Azael Brodhead

Azael Brodhead hates Scott Walker. He really hates him.

It's like a sickness with him. It's all-consuming.

To express his opinion of Walker, Brodhead chose to make a daily trip to Walker's Wauwatosa home, honk the horn, flip Walker off, and yell about recalling him.

In addition, it's also clear that Brodhead was searching for his moment, his 15 minutes of fame. He was determined to be known as the honker and he succeeded.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Some foes of Gov. Scott Walker march at the Capitol and carry protest signs. Others join local demonstrations. Still others send letters to the governor's office.

Then there's this guy.

Between 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. each day, someone in a black Honda would drive past Walker's house in Wauwatosa, blow his horn like crazy, give the finger through his sunroof and shout, "Recall Walker."

Week after week, the routine didn't change.

Then, on April 27, state troopers stationed at the Walker home decided to take action.

"I stopped the vehicle for the constant horn violation on today's date," wrote State Trooper Robert Simpson. "I asked the driver for his driver's license, and he immediately stated he was recording me and that he was a state probation agent."

The driver was Azael Brodhead, a 36-year-old Iraq War veteran who works for the state Department of Corrections as a probation and parole agent.

He acknowledged that he was the serial honker. He said he was upset with Walker for trying to break up public employee unions.

"Mr. Brodhead stated that he was exercising his 1st Amendment rights and he could flip us off anytime he wanted," Simpson said. "I advised Mr. Brodhead that he could not just honk his horn when he wanted to. Mr. Brodhead paused and then stated that I have him on the horn but not the first amendment rights."

Eventually, the trooper ticketed the probation agent.

The offense: Unnecessary blowing of horn.

What a nut!

...Rather than simply paying the ticket, Brodhead demanded a bench trial.

An assistant district attorney tried to cut a deal in which the Walker protester would get off with just a parking citation, but he rejected it.

On Thursday, Brodhead got the trial - but not the verdict - he was seeking.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Mary Kuhnmuench found that there was no precedent for horn-honking being constitutionally protected political speech. Brodhead, who represented himself, was fined $166.20.

Brodhead just would not let it go. He is so bent out of shape over Walker and sticking to his deranged routine that even getting a ticket didn't deter him. He demanded a trial. He wanted to be in the spotlight, however briefly.

It seems that Brodhead wants attention, to be an anti-Walker folk hero.

...[Brodhead] said he is a strong advocate of free speech because of his background. Born in Mexico, he said he spent 14 years in the U.S. Army and became an American citizen in 2000 so he could re-enlist. After spending a year in Iraq as a medic, he is now pursuing a Ph.D. in urban studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and teaches part-time at a community college.

The ticket hasn't stopped Brodhead's one-man Walker protest.

During the workweek, he leaves his downtown office around 5 p.m., drives by the governor's residence near the corner of N. 68th St. and W. Blue Mound Road, offers a one-finger salute and bellows his support of the Walker recall effort.

Only now he doesn't blow his horn.

On weekends, he either bikes or runs by the Walker abode and does the same. He lives some 20 blocks away.

"Probation agent is my day job," said Brodhead, who made $42,720 last year. "Being a concerned citizen is 24-7."

That may be.

But supervisors in his office have initiated an internal investigation to see if he violated workplace rules with his actions. In particular, Brodhead said, they are trying to determine whether he should be disciplined for being abusive toward state troopers when he was pulled over. He has contacted his public employees union to represent him in the matter.

"I'm sure this was politically motivated," Brodhead said.

In fact, the police summary of the incident does accuse Brodhead of using repeated profanities, such as saying the troopers protected the "piece of (expletive) governor" or saying "your boss is a (expletive) (expletive)." The trooper also quoted Brodhead as directing strong language at the police, calling them "(expletive) cops" and more.

Brodhead is a real piece of work.

Brodhead gives crazed Scott Walker haters a bad name.

...One final question: How exactly did Brodhead happen to have a tape recorder on him when he was pulled over?

That was no coincidence.

From the start, he said, he was expecting to be pulled over by the troopers. He kept the recorder with him in case that happened.

It was all part of the routine.

Clearly, Brodhead wanted more than to exercise his free speech rights. He wanted to be pulled over by the troopers. He wanted to be a Lefty hero, so day in and day out he kept up the routine.

I think Brodhead is more than just tenacious. He needs a psychiatric evaluation.

A balanced 36-year-old man doesn't behave this way.

A union thug does.
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