It's morning in Wisconsin

[Ed Anger]

I dislike walker but loathe Ed Schultz and MSNBC. So a victory for me last night as Fatty had a look on his face that made me giggle.

Who would you rather see naked in your pool;  Ed Schultz or Martin Brashir?  It's Marty, isn't it?  It's the accent.

Sharpton.

[CountDeMoney]

I dislike walker but loathe Ed Schultz and MSNBC. So a victory for me last night as Fatty had a look on his face that made me giggle.

Who would you rather see naked in your pool;  Ed Schultz or Martin Brashir?  It's Marty, isn't it?  It's the accent.

Sharpton.

Good choice.  He's lost weight, you know.

[CountDeMoney]

So a lot of what I'm seeing is that public sector employees shouldn't be paid very much because the sacred tax payer has to pay them.   Do I get that correct?

Pretty much, yeah.  The teachers that babysit their snot-nosed little shits for 8 hours a day are apparently overpaid.

[Ed Anger]

I'd also take Maddow naked in the hot tub.

[Caliga]

I'd also take Maddow naked in the hot tub.

[Darth Wagtaros]

So a lot of what I'm seeing is that public sector employees shouldn't be paid very much because the sacred tax payer has to pay them.   Do I get that correct?

No.  They are saying that pay for public sector should be somewhat fixed to thge private sector.  Given the lack of opportunities for bonus', stock options, and promotion and advancement I think the pay has to be at least somewhat increased though.  I've seen a bunch of positions here go unfilled for over a year because nobody is willing to take the massive pay cut needed to work for a public university.

[CountDeMoney]

I'd also take Maddow naked in the hot tub.

Brains are a turn on. I'm sure you're aware of that, right?  Right?

[Scipio]

as well as for fiscal conservatives and reform-minded Republicans

Reform minded.  lol, interesting term.

That's OK, Mr. Big Winner's on his way to being indicted within the next two weeks. 

You and Charley Pierce can prep for your big circle-jerk, and when he doesn't get indicted, we'll all dance about on your graves, singing Hallelujah.

[Faeelin]

In the public sector, the politicians in charge often collude with the unions.  They have an incentive to give in to union demands in exchange for support in elections.  Taxpayers become losers as no one in the negotiation process takes care of their interests.  The "negotiation" is a farce.

Doesn't Walker's enormous victory shows that negotiating aggressively and destroying public sector unions is popular?

Why would he be indicted?

[CountDeMoney]

Why would he be indicted?

Why wouldn't the only governor with a criminal defense fund finally put it to good use?

The score so far in the John Doe investigation of Walker's closest aides and associates: 6 indictments, 15 felony charges, 2 convictions, 13 people, including the governor's spokesman, granted immunity.

Over the weekend we learned that Walker is likely the target of both state and federal prosecutors in a case that involves campaigning on the taxpayers' time, misuse of funds, and obstructing justice.

One of Walker's closest aides, Tim Russell, who has been implicated in some of the sleaziest aspects of the John Doe investigation, now appears to be cooperating with prosecutors.

The two-year-old corruption investigation into Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker reached a major inflection point just days before his recall election next week when it came out that Walker had transferred $100,000 of campaign money to his legal defense fund and seemed to acknowledge that he is the center of the probe.

In the final debate last night, challenger Tom Barrett repeatedly slammed Walker for his legal woes and for stonewalling the public. "I have a police department that arrests felons," the Democratic Milwaukee mayor said, "he has a practice of hiring them." He added, "I've been in public life for 28 years. No one on my staff has been charged with a felony, and I've never had a criminal defense fund."

So what is the "John Doe" investigation?

The term does not apply to a single anonymous person, in this case, but rather it refers to a secret evidence-gathering investigation, much like a grand jury. The investigation has been led by a DA and judge in Milwaukee, who has the authority to compel testimony, issue warrants and carry other law enforcement actions.

The probe reportedly started with a single staffer who had worked for Walker when he was Milwaukee's county executive, but it has since grown much larger, touching almost everyone who has worked for Walker, and even the governor himself, and producing several arrests and convictions.

Documents made public last night show prosecutors requested the secret investigation after they found Walker's office "unable or unwilling" to provide information. "It may be the county executive's office is reluctant to provide information to investigators due to a fear of political embarrassment," an assistant DA wrote to a judge in May 2010. Walker has maintained that he has cooperated with prosecutors all along, so the document casts doubt on his story of the proceedings. Asked about the stonewalling last night, he essentially called the report untrue.

Already, three aides who have worked for Walker have been charged, as have two of his appointees and a major donor. One aide pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts relating to work she did for Walker's gubernatorial campaign on county taxpayers' dime.

Two appointees were arrested for allegedly embezzling $60,000 from a fund that was intended to be used for veterans. They used the money instead for Caribbean cruises, wedding expenses, Walker campaign barbeques and other Walker campaign activities, prosecutors claim. They are awaiting trial.

The donor, Wisconsin and Southern Railroad Co. CEO William Gardner, was convicted of violating state elections law with excessive donations to Walker's campaign. He was sentenced to two years probation last year.

There have also been FBI raids on the homes and offices of aides and the seizures of computers. At least 13 aides have been granted immunity in exchange for cooperating with the investigation.

Walker, thus far, has maintained that he is not the target of the investigation. But under Wisconsin law, politicians can only use their legal defense funds for themselves or their staffs, and Walker said this week that none of the money from the fund would go to his staff, suggesting it would be used only to defend himself. Democrats seized on the comment as an admission from Walker that he is personally a target.

Walker had already contributed $60,000 to the fund — which comes from campaign donors whom he refuses to name — before this week's transfer, bringing his total legal war chest to $160,000. He claims the money is being used to help turn over documents to investigators, but some experts point out this amount of money suggests a more sophisticated legal defense representing hundreds of hours of attorney work. There are also email records suggesting that Walker was personally involved in trying to stem the bleeding when the first allegations came out.

Graeme Zielinski, the communications director of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, which has tried to make the investigation into a campaign issue, compared the investigation to a Hollywood crime drama. "If you've seen the org charts in 'The Wire,' or whatever, they're going towards the head of the outfit, and Scott Walker is the head of the outfit."

"Virtually every single person that has participated in his public life for the past 20 years is implicated in this thing, and at its rotten core is Scott Walker," Zielinski told Salon. "Virtually every crime that has been committed or alleged has been done for the benefit of Scott Walker."

Walker's role in his aides' illegal activity is difficult to determine, in part, because the county executive office allegedly set up a "secret email system" that was "routinely used by selected insiders within the Walker administration" to circumvent the state's open records law, a criminal complaint charges. The router for the network was supposedly hidden in an armoire within feet of Walker's desk.

"The idea that Scott Walker did not know what was going on in a ten person office ... is absurd. It's not believable," Zielinski said.

[11B4V]

"The idea that Scott Walker did not know what was going on in a ten person office ... is absurd. It's not believable," Zielinski said

Gots to prove it.

[garbon]

What the really cool thing is, and what makes guys like Berkut jizz their teabags, is how Republicans can use public policy to outlaw and eliminated the only organizations that actively support Democratic campaigns with money, while Democrats have no equal ability to legislate away the corporations and special interests groups that fund Republican campaigns.

So while guys like Walker can use legislation to virtually eliminate the AFSCME in one year, unfortunately a Democratic governor can't use public policy to legislate away American Crossroads.

And in the world of Citizens United, the only campaign money left will be Republican money.  Yay.

I wonder if you believe any of this nonsense you spout.  Like Dems wanting to outlaw corporations.

[CountDeMoney]

What the really cool thing is, and what makes guys like Berkut jizz their teabags, is how Republicans can use public policy to outlaw and eliminated the only organizations that actively support Democratic campaigns with money, while Democrats have no equal ability to legislate away the corporations and special interests groups that fund Republican campaigns.

So while guys like Walker can use legislation to virtually eliminate the AFSCME in one year, unfortunately a Democratic governor can't use public policy to legislate away American Crossroads.

And in the world of Citizens United, the only campaign money left will be Republican money.  Yay.

I wonder if you believe any of this nonsense you spout.  Like Dems wanting to outlaw corporations.

What are you talking about?  Dems wanting to outlaw corporations?  My point is that it's is no longer a level playing field regarding campaign contribution machines.

[DGuller]

Your iwatchnews link doesn't work for me Guller.

Still works for me.  Not sure what the problem is.

[garbon]

What the really cool thing is, and what makes guys like Berkut jizz their teabags, is how Republicans can use public policy to outlaw and eliminated the only organizations that actively support Democratic campaigns with money, while Democrats have no equal ability to legislate away the corporations and special interests groups that fund Republican campaigns.

So while guys like Walker can use legislation to virtually eliminate the AFSCME in one year, unfortunately a Democratic governor can't use public policy to legislate away American Crossroads.

And in the world of Citizens United, the only campaign money left will be Republican money.  Yay.

I wonder if you believe any of this nonsense you spout.  Like Dems wanting to outlaw corporations.

What are you talking about?  Dems wanting to outlaw corporations?  My point is that it's is no longer a level playing field regarding campaign contribution machines.

Bolded for you. An irrelevant point if no one actually wants to do that. And would, of course be odd, seeing as how many of us are employed by corporations.

Besides, corporations don't have to be anti-Dem. Didn't Obama have to deal with a minor kerfuffle as he received many campaign contributions from Wall Street interests?