Former Trek executives say Mary Burke was forced out
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Two former high-level executives of Trek Bicycle claim that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke was forced out as head of European operations for her family's business 21 years ago an allegation that Burke and the company denied, labeling it a last-minute smear campaign.
"I'm not saying she was incompetent," said Tom Albers, former Trek chief operating officer who left the company in 1997. "Maybe this job was too big for her."
Burke and Trek Bicycle called the claims outrageous, pointing out that the statements are being made by former Trek employees who had to leave the company, are both conservative and are airing them just six days out from Tuesday's tight election.
Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-paul-ryan-urge-voters-to-be-for-something-b99380639z1-280807982.html
This last minute smear campaign of the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, one week before the election, began with accusations of Burke being fired from Trek by her own brother. The person behind the accusations is Gary Ellerman, who was fired from Trek and is currently the chairman of the Jefferson County (Wisconsin) Republican Party. Ellerman is also known for running as a "fake Democrat" in a 2012 Wisconsin State Senate race. Tom Albers, also fired from Trek, later supported some of Ellerman's accusations when interviewed. Has anyone seen Karl Rove hanging out in Wisconsin, lately?
Scuba
(53,475 posts)lutefisk
(3,974 posts)Call it FUD, Swiftboating, whatever- we knew some sort of last minute smear was coming. The coordinated radio and TV ads are ready to launch, I'm sure. Now what?
Scuba
(53,475 posts)riversedge
(69,724 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)bullshit. Lee is who rove learned many his underhanded tricks from
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)Hope she can pull it out. Fuck Walker.
BeyondGeography
(39,284 posts)That's a win.
lutefisk
(3,974 posts)Excellent. I'm going to start using that because it is so true.
drray23
(7,587 posts)"Maybe this job was too big for her. "
Talk about unadulterated misogyny.
Do these people think before they talk or are they so disconnected from being decent human beings that they do not realize how offensive this is ?
Cha
(295,913 posts)lutefisk
(3,974 posts)That language says a lot about Tom Albers and destroys his unearned male privileged credibility. It makes me believe Mary Burke when she states that Albers "has an axe to grind", whatever that axe may be.
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)These guys probably were released because of a lack of morals.
They were likely jerks to the more liberal customer base of Trek.
What exactly is slander if you can say damn near anything?
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Wisconsin has a Governor who is currently in office today that is so slimy that he leaves a trail behind him!!
Burke for the win!!!
Cha
(295,913 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts). . . she was onery in kindergarten!
Cha
(295,913 posts)wanted to be President!"
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)The Republicans have even been looking for *gasp* birth certificates!!!!!
I'll never ever get over that one about Obama!
It was just too much woo!!
Cha
(295,913 posts)evidently had been mainlining rw radio/fox "news".. and her sweet little face was saying to me.. "it seems like he wasn't born in this country and what about those college transcripts?".. I wanted to punch something but I held my cool.. her being a volunteer and all.. and just said.. "Trust me.. Barack Obama was born in Hawai'i".
HaHa.. President Obama is in his second Term now and the birthers are sucking on dust.
Archae
(46,262 posts)oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Ahso, more K money used without ethics.
Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)and was wondering why I didn't recognize someone high up in the Star Trek franchise.
lutefisk
(3,974 posts)Which doesn't happen much in Wississippi these days.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)Walker is the biggest Koch Sucker in the US.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)riversedge
(69,724 posts)It is a photo-shopped pic of our First lady with a poster dissing her family!
Tweet:
Troy Freund @MidwestPhoto 38m38 minutes ago
.@WiStateJournal @journalsentinel @js_politics re: Mary Burke/Trek... https://www.facebook.com/rscherckmeyer/posts/10204855649138357
#WIunion
Facebook (from link in Tweet):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154814421900220&set=gm.974009802615343&type=1
Renee Scherck-Meyer shared Missy Bachman Ugland's photo.
1 hr ·
Here is a sample FB posting from the former Trek employee (FIRED former employee) who said Burke was fired for incompetence. Seems like a nice guy eh?
This is the "source" on Mary Burke, the guy Trek fired:
Missy Bachman UglandPenny's Politics
This is the "source" on Mary Burke, the guy Trek fired:
UnlikeUnlike · Share
lutefisk
(3,974 posts)On June 2, he posted a photo that pictures a swastika and says, "When the German people first saw the swastika, it was a symbol of Hope and Change. Think about it."
Ellerman's Facebook page also includes a number of pictures of him with Republican Party officials, including Walker and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
link to "Democrats pounce on Burke critic's extreme Facebook posts"
riversedge
(69,724 posts)Jim Witkins retweeted
One Wisconsin Now @onewisconsinnow 6h6 hours ago
Here's is the "source" used by the group funded by @scottwalker's campaign co-chair for the smear against @Burke4WI.
Embedded image permalink
0 replies 16 retweets 6 favorites
:large
Cha
(295,913 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)It's why some people will say Scott Walker isn't a crook. Doesn't make it true, though.
lutefisk
(3,974 posts)So, Walker campaign chairman Michael Grebe is also the Bradley Foundation President and CEO and funds the Franklin Center which publishes the Wisconsin Reporter, the "conservative media outlet" that "interviewed" Gary Ellerman and got the smear rolling one week before the election. But the Walker spokesperson insists they have nothing to do with it. Right.
link to Wisconsin State Journal story
riversedge
(69,724 posts)riversedge
(69,724 posts)I am shocked the MJS put this out just now.
@RightWisconsin Milw Jour Sen Our View: Smear job on Mary Burke: Consider the source http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/attack-on-mary-burke-consider-the-source-b99381534z1-280977622.html #wiunion
[link:http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/attack-on-mary-burke-consider-the-source-b99381534z1-280977622.html|
Our View | Governors Race
Attack on Mary Burke: Consider the source
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke addresses supporters at a campaign stop in Milwaukee last week.
Associated Press
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke addresses supporters at a campaign stop in Milwaukee last week.
Oct. 30, 2014 3:05 p.m.
.....But as of today, we know no more about Burke's time at Trek than we did earlier this week.
What we do know is that two reports, one in a conservative publication, the other in the Journal Sentinel, have given voice to critics of Burke's time with Trek criticism larded with hearsay, innuendo and sexist overtones.
Here's what we know:
Fact: The initial report surfaced in The Wisconsin Reporter, a pseudo-journalistic publication bankrolled by conservative foundations. The Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation gave the Reporter $190,000 in 2012 to help underwrite the website. The Bradley Foundation's top executive is Michael W. Grebe, who also chairs Walker's campaign committee. Consider the source.
Fact: That initial report relied heavily on a single source Gary Ellerman, who Trek says was fired "for incompetence" in 2004 and is now chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He also ran as a sham Democratic candidate in the 2012 Senate recall primary to help the incumbent GOP senator in that race. He also has a Facebook page of crude posts regarding President Barack Obama and the first lady, even likening Obama's "hope and change" campaign slogan to a Nazi swastika, reports the Journal Sentinel's Daniel Bice. The page was taken private about 30 minutes after Bice first posted about it Thursday. Consider the source.......
No voter should base his or her decision on 20-year-old twaddle from a fired Trek employee who now is a Republican county chairman all dredged up a week before the election. There are plenty of good issues to vote on, including Burke's record as a businesswoman. After all, she brought it up. But these reports prove nothing and say more about the attackers than they do about her.
mopinko
(69,806 posts)it that people vote before the usual last minute bullshit smears start.
Cha
(295,913 posts)Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)At this point it's probably pretty safe to leave the umbrella at home if a Republican says it is raining.