes of their members to stay in existence.

..........

:kick:

:kick:

JOHN NICHOLS | Cap Times associate editor | ... February 24, 2011
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_0657a7e5-a7ca-59df-abf0-3222b8c8ef98.html

When Gov. Scott Walker discussed strategies to lay off state employees for political purposes, to coordinate supposedly “independent” political expenditures to aid legislators who support his budget repair bill, and to place agent provocateurs on the streets of Madison in order to disrupt peaceful demonstrations, he engaged in what a former attorney general of Wisconsin says could turn out to be serious ethics, election law and labor violations.

.... the state’s former chief law-enforcement officer described the governor’s statements as “deeply troubling” and suggested that they would require inquiry and investigation by watchdog agencies.

“There clearly are potential ethics violations, and there are potential election law violations and there are a lot of what look to me like labor law violations,” said Peg Lautenschlager, a Democrat who served as Wisconsin’s attorney general after serving for many years as a U.S. attorney. “I think that the ethics violations are something the (state) Government Accountability Board should look into because they are considerable. He is on tape talking with someone who he thinks is the funder of an independent political action committee to purchase advertising to benefit Republican legislators who are nervous about taking votes on legislation he sees as critical to his political success.”

Lautenschlager, a former legislator who has known Walker for many years and who has worked with many of the unions involved in the current dispute, says: “One of the things I find most problematic in all of this is the governor’s casual talk about using outside troublemakers to stir up trouble on the streets, and the fact that he only dismissed the idea because it might cause a political problem for him.”

.......

I have a feeling his closet was filled with skeletons, that have all turned to dust. :(

The Nation: The 'Koch Caller' Exposes Scott Walker
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134022123/the-nation-the-koch-caller-exposes-scott-walker
by John Nichols


... the caller, actually a prankster pretending to be Koch, and the governor joked about the "vested interest" Koch Industries has in the bill.

The twenty-minute call, which the governor's office has confirmed Walker participated in, raises questions about collaboration between the governor and benefactors of his 2010 campaign to enact legislation that would benefit those interests.

Those questions point to a more profound question: Has Walker violated Wisconsin's strictest-in-the-nation ethics rules, which require elected officials to "maintain the faith and confidence of the people of the state" when it comes to their actions? Here's the critical exchange: ..........

... When someone who Scott Walker thought was a major donor to national groups that aided Walker's 2010 gubernatorial run — and that gave the Walker campaign $43,000 directly, via Koch Industries' KochPAC — said he had a "vested interest" in a budget plan being pushed by the governor, Walker replied, "Well, that's just it."

The conversation is so stunning in its brazenness that the Center for Media and Democracy, which had already filed freedom-of-information requests for records of contacts between the governor and his aides and representatives of Koch industries ...........

Madison Police Chief: Scott Walker's Koch Call 'Troubling'
Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 24, 2011, 12:18PM
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/madison-police-chief-scott-walkers-koch-call-troubling.php


Madison, WI police chief Noble Wray


Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) may have more than his own embarrassment to deal with in the wake of the prank call from from a progressive blogger claiming to be David Koch.

The police chief in Madison, Wisc. -- site of the protests at the state Capitol -- tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel the he found parts of the recorded call between Walker and "Koch" "very unsettling and troubling."

Specifically, Chief Noble Wray says that Walker's claim that he considered sending infiltrators into the crowd (prompted by a suggestion by "Koch," played by blogger Ian Murphy) made him nervous.

"I would like to hear more of an explanation from Governor Walker as to what exactly was being considered, and to what degree it was discussed by his cabinet members," Wray said. "I find it very unsettling and troubling that anyone would consider creating safety risks for our citizens and law enforcement officers."

Here's what Walker told Murphy posing as Koch: ......

Walker exposed as Koch tool in prank call
And not a very bright one, at that.
http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2011/02/walker-exposed-as-koch-tool-in-prank.html


Walker showed just how ignorant he is that union-busting contributes to wage stagnation and the decline of our economy.

Walker made it clear that his goal is to bust unions ........ At no point during the 20-minute conversation did Walker talk about the state's budget problems (which he created). He did talk about union-busting. .........

Billionaire Right-Wing Koch Brothers Fund Wisconsin Governor Campaign and Anti-Union Push
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/24/billionaire_conservative_koch_brothers_fund_wisconsin


In Madison, Wisconsin, record numbers of protesters have entered the 11th day of their fight to preserve union rights and collective bargaining for public employees, inspiring similar protests in the states of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. The protests have also helped expose the close ties between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers who helped bankroll the Tea Party movement. On Wednesday, blogger Ian Murphy revealed he had impersonated David Koch in a recorded phone conversation with an unsuspecting Walker. We play highlights of the recording and discuss the Koch brothers’ influence in Wisconsin with Lisa Graves of the Center for Media and Democracy.

Koch Prank Flummoxes National Media
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/485336/koch_prank_flummoxes_national_media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKle8z6AdDo

MSM Missing The Story --- As Usual

The national press still seems to be running from the "David Koch" phone call, confused as usual. I suspect it's because they unable to tell the difference between an edited, misleading set-up like Brietbart's ACORN hoax and a prank that reveals a politician telling the truth.

But the local Wisconsin press gets it. ......

...... Governor Walker is set on eliminating collective bargaining for nurses, teachers -- people who live and work in our communities.He tells us it's for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. But to wealthy GOP funders like David Koch, it's a different story. ...........

Hilarious Koch Prank May Reveal Serious Ethics Violations By Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
Governor Walker likes to complain of "outside agitators." Hard to imagine an agitator with more influence and money than the Koch-family.
February 24, 2011 | http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/150030/hilarious_koch_prank_may_reveal_serious_ethics_violations_by_wisconsin_governor_scott_walker


Embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker came under fire today after news broke about statements he made in a 20-minute phone call from a Boston-area alternative news reporter posing as David Koch ...

.... the Koch PAC not only spent $43,000 directly on Walkers race, but Koch personally donated $1 million to the Republican Governor’s Association which spent $5 million in the state. Besides the Governor, Koch Brother’s has other “vested interests" in the state.

They include Koch Pipeline Company, which operates a pipeline system that crosses Wisconsin. It also owns Flint Hill Resources, which distributes refined fuel through pipelines and terminals in Junction City, Waupun, Madison and Milwaukee. Koch Industries also owns the C. Reiss Coal Company, a power plant company located in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan.

The Koch brothers opened a lobby shop in Wisconsin two days after Walker was elected ............

Editor’s Note: When Wisconsin’s Republican Gov. Scott Walker was told that right-wing billionaire David Koch was calling, Walker got on the line and eagerly explained his strategy for leading a movement that would humble public employees’ unions across the United States.

Walker even joked about taking a baseball bat to his Democratic opponents. ....


===============
Wisconsin's Right-Wing Radical
By Lisa Pease
February 23, 2011 - http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/022311c.html


It’s not just Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s recent efforts to strip public employees of their right to collectively bargain that have citizens of his state outraged. Walker is nothing short of a radical hell-bent on privatizing the public sector of Wisconsin.

Last year, he exhibited similar dictatorial tendencies in his immediately previous role as a Milwaukee County Executive when he proposed laying off 27 security guards working for Milwaukee County and replacing them with nonunion private employees.

When the County Board nixed his proposal, Walker unilaterally pushed it through anyway, citing a budgetary emergency. He laid off the workers, and hired new ones through a $1.1 million contract with the UK-based security firm Wackenhut.

And the problems compounded. The head of the newly constituted security force, Chad H. Wegener, turned out to have five misdemeanor convictions. A criminal complaint had also been filed against Wegener for drunk and disorderly conduct and for making unwelcome sexual advances on his male subordinates. ..........

............

Gov. Walker (R-WI) may have violated many parts of Wisconsin law in prank call

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/gov-walker-r-wi-may-have-violated-many-parts-wisconsin-law-prank-call#ixzz1F1ZLlGCz


An analysis of Wisconsin law reveals that Governor Walker (R-WI) may have not only embarrassed himself with the “prank phone call” incident, but he also may have committed a crime. ... Walker believed that Murphy was actually a man named David Koch, a billionaire from the state of New York who contributed $43,000 towards Walker’s campaign in 2010. During the conversation Walker gives intimate details about his strategy ... The most damning portion of the conversation ... The relevant transcript and an analysis of relevant Wisconsin law appears below:

....

At the very least the conversation above comes very close to what is called a “quid pro quo” agreement under campaign finance law. Basically, “Koch” is promising to reward Walker financially (through a trip to California) if Walker does want Koch wants by “crushing” the unions. Another word for quid pro quo agreements is bribery. In this case Walker seems to accept the deal saying “All right, that would be outstanding.” The prosecution would also likely use an earlier part of the conversation when Walker asks "Koch" to help members of his party in "swing districts" who may be endangered by their stance on the bill.

Walker could try to defend himself by saying he was going to pursue his course of action regardless of Koch’s offer to fly him to California because it was the “right thing to do.” A jury would ultimately have to decide whether Walker was accepting an illegal gift in exchange for his actions as Governor.

.......

there are a number of other Wisconsin statutory provisions that Walker may have violated. The most relevant part of the Wisconsin Code is 19.45 entitled “Standard of Conduct, state public officials.” Walker certainly qualifies as a “state public official” under the law. Below is a list of the relevant provisions of the Wisconsin Statutes that Walker may have violated along with an explanation of how that provision could apply. The civil penalty for violation of these provisions is $500 per violation (Wisconsin Statutes 19.57). The criminal penalties include up to a $5,000 fine, one year in prison, and any other discipline the legislature may decide upon (i.e. impeachment).

.......

Krugman: Wisconsin budget bill is 'a perfect setup for cronyism and profiteering'
by Gaius Publius on 2/25/2011 03:22:00 PM
http://www.americablog.com/2011/02/krugman-wisconsin-budget-bill-is.html


Sometimes Paul Krugman is right on the money — with no "But Professor, you didn't go far enough" waiting in the wings. This time he goes far enough. He starts rhetorically, by saying maybe Wisconsin isn't just Cairo, but Baghdad under the heavy privatizing hand of L. Paul Bremer and the baby neocons.

It would be tempting to blurb the start of his article and say go read. But I'd like to feature some of the remarkable detail near the end. The Professor channels, and credits, Naomi Klein (my emphasis throughout):

What’s happening in Wisconsin is, instead, a power grab — an attempt to exploit the fiscal crisis to destroy the last major counterweight to the political power of corporations and the wealthy. And the power grab goes beyond union-busting. The bill in question is 144 pages long, and there are some extraordinary things hidden deep inside.

Krugman fails to add "Walker created the crisis with tax cuts," but you can't say everything in 700 words. ....

........

Think Again: The Contours and Context of the Conservative Class War in Wisconsin
By Eric Alterman | February 24, 2011
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/02/ta022411.html


When Ian Murphy of the online newspaper Buffalo Beast prank-called Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, he was, as he admitted, “wildly unprepared.” But it didn’t really matter. All he had to say were the words “David Koch” and Walker was running off at the mouth about his plans ...........

...... Conservatives and their billionaire allies, having won enormous victory in shifting the tax burden from the rich to the rest of us, would now seek to use state financial difficulties to destroy public unions who were among the last bastions of money and people-power for progressive candidates.

ACORN was taken down with remarkable ease with the help of a cowed mainstream media ......

.... decades-long investments by wealthy right-wingers to redirect the entire course of American politics toward the power of the wealthy. It notes that:

* Much of Gov. Walker’s critical political support can be credited to a network of right-wing fronts and astroturf groups in Wisconsin supported largely by a single foundation in Milwaukee: the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a $460 million conservative honey pot dedicated to crushing the labor movement.

...........


=====================
LOTS of GREAT LINKS embedded in the article

Why A Reporter's Prank Call To David Koch Is No Laughing Matter
Mary Bottari, Center for Media and Democracy | Feb. 25, 2011, 9:29 AM
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-a-reporters-prank-call-to-david-koch-is-no-laughing-matter-2011-2#ixzz1F2CUYB99

..........

Pink Slips as Poker Chips Raises Legal Concerns

At the start of the call, Walker eagerly reports on all he is doing: .... the Governor also explains how he is going to lay off thousands of Wisconsin workers as a tactic to get the Democrats to cooperate: "So, we're trying about four or five different angles. Each day we crank up a little bit more pressure. The other thing is I've got layoff notices ready, we put out the at-risk notices, we'll announce Thursday, they'll go out early next week and we'll probably get five to six thousand state workers will get at-risk notices for layoffs. We might
 ratchet that up a little bit too."

The move has been called "despicable" and "ruthless " and "sickening." But most importantly, if Walker is choosing to lay off workers as a political tactic when he wasn't otherwise planning to do so, then it is not just morally repugnant, but legally questionable. State and federal contract and labor law has protections against this type of abusive behavior and inappropriate quid pro quo.

This morning the Capital Times quotes the state's former Attorney General: "There clearly are potential ethics violations, and there are potential election-law violations and there are a lot of what look to me like labor-law violations," said Peg Lautenschlager, a Democrat who served as Wisconsin's Attorney General after serving for many years as a U.S. Attorney. The head of the state teacher's association, Mary Bell, reminds us: "He literally planned to use five to six thousand hardworking Wisconsin taxpayers as political pawns in his political game. He actually thought through a strategy to lay people off -- deny them the ability to feed their families -- and use it as leverage for his political goals."

...... Wisconsin Ethics Rules

Wisconsin has the toughest ethics law in the nation. Public officials are prohibited from ............

Another day, another revelation of a FELONY committed by Scott Walker: censorship = deprivation of rights under color of law
Submitted by Reed.Young on 24. February 2011 - 10:43
http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2011/02/another-day-another-revelation-felony-committed-scott-walker-censorship-deprivation-ri


That's the felony defined in Title 18, Section 242, Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. Yes, it's a serious accusation. And I am completely serious, because if I speak and understand English, selectively blocking Internet traffic from the Capitol to a website that his political adversaries are using to organize their efforts absolutely fits the legal definition of deprivation of rights under color of law, specifically the right to free political speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. And let's not forget that protections of freedom of speech are always at their maximum for political speech (Jonathan Turley). And although nobody supposes that Walker reconfigured the web servers himself, nobody doubts that the person who did was an agent acting on Walker's instruction. So although I'm not a judge or a lawyer or a scholar of law myself, I can detect no ambiguity that the following is subject to prosecution as the aforementioned felony:

.....

Former Capitol tech worker Sachen Chheda examined a screen image of the error said that the that blockage appeared to be intentional.

I happen to know enough about web servers to say with 100% confidence that this was not a server error, it was web content filtering software doing what it was programmed to do, from the path shown in the address bar in this screen capture. The "tell" is between the first / in the address bar and the question mark:

"/cgi-bin/blockpage.cgi?ws-session=.....

CGI is a "scripting" language commonly used on web servers. The "/cgi-bin/" portion of the path denotes a directory on a web server in which content is being served (or in this case, withheld!) by a CGI script, which as you can see, is called "blockpage.cgi." ............

http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/blog/index.cfm?Id=465

More Answers Needed
February 25, 2011 5:01 PM

More Answers Needed

I sent the following open letter to Governor Scott Walker today.


February 25, 2011


Governor Scott Walker
Governor, State of Wisconsin
State Capitol, Room 115 East
Madison, WI 53702

Dear Governor Walker:

In a press conference yesterday you were asked about comments you made regarding a suggestion to bring "troublemakers" to downtown Madison to disrupt the peaceful protests taking place here. At the press conference you said that this suggestion was made and considered but rejected for political reasons.

I believe I join most Wisconsinites who find those comments deeply troubling. The protests in Madison have received national recognition for their civility. They have been loud and passionate, but also peaceful.

Police and protesters have complimented one another on their behavior. The police have been patient and professional while the protesters have been orderly and respectful of their surroundings. For their governor to seriously entertain for even a moment the idea of disrupting the peaceful expression of civic engagement is a very serious concern.

Like most Wisconsinites I want to believe that our governor would not engage in this kind of behavior. Yet, your response so far has been less than reassuring. I hope that you can address these concerns by answering the following questions:

• Who made the suggestion to disrupt the protests?

• What was the exact nature of the suggestion?

• What was your immediate response?

• What steps, if any, did you or others take to carry out the plan to disrupt protests?

• Why didn't you reject it along legal and moral grounds instead of political considerations?

I am not necessarily expecting a direct response to me. But I hope that you will deal with these questions in the coming days and provide your responses to the media and to the people of Wisconsin.


Our police officers work hard to protect the public. When the top elected official in our state and a person sworn to uphold the law entertains the notion of breaking the peace that official needs to reassure these officers and the public of his intentions.

Sincerely,



David J. Cieslewicz
Mayor

Rupert Murdoch and David Koch Collude Against Wisconsin Workers
While Fox News feeds its rabble the anti-union line, Murdoch's Wall Street Journal columnists front for Koch's Americans for Prosperity and coddle elite investors.
February 25, 2011 | http://www.alternet.org/story/150047/rupert_murdoch_and_david_koch_collude_against_wisconsin_workers?page=entire


In the week-long battle taking place in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker's attempt to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights, you'd expect Fox News to be doing what it's done: misreporting the story, mistakenly characterizing a poll supporting public workers to mean its opposite, featuring Glenn Beck painting the protests of union workers as something cooked up by Stalinists. And you might be tempted to think, well, that's just Fox playing to its base of frightened Tea Partiers who prefer a fact-free zone to the more challenging territory of actual news, where the answers are never pat, and the world is a bit more complicated than it seems in the realm of Fox Nation.

You might think it's all about what brings in the advertising dollars for Rupert Murdoch, CEO of Fox's parent company, News Corporation. But it runs much deeper than that, involving key players at the Wall Street Journal, News Corp.'s crown jewel. ...............

Political Videos X-Post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x558077

Video: Wis Gov Busted for Illegal Campaign Coordination w/Koch (& Doing it on the Taxpayer's Dime)
by Jud Lounsbury
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/26/950113/-Video:-Wis-Gov-Busted-for-Illegal-Campaign-Coordination-w-Koch-%28s-Dime%29-


One aspect that is being under-appreciated in prankgate is that Walker is in serious legal trouble because he asked the person he believed to be billionaire David Koch to run phony "issue advocacy" ads that would benefit Walker and the Republican Party. And he did this solicitation on the taxpayer's dime in the Governor's office.



What Walker is asking Koch to do is to make an illegal in-kind contribution in the form of millions spent on political ads. Why is it illegal? Because it is illegal for corporations or their thinly-veiled 501(c)(4)s to donate directly or to make in-kind contributions to campaigns, as stated here by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board:

............ Walker clearly is heard mentioning the word "ad" twice and the fact that he is referring to the phony "issue advocacy" requirement that people call their law maker is proof that Walker knew exactly what he was asking "Koch" to deliver.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110224144814AAqOaVj

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
No one is above the law. If he broke it by ordering those to commit violence then let him have violence committed against him. Legally of course.

==================
Interesting to see how many wingers replying can't spell or even write a proper sentence.

Wednesday, Feb 23, 2011 16:24 ET
Scott Walker punks workers
Bragging to fat cats that "stereotypical blue-collar worker types" support his union busting shows his hypocrisy
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2011/02/23/scott_walker_punks_workers/index.html


I rarely disagree with the Washington Post's top wonk Ezra Klein, but I do today. Klein is right that the most politically "lethal" thing about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 20-minute conversation with a prankster posing as right-wing moneybags David Koch is that it happened at all. But he's wrong when he says "the transcript of the conversation is unexceptional" and that "to Walker's credit, he doesn't say anything incriminating."

I think Walker's comments are hugely incriminating, maybe not legally, although the governor does seem to say yes ("That would be outstanding!") to a Koch-funded trip to California to reward his work supporting the super-rich, which could be construed as the promise of an illegal gift. But listening to Walker lay out his plans to trick Democrats into returning to Wisconsin, brag about his national popularity, compare himself to Ronald Reagan and joke about the "stereotypical blue-collar worker types" who support his union busting, I thought the conversation incriminated Walker as an enormous hypocrite: someone who pretends he's protecting state taxpayers and beleaguered private-sector employees, but is really part of a cynical fat-cat movement to pit workers against one another while insisting "it's all about gettin' our freedom back!" You really have to hear it (audio here) or read it all (transcript below) to believe it.

My favorite part is when "Koch" suggests that if Walker meets with Democrats he should "bring a baseball bat, that's what I'd do," and the governor chirps: "I have one in my office; you’d be happy with that. I have a slugger with my name on it," like he's talking to his daddy. Which makes sense, since Koch is at least Walker's political sugar daddy.

...........

Dang! I guess I have a sign for the next rally!

UPDATE: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent another letter to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board on Thursday morning, demanding an investigation into Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker's use of state troopers. After state Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald ordered troopers to the houses of all 14 Senate Democrats currently hiding in Illinois, CREW called on the accountability board for the second time in two days to probe Walker and Fitzgerald's use of troopers. "Governor Walker is doubling down on a bad bet," CREW executive director Melanie Sloan said in a statement. "Wisconsin law is clear: state troopers cannot take part in any dispute between an employer and employee over wages, hours, labor, or working conditions."

→ Crime and Justice, Labor, Money in Politics, Politics, The Right
Watchdog Wants Probe of Gov. Walker's State Patrol Visit
— By Andy Kroll - http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/watchdog-wants-probe-gov-walkers-state-patrol-stunt


Another government watchdog group is demanding an investigation into whether Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker abused his power in the fight to pass his controversial "budget repair bill." Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington, DC, outfit, asked Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board in a letter sent Wednesday to probe whether Walker broke state law when he sent State Patrollers to locate state Senate Democratic leader Matt Miller. CREW's demand comes on the same day as the Public Campaign Action Fund announced it was looking into whether Walker engaged in illegal political coordination with who he thought was right-wing billionaire David Koch, but in reality was Ian Murphy, the editor of a alternative magazine in Buffalo, New York.

............. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pihlr17nwbM ...............

............. CREW alleges. "Nothing in the agency's mission indicates WSP officers may be sent on political errands by the governor or members of the state legislature," CREW executive director Melanie Sloan writes. In particular, CREW points to Wisconsin law that says state troopers "may not be used in or take part in any dispute or controversy between an employer and employee concerning wages, hours, labor, or working conditions." CREW's Sloan concludes, "By abusing his position as governor to ask the WSP to send a message to Sen. Miller, Governor Walker obtained an unlawful benefit—the use of the troopers—in an effort to gain an advantage in his wage dispute with the state's public employees."

It's also worth noting that the head of the Wisconsin State Patrol is Stephen Fitzgerald, father of state Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald and state Assembly speaker Jeff Fitzgerald.

Scott Walker's unprincipled rigidity
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022503021.html?hpid=opinionsbox1


On a prank call that quickly spread across the Internet, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was duped into discussing his strategy to cripple public employee unions, joking he would use a baseball bat in his office to go after political opponents. (Feb. 23)
» LAUNCH VIDEO PLAYER

Dana Milbank
Sunday, February 27, 2011

"He's not one of us."

That phrase, uttered in the fourth minute of what Scott Walker believed to be a private phone conversation, tells you everything you need to know about the rookie governor of Wisconsin.

............

I reached the unacceptably reasonable and pragmatic Cullen by phone in Illinois, where he is hiding out from Wisconsin state troopers who, dispatched by state Republicans, had been at his home each of the past two nights to try to force him back to the capitol.

Cullen had a description of Walker, too. "This is the eighth governor that I've worked with in one way or another - four Republicans, four Democrats - and this is the first governor who takes a clear public position that he will never negotiate," said Cullen, who worked in Republican governor Tommy Thompson's administration between stints in the state Senate. "The other seven were willing to take the 70 or 80 percent of what they wanted. . . . That's what you need to do to make government work."

Cullen got a call from Thompson last week and is hoping his old friend will persuade Walker to negotiate. But that won't be easy. Under Walker's tribal political theory, governing is a never-ending cycle of revenge killings.

..........

by Barbara MorrillFollow for Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/28/950973/-Wisconsin:-Walker-cited-debunked-New-York-Times-story-to-defend-union-busting

Today, Keith Olbermann's blog, FOK News Channel, has debunked a recent, much ballyhooed article in The New York Times:



Problem is, A.G. Sulzberger’s featured disillusioned unionist interviewee … wasn’t in a union.

http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2011/2/28/milwaukee-city-attorney-claims-walkers-bill-is-unconstitutional
February 28, 2011 - BizTimes Daily

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s state budget repair bill would be unconstitutional because it would violate the constitutional “home rule” that protects cities and villages from interference in local pensions by the state, according to a legal opinion issued today by Milwaukee City Attorney Grant Langley.
In a letter to Milwaukee Alderman Joseph Dudzik, Langley stated, “… in our judgment, the courts would find the statue unconstitutional on three grounds: first, that it unconstitutionally interferes with and intrudes upon the city’s home-rule authority over its pension plan; second, that given certain vested rights or benefits that have accrued to employees currently in the plan, the statute would constitute an unconstitutional impairment of contract rights under the state and federal constitutions; and third, given these same vested rights or benefits, the proposed statute would violate the due process clauses of the state and federal constitutions because it would abrogate the terms and conditions of the Global Pension Settlement …”
Dudzik had requested Langley’s opinion on the constitutionality of Walker’s plan, which would revoke the collective bargaining rights of thousands of public employees in the state.
After receiving Langley’s opinion, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett today sent a letter to Walker, requesting that Walker seek a legal opinion from the Wisconsin Attorney General on the matter.

The following is the text of Barrett’s letter to Walker:

........

Arnold was the savior of the California Republican Party, preventing Darrell Issa from taking the job. Thank the Kennedy's for that, I suspect!

Wouldn't it be easier to get a more intelligent governor?

================
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/wisconsin-lawmakers-prank-calls_n_829840.html

....

Sen. Mary Lazich, R-Waukesha, and Rep. Mark Honadel, R-Milwaukee, authored a bill that would prohibit tricking the call's recipient into believing the caller is someone they are not for malicious purposes.

"While use of spoofing is said to have some legitimate uses, it can also be used to frighten, harass and potentially defraud," Lazich and Honadel said in an e-mail to legislators.

The bill language forbids a caller from intentionally providing a false phone number and convincing the person receiving the call that it comes from someone other than the actual caller.

The bill would make it illegal to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain any information of value from using a caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. It would also prohibit individuals from masking their voices ....

..........