I am really enjoying Scott Walker's victory tour through the right wing media these last couple days. The Tea Party hasn't gone gaga like this since Sarah Palin was ordained as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate in 2008.
Keep it up, Fox News. Please make Scott Walker the face of right-wing politics in 2012. Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee and a native of Wisconsin, is hinting that Walker will give one of the keynote speeches at the Republican convention later this year. Don't stop there, Reince. Push to get Walker on the ticket.
The bigger Walker's profile gets, the bigger the embarrassment when he is finally indicted on corruption charges in a Milwaukee County John Doe investigation that has already resulted in two convictions and multiple additional arrests of Walker's aides and associates. Thirteen others have been granted immunity.
So take your victory lap, Scott Walker. I'm enjoying every minute of it.
There are, however, some developments since Tuesday that have me concerned.
The day after the election, some residents in and near West Bend, Wisconsin found a flyer in their mailboxes. All the recipients had signed a recall petition against Scott Walker:
At the Wednesday Solidarity Sing Along, brave male Walker supporters were suddenly inspired to make snide and divisive comments as they walked past the singers. I witnessed two of these incidents and was told about two others. I guess they didn't listen to Scott Walker's victory speech where he talked about healing and bipartisanship. Or maybe they did hear the speech and assumed that the famously insincere Walker was sending a signal that he wanted just the opposite.
In Milwaukee, 30 police officers, included mounted police, were sent to patrol a post-election-day march organized by Occupy Milwaukee. There were 40 protesters. Police made 5 arrests, four for allegedly failing to stay on the sidewalk and one for allegedly poking an officer with a sign.
Heavy police presence in and around the state Capitol building has been noticeable as well. State Patrol officers and DNR wardens have joined the regular Capitol Police to patrol the grounds. Whether they are there to intimidate the remaining protesters or protect them from rumored threats of violence from right wingers, the presence of so many police is disturbing.
What emboldens these Walker supporters? Walker won with 53%, which is just under 1% more than when he was first elected in 2010. To achieve this, he spent at least 30 million dollars and got tens of millions of dollars in support from outside groups. In the same election where he retained his governorship, he lost control of the state Senate for at least the next six months when Democrats won one senate recall race.
What these suddenly emboldened bullies have is a lame-duck governor trying to waddle around the Fox media carnival while wearing a heavy ankle brace stamped "John Doe." Not exactly a heroic figure, but I am not going to question the Tea Party mindset. I do wish they would stop with the mean-spiritedness and enjoy the Scott Walker show while they can.
Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 6:53 AM PT: Here is the text of the flyer. Hat tip to bwintx.
Scott Walker, Rebecca Kleefisch, the taxpayers of Wisconsin -- the True Middle Class of Wisconsin have won a great victory. WE have taken back the state -- from the greedy, corrupt public unions and their mindless minions (you).
If there were any justice every idiot who signed a recall petition would be sent a bill for $25 to cover the cost of this stupid recall. However, it will be enough if you just crawl back under the rock you slithered out from and never see the light of day again. Go away. Move to Illinois or California and be among your own kind.