It was too good to be true for long.
After this kind of coverage yesterday:
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and
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Wisconsin media was front paging stories and lead storying local news about the nearly 28,000 Kelly Rindfleisch documents showing Walker linked to the secret and illegal router and private email system in his Milwaukee County Executives Office. A hidden router in place to circumvent public records archiving and Open Records Laws enabling taxpayer funded facilities and employees to do fundraising and political work instead of the work they were being paid to do.
There was actual reporting being done most likely necessitated by the wide spread national reporting on this very big story showing yet another recently elected Republican Governor who can't seem for follow not only the ethical standards that should be in place for public officials, but ignoring the law, as well. The national press seemed to be forcing our local and state press into doing their jobs.
After 2 days of good reporting, our media seems to be reverting back to their "normal" functions on behalf of Scott Walker whom most not only endorsed for Governor in 2010, but served to question and discredit his recall in 2012. While he's out of town and not commenting on the email release, his media poodles are starting to do the dirty work again.
Politico has taken the "nothing to see here" approach.
A trove of the Wisconsin governor’s aides’ emails released this week so far appear to contain few of the elements of a career-damaging digital scandal. Instead, the most serious accusations involve campaign laws more likely to elicit yawns than outrage.
Even ordering a public employee axed over shots of her in a thong got more eye-rolls than anything else. It’s as if, to borrow from Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the controversies of recent years are defining digital deviancy down.
(bolding is mine)
That's right, folks. Move along. It's boring and you really don't want that.
As for the states highest read newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, their shift came last night in an article linking George Soros with funding a group reviewing the emails. Naturally, if you can't say nice things about Scott Walker and he's not giving you any talking points to promote, the next best thing is to attack his opponents.
Gov. Scott Walker has a new opponent this year — a super PAC heavily funded by liberal billionaire George Soros.
In anticipation of Walker's re-election campaign this fall and possible presidential bid in 2016, American Bridge 21st Century is already hard at work in Wisconsin.
The group unveiled on Wednesday a new website called JohnDoeWalker.com, devoted to exposing information about Walker. The site was launched the same day emails were released from a secret John Doe investigation into links between Walker's staff and his political campaign.
Never mind the tens of millions of out of state dollars that funded attack ads in 2010 and during the recalls or the over half million dollars Walker spent "cooperating" with the original John Doe, focus instead on a liberal billionaire and unions spending a few bucks in a 10 or 20:1 disadvantage. Portray them as vultures.
And never mind the ongoing John Doe investigation into these billionaire funded RW groups, the multiple groups funded by the Bradley foundation, or the RW funded groups that hammered away at the recall petitions. Those never got attention and if they do, it's presented as a giant bag of nothing. But let a liberal group or unions involved and that must be fully attacked, derided, and demeaned.
And, by all means, make sure to portray Scott Walker as a victim:
Walker is running up against an inescapable fact of political life — the higher your aspirations, the bigger target you become for your foes.
As expected, Democrats from around the country leapt on the documents, dissecting the emails and trying to link the story to other embattled national Republicans such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who faces criticism over the closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge in a political dispute, and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who faces federal charges of accepting gifts.
(bolding is mine)
Yes. Poor Scott Walker being victimized by Democrats, unions, and liberals. Here. Have a tissue to dry your tears.
And then there's this:
The Walker campaign could not be reached for comment, and Walker's staff said the governor would not be available to take questions the day after the documents were released.
That didn't stop the Democrats, nationally and in Wisconsin, from keeping the pressure on.
(bolding is mine)
Those terrible Democrats who didn't keep their mouths shut after Walkers campaign had him make a statement before the release and then announced there would be no press availability afterward (i.e. media blackout) becomes the campaign "couldn't be reached for comment"? Are their phones off?
And why should everyone keep quiet just because Walker is on silent running?
Pssst! The Governor is in Washington DC at the National Governors Conference. Go see him there.
And, by all means, after attacking Dems and liberals, make sure you conclude your piece by minimizing the discoveries (and conveniently forgetting the 3 racist emails that were forwarded). Get a nice quote in there from a Republican leader calling it "high school behavior" (Robin Vos) and plenty of "experts" claiming Walker won't be damaged by this.
And then toss in a nice editorial demeaning the "anti-Walkers" to complete the 180 degree reversal. Ensure enough pooh-poohing of the "story" along with snickering that readers feel comfortable dismissing the whole thing as a waste of time.
The Wisconsin State Journal is starting to soften their coverage. It's not quite so bad, folks, things just got a bit blurry and that stuff sort of happens, donchaknow.
And then there's RW radio blasting out megawatts throughout the state (residents generally have a choice between 2 stations catapulting the propaganda). They've been at high volume discrediting the whole thing for 3 days now. And they'll keep it up.
Scott Walker doesn't have to do anything. His media poodles are going the clean the mess up for him. Probably before he gets back to Wisconsin.
I can only hope that the national press keeps on digging. Perhaps our state and local press can be shamed into doing their jobs.
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