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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Open Thread: On, Wisconsin

Open Thread: On, Wisconsin

by Anne Laurie|  March 24, 20118:54 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Assholes

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It’s under the Media Village radar, but the “Walker War” goes on in Wisconsin. From Dave Weigel in Slate:

Remember the Democrats in Wisconsin declaring that the vote on the budget repair bill was illegal? (For some reason, Jon Stewart thought this was hilarious.) Democrats are, so far, winning on that.
__
Finding that there are too many issues that require clarification, a state appeals court on Thursday sent the state attorney general’s appeal of a decision barring implementation of Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill to the state Supreme Court…
__
The meaning of this: There is a Supreme Court election on April 5. Democrats are fighting hard to win it, because the current make-up of the court is roughly 4-3 conservative-liberal. This puts gas in the tank for both parties — the stakes are the same, but the prominence of the court has increased…

And the farce-intensive war draws another farcical casualty. Indiana Deputy Prosecutor Carlos F. Lam gets busted by The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism for a “helpful” email to Scott Walker:

After praise for Walker, the email — sent Feb. 19, during union demonstrations against Walker’s budget repair bill — then took a darker turn. It suggested that the situation in Wisconsin presented “a good opportunity for what’s called a ‘false flag’ operation.”
__
“If you could employ an associate who pretends to be sympathetic to the unions’ cause to physically attack you (or even use a firearm against you), you could discredit the unions,” the email said. “Currently, the media is painting the union protest as a democratic uprising and failing to mention the role of the DNC and umbrella union organizations in the protest. Employing a false flag operation would assist in undercutting any support that the media may be creating in favor of the unions. God bless, Carlos F. Lam.”

God bless! Needless to say, Lam (whose “blog posts, video appearances and comments on the Internet paint the picture of an outspoken, politically active, longtime Republican who has publicly lambasted collective bargaining for state employee unions and alluded to government taxation as “essentially taking money at gunpoint.”… called Indiana “an unsustainable public worker gravy train bubble.”… said “unions & companies that feed at the gov’t trough will fight tooth & nail against anything that un-feathers their nests.”) immediately claimed his account had been hacked, and that he intended to file a police report. However, since WCIJ had put in the hard work required to render this excuse inoperative, Lam “admitted writing the email and resigned as deputy prosecutor of Johnson County” before the end of the business day.

By all means, go read the whole story, because it’s a sterling example of real journalism in action.

(via Thinkprogress)

***********

So… what other stories are we missing due to the squid-clouds of butt-hurt over the Latest Shiny Object?

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Reader Interactions

37Comments

  1. 1.

    Comrade Mary

    March 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    I have no idea — I’m on deadline! I shouldn’t be here! — but “squid-clouds of butt-hurt over the Latest Shiny Object” is fucking brilliant.

  2. 2.

    stuckinred

    March 24, 2011 at 8:58 pm

    They play Butler at 9:30.

  3. 3.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    March 24, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    @Comrade Mary: Oh, me too, you beat me to it! “Squid-clouds of butt-hurt!” for rotating tag line. It’s a perfect description of the comment threads of half a dozen blog posts today, too.

  4. 4.

    Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal

    March 24, 2011 at 9:06 pm

    i referenced the report by the coast guard and the dept of interior blaming a buckled pipe in the blow out preventer for the bp spill.

    apparently its comforting to bp, but it means that all the other blow out preventers could be similarly kinked.

  5. 5.

    markg

    March 24, 2011 at 9:06 pm

    So the guy is a public employee who hates public employees, accepts a tax funded salary and thinks taxation is theft , and thought Walker would actually read his email (who does he think he is, David Koch)? That’s a squid-cloud of stupid right there.

  6. 6.

    Mark S.

    March 24, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    C’mon, Gov Walker, have one of your aides shoot you!

    God bless, Mark S.

  7. 7.

    JPL

    March 24, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    What is going on with all the threats that the republicans have received after voting to do away with collective bargaining? Have they arrested anyone or were those just ploys to have the public feel bad for them?

  8. 8.

    Woodrowfan

    March 24, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    read the full story then check the comments. Mr. lam praised a racist book on Amazon that predicted a coming race war. What a lovely piece of work..

  9. 9.

    Calouste

    March 24, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    First task for the new deputy prosecutor of Johnson county:

    prosecute his/her predeccessor for incitement of violence, suggesting illegal acts, putting the office in disrepute etc.

  10. 10.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 24, 2011 at 9:28 pm

    @markg: Additionally, he was a prosecutor suggesting that a public official effectively use fraudulent behavior.

  11. 11.

    kdaug

    March 24, 2011 at 9:29 pm

    For the record.

    Yes, that’s a cookie. My wife got it from an attendant on the CapMet train yesterday on her way home from work.

    Yes, that’s a QR code. In frosting.

    Yes, it scans correctly, and links to a bunch of “glad you ride CapMet” discounts with local businesses along the rail line.

    Sometimes when everything seems to be getting you down, you get a jolt of cool.

    And Austin rocks.

  12. 12.

    Roger Moore

    March 24, 2011 at 9:30 pm

    @Mark S.:

    C’mon, Gov Walker, have one of your aides shoot you!

    Preferably in the head. With something heavy duty, like an RPG, or maybe a 155mm howitzer. Especially if he does it while you’re talking to your Republican buddies in the state legislature.

  13. 13.

    kdaug

    March 24, 2011 at 9:30 pm

    Frack, forgot the pic. Here.

  14. 14.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    March 24, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Isn’t that really special? WTF do they feed the Republican lawyers who work for the government in Indiana? Extra supplements to be violent and stupid?

  15. 15.

    Roger Moore

    March 24, 2011 at 9:41 pm

    @kdaug:
    Edible inkjet printing is a remarkable invention, though a potentially dangerous and disturbing one. If you don’t believe me, just hang out on Cake Wrecks for a while.

  16. 16.

    Chris Wolf

    March 24, 2011 at 9:47 pm

    Yep. Write Gov. Walker urging him to partake in a false-flag op to discredit a people-powered movement, then sign off with “God Bless”.
    Apparently, God hates working people.

  17. 17.

    Suffern ACE

    March 24, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Does fraud even cover it? Attacking a governor with a firearm is a crime, even if you miss. How would he explain to the people of your state that he was giving clemency in that instance? Hold a mock trial?

  18. 18.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    March 24, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    @kdaug: Very cool. I’ve seen cupcakes with QR code wafers also (sadly, only in photos).

    @Suffern ACE: Oh, the suggestion was just full of stupid. But, on Walker’s part, participation would have been fraud, or obstruction of official business, or whatever the WI statute prohibiting dishonest representations to LEOs is called. Which, an assistant prosecutor would sorta kinda *know* based on his job.

  19. 19.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 24, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): What do they feed them? Wingnuts, of course.

  20. 20.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 24, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    @Suffern ACE: I am thinking that since it would all be fake, there would be no real attack and no assault or firearm charges. Someone charged with such offenses would roll over on the Gov in a second rather than face prison. At least, I would think so.

  21. 21.

    JPL

    March 24, 2011 at 9:54 pm

    Open Thread: On, Wisconsin
    what does this mean.. Can we only post about Wisconsin politics and cheese?

  22. 22.

    kdaug

    March 24, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    @Roger Moore: Didn’t say we ate it.

  23. 23.

    Omnes Omnibus

    March 24, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    @JPL: Beer is also acceptable. And Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engines. Dig?

  24. 24.

    rumpole

    March 24, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    Prosecutor lying repeatedly about his actions, then confesses and resigns?
    Check his files for Brady-based appeals.

  25. 25.

    ppcli

    March 24, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    Some guy who was leaving NPR says that teapartiers are racists, and that gets wall to wall, nonstop coverage. Some poor schlub at ACORN gives artless answers to setup questions and you can’t turn on a TV without seeing a report of it.

    Meanwhile, something like this is done by a *Deputy Prosecutor* – someone with immense power over people’s lives, who is trusted with broad discretion, after something similar was done by another Deputy Prosecutor in the same state. And to judge from the major media, it is as if it didn’t happen.

    It is very troubling that the Republican establishment seems to be overrun by people who think the rule of law is subordinate to the rule of political dominance. The spirit of the Bush Justice Department has metastasized over the whole country. More troubling still that hardly anyone seems to recognize that there is a systematic problem here.

  26. 26.

    Calouste

    March 24, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    @Chris Wolf:

    Yep, that’s why when God send his Son to Earth he made him an Imperial Prefect and not a lowly carpenter. And he made sure he didn’t pall around with fishermen and such.

  27. 27.

    kindness

    March 24, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    @efgoldman: He’ll end up a lobbyist for the Indiana Bar Association.

  28. 28.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    March 24, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    @efgoldman: Or if he loses his license he can go into a new line of international lobbying work. Lord knows there are a few dictators out there that could use his kind of strategic “thinking.”

  29. 29.

    oondioline

    March 24, 2011 at 11:29 pm

    [email protected]

    Send him your love.

  30. 30.

    timb

    March 24, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    @markg: I know this guy by reputation. He was a constant caller to Indy talk shows and constantly spouting wingnut views.

    A commenter there described a book he liked on Amazon….a terrifying bs book describing racial warfare and this LAWYER and PROSECUTOR read it and gave it a 5 star review. I live in Indiana and it occurs to me, we are just run by far-right nutbags

  31. 31.

    timb

    March 24, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I knew some of these douchebags when I was in school and they are literally that dumb. Indiana Republicans are so clumsy and stupid, the Tea Party elected a former banking lobbyist to the US Senator.

  32. 32.

    timb

    March 24, 2011 at 11:46 pm

    @ppcli: That’s unfair to Indiana Republicans! They have always believed the rule of law is secondary to running their corrupt, one-party state. They didn’t need Bush. They were annexing cornfields in the 70’s to avoid African-American inner city power!

    After all, Lugar was Nixon’s favorite mayor for a reason

  33. 33.

    Paul in KY

    March 25, 2011 at 10:43 am

    @ppcli: I think it’s also the resposibility of our Democratic Party leaders to hilite this & flog it on TV.

  34. 34.

    EJ

    March 25, 2011 at 11:22 am

    I’m stealin’ the phrase “squid clouds of butthurt” – that’s GOLD.

  35. 35.

    lllphd

    March 25, 2011 at 11:56 am

    ok. i just find this WI piece-let weird:

    remember the death threats? yeah, remember those? well, turns out (1) there was apparently only ‘one’ said ‘threat’ in the form of a whangdoozy of a letter, one that gave out all manner of talking points – but wait! those are the talking points republicans want the public to think the dems are spewing, not so much the real thing. and since when is a death threat couched in all this rhetoric? um, one would think revealing rhetoric?

    then (2) supposedly they found the culprit, who (3) is a woman (shocker there, public! the dems drive women to think!), and who (4) confessed!!!

    lots of fascinating stuff there, doncha thin? well, it goes on. (5) this woman? they never named her or gave any information about her whatsoever, except that she ‘confessed’. ok… so what happens to her? (6) so far, i cannot find any indication that this woman who made pretty graphic death threats against a dozen and a half people has ever been indicted. of anything. in fact, (7) i can’t find any further info on this case AT ALL. nothing. nada. zilch.

    except that for a couple of days there, when the death threats were announced (the day after walker had predicted them, heh heh), the rightwing blogospherathon was all lit up like a xmas tree.

    and now, even tho the situation in WI has not actually changed in any significant way, so you’d think, given that the republicans continue to be jerks and bullies and thugs, that there might be more of these threats coming from the folks who’ve been screwed by the awful republicans. but, far as i can tell, this was a one shot pony, and well, you see there the very very sketchy nature of that pony.

    my point is, this looks oh so suspiciously like a rove hit and run. couple it with the ‘false flag’ suggestion out of IN, and you gotta wonder just what the RGA has been doing with that cool mill that murdoch gave them, conspicuously NOT to the RNC, NRCC, OR NRSC.

    just sayin’. and also too, anyone out there with press credentials who might put in a call to the WI DOJ to find out about this ‘death threat’ case, the culprit, her status, any indictment, any name, any details at all??

    just askin’.

  36. 36.

    Chris Grrr™

    March 25, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    What does Lam have against God? And truth?

  37. 37.

    Draylon Hogg

    March 25, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    Indiana wants me

    Lord I can’t go back there

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