Gov. Walker previously turned down $38 million in federal funding for developing a plan and refused to do any work to bring Wisconsin into compliance with the Affordable Care Act because he was banking on Obama losing the election.  But, President Obama was re-elected and the deadline is looming. 

He now has no money and 8 days to come up with something.

The state agency lost track of so much money because of gross incompetence. 

The new agency never designated staff or created a department to keep tabs on repayment of its portfolio of hundreds of taxpayer-funded loans totaling $69 million.

Graeme Zielinski, Communications Director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

In case you missed it: Former Walker Aide Pleads Guilty to Felony Misconduct in Public Office.  This is the second Walker aide to plead guilty to criminal charges related to misconduct in office.  

The subpoena orders Walker to show up Oct. 16 for the trial of Kelly M. Rindfleisch.

She stands accused of four felony misconduct charges of doing campaign work while at her job in Milwaukee County as deputy chief of staff to Walker in 2010. At that time, Walker was Milwaukee County executive and a Republican candidate for governor. Her charges grew from a two-year secret John Doe investigation that’s focused on former aides and associates of Walker.

arenaoftheunwell:

In case you were wondering, Scott Walker is still an asshole.

Prosecutors may call Gov. Scott Walker as a witness in an embezzlement case involving Timothy D. Russell, a former top aide while Walker was Milwaukee County executive.

Walker shows up on prosecutors’ list of 42 prospective witnesses at Russell’s trial on three counts of theft, including embezzling $21,042 from a fund intended to help veterans and their families and stealing smaller sums from two candidates for the Milwaukee County Board whose campaigns Russell helped.

His trial is scheduled to start Dec. 3.

(Source: quickhits)

Portraits from the RNC.  Scott Walker.

Photo: Christopher Anderson, New York Magazine.

Worth 1,000 words.

#katrina.

motherjones:

Dude.

Worst.governor.ever.

hambonetoblerone:

Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid, the massively popular program which makes health insurance available for lower-income Americans. For the first three years, the federal government covers 100 percent of the expansion costs. After five years, the federal government finances 90 percent of the expanded population.

Not a single Republican governor has pledged to accept the new Medicaid funds and three Democrats are also considering turning down the money. In total, these states would give up $291.4 billion in federal funds and leave 10,297,221 Americans uninsured.

A number of largely Republican-led states that gambled on delay now face the unsettling prospect that the federal government could take over their responsibilities, particularly in setting up the health insurance marketplaces known as exchanges, where people will be able to choose among policies for their coverage.

Scott Walker, of course, doesn’t think federal law applies to him.

Mr. Walker quickly raised the risk by announcing that, in spite of the ruling, he would continue to delay any imposition of the law while waiting to see whether Republicans took control of the White House or Congress in November. Republicans on Capitol Hill, and the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, have vowed to repeal the entire law if they gain power.  “Wisconsin will not take any action to implement Obamacare,” Mr. Walker said in a statement. 

The fight now apparently is over some attempts at misinformation spread by [ultra conservative] local radio talk-jock Charlie Sykes. Sykes had been implying clearly that the prosecution in the investigation has been leaking.  Alas, though, it appears that the various defense teams employed by the various defendants, all of whom have their own different reasons to cut their own deals, have been doing what they have to do to gain whatever advantages they can. These rear-guard maneuverings continue apace….

Michael Maistelman, a lawyer for defendant Timothy Russell, sent an email to radio talk show host Charlie Sykes on Jan. 22, tipping off Sykes to the likelihood that two other former Walker aides would be charged that week. Those aides, Darlene Wink and Kelly Rindfleisch, were charged four days later on Jan. 26…Sykes and other defenders of the Republican governor have complained of illegal information leaks on the Doe investigation, which was launched more than two years ago. Sykes’ radio program is aired on WTMJ-AM (620). Sykes said he has referred to the investigation as “leaking like a sieve,” without putting the blame on prosecutors. Sykes declined to comment Tuesday on the email he got from Maistelman, who didn’t immediately return a call.    

Russell is the key to the whole thing. If he rolls, that’s the ballgame.