Former Trek executives say Mary Burke was forced out

[lutefisk]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Two former high-level executives of Trek Bicycle claim that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke was forced out as head of European operations for her family's business 21 years ago — an allegation that Burke and the company denied, labeling it a last-minute smear campaign.

"I'm not saying she was incompetent," said Tom Albers, former Trek chief operating officer who left the company in 1997. "Maybe this job was too big for her."

Burke and Trek Bicycle called the claims outrageous, pointing out that the statements are being made by former Trek employees who had to leave the company, are both conservative and are airing them just six days out from Tuesday's tight election.



Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-paul-ryan-urge-voters-to-be-for-something-b99380639z1-280807982.html

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This last minute smear campaign of the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, one week before the election, began with accusations of Burke being fired from Trek by her own brother. The person behind the accusations is Gary Ellerman, who was fired from Trek and is currently the chairman of the Jefferson County (Wisconsin) Republican Party. Ellerman is also known for running as a "fake Democrat" in a 2012 Wisconsin State Senate race. Tom Albers, also fired from Trek, later supported some of Ellerman's accusations when interviewed. Has anyone seen Karl Rove hanging out in Wisconsin, lately?

[Scuba]

1. Bullshit.

[lutefisk]

4. Perfectly timed bullshit

Call it FUD, Swiftboating, whatever- we knew some sort of last minute smear was coming. The coordinated radio and TV ads are ready to launch, I'm sure. Now what?

[Scuba]

9. I hope it pisses off a few more people enough so that they get out and vote for her.

[riversedge]

12. We can hope Scuba!

[madokie]

21. Smells of lee atwater/rove

bullshit. Lee is who rove learned many his underhanded tricks from

[Drunken Irishman]

35. Sounds like these GOP assholes are nervous.

Hope she can pull it out. Fuck Walker.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Manly condescension

That's a win.

[lutefisk]

30. "Manly condescension"

Excellent. I'm going to start using that because it is so true.

[drray23]

3. how condescending

"Maybe this job was too big for her. "

Talk about unadulterated misogyny.

Do these people think before they talk or are they so disconnected from being decent human beings that they do not realize how offensive this is ?

[Cha]

24. I know! "Maybe this job was too big for her."

[lutefisk]

32. I've yet to hear the "media" point this out

That language says a lot about Tom Albers and destroys his unearned male privileged credibility. It makes me believe Mary Burke when she states that Albers "has an axe to grind", whatever that axe may be.

[SCVDem]

5. That's a swiftboat, you betcha!

These guys probably were released because of a lack of morals.

They were likely jerks to the more liberal customer base of Trek.

What exactly is slander if you can say damn near anything?

[Major Hogwash]

6. Hahaha, it won't work!! The people of Wisconsin have seen last minute smears before!!!

Wisconsin has a Governor who is currently in office today that is so slimy that he leaves a trail behind him!!

Burke for the win!!!

[Cha]

25. Really, Major.. 21 years ago.. So Desperate! Rofl "Maybe this job was too big for her "

[Major Hogwash]

26. Bigger news came out today about Burke . . .

. . . she was onery in kindergarten!

[Cha]

28. Like the news that came out about Obama from kindergarten back in the day.. "He

wanted to be President!"

[Major Hogwash]

31. Yes, the Republicans are ruthless! They keep digging in to the background of all of the Democrats.

The Republicans have even been looking for *gasp* birth certificates!!!!!



I'll never ever get over that one about Obama!
It was just too much woo!!

[Cha]

33. I know.. I remember back it 08 in New York.. this volunteer at my job at the Community Co-op..

evidently had been mainlining rw radio/fox "news".. and her sweet little face was saying to me.. "it seems like he wasn't born in this country and what about those college transcripts?".. I wanted to punch something but I held my cool.. her being a volunteer and all.. and just said.. "Trust me.. Barack Obama was born in Hawai'i".

HaHa.. President Obama is in his second Term now and the birthers are sucking on dust.

[Archae]

7. This shows how desperate Walker and the GOP are.

[oldandhappy]

8. 21 years ago??!!

Ahso, more K money used without ethics.

[Kelvin Mace]

10. I saw this

and was wondering why I didn't recognize someone high up in the Star Trek franchise.

[lutefisk]

29. Made me laugh

Which doesn't happen much in Wississippi these days.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. Kochs, not KKKarl

Walker is the biggest Koch Sucker in the US.

[davidpdx]

13. I'm sure there is Kock money behind the whole thing as well

[riversedge]

14. This is the "source" on Mary Burke, the guy Trek fired (Gary Ellerman):

It is a photo-shopped pic of our First lady with a poster dissing her family!

Tweet:

Troy Freund ?@MidwestPhoto 38m38 minutes ago

.@WiStateJournal @journalsentinel @js_politics re: Mary Burke/Trek... https://www.facebook.com/rscherckmeyer/posts/10204855649138357 … #WIunion


Facebook (from link in Tweet):


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154814421900220&set=gm.974009802615343&type=1



Renee Scherck-Meyer shared Missy Bachman Ugland's photo.
1 hr ·

Here is a sample FB posting from the former Trek employee (FIRED former employee) who said Burke was fired for incompetence. Seems like a nice guy eh?
This is the "source" on Mary Burke, the guy Trek fired:
Missy Bachman Ugland?Penny's Politics

This is the "source" on Mary Burke, the guy Trek fired:
UnlikeUnlike · Share

[lutefisk]

17. Ellerman is quite the Facebooker

Yet another from this week suggests the Democratic president embraces Communism. An Obama supporter is labeled in an Oct. 21 post as a "criminal accomplice."

On June 2, he posted a photo that pictures a swastika and says, "When the German people first saw the swastika, it was a symbol of Hope and Change. Think about it."

Ellerman's Facebook page also includes a number of pictures of him with Republican Party officials, including Walker and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

link to "Democrats pounce on Burke critic's extreme Facebook posts"

[riversedge]

18. Here's is the "source" used by the group funded by @scottwalker's campaign co-chair for the smear ag

Jim Witkins retweeted
One Wisconsin Now ?@onewisconsinnow 6h6 hours ago

Here's is the "source" used by the group funded by @scottwalker's campaign co-chair for the smear against @Burke4WI.
Embedded image permalink
0 replies 16 retweets 6 favorites



:large

[Cha]

27. RW FUCKWADS.. they got NOTHIN" so they resort to being the A$$holes they were brought up to be.

[Octafish]

15. Some people will say anything for money.

It's why some people will say Scott Walker isn't a crook. Doesn't make it true, though.

[lutefisk]

16. Walker campaign connection to the smear

Wisconsin Reporter received $190,000 in 2012 from the Bradley Foundation. Michael Grebe, the foundation’s president and CEO, is Walker’s campaign chairman.

Walker campaign spokeswoman Alleigh Marre said the campaign played no role in the Wisconsin Reporter story. “We’re confident that voters will want to continue moving forward with Governor Walker’s plan and positive vision for the future instead of Mary Burke’s divisive, negative, and aggressive rhetoric,” she said.

So, Walker campaign chairman Michael Grebe is also the Bradley Foundation President and CEO and funds the Franklin Center which publishes the Wisconsin Reporter, the "conservative media outlet" that "interviewed" Gary Ellerman and got the smear rolling one week before the election. But the Walker spokesperson insists they have nothing to do with it. Right.

link to Wisconsin State Journal story

[riversedge]

19. This Burke smear is sickening

[riversedge]

20. Milw Jour Sen Our View: Smear job on Mary Burke: Consider the source ....

I am shocked the MJS put this out just now.




@RightWisconsin Milw Jour Sen Our View: Smear job on Mary Burke: Consider the source http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/attack-on-mary-burke-consider-the-source-b99381534z1-280977622.html #wiunion

[link:http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/attack-on-mary-burke-consider-the-source-b99381534z1-280977622.html|


Our View | Governor’s Race

Attack on Mary Burke: Consider the source




Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke addresses supporters at a campaign stop in Milwaukee last week.
Associated Press
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke addresses supporters at a campaign stop in Milwaukee last week.
Oct. 30, 2014 3:05 p.m.




.....But as of today, we know no more about Burke's time at Trek than we did earlier this week.

What we do know is that two reports, one in a conservative publication, the other in the Journal Sentinel, have given voice to critics of Burke's time with Trek — criticism larded with hearsay, innuendo and sexist overtones.

Here's what we know:

Fact: The initial report surfaced in The Wisconsin Reporter, a pseudo-journalistic publication bankrolled by conservative foundations. The Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation gave the Reporter $190,000 in 2012 to help underwrite the website. The Bradley Foundation's top executive is Michael W. Grebe, who also chairs Walker's campaign committee. Consider the source.

Fact: That initial report relied heavily on a single source — Gary Ellerman, who Trek says was fired "for incompetence" in 2004 and is now chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He also ran as a sham Democratic candidate in the 2012 Senate recall primary to help the incumbent GOP senator in that race. He also has a Facebook page of crude posts regarding President Barack Obama and the first lady, even likening Obama's "hope and change" campaign slogan to a Nazi swastika, reports the Journal Sentinel's Daniel Bice. The page was taken private about 30 minutes after Bice first posted about it Thursday. Consider the source.......


No voter should base his or her decision on 20-year-old twaddle from a fired Trek employee who now is a Republican county chairman — all dredged up a week before the election. There are plenty of good issues to vote on, including Burke's record as a businesswoman. After all, she brought it up. But these reports prove nothing and say more about the attackers than they do about her.

[mopinko]

22. gotta say the best part about early voting

it that people vote before the usual last minute bullshit smears start.

[Cha]

23. Slimey republicons last minute "Smear" campaign?! Why I Never! Fucking Scott Walker needs

to be FIRED!

[Kalidurga]

34. Says the guy fired for incompetence...

At this point it's probably pretty safe to leave the umbrella at home if a Republican says it is raining.