Sunday, May 27, 2012

Beware The Edited But Still False Walkergate Story!

Geez, but some people never learn, do they?

Just yesterday, I told you about the right wing blogsite posing as a news source, which had published a story which was easily proven to be false.  The mock journalist, H. Nelson Goodson had written this:
On Friday, investigative information released by a reliable source indicated that Governor Scott Walker (R) and up to five others in the governor’s circle while he was Milwaukee County executive will be facing several felony charges resulting from the John Doe investigation. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office (DA) is expected to file charges against Walker and five other suspects on allegations that they used county time to campaign to help elect Walker as governor while working and restricted other Walker employees from exposing alleged unethical acts to the DA probe.

So far, at least six former Walker staffers have been charged in the John Doe investigation, including one that is waiting sentencing, but has been postpone to prevent an influence of the June election.

The DA and Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered an underground e-mail network being operated by Walker staffers in an office adjacent to Walker’s Milwaukee County Executive office. Walker denied that he had any knowledge of the underground e-mail operation to elect him governor.

Walker has set up a defense fund and has hired attorneys. Speculation about Walker being charged in the John Doe probe has been circulating throughout political circles in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Some GOP members doubt that Walker would be charged at all, but if the information proves to be reliable then indeed Walker and five others are facing charges that will no doubt set the GOP back on its agenda to make Wisconsin a Red state.
Now the miscreant is at it again.

Instead of retracting the post or offering an apology like a real journalist would, Goodson has chosen the route of a right wing blogger by just changing the wording without explanation.

Thus far, he's only changed the second paragraph to read as such:
So far, at least six have been charged in the John Doe investigation, including two Walker former staffers and another that is waiting sentencing for being convicted for two misdemeanor counts of political solicitation by a public employee. But the former Walker’s staffer sentencing has been postponed to a later date to prevent an influence of the June election. Three others were also charged in connection with the John Doe probe, including one conviction for funneling at least $72,800 of illegal funds to Walker’s governor campaign race in 2010.
Note how Goodson corrected his mistake on calling all the defendants as Walker staffers. He also added an incomplete reference to railroad tycoon William Gardner's illegal campaign contribution.

But he left in the false statements regarding the FBI's role and the false statement about the court date being postponed to prevent an influence on the election. There's never been a news story or a mention of that being the cause. In fact, both the DA's office and the defense attorney made it abundantly clear that Darlene Wink's trial was postponed to guarantee her continued cooperation with the investigation and resulting trials.

Goodson fails to supply any information on why he believes that the DA would wait until after the election. If anything, the arrest and subsequent charging of former Milwaukee County Supervisor Johnny Thomas, which happened in the height of his campaign to be the City of Milwaukee comptroller, would contradict that position, showing that the political events mean nothing to his pursuit of justice.

As a side note, the fact that Chisholm and Thomas are both Democrats also displaces any notion that the Walkergate investigation is partisan.  Justice has no sides.

All of this, combined with the fact the only person broadcasting this piece unquestionably is another unscrupulous right wing blogger, is further reason to doubt the veracity of the report.

Then again, how often can you trust anything coming from a right winger?

3 comments:

  1. I understand that this is misinformation, but I don't understand any cohesive strategy behind it. My question is simple: Why? I must be missing something, but it doesn't make sense to do this.

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    1. It sure reads like a Karl Rove diversion tactic. When he was trying to get dubya elected president, his side actually leaked negative information about dubya's cocaine use, but leaked it to a very questionable outlet, a guy with a questionable history of his own. The guy went public with it, but the tale was quickly shot down based on his own limitations. Brilliant "Art of War" innoculation by Rove, and the news media bit. The story never gained wide traction and dubya moved on.

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  2. It could inspire anti-Walker forces to stop campaigning. If they believe he is leaving office soon via handcuffs, then they don't need to force him out at the ballot box.

    It could also inspire pro-Walker people to donate more to his legal defense fund. Charges don't equal a conviction and he'd have his day in court either way.

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