Defend Scott Walker!
It seems that a special prosecutor is following some campaign money in Wisconsin, and The Wall Street Journal, seeing a plot against Scott Walker, et al, protesteth much:
Americans learned in the IRS political targeting scandal that government enforcement power can be used to stifle political speech. Something similar may be unfolding in Wisconsin, where a special prosecutor is targeting conservative groups that participated in the battle over Governor Scott Walker's union reforms...
Perhaps the probe will turn up some nefarious activity that warrants this subpoena monsoon and home raids. But in the meantime the effect is to limit political speech by intimidating these groups from participating in the 2014 campaign. Stifling allies of Mr. Walker would be an enormous in-kind contribution to Democrats. Even if no charges are filed, the subpoenas will have served as a form of speech suppression.
6 comments:
They don't care as much about Walker, as they do about the Club for Growth, Ralph Reed's orgs, and other oligarch front groups getting nailed. Plus, it let's them try to resurrect the fake "IRS is persecuting us" meme.
They are protesting too much, and trying to pre-empt things. Which tells me this is a Big F'ing Deal
I think the WSJ's attempt at damage control demonstrates a fear that this investigation will have national implications. That the John Doe has been ongoing since February of 2012 indicates it has indeed turned-up things worth investigating, such as, but not limited to: illegal collusion, money laundering, organizations violating their tax exempt status and pay-to-play political deals.
Knowing the current crop Wisconsin Republican operatives as we do, what are the odds that a tsunami of dark money could flood our state without some enterprising conservatives setting a bit aside for personal use? I reckon those odds are close to zero.
This investigation also coincides with an effort by mainstream Republicans to fight back against the party's extremist factions, for which the WSJ's editorial page acts as a mouthpiece. Indictments against corrupt whack-jobs may be welcomed by many in the GOP and aid them in their house-cleaning efforts.
"Limits political speech".....Tissue anyone?
And the purpose of Act 10 was.....?
It's laughable that the Wall Street Journal publishes such drivel. Oh, the horrors! The persecution! It's so unfair! Yet the WSJ says nothing of the fact that Wisconsin's Republican legislators are doing everything in their power to suppress the votes of Wisconsin citizens. There's a reason those warrants were served, and it will be interesting to watch the facts unfold.
Love the line that John Doe 1 turned up "embarrassingly little."
It resulted, as I recall, in six convictions of workers for and donors to Walker.
The WSJ used to be a reputable outlet. I had not realized that the WSJ had sunk to talk radio standards.
The WSJ is now in the Murdoch fold.
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