May 2, 2015

"The latest attack on Walker is that he has 'up to' $50,000 in credit card debt to — wait for it — Sears."

"The Daily News does the hit on Walker, from the angle of it proving he’s not really a fiscal conservative.... Hello, it’s SEARS!... I don’t see how any of this hurts Walker."

Well, there's one thing that was proved a long time ago about Scott Walker: If you strike him down, he will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

I live in Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by people who — I think — are thinking How the hell did this happen? We crushed him with 100,000 protesters. We destroyed him....

Do not attempt to destroy The Walker. 

I don't know what that man bought at Sears, but maybe you should be shopping at Sears. Maybe something in the appliance department... maybe the tools... I don't know. Be careful, people.

57 comments:

Expat(ish) said...

Sears will send contractors to remodel your house or replace your roof or ... Easy to spend $50K that way.

Plus they often have 0% interest deals. Good thing, free money.

-XC

Wilbur said...

I've always bought my appliances at Sears. Competitive prices and I've had good experiences with their warranty and service offerings.

By golly, I just changed my vote to Scott Walker!

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I wouldn't have thought that Sears had that nice a men's suits department.

Maybe they've added a Craftsman line of business wear.

Expat(ish) said...

@eric - oh god, flashback to "Sears Iron Jeans - guaranteed not to rip at the knees."

Or bend. Or breathe on a hot Florida summer day. Or be as cool as 501's.

Probably why I let my kids buy a certain amount of trendy clothing.

-XC

FleetUSA said...

Indestructible Walker.

The left loves all non-issue attacks but doesn't talk about he's helping the common man.

Hagar said...

"We don’t know exactly how much because financial disclosures only are made in broad ranges, so it could be as little as $10,000."

New dining room set.

Joe Schmoe said...

Walker has a negative net worth of -$72,000. Yes, that only makes me like him more. Especially when you consider jerks like Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton who use their positions and influence to line their own pockets.

From Inwood said...

Would it be OK if Sears has contributed to the Clinton, er, charity fund?

robinintn said...

So, you use your cash to pay for the lawyers, an absolute necessity considering that rogue prosecutor, and you get by on credit for as much everyday stuff as possible. Yes, I can definitely relate to this guy.

traditionalguy said...

It is a Discover Card issued through Sears. He probably uses it at Kohls and at the Harley Davidson Dealership.

The Koch brothers need to hurry up and start writing the checks for the next President of the United States.

Anonymous said...

Back when I still shopped at Sears they offered a branded Mastercard, so it could just be a regular credit card that happens to offer good deals on appliances.

rhhardin said...

Craftsman wrenches were made by Easco.

I remember that from an Easco annual report.

The cover one year had a dad teaching his daughter about wrenches.

It would have to be the dad.

Rob said...

If, as reported, it's a Mastercard, Walker doesn't owe the money to Sears, he owes it to the bank that issued the card. And the amount of debt reported by him on the card is a maximum of $50,000 but could be as little as $10,000.

Michael K said...

One of the tragic stpries of the internet age is how Sears could have been Amazon,com if they had recognized the potential their catalog business. I worked for them in college and could see the huge problems they had in their management.

It's just a shame.The Sears mall store near me has been closed for a year. I used to buy appliances there. Walker is indestructible, as Jeb Bush is going to find out.

Gahrie said...

Walker has a negative net worth of -$72,000. Yes, that only makes me like him more

That, and the fact that a significant amount of that debt is to Sears, just makes the coastal elites hate him more.

RecChief said...

He's just going to sell off some of Wisconsin's natural lands up north to corporate interests.

Clean water, open lands?
FOR SALE, out of staters.... Get it while it's good.

(What will really break him is when it's revealed how much foreign interests are gobbling up Wisconsin. It's not just the Koch brothers with deep pockets, and an undereducated politician knows how to sell himself, that's for sure...)



Foreign interests? Like the Clinton Commercial enterprise? those foreign instests?

Titus said...

I don't have any credit card debt.

I love Walker so much, but I am surprised he has that much credit card debt.

My father always taught me to pay for things with cash-otherwise don't buy something.

tits.

Big Mike said...

He shops at Kohls and Sears? Hillary Clinton couldn't find her way to a Sears store with an iPad.

If the voters see a picture of him shopping in a WalMart or Sams Club the 2016 election is OVER!

Big Mike said...

PS: Does Wisconsin provide a governor's mansion? Because my neighbor in my old neighborhood had Sears re-roof his house and that could cost over $10,000 these days. I presume that if the governor's mansion needed a new roof it wouldn't come out of the governor's pocket, but you really do live in a strange state, Professor, so who knows?

Big Mike said...

@Titus, if the roof is leaking or the water heater fails or you need to have your air conditioner fixed going into the summer then you really don't have much choice about temporarily going into debt.

Titus said...

When I need new blinds or something for my home my mom says, "Go to Penneys or Sears".

I am like, mom, we don't have those stores out here!

tits.

Titus said...

BigMike, that has happened, and I receive an assessment from the management company.

We needed a new water heater, the roof was damaged this winter, and we are building a roof deck.

So for the next 6 months I am paying another $1100 a month-cash-I don't have the ability to charge though.

Titus said...

My dad has never used a credit card. My mom and him purchased their first house for $15,000-my mom and I were just discussing this.

The house was a disaster.

My dad, who was a mechanic, saved $9,000. My mom, who was a secretary, saved $6,000.

My parents grew up very poor farmers. Seriously, neither had an indoor toilet. Both my grandparents had lots of money when they died and my parents had 5 homes at one time and are loaded.

My mom talks about the discounts she gets with her "Piggy Points"-Piggly Wiggly. She saved like 5 cents a gallon on gas and is thrilled.

I, on the other hand, make more money than they ever made, and I don't have a pot to piss in-a saying my dad used.

I do have 401k and stock savings, but I don't save anything other than that.

Anonymous said...

Kenmore secret routers!

Ann Althouse said...

I'll bet he pays off the credit card bills as they come in. We're just seeing a statement about the average or the line of credit or whatever.

This is all a big nothing.

It is significant that he has little wealth, especially since he keeps giving back his salary (and he has sons in college).

Drago said...

titus: "When I need new blinds or something for my home my mom says, "Go to Penneys or Sears".

I am like, mom, we don't have those stores out here!"

Try Harder Titus.

Penneys in MA


Sears in MA


alan markus said...

I do have 401k and stock savings, but I don't save anything other than that

I'm pretty sure that you did a comment here (at least once) about all the undeveloped land your parents own and how most of their wealth is being bequested to you upon their deaths.

Bob Boyd said...

According to a source who spoke to me on condition of anonymity, the Koch Brothers have both shopped at Sears, likely more than once.

Coincidence?

Rohan said...

Wouldn't he have a pension from the government though? Are they counting the present value of that pension in his net wealth?

paminwi said...

Hey, remember when you could order a house from Sears? In Plymouth, WI our neighbors had a house they ordered from Sears. It was actually very nice. The husband had built it himself, with his father and some friends.

Big Mike said...

@Titus, your management company doesn't let you put extraordinary fees on a credit card? That's very strange. Sounds like they do poor preventative maintenance and aren't very tenant-friendly.

Bill Crawford said...

How much has Gov Walker bought through the Althouse Amazon portal?

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Maybe Sears is where he went to secretly finish his college degree. Very easy to pile up $50,000 in student loans...

Original Mike said...

"if the roof is leaking or the water heater fails or you need to have your air conditioner fixed going into the summer then you really don't have much choice about temporarily going into debt."

You do if you have money saved in an emergency fund. But as Althouse said, it could be he pays it off at the end of the month.

Bruce Hayden said...

Think about the contrast - Hillary! with a family fortune north of $100 million, all from selling influence, and Walker here, with debt to Sears. Any Republican (except for Romney again) is going to be on the good side of this divide, but Walker maybe the best. And, I like the idea of shopping at Walmart or maybe esp. Sam's Club to highlight how they are in touch, and Hillary! isn't. Rub it in by driving to the store (Hillary! hasn't driven for over 20 years now, thanks to her political power and extreme wealth).

Jim said...

He didn't necessarily buy anything at Sears. It's a Sears Mastercard - which means it's an affinity card which probably offers some kind of cash back or discount at Sears for using it but which can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

Achilles said...

Ann Althouse said...

"It is significant that he has little wealth, especially since he keeps giving back his salary (and he has sons in college)."

Sorry, but this is too silly. He does have a responsibility to his family. I could understand returning the salary if he had money but he doesn't have money. He should at least charge expenses before returning his salary.

He is a good person and he is doing good things for Wisconsin. He should get paid and and least pay off his credit cards.

mikee said...

I grew up wearing Sears Iron Jeans, one pair at the beginning of each summer, sometimes a hand-me-down from my older brother, sometimes a new pair if he managed to destroy his old pair so utterly it could not be passed down.

Levi's were a revelation of comfort & style, and that's when they sold them, and I bought them, un-broken in.

Joe said...

The Sears Mastercard doesn't have cash back, but does have 5% off for many high priced things bought at sears, like appliances, electronics, tools, etc.

If you know you're going to buy a lot of these items, you could save a significant amount of money over using a cash back card.

This shows smarts, not stupidity.

Anonymous said...

Liberals would rather Walker sucking taxpayers' money to fund his "charitable" Foundation, and spend millions of taxpayers' money on a round of golf, than for him to earn and use his own money and save taxpayers'.

Why do liberals hate taxpayers so?

n.n said...

There is no conflict assuming that he has the means and expectation to compensate people for products and services in a timely fashion.

That said, tens of thousands of dollars, really? It pales in comparison to tens of trillions of dollars backed by the full faith and credit of unplanned Americans.

lemondog said...

Scott Walker Net Worth

Ken Mitchell said...

We're not talking about a Sears store credit card. It's a Sears-branded MasterCard, which can be used for anything.

SGT Ted said...

Pretty weak sauce.

clint said...

These articles assigning a "net worth" to politicians seem really sketchy to me.

For one, Hillary Clinton was given a net worth of $15M -- when the Clinton Foundation, wholly controlled by the Clintons, took in ten times that much money in the Russian Uranium scandal alone.

Anonymous said...

How much has Gov Walker bought through the Althouse Amazon portal?

The best part of the Amazon Portal is that it is untraceable. When Republicans want to pay Ann for publishing their talking points on her blog, they can do so without any worries or concerns about campaign finance laws.

Anonymous said...

"the governor has given $370,000 of his salary back to taxpayers"

That was over ten years ago, when he was county executive and not as governor.

When running for Gov he promised to voluntarily cut his own pay immediately upon entering office, but he didn't do so until forced by Act 10 several months later.

Anonymous said...

*five years ago, in 2010, not 10 years ago.

My bad

Drago said...

madisonfella: "That was over ten years ago, when he was county executive and not as governor."

Thank you madisonfella.

Now, to "teh maths":

$370,000 in 2005 is equivalent to $447,000 with a cumulative rate of inflation change of approximately 21%.

That means Walker could have had an additional $447,000 in today dollars (and given that his "giving back" was over a number of earlier years even more than that).

That's something.

How much of the billions slushed thru to Hillary via the "Foundation" funnel did the Clintons return again?

Drago said...

madisonfella: "*five years ago, in 2010, not 10 years ago."

Dang it!

Ok, redoing "teh maths": $370,000 in 2010 is worth $400,000 in 2015 with an approx 8% cumulative rate of inflation.

Drago said...

madisonfella: "When running for Gov he promised to voluntarily cut his own pay immediately upon entering office, but he didn't do so until forced by Act 10 several months later."

Well, that oughta be worth a John Doe investigation or two right there.

deepelemblues said...

Republicans are just bad people who deserve it so consistency doesn't mean anything. It's in the rules.

Rich? Bad and consciously racist.

Poor? Bad and stupid and consciously racist.

Middle-class? Bad and stupid and unconsciously racist.

Owns guns? A clear and present danger to society. Bad.

Doesn't own guns? A smokescreen. Bad.

Owns a business? Exploiter. Bad.

Doesn't own a business? Votes against his "economic interest," stupid and bad.

Is a Christian? Stupid, bigoted, bad.

Isn't a Christian? Doesn't he see what those "Dominionists" he's allied with are doing? Stupid and bad.

Is a non-interventionist? Doesn't care about all those non-white people capitalism and the US especially are exploiting. Racist and bad.

Is an internationalist? Racist, warmongerer, bad.

Doesn't matter what the details are, all that matters is you're a Republican and thus essentially a Nazi so anything goes.

Anonymous said...

How much of the billions slushed thru to Hillary via the "Foundation" funnel did the Clintons return again?

Is THAT the bar everyone else is now measured by? No wonder you worship Walker so devotedly. Compared to the Clintons, anybody (even SKW) looks pretty good.

buwaya said...

I'm not an American, so when I buy things from the Althouse Amazon portal, is it an indirect, illegal foreign contribution to Scott Walker ?
There's your next scandal.

damikesc said...

So, Dems are now against the poor.

Good to see them being so open about it.

The best part of the Amazon Portal is that it is untraceable. When Republicans want to pay Ann for publishing their talking points on her blog, they can do so without any worries or concerns about campaign finance laws.

If it is untraceable, how would Ann know about it? "Paying somebody to publish their talking points" does require knowledge of the payment being made.

Is THAT the bar everyone else is now measured by? No wonder you worship Walker so devotedly. Compared to the Clintons, anybody (even SKW) looks pretty good.

Well, she IS the alternative. If you're going to point out Walker's flaws, the opponent shouldn't have similar problems.

Drago said...

madisonfella: "Is THAT the bar everyone else is now measured by?"

LOL

So which bar, exactly, are we judging Walker by again?

The thread topic, as you recall, was that Scott Walker has made some charges on a Sears credit card.

And that report was couched in quite negative terms.

Which you jumped on.

So, I ask again, which "bar" is that?

Don't worry, we know that your hilarious and moronic knee-jerk "hate Walker" psychosis precludes any real answer to that question.

Unknown said...

Sears is currently running a special offer of 5% discount or 12 months 0 percent financing when using their credit cards to make purchases over $500.

This is a fairly common sort of arrangement and doesn't always come with an alternative discount. (We got a home depot credit card at one point because that gave us 6 months to pay for our appliances, and if we'd had a substantial discount alternative we would have dipped into savings and used it.)

So it's possible Scott Walker charged a bunch of appliances, or computers, or whatever, simply because it allowed him to keep his savings in cash in case of future need (self-finance a political campaign for a few days, or up-front fees for a lawyer in case of a rogue prosecutor, or whatever) and there was no associated cost. It's not as if it actually *is* an effective political attack against him; quite the contrary.