No, it's not going to happen here!
It's been a depressing time here in Wisconsin, but I have good news today at last.
No Massive Strip Mining in Wisconsin
Thank you, Environmental Protection Agency! Due to the fear of having the EPA step in, foreign corporation Gogebic Taconite has put its plans to build an enormous strip mine in northern Wisconsin on hold.
In statement, President Bill Williams said that the company would continue to investigate the possibility of developing the mine, "but cannot justify maintaining an office in Hurley without a prospect of immediate action."
"Our extensive environmental investigation and analysis of the site has revealed wetland issues that make major continued investment unfeasible at this time from both a cost perspective and given the uncertainty of recent U.S. EPA actions, such as the events concerning the Alaskan Pebble mine," Williams said.
The Pebble mine has been delayed by concerned raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Yeah! Opposed by concerned citizens and Native American tribes, this is a
big win.
This was the mining corporation that recently released John Doe Probe documents revealed contributed $700,000 to Wisconsin Club for Growth, a dark money group that was coordinating with Scott Walkers campaign. Shortly after the contribution they were allowed to write legislation that literally eliminated environmental laws in Wisconsin paving the way for open pit mining.
After passage, they imported heavily armed SWAT-like "security guards" to patrol their testing sites despite not having any permits for those activities. Naturally, the state didn't prosecute this criminal act, but awarded permits as soon as the illegal activity garnered some media attention.
Well, there goes another big Walker donor, but I'm sure he'll ensure they're rewarded in the future for their investment of big money. Walker always gives his donors a great big return on the money they funnel in.
SCOTT WALKER GETS CAUGHT AGAIN!
He's been playing "Clean Up" after remarks to CPAC where he equated peaceful Wisconsin protesters to ISIS. Most people in Wisconsin haven't realized that he's said it before, but now that he's a Presidential candidate running around the country shooting his mouth off, it is being reported.
Walker said "I want a commander-in-chief who will do everything in their power to ensure that the threats from radical Islamic terrorists do not wash up on American soil," Walker said Thursday in an address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.
"If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world."
Walker later said the comment was not meant to compare the union protests to terrorism, but to show he could respond firmly in high-pressure situations.
Clean up on Aisle 4 .... word spew on the floor.
But don't believe that his walking this whole thing back is honest. He's said stuff exactly like this before, but it has been largely ignored. He's even created a mythology about how he, his family, and neighbors have been victimized by evil protesters which he enhances with every telling. His latest fable telling sounds even more like being besieged at the Alamo.
However, now that his gaffe has national prominence, he's gotten some "words of wisdom" from fellow Republicans.
Thursday wasn't the first time Walker linked his response to the protests to how he would handle world affairs.
"Walker believes his stance against unions in Wisconsin would be a signal of toughness to Islamic jihadists and Russia's Vladimir Putin," Larry Kudlow reported in the National Review after hearing Walker speak earlier this month at a dinner with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Walker's comment at CPAC drew criticism from both sides of the aisle. Mark Salter, a former adviser to 2008 presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John McCain, on Facebook referred to Walker's comments, writing, "I want to like him but Scott Walker is kind of a dumb ass."
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, another likely GOP presidential candidate, called Walker's comment "inappropriate."
Poor Snotty, he's so accustomed to a fawning state press that carefully stenographs his propaganda, fluffs him up, and helps him batter his opponents that he has forgotten that the national media isn't going to be so accommodating.
Keep on talking, Walker. Keep on talking. Ignore all those feet sticking out of your mouth.
REPUBLICANS PLANNING ON CHANGING JOHN DOE PROBE, CAMPAIGN FINANCE, AND ELECTION LAWS (in their favor, of course)
Typical Friday News Dump by Wisconsin GOP leaders.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said Friday that he hopes the Legislature can start working by spring on a package of bills that would transform the nuts-and-bolts of politicking, from overhauling campaign finance to refashioning the Government Accountability Board.
Vos added he wants the package to include a rewrite of the state's John Doe statutes.
That's right, folks. Claiming that the investigations of Scott Walker and the offices he ran (which led to the conviction of 6 of his closest aides and associates) were "witch hunts" requiring severe changes in those statutes. Additionally, Vos intends to change campaign finance laws to enable even less transparency than we have now. He's also said in the past that he'd favor allowing coordination between dark money groups, where donors aren't disclosed, and campaigns - the focus of the current John Doe Probe.
It's no secret that Walker and the Republicans want to change the Government Accountability Board since it's one of 3 agencies that Walker and the GOP can't control (the other 2 are the Secretary of State's office with a Democratic head - now located in the inaccessible basement of the Capitol and the Superintendent of Public Education in Wisconsin who is independently elected - they've recently lost a court case trying to make that office subservient to the Governor). They want all things in Wisconsin firmly inside their tight grip, serving their desires.
Bottom line: They're trying to make all their illegal trickery legal. Stay tuned.
4:12 PM PT: Sorry, folks. I published this before I was done. That's why I didn't put out my usual Tip Jar. I think I'm done now, but still retain the ability to add some more if news breaks out.