Assoc. Press Now Pushing Anti-Scott Walker Story About… Beer?

June 13, 2012 | Filed under 2012 Presidential Race,Big government,Conservatives,corruption,Culture Of Corruption,Elections,Liberals,Media,Scott Walker | Posted by

The Associated Press seems to be still on the lookout for stories about how Wisconsinites (especially “unions”) hate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker — yes, even after he beat a recall attempt getting even more votes than he did during his first run for the Guv’s manse. This time AP is pushing the tale that Carrie Nation’s alcohol prohibition “union” is mad at Walker for wanting to serve beer at his unity picnic. Yeah, the same 140-year-old group chiefly responsible for passing the ill-fated Prohibition Act on the country in the 1920s.

So now, the AP has its headlined, “Walker Angers Temperance Union by Serving Beer,” and is seriously trying to get the nation all ginned up over the fact that the beer hating Women’s Christian Temperance Union is upset at the Governor.

What is the Women’s Christian Temperance Union? The WCTU started way back in 1873 ultimately becoming a major political force when its most well-known advocate, Carrie Nation, helped lead the way for the 18th Amendment, the one that banned alcohol in the United States. Of course, Ms. Nation died 8 years before the Amendment succeeded in becoming law, but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the main reasons for giving rise to the exciting career of our most honored Chicago citizen, Al Capone. Thanks, Carrie.

So, who cares much about what the WCTU is doing now some 90 years after their main premise was proven an abject failure? The AP apparently.

“Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker can’t avoid union troubles, even when he’s trying to be bipartisan,” the AP gravely informs us in its first paragraph.

Walker, you see, is sponsoring a unity picnic for legislators to help heal the rift created when extreme left-wingers and union thugs attempted to have him recalled. But, shock of shocks, the Gov. announced that he will serve beer at the gathering.

Now, anyone that knows much about Wisconsin knows that beer is the state’s life’s blood. Beer forms a part of nearly every outing in the Badger State. So, having beer at a picnic is the least shocking thing that could be seen at a Wisconsin picnic.

Ah, but the AP found the WTCU allowing them to vent their outrage.

Now, he’s angered the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union with his plan to serve beer at the Tuesday cookout designed to help bring Republicans and Democrats together. The WCTU successfully lobbied for Prohibition, which made selling alcohol illegal from about 1920 to the early 1930s, and its 5,000 members continue to spread its anti-drinking message nationwide.

It’s all a big “who cares,” isn’t it? The group whose biggest failure cost the nation millions in blood and treasure and helped give rise to the worst criminal wars in our nation’s history is mad at Scott Walker? Gee, I’m all chocked up.

As bad was the way the AP characterized the reason for Walker’s recall.

…a recall election last week that was spurred by anger over a law he pushed through the Legislature effectively eliminating most public workers’ union rights.

Uh, no, that is not what Walker did. He did not make any attempt to eliminate “most public workers’ union rights.” All he did was change a few key measures that would stop unions from forcibly unionizing workers, eliminate the state from reaching into worker’s pockets to automatically remove union dues, and removed unions power to collectively bargain for raises.

Walker did not “eliminate” their “rights.” Workers can still unionize and he did not eliminate their unions. What he did do, which the AP avoids explaining, is demand that government workers — who get paid off the backs of taxpayers — pay just a little bit into their lucrative retirement and health care packages. But, we wouldn’t expect the AP to tell that story, would we?

No, apparently the ire of a tiny group of failed, 140-year-old booze banners is a hotter story.

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Posted by on June 13, 2012.
Filed under 2012 Presidential Race, Big government, Conservatives, corruption, Culture Of Corruption, Elections, Liberals, Media, Scott Walker.
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago-based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com and BigJournalism.com, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, RightPundits.com, StoptheACLU.com, Human Events Magazine, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events.He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book "Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture" which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions, EMAIL Warner Todd Huston: igcolonel .at. hotmail.com"The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it." --Samuel Johnson

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  • davidt

    Remember Obama’s, “Beer Summit?”

    Was the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was upset about it? If so, did the AP report it?

  • GarandFan

    The AP – Democratic support group masquerading as a ‘reporter’.  In street language, you’d call them whores.

  • SeanSorrentino

    I don’t know. I think that the AP, as well as all the other MSM outlets, should go wall to wall coverage over the outrage from the WCTU. In Wisconsin. The sixth highest in per capita beer consumption in the USA.

    Are they trying to get everyone to love Scott Walker?

  • herddog505

    So, let me see if I’ve got this right:

    The eeeeevil Scott Walker, the Most Hated Man in America (well, in Wisconsin, anyway), a divisive, polarizing, hate-inspiring, union-busting, partisan, wicked, the-sight-of-him-sickens-any-decent-person conservative Republican, actually tried to mend a few fences by having the enemy over for a picnic… and this was the best al-AP could do to try to kill the buzz???

    Man, what a bunch of losers.  What’s next?  Dredging up some century-old dirt about the Mormon church to try to slime Mitt Romney?

    Oh, wait…

  • UOG

    “…all ginned up”

    I hate to do this on article mentioning temperance but, Warner, you need to learn to exercise a bit of self-control. Ah gee, all ginned up?

    • warnertoddhuston

      You don’t like pun fun?

      • UOG

        I think I succombed to the siren’s song of Snarky Wednesday.

  • http://www.wizbangblog.com David Robertson

    I wish that the WCTU would drop the word “Christian” from its name, because what the group is doing is not relevant to Christianity. In one of his sermons, my pastor openly stated that the Bible does not forbid the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
    Anyway, if Walker responds to the W”C”TU’s complaint, then all he has to say is that he is supporting an important part of Wisconsin’s economy, the production of beer.

  • Commander_Chico

    I think this is a quaint human interest story. I didn’t know the WCTU was still around.

    • http://www.outsidethebeltway.com rodney dill

      I think this is a pointless quaint human interest story.

      FTFY

  • Wild_Willie

    You can be hanged in Texas for being against beer. ;) ww

  • The Wall

    Walker’s “Beer and Brat Summit” – just a state-sanctioned campaign event for Wisconsin Grocers
    by Badger Democracy
    When Scott Walker released the details of his so-called “Beer and Brat Summit” on Monday, the list of participating vendors looked more like a who’s who of GOP campaign contributors than local food producers. There are significant donors receiving a very high visibility thank you from Scott Walker today – raising questions as to whether this is just a covert campaign event in a contentious election year.

    Brats supplied by Trig’s – Trig’s is a Northern Wisconsin grocer whose family ownership has contributed over $12,000 to the Walker campaign, $108,000 to GOP campaigns. The family and business are active members of the Wisconsin Grocer’s Association (WGA).

    Sprecher Root Beer and Beers (with the special commemorative label) – Sprecher has been very supportive of GOP activity and events in the Milwaukee area, and has become more involved with the emerging prominence of Americans for Prosperity.

    Johnsonville Brats – Owners from the Stayer family have given over $25,000 to the Walker Campaign, and over $164,000 to primarily GOP campaigns.

    Titletown Brewing Co. – Owner and President Brent Weycker ran as a Republican for the 90th Assembly District in 2000 and lost. Weycker is a consistent GOP supporter in the Fox Valley.

    Usinger’s Sausage – Fred Usinger has donated thousands of dollars to GOP interests through the “American Meat Institute PAC”, and individual donations in Wisconsin for both GOP and corporate Democratic politicians.

    Miller Coors – Executives at Miller Coors have given over $103,000 in contributions to mostly GOP candidates in individual contributions, including thousands of dollars to the Walker campaign.

    Roundy’s – CEO Robert Mariano (who lives in Illinois) alone has given $14,300 to mostly GOP politicians. Roundy’s executives add another $31,000 to the total – again, mostly GOP candidates.

    Sendik’s – Grocery stores in the affluent areas of Milwaukee, owned by the Balistrieri Family. The family alone has given over $23,000, most of it to the Walker campaign.

    Coca Cola – The Coca Cola PAC is called the “Coca Cola Employee Non-Partisan” PAC. It has given over $22,000, all to GOP politicians. So much for non-partisan.

    Kwik Trip – Kwik Trip executives have given over $214,000 to primarily GOP candidates, and reports as a “Natural Resources” interest company.

    Most of the participating companies have something in common. They are members of the Wisconsin Grocer’s Association, or have participated in WGA vendor fairs, according to Brandon Scholz, President of the WGA. Scholz confirms that WGA coordinated the event with the governor’s staff and “in full accordance with state law.”

    In fact, Pan-o-Gold Baking, Lipari Distribution, and Russ Davis Wholesale are also WGA members. Russ Davis Wholesale received the 2011 WGA “Vendor of the Year” award, after being nominated by Trig’s Market.

    WGA PAC has given over $48,000 in campaign contributions, again, mostly to GOP candidates, including over $6,000 to the Waker Campaign. The WGA Board will have a large presence at Walker’s “Beer and Brat Summit.” While these executives will not be in attendance, it will not be lost on GOP Legislators and Scott Walker who these people are, and what their organization’s policy priorities are going into the Fall Elections:

    Don Symonds – Lipari

    Kevin Morris – Coca Cola

    Paul Lucas – Miller Coors

    Steve Loehr – Kwik Trip

    Nick Balistreri – Sendik’s

    William Dowling – Roundy’s

    Despite Scott Walker’s calls to “work together”, it is abundantly clear that the Walker Administration is incapable of holding a simple cookout without turning it into a campaign event. This time, it’s on state property, state time, as a sanctioned state function.

    Scott Walker – still campaigning on the taxpayer dime – this time, in broad daylight.