The GOP is at War Against the Heart of America (OT)

Scott Walker Talks To "David Koch"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4744822
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/84017/scott-walker-talks-david-koch

youtube vids of the phone call:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBnSv3a6Nh4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3a2pYGr7-k


Source: The New Republic

Jonathan Chait

A lot of political pranks are cheap and stupid, but this is pretty brilliant:

(snip)

What follows is a lengthy phone call between Walker and a liberal blogger pretending to be Koch. It's quite interesting in all sorts of ways. one is that the fake caller fails to get Walker to endorse a plan to plant troublemakers among the protesters, but he does get him to bite on this:

Walker: Oh yeah, but who watches that? I went on “Morning Joe” this morning. I like it because I just like being combative with those guys, but, uh. You know they’re off the deep end.
Koch: Joe—Joe’s a good guy. He’s one of us.
Walker: Yeah, he’s all right. He was fair to me…
Koch: Beautiful; beautiful. You gotta love that Mika Brzezinski; she’s a real piece of ass.
Walker: Oh yeah.

Nice! Another main takeaway from the call is the degree to which Walker, in the face of mounting evidence, seems to really believe the public is on his side. The whole thing is a great window into a candid conversation to which the public would ordinarily never be privy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4744426

Indiana Deputy Attorney General tweets " use live ammunition" against demonstrators

Source: Mother Jones

A conservative deputy AG let his emotions get out of hand. It wasn't the first time.

— By Adam Weinstein


Wed Feb. 23, 2011 12:01 AM PST
On Saturday night, when Mother Jones staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators out of the Wisconsin capitol building—something that didn't end up happening—one Twitter user sent out a chilling public response: "Use live ammunition."

From my own Twitter account, I confronted the user, JCCentCom. He tweeted back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs" who were "physically threatening legally elected officials." In response to such behavior, he said, "You're damned right I advocate deadly force." He later called me a "typical leftist," adding, "liberals hate police."

Only later did we realize that JCCentCom was a deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/indiana-official-jeff-cox-live-ammunition-against-wisconsin-protesters

------------------------------------------------------------------------
So now even mild mannered middle / working class union supporters are not safe from entrenched death worshipping nut jobs like this gentleman from Indiana. He wants to relive the good old days when unions were broken the old-fashioned way, by murder.

Wisconsin Governor takes 20-minute call from prankster posing as Koch brother

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x487981

Just finished listening to it. I figured I should share, because this needs to get out there pronto:

http://www.buffalobeast.com/?p=5045

The two videos down the page are the 1st and 2nd half a the 20-minute(!) long phone call between Gov. Walker and "David Koch", actually Ian Murphy of the ever-offensive Beast. The call is very recent, probably from yesterday, as evidenced by its subject matter. When "Koch" proposes "planting some troublemakers" among the Wisconsin protesters, Walker says "we thought about that". Not to mention that Walker agrees with "Koch" that Mika Brzezinski is "a real piece of ass." Enjoy!

Deputy AG loses job after tweet drama (confirmed)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4745403

Source: WLFI.com

The Indiana Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday afternoon its deputy attorney general is no longer employed by the agency, after reviewing political website Mother Jones' published allegations that he advocated the use of force against protesters in Wisconsin.

According to the online article , Jeff Cox tweeted “Use Live Ammunition” in response to a Mother Jones tweet reporting riot police had been called into the state capital to remove protesters.

Mother Jones later learned Jeff Cox held a post as an Indiana official.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Attorney General office said, "Civility and courtesy toward all members of the public are very important to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. We respect individuals’ First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility."

Read more: http://www.wlfi.com/dpps/news/indiana/tweet-lands-deputy-ag-in-hot-water_3727263

------------------------------------------------------------------------
will confirm/.

Confirmed.

Harsh words: Deputy AG fired over tweets

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has dismissed a deputy, Jeff Cox, for posting inappropriate comments online critical of the labor union protesters in Wisconsin.

Cox sent out a message on his Twitter account saying that police should "use live ammunition" against the protesters.

A staffer for the political news site Mother Jones sent a message back to the person, who was then only known by his online account name. Cox messaged back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs."

"Civility and courtesy toward all members of the public are very important to the Indiana Attorney General's office. We respect individual's First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility," the office said in a statement.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110223/NEWS05/102230406/Harsh-words-Deputy-AG-fired-over-tweets

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4745508

CREW: WI Governor Violated State Law by Sending Troopers After Missing Legislator

Source: CREW

February 23, 2011
CREW: WI Governor Violated State Law by Sending Troopers After Missing Legislator
Ethics, FOIA, News, States, Wisconsin, Transparency, Press Releases

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.

Read more: http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/entry/crew-wi-governor-violated-state-law-by-sending-troopers-after-missing-legli

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x493843

wisconsin senator calls for walker to resign

the last paragraph says it all

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.

http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/large/110223_Carpenter_letter.pdf

February 23, 2011
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,

(signed "Tim")
Tim Carpenter
State Senator