The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
Governor Scott Walker’s boldness in taking on Wisconsin’s public employee unions may be generating all the headlines, but serious kudos are also owed to the Badger State’s very clever Republican legislators. They’ve been doing a consistently superb job of responding to the 14 Democratic legislators who fled to Illinois with tactically sophisticated maneuvers that also highlight the moral indefensibility of the abdication.
First there was the news that the Republicans would begin taking up important pieces of legislation that required a smaller quorum than the one that was denied by the Democratic legislators’ absence – in essence, doing the business of government without the absentee opposition. Now, an even sweeter jab:
Madison -- Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to make Democrats hiding out in Illinois come back to Wisconsin to pick up their paychecks.
The Senate Committee on Organization voted on a 3-2 party line vote, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats against, to change Senate rules so that senators who miss two consecutive floor days can no longer have their paychecks dropped automatically into their bank accounts. The vote was taken by paper ballot, which allowed Democrats to cast their votes from out-of-state.
Democrats who have already missed two consecutive floor sessions will now have to come to get their paychecks directly from Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) on the floor of the Senate.
Perhaps at some point it will dawn on the Wisconsin left that there are few strategies worse than asking the public to stand in solidarity with public-sector unions and Democratic legislators when both are responding to a huge budget deficit by skipping work and still expecting to get paid.
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Oct '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
democrat legislators are flight risks. serves them right.
May '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
When unions are outlowed, only outlows will have unions.
Dec '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
Whether confronted with budget crises or terrorism, Republicans Don't Run.
There is a t-shirt, or a campaign slogan in that.
Jan '11
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
The myth of politics is that wise leaders debate issues and craft laws. The reality is that politics is a series of media-attracting stunts, where the media is hardly neutral, and the stunts get sillier and sillier. The Democrats are leading their side by fleeing. You have to wonder what brilliant consultant came up with that one.
May '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
I agree with Governor Daniels on one important thing: absenting oneself from the legislature is a perfectly legitimate tactic.
It is also an intensely stupid one, which not only makes you look bad, but leaves the field clear for the majority to pass whatever they want.
PS, case in point, supermajority now required to raise taxes.
Edited on Feb 23, 2011 at 6:21amJul '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
Democrat legislators have become the first new nomadic peoples of the 21st Century. In an astonishing acceptance of the 2010 elections following a period of severe denialism, Democrats now realize they can best fulfill the 2010 mandate by simply leaving and abandoning any pretense to relevance.
Kudos to the Wisconsin Dems for showing the way.
May '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
But Troy I'm curious what you make of Mitch Daniels decision to oppose a vote on a "right to work" bill in Indiana "at this time?" He is trying to negotiate with the teachers' unions on school reform and feels as though he needs to make this concession.
Is he clueless, unambitious, or does he perhaps have a different (better?) sense of how this issue is ultimately going to come across in the majority of the country? Could he be right? Are we congratulating ourselves from inside a rose-colored bubble?
Sep '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
Trace Urdan: But Troy I'm curious what you make of Mitch Daniels decision to oppose a vote on a "right to work" bill in Indiana "at this time?" He is trying to negotiate with the teachers' unions on school reform and feels as though he needs to make this concession.
Is he clueless, unambitious, or does he perhaps have a different (better?) sense of how this issue is ultimately going to come across in the majority of the country? Could he be right? Are we congratulating ourselves from inside a rose-colored bubble? · Feb 23 at 7:02am
My personal opinion: He was never that fired up about running and this allows him to take himself out of the race before he throws his hat in. Not a bad strategy when you think about it.
May '10
Re: The Genius of Wisconsin Republicans
I agree that Wisconsin Republicans have handled the union circus incredibly well. At the first rumblings of a "compromise" from some of the vertebrae-lacking GOP legislators, Governor Walker was out in front saying that he wouldn't back down and explaining why.
In Ohio, Senate President Niehaus seems desperate to appease the entitled few who have been shouting at the statehouse this week. Senate Bill 5 changes were discussed in the Columbus Dispatch, and this quote says it all: "Leaders of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association said the changes are a step forward [...]"