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Ian Murphy of The Beast posed as David Koch and had an interesting 20-minute phone call (if it’s real) with union-busting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Here’s the audio, in two parts:
(second part after jump)
Partial transcript here, below the Youtubes.
UPDATE: Gov. Walker’s spokesman confirms the phone call was real:
“The governor takes many calls everyday,” Walker’s spokesman, Cullen Werwie said in a statement. “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.”
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from the transcript:
Walker: I talk to Kasich every day—John’s gotta stand firm in Ohio. I think we could do the same thing with Vic Scott in Florida. I think, uh, Snyder—if he got a little more support—probably could do that in Michigan. You start going down the list there’s a lot of us new governors that got elected to do something big.
“Koch”: You’re the first domino.
Walker: Yep. This is our moment.
Walker also claims that most of the demonstrators are from out-of-state; but then says they are all ’60s liberals from Madison.
Walker also claims to have polling that people have turned against the teachers–I have seen nothing like that.
But really, the most damning part is that he took the call. I don’t know where Walker was sitting when had this conversation, but if I am him, I insist on calling Koch back, take a mobile phone, and go for a long car ride.
Two things drive Walker–money and fame. Koch’s money, and Walker’s quest to increase his own fame.
Walker: “Thanks a million.”
You got that right.
This needs to be sent far and wide. It totally blows apart all the crap Walker’s been spewing about fiscality, and shows that this is all about him waving his dick around in finest Ledeen Doctrine fashion.
For this guy to tell Koch every thing, hell he’s checking in with this guy. This walker is a True scumbag. Whe is this not on TV to show the people his real side. It’s time for him to be Recalled.
For some reason I am not hereing how “walker has put the state in the hole by giving tax breaks to the rich and then trying to make people who are dems pay for it. our corporate controled media will print or say nothing that the corporations don’t want them to say. I hope people see this repug party for what they are.
What about the offer of a trip somewhere “to show him a really good time”. Is that legal? Seems like he’s pulling an Abramoff.
And now Tim Cullen has been outed as a potential Koch water-carrier, thanks to Murphy’s pranking Walker. Schweeeeet!
Walker’s subservient tone is amazing. Walker sounds like a subordinate reporting on the progress of a project to the boss.
This has legs.
And don’t you love how he essentially outs the NYT — with Paunch Sulzberger leading the way — as being in the tank for Koch/Walker and anything anti-worker?
dday has more here…
Viral now. Has to be.
you beat ddayden by 29 minutes. i salute you
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23wed1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html
Not exactly in the tank.
this shows that the republicans now feel empowered to openly attack labor the working class. sign a petition join a progressive web site march. open season on democratic organized labor and human rights has been declared this is the fight of our lives. this is about busting unions not just for public sector workers but they will come for privet sector union jobs next and then non union jobs they want to take us to the dark ages were some had all and everyone else begged suffered and died. remember Hitlers Germany went after organized labor and then there opposition party they did employ and feed the German people. but first they came for the Jew and I said nothing, then they came for the homosexual and I said nothing, then they came for the minority people and I said nothing, then they came for me how come know one is saying anything. act now to protect our way of life.
Right off the bat, Walker sounds like an employee giving a status report to his boss – which he thinks is!
Later:
Fake Koch: “gotta crush that union”
Walker: “if they think I’m caving”
But noooooo (in best Belushi voice) it’s not about the unions.
The opinion piece isn’t by Paunch (AG) Sulzberger. And Eric Lipton’s piece wasn’t front-paged. Nope, it’s the Sulzberger writings Walker is praising, all of which are pro-Walker.
Writing rules to stop the Senate Dems’ direct deposit of payroll might be wire fraud.
If any Senate Democrat has automatic billpay or post-paycheck transfers that bounce b/c their pay turned into a hardcopy check that wasn’t pre-noted to them, and then the check was locked away in their desks? That’s nasty and goes against bank/payroll system regulations as I once understood them.
You said Walker essentially outs the NY Times. The opinion piece is known as an editorial, the newspaper’s voice. You said the NYT is in the tank for Koch/Walker and anything anti-worker. If the NYT is in the tank, why does it run an article by Lipton about the Koch brothers, and an editorial anything but pro Koch/Walker and anti-worker?
Well, I just attempted to watch his 3:30 press conference. BOTH CNN and MSNBC cut away after his boilerplate prepared remarks about how much money his union busting was saving the taxpayers just as the questions about the phone call were getting started.
If we had any doubts about how they refuse to cover and report the actual news, that would be it. It is literally making me sick to my stomach.
Not to mention that both networks have been repeating the talking point that “he didn’t say anything on the phone call that he hasn’t said in public” so it’s a non-story.
I’m thrilled to see the Republicans have had an “O’Keefe” moment pulled on them. It won’t be long, even the most stubborn will question the wisdom of taking and talking on the phone w/o verification of just who is on the other end! I wonder if this Sunday, Fox’s Chris Wallace will name the caller “power player of the week”; it would only be fair, they did name O’Keefe.
Another point I’d like to make is the reason this guy got punked in the first place: EGO!!!!!!!!! The bigger the ego, the easier the hook!
I made that up. See, I know a little bit about the ego…..
Cenk is beating the shit out of the Kochsuckers.
It’s actually time for a RICO case. The scab is finally starting to peel off the corruption in this country and the pus is leaking out around the edges….all the way to the top.
OT: I wonder if this is why Oilbomber threw US that big bone on DOMA today. distraction distraction…something bright and shiny and NEW!
IF ANYONE is discriminated against no one is going to live free. And that includes all the subgroups.
Possibly the most important aspect of this call and the attention it’s getting is that it raises the profile of the Koch brothers. Walker is taking a call from and chatting with some wealthy contributor from Kansas.
That and the part about “Kock” having a “vested interest” conspiracy to commit fraud right out in the open.
The only thing I can see in Walker’s defense would be some claim of entrapment. but he sure was willing to show off and spill his guts to an unverified caller. Can you say STOOOPID?
The more shocking part is that he doesn’t sound like a governor.
He sounds like a courtesan trying to please an earl so he can kneel and kiss the kings garter.
I should have said raising the profile of the Koch brothers, particularly in Wisconsin.
If the people that pay your salary make less than you do, how long do you think you’ll get a paycheck? just a question.
Why don’t we question George Soros the way we question the intentions of the Koch brothers
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/l23wisconsin.html?_r=1&hpw
Now the NYT has published 7 letters from readers. Still not in the tank.
Thank you Ian Murphy and Buffalo Beast. Does this put Scott Walker in the running for top of the 50 Most Loathsome Americans of 2011?
Just listening to Thom Hartmann and John Nichols discussing possible Nixonian criminality in this.
Are you saying schoolteachers make more than doctors and schoolteachers make more than lawyers in Wisconsin? Likewise, state workers in Wisconsin dwell at the top of the income pyramid?
http://www.thereformedbroker.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Millionaires-in-America.jpg
Wisconsin has 100,000 millionaires and they are all cops and firemen.
*modnote: link please for facts verifying the last statement*
Yes because everyone in Wisconsin is a Dr or lawyer
Any chance you noticed Sulzberger’s reporting from Madison?
He didn’t send anybody, he went himself.
Watch the “reported by” info at bottom of NYT stories out of Madison.
The protester’s should be carrying signs that read “Third Party Now.”
Can’t wait to hear that the citizens of Wisconsin have started a Walker recall petition.
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/22/lena-taylor/wisconsin-state-sen-lena-taylor-d-milwaukee-says-h/
MSNBC might have thought the Morning Joe’s one of us quote would be brought up.
Zing!
Any chance you noticed that not all of the NYT’s coverage from Wisconsin is by Sulzberger? I’ve linked to 3 separate items published recently by NYT, none by Sulzberger. In order for a newspaper to write an editorial about Wisconsin, the writer need not be actually standing in Wisconsin.
Here’s a Sulzberger:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Ochs_Sulzberger,_Jr.
Herer’s another 1:
http://www.observer.com/2010/media/ag-sulzberger-will-be-times-kansas-city-bureau-chief
It’s probably hard to imagine but Arthurs Ochs Sulzbrerger, Jr. is not the same person as A. G. Sulzberger.
How could anybody be this dumb?
And I am not referring to russian170.
I’m sure it’s hard to imagine when you’re feeling all weepy and self-righteous.
I think you may need to paste the top link in your browser and add a period. The link appears to have a period but doesn’t, and doesn’t work. I am referring to the link to Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. at wikipedia.
The ugly truth has been apparent from the out set of the cheesehead rebellion. Anyone with a brain thicker than a Kraft cheese slice knows that breaking government unions will geld the democratic party and make it have to work harder to exploit it`s voter base. Having a safe group of educated supporters eager to play politics every four years and stuff envelopes and attend boring speeches is a bonus. Pulling a high school prank on a govenour is a classless antic that only works to make the system worse. Now some right wing zealot will try to get some left politician to admit they don`t give a dam about the Wisonsin teachers, they have to save their union base to ever win an election nation wide again. I feel sorry for Walker. He honestly believes the government unions are the source of some of the state`s woes; also he knows breaking them might make him president. Events will soon spiral out of control and somebody is going to get killed. He will be a high price to pay for political pandering and prankish phone calls.
Zenostoa
Ever hear of James O’Keefe?