An alt-news editor from Buffalo pretending to be billionaire David Koch got through on the phone to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Ian Murphy, who runs the website Buffalo Beast, recorded the twenty minute conversation (below) between the marionette and his "master." There's nothing too shocking here if you're at all aware of the cozy relationship between politicians and big business (Koch Industries was one of the biggest donors to Walker's campaign). But burn. At one point "Koch" proposes "planting some troublemakers" among the protesters, and Walker says, "We thought about that."
But ultimately Walker decides against sending agent provocateurs into the Capitol because he thinks "the public will turn on" the union workers eventually, and he worries that "if a ruckus is caused, that would scare the public into thinking maybe the governor's got to settle to avoid all these problems." Walker also expects the media to lose interest over time, at which point fake Koch says, "not the liberal bastards on MSNBC." Walker replies, "Oh, but who watches that?" (We do! Rachel Maddow's show last night featured an informative segment about the lack of correlation between unions and budget deficits.)
The tapes are less damning than illustrative, offering a fly-on-the-wall view of Walker's cozy feelings for Koch. The two men agree that "this is their moment" to stop "the first domino" from falling. And at "Koch's" prompting, Walker jokes about taking a bat to the protesters occupying the Capitol, which the riot police are planning on clearing tonight, sources say. (Indiana Deputy Attorney General Jeff Cox tweeted, in response, that law enforcement should use live ammunition on pro-union protesters.)
Toward the end of the chat, fake Koch says, "Well, I'll tell ya what, Scott. Once you crush these bastards, I'll fly ya out to Cali and really show you a good time." Walker replies, "Alright. That would be outstanding. Thanks for all the support and helping us move the cause forward." Walker's office has confirmed that the conversation is real, and Grist writes, "That means Scott Walker just admitted to telling Koch he'd gladly accept a weekend getaway on his dime (ethics violation!) and that this really is about cracking heads and union-busting, like we live in the age of The Great Gatsby or something."
