Wiggy Wonders What To Do With Himself

By Jeff Simpson

Once again, it is time to check in with the Bizarro Blogger on the Right.  Jimmy Wigderson, the person the racist extremist Charlie Sykes willed White Wisconsin too, when he decided to leave his extremist hate filled ways behind and pretend that he had no hand in the rise of the white trash racism that has taken over our country. 

Wiggy, in the wake of the GOP finally(after being re-elected 9 times) figuring out that Iowa Rep. Steve King is a raving, lunatic racist. 

There is a line, one that far-right politicians know they must not cross.
Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, once described undocumented Mexican immigrants as drug mules and likened them to dogs. He supported the end of birthright citizenship and has repeatedly lamented the declining white birth rate. He praised the books and amplified the tweets of neo-Nazis. All along the way, King got the endorsement of Iowa voters in his district, who returned him to Congress every two years since 2003. He received occasional criticism from Republicans insistent that King’s ideas were not their own, while some Democrats said his public comments revealed a bigoted streak, an affinity for white nationalists and an eagerness to make America a less equal place.

All of his previous actions withstanding, it took one simple question by King to pull the curtain back:

 Why was this one moment in the political life of King too much, too far, too outrageous? King’s comment — “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” he told The New York Times — was lacking in all plausible deniability and nuance, devoid of the high and low pitch tones calibrated for certain ears, experts say. It was an endorsement of white supremacy in the form of a rhetorical question. And it came at a time when King’s Republican Party is struggling with its political prospects.“King is not alone in his ideas, not his ideas on immigration, not his ideas about policy,” said Nell Irvin Painter, professor of history at Princeton University and author of “The History of White People.” “But, he is a fairly unusual character, today, in how obvious he is with his racism. The president operates on the side of euphemism, just this side of euphemism, whereas Steve King has used the actual language of white supremacy, the actual words with an endorsement.”

Now to the irony of the situation, apparently Wiggy had a "meeting" planning the "future" of White Wisconsin.   In layman's terms. the Bradley folks told them they cant be paying them to write such BS and get their ass kicked in elections like just happened.   Wingnut welfare only goes so far. 

The question that came out from these meetings was this:

  An easy question should be, what do we do about the racists in our midst? 

As you heard here first in September, no one is more of a racist than Mr. White Wisconsin himself - James Wigderson.  He who called all of the student athletes in the Milwaukee Public School System "little convicts" is asking what should be done with racists in their midst.   

As we have also pointed out, if you could sell the irony that Wisconsin Republicans put out on a daily basis we could actually afford to pay Foxconn what Walker promised them. 

In the meantime, a quick answer to Wiggy's burning question is simple. 

Get rid of the racist editor of Right Wisconsin and put it in the hands of someone who is logical, intelligent and open minded(good luck finding someone).   Then you can have some credibility when talking about the Steve King's of the world. 

Republican Post Election Propaganda

By Jeff Simpson

Propaganda, coming from the Government, is something that has a long sordid past in our world.  The Holocaust Museum reminds us that the Nazis used it very effectively.

Propaganda. The word conjures up images of lies, manipulation, and brainwashing. Even in democratic societies with guarantees of freedom of expression, fears of mass manipulation by government, the media, and spin doctors are widespread. During the 1930s and 40s, the Nazi Party used posters, newspapers, rallies, and the new technologies of radio and film to sway millions both with their vision for a new Germany and with frightening images of state enemies.
Propagandists promoted indifference toward the persecution of neighbors, and tried to incite ordinary men to carry out mass violence. Ultimately Nazi Germany provoked a war that cost the lives of some 55 million people, including 6 million Jewish men, women, and children. The legacy of Nazi propaganda lives on in recent incitements to mass hatred and violence.

In America, we have used Government Propaganda to sway opinions, here and elsewhere,  as long as there have been wars.   

In the era of information, nothing has changed.  Especially in Wisconsin where we were gerrymandered into a far right takeover of the state.

Since Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald have picked their own voters, now they want to make sure that you believe what they tell you to believe. 

This ad recently showed up on Wisc.jobs:

Wisconsin Legislature Videographer

Job Announcement Code(s): 19-00062
County(ies): Dane
Classification Title: / JAC: 

Job Working Title: Unknown 19-00062     Videographer

Type of Employment:  Full Time (40 hrs/week)
Salary:
The salary range for this position is $37,128 - $68,064 per year. Starting salary is dependent upon experience and education. In addition, this position receives the same fringe benefits available to other State of Wisconsin employees. For more information related to benefits, please see: http://www.etf.wi.gov/careers/benefits.htm
Contact:
Assembly Republican Careers; Email: AssemblyRepublicanCareers@legis.wi.gov
Bargaining Unit: Non-Represented
Area of Competition: Open
Deadline to Apply:  1/14/2019

Position Summary: 
The Wisconsin State Legislature is currently hiring a Videographer to work for the Assembly Republican Caucus in Madison. Duties for the position include, but are not limited to:
• Creating stories, shooting footage, and editing videos to create a final product for caucus members;
• Assisting with the writing and production of videos for the caucus and individual members;
• Travelling to video shoot locations if necessary;
• Managing all television and radio production functions for Assembly Republicans;
• Maintaining a YouTube site; and,
• Live streaming press conferences.
(Equipment for the position is provided.)
Qualifications: 
Qualified individuals will possess the following skills, knowledge and abilities:
• Effective written and oral communication skills;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Creativity in writing, reporting, and editing;
• Demonstrated storytelling abilities;
• Comfort with shooting on several types of cameras;
• In-depth knowledge of video production and editing;
• Working knowledge of video distribution and website development;
• Ability to stay up-to-date with industry standards and trends;
• Ability to perform multiple tasks with efficiency and accuracy within assigned deadlines;
• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively, while exercising professional judgment at all times;
• Experience using video to impact social media; and,
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite.
How To Apply: 
Please send a resume, cover letter, and links to video creations demonstrating how you meet the qualifications of the position above to: AssemblyRepublicanCareers@legis.wi.gov

It is funny that it is billed as a "legislature" videographer but you have to apply to Robin Vos.   It is also not the least bit surprising, that the small government wonders, would create a non union position.


Be Ready Wisconsin, Robin Vos and Jim Steineke have hearts and minds to change before 2020, and what better way than taxpayer funded propaganda?   

American Mediocrity

By Jeff Simpson 

While we as a Nation have had some dark times, one of the shining times in our nation is when President Kennedy challenged our Country in 1961. 

We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.
To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.
The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.
And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this State, and this region, will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston, your City of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to $60 million a year; to invest some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over $1 billion from this Center in this City.
To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year¹s space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at $5,400 million a year--a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United Stated, for we have given this program a high national priority--even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.

President Kennedy, pulled the Nation together for a greater vision and a goal that everyone bought into.   This led to many technological advancements and much progress as a nation, and true national pride and acceptance. 

Fast Forward the clock 56 some years later and our President makes this speech:

The Donald does not necessarily want to go to the moon but instead wants to create a Space Force.  A Space Force, with no actual details, plans or even interest in doing anything but giving an unintelligible speech with no thought, interest or actual intent.   

What happens when we go from a President wanting to be an inclusive, advanced nation to one that  wants to punish anyone who criticizes him?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

Now that our media has been labeled #fakenews , and the media that is left spends their time chasing The Donald around like a lost puppy, you may have missed this:

BEIJING — China’s burgeoning space program achieved a first on Thursday: a landing on the so-called dark side of the moon.
The United States, the then-Soviet Union and more recently China have all sent spacecraft to the near side of the moon, which faces Earth, but this is the first-ever landing on the other side.
The China National Space Administration said the 10:26 a.m. landing of the Chang'e-4 lunar explorer has “opened up a new chapter in human lunar exploration.
 

We are not getting beat in the race anymore, we have dropped out of it completely. 

 We used to aspire to greatness.... now we aspire to piss off liberals. 

The first step to solving any problem is to recognize there is one.....

There is most definitely a problem that needs solving! 

Let's hope we recognize and solve it before it is too late! 

The GOP Short Term Memory Loss

By Jeff Simpson 

The down time between election and inauguration has been way more exciting than it should have been.   First off, Robin Vos, the wanna be Whitey Bulger,  has decided since Walker went down in shame, to follow the age old adage  -  The King is Dead, Long Live the King Robin!  Doing as he was told by the boys at ALEC and Scott Jensen, Robin decided, since he has a gerrymandered legislature. to transfer as much power away from Tony Evers and into his lap as he could possibly get away with, then a little more. 

The problem is this is a new era in politics and the citizens of Wisconsin are paying attention and, all but the hardest core right wingers, are not having it.

    Republican state leaders have struggled to publicly explain laws they enacted in a recent lame-duck session, amid a national onslaught of criticism from Democrats, nonpartisan groups and even fellow Republicans.
The critics largely have offered a unified critique of the measures, signed by Gov. Scott Walker last week. They’ve called them an unprecedented power grab by Walker and legislative Republicans that defied the will of voters, who elected Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul. Both take office in January.

When something is unjustifiable, it is impossible to justify.  That is pretty simple and easy to understand. 

We are just beginning.   There are still a couple weeks before inauguration and the Republicans are having a full out assault on anytime Tony Evers Sneezes.   The attacks this week are going to come against every single person that Tony nominates to his cabinet. 

Its starting now.  Pro CAFO, and Oompa Loompa , who hasnt made a promise he intends to keep thinks that appointing someone from Madison and Milwaukee is unacceptable.

and Jim Steineke, couldnt see the crimes that Bill Kramer was committing right in front of his eyes, but can see how after four appointments that Tony Evers hates WI.

For those that may not be aware, there are good, qualified people outside of Milwaukee and Madison. Hopefully the rest of the state will eventually be represented in this administration. https://t.co/I1ao1ImT5P

— Jim Steineke (@jimsteineke) December 19, 2018

You get the idea, anyone who read the memo and does not want to upset Robin "Whitey Bulger " Vos will be in full attack and discredit mode. 

When there is an all out assault on the Democrats, expect @newsmaciver to get the call and they jumped into action...

But Evers’ lofty words of compromise and bipartisanship don’t seem to jibe with his opening appointments. The governor-elect has quietly assembled advisory committees packed with some of the most left-leaning people from some of the more left-wing organizations in the state. Nary a conservative to be found, of course, and even truly moderate Republicans are missing from the far left-heavy advisory committees.
The lineup includes big labor bosses, extreme environmentalists, social justice warriors, and espousers of socialism.
His liberal picks shouldn’t come as a huge surprise

What our friends on the right are hoping you do not remember is some of the appointments that Scott Walker originally made(all of whom they gladly voted for).

*  Dennis Smith - Smith, the married man with 4 daughters from Washington DC, was appointed head of Department of Health Services by Scott Walker.   Smith who never met an uninsured person he was not proud of, used the job basically to bring his high school crush to WI and start an affair on our dime using our resources and then resigned and took off to DC abruptly after his affair came to light.    Smith now works for a global law firm in DC - Dentons. 

*  Michael Brickman - Brickman, a degree in political science and a member of "Friends of Scott Walker" that helped get Walker elected, was named Walker's top education policy advisor.   Brickman made a name for himself, by going to the bars in Milwaukee and getting intoxicated Democrats to say stupid things that they could run to the press with.   He "disguised" himself as "Rich in retail" when talking to people at the bars.  This experience made him qualified to set education policy in the far right world of fitzwalkerstan.   Now, to the surprise of no one, Mike "Rich in retail" Brickman works for Betsy DeVos. 

 *  Brian Deschane -  Deschane, the troubled son of Big walker donor Jerry Deschane, was appointed to an $81.500/yr job with the Commerce Department.  His qualifications, as one would expect from this administration were- no college degree, no work experience and 2 DUI's. 

* Ryan Murray - Murray, the son of another big Walker donor, Mike Murray,  was appointed original head of WEDC.  Murray, whose first audit of WEDC, found that while they had created no real jobs to speak of, had invested heavily in Wisconsin Badger tickets, vacations and iTunes gift cards( you can not make this stuff up).   This of course led to nothing but a pat on the back and told to continue on until WEDC actually ended up paying off a donors Maserati(that he named Nero).  It took competent people actually quitting, over Murray's incompetence to actually force change.   Murray currently works for the unimaginatively named "The Firm" consulting firm in Milwaukee.   

As our friends on right continue to criticize Governor Evers, remember they not only have no leg to stand on, their continual hiring of incompetents has cost our state millions!   

Scott Walker Doesn't Even Believe His Own Bullsh*t!

As I just mentioned in this post, Scott Walker was ripping on Elizabeth Warren and touting the virtues of hard work:

Just what America needs...an out-of-touch liberal law professor who thinks government is the answer to our problems. True freedom and prosperity don’t come from the clumsy hand of government, they come from the dignity of hard work!  https://t.co/fYne6ZcUYh

— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) December 31, 2018

Now, Walker has a chance to practice what he preaches as that he will be out of work in less than a week.

This is certainly a challenge for Walker, who is uneducated and has no practical work skills, having been a career politician all his adult life. But there are some jobs that he could still do and prove his point.

He claims he worked at a McDonald's as a kid.  He could always go back to the fast food industry.

Walker is also pretty handy with a shovel.  He could become a ditch digger.  Now that's hard work!

And if Walker really wants to work hard, he could become a construction worker like he was for Foxconn:

So just how does Walker plan on demonstrating the virtues of hard work?  He told us in an email he sent out on New Year's Day:

In 2019, Tonette and I will move on to new and exciting opportunities to serve. Our home will remain in Wisconsin but we will broaden our scope with an additional focus on returning power to the people in the states – from a federal government grown out-of-control. That is the best way to Drain the Swamp on a permanent basis.

We will focus on new methods to articulate a conservative message. True freedom and prosperity do not come from the clumsy hand of the government. They come from the dignity that is born of hard work. Socialism has failed around the world – now is not the time to bring it to America.

And we will focus on reforming the tax code and lowering the tax burden on hard-working people. Time and time again the facts show that places that free up capital have greater prosperity and opportunity for their citizens.

To do all of this, we will be involved with a number of excellent organizations. Along the way, I will also be part of a speakers bureau – so be sure to consider requesting me for meetings, conferences, and other events across the nation. It will be nice to be based in Wisconsin but also to be able to see so many of our wonderful friends and supporters around the country.

In other words, he's going to be a paid speaking meat puppet for the dark money special interest groups, a lot like he's doing now, but with even less responsibilities!

That's not exactly the hard work that he's been extolling now, is it?  In other words, he doesn't even believe  the bullshit he wants to get paid for shoveling.

Senator Tammy Baldwin also shreds him for even more hypocrisy:

We’re going to have a spirited debate about who the next president should be, and I’m excited by all the new ideas that will be on the table.

But as someone who just lost because his anti-worker agenda, I don’t know that you should be talking about the dignity of hard work. https://t.co/q2rtUPGldY

— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) January 1, 2019

Given the horrible work laws he pushed for and passed into law, it's not really any surprise that Walker doesn't want to be worker in his own state.

When Lame Ducks Attack!!

Unemployed Scott Walker (ask me how much I love saying that!) is trying and failing - to remain relevant after his defeat in the midterm elections. This was evidenced by one of the most absurd, poorly thought out tweets that he has ever made:

Just what America needs...an out-of-touch liberal law professor who thinks government is the answer to our problems. True freedom and prosperity don’t come from the clumsy hand of government, they come from the dignity of hard work!  https://t.co/fYne6ZcUYh

— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) December 31, 2018

The absurdity of this line of attack is apparent on many levels.

As Alternet.org points out, Warren easily won her reelection bid while Walker is begging conservative stink tanks for a job:

Walker’s criticism of Warren as “out-of-touch” is more than a little rich given that Warren just won re-election by 24 points, whereas Walker lost his bid for a third term to superintendent of public instruction Tony Evers.

If any politician could be characterized as “out-of-touch,” it would be a politician like Walker, who runs on a conservative agenda, loses, and then on his way out the door signs a bunch of lame-duck bills stripping his incoming, liberal successor of several executive powers. Or maybe it’s one of the large number of Republicans, including Walker, who tried and failed to convince their party in the 2016 presidential primary that they were a better choice than Donald Trump. It’s not Warren, a senator who has spent her career advocating for working people over Wall Street, and who helped design a pro-consumer federal agency that 74 percent of voters support.

Ed Heinzelman at Blogging Blue also points out some of the absurdities:

I would like to remind Governor Walker that the clumsy hand of government gave us the tax payer giveaways to Foxconn and Kimberly-Clark, hobbled 21st C rail travel in WI, and removed authority and power from the incoming governor that he himself enjoyed the past eight years.

P.S. essentially Scott Walker has never worked in the private sector having been in public office since his first election victory at age 22. Who might be the one out of touch?

Indeed, the lame duck weasel Walker has been a professional politician for nearly three full decades. It seems to me that he's done alright for himself, thanks to the government.

But wait, there's more! With all things Walker, there's always more.

Walker attacking Warren for being a "liberal law professor" had me rolling on the floor, laughing my ass off. This is hilarious because Walker never graduated from college, much less taught in a university. I would remind the gentle reader that Walker didn't drop out of school, but was kicked out because of his unethical conduct during an election for school president.

One would think Walker should be spending his time trying to find a job and a homeless shelter that will take in his family instead of constantly proving himself to be a fool. We already knew that beyond a doubt.

The Walker Legacy

By Jeff Simpson

Yesterday, as Scott Walker keeps trying to burn the state down on his way out of town, he decided it would be a good day to hand 28 million of our taxpayer dollars to Kimberly Clark.  Walker, the self proclaimed "fiscal conservative" was very proud of himself after.

I want this to be my legacy," Walker said. 

Kimberly Clark currently has plans to lay off up to 5500 workers, while also enjoying an operating profit last year of $3.3 Billion dollars.     Unfortunately for Scott Walker, he has made a habit of sending millions of our dollars to companies that have profits in the billions, so this final(hopefully) giveaway, will not be his legacy.

However after eight long years, what Scott Walker's legacy will be is open to date.  Let's take a look at some options.

1.  The first option, is the infamous video where Scott Walker tells his boss the strategy he has to screw over the working class of WI. 

2.  The next option would be, when, shortly after his inauguration, he called his cabinet together and told them to get ready, because he planned on "dropping a BWOMB on the people of WI."   Which led to this:

and this:

3.  The next option would be the Senators heading to Illinois, the recall and probably the real highlight of Walker's career - the fake phone call with "Charles Koch" which turned into the most honest 10 minutes of his life. 

4.  Which led to the beginning of the Solidarity singers.  When you are a complete partisan tribal hack the way Scott Walker is, you get disgusted anytime a group of people you disagree with gather in public.  Which led to Scott Walker and the WISGOP completely dismissing the first amendment, and arresting anyone who looked liberal and stepped foot in the Capitol (at great cost to the taxpayers).  Here is American hero Will Williams getting manhandled for daring to be in the people's house. 

5.  There was also the time when Scott Walker asked the people of Wisconsin. to skip out on buying their kids Christmas presents, and send the money to him instead(that really happened).   

Friend,
Instead of venturing into the cold this Black Friday, stay in and give your children a gift that will keep on giving.
This year, we are celebrating the Holiday Season with a Black Friday special that is better than any deal found in stores. Donate $5, $10 or $25 to help Governor Walker get reelected and save your children from a future of double-digit tax increases and billion dollar budget deficits.
Instead of electronics or toys that will undoubtedly be outdated, broken, or lost by the next Holiday Season, help give your children the gift of a Wisconsin that we can all be proud of. Governor Walker is helping Wisconsin move forward to a future where your children and grandchildren can experience:
Economic Prosperity
Improved Schools
Freedom From Government Dependence
The Governor wants his sons to grow up in a Wisconsin as great as the one he grew up in. When asked why he never stopped fighting for Wisconsin during the Recall, Governor Walker says he has two reasons, his sons Matt and Alex.
With your help, Governor Walker is enacting reforms that are securing a strong state for the future of Wisconsin’s children. This Black Friday, donate $5, $10 or $25 to help Governor Walker win reelection so he can continue to help Wisconsin move forward.
A strong Wisconsin is the best gift you can give.
Respectfully,
Taylor Palmisano
Friends of Scott Walker

6.  Then there was his incredible ego, and a conversation with God, that led Scott Walker to think(after promising he had no interest and would not do it) he could be the next President of the United States.   However the real story here, besides God's sense of humor, is that he burned through over ten million dollars, while making  drunken fool of himself for three months and ended up with 0.0% support! 

7.  Or the fact that when he finally dropped out of the race to be the Republican Presidential Nominee, he said he did so, to make sure that The Donald would never be President.

8.  Let's not forget also, that the one big policy point that made Scott Walker stand out when he was running for President.   He wanted to build a northern war between the US and Canada. 

                                “So that is a legitimate issue for us to look at.”  

9.  We also can not forget that Scott Walker, is the only Governor to have a "Criminal Defense Fund".

10.   While those are all important parts of the Scott Walker legacy, if I had to sum up his eight years into one picture, this is what I would choose!

What do you think the Scott Walker legacy is?

Robbin Robin

By Jeff Simpson

By now we all know the ridiculous temper tantrum power grab that the Republicans, led by Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald just pulled off to diminish the power of the election winners this last week.

I am not going to rehash that here, if you need to know more about it, or anything about it, there is not a person who covered this, better in the country than James Rowan at the Political Environment.  Go here and read up/catch up on it! 

Here is the account that was up on Madison.com. 

Republican lawmakers, after an all-night push made mostly behind closed doors, passed legislation Wednesday morning diminishing the powers of incoming Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul and curtailing the timeline for early voting.
A Senate amendment to the bill was made public shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday, and senators passed it at about 6 a.m.
The vote was 17-16, with Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, the lone GOP "no" vote and all Democrats opposed.

Thank you to Senator Cowles for his courage.   (608) 266-0484 / Sen.Cowles@legis.wisconsin.gov

 What I want to focus on here is the current face of the Republican Party - Robin Vos. 

I have been documenting his unethical exploits for ages.   From my time at Blogging Blue - Here, here, here, here etc... and of course here at CogDis.  Others have had plenty to say also like here and here. 

There is plenty of places to go to see the egregious things that Robin Vos has done, here, we will take a look at who Robin Vos is. 

Robin Vos is a 50 year old, UW-Whitewater graduate, who has roomed with Reince Priebus and Scott Suder. Vos is now the owner of 21 rental properties in Whitewater, WI under the unoriginal name of Whitewater College Rentals.  As one would expect, his history as a landlord is not a very good one, and he is not Better Business Bureau accredited.  I know housing is a major problem in America, but if you can avoid renting from Robin I would highly recommend it!

Vos also owns a popcorn business called RoJos Popcorn (if you were Robin Vos you would not use your name on your company either).   You can leave a yelp review here.   Like Vos has treated ethics in Wisconsin, he has let his website slide to non existent, so I can not guide you to that.    I hope you all make sure never to buy a single kernel of "Rojo's Popcorn". 

Rojo's Popcorn 140 Long meadow DrBurlington, WI  53105 (262)763-9434 

Vos, also has problems in his personal life.  For all of you ladies out there, the thrice married Vos has described his turn ons as:

 His "turn-ons: Long hair, Skinny dipping, Flirting, Public displays of affection, Dancing, Power, Money, Brainiacs, Boldness/Assertiveness.

As the unmarried(but has a friend) Julainne Appling points out:

Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Council says, “Governor Walker’s proclamation rightly identifies the benefits of marriage and the costs of marital breakdown, not only for the men, women and children directly involved, but also for the entire state.” The proclamation reads in part, “Marriage breakdown takes a toll on the emotional, physical and financial well-being of the entire family, and increases the public cost for human service programs.”  

As Robin Vos has said in the past:

  Robin Vos, R-Burlington, who announced last week that he is a single guy and that, "Saying I am against birth control is to say I am against water." His profile says he does want two children, though.(edit note: he finally got his two kids, just took him three marriages to do it)

 The Ladies Man from Burlington, has a history of control issues also.  First he actually was with former married Rep. Michelle Litjens(while he was also married) and as Speaker of the Assembly, was technically Litjens boss.   Our friends at One Wisconsin Now also unearthed that Vos has kept Representative Samantha Kirkman on his payroll for the last 5 + years.  It is best to have the members beholding to you in as many ways as possible.

But WAIT there is more.  The best man(term used loosely) at Robin's third wedding was former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, a Republican from Ohio.  Cliffy is not a former Speaker of the House in Ohio because he had too much fun at the Vos/Litjen soiree.   Rosenberger is no longer House Speaker because he is dirty!  The FBI was looking into his travel and spending habits since he liked to take international trips paid for by lobbyists. 

Before you ask, Rosenberger traveled with more than just lobbyists, Robin Vos was his travel partner.   No need to worry though, what the Lobbyists did not pay for, the Wisconsin taxpayers did. 
We can assume that Vos makes for a good travel partner because he has no scruples, can be bought as easily as Rosenberger and likes to tell stories of his sexual exploits with Litjens(sorry if you were eating).

Then there is the latest power grab, while Vos is being criticized from Historians, pundits, politicians and citizens all over the country, Vos is desperately trying to stop the attacks.   Vos started with this:

The first act of every elected official is to take the oath of office and swear to uphold the law. So it’s troubling that after being elected governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers’ first promise was to undermine a state law that requires welfare recipients to work.

Luckily, while the media is missing in many parts of our political atmosphere, people are stepping up and taking their place.  Here a Professor from Georgetown weighs in. 

Robin Vos, one of the architects of the WI Power grab has an op-ed in @USAtoday justifying his actions. If you know the history of WI politics, its an incredibly disingenuous piece of propaganda. So here is some context...1/https://t.co/gwFGcUcTEt

— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) December 8, 2018

So Robin Vos was shown to be disingenious(who knew), so he tried again(with the same results). 

 The hyperbole has been excessive during the last week.

If anyone would know hyperbole it would be Robin Vos.    Like the time he said 1 in 4 public schools are failing, and was given a pants on fire rating.  The time when Robin Vos, attacking one of the leading research institutions of the world, UW-Madison, by saying their professors are preying on the taxpayers by wasting time studying "the ancient mating habits of whatever" .   or the time he called three WISGOP Senators "terrorists" because they negotiated a deal with Scott Walker on he budget and did not include him.    While far from the last, one of my personal favorites, was when he compared recall elections to cancer.  Apparently, depending on how the election goes, depends on if should listen to the voters or not. 

The guy who has, at great cost to taxpayers, gerrymandered our state to ensure he runs it from the Assembly, is never scared to bring full blown ignorancy or hyperbole to any debate, and now that he is caught and exposed for the power grab he is doing he is speaking up against what he has built his career on. 

Robin Vos should be ashamed. 

Let him know how you feel:

(888) 534-0063

rep.vos@legis.wisconsin.gov@repvos@speakervos 

Walker Exits As He Came In - With Lies, Chaos And Corruption

When Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin, one of the first things he and his fellow Republicans did was work into the wee hours of the night to pass laws that would end up devastating the state's economy, environment and the rights of most people. These include things like Act 10, the attack on public workers such as teachers, even though Walker not once mentioned this during his campaign.

Eight years later, when the voters of Wisconsin finally had enough of Walker and his lies and corruption, they ousted him from office. Sadly, Walker has chosen to leave office the same way he came in - with lies, chaos and corruption.

After the elections, Republicans called for an extraordinary session of the legislature to pass a last minute corporate welfare bill for Kimberly Clark, a paper manufacturer.

Last week, the Republican legislature worked into the wee hours of the night to pass an unprecedented power grab. They stripped the incoming Democratic governor-elect, Tony Evers, and the incoming Democratic attorney general-elect, Josh Kaul, of much of their powers. They even found time to give the wealthiest of the state yet another tax break, put work requirements on healthcare and to greatly curtail early voting.

The one thing they never even discussed was the bailout for Kimberly Clark, which was supposed to be the whole purpose of the session.

Now that these power grab bills are with Walker, he is trying to simultaneously rationalize and minimize these bills with a lengthy Facebook post:

Let’s set the record straight – the new governor will still have some of the strongest powers of any governor in the nation if these bills become law. He will have the power to veto legislation and he will have some of the broadest line-item veto authority of any governor in the nation.

The new governor will be able to appoint members of his cabinet and of various other state government posts - as well as judges, district attorneys, sheriffs and other officials.

The new governor will be able to sign off on administrative rules. He will be able to present a biennial state budget. He will be able to pardon convicted felons.

None of these things will change regardless of what I do with the bills passed in the state Legislature last week.

:He goes on to outline the supposed criteria he is using to evaluate the bills. In truth, he only uses only two criteria:

• Will it help forward my future political aspirations?
• Will it please my corporate special interest masters?

Walker has given every indication that he's going to sign these bills, despite the fact that he had vetoed some of them before and had advocated against others:

Walker's openness to providing more say to the Legislature over state agencies comes after rejecting similar measures in his last state budget that would require state agencies to report to the Legislature.

In vetoing the measures, Walker said the language would put an unfunded mandate into state law and would "encroach" on his office's "responsibility to manage state agency programs within the statutes and funding levels set by the Legislature."

Walker also advocated against reshaping state government in the final weeks of an outgoing governor's term in 2010 when he asked then-Gov. Jim Doyle not to act on a number of measures, including making permanent appointments, and asked the Legislature not to approve public employee union contracts.

Now, Walker has appointed Department of Administration Secretary Ellen Nowak to the Public Service Commission and Attorney General Brad Schimel as a Waukesha County judge.

It should also be noted that they had already tried to limit early voting on the major urban areas like Madison and Milwaukee, both Democratic strongholds, but these laws were struck down in court.

So, why would Walker sign these now when he was against them before. Let's look at his personal criteria. Walker's political career is dead for all practical purposes, so that's not it.

But it will appease his masters, like the Koch Boyz and the Bradley Foundation. He's probably hoping to gain their favor so that they give him a do nothing job where he can collect a paycheck for doing an occasional dog and pony routine when they want him to.

Walker's legacy will be able to summarized in one short phrase - Once a weasel, always a weasel.

Republicans Change the Rules

By Jeff Simpson

Courtesy of our friend Heather at the Wisconsin Public Education Network! 

Dear friends of Wisconsin public schools,

"Who is asking for this?" "This is not democracy."

We were there last night to bear witness on behalf of our children as the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) adjourned just after midnight, after hours of testimony during which only one person spoke in favor of any measure, Ironically, that one measure (changing the date of the spring 2020 election) was the only bill that did not advance last night. Not even the authors of the bills attended to speak in favor of this unprecedented power grab.

The Senate and Assembly will now take up the three bills that moved forward. THESE BILLS WILL HAVE LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS, and are widely opposed by members of both parties. Even the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial team is taking a strong stand: Once again, it's time for Wisconsin citizens to let politicians know who's the boss. "If you think votes matter, if you think citizens should be in charge of their government, you can stop them by raising your voice."

Capitol staffers tell us the Senate will be called into session at 10 am, and the Assembly at 1pm. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS NOW. Find contact info for your legislators here: http://legis.wisconsin.gov

"The optics problem looks bad." - Senator Luther Olsen

The bills are most vulnerable in the Senate, where several members have expressed qualms over the sweeping measures. We also urge you to take a moment to make a call to the following Senators and ask them to put people before party politics:

Senator Howard L. Marklein, Spring Green - (608) 266-0703 - Sen.Marklein@legis.wi.gov

Senator Rob Cowles, Green Bay - (608) 266-0484 - Sen.Cowles@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Dan Feyen, Fond du Lac - (608) 266-5300 - Sen.Feyen@legis.wi.gov

Senator Luther Olsen, Ripon - (608) 266-0751 - Sen.Olsen@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Jerry Petrowski, Marathon - (608) 266-2502 - Sen.Petrowski@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Patrick Testin, Stevens Point - (608) 266-3123 - Sen.Testin@legis.wi.gov

Our message remains the same (and you're welcome to customize it as you see fit):

Stop playing politics, and stop playing games with democracy. Voters said in November that they are ready for a new era of civility and working together for what's best for our children and our communities. Let's respect that and get to work. Vote NO on each of these bills and take time now to start working on policy that ensures the success of our students, schools and communities.

These are the bills that moved forward:

AB1069 Relating to: state and local highway projects; expenditure of transportation moneys received from the federal government; determining a reduction in individual income tax rates; and election of pass-through entities to be taxed at the entity level.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/.../session/2017/REG/AB1069

AB1070 Relating to: legislative powers and duties, state agency and authority composition and operations, and administrative rule-making process.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/.../session/2017/REG/AB1070

AB1072 Relating to: federal government waivers and other requests for federal approval; public assistance programs; waivers from work search and registration requirements for certain unemployment insurance benefit claimants; granting rule-making authority; and making an appropriation.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/.../session/2017/REG/AB1072

Thank you for taking action to support strong schools and good government!

- Heather

Also for some fun reading, the world is watching Wisconsin again.

On CNN, they compared the WISGOP to Walter White.

Scott Fitzgerald doesn't trust Tony Evers.  Who knew gaining BIG Ftz's Trust was the final step to getting elected?   I guess we now have the new "voice of reason" in Wisconsin.  This guy:

The New York Times is covering the attack on democracy.

We might just be getting started.   

Even one of Scott Walker's bosses, is sick of him. 

O Christmas Tree - Scott Walker Version

By Jeff Simpson

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches

Seriously, some stories just write themselves.   Scott Walker, in his last Holiday Season, picked Balsam Fir from someone's yard to dress the Capitol Rotunda. 



The Miller family donated the tree from their very own backyard, to let the whole state admire its beauty. 

They trusted a beautiful family heirloom in Scott Walkers hands.  Scott Walker, in all of his glory, did to this beautiful tree, what he did to Wisconsin in 8 years - dismembered it!

Here is the end result of how Scott Walker and his crew handled this beauty.

Charlie Brown would be proud.

The difference of course is Charlie Brown had nothing but good intentions.   

We are nothing if not fair here at CogDis, so in all honesty it could have been worse, Walker could have allowed Melania to decorate the Capitol.  

O tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
How lovely are, are thy branches

Five Stories About America

By Jeff Simpson 

Let's catch up on some interesting news that has flown under the radar from the recent election.

*  In New Hampshire, a 19 year old former Girl Scout is now a state lawmaker.

When Cassandra Levesque was 17, she led a campaign to end child marriage in New Hampshire that was dismissed by a state legislator who said that it would be absurd to raise the age of marriage from 13 just because “of a request from a minor doing a Girl Scout project.” Levesque, 19, was elected to the state House of Representatives as a Democrat last Tuesday after an election that saw the number of state representatives under age 40 double in a legislature that was once the oldest in the country. As recently as 2015, the average age of a New Hampshire state legislator was 66 years old.
“They have had some trouble trying to get into the mindset of generations after them — it’s a totally different time than when they were my age,” said Levesque, whose “Girl Scout Project” successfully helped push the state’s marriage age to 16 this summer. “Having someone new to help them see different perspective will definitely help.”

Wow. I sit in my small home town, promising to do the best I can, and then I am mentioned by @HillaryClinton , mind blowing! pic.twitter.com/YhLjhIoLeY

— Cassandra Levesque (@Cassandra4NH) November 14, 2018

* The Tea Party Libertarian Eddie Lampert Does Not Disappoint.

When Sears, once America’s largest retailer, made its bankruptcy filing Monday in a White Plains courthouse, the proximate cause was the decision by Eddie Lampert, by far its biggest individual creditor and shareholder, not to make a $134 million loan payment that was due. “This is not so much a melting ice cube, but a puddle,” a lawyer for a large creditor told the federal Bankruptcy Court.
But in the end, this wasn’t simply about a struggling retailer unable to pay its bills. Sears succumbed to Mr. Lampert’s hubris. The problems at Sears Holdings, as it is known on Wall Street, are more than a decade in the making, all because one of the smartest guys who has ever been in any room — Mr. Lampert — stayed convinced of his own deeply flawed thinking. As a result, billions of dollars of shareholder and creditor money has been immolated, probably forever; at least 175,000 jobs have been lost; and one of the greatest American business success stories may well be extinguished.

While it is sad that hundreds of thousands of people will be losing their jobs and their pensions, and a piece of Americana will be no longer, we see that Libertarianism is working exactly like most of us knew it would.   The rats have decided if they are going down with the ship they crashed into the iceberg, they would prefer to do so with a GOLDEN parachute! 

Sears is seeking court approval to pay executives as much as $19 million in quarterly bonuses while the company struggles to restructure in bankruptcy.
Three top executives could get nearly $1 million each if the company goes out of business. If Sears remains in business, they could get nearly $500,000 each for hitting the top performance targets.
 Sears filed two different types of bonus plans in bankruptcy court Thursday. The first is for the top 18 "key" executives, who would collectively get as much as $2.1 million per quarter. The bonuses would only be paid in full if Sears reaches its cash-flow targets. Sears Holdings, which includes both Sears and Kmart, has been burning through cash at a rate of about $125 million a month.

Libertarianism Capitalism at it's best. 

* Speaking of Capitalism at its purest form, who better to show us what it means than Kim Kardashian? 

The California wildfires are causing massive devastation with current death count at 77 dead, over 1000 people missing, along with Paradise, CA virtually burned down.   We know it is bad because Kim Kardashian took a picture of it from her private jet. 

It was such a frightening experience for Kim that she and Kanye hired their own private fire fighters to keep their mansion safe, while the peasants burn....

As multiple devastating wildfires raged across California, a private firefighting crew reportedly helped save Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s home in Calabasas, TMZ reported this week. The successful defense of the $50 million mansion is the most prominent example of a trend that’s begun to receive national attention: for-hire firefighters protecting homes, usually on the payroll of an insurance company with a lot at risk.
The insurance companies AIG and Chubb have publicly talked about their private wildfire teams. AIG has its own “Wildfire Protection Unit,” while Chubb—and up to a dozen other insurers—contract with Wildfire Defense Systems, a Montana company that claims to have made 550 “wildfire responses on behalf of insurers,” including 255 in just the past two years. Right now in California, the company has 53 engines working to protect close to 1,000 homes.
The TMZ story feels uniquely 2018—financial capitalism, inequality, KimYe, the fires of Armageddon—and it is, for Americans at least.

*  The True Nazi Salute: 

 I wrote recently about the incident in Baraboo, where a bunch of kids were pictured giving the Nazi salute.    I pointed out that in our current society, we continue to reward White Nationalism, Supremacy and outright racism.   The world will be watching Mississippi this Tuesday, where there is a run off election between D- Mike Espy and R - Cindy Hyde-Smith.   

Our children will be watching to see how much support Ms. Hyde-Smith receives since she made her national mark with her "sense of humor" -

The public hanging, is of course the go to for pure comedy, especially when your opponent is an African American, no hidden meanings in that comment at all. 

Besides would this poor lady be racist?

Just because she dresses up like a Confederate soldier, attended a segregationist high school and has praised Confederates in actual legislation does not mean she has nothing but the absolute purest heart. 

We will see on Tuesday, taking a deep look in the mirror, we see everyone who votes for Ms.  Hyde-Smith is doing their own Nazi salute. 

*  We as a country get incredibly offended, when someone fires upon, gases and kills children - Unless we do it. 

After Central American migrants approached the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday to call attention to awful shelter conditions and request asylum, U.S. Border Patrol agents reportedly fired tear gas into Mexico, forcing parents with toddlers to flee.
"Children were screaming and coughing in the mayhem," the Associated Press reported. "On the U.S. side of the fence, shoppers streamed in and out of an outlet mall."

Extra Credit:

Wisconsin will have a celebrity Republican in the state for the next couple weeks. 

Despite his last-minute requests and hopes, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos will still have to start his 14-day prison sentence on Monday for lying to federal investigators in the Russia probe.
Papadopoulos had asked a federal judge twice in the last 10 days to pause his sentence. The federal Bureau of Prisons has him set to surrender at a correctional camp in Wisconsin tomorrow.

Welcome Papadopoulos to our Beautiful State ....hopefully they can get you out cleaning trash on the highways for your stay here. 

Save Stephanie or Keep Klett

By Jeff Simpson

There has been some push lately, for Tony Evers to keep Stephanie Klett, as head of the Department of Tourism.   I would like to state that I publicly agree with this idea, with some context. 

While I have been critical of some of her decisions, I think that Ms. Klett has done a very admirable job running the Department of Tourism.   In an era where her boss has been openly hostile to public employees, unions, teachers, LGBTQ community, people of color, the English language etc...  she has still found a way to market our great state despite the obstacles.     Stephanie  has done such a good job, that it amazes me that it was a hire Scott Walker actually made.

Now some quick caveats, I am all for bipartisanship but it has to work both ways and there has to be some sanity and logic involved.   I hope everyone on the right who wants Governor Evers to show some bipartisanship and keep Ms. Klett on, also calls Vos and Fitzgerald and tells them to not redefine the Governors powers. 

Let's also remember that Scott Walker, and the rest of the GOP, would not give you the time of day if you signed the recall petition.   If Governor Evers keeps Ms. Klett on board that everyone recognizes that he is not the partisan petty child that his predecessor is. 

Finally, as we see by the crony appointment of Schimel to a cushy judgeship,  that competence has never been in any job description that Walker has ever written,   

I am on board, I thoroughly recommend keep Stephanie Klett on as head of the Department of Tourism.

I am also of the strong belief that anyone else that Scott Walker has hired or appointed in our Government, gets walked to the door the second Governor Evers gets sworn in.   

It can not happen soon enough!   

*  Full disclosure, Stephanie and I attended Beloit College together in the 80's, and while I would not say we are friends, I would say we are acquaintances.