The New York Times covers Scott Walker's announcement of his candidacy, and what do they offer as a side piece? This ridiculous and insulting piece of pseudo-journalism: "Things You May Not Know About Scott Walker." If Walker and his cynical gang of propagandists had written it themselves, they could not be happier.
"...There is much voters can still learn about Gov. Scott Walker," the New York Times breathlessly informs us! And just what do we learn about Walker in this piece from the newspaper of record?
That Walker likes to give out his mother's wonderful cookies.
That his nickname is "P.K.", for "pastor's kid," and he is prayerful.
That he likes beer and cheese.
That he learned hard politics early, as a college student.
That he is a "big Green Bay Packers fan."
Really, New York Times... I didn't know any of that about Walker! And I don't know if I can take in all this powerful information all at once. You certainly have enlightened me and my fellow citizens about what makes this guy tick, about how he has exercised power, about the interests that have supported him, about why he deserves to be elected president. Your readers are now fully prepared to make their decisions as informed citizens.
But before they do so, perhaps they would like to check out several other lists of "things you should know about Scott Walker."
From One Wisconsin Now, a sample:
Scott Walker’s campaign has been under investigation his entire tenure as Wisconsin governor.
Scott Walker is the worst Governor in America for women
Scott Walker equated dealing with public school teachers to taking on ISIS terrorists.
From the Center for Media and Democracy,
Five Things You Should Know About Scott (Calvin) Walker:
Walker Failed to Fix State Budget Problems
Walker is at the Center of a Long Running Criminal Investigation
Walker Succeeded in Becoming Completely Beholden to Out-of-State Special Interests
From the excellent blog The Political Environment,
"Scott Walker facts little known outside Wisconsin" (read the whole thing, New York Times, before you write anything about Walker:
* True to form, Walker blamed legislators of his own party for the "huge mistake" of their introducing a budget amendment - - and the ensuing bi-partisan statewide backlash - - that would have wiped out the state's foundational Open Records law - - even though his office helped draft it. That's big bus he's driving that can run over the Legislature which the GOP controls, and is reliably at his beck-and-call.
* The amount of public money given to businesses without loan reviews by the job-creating agency Walker established and has had only Walker as board chairman has grown to $125 million.
* Walker's budget moves through the GOP-controlled Finance Committee with deletions of many science positions from the state's natural resources department, including nine federally-funded jobs.
* Walker says women the state will force to undergo mandatory. medically-unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds in pursuit of their constitutional right to an abortion should view it as a "cool" thing because he and his wife Tonette liked looking at the ultrasound images shown them when she was pregnant.
Folks, this is how it happens. Some have been hesitant to use the f-word -- fascism -- in describing Walker and the vast corrupt network that has brought him to power. But this is the real deal: an ambitious politician without a conscience; a political base without the courage to be honest about the corruption it supports; business interests who hate education and government and public participation; a network of funders who simply want a loyal water carrier; courts that make a travesty of justice; and a compliant media that won't call it all out.
Do you want to know a thousand things about the real Scott Walker? Study the record. Go to One Wisconsin Now's Scott Walker Files and to Scott Walker Watch.