Last updated on February 7th, 2013 at 10:59 pm
Tuesday, June 5th is the day that 5 states vote on the Republican Presidential Nominee for 2012. California has 172 delegates ready to surf to the polls to electronically anoint the already anointed Mitt Romney. New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota round out the remaining states that just a few weeks ago would have been lusted over like Sophia Vergara at a Latin Nightclub.
But nevermore; there’s a new kid and his pals in Politown, and he’s commanding virtually all the national media pundit attention. It’s the June 5th Wisconsin Special Recall Election that will decide the fates of currently serving Governor, Scott Walker, his Lieutenant Governor, Rebecca Kleefisch, publicly supported by Sarah Palin no less, and 4 republican state representatives you’ve never heard of, but who all voted for the repulsive anti-labor bill virtually eliminating collective bargaining for public employees. There were massive turnouts of protests, an epidemic of teacher ‘blue flu’ and assorted other expressions of disgust.
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Walker’s opponent is a familiar face. He’s Milwakee Mayor, Tom Barrett, a big union guy. Not only does Walker know him from the 2010 gubernatorial race resulting in a win by Walker with 52% of the vote (he dropped out of an earlier 2006 attempt), but both men go way back politically in the Milwaukee area. Walker was once a far right evangelical State Assembly Representative from neighboring Wauwatosa for nearly 9 years and later won a special election to serve as County Executive of Milwaukee County.
So as they say in the MMA’s UFC – “IT’S ON!!!. There are three elements that determine a final winner in a political contest. Money, the ground game and last, but not necessarily least, the candidates and their platforms. Money-wise, Walker has already gone through about $30 million; Barrett, a fraction of that amount with a piddly $2.9 million.
As for boots on the ground, a local example should serve. Three politically connected republican ladies from my Upstate South Carolina area have headed for Madison, Wisconsin. In fact they left last Wednesday, May 30. They’ve declared they’re staying “as long as the Walker campaign needs them.” The driving distance would be 1,152 Kilometers – just being pretentious – it’s 716 miles. That’s about 14 ½ hours behind the wheel of that ’08 Accord. Drive??? Surely you jest. These are republicans. The news account of the trip talked of the trio ‘jetting’ to Wisconsin Wednesday morning. The tab for potentially a week’s stay was ostensibly being picked up, sponsored was the term used in the story, by a former South Carolina GOP Chairperson who now runs a right-wing media company.
I checked out that tab and it’s considerable. Let’s start with ‘Jetting’ to Madison. Kayak listed a few one-stoppers at $567 per. Remember they seek out the cheapest rates available from any and all airlines. Green eyeshade please. That’s $1,701. You’re not going to want to stay in a ‘hairs-in-the-drain motel, so I chose the venerable and respected Holiday Inn. Rooms in the neighborhood of $137. I figure two of the ladies could bunk together, with the other one staying in another room with all the handouts, buttons, flyers et al. $137 X 2 X 6 (the length of stay) and you’ve got yourself another $1,644 for a total of $3,345. Toss in meals, HI will probably have a Continental Breakfast and the ladies will score some freebie grub along the way, so let’s be conservative with the conservatives and round out eating expenses to $100 per diem for the three combined. That’s another 600 bucks or a total just short of $4,000. I’m sure you can find another grand in incidentals and contributions, so at the end of the gig, you’ve just parted with 5 grand.
Do you really think Ms. Media is reaching into her cash register for $5,000 for brother Walker whom I seriously doubt she’s ever met? Not on your life. “Save the receipts sisters; I’ll be getting reimbursed.” I could be wrong, but I’m not. And that’s where a goodly portion of those major dollars the Walker campaign is accumulating are going to go. Boots, or most likely comfy Reebok walking shoes, from around the nation plus other expenses to be paid for, using the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) model, by the Koch Brothers and their special interest brethren, not to mention at least one sister.
That would be sister Diane Hendricks, widow of genuine rags to riches entrepreneur, Kenneth Hendricks who turned his father’s modest roofing business into a multi-billion dollar enterprise under the corporate umbrella of ABC Supply and other related corporate entities. The surviving Hendricks laid a cool half-million on Walker as the largest single contributor to his cause. She also recently did herself a giant favor by finding a way to weasel out of paying any personal income taxes to the state. She went from paying $2.3 million in 2009 to zippo a year later.
The Koch brothers operate under the rubric of America for Prosperity (AFP). Walker is dipping into some of the $10 million dollar haul they’ve brought into Wisconsin in the last couple of years. Irrespective of Tuesday’s outcome, it might just turn out to be good money after bad. Walker’s questionable ethics and morals have attracted the attention of investigators who are taking a real close look at some of his campaign practices and perhaps an even closer look at the $60,000 allegedly embezzled by two aides ripping off a fund intended for veterans. If Walker gets nailed as governors often do, he’s most likely gone and gone quickly.
The polls have the candidates anywhere from tied to a few points incredibly favoring Walker. He might prevail and keep his post. If he does, unions are dead. Because if Wisconsinites are dumb enough to vote to keep a Scott Walker in place, then any voters, anywhere, are dumb enough to keep electing Teapublicans.
Image: blue cheddar
Raised rural & small town, then lived in N.Y., Chicago & LA. Widely traveled. Returned from world wandering to pursue media life of anchorman/reporter and major, medium and small market talk radio. Highly active in politics. Once worked as orderly & security in Mens Lock Ward for the Criminally Insane at a state institution. Much more rational population than current Teapublicans. Great concern for country run by and for the extreme wealthy. The inhumane current running through this country has no precedent in modern history.
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