I AM THE FORCE

Today's guilty plea by former Representative Steve Foti is the most maddening day of the caucus scandal to date. FOTI HAD VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN MACHINE, and he ends up having to take this bullet.

I think that Brian Blanchard and his group of selective crusaders HAVE LOST THEIR MINDS! He should never even have been charged, UNLESS YOU ALSO WANTED TO CHARGE ABOUT 50 OTHERS.

For the team, Foti said fine when higher ups asked him to put the Assembly Republican fundraiser on his payroll. He didn't supervise her, he didn't direct her, he merely stood aside and let things happen in other corners of the capitol. Foti was never involved in caucus campaign stuff. It simply was not his interest, and he never particularly cared for the institution. After becoming Majority Leader, he simply stepped up and allowed for one of his positions to be used by others. WHAT ABOUT SHIRLEY KRUG OR BRIAN FRALEY OR MARY PANZER OR RICH JUDGE? For gods' sake, they actually ran campaign machines out of the capitol AND THEY'VE NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH ANYTHING!!!!

Steve Foti is one of the best guys to have ever served in the Legislature. His early unseriousness was replaced by intelligence, results and an exceptional demeanor with members of both parties. It is worse than unfortunate that this scandal forced him out of office, as he would have been a great Speaker. A giant next to the midgets that are currently hoping to succeed Gard. SHAME ON YOU, BRIAN BLANCHARD, FOR SCREWING THIS UP!! You busted one of the good guys, and let dozens of more egregious violators slide. IT IS BEYOND SICKENING!

And another thing, I found it laughable to read the language in the plea agreement about Foti potentially having to pay back $300,000 in salary to cover the cost of Sherry Schultz. THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT! If you want to know who really benefited for her fundraising, track down every Republican that's been in a targeted race over the last decade. They should be the ones paying her salary, not Mick Foti. What about you, Don Friske? Jerry Petrowski? Warren Bluhm? Judy Krawczyk? Lorraine Seratti? AND DOZENS MORE!!!! And the Democrats have an entire legion of their own, guilty of benefiting and cheating more than Steve Foti could even imagine.

He had to plead guilty to avoid a felony conviction from a bogus justice system in Dane County. Prosecutors and judges in Dane County have too much power and can crush you by merely choosing to do so. Should Foti have gone along with the game? Probably not. But neither should the hundreds of others who gained from the work of the caucuses over the years. If they aren't required to answer for the system, then Steve Foti should never have been forced to answer for the system.

Go ahead, Blanchard, finish crushing Scott Jensen and then you can just walk away claiming a big victory for clean government. Congratulations. But your judgment sucks, and you cherry picked only the rulebreakers of your choice. HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF? You ruin people for what? The caucus system was already gone by the time you filed your first charges. Let's hope some of these guys can survive this travesty of justice, because what you've done to most of them simply isn't right, fair or equitable.

It was a very bad day in the caucus scandal. Foti doesn't need to ask for our forgiveness -- but we should all probably ask for his.