Top Republican National Committee official involved in Wisconsin GOP shenanigans
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When the La Crosse Tribune first broke the story earlier this month, the paper reported that one Mark Jefferson, then the executive director of the Wisconsin state GOP, had been recorded discussing the plan with local GOP officials. Jefferson had served in that position for four years, as the right hand man of the Wisconsin state chairman, Reince Priebus. Priebus, of course, is now the head of the Republican National Committee.
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Even as the story about the Wisconsin GOP scheme was breaking, it was already known that Jefferson would be moving to the RNC to play the role of midwestern regional director, a significant position.
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No one is saying that the RNC itself played an active role in developing the plan. But Jefferson himself has in the past denounced such schemes as highly unethical. Last year, when Republicans accused Dems of running a spoiler candidate in a GOP primary in an Assembly race, Jefferson slammed it as a “nasty, cynical ploy.”
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Now that Wisconsin Republicans are the ones accused of this, Jefferson has not responded to repeated requests from reporters that he defend the plan or explain his role in developing it.
6.
FormerSwingVoter
Off-topic, but Gingrich’s entire staff just resigned on him.
Well, certainly the Republicans have been giving Wisconsin a dick in a box for a while now.
(Good ref, Doug.)
8.
dmsilev
@Joseph Nobles: You have to admit, that’s impressive. Consider the type of person who would willingly sign on to the Newt Gingrich for President campaign. Then ask “what would it take to drive such a person to quit in disgust?”. Truly, Newt is an innovator.
9.
Poopyman
@Southern Beale: This won’t go anywhere until a pic of Jefferson’s Johnson emerges.
Consider the type of person who would willingly sign on to the Newt Gingrich for President campaign.
I think a lot of those people are motivated by an ideology no deeper than pictures of dead presidents. It’s like a lot of salesmen I deal with in the tech sector — they don’t actually give a shit about what they’re selling, as long as they’re being paid and there’s some “action”.
14.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Gin & Tonic: That’s what I find so funny about Ed Rollins and Michelle Bachmann. He’s the biggest name she could get, she’s probably the only paycheck he could get.
I’ll actually be sad if Newtie folds his tent. He has a special way of peeing in the pool.
15.
kideni
@MikeJ: They’re on the list (Hansen, Holperin, and Wirch).
16.
Alex S.
Without Gingrich, there’ll be no white southerner.
If everyone is quitting, I gotta think Newt isn’t making payroll.
As Gin&Tonic indicates at 13, these guys are paid operatives. If they don’t get paid, they don’t operate. Newt was busy spending their salaries on his cruising.
22.
Joseph Nobles
@TooManyJens: Besides, Breitbart left the place trashed.
23.
askew
Not only did Newt’s national campaign staff resign but so did everyone he has working in Iowa for the caucus.
If everyone is quitting, I gotta think Newt isn’t making payroll.
Yeah, that’s my guess as well.
I do think that Perry is going to jump into the race though.
Gah. Tweety still can’t talk about anything but that guy with the cell phone. Chris Cillizza is talking about how bad it is for the Democrats that he and Tweety and some twerp from Politico are talking about it.
34.
dmsilev
@TooManyJens: I can’t wait until Palin issues a similar message. She’d probably dimly remember a “history” lesson and tweet “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”.
Twitter is on fucking fire with this Newt news, as you can imagine. Unfortunately, people don’t seem to be using a consistent hashtag where you can check out the hilarity.
37.
Martin
Ha! I’m crying here:
REUTERS: HILLARY CLINTON SEEKING WORLD BANK PRESIDENCY
Could there be a clearer sign of wingnut armageddon?
38.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
I like Rachel Maddow, but she’s had a complete brain fart in hiring Michael Steele as an MSNBC commentator.
If ya gonna cut a pay check, give it to a progressive.
Even Gingrich’s senior staff can’t stand the guy. Ego got him in. Ego will keep him in long after he should have quit, which was the day before he decided to run.
Meanwhile, Herman Cain steals Gingrich’s thunder as the “Idea Man of the GOP” by seeing the writing on the wall — the Great Wall of Amurka, that is — and the writing says “KEEP OUT.” Just think, with Cain in office we could have a giant New Deal style public works program employing millions. This true Republican visionary will design a giant wall complete with an alligator-filled moat. And, I think it’s safe to assume that the law authorizing the WallMoat will be less than 3 pages long.
WallMoat — sounds suspiciously like WalMart — maybe they can sell “Uncle Sam’s Clubs” to tourists to beat back the invading hordes. Jobs program, tourist attraction, volunteer border patrol armed with Texas-sized clubs made in Amurka (a second jobs program), modern wonder of the world, all realized through an environmentally friendly 2-1/2 page bill. Cain seems like a force fqrce to be reckoned with.
They — the GOP presidential candidates — are all crazy.
46.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
According to RCP, Gov Goodhair “leaning toward getting in”
Poor Mittens. That was the only thing he had going for him — his hair.
47.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
@stuckinred: lemme rephrase that: She was the one “pushing” for his hire.
48.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@BGinCHI: I love the way they have the former chairman of one political party with a left-leaning pundit. I’m sure tomorrow Tweety will have Ed Rendell on with Sullivan or…. I can’t think of another pundit who leans right only as far as Jonathan Alter leans left
MikeJ
Adding the Dems, or going to do a separate one?
Joseph Nobles
Newt Gingrich’s staff resigns en masse. Some say the two-week vacation Newt just took is a big part of the reason.
Doug Harlan J
@MikeJ:
Not sure yet.
jacy
In other news that won’t surprise you, Herman Cain really is nuttier than a Stuckey’s Pecan Log.
Southern Beale
Well, well:
FormerSwingVoter
Off-topic, but Gingrich’s entire staff just resigned on him.
I’d actually forgotten that he was still running.
Menzies
Well, certainly the Republicans have been giving Wisconsin a dick in a box for a while now.
(Good ref, Doug.)
dmsilev
@Joseph Nobles: You have to admit, that’s impressive. Consider the type of person who would willingly sign on to the Newt Gingrich for President campaign. Then ask “what would it take to drive such a person to quit in disgust?”. Truly, Newt is an innovator.
Poopyman
@Southern Beale: This won’t go anywhere until a pic of Jefferson’s Johnson emerges.
Villago Delenda Est
@Joseph Nobles:
Newt’s not in this to actually run. He’s in it to finance his lifestyle.
His staff finally figured this out.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
Maybe they’ll come back if NEwt buys them a gift from Tiffany’s
Studly Pantload, a full-service troll
TPM makes a punny: APOCALYPSE NEWT
Gin & Tonic
@dmsilev:
I think a lot of those people are motivated by an ideology no deeper than pictures of dead presidents. It’s like a lot of salesmen I deal with in the tech sector — they don’t actually give a shit about what they’re selling, as long as they’re being paid and there’s some “action”.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Gin & Tonic: That’s what I find so funny about Ed Rollins and Michelle Bachmann. He’s the biggest name she could get, she’s probably the only paycheck he could get.
I’ll actually be sad if Newtie folds his tent. He has a special way of peeing in the pool.
kideni
@MikeJ: They’re on the list (Hansen, Holperin, and Wirch).
Alex S.
Without Gingrich, there’ll be no white southerner.
Valdivia
@Alex S.:
Perry to the rescue.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
Not only did Newt’s national campaign staff resign but so did everyone he has working in Iowa for the caucus.
If everyone is quitting, I gotta think Newt isn’t making payroll.
Alex S.
@Valdivia:
True, there’d be a lot of room for him now.
TooManyJens
@FormerSwingVoter: I’d bake a Schadenfreude Pie, but it would heat up the kitchen too much.
Villago Delenda Est
@Mike Kay (True Grit):
As Gin&Tonic indicates at 13, these guys are paid operatives. If they don’t get paid, they don’t operate. Newt was busy spending their salaries on his cruising.
Joseph Nobles
@TooManyJens: Besides, Breitbart left the place trashed.
askew
Yeah, that’s my guess as well.
I do think that Perry is going to jump into the race though.
Valdivia
@Alex S.:
And half of the guys who quit Newt’s joint were Perry guys.
TooManyJens
@Joseph Nobles: I feel like I’m missing a reference there.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
wait for it….. 3, 2, 1,…. Halperin will say Newt’s entire staff resigning is GREAT NEWS for Newt!
pragmatism
its easy to impress just remember these steps:
1. cut a hole in the union
2. hold a vote with no dems
3. stick your junk in the union
and that’s the way you do it.
TooManyJens
@Mike Kay (True Grit): http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/06/newt_this_is_great_news_for_newt.php
Jeffro
Newt’s campaign’s implosion won’t be the last one…too many minor league wackos out there all chasing the same hesitant GOP dollars…
Joseph Nobles
Newt’s new campaign slogan: “What I just did to my campaign, I’ll do to the government!”
Bulworth
I hope one of the headliners here is working on a snappy Newt post…
Mike Kay (True Grit)
@TooManyJens: hehehehe
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Gah. Tweety still can’t talk about anything but that guy with the cell phone. Chris Cillizza is talking about how bad it is for the Democrats that he and Tweety and some twerp from Politico are talking about it.
dmsilev
@TooManyJens: I can’t wait until Palin issues a similar message. She’d probably dimly remember a “history” lesson and tweet “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”.
TooManyJens
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: “Is it irresponsible to keep talking about Weiner’s pen|s? It would be irresponsible not to.”
TooManyJens
Twitter is on fucking fire with this Newt news, as you can imagine. Unfortunately, people don’t seem to be using a consistent hashtag where you can check out the hilarity.
Martin
Ha! I’m crying here:
Could there be a clearer sign of wingnut armageddon?
Mike Kay (True Grit)
I like Rachel Maddow, but she’s had a complete brain fart in hiring Michael Steele as an MSNBC commentator.
If ya gonna cut a pay check, give it to a progressive.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Really can’t blame him, after all, bloggers are still cranking out weiner posts like oscar meyer wieners
BGinCHI
Can you spot the snake??
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2011/01/meet-the-2012-gopers-ex-house-speaker-newt-gingrich-r-ga.php?img=4&ref=fpblg
MikeJ
@Martin: How long until freeperland is full of threads debating if there is a biblical basis for a woman being the antichrist.
stuckinred
@Mike Kay (True Grit): Steele was hired by the network not her. He’s all over like a fucking rash.
Martin
@MikeJ: I take it back – Hillary as Secretary-General of the UN would be the clearest sign, but World Bank has to be right up there.
BGinCHI
@stuckinred: When Steele is on my finger goes right to fast-forward.
He’ll never say anything you wouldn’t have already guessed he would say.
Like a much stupider Howard Fineman.
Triassic Sands
@Joseph Nobles:
Even Gingrich’s senior staff can’t stand the guy. Ego got him in. Ego will keep him in long after he should have quit, which was the day before he decided to run.
Meanwhile, Herman Cain steals Gingrich’s thunder as the “Idea Man of the GOP” by seeing the writing on the wall — the Great Wall of Amurka, that is — and the writing says “KEEP OUT.” Just think, with Cain in office we could have a giant New Deal style public works program employing millions. This true Republican visionary will design a giant wall complete with an alligator-filled moat. And, I think it’s safe to assume that the law authorizing the WallMoat will be less than 3 pages long.
WallMoat — sounds suspiciously like WalMart — maybe they can sell “Uncle Sam’s Clubs” to tourists to beat back the invading hordes. Jobs program, tourist attraction, volunteer border patrol armed with Texas-sized clubs made in Amurka (a second jobs program), modern wonder of the world, all realized through an environmentally friendly 2-1/2 page bill. Cain seems like a
forcefqrce to be reckoned with.They — the GOP presidential candidates — are all crazy.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
According to RCP, Gov Goodhair “leaning toward getting in”
Poor Mittens. That was the only thing he had going for him — his hair.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
@stuckinred: lemme rephrase that: She was the one “pushing” for his hire.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@BGinCHI: I love the way they have the former chairman of one political party with a left-leaning pundit. I’m sure tomorrow Tweety will have Ed Rendell on with Sullivan or…. I can’t think of another pundit who leans right only as far as Jonathan Alter leans left
Villago Delenda Est
@Mike Kay (True Grit):
Now, that’s simply not true.
Tweety positively gushes over his shoulders that you can land a 737 on…
BGinCHI
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Running out of sane Republicans fast….