GOP Convention Highlights 2016

By Jeff Simpson 

This weekend in green bay was the GOP convention, which as Capper so astutely pointed out, was part rummage sale and also part comedy show.  

*  Scott Walker sent a clear message to Russ Feingold to pack his bags, he is going back to Washington DC:

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• Walker called for focusing "like a laser beam" on getting Republicans excited about supporting Johnson.

We all remember the last time Scott Walker "focused like a laser beam" on something...he miserably failed.

*  Ron Johnson (R-Ring Salesman), the man that Walker cursed, compared his upcoming election defeat, to the plight of the citizens on US Flight 93.  For those of you who do not remember, Flight 93 was also hijacked on 9/11 and was headed to the White House, before the passengers worked together to crash the plane in a field in PA.    

Sen. Ron Johnson is comparing the upcoming election with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Johnson in his speech Saturday at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention told the story of Flight 93. Passengers on that flight took a vote before storming the cabin, forcing the plane to crash in a Pennsylvania field.

Apparently Ron Johnson believes him keeping his job in Washington DC is the equivalent to 40 American lives .   If Godwin's Law says that when someone brings up Hitler in an argument they automatically lose,   We need to have a new law for when someone brings up 9/11 that means the same thing.

*  Scott Walker kid, proving the apple does not fall far from the tree, gave a speech where he pointed out that all of his peers at UW-Madison are too dumb to vote Republican.

He says not all college students are "liberal Bernie Sanders-loving socialists." He says "many of them are Republicans and they don't even know it."

The Walker clan really has a gift of gab!

*  Tampax heir and career Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R- Michelle Obama is fat)  after letting the party know that the Canadian Cowboy Ted 'creepy' Cruz was his candidate of choice, now support The Donald.

“Do we want four more years of that from the bully pulpit?” Sensenbrenner asked. “Or do we want somebody who will bring this country back to common sense, back to sanity?”

Yoo Hoo Jimmy:   Common sense? Sanity?

Finally Senator Scott Fitzgerald gave a rousing speech where he called The Donald a populist who can bring new voters into the party:

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, who has said the party should embrace Trump as a populist who draws in new voters.  

Here is your GOP populist in action:

I wonder if this couple listens to  Donald Trump greatest hits while cruising around town? 

Thanks for the memories guys.....we have not had this much fun since the Republican named a convention "family values conference".

Buckle up all its going to be an interesting ride.....

Edit note:  I was just alerted to the fact that our very own Glenn Grothman has developed a big ole heart in Washington...kind of like our very own tin man

Paul Ryan Calls GE's John Rice A Liar

 

By Jeff Simpson 

We recently brought you the story of how, because the Republicans in Congress(Thanks Paul Ryan and Jimmy "fit and trim" Sensenbrenner) refuse to allow a vote on reauthorizing the export-import bank, GE is closing up shop in the Republican stronghold of  Waukesha and heading to Canada where they can get the help they need.    

"We believe in American manufacturing, but our customers in many cases require Export Credit Agencies financing for us to bid on projects. Without it, we cannot compete, and our customers may be forced to select other providers," GE Vice Chairman John Rice said in a statement.

Paul Ryan(R-Wall St.), never one to own up and take responsibility ever, had this to say.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Monday he doesn't think the shuttering of the Export-Import Bank was the only reason General Electric Co. says it will stop manufacturing engines in Waukesha and move that work to Canada.
Instead he pointed to American business tax rates and government regulations that induce U.S. firms to move their operations to other countries.
"I think it's horrible that these workers are being laid off at GE and I can't help but think that there have to be other reasons. Canada has a 15% tax rate and we have a 35% tax rate to name one reason," the Janesville Republican said Monday afternoon following a town-hall meeting with constituents at Snap-on Tool.About 350 jobs will be lost at the Waukesha plant, where GE Power & Water, a division of Fairfield, Conn.-based GE, builds engines used in the petroleum industry.
The company says it will move the production to a new $265 million engine factory to be built in Canada during the next 20 months.
In its announcement, the company blamed Congress for its failure to reauthorize the U.S. Export-Import Bank, an institution that finances sales of U.S. industrial equipment to overseas customers. 

While calling GE Vice Chair Rice a liar, Ryan also shows his complete ignorance in economics and current events.   Thanks to tax policies championed and enacted by Mr. Ryan, GE actually pays NO CORPORATE taxes!  

Apparently, Paul Ryan is such an ideas guy, he is going to find a way to lower a 0% tax rate.  I look forward to seeing how he accomplishes that.  

However now that he has offended one of the top exec's of GE and shown his true ignorance, maybe ts best if we let the adults in charge negotiating with GE and trying to keep them in WI.  

Koch Brothers Protection Plan

By Jeff Simpson

H/T Steven Elbow from The Cap Times:

Many of your politicians have pledged allegiance to serve.  The problem is, they have pledged allegiance NOT to the people of Wisconsin but to their out of state billionaire "daddies"!

Scott Walker and a host of other Wisconsin politicians have pledged their undying loyalty to the Koch Brothers irregardless of the people of WI!

 The pledge was devised by Americans for Prosperity, a tea party group founded by the Koch brothers and Koch Industries board member Richard Fink.

Who signed in WI:

 

 

Those newly elected Republicans helped push through funding cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency and tried to roll back the agency's regulatory powers, as well as being obstacles to enactment of laws to address climate change, the report says.

In addition to Walker and Kleefisch, Wisconsin signers of the pledge, all Republicans, are U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, U.S. Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner, Sean Duffy and Reid Ribble, state Sens. Leah Vukmir, Alberta Darling, Glenn Grothman and Mary Lazich, and state Reps. Dale Kooyenga, Don Pridemore, Jim Ott and Bill Kramer.

Want some context?

 Since we're all fond of comparing Wisconsin with Minnesota, a demographically similar state that outperforms Wisconsin on several economic fronts, it merits noting that the only politicians from that state to sign the pledge are retiring U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann and Minnesota state Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen.

 

 

How Do We Judge Thee?

By Jeff Simpson

Let me count the ways! 

We discussed this morning the fact that the republicans, with some help from some very misguided democrats, have decided to change the FoodShare program. 

The big government republicans, are now deciding what foods almost a million Wisconsinites can and can not purchase.  

They of course came upon their conclusions using no science or knowledge of nutrition whatsoever.   We pointed out, correctly, that this bill was not about hoping the poor in WI get better food choices, but it was simply about piling on the poor and judging them as unworthy.   It really however, goes even deeper than that.  

It falls on the back of an elitist group of people in our country judging those whom they feel are too fat.  

We have seen numerous examples of it, from when Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner let the world know he felt Michelle Obama's butt was too big,  to viewers writing Jennifer Livingston in La Crosse to tell her she was too heavy, to the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch making it clear he does not want fat girls wearing his product!     Republican speaker Robin Vos even expressed fake outrage that he once saw poor people use food stamps to buy WEDDING CAKE(although to be fair, we are not sure if Vos was more disgusted that poor people were eating cake or the institution of marriage). 

Now they are judging people some more by assuming that all poor people are fat because they are buying junk at the store (with 'our' money).   Well Robin Vos, with the help of 13 democrats, were able to make sure that no one in the lower earnings scale will ever buy wedding cake again!  

Unfortunately, we know that no matter what we do, people that are perceived as overweight, especially women, will continue to be judged. 

Luckily, we have people like Jennifer Livingston and Brittany Gibbons to help balance this!  

So now we know that this bill is a kick in the face to the million people on FoodShare program and a nice way to judge 'those people'  who Robin Vos feels should lose weight! 

Is there anyone but judgemental old white men from Waukesha County that sees the merit of this bill?  

Besides , of course,  Peter Barca who is desperately trying to permanently establish a democratic minority in WI.

CPAC Problems

By Jeff Simpson

The right, that attempts to be somewhat moderate, has a problem that can be spelled out in three letters - CPAC("conservative" political action conference).  The problem is that the CPAC conference is representative of everything the republican party stands for.  From the embrace of angry Islamaphobes, to their disdain for gays to their cries of white oppression.  As Paul Ryan(R-Wall St.) says:

 "We don't hide behind our beliefs," Ryan added. "We argue for them, because a budget is more than just a list of numbers; it's an expression of our governing philosophy. And our budget draws a very sharp contrast with the left. It says to the people in unmistakable terms: 'They are the party of shared hardship, we are the part of equal opportunity.'"

While Paul Ryan(R- Wall St.), Jim Sensenbrenner(R-Lance Armstrong is a true hero) and Scott Walker (R - Blind Ambition)  were featured speakers at CPAC.   Also headlining CPAC was K.Carl Smith, who was sponsored by the "Tea Party Patriots"(remember that we recently learned what "patriot" groups stood for).  this breakout session was billed as a "way to reach out to black conservatives". Boy did they! 

Disruptions began when he started accusing Democrats of still being the party of the Confederacy — a common talking point on the right.
“I don’t care how much the KKK improved,” he said. “I’m not going to join the KKK. The Democratic Party founded the KKK.”
Lines like that drew shouts of praise from some attendees and murmurs of disapproval from one non-conservative black attendee, Kim Brown, a radio host and producer with Voice of Russia, a broadcasting service of the Russian government.
But then questions and answers began. And things went off the rails.

Yes after the attendees shouted down Ms. Brown , THEN it went off the rails.    The problem was the base was allowed to speak!  

30-year-old Scott Terry, asked whether Republicans could endorse races remaining separate but equal. After the presenter, K. Carl Smith of Frederick Douglass Republicans, answered by referencing a letter by Frederick Douglass forgiving his former master, the audience member said “For what? For feeding him and housing him?” Several people in the audience cheered and applauded Terry’s outburst.

After the exchange, Terry muttered under his breath, “why can’t we just have segregation?” noting the Constitution’s protections for freedom of association. Watch it:

After contacting the Walker, Ryan and Sensenbrenner camps we have their official denouncements HERE! 

You can not be at an organized event with such dripping racism and NOT denounce it unless of course you agree with it(or need it agree with it to survive politically).  

This all shows how Scott Walkers rejection of Federal health care money and Jerry Baders failed attempt to connect with the Scott Terry's of the world and raise his low profile, all fit together.  

When you want to continue to advance in today's republican party you need the base support!

The problem is, how do you explain this disgusting behavior when you then have to face the rest of the country?  

White Fright!

By Jeff Simpson

Who would have thought, that in the year 2013, the republican party would still be overcome by fear of minorities?  

Yesterday Capper told us about Charlie Sykes new major project, the website White Wisconsin.  

At least half a dozen local, black, conservative authors, including Wonder Woma - who had stood up to Glenn Grothman's attack on Kwanzaa - offered to submit contributions to the web site. Each and everyone was turned down.

 A quick check of the news and you see this is not just in Wisconsin where prominent republicans are scared of minorities,  but it is happening nationally also.  When you have someone who likes to beat the "minorities are taking over fraudulently" drum as much as their leader reince priebus does, this is to be expected.  

Let's start in Delevan where the local school talked about "white privilege" and the state/national republicans went into a tizzy!! 

The “American Diversity” class was taught to students at Delavan-Darien High School in Wisconsin, Fox News has learned.
“They’re teaching white guilt,” one parent told Fox News. “They’re dividing the students. They’re saying to non-whites, ‘You have been oppressed and you’re still being oppressed.’”
The parent, who asked not to be identified, has an 18-year-old son who was enrolled in the class and became alarmed after she looked at some of the handouts provided to the students.
“I felt it was indoctrination,” she said. “This is a radical left agenda and ideology that is now embedded in our school.”
The parent said the students were taught “if you’re white, you’re oppressing. If you’re non white, you’ve been a victim.”

 Of course Fox news is always available for stories like this.  I am proud to say that our school district has attended the White Privilege conference in the past! 

Then there was Glenn Grothman's recent racially charged rant against planned parenthood:

Not to mention, Tommy Thompson's son Jason, an attorney at Michael Best & Friedrich, who wanted to send our President "back to Kenya".   Paul Ryan(R-ayn rand) let everyone know the only reason he is not vice president today is because of those darn "urban voters". 

Things are just as ugly nationally as they are locally.   There was the incident at the republican convention where some attendees threw peanuts at an African American camerawoman saying,"this is how we feed the animals".  To Mitt's famous 47% line to paul ryan's continuous whining about "entitlements" to Jim Sensenbrenner's critique of Michelle Obama's body.    There is also the despicable attack the republicans just commenced on Ambassador Susan Rice. 

It has become such a problem that Colin Powell felt obliged to give a national interview to address it!   All of these code words and pushing the line, helps focus on the fear and gets the base riled up, unfortunately it gets the real crazy even more crazy.   Arie Perliger of  West Point just finished a study of America's violent far right:

“since 2007, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of attacks and violent plots originating from individuals and groups who self- identify with the far-right of American politics.”

Written by Arie Perliger, Director of Terrorism Studies at the Combating Terrorism Center and an Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, the paper asserts that three distinct ideologies exist in the “American violent far right.” Those are “a racist/white supremacy movement, an anti-federalist movement and a fundamentalist movement,” the last of which “includes mainly Christian Identity groups such as the Aryan Nations.”

“Findings indicate that…it is not only feelings of deprivation that motivate those involved in far right violence, but also the sense of empowerment that emerges when the political system is perceived to be increasingly permissive to far right ideas,” it later reads.

Some of the very same people who fund these far right extremist groups also fund Scott Walker(but thats a for another post)
 

Scott Walker Lies to Everyone

This past weekend was the state republican convention... and their headliner was of course Scott Walker.

Gov. Scott Walker says he has no intention of pursuing legislation to make Wisconsin a right-to-work state and that he'll do "everything in my power to keep it from making it to my desk."

Interesting that he never comes out and says he will veto it if it does, but even more interesting is how he pretends he has no interest in making Wisconsin a "right to work(for less)" state.   Unfortunately for the republicans,  they just dont know how to keep quiet.  First we have this from Lisa @BB :

According to Waukesha County resident Leanne Wied-Brusky, when a Town Hall attendee who seemed in favor of right-to-work legislation expressed discontent over the delay in implementation, (Republican Rep Dean) Kapenga responded,  ”We have right-to-work legislation in (three) different offices ready to go. If we had done it earlier, when we wanted, then Prosser would not have been elected. Right now is not the right time. We have to wait until it is politically feasible.”
Dave Heaster, also at the meeting, confirmed Kapenga’s statement and said he also heard him say, “…if we did it now, we’d be burning political capital, and we just don’t have excess capital to burn now.”

 Then, because its the year 2012 we also have a video, this time of Fitz the lesser:

Video Here 

 The reporter asks Jeff Fitzgerald whether he was surprised when Walker described his plans to attack public workers’ collective bargaining. “No, it wasn’t a shock to me…” responds Fitzgerald. “My caucus wanted to go further. I had people in my caucus that was, you know, were wondering if we were going to do Right to Work in this state. So to tell you the truth, the collective bargaining, to me, I thought was more of a middle ground if you can believe that.”

the June 5th recall election is now about even more than collective bargaining rights, its also about do we want Wisconsin to be a "Right to Work" state AND what other ALEC written bills are sitting on their shelf waiting for the politically opportune time to introduce?

One thing for sure is we can count on Scott Walker to NOT tell us what he thinks and how he plans to govern.  If he can not even tell the truth at his party convention, when will he?

 As they say, How do you know when Scott Walker is telling the truth?  He is taking to a billionaire!   

More fun videos of Scott Walker here!