Governor Scott Walker, The Koch Brothers and The New Normal

 I don't think it is possible to overstate the importance of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's phone conversation with a man he thought was his out-of-state billionaire sponsor.  There are many instructive aspects of that call that people have or will call attention to.  But here, I first want to simply focus on the simple fact that while many of his own constituents and publicly-elected opponents were unable to get him on the phone, unable to truly discuss issues and perhaps arrive at solutions--while none of that could be done, Walker had all the time in the world for a billionaire supporter who lived in another state.

Madison protest sign 2/26/11.  Photo courtesy Melissa Ryan

We should thank Governor Walker for giving us such a blatant example of the corrosive and corrupting power of money in politics, an example that is being used against him most effectively (photo) outside his office window right now.

But it is dangerous and misleading to focus overly-much on the elected official who got caught this time.  People like Walker--and  the man he thought he was speaking to--are simply giving us a brief view of The New Normal--corruption that finds willing hosts in both parties and at all levels of government. They're giving us a glimpse at the corrupt process that has killed our republic and left the rest of us clambering over its dead body with hand-lettered signs made out of old pizza boxes.  


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