Biskupic getting national attention -- and Bice finally takes a cue from the Brawler

Bad news for Steven Biskupic.

Talking Points Memo has been all over his case this weekend since the 7th Circuit -- after reducing one of Biskupic's lackeys to a puddle -- reversed the conviction of Georgia Thompson. The Brawler strongly suggests a listen to the audio of the oral arguments. Judge Easterbrook's audible sigh as Biskupic's sacrificial lamb attempts to answer a question is hilarious.

Talking Points Memo, obviously, is widely read on the Hill and among the media. And it was a driving force in uncovering the coverups and lies of the USAT firings -- even getting ridiculed by some in the traditional media (who subsequently apologized). So the stories it carries on this topic are followed closely. And the USAT purge is going to remain in the limelight at least until next week when Gonzalez drags his sorry tail up to the Hill to explain why he misled Congress during his previous testimony on the topic.

So Biskupic should expect to get a lot more attention from the media. Paul Soglin encourages Senator Leahy send him a subpoena.

It seems to the Brawler that Biskupic doesn't help his case by remaining out of sight in wake of the 7th Circuit ruling -- as if he didn't want any comments on the record. And one of his lieutenants didn't do him any favors with this quote (lifted from the TPM story):

In an interview, Michelle Jacobs of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Milwaukee denied that the prosecution was politically motivated.

"I can tell you that from our perspective it was not, but that is as far as I'm going to go," said Jacobs, a first assistant U.S. attorney.

There's no arguing that Biskupic conducted himself in a manner that helped Republicans. The "voter fraud" investigation -- until it died with a whimper -- was tailormade for Republicans who wanted to cast doubt on the integrity of the vote in Milwaukee and pave the way for a challenge if the election had hinged on Wisconsin.The Thompson investigation gave Republican politicians and rightwing pundits plenty of mud to throw at Doyle.

The question is what was Biskupic's motive? Was it a fidelity to justice that, fortuituosly, coincided with the political ambitions of the GOP? Or was it simply fidelity to the political ambitions of the GOP?

And was Biskupic's Ahab-like pursuit of Georgia Thompson driven at all by concerns that he might lose his job -- and squander his political future -- because powerful GOPers were unhappy that his pursuit of the bogus voter fraud issue lacked zeal?

Because today, Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (in a piece highlighted by TPM), reports that the state GOP whined to Karl Rove about Biskupic's softness on alleged voter fraud. And the whiner was none other than Rick Wiley, former exec director of the state GOP and now a member of Team Giuliani.

As an egomaniacal, second-tier (at best) blogger in the great city of Milwaukee, it is, of course, incumbent upon the Brawler to point out that he namechecked Rick Wiley as a primary whining suspect on March 13 and whined and whined when no one followed up on his suggestion.

Daniel, no need to thank me.

Update: The original version included a link to Pundit Nation, the blog that started it all with this post highlighting the White House's passing comments about complaints of voter fraud in Wisconsin. But that's not what posted. The Brawler apologizes and prays the little pundits who terrorized the Brawler's old stomping grounds of Washington Park aren't looking for him.

Update II: No sooner does the Brawler say this story is going wide because a prominent blog has picked it up than the New York Times runs an editorial on the matter and Krugman breaks it down. Actually, it was probably up around the time this was penned.