Here's what's behind the Mike Ellis takedown:

[Jackpine Radical]

He pissed off the private voucher people. Also note who else they'e after--Luther Olsen & Rob Cowles.

O'Keefe was called in by the money people to work his magic.

What would it take to convince Senate President Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, a longtime skeptic of private school vouchers, that he should push for a much more dramatic expansion of school choice than is currently proposed in the budget?

Ellis was apparently unconvinced by Gov. Scott Walker’s claim that expanding school choice will offer improved educational opportunities for low-income students in “failing” public schools.

A tea party group in Ellis’ district recently erected a billboard depicting the veteran senator as an Egyptian pharaoh. Accompanying the ancient monarch is a baby meant to resemble the baby in E-Trade ads. The board’s call to action: “Set our children free!”

The group set up two other billboards with the same message for Senate Education Committee Chair Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, and Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Allouez. Both are also depicted as pharaohs.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jack_craver/tea-party-group-to-sen-mike-ellis-set-our-children/article_2043ba70-f7ae-543a-95cb-cd914faf6e04.html#ixzz2yWGRm7iD

[hue]

1. This is a lesson to any R's who dare to buck political philosophical ideology!!

Thanks Jackpine for posting this! I was wondering what was going on!!

[pansypoo53219]

2. i thought he might have thwarted the kock bros.

or emperor walker.

[Pharaoh]

3. Mike Ellis

is still a creep!

Hope he is replaced by someone less creepy!

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Of COURSE he's a creep. But not creepy enough

for the Big Money guys who want to take over the educational system.

[ewagner]

5. kick...

[Viking12]

14. Yep, a creep. He just wasn't helping to destroy public education quickly enough

He just wasn't helping to destroy public education quickly enough for the Walkerbot teabaggers

[hue]

6. So O'Keefe is the 1%'s hit man to take down those who don't march in step!!

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Yup. Sure seems that way.

It will be highly instructive to see what they pull on Cowles & Olsen too.

[lutefisk]

8. Scott Jensen's back

I think this is all about Scott Jensen and the interests he represents. It would be a stretch to believe that fellow caucus scandal player Judi Rhodes being in the middle of this is just a coincidence. Scott's back and this looks like a set up. Remember he was banned from even entering the Capital. Now, like a Capo fresh out of the joint, Jensen is back and flexing his muscles to reestablish himself in the "family". Rhodes' part in this is just too convenient.

He's baaack...

(Feb. 14, 2014)

"Jensen is one of three former Assembly speakers behind a powerful lobbying force that advocates for expanding school choice in Wisconsin. Normally content to work the hallways and private offices of the Capitol where he once wielded power as Assembly speaker between 1995 and 2002, Jensen's decision to offer testimony on an accountability bill shows how much is at stake...

Just weeks after the plea deal in January 2011, Jensen registered as a lobbyist. His only client is the American Federation for Children. The group has tremendous influence...

Two other former Republican Assembly speakers, John Gard and Jeff Fitzgerald, lobby for School Choice Wisconsin."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/ex-assembly-speaker-scott-jensen-testifies-in-school-choice-hearing-b99206094z1-245602561.html

[dembotoz]

9. we need to tar and feather this bastard at every opportunity

[Lefta Dissenter]

10. Ya know what's sweet?

Grothman was with Ellis at the Inn on the Park, and can be heard talking about his own super PAC. That would be super sweet collateral damage, if they caught him in the crossfire, so to speak.

(note to everyone: "Crossfire" is a figure of speech. I do not condone, nor would I wish for, weapons of any kind being used against either of these individuals)

[Jackpine Radical]

11. How do you know that about Grothman?

I don't imagine O'Keefe will bring it out, and we surely can't count on the Koch operatives to do anything with it, but if the Dems have access to a recording of it, that would be nice indeed.

[lutefisk]

13. “I’m eating his french fries because he wants his bill out of my committee”

Grothman, a West Bend Republican who is now running for Congress, can be heard on the recording 7 minutes before Ellis tells an unknown person, “I am putting together my own Super PAC.”

“Mike, is this guy next to you with you?” asks someone, presumably one of the people secretly audio recording Ellis.

“That’s Sen. Grothman,” Ellis replies.

I would think Mary Spicuzza knows more about this...

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/on-the-capitol-glenn-grothman-was-with-mike-ellis-on/article_ef4a6ca6-017c-55f5-b084-69dac4cd672e.html

[Big Tent]

12. These guys can go!

I don't mind seeing these guys go. On the most important votes they chose to stand with the Rich Republican Donors. Dale Schultz is the only Republican State Senator that had a career of being a true statesmen.

[Viking12]

15. This is good news for Penny Bernard Schaber on many levels

No doubt the teabaggers will nominate a total nutball to replace Ellis. That should discourage independents from considering voting R.

Donate to Penny Bernard Schaber

http://www.penny4senate.com/