Hint: The answer is a word that has three letters, starting in 'y'.Did Wisconsin GOP target Scott Walker critic with “McCarthyite” tactics?By Greg SargentI just got off the phone with Professor William Cronon of the University of Wisconsin, a harsh critic of Scott Walker and other Wisconsin Republicans. He’s accusing the Wisconsin GOP of retaliating against his criticism with what he calls “McCarthyite” tactics.
This could be an important story, so bear with me. Earlier this week, Cronon published an Op ed piece in The New York Times that contained a scathing attack on Walker and the Wisconsin GOP, alleging that their anti-union proposal represents a radical break from Wisconsin history. Cronon also posted a blog entry that alleged that a little-known conservative outfit called the American Legislative Exchange Council, which tries to engineer right-wing policies in state legislatures, is behind the Wisconsin anti-union push.
Shortly thereafter, Cronon says, the University of Wisconsin’s attorneys received a request from the Wisconsin GOP, under the state open records law, for copies of a huge amount of Cronon’s emails sent from his state account at the university. That request is posted right here. Tellingly, the Wisconsin GOP asked for Cronon-authored emails that contain a range of union-related keywords, such as “AFSCME,” “collective bargaining,” “recall,” etc.
It’s a remarkable request, as TPM notes. The Wisconsin GOP is apparently using the state’s open records law to request the private emails of a university professor who criticized Walker and Republicans.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-wisconsin-gops-mccarthyite-targeting-of-a-scott-walker-critic/2011/03/03/AFJSGyVB_blog.html">continued
You know, I really, really wish I could say this was unbelievable. Rather than par for the course.
gloomily,
Bright