By Jeff Simpson
I really tried to not get involved in the Graeme Zelinski twitter Battle, I really really did. However, the self righteousness of the democrats and dripping hypocrisy of the right wing, along with the cowering to the right wing pressure meant that Graeme Zelinski lost his position today.
It was the wrong move, done by a party notorious for making wrong moves, and everyone in Wisconsin will suffer for the consequences.
Graeme posted a tweet comparing the Jeffrey Dahmer legal bills to the Scott Walker legal defense fund spending upwards of $500,000 to skirt charges. Well the corporate media, lazy as ever, turned the story onto Graeme and not the fact that "son of a preacher man" is the ONLY governor in the US with a legal defense fund.
It is beyond the pale to compare anyone and anything to Jeffrey Dahmer so Zieleinski had to go because the right wingers said so. Thank Goodness, no one on the right ever said or did anyting stupid.
* It is not like Robin Vos compared recall elections to having cancer right? As a cancer survivor, that would offend me and a few million people. If he did that there is no way the republicans would reward him with the speaker position right?
* If Roger Rivard had ever said that "some girls rape easy" regarding a story about a 14 year old girl who had been raped, there is no way that the republicans would have supported him and cried when he lost right?
* Its not like radio hate sqwuaker Charlie Sykes has never libeled someone on the air right? If he had then there is no way he would be rewarded by JSONLINE with his own website!
* It is not like Graeme is local blogger, who advocated shooting volunteers who supported the recall effort.
* Its not like he is a republican senator who wants to get rid of a national holiday that many African Americans in the United States celebrate
* It is not like he is a republican senator who went on a childish democrat name calling rant and people still pretend to take him seriously.
* It is not like he is a "non-partisan" independent Supreme Court Justice who sat front row and cheered said Senator's childish extreme partisan rant.
* It is not like he seriously considered adding agent provocateurs to the protest, then refused to answer questions from the local police chief about it. I took my 4 year old daughter and 7 year old son, to the protests, if our Governor had said that, the press would have skewered him with questions right?
Finally, I get it, any comparison to Jeffrey Dahmer should be the end of your political career. There is no way the republicans would ever forgive this sin, so the democrats shouldn't either.
I actually agree with Robert Mentzer that Graeme has a checkered history, with much to answer for, BUT i do not agree that this is a fireable offense.
It is too bad we allowed the right wing noise machine to set Democratic policy.
Monday, March 4, 2013
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The fact that Republicans do not fire people for fireable offenses is not the least bit relevant to the employment practices of the Democratic Party. Do you want dems to act like repubs and not fire people for series of offensive statements, or do you want them.to act differently? If you want them to act differently what are you complaining about?
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though the best defense lefties are offering for Graeme is that other people are worse? Is there anybody actually willing to articulate some factual basis for the idea that he was any good at his job?
Are we required to pretend that his tweet was misinterpreted (do we get bonus.points for blaming the media?) Do we pretend his apology was insincere and he didn't do anything wrong and if so, is it cool he fake apologized or would that reflect on his character?
Finally, stfu on any confusion as to what the tweet means. It means Walker was as guilty as Dahmer, and implies his crimes were somewhat equivalent. There are other interpretations, but this is the most.reasonable one, particularly in light of the author.
It was an egregiously moronic tweet and any idiot would know that some would be legitimately offended. Which makes it offensive, even if it did not offend his apologists. This result was utterly predictable, which makes him not just offensive bit also pretty fricking stupid. He brought it on himself.
Fine if you feel sorry for him for what he did to himself. But the.party had no choice. Is it just supposed to dedicate its good will and resources to ole Graeme Zielinski, or is it in an important business with other obligations. The party did what it had to (and the right thing in my opinion) in light of what he did.
Reinstate Graeme Zielinski!
ReplyDeleteNo. Graeme Zielinski "performance" as DPW spokesperson was an embarrassment for many Democrats. We need a professional spokesperson who can handle the "craziness" of Wisconsin politics.
DeleteWhat exactly does "professional" mean? can you give me an example?
DeleteNo, Graeme had descended into buffoonery, and it wasn't just this one incident that got him run from his job. He was hurting the Dems' chances of getting their message out, which means he was failing at his job.
ReplyDeleteBut I will agree with the second part of the story- GOPs are never held responsible for their disgusting statements and actions. Heck, Chrissy Schneider prints lies about Mark Pocan's husband and gets promoted at the J-S. That's what we should be demanding- higher standards and accountability, not descending to the GOPs' disgusting, childish level
Jake,
Deletewhat is the message from the dems that Graeme is keeping them from getting out?
How about that Walker's policies have damaged Wisconsin's economy, and has needlessly divided the state? Or how about the decimation of Wisconsin's largest advantage- it's public schools.
DeleteGraeme was more interested in saying outrageous things that got in the way of what should be an easy message to give to the public
If I saw the rest of the party pushing those messages I would agree with you. Unfortunately I dont.
DeleteNow you're getting on the right track. Graeme is part of the problem, but it goes deeper in the DPW, doesn't it?
Deletewhich is actually part of my problem Jake, I dont want graeme to be a scapegoat. lets not move him and pretend now we have a winning formula.
DeleteThe rules are necessarily different for someone who has specific responsibility for positioning the brand.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like Jill Bader, Walker's campaign spokeswoman who made the racist tweets, but kept her job?
DeleteCorrect, Unknown. Even though Sykes and Chrissy Schneider and company are the de facto Communications wing of WisGOP, there is still a line of separation when the news reports these things.
ReplyDeleteNot the case with Graeme, who didn't seem to get that he was representing the DPW, not just himself. Of course, if the left had a fraction of the air time that WisGOP mouthpieces get on 620 and 1130, there wouldn't be a need for Graeme to have been so absurd and outrageous, because his type would host a talk show
Actually that is a good idea.
DeleteNot only do sykes, et al ...have a talk show, they run the republican party as it stands. As Dale Schultz was quick to point out.
ReplyDeleteSo while the yare not directly employed by the republican party, they are employed by the people who employ the republican party. If the repubs caredabout such things they wouldnt run to right wing hate radio everyday. When is the last time Paul ryan/ rojo/ or even Fitz the elder gave an interview to someone besides the hate trio?
To say he was employed and they are not is really just semantics.
Jeff- We might know that Sykes is fronting for the GOP, but the average bystander doesn't. They think he's just some guy with a talk show.
DeleteAnd Graeme wouldn't help this, often singling out Sykes while not showing that he's speaking for Wis GOP.
Because the right uses these sorts of tactics and get away with it, doesn't mean we as progressives should condone that sort of behavior from the left. Especially knowing that the media and those on the right are just frothing at the mouth to shed bad light on left whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteFresh blood, fresh ideas. It can only be a good thing.
Well, just twenty-four hours after his firing, events are proving you wrong. Elected Democrats are now under fire and no one is defending them.
DeleteDoes DPW not have an Assistant Spokesperson who would take over when Graeme was ill or busy? If there isn't one, then it is Mike Tate's fault because succession planning is part of his responsibilities as a leader of this organization. What would've happened if Graeme fell ill and couldn't work? Would DPW have fallen silent then as well?
DeleteMike Tate needs to go. Graeme needs to go. How about a Dem Party led by mature adults who can rise above and stop diving into the mud pit? We are just as dirty as the pigs that got us there.
ReplyDeleteThis whole cluster illustrates the incompetence of the DPW. Politics is local. DPW has no connection or long-term relational commitment to people and communities - and no cohesive message or strategy to address that problem. This was not Graeme's problem. It is the party's long-term problem, and why 2014 statewide elections will be the same cluster. Unless things change VERY quickly. Mike Tate and the current leadership is not capable of making this change...they are too worried about national standing.
ReplyDeleteActually, Id argue that Graeme was part of that problem, because he had a whole lot of "Walker sucks" comments without taking the next step TO SHOW WHY Walker sucks. Just because it's obvious to us doesn't mean it's obvious to all or most.
DeleteOtherwise Scott, I think you're spot on.
Very well put Scott.
DeleteI never argued that graeme was not PART of the problem, I worry that he is the scapegoat and now back to business as usual.
ReplyDeleteThat business of course is grandly losing elections.