I woke up with a thoroughly scary thought last night. Let me frame it as a hypothetical--

[Jackpine Radical]

(Pardon the periphrastic language, but I think you'll soon see why I'm writing like this.)

Suppose you were one of the Pepsi Brothers and you had gotten one of your puppet politicians into a top state-level political position, and he really blew it--like maybe got the state so up-in-arms and in open rebellion against him, and he kept digging himself in deeper with totally stupid actions, like admitting things to an imposter who had represented himself as you.

This politician is maybe so incompetent that it looks like he's gonna be thrown out of office, and he's costing you millions for what is likely to be a futile campaign to keep him in office.

At this point, he's a liability. Big-time.

If I were those Pepsi brothers, with no conscience, no ethics, no humanity, I would be thinking outside the box about how to deal with this problem, and I might just decide to cut my losses.

I might hire a professional to terminate my under-performing politician. At long range and with extreme prejudice.

My news media would then blame the termination on the rabble who had been calling for his removal. The attempt to throw the bum out would be instantly short-circuited. The Number-2, a politician of the same ilk, would be installed.

In one simple action I eliminate my embarrassment and conduct a heinous false-flag operation that discredits and demoralizes the rabble. The new #1 can essentially declare an emergency, activate the Guard, suspend civil liberties, and go ahead with the ongoing operation of gutting the state f its wealth and selling it for scrap.

OK--Talk me down.

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Dumb

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Sounds like a Roman novel or mini series

where they just Poisson them with dinner or drink, but now they Poisson them from without.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Whatever you are taking before going to bed

Stop taking it.

I knew someone who was taking Chantix and had this kind of thing happening to them.

Don

[quinnox]

4. no idea what you are talking about here

Sorry

[dragonlady]

9. Here's what he's talking about

The recall of Walker and Kleefisch is nearing the end of a successful petition-gathering process in Wisconsin, and what are the "Pepsi" brothers thinking about that?

I agree that they are probably deep into buyers' remorse. I think, though, that they would just urge him to resign and take a position with Fox rather than resort to any more drastic measures. As for #2 taking over, it's my belief that the recall of Kleefisch should still proceed (not without strenuous legal arguments and delays in court) because the petitions say "for the recall of Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch from office." The only purpose of the office for which she was elected is to become governor if that office is vacant, so as a practical matter, lieutenant governor = governor.

[Greybnk48]

5. Then we need to eliminate #2, talk me down!

LOL! Can't find the sarcasm button. BTW, there's so much at stake, (an entire state!), I don't find your prediction that outlandish.

[RC]

6. I think you have a pretty good handle on a possible future.

Our problem however is, #1 got bought and is staying bought because he knows about extreme prejudice, in part, because he has used it himself. Although he is not one of 'Them', he does not see himself as one of 'Us' any longer either.

Like group predators stalking a herd of animals, slowly, but not quietly enough. Some of the animals in the herd know they is being stalked, but don't know by what and are not sure from which direction. Those that sense something is wrong, try to raise the alarm. But the rest of the herd not sensing anything amiss and being too busy going about their business to care, ignore the alarms. After all they are protected by being in the middle of the herd... They think.

[Scuba]

7. Try eating green olives with pimentos just before bed....

... that may help you with this problem.

[DetlefK]

8. "My News Media" says so and the case is settled? What about the FBI and the rest of the media?

And do you have any idea how hard it is to find a "real" professional? The FBI has created dozens of fake assassin characters to intercept exactly this kind of clientele.

How many people can keep a secret? One.
Maybe your assassin gets caught one day. Maybe law enforcement offers him a deal. Maybe rivals capture, torture and interrogate him. You never know. And a few years from now you will lose everything.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. What makes you think there are no links between, say,

the CIA and the Pepsi Brothers?

Or maybe they can just do it with a small plane and forego pinning it on the insurrectionists.

[RiffRandell]

11. Wow.

When I wake up I think about how shitty I slept--I consider myself lucky now. Thank you.

[Cleita]

12. Icing your opposition and problems within your organization is so yesterday mafia.

I think the Pepsi brothers are letting Wisconsinites take down Walker for them. If he were still their blue-eyed darling, they would be cranking up the RW propaganda machine to make the recallers look like unAmerican, commie terrorists.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. That's exactly what they're doing.

"Walker has already spent $2 million bucks to air ads to improve his image in the state. He's raised over $5 million so far and has the ability (thanks for the phony recall filed earlier this month) to raise unlimited funds. The RW Americans for Prosperity and MacIver Institute have spent about $1.1 million on ad time through Monday according to the Journal-Sentinal article. Ads in support of the recall have cost roughly $700,000."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/23/1048159/-Scott-Walker-Spending-Millions-to-Burnish-His-Image-Now-With-Even-More-Shamelessness-(Update)


But Walker really put his foot in it recently, to the point that even the conservative papers were running a story about his chicanery. Here is a version of the story from the Milwaukee paper:


Madison - Gov. Scott Walker announced a plan Wednesday to lift the enrollment cap on a state long-term care program - a move he made two weeks after federal authorities told his administration it had to take that step.

Walker touted the $80 million plan with advocates for the elderly and disabled at a Capitol news conference, but he made no mention of a recent order from the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, or CMS, directing his administration to lift the cap in the Family Care program.

State officials released the Dec. 13 letter from the federal government - which pays about 60% of the program's cost - hours later at the request of the Journal Sentinel.

Family Care provides a variety of services to help people who are elderly and disabled stay in their homes rather than enter nursing homes. Walker proposed the Family Care cap in his state budget to help reduce the state's deficit, and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature went along with it.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/walker-proposes-to-lift-cap-on-longterm-care-program-0c3jlco-136317513.html

[JNelson6563]

14. Interesting.

"Pepsi brothers" lolz

As to whacking the now political liability, I've got three words: Small plane, icing.

Worked on Wellstone. No one dared question that it was an unfortunate accident. Well at least not publicly.

Julie

[2pooped2pop]

15. the problem is

that we know anything is possible with these asshats.

It is a possibility. I don't think it will happen as I'm sure they don't want anyone looking any closer at them.

Can't talk you all the way down, but please don't hover too high.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Have you been drinking the same I have?

Mine involve occupiers, cops and far right wing snipers.

The way I deal with this is... just a dream... it is your anxieties talking.

Now get out of my nightmares!

(This is why the other day I joked that I'd better stop watching foreign media, in particular the goings on in Syria)

[Jackpine Radical]

18. Pretty much the same scenario here.

Once you think of it, it's really hard to convince yourself that it's impossible.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I know...

And given US History it is possible. That is what is so damn scary.

(Need I name names?)

[Odin2005]

17. Sadly, your scenario seems all too likely.