So many words have been written today on the very amusing and informative prank call to the Man-Who-Would-Be-King of Wisconsin.
It is clear that for Scott and his ilk money talks, but when I read this earlier today from Steve Benen I laughed out loud:
First, it’s remarkable Ian Murphy, pretending to be Koch, even got through. He talked to Walker’s chief of staff, Keith Gilkes, and said he couldn’t leave a return number because, “My goddamn maid, Maria, put my phone in the washer. I’d have her deported, but she works for next to nothing.” This, oddly enough, led Gilkes to invite “Koch” to call back and speak directly to the governor.
It looks like the secret to getting them to take your call is to present yourself to be as big of an asshole as the wingnut you’re calling–also, too, pretending to have money and power gets you respect and access.
The call was funny and useful in the way it exposed Walker, but the fact that the call even got through says even more. The prankster got a hearing by claiming to be David Koch, but he proved himself to be the real deal through his racism, his meanness and just being a dick. That got him connected to Walker without any further review. In some way it is a bit comforting to know that Team Walker is staffed by idiots. But only a bit comforting as George W. Bush has recently proven that a team of idiots can do real and lasting damage as they play out their fantasies in the real world.
Take this as an Open Thread for an eventful hump day.
Cheers
Oh, today is Steve Benen’s 8th Anniversary as a blogger on these intertubes. Congratulations Steve! Here’s to many more.
cleek
i wish
actually, i don’t.
new job offer. took The Test today. hope i pass.
… which is never something you want to be unsure about.
Lolis
AP actually did a story that accurately depicted the call:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110223/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_budget_unions
This makes Walker look so bad. The only flaw in the article is it doesn’t say labor unions have already accepted pay cuts. Other than that it is pretty damn affective. The wingnuts in the comments section are trying hard not to reference the article at all.
sfinny
Yeah, that maid comment cracked me up. I figured the guy’s cover would be blown right there, but no, apparently being an asshole is the only credential necessary.
ETA: Good luck, Cleek!
arguingwithsignposts
I wonder if you say you’re “Jesus” would you get a pick-up? I doubt it.
Martin
I think it’s a fairly accurate stereotype even among Republicans that assholes are always Republican. I don’t think that’s in any way true in practice, but I think as widely held stereotypes go, it’s accurate.
Cat Lady
Last week only DFH blog readers and wingnut welfare queens had heard of the Kochs. This week, they’re a national punchline who are only known as megarich union busting puppetmasters because the idiot Walker was punk’d by a smartass limey from Buffalo. The FSM works in mysterious ways.
Doug Hill
Murphy is an Irish name.
sfinny
My first thought when the prank was reported was that this would just add fuel to the whole both sides do it argument. Upon further thought, however, this could be brilliant strategy. Just think how stringently callers will be vetted now. Even Newt Gingrich won’t be able to get through.
Cat Lady
@Doug Hill:
I was going to call him a mick. I suck at ethnic slurs.
Odie Hugh Manatee
You gotta be kidding me. Ian got through after saying that the maid put his phone in the washer?!
Walker doesn’t have a chief of staff. He has a court jester who pulled a pretty good funny on him…lol!
That or he’s just as much of an idiot as his boss. Ok, I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.
Wisconsin is being run by very stupid people. Good luck with that.
jk
The Buffalo Beast deserves a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
Old Dan and Little Ann
I am happy that in 2011 a prank phone call can still cause such a stir. If only the maid’s name had been Anita Wanker.
General Stuck
Love Steve Benen, hate his blog format and comment engine. There are other blogs I like and just can’t read much because of the format. Maybe it’s my boomer eyes that should be dead by now, but is one big reason I stuck with BJ all these years. Format is perfecto, even with the WP Gremlins.
Angry Black Lady
sadly/hilariously, that’s not odd at all.
jwb
@General Stuck: Look at this way, if BJers didn’t have the WP Gremlins to yell at, we’d have to yell at each other. Oh, wait.
Nellcote
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/145831-palin-will-travel-to-india-next-month
MikeJ
Who can we thank for punking Walker?
JWL
Now Murphy is the kind of guy I’d enjoy hoisting a few beers with.
I’ve yet to hear the recording. However, in a transcript I read, it was noted that the Guv’nor paused after being fed the suggestion that the time was ripe for the use of agent provocateurs. If true, bet the rat-bastard paused only because it was didn’t jibe with his previous dealings with The Brothers.
After all, cone of silence aside, just who ever knows anymore just who might be listening?
General Stuck
@jwb:
Lately, WP has been eating some of my posts for no apparent reason other than it wants to. I don’t even get mad, it’s like an old comfortable coat with holes in the pockets and permanent stains, but is comfortable and keeps you warm.
tomvox1
Fuckin’ A. Benen is THE best in the business. Present company included. ;)
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
Paranoia strikes deep.
Into your life it will creep.
It starts when you’re always afraid.
Pick up the phone, the libs will snark you all day…
jwb
@General Stuck: I’ve had that happen more than once as well. I’ll even try to repost, and it still won’t show up. Then I’ll write something else, and it will go right up. Go figure.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@General Stuck: Yeah, the CarpetBagger Report was the first blog I ever read (and how I wound up in this den of depravity). The WaMo site came as an unpleasant shock.
I razz Benen from time to time for being a bit too fair to the fRighties, but he really is a decent chap.
JWL
Benen strikes me as a younger version of David Broder. ‘Younger’ being the operative word. I’ve read him for years now, and he’s definitely a “give them the benefit of a doubt, on the other hand” type of guy. Time alone will tell if he will suck it up, or if his writing is doomed to go the way of the doomed armadillo in the middle of the road. Here’s hoping for the best.
Kay Shawn
This incident shows we gotta think like they do and we’ll succeed. Or is it, “act like a dick and we’ll succeed”? FWIW , I always figured this whole method of politicking started with the Rat-f***rs that worked for Nixon. This kinda proves it to me.
Hawes
What strikes me about the prank is two things. One, which has been talked about here and elsewhere is what a douchecanoe Walker is and what a douchecanoe we can reasonably expect the
CockKoch brother to be.The second and more important thing that occurred to me when I saw that Yahoo was leading with this story is as follows:
If you’re going to be Big Old Tough Reagan Tear Down This Union Guy, you can’t look like alternately a fucking asshole and a fucking fool.
People might tolerate an asshole, but they won’t tolerate a fool. The two together? Well, what’s the opposite of synergy?
Proper Gander
Vae victis, Walker. Vae caudex.
My google toolbar doesn’t autocomplete “Koch Whores.” I smell a conspiracy.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
Asspolsion? Dimergy?
Arundel
Steve Benen is wonderful. I just hate that when I go there every day I have to enlarge the font, kill the pop-under, as well as that sliding ad on the right. It’s a bit maintancey, of the 100 sites I look at it in a day- but he’s worth it, his site is informative and superb, and the dude is energetic with his content. But it’s all quality, I don’t know how he does it, like ten substantial blog posts a day plus roundups etc. Admirable, here’s to him.
fraught
@Doug Hill:
And a good name it is, indeed.
Royston Vasey
92 confirmed deaths in Christchurch quake
Grave concerns for 200 others
50-60 are non-New Zealanders
Donate
Canterbury SPCA (Animal Rescue)
Salvation Army Earthquake Appeal
NZ Red Cross Appeal
Tony in NZ
Royston Vasey
my previous comment @31 is in moderation.
Christchurch Earthquake
UPDATE: 98 Dead, 228 missing
water is still out for 80% of homes in city.
Tony in NZ
Martin
@Nellcote:
At which time she will thank them for generously selling us Manhattan and for inventing all of those sliced meat sandwiches she’s so fond of eating when she goes there.
Royston Vasey
Want to see some sick websites?
Blaming the ChCh Quake….on gays:
http://www.christchurchquake.net/html/theWarning.html
An act of God, Christchurch, Sodom and Gomorrah
n earthquake is defined as “an Act of God”. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by an Act of God. Kiwi women are infamously promiscuous.
http://thebattlefieldoflove.blogspot.com/2011/02/act-of-god-christchurch-sodom-and.html
Love that last line. These people are seriously fecked in the head.
Tony in NZ
jefft452
good luck on the job offer
RalfW
James Wolcott for the massive win
burnspbesq
@Royston Vasey:
Excuse me while I complete my application for a work permit.
asiangrrlMN
@Royston Vasey: Tony, they are shit-heads as you know. Fuckers. Keep checking in and updating.
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: Basta. You’d get one yesterday with your profession. Plus your son could definitely do worse than a Maori warrior. Dayum they iz some fine looking men!
Suffern ACE
@burnspbesq: I dated a Kiwi woman in HS. Foreign exchange student. I think the promiscuity is on strictly case by case basis. Or maybe I just didn’t know how to ask properly.
@Royston Vasey: By continuing to raise the awareness here and pointing us where to go if we want to help, you are doing more to help than those folks ever do.
Royston Vasey
@asiangrrlMN:
@Suffern ACE:
Thanks for your kind words. I’ll keep on posting here!
Cheers,
Tony in NZ
Donations to Animal rescue : Canterbury SPCA
Phoenician in a time of Romans
@Royston Vasey:
“Kiwi women are infamously promiscuous.”
Love that last line. These people are seriously fecked in the head.
Based on a Durex survey.
It’s sheer hell on us menfolk too, but somehow we bear up.