When a reporter from the Buffalo Beast called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and pretended to be billionaire industrialist and GOP bankroller David Koch, he spoke to the inaccessible governor for 20 minutes about his plans to wipe out public employee’s collective bargaining rights. A spokesman for the governor dismissed the importance of the conversation, “The governor takes many calls everyday,” but clearly the tapes reveal that Walker and ‘Koch’ were plotting strategy to “crush” labor unions and compel Democratic State Senators to return to the capital. Walker said he is willing to “talk, not negotiate” with Wisconsin Democrats, “they’ll have to back down.” Walker told ‘Koch’ “I have a slugger with my name on it” and “I’ve got layoff notices ready” for public employees:
Koch: [Laughs] Well, I tell you what, Scott: once you crush these bastards I’ll fly you out to Cali and really show you a good time.
Walker: All right, that would be outstanding. Thanks for all the support…it’s all about getting our freedoms back…
Read a partial transcript here, or listen to parts 1 and 2 of the audio: