Bob in Rep. Jones' office is planning on attending a fundraiser for Rep. Smith in the evening, and is planning on heading there straight from work. At 4 o'clock, Bob realizes that he forgot the directions to the fundraiser. From his state-owned computer at his state-owned desk, Bob goes onto Wheeler, gets the address for the fundraiser, enters the address into Google Maps, and prints off the directions on his state-owned printer. Should we throw Bob in jail?
Diane and Stephanie are co-workers at the Capitol. Diane works for Stephanie's legislator and has a bunch of campaign lit left over in her car from the weekend. Stephanie offers to drop a couple of neighborhoods around her house as a favor to Diane. Diane gets some lit from her trunk over her lunch hour and brings it to Stephanie in her office. Should we throw Diane and Stephanie in jail?
The job security of legislative employees lies entirely upon success in the political realm. You can pick through my archives and see that I think it's an exercise in sheer absurdity to break out the microscope and try to delineate between political and legislative duties. But I can appreciate the concerns that some individuals have raised, and based on history, I believe the Legislature provides its employees with adequate instruction in regards of applicable law.
I think reasonable people can agree in a macro-level sense when something just doesn't seem right. But sometimes it's harder to judge specific instances without understanding the context or intent of the action.
In the aforementioned instances, I think most people would agree (Mike McCabe obviously excepted) that what Bob has really done amounts to incidental personal use of a work resource. Diane is bringing the lit to Stephanie at work because it happens to be the most convenient place for Diane to do that. People in all walks of life and in all kinds of jobs do these sorts of things every day.
Somewhere in the private sector, Jack uses his work phone to call his wife Jane to make sure that little Jimmy gets picked up from soccer practice at 5:30. The next day, Jane sends Jack an email to his work account reminding him to order that birthday gift on Amazon for Aunt Jenny. Rather than relying on his forgetful mind, Jack takes five minutes to do it from his terminal at work and prints a copy of the receipt for his records.
Should Jack's boss fire him if the company policy says that incidental personal use of work resources is allowed? Again, I think most reasonable people would think that Jack's actions are acceptable, unless they are part of an ongoing pattern in which Jack is managing his entire life on the clock.
I have no idea what goes on in this magic room marked "private" that Owen discusses. It's probably no more a caucus than the assorted Republican staffers in legislative offices who are designated to assist all caucus members with media. If Democratic staffers are sitting in a room in the Capitol plotting campaign strategies and designing lit on a state computer all while on the state dime, I think everyone would agree that doesn't pass the smell test.
Do I believe that a Democratic staffer was dumb enough to leave a bunch of political documents in the copier? Not really. Do I believe Mark Miller when he practically suggests that Republican staffers were digging through his belongings looking for campaign material? Not really.
Well, maybe a few of them would.
To assume that this is somehow Democratic sloppiness around the office equipment is about as big of a reach as assuming that Robin Vos was the one conveniently leaving the photocopies of his Match.com profile around the Capitol copy rooms last year. Nobody is that dumb, especially considering that Mark Miller shares the annex he describes with a Republican. (By the way, Robin, congrats on that MJS endorsem... oh wait, they recommended your opponent. Even while finding great things to say about Kleefisch and Vukmir, both of whom are just as conservative as you are.)
If this six month old "discovery" is somehow the tip of the iceberg - if there's something bigger behind it all - then of course that should be looked into. But to hear that a political document has been found floating around the State Capitol and then watch conservative bloggers feign shock and surprise while simultaneously doing their best Mike McCabe impressions?
Spare me. It's like being bukakked with stupid.
Diane and Stephanie are co-workers at the Capitol. Diane works for Stephanie's legislator and has a bunch of campaign lit left over in her car from the weekend. Stephanie offers to drop a couple of neighborhoods around her house as a favor to Diane. Diane gets some lit from her trunk over her lunch hour and brings it to Stephanie in her office. Should we throw Diane and Stephanie in jail?
The job security of legislative employees lies entirely upon success in the political realm. You can pick through my archives and see that I think it's an exercise in sheer absurdity to break out the microscope and try to delineate between political and legislative duties. But I can appreciate the concerns that some individuals have raised, and based on history, I believe the Legislature provides its employees with adequate instruction in regards of applicable law.
I think reasonable people can agree in a macro-level sense when something just doesn't seem right. But sometimes it's harder to judge specific instances without understanding the context or intent of the action.
In the aforementioned instances, I think most people would agree (Mike McCabe obviously excepted) that what Bob has really done amounts to incidental personal use of a work resource. Diane is bringing the lit to Stephanie at work because it happens to be the most convenient place for Diane to do that. People in all walks of life and in all kinds of jobs do these sorts of things every day.
Somewhere in the private sector, Jack uses his work phone to call his wife Jane to make sure that little Jimmy gets picked up from soccer practice at 5:30. The next day, Jane sends Jack an email to his work account reminding him to order that birthday gift on Amazon for Aunt Jenny. Rather than relying on his forgetful mind, Jack takes five minutes to do it from his terminal at work and prints a copy of the receipt for his records.
Should Jack's boss fire him if the company policy says that incidental personal use of work resources is allowed? Again, I think most reasonable people would think that Jack's actions are acceptable, unless they are part of an ongoing pattern in which Jack is managing his entire life on the clock.
I have no idea what goes on in this magic room marked "private" that Owen discusses. It's probably no more a caucus than the assorted Republican staffers in legislative offices who are designated to assist all caucus members with media. If Democratic staffers are sitting in a room in the Capitol plotting campaign strategies and designing lit on a state computer all while on the state dime, I think everyone would agree that doesn't pass the smell test.
Do I believe that a Democratic staffer was dumb enough to leave a bunch of political documents in the copier? Not really. Do I believe Mark Miller when he practically suggests that Republican staffers were digging through his belongings looking for campaign material? Not really.
Well, maybe a few of them would.
To assume that this is somehow Democratic sloppiness around the office equipment is about as big of a reach as assuming that Robin Vos was the one conveniently leaving the photocopies of his Match.com profile around the Capitol copy rooms last year. Nobody is that dumb, especially considering that Mark Miller shares the annex he describes with a Republican. (By the way, Robin, congrats on that MJS endorsem... oh wait, they recommended your opponent. Even while finding great things to say about Kleefisch and Vukmir, both of whom are just as conservative as you are.)
If this six month old "discovery" is somehow the tip of the iceberg - if there's something bigger behind it all - then of course that should be looked into. But to hear that a political document has been found floating around the State Capitol and then watch conservative bloggers feign shock and surprise while simultaneously doing their best Mike McCabe impressions?
Spare me. It's like being bukakked with stupid.
4 comments:
If there were copies made using a state copier.. that's bad... that's really bad.
It is said that copied documents are not recorded in the capitol, we'll see if that holds true or if anyone tries to produce a record of what was copied and when.
As for Mark Miller... as idiotic as the "wrong binder" story seems, it actually sounds just like him. He is a bit of a forgetful klutz. He wouldn't remember his car keys at the end of the day if it were not for his staff. Letting him out into the world of SSDC without his staff is just asking for trouble.
As for the whole coordination aspect... i'm shocked, SHOCKED! This is not coordination. The GOP knows it and does just as much themselves. Are they going to cry wolf? Of course, and the Dems would too, so... SHOCKED! It is what it is. The Bloggers can keep on blogging because anyone who takes the time to read any single blog that would give mention to this matter knew who they were voting for this fall sometime around November 3, 2004. (don't take that as an insult RS - even people on the "inside" need your welcomed reasoning)
Speaking of coordination, that means that this release was intentional and timed. The GOP and its allies have known of this "story" since june. I wonder if there's already lit in the mail or tv spots on the way to studios that reference these ethical violations "which people have gone to jail for." I'm sure a blind eye will be turned toward coordination when the GOP, All Children Matter, WMC and more start sending lit and running ads at the same time on this "sudden" leak. That's coordination, right? No.
The Washington Post or NYT had an interesting article recently about how the recent DC sex scandal has done almost nothing to change people's views on this falls election. The conclusion: bad news for GOP. If a pedophile sex scandal can't change peoples views, they've dug their trenches and aren't giving up. That's bad news for the GOP as they're losing in polls and this basically says nothing is going to change that. So, could that translate to Wisconsin? For one thing, the Gov and Falk are insulated from this. So that really only leaves the Senate races. If the federal races are an indication, this potential "scandal" might have enough fire power to change a whole lot of no minds.
I'm sure the righties will have at me for trying to "downplay" it. My point is that they know themselves this isn't much of a scandal (though it's huge strategically for Senate GOP, and has been for the last 5 months). Still, they'll make noise and say "how dare you downplay this." And again, I don't blame them, the Dems would do the same thing. We just all know it's part of the game.
Speaking of having at it. I hope you're prepared RS for a nice "talkin to" by your fellow bloggers. Can anyone say "closet democrat?" Where's Jenna?
If nothing else, we'll all learn soon enough whether or not the GOP has dug such a deep hole that even this fabricated October [June] surprise can't save them.
I don't have a problem with Miller's story that he switched/forgot binders. Happens a lot.
But I DO have a problem with the Xeroxing.
If you concede that 'some' Pubbies might steal the item, you really must concede that Miller (??) is also stupid enough to copy the stuff on a Capitol Xerox.
"klutz," remember?
Well I agree about the copying, that could be the most damming thing... if it happened.
The only reason to believe anything was copied is the words of the staffer who found them that no one will reveal. I'm hesitant to believe the extent of the story until they at least put their name on it. I'm just a cynic and wonder if they were laying out and it was more convenient to say it was found "in the copier" instead of "on the counter." Who would ever be able to prove one way or the other. The GOP would be happy to get mileage out of this implied, yet unprovable point, knowing the Dems could do nothing to prove they're wrong.
I'm still not trying to place blame, as I'm not so sure the Dems wouldn't do the exact same thing if the tables were turned. It just is what it is.
I don't disagree with your klutz comment, dad29, I guess I just thought a klutz is someone who forgets things or grabs their wife's lunch instead of theirs or doesn't turn off the stove. To actively go into a copy room, take sheets out of a binder and begin copying them... in my book that extends beyond a klutz. But, that's my book.
If nothing else, for someone who enjoys the "game" of politics for the sake of the game... this is incredibly entertaining and interesting.
I didnt know Vince Biskupic works for the senate dems...
(wait to see if anyone gets that 2002 reference...)
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