Gov. Walker's prank phone call

Posted at 11:28 AM on February 23, 2011 by Bob Collins (16 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, has confirmed that that really is the governor on the other end of a phone call in which an online "journalist" pretended to be David Koch, one of the godfathers of the tea party movement.

The Governor takes many calls everyday. Throughout this call the Governor maintained his appreciation for and commitment to civil discourse. He continued to say that the budget repair bill is about the budget. The phone call shows that the Governor says the same thing in private as he does in public and the lengths that others will go to disrupt the civil debate Wisconsin is having.

The Buffalo Beast writer says he came up with the idea after Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tim Carpenter complained that Walker wouldn't return his calls.

The news from all of that? There really isn't any much news.

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Comments (16)

So, it's not a story that the Governor of Wisconsin would want to bring a baseball bat to a meeting with Democrats? Yeah, that's some "civil discourse" there. Also, the fact that this just makes it clear Governor Walker's crusade isn't to solve the budget, but to settle political scores with the Unions who didn't back him. But, yeah, no news here.

Posted by David | February 23, 2011 12:15 PM

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The only possible news item here is that a call screener in the Wisconsin Governor's office is probably looking for exciting opportunities elsewhere this afternoon.

Posted by John O. | February 23, 2011 12:20 PM

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There's plenty of news here! Walker is not acting in good faith with his bill which he claims is based on fiscal need, and he's not budged with Democrats in the legislature but is willing to shoot the breeze for 20 minutes with a billionaire donor and accept a gracious offer of a good ol' time in California once he breaks the state employee unions.

Posted by Bob | February 23, 2011 12:40 PM

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//is not acting in good faith with his bill

That's new?

//Also, the fact that this just makes it clear Governor Walker's crusade isn't to solve the budget, but to settle political scores with the Unions who didn't back him.

That's new?

Wasn't that rather obvious when the big nut of public employees -- police and fire -- were left off the legislation?

And if it wasn't obvious then, wasn't it obvious when Steve Inskeep interviewed the Senate leader and when he was pressed on the fact that the public employees had already caved on wage concessions, indicated that the issue was at the local level and the ability of local officials to negotiate -- here it comes -- "in the future"? That's not closing an *existing* budget crisis.

Posted by Bob Collins | February 23, 2011 12:44 PM

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The police and fire were left out because they can't strike, but instead have mandatory binding arbitration. The arbitration would force compromises that Walker won't tolerate.

Posted by Andy | February 23, 2011 12:52 PM

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Bob, I think the news is the fact that it's coming from Walker's mouth. In his public statements and appearances, he has been sticking to the whole "budget crisis" line to defend his elimination of collective bargaining. This makes it clear that even Walker understands that it has nothing to do with the budget. In other words, he has been blatantly lying to the people of Wisconsin and doesn't feel too badly about it. I think that's newsworthy. Yes, we've all determined for ourselves that the collective bargaining piece was just a way to settle scores, but Walker had never said as much.

Posted by David | February 23, 2011 1:52 PM

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This other nefarious part of Walker's legislation is finally starting to get noticed:

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f3c998a8-3ebd-11e0-9ce0-001cc4c002e0.html

Whether or not the Koch brothers are planning to buy Wisconsin's public utilities (without bids or Public Utilities Commission approval as the bill would have it), this part of the bill is another piece that shows how conservatives and their rich cronies want to make our country a plutocracy (or maybe 50 plutocracies!).

Posted by Jamie | February 23, 2011 2:33 PM

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I get what you're saying Bob and I agree. There is nothing "new" here coming out of the governor's mouth. My question though is why does the media continue to report the same thing over and over again, that he claims its to solve the budget problem, instead of reporting the truth-it IS an attack on the unions. Not suprisingly the website is down for this call. And not surprisingly, you won't find this call in the mainstream media. I would've loved to go to cnn.com or read the paper where it stated "ATTACK ON UNIONS" in big bold letters.

Posted by Amy | February 23, 2011 2:33 PM

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//you won't find this call in the mainstream media.

Ahem.

Posted by Bob Collins | February 23, 2011 2:34 PM

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Ha!! :o)

My colleague says there's a story on WCCO's website,too.

I'd like to see some more mainstream reporting on the part of the bill about selling off Wisconsin's public utilies.

Posted by Jamie | February 23, 2011 2:45 PM

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SO.. its NOT a story that the Gov, says he has discussed with his inner circle the strategy of placing paid false-flag agents in amongst the labor protestors,
to ''act up'' and thereby bring discredit on the peaceful protestors??

THATS NOT A STORY?????????????

It seems that no only is THAT A STORY, it could potentially have Nixon-style criminal ramifications, depending on how he had discussed these paid-agent provocateurs ''acting up'' to bring this discredit.

that is not only NOT a non-story, its merits some serious investigation into exactly what these plans were.

Note- this is the same strategy used by the Mubarak, Ghaddafi, and Bahrain royal family..

import and pay agents to attack or oppose those who are a threat to you.

Sounds like Gov Walker was at minimum DISCUSSING using the same paid-agents strategy that the Middle-east DICTATORS use/used.

THAT IS A STORY..

Posted by vic wammple | February 23, 2011 3:08 PM

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Didn't catch that. Give me the time stamp on that, plz.

Posted by Bob Collins | February 23, 2011 3:10 PM

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beginning at 4:29 on part 2 (the second half of the two 10 minute audio portions of the Walker call on Youtube),

'Koch' suggest ''planting some 'troublemakers'' in the ''crowds'' of protesters.

Walkers immediate response is ''the only problem with.. 'cause we thought of that''

''if their is a ruckus caused, that would scare the public that the governor has to settle''.

So.. WALKER CLAIMS to ''KOCH' that he strategized a false-flag with paid agitator plants in the protesters ranks,
and the ''ONLY'' concern he has with such a ''RUCKUS'' caused by these paid false-flag agents was that the disturbance could backfire on HIM.

He is otherwise admitting he though and schemed of using paid agents to create a disturbance,
and only decided not to based on the fact it could end up disadvantageous to HIM..

not because it would be deceptive, dangerous, false, or immoral.

ONCE AGAIN..THAT IS NOT A STORY??????

Posted by vic wammple | February 23, 2011 3:27 PM

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‎”Fascism should rather be called corporatism, as it is the merging of government and corporate power.” –Benito Mussolini

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

Posted by Jim Shapiro | February 23, 2011 3:39 PM

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Love that Mussolini quote, Jim. I'm glad you visit us here all the way from California.

Posted by Jamie | February 23, 2011 5:30 PM

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@ Jamie - Thanks for making me feel welcome. I've lived many places, but I'm always a Minnesotan. Especially with famous comedians like Michelle Bachmann to be proud of. :-)

Posted by Jim Shapiro | February 23, 2011 6:16 PM

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