Tweets Of The Day -- Wisconsin Lame Duck Coup

Scott Walker just signed lame duck coup brazenly stripping power from Dem gov/AG & making it harder to vote

Similar legislative coups underway in MI & NC

GOP shamelessly gutting democracy before they lose powerhttps://t.co/ys87RqjBhH

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) December 14, 2018

An interesting group, with Walker and friends:

This is what kleptocracy looks like. pic.twitter.com/pJCnNHLX5p

— whazzupwithed (@whazzupwithed) December 14, 2018

Scott Walker’s 8 years as governor convinced him the biggest problem with Wisconsin is democracy

— LOLGOP👀 (@LOLGOP) December 14, 2018

And a timely companion piece about why this is a feature, not a bug, of Republican anti- democracy trends:

"It took more than a half century to reach the point where faced with a choice between democracy and power, the party chose the latter," argues George Packer. https://t.co/0xBA9wyXmV

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) December 14, 2018

BONUS:  An evergreen question regarding Scottie --

80,000 Jobs Lost Under Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker While Foxconn Deal Soaks Taxpayers (And Party Mocks Sexual Misconduct)

Wisconsin's oleaginous Republican Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker, when he's not union busting, has been working cons on his constituents for years, with the assistance of his drooling Republican state legislature. Some chickens are now coming home to roost as he tries to survive another election cycle.

Milwaukee's NPR station reports on the reality of con #1:

When Gov. Scott Walker mounted his first gubernatorial campaign he made a bold claim: that during his first term as governor he would create 250,000 jobs for Wisconsinites. He is just now nearing that figure after nearly two terms on the job. 

Most economists believe that governors have a limited impact on how many jobs are created in a given state. That being said, local economist Bruce Thompson believes Walker’s policies may have actually resulted in a loss of 80,000 jobs in Wisconsin.

Have a look at what those reactionary policies are, particularly as they compare to economic development policies in Democratic- governed neighbor Minnesota.

Walker's highly touted initiative to bring Taiwanese tech giant to Wisconsin is also being exposed as a con job. Lawrence Tabak at American Prospect has a deep dive;  here's a snippet:

Industry experts put the employee count for even the original large-scale LCD manufacturing plant at 2,000, just 15 percent of Foxconn's promised workforce. Foxconn’s original plans estimated that three-fourths of its workforce in Wisconsin will be hourly, a pattern that fits the company’s core expertise: assembling iPhones and other electronic devices. For 15 years, Wisconsin taxpayers will be subsidizing Foxconn’s payroll for employees making at least $30,000 to the tune of 17 percent, while capital costs over the first seven years of construction will receive a 15 percent rebate. Should Foxconn hit its capital expenditure and employment targets, Wisconsin taxpayers will end up sending some $3 billion to the company. While state-level support is touted as tax relief, in fact Wisconsin has already waived almost all of the pertinent taxes for businesses. The taxpayer-funded $3 billion in incentives (the largest ever to a foreign company) will be paid largely in cash. The local municipalities are chipping in another $764 million via a tax increment financing (TIF) project so large that the state legislature had to pass a waiver, since this amount far surpasses the statutory prudence level of 12 percent of existing municipal property values. Additional taxpayer-supported costs have put Wisconsin's total outlay at well over $4 billion, more than $300,000 a job. How expensive is this?

As Jeffrey Dorfman, economics professor at the University of Georgia, reported for Forbes in 2017: “Realistically, the payback period for a $100,000 per job deal is not 20 years, not 42 years, but somewhere between hundreds of years and never. At $230,000 [or more] per job, there is no hope of recapturing the state funds spent from taxes on the company and its workers.” Tim Bartik, an economist at the nonpartisan, independent W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who specializes in economic development, concurs: “The per job cost is at least five or six times, maybe seven or eight times, the incentive average.”   (our emphasis)

We're beginning to suspect Walker was a graduate of the dealmaking course at Trump University.  Here's a deal:  let's trade Walker for Democratic nominee Tony Evers.  This is a very winnable race for Democrats, so let's get back to the Wisconsin Idea and away from the Wisconsin Con.

BONUS:  Here's the level of discourse in the Wisconsin Republican Party right now --

@mkegop You can delete, but you can't hide. pic.twitter.com/24Qp5tE0Ml

— Miss T (@TaMarasKitchen) September 25, 2018

(Photo:  "See this?  We're vacuuming these out of your pockets!")

Progressive Wins Landslide Statewide Election To Wisconsin Supreme Court

You can look at all the moderately optimistic polling, but we prefer to look at actual results.  They show a blue wave coming that's outperforming polls and is not diminishing:

Rebecca Dallet trounced Michael Screnock on Tuesday for a seat on the state Supreme Court, shrinking the court's conservative majority and giving Democrats a jolt of energy heading into the fall election. 

It marked the first time in 23 years that a liberal candidate who wasn't an incumbent won a seat on the high court. [snip]

Dallet's sizable margin alarmed Republican Gov. Scott Walker enough that he posted a series of messages on Twitter warning he could be the victim of a "blue wave" this fall.  

With 88% of wards reporting, Dallet led Screnock 56% to 44%, according to unofficial returns. 

This was a statewide election in a state malignant nitwit Donald "Rump" Trump (a.k.a. President Spanky) won by less than one percent. It reduces the Republican/ Koch brothers majority on the State Supreme Court to 4-3.  No wonder loathsome Wisconsin Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) wanted to avoid calling special elections. The Republican/ Koch brothers gerrymandered stranglehold on Wisconsin may be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

This happens when you organize, mobilize and vote!

BONUS: Check out Andy Borowitz's satiric take on Walker and the elections.

Republican "Laboratories Of Democracy"

BONUS:

BREAKING: Holy, crap, Kansas.
$106 million BELOW tax revenue estimates for FY 2016.
$34 million BELOW in June

— Yael T. Abouhalkah (@YaelTAbouhalkah) July 1, 2016

BONUS II:  Here's another Republican "laboratory of democracy" fail.

Report: Scott "Koch Head" Walker Exiting Republican Clown Bus

According to a report in the New York Times, Koch brothers puppet Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) is going to drop out of the race for the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party nomination:

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has concluded he no longer has a path to the Republican presidential nomination and plans to drop out of the 2016 campaign, according to three Republicans familiar with his decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mr. Walker called a news conference in Madison at 6 p.m. Eastern time.  (our emphasis)

It's been a meteoric rise and fall for the Cipher from Chippewa Falls.  As the polls indicated, the more Walker's shallowness was exposed, the more he waffled, the more he showed he was waay over his head, the faster he plummeted.  If the reports are true (and we'll know very soon), Walker and his band of nihilists will now be free to slouch back to Madison and resume abusing the citizens and what's left of the good government of Wisconsin.  At best, it's a win/ lose.

UPDATE:  Here's AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka:

RT @RichardTrumka: #ScottWalker is still a disgrace, just no longer national.

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) September 21, 2015

UPDATE II:  Here's Koch Head urging other non-viable candidates to clear some space for an alternative to "Rump" Trump (which will be taken by "Rump" as other Republicans not treating him well... more fallout to come):

"I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current frontrunner," Walker added.

Wa Po On Scott Walker: He's Down, He's Up, He's Down!

Our elite political media at the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle can't seem to get its narrative straight when it comes to Koch brothers puppet and empty vessel Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland).  In the course of three pages in today's paper, they either think he's floundered on the "anchor babies" "birthright citizenship" issue or that he's "gotten his groove back."  Here's today's play- by- play:

He's down!  Conventional wisdom faucet Chris "Lizard" Cillizza today:

Scott Walker can't seem to give a straight answer when it comes to the 14th Amendment and whether or not he believes in the idea of birthright citizenship.

In the last seven days he has been opposed to the idea, then revoked that support, then made clear to a donor that he wouldn't seek to end it, then said he has no position on it, then said he opposed repealing the 14th Amendment.

He's up!  Amber "Waves of Grain" Phillips today (no link):

Best Thing That Happened To Republicans
Scott Walker appears to have gotten his groove back.  With polls showing the Wisconsin governor's lead disappearing in key early states in the Republican nominating race, Walker appears to have rebooted his campaign.  He's focusing on his reputation as an anti-establishment governor, telling voters in a hectic three-day swing in New Hampshire how he has taken on establishment figures in the Republican party by defeating the unions in his home state.  If his reboot works, Walker may have helped Republicans figure out a way to surge past Outsider- in- Chief Donald Trump.

He's down! Jenna Johnson today:

GOP presidential hopeful Scott Walker appears to have yet again shifted his stance on allowing the children of illegal immigrants to automatically gain U.S. citizenship.

In an interview on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday morning, Walker said he does not want to alter the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States… are citizens of the United States." Nearly a week ago, Walker said he wants to end birthright citizenship, and he would not say then whether he agrees with the 14th Amendment.

These Beltway stenographers have their Hillary Clinton narrative written down, thanks to emptiest suit in politics RNC chair cushion Reince Priebus (she's "untrustworthy, secretive, scandal- plagued"), who's only accomplishment in his tenure has been the relatively easy task of spoon- feeding his anti- Clinton talking points to an eager and receptive media.  When it comes to pegging Scott Walker for what he is, a lot of folks have it figured out, including people in Wisconsin.  But for you perfesshunal analysts, it's hard work! So, let us give you some help with this visual:

How's that?!  You're welcome!

BONUS:  Scottie thinks it would be a grand idea to cancel next week's official visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House because….the drop in the stock market!  Why stop there, Scottie?  How about an attack on the mainland?  Scott Walker: Plays. With. Toes.

Clinton: "Support And Stand With Planned Parenthood"

Hillary Clinton name-checks some of the "talent" and "well-qualified"  numbnuts candidates running for the Republican Presidential nomination on their records on women's health:

Photo Of The Day - "You Saying I Can't Cash The Check?"

(click on image to enlarge)

(Photo by Sabrina Siddiqui for The Guardian)

That's Koch brothers employee of the year puppet Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland), another "talent" and "well-qualified" candidate for the Republican presidential nomination clown car bus, getting punked by activists in Manchester, NH, today, holding a "check" for $900 million made out to Walker from the Koch brothers for "Presidency."

What a dimbulb.

Scott Walker, The Hog Ridin' Fool*

The major claim to fame (infamy?) Koch brothers employee of the year puppet Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) enjoys with fellow right-wing Republicans is his single-minded resolve to kill unions in Wisconsin (starting with public unions, in a "divide and conquer" strategy), because Democrats!  Well there's a certain shall we say hypocrisy involved with Koch Head's riding on and promoting Harley-Davidson motorcycles, a Milwaukee- based company:

"He's trying to make a name for himself by saying 'I took on 100,000 union workers' - and he's on our bikes," said Andy Voelzke, 57, who works at Harley's plant just outside Milwaukee and is a member of the United Steelworkers union. [snip]

Harley’s unions in Wisconsin could be affected by Walker's "right to work" reform passed this year. Voluntary membership could leave unions with less money to pay for negotiators and lawyers. The company will also have more power to fire employees for not agreeing to additional tasks, such as overtime shifts.

Koch Head is a hog ridin' fool, and a bold and brazen one at that.

* Apologies to S. Clay Wilson and R Crumb.

Scott Walker Creates Wealth -- For His Donors

When Koch brothers employee of the year Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) "privatized" the State of Wisconsin's commerce department, creating the "Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation" (WEDC) in 2011, he promised it would boost job creation in the state.  Four years later, Wisconsin has one of the worst job creation records of any state in the Midwest.  But, Walker's WEDC does like spreading taxpayer money around, mostly to donors to Walker's campaigns.  You know, to Republicans who like their government small, but their payoffs big.

Brian Murphy at TPM has a great article detailing the rot and corruption Walker has visited on this once-proud state:

WEDC didn’t seem to care whether the jobs materialized or not. One underwriter said that “it was almost like they couldn't say ‘no’ to anybody.”

All of which raises an obvious question: if this agency isn’t creating jobs, what is it actually for?

Well, the list of recipients of WEDC grants and its generous taxpayer-funded forgivable loans is populated with Walker campaign donors. Five awards worth $10.5 million went to cheese manufacturers who gave $104,000 to Walker’s campaigns. Diane Hendricks*, a billionaire involved in construction who gave $500,000 to Walker’s 2012 recall campaign, won a $2 million tax credit. Another smaller, $500,000 loan was given to different construction firm, also owned by a Walker donor, who met with Walker’s chief of staff and the man Walker eventually put in charge of WEDC, Mike Huebsch. Huebsch was pushing for a $4.3 million package for the donor, William Minahan, even though his company was on the verge of collapse. The $500,000 loan was extended instead – and without review.

These are just a few examples from a very long list.

* You may recall Diane Hendricks from this episode - a real piece of shit work. (Viewer advisory:  she's a scary-looking harridan.)

You have to read the entire article, then you may want to get in a shower, because the backscratching and cupidity of these small-bore "small government" hypocrites will make you feel, well, cheesy (Wisconsin pun intended).   But any such story wouldn't be complete without invoking the Justice Anthony Kennedy Citzens United disclaimer that  "... [I]ndependent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption."

Mmmhmm.

Scott Walker Wants To Be Starting Something

Here's Koch brothers employee of the year Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) and just two of his half-baked personas:

The Patton of Pewaukee:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said over the weekend that the next president of the United States needed to be prepared to take aggressive military action on their very first day in office, including against Iran.  [snip]

... I believe that a president shouldn't wait to act until they put a cabinet together or an extended period of time, I believe they should be prepared to act on the very first day they take office," he said. "It's very possible, God forbid that this would happen, but very possible, that the next president could be called to take aggressive actions, including military actions, on their very first day in office."  (our emphasis)

"President Walker - your phone call's ready" -- in which his bald spot seems to have gotten bigger.

But Scottie wasn't going to wait until he was President (=snicker=) to go into battle with another foe: women.  Here's the Scourge of Sheboygan:

As expected, 2016 GOP presidential candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has signed one of the most punitive anti-abortion bills in the nation, banning the procedure after 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest, and jailing and fining doctors who don’t obey the law. [snip]

During Walker’s tenure as governor, he has defunded family planning services and eliminated equal pay protections, revealing an ultra-conservative view of women’s roles that go beyond denying constitutionally upheld reproductive rights.  (our emphasis)

The Wisconsin law will be challenged in federal court, but for now it burnishes Scottie's credentials with the mouth-foaming fringe.

Scott Walker Eliminates Living Wage, Calls Minimum Wage "Lame Idea"

Performing as the plutocrat's puppet that he is, "national disgrace" (h/t AFL-CIO) Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) is again going after the most vulnerable in his state:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed the new state budget into law on Sunday with a last-minute change that strips the words "living wage" from state laws and replaces it with "minimum wage."

The change means minimum-wage Wisconsin workers will earn nearly $6,000 per year less than what the Massachusetts Institute of Technology calculates is a living wage in the state. And they will have no recourse, according to the Center for American Progress. MIT says a living wage would be $10.13 an hour.

The new law eliminates the ability of low-wage workers to appeal for a living wage. Previously, Wisconsin law stated that employee pay "shall be not less than a living wage," defined as "adequate to permit any employee to maintain herself or himself in minimum comfort, decency, physical and moral well-being." Wisconsin's living wage was tied to the state minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour.  (our emphasis)

Perhaps these moochers need to work more hours?

In an interview with Fox "News'" Sean "Heil" Hannity (living proof of the banality of evil), Walker let his Koch brothers John Birch Society freak flag fly:

“The left claims they’re for American workers, and they’ve got lame ideas, things like minimum wage,” Walker said. “We need to talk about how we get people skills and qualifications they need to get jobs that go beyond minimum wage.”  (our emphasis)

What gibberish, and what a contrast to the Democratic Party's fight for a living wage across the country to address the plight of the middle class and income inequality.

(Photo:  Scott Walker - "Look out moocher America, I'm comin' to gitcha!")

Welcome To The Clown Car, Koch Brothers' Candidate Scott Walker!

Later today, the multi-billionaire Bircher Koch brothers will officially have their candidate enter the Republican presidential race,  their employee of the year, Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland).   Alice Ollstein at Think Progress summarizes what Walker did to Wisconsin, as a preview to what he would do to the rest of the nation (spoiler alert:  he won't get the chance):

Much of Walker’s appeal to conservatives lies in his record of enacting far-right policies as the governor of a historically progressive, working class swing state. Riding over more than a century of strong labor history, he passed laws in 2011 stripping away collective bargaining rights from public sector unions, triggering a weeks-long occupation of the state capitol by tens of thousands of protesters. Then, earlier this year, he signed a so-called “right to work” law that will further cripple workplace organizing in the Badger State.

At a time when both conservative and progressive states across the country have embraced a boost in their minimum wages, Walker has not only refused to consider a raise for Wisconsin’s workers, he questioned whether there should be wage protections at all. Other worker protections have also been eliminated, including the right to one day off per week.

Just a few months before announcing his bid for president, at his State of the State address in Madison, Walker told lawmakers that “Wisconsin is more free and prosperous” after his first four years in office, and assured them, “The Wisconsin Comeback is working.”

But several studies have shown that the governor’s economic agenda — slashing property and corporate taxes, restricting collective bargaining and keeping wages low — has left the state in a precarious position. Data from the Pew Charitable Trusts predicts that Wisconsin will end this fiscal year with less money in reserve than any other state in the country. Walker’s 2011 tax cuts, which largely benefited wealthy landowners and factory owners, will cost the state at least $275 million in additional lost tax revenue over the next two years — twice as much as originally predicted.

To close the gaping budget deficit exacerbated by those tax cuts, Walker is cutting funding for the state’s famed public universities by $250 million over the next two years. These impending cuts, which are already prompting schools to force out professors and cut entire programs, comes as the campuses are still struggling to absorb the cuts Walker approved in 2011. Faculty members also lost their right to tenure in the budget Governor Walker signed one day before launching his bid for president. [snip]

Scott Walker’s environmental record offers another window into how he would govern in the White House. The governor plans to openly defy new federal regulations on coal plant emissions, and has said he believes the Environmental Projection Agency should have its powers gutted.

In 2013, he pushed through a controversial bill to loosen regulations on mining and allow a massive, open pit iron ore operation to begin strip-mining in the state’s northern forests. Among other provisions, the law creates a presumption that damage to wetlands is necessary and exempts companies from paying a recycling fee on waste rock. The corporation that would have benefited from the mine donated $700,000 to Walker’s defense in the 2012 recall campaign, sparking accusations of quid pro quo corruption.

Ollstein also covers the on-going "John Doe" corruption investigation that's already led to the conviction of six of Walker's aides, and could still affect Koch Head's run.

We've also noted the stark contrast between Walker's far-right Wisconsin Kochland and neighboring Minnesota, which has been governed by a progressive governor and legislature.  That's what electing (and re-electing) someone who is determined to use government as a servant for the wealthy and the privileged will do for your state.  Luckily, he is just the latest (15 by our count) Republican clown lining up for the dishonor of being skunked by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

UPDATE:  Here's The Onion's profile for Koch Head (h/t Silver Spring Bureau Chief Brian).

UPDATE II:  The AFL-CIO's press release on Koch Head's candidacy is short and to- the- point:

"July 13, 2015

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in response to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s upcoming announcement to run for President of the United States:

Scott Walker is a national disgrace."

No argument here.

Scott Walker: Busting Unions "Because He Could"

In today's New York Times, Joe Nocera looks at the union-busting record of Koch brothers employee of the year Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland), with links to recent articles in the New York Times Magazine by Dan Kaufman and in Washington Monthly by Donald Kettl.  All point to why the lightweight Walker could be such a dangerous person in the White House (spoiler alert: he won't get there):

The fact that Wisconsin has historically been strongly pro-union — indeed, the largest public services employee union, AFSCME, was founded in Madison in 1932 — only makes Walker’s triumphs that much more impressive to his fellow Republicans. This is something Walker will undoubtedly highlight if he runs for president. As he put it in his 2013 book, “Unintimidated,” “If we can do it in Wisconsin, we can do it anywhere — even in our nation’s capital.”

As for the right-to-work law, [Dan] Kaufman points out that Wisconsin’s law was “a virtual copy of a 1995 model bill promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council” — A.L.E.C. — whose conservative backers include Charles and David Koch.

The Koch brothers are staunchly anti-union, of course, and they have supported Walker in both of his gubernatorial races. Their oil baron father, in fact, was an early and enthusiastic supporter of right-to-work legislation, helping to get it passed in Kansas in 1958. They have said they will spend some $900 million on the 2016 elections. At an April fund-raiser, according to The Times, David Koch is reported to have said that Walker would be the Republican nominee. As Kaufman nicely puts it, passing Act 10 was his “audition” for potential big money backers like the Kochs.  (our emphasis)

What makes Walker especially dangerous is not his intellect (he's a dolt), but his vindictive, gut-fighting personality and, most importantly, the powerful people pulling his strings and funding his to- be- announced campaign.  As much of a lightweight as he is, he's not to be taken lightly.  Two elections and a recall later (well done, Wisconsin!), that should be evident by now.

UPDATE:  Walker's also going after the University of Wisconsin-Madison (and by extension the progressive Madison community) and his actions are likely to result in this renowned research university losing it's place in the top tier).

Jennifer Rubin: I See Crackpots!

At first blush, reading Republican neo-con Likudnik Jennifer Rubin's piece in today's once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle, we could be excused for thinking someone had stolen her password and was sending in semi-coherent columns:

[After an obligatory dig at Hillary Clinton...] Republicans have their own problem: They tolerate far too many crackpots.

Dr. Ben Carson joins Mike Huckabee in refusing to accept that Supreme Court decisions, on gay marriage for example, are binding. Pressed by Chris Wallace, Carson insisted that Marbury v. Madison and more than 200 years of history have not settled the issue. “It is an open question. It needs to be discussed.” Actually, it’s not open, and him taking this seriously should disqualify him from office since he is telling us up front he won’t be bound by court decisions, something not even President Obama has done.

Huckabee has said much the same thing. And to boot he’s hawked “nutritional supplements” as a cure to diabetes. He insisted on Sunday, “One of the elements of the plan was dietary supplements, but it is not the fundamental thing.” (Then why encourage people to buy them?) He declared, “I don’t have to defend everything that I’ve ever done.” So he’s both a constitutional and dietary charlatan. Either one should disqualify him.

Then there is Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who cynically chooses to pander to the conspiracy-mongers who turning a military exercise primarily in Texas into a secret plan to impose martial law. Cruz has taken their nonsense as legitimate and made inquiries at the Pentagon. [snip]

In less obvious ways, some presidential hopefuls also play on the ignorance and fear of the public. How many times has Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) falsely suggested the National Security Agency is listening to the content of millions of phone calls? Before reversing himself, he also gave support to the anti-vaccine hooey. At what point do voters say, you know, that’s not the mindset or character of someone who we’d want as president? (our emphasis)

Ouch.  Well, o.k.  Two points here.  First, Carson, Huckabee, Cruz and Paul are all several bulbs short of a chandelier.  If you noticed, though, she eased over the biggest political story of the past 50 years:  that the Republican Party -- her Republican Party -- doesn't just tolerate crackpots, it has actively fed and encouraged a crackpot base, then recruited and elected crackpots for many decades.  It is the Party of Crackpots.  Rubin and her fellow cogs in the right-wing noise machine can take a lot of the credit for that.

Also, note the names Rubin has omitted from her Crackpot Call-out:  Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio, Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker, and John Ellis "J.E.B." Bush, all of whom Rubin has promoted in past columns, and who would pass auditions for the Shelly Adelson/ Koch brothers billionaire "establishment" blessing.  However, while not quite descending to the Carson/ Huckabee/ Cruz/ Paul level of crackpottery, all three are outside the American mainstream on issues such as immigration reform, same sex marriage, global climate change, and economic fairness and growth.  They'd also like to bust unions and take health insurance away from millions of Americans.  Call them proto- crackpots.

But then, in her piece de derp, Rubin says "responsible conservatives" (an oxymoron these days) should "name and shame [the crackpots] — lest the GOP be seen as a haven for the unhinged."  Hahahahaha. Too late!

(Image: Jennifer Rubin, in search of crackpots; doesn't own a mirror --via Sparklepony)

Walker And Christie Feeling The Heat

Billionaire Koch-brothers-endorsed Republican Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) is engaging in the "nothing to see here, move along" strategy when it comes to answering questions about the criminal investigations into his 2012 recall campaign operations:

Two career prosecutors--one a Republican, one a Democrat--just called Scott Walker a liar, and not a single national newspaper took notice.

The comments came after Walker, an unannounced candidate for president, used an appearance on an Iowa radio show to publicly attack a bipartisan criminal investigation into his campaign as a "political witch hunt" with the aim of "trying to intimidate people."

The Special Prosecutor leading the probe, Francis Schmitz--a Republican who voted for Walker in 2012--fired back, stating, "these recent allegations are patently false."

"His description of the investigation as a 'political witch hunt' is offensive when he knows that the investigation was authorized by a bipartisan group of judges and is directed by a Republican Special Prosecutor appointed at the request of a bipartisan group of district attorneys," Schmitz said.  [snip]

The current criminal investigation into Walker involves serious allegations that the governor and his campaign disregarded the state's campaign finance laws during the 2012 recall elections.

Or, 

As former Milwaukee District Attorney E Michael McCann told the Center for Media and Democracy: "If you've got the facts on your side, fight on the facts. If you've got the law on your side, fight on the law. If you've got neither, fight the DA."

Meanwhile, the Bridgegate scandal involving Gov. Chris "Krispykreme" Christie (R-Toast) and his closest staff  has taken an ominous turn for the Narcissist from Newark:

Gov. Chris Christie's high-school buddy and former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey appointee, David Wildstein, has pleaded guilty to plotting to create a 2013 traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge as political payback against a Christie opponent.

But Wildstein isn't the only fish in the net:

In addition, Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff to Mr. Christie have been indicted by Paul J. Fishman, the United States attorney for New Jersey. Those indictments include "multiple counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, including 'knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of an organization receiving federal benefits.'" You can read the full indictment here.

Krispykreme's continuing to employ the Sgt. Shultz (his mustachioed Doppelganger) defense, which should in and of itself disqualify him from further consideration as a presidential candidate.

(Image:  Walker and Christie - "If we end up sharing a cell, I get the bottom bunk.")

Scott Walker And A Tale Of Two States

Oofta!

Koch brothers-endorsed employee Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker (R-Kochland) was politicking in neighboring Minnesota today... you know, the state with the growing economy, not the state with the groaning economy:

In 2010, both Wisconsin and Minnesota faced similar budget woes and a worrisome economic future amid a national recession. Both are also Midwest states, deeply invested in manufacturing and agricultural economic drivers. The only difference was that Minnesotans elected DFL Gov. Mark Dayton to turn Minnesota around, while Wisconsinites chose Scott Walker to lead their state’s recovery.

Only one governor was successful.

And he isn't the one wearing Koch Head's socks. Do go on:

In Minnesota, Dayton turned a $5 billion budget deficit into a more than $1 billion budget surplus in just one term. By raising taxes on the wealthiest earners, Minnesota is now in a position to invest more resources into the state’s schools and infrastructure.

In Wisconsin, Walker was unable to take his state out of the red and is still facing a $2 billion budget deficit. Walker made the decision to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, while slashing programs and refusing investments at the expense of middle-class families and Wisconsin’s financial well-being.

In Minnesota, Dayton has moved forward Democratic policies like increasing the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid and investing in the middle class, and now we are seeing one of the most business-friendly states in the country. Just this year, Forbes ranked Minnesota as the ninth best state for business, seventh in economic climate and second in quality of life.

In Wisconsin, Walker opposed a minimum-wage increase and equal-pay legislation, rejected federal funds to expand Medicaid, and attacked Wisconsin workers with right-to-work and anti-collective-​bargaining policies. As a result, the cost of doing business in Wisconsin is higher than the national average, and median household income is thousands less than in Minnesota.  [snip]

The reality is, Walker can travel around Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, but his failed tenure as governor will forever be his shadow.

So please, Gov. Walker, while you are in Minnesota today, take note of a thriving economy. Our neighbors to the east could use the help.

Welcome to Minnesota, Koch Head!  Oofta!

Here's What's The Matter With Kansas, Cont.

The increasingly Galtian Republican "paradise" of Kansas, under the "leadership" of recently re-elected (WTF is wrong with you people?!) pea-brain ideologue Gov. Sam "Brownshirt" Brownback, has already made a reputation for itself as a nasty place to live for a low-income person. But, if you're wealthy, Republicans will always be looking out for you:

Wealthier Kansans are paying much less in taxes after Republican Gov. Sam Brownback overhauled the state's income tax a few years ago. Brownback and other Republican officials hoped that more generous policies would stimulate the economy, bringing more revenue into the state's coffers and making up the difference on the bottom line.

It didn't work. Kansas's economy has kept expanding at more or less same plodding pace as the rest of the country. And now, according to official estimates released Monday, the state will have at least a $143 million budget shortfall in 2016, and likely more. Lawmakers are looking for a way to plug the hole.

You think the Republicans would think about maybe rolling back the tax cuts for the wealthy to "plug the hole" they blew in the State's budget?  Dream on:

[I]n a legislature that last week barred welfare recipients from using their benefits to go swimming or watch movies, the proposals that look most likely to succeed are sales and excise taxes that would be paid disproportionately by Kansas's poor and working class.  [our emphasis]

Any other ideas for how to "plug the hole," Republicans, while simultaneously sticking it to another  "Democratic constituency?"

Six school districts in Kansas will close early this year, following budget cuts signed in March by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

Two school districts, Concordia Unified School District and Twin Valley Unified School District, announced earlier this month that they would end the year early because they lacked the funds to keep the schools open. This week, four more districts confirmed they would also shorten their calendars, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

This Republican agenda of starving education and shredding the social safety net while using "trickle down" voodoo economics as a fig leaf to further enrich the rich is in their DNA.  You can see it in Wisconsin, where Koch-endorsed employee Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker is slashing education funding while cutting taxes (and skipping debt payments) and giving $200 million in tax breaks to a multi-millionaire sport franchise owner for a new stadium. You can see it pretty much everywhere where Republicans control state government.  And you'll see it if they ever control the Federal government.

(Photo:  Gov. Brownshirt - "Eh!  Who needs education!?  Not the Republican base!")

Koch Brothers Supporting Walker; In Other News, Dog Bites Man

They've made it official:  the Koch brothers are supporting their loyal employee, Gov. Scott "Kochhead" Walker (R-Kochland):

Charles G. and David H. Koch, the influential and big-spending conservative donors, have a favorite in the race for the Republican nomination: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

On Monday, at a fund-raising event in Manhattan for the New York State Republican Party, David Koch told donors that he and his brother, who oversee one of the biggest private political organizations in the country, believed that Mr. Walker was the Republican Party’s best hope for recapturing the White House.

“We will support whoever the candidate is,” said Mr. Koch, according to two people who attended the event. “But it should be Scott Walker.”

Will wonders never cease?

BONUS:  Remember when Kochhead thought he was talking by phone to David Koch, when it was actually a prank caller?  We remember.

BONUS II:  The always-amusing Andy Borowitz: "Kochs Defend Purchase Of Scott Walker."

Wisconsin Median Household Incomes Have Declined Most Since 2000

Koch brothers Menard employee of the year Gov. Scott "This Space Available For Rent" Walker (R-Dystopia) has a record as Governor of Wisconsin Dystopia, one that we're sure he will be proud to run away from on:

Wisconsin ranks worst among the 50 states in terms of a shrinking middle class, with real median household incomes here falling 14.7 percent since 2000, according to a new report.

The Pew Charitable Trust report showed Wisconsin with the largest decline in the percentage of families considered "middle class," or those earning between 67 and 200 percent of their state’s median income.

In 2000, 54.6 percent of Wisconsin families fell into the middle class category but that has fallen to 48.9 percent in 2013, according to U.S. Census figures compiled by Pew.
All other states showed some decline but none as great as Wisconsin’s 5.7 percent figure.

Since 2000, three out of the last four governors of Wisconsin were Republicans (Tommy Thompson, Scott McCallum and, for the last 5 ugly years, Walker).  Not only has his assault on labor unions, his undermining of environmental protections, and his tax breaks for plutocrat Republican patrons not stopped Walker's political rise, it's been part of his pitch to the mouth-breathers in the Republican base.  Now we can see the actual results.