Jesus Would Not Be A Happy Camper

Let me start this blog off by first admitting that I am NO saint. I have plenty of faults . . . I've probably experimented with each of the 7 deadly sins a few times myself, so this posting is not one in which I get on my religious high-horse, but rather try to knock a certain Governor and some of his followers off of their high horse.

So I occasionally work with this guy named "Jamie" (not his real name - his real name is Jessie - no, not really), anyway, Jamie is the type of guy who you would not mind your daughter dating, or even marrying. He is quiet, honest, hard-working and family and faith-orientated. He is a self-proclaimed twenty-something virgin with high personal morals and values and for the two or three years that I've known him, he has never done a dishonest thing . . . so my question is - What the hell is a good guy like "Jamie" doing backing a guy like Scott Walker?

Everyone who reads my measly little postings is probably a news junkie and knows about the recent Walker-related arrests that happened last Thursday, but let's run down The entire list of Walker-related arrests:

• Kelly Rindfleisch, Scott Walker's personal fundraiser for his campaign, and his former Deputy Chief of Staff, has been charged with four felonies for sending more than 1,000 campaign emails while supposedly working on the clock for taxpayers.
• Darlene Wink, Scott Walker's former Director of Constituent Services, is entering a plea and has been charged with two misdemeanors. She allegedly was planning Walker fundraisers, including one with Sarah Palin, on the taxpayers' dime. 
• William Gardner, Scott Walker's close friend and campaign donor, was convicted of the largest campaign finance violation in Wisconsin history for illegally funneling more than $43,000 to the Friends of Scott Walker.
• Tim Russell, Scott Walker's former Deputy Chief of Staff and close political ally, has been arrested and charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor for stealing thousands of dollars intended for wounded veterans and families of military service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Kevin Kavanaugh, Scott Walker's appointee to a Veteran Service Commission, has been arrested and charged with five felonies related to the theft of funds from the Military Order of the Purple Heart and Operation Freedom, an event apparently set up to benefit Walker.
• Brian Pierick, Scott Walker's campaign aide and former operator of ScottWalker.org, has been arrested and charged with felony enticement of a child.

(If you're keeping count, that's 6 Walker associates arrested and 15 felonies)

Granted, Scott Walker's name is not on the list of those arrested (yet), but the apple does not fall far from the tree and many believe that it is only a matter of time before the FBI John Doe investigation reels in it's big fish - Scotty himself. Would that change the minds of people like my friend "Jamie"? Probably not!

When I confronted "Jamie" about the constant stream of Walker-related arrests and asked him if "As a man of faith, does this bother you?" He answered "No, not really - Walker wasn't arrested. And I'm sure I can name some Democrats that play dirty too and have been arrested."

"I'm sure you could "Jamie", but let's keep the focus on recent Wisconsin politics and not bring in names like Anthony Weiner or any of those Chicago Daleys," I told "Jamie".

"Jamie" could not name one Doyle-related arrest. And when I got home and googled-around (I just coined that phrase), I couldn't find one either.

But for good, morally-motivated and ethically-charged social and fiscal conservatives like my friend "Jamie", what the hell do you see in a man like Scott Walker who was using tax-payer funds to direct his County Executive and Gubernatorial campaigns?

What does the Christian-right see in a man who is willing to take 60,000 people off of Medicaid to save a little $ for the state? What does anyone see in a man who is willing to steal $1.2 BILLION from children in public schools and hand it over to greedy, wealthy big-business owners who then don't create jobs with it, but rather pocket it and invest it in hedge-fund accounts to gain more personal wealth?

I went to a Christian school for 10 years, and I KNOW that Jesus taught about giving to the poor and those less fortunate. Are these faux-Christians, who are still backing Walker aware that:

• Under Walker's budget, the earned income tax credit (for the working poor) will be reduced by more than $40 million over two years?
• Walker's budget also stops the inflationary adjustment of the homestead tax credit, a long-standing property tax break that appears as a credit on income tax returns for low-income homeowners and renters.
• The Walker administration is returning a nearly $11 million federal grant that would have gone towards improving health programs for the poor.
• Because of the above action, about 53,000 poor people will likely be dumped from Badgercare. 

I didn't always pay the greatest of attention to everything I learned in my bible studies, but I do know that none-of-the-above would make Jesus a very happy camper . . .

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