Monday, April 21, 2014

The Ellis Incident and The Litjens Factor

The Ellis Incident, where State Senator Mike Ellis was caught on video tape discussing things like creating a super PAC to attack Penny Bernard Schaber, his would have been Democratic opponent until he decided not to run again, is a gift that just keeps giving.

It's raised a lot of questions and had a lot of ramifications, including the outing of one of WISGOP's main operatives, Judith Rhodes Engels.

There is, however, one aspect of the story that seems to have gone under the radar through the saga.

On Friday, April 11, just two days after the first edited video was released, former Michelle Litjens appeared on Joy Cardin's radio show, "Week in Review."

You can listen to a recording of the show here.  The subject of the Ellis Incident goes from about the 11:00 minute mark to about the 25:00 minute mark.  But here are some of the highlights that the reader/listener should pay heed to:

  • At about 11:50, Litjens launches her attack on Ellis, claiming that he has a "big mouth."  She also implies that since he was first elected in 1970, he was "confused" by the changing times.  She also said that he probably didn't even know what a super PAC is, but because he did nothing illegal, this should be the "end of it."  She then throws in that Ellis should have known better after he was another video that showed him to be on the "wrong side" of the voucher issue.
  • At 15:20, she brings up the possibility of Ellis being primaried.
  • At 15:40, she brags that her phone has been ringing off the hook.
  • At 16:00, she rips on Democrats for not supporting vouchers and how wrong she thinks they are for that.
  • At 16:30, she again brings up the possibility of a primary race against Ellis, although this time she says she won't run again until her daughter graduates from school. (Since when did she start giving a damn about her family?!)
  • At 17:30, Litjens claims that "hundreds" of people have approached her to express their disappointment in Ellis over vouchers.  She doesn't say why they approached her and not Ellis. Hmmm....
  • At 18:00, again with the primary, this time saying that Ellis might just want to retire.
  • At 20:15, Litjens says that Ellis has a "big mouth" and that this is what happens when one runs their big mouth late at night and after several drinks. She also suggests again that Ellis might not be up for another run.
  • At 23:00, Litjens again runs Ellis down and says that the "voters are going to have an opportunity to make a choice."
It's been pretty widely accepted that the fact that Project Veritas was brought in to take Ellis out, although who ordered the hit is not clear.  

Michelle "Hitwoman" Litjens
However, it is very obvious that Litjens was leading the post-video attack on Ellis, laying the groundwork for the upcoming fight if Ellis hadn't decided to hang up his broken gavel. You can see that the oncoming attacks were going to be all about school vouchers, thinking they had a winning issue with that.  It might have won them the primary, but it could very well cost them the seat, which would be more than all right.

The fact that the powers that be chose Litjens to launch the first salvo isn't surprising either.  Given the fact that she is the paramour of Robin Vos and is rumored to have been fundraising for American Federation of Children, she would very probably been aware of the move to take out Ellis - through a primary, if necessary - and the reason why they wanted Ellis out.  The really stunning part of this is that Ellis has been in line with 98% of the Teapublican agenda, but they still wanted him out for not toeing the line enough.

And we have already seen that Litjens has no problems with ordering hits on fellow Republicans that she doesn't feel are far enough to the extreme right fringe zone.  

But it does raise one more question for me - With all of the Republicans who are deciding not to run again, how many of them are choosing so because they could read the writing on the wall and how many of them are walking away in disgust for the level of corruption and bullying that is coming from Scott Walker, Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald?

17 comments:

  1. Great reporting.

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  2. Miss little " Bitch " Litjens is right. The voters will have a opportunity to make a choice. Mike was a Man that spoke his mind (with the help of a few beers) but he was a man that would work on both sides of the floor. The new GOP did not like that he was willing to do so. If the GOP thinks that Miss Little Bitch will get his seat... Well bring it on. I am a die hard Dem. Never had the chance to vote for Mike, but respected the man for standing up to the Puppet masters of the GOP.

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  3. Ms Litjens was very well regarded in the Fox Valley until she went to Madison, joined the fund raising party circuit and stayed over a few too many nights at the Inn at the Park. Now she is one of Vos's Sun Prairie concubines and her credibility as a Christian conservative and family values champion isn't playing very well. It is very sad but I am encouraged that she is keeping her promise to her daughter.

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  4. My fave moment was when she cattily said of Tammy Baldwin "Oh, it's nice she's finally doing something in the Senate".

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    1. Good grief, what chutzpah. That still wet behind the ears little dilettante wouldn't make a broken nail on one of Tammy's fingers.

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  5. What's chilling to me is the propagandizing as they are once again in a time where 100 percent loyalty is required, without even a hint of independent thought or rumor of non-allegiance. Follow the talking points, vote the party line, no variance allowed. Be it McCartyism or Nazism, the red scare is once again upon them. No wonder so many are fleeing ship.

    Listening to Michelle shift directions and contradict herself was chalkboard screech cringe-worthy.

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  6. If you want my opinion on who coordinated the hit on Ellis, I'd have to say Vos, hands down. Litjens, teasing listeners about a Senate run, fits into the scenario well. It's a plant in Fitzgerald's world, which Vos would love in more ways than one, if you get my drift.

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  7. Pretty sure that Vos- our next Governor after Walker- didn't have anything to do with this. Or even Litjens. She can't run for anything until her daughter, a freshman, is out of school and four years from now her one-term assembly appearance will be a distant memory and the Sykes show (does anyone watch that?) will be cancelled..

    I am guessing that Mrs Vos- Samantha- is holding Robin hostage with her separation instead of a divorce while Robin keeps whispering in Michell's ear (and any other young ear he can find) how happy they will be in the Governor's mansion. The morals of our Rep leaders are an embarrassment to Wisconsin.

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  8. She's pretty easy on the eyes. I can understand why Vos would want to do her, but what I don't understand is how she can get excited about doin Vos. He's not exactly ♫a hunk, a hunk of burning love♫.

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  9. Tony Palmeri, whilk making excellent counterpoints to Litjens claims, missed the opportunity to also mention Glenn Grothman and Judi Engel-Rhodes in regard to Ellis' taped discussion. That would have been a couple of ripe plums to toss to Litjens for response.

    As far as who directing O'Keefe, my guess is that it goes higher up, perhaps one of the Koch's minions orchestrating a favor for Walker. He is one heck of a vindictive son of a gun and as you know likes to have total control.


    But we'll just have to wait and see who O'Keefe goes after next.

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  10. BTW- Have you read the latest? Brett Husley is getting into the governor's race. Brett Husley of creepy man tackles child in water fame. Or Democrat buys campaign convertible with campaign money to travel around the state. *sighs* Really?

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    1. Hulsey will certainly make Burke look like a more reasonable choice.

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  11. Litjens and the Tea Party leaders within the state GOP really want Mike Ellis out, and displaying any independent thinking is his sin. Ellis has been President of the State Senate, a position wielding considerable power, much to the chagrin of Scott Fitzgerald, as well as Glenn Grothman.
    Ellis is an ALEC member, explaining his mostly Tea allegience, but he at least seems to realize that he was elected to represent his district and not just Tea and ALEC interests.
    Luther Olsen was reprimanded at the state convention for his going along with Ellis on restoring money for public schools. Olsen also backed the Common Core State Standards, an educational standard that Tea Party people want no part of.
    If Ellis were to stay in politics, they're using Litjens to send the Tea message that they will make it tough for him and others like him unless he plays along with their demands.
    It's hard to say who they would use to primary Ellis with at this point.


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  12. If I were Ellis, I'd stand up and run with both middle fingers up. He might be going down, but at least he'd be going down fighting.

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    1. If I were ellis, I'd turn state's witness. A sarge can dream...

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    2. It would be great if he and a few others with similar incentive would turn state's witness. I fear, however, the name Paul Wellstone has likely been whispered here and there.

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  13. Is the O'Keefe in the Doe2 related to James O'Keefe? Seems Ellis was talking about doing what Walker is being investigated for, sans the router.

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