Oops. Cleanup on Aisle 4.
The day after Johnson mixed it up with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over an attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Libya, Sen. John Kerry - nominated to replace her - hit the Wisconsin senator for missing a Benghazi briefing
He could have slid past Hillary Clintons smackdown when his dumbassery showed itself, but not another one the very next day. Particularly when both demonstrated what those in the know already new: RoJo is dumber than a bag of hammers. And lazy, to boot.
Well, action was needed and, in typical RoJo fashion (or, should I say, typical fashion of the top GOP heirarchy in Wisconsin), he didn't give a press conference or hold an interview (God forbid - there'd be a third story on our dumb Senator). Instead, he did what the upper level Republicans do in Wisconsin - issue a brief statement in response and then lean back and wait for our corporate media to unquestioningly and supportively deliver it for him.
"I became a member of the Committee quite recently, and so was not invited to the briefing offered last year," Johnson said in a written statement. "I have participated in multiple classified briefings on Benghazi, and others that were unclassified. I attended briefings offered to all Senators, and to members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs."
Actually, he gets all his briefings from watching Fox News. It's easy to tell when you look at the stupid questions he asks which are based on Fox conspiracy theories.
I particularly enjoyed the "last year" part of it. Yup. He's hoping people forget that "last year" was about 3 weeks ago.
And while I'm at it, since when do Senators after the first 2 years of their very first term get such a plumb assignment as the Foreign Relations Committee? Aren't they supposed to be sitting on the back bench, you know, learning stuff and sitting on the more obscure committees? And why is this self-proclaimed "I built my business myself" guy not sitting on any committee that is involved in his self-proclaimed area of expertise?
And who says that the "I built my business myself (lie: he married the daughter of the owner) so I'm qualified to be Senator in order to make sure we have lots of jobs" dumb bell has any qualifications whatsoever to sit on the Foreign Relations Committee in the first place, much less get assigned to it in his first term in elected office ever?
His office issued the statement locally. And Wisconsin media has done it's bidding - reporting his statement without question. I'm sure he's hoping his statement stays in Wisconsin so disinformed voters stay disinformed. I'm making sure it doesn't.
It's Friday, you know. This space for rent while I wait for a Friday News Dump.
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While we're waiting, I thought I'd entertain you with another local yokel and his newly discovered asshattery.
Sheriff David Clark, Republican (who always runs as a "Democrat") and pal of Scotty Walker who appointed him to the job when a vacancy occurred between elections, has started running an ad on one of two local RW radio stations asking for citizens to arm themselves.
In his latest radio spot, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. tells residents personal safety isn't a spectator sport anymore, and "I need you in the game."
"With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option," Clarke intones.
"You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back."
It continues:
"You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We're partners now. Can I count on you?"
Despite the fact that the Sheriffs Department has jurisdiction over our freeways, county buildings, and County Parks (local police departments handle everything else), his call for armed citizenry has raised a lot of red flags.
Jodie Tabak, Mayor Tom Barrett's spokeswoman, released this statement from the mayor's office:
"Apparently, Sheriff David Clarke is auditioning for the next Dirty Harry movie."
That would be the Mayors Office. The guys that have an actual police department.
And even his own officers have a problem with his ad and promotion of citizens with lots of guns:
Roy Felber, president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs' Association, said the ad sounded to him like a call to vigilantism.
"That doesn't sound smart," Felber said. "That's why society has police officers."
That's our dumb, extremist Sheriff in action.
UPDATE 5:00 PM Central:
The original article was updated to include remarks by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and others.
County Executive Chris Abele said Clarke is sending the public the wrong message.
"I think it's irresponsible and it doesn't help public safety to tell the public there's some kind of imminent danger than they need to go buy guns," Abele said. "Essentially, you've got a (public service announcement) that's recommending people need to go buy guns because they can't rely on the response they'll get from 911. I'm here to tell you, we have phenomenal police departments."
And the parade of those who think Sheriff David (Barney Fife) Clark is looney is likely just starting.
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UPDATE: John Doe News
One of the more disgusting things that came out of the John Doe Probe of activities inside Scott Walkers Milwaukee County Executive office were Child Enticement charges levelled at the room mate of one of Walkers top aides (Timothy Russell who was sentenced to 2 years in prison last week). That was the last case where charges have been filed and it has now been plea bargained as were the others to avoid a trial in open court.
Brian Pierick was initially charged with felony child enticement and causing a child to expose his genitals in connection with text messages he sent to a 17-year-old Waukesha boy in late 2010. The evidence was uncovered during a secret investigation of the Milwaukee County executive's office back when Walker held that post between 2002 and 2010.
Pierick pleaded no contest Friday to the lesser charge. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Patrick Haughney found Pierick guilty and set sentencing for Feb. 14.
As part of the deal, Pierick agreed to perform 50 hours of community service.
The crime was discovered during a search for private email communications between Russell and campaign activities.
I had hoped that at least one of the trial would have been held, but all of them were plea bargained. Revelations made in court could have answered the many, many questions we all have about the activities inside Scott Walkers office.
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Update: More Dirt Edition:
Well lookie lookie at who's throwing Wis. Lt. Gov. Kleefisch under the bus.
Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch's ex-chief of staff - now a candidate for an open Assembly seat - said in a sworn deposition last month that she believed she was transferred from her state job because of her age and gender.
Jeanne Tarantino, who was also Kleefisch's 2010 campaign manager, made the remark while being questioned under oath as part of a legal dispute with her ex-husband.
"Why was your job with the lieutenant governor terminated?" asked Karen Zimmerman, a lawyer representing businessman James Tarantino, in a Dec. 28 deposition.
"Because I'm an older female, and they wanted to put a younger man in the position," Tarantino responded.
Zimmerman clarified, "Do you feel you were discriminated against?"
"Yes," Tarantino replied.
Of course, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie stated that Kleefisch's staff were none of the Governors concern and Kleefischs staff deny that Tarantino was discriminated against.
She was transferred from her $69,000 per year job to a new one at the same pay and with less responsibilities in the Department of Workforce Development, but left that job when she decided to run for an open Assembly seat in a (thanks, gerrymandering) safely Republican area.
In the deposition, Tarantino - who referred questions to her attorney - said she felt that the discrimination continued into her second state job.
"It's an area where they really like younger people to be employed," she said. "Gender discrimination. Have you heard of that term? It's very common. As you advance in age, women are kind of given lesser important tasks to do and kind of pushed to the margins."
Yes, Jeanne, we've heard of it. For you Republicans, it seems to be a newly discovered problem.
ADDED LAUGH:
Tarantino also testified that she had failed to make payroll deductions or pay taxes for her nanny.
Oops!
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