Madison gone mad: The Wisconsin followup

Exactly. He was willing to negotiate (not a lot, but a little) but the possibility of separating the bills has been out there since Day 1 and they waited three weeks to do it.

When you're the minority party, you're not going to win too many pissing contests.

 

True, the Republicans could use their own maneuver. But by decoupling it from the budget, it put a lie to the notion that this was being done for budgetary purposes.

Also, there's a political lesson that just because people say they're for something doesn't mean they're OK with how you go about doing it. People are for cutting the budget. But that doesn't mean they're going to give blanket support to how you go about it.

Just like how it works the opposite way: just because a lot of people say they don't like the health system reform law doesn't mean they're actually against it, especially when polling finds strong support for many specific items of the law.

 

No you're wrong because you missed my point.

What the GOP did may (and I emphasize may because they likely violated open meetings laws to do it) have been legal, but it's not an option that a) makes them look good politically, and most important, b) exposes the lie that getting rid of collective bargaining was all about the budget.

It was never, ever about the budget. They will pay a heavy political price for framing the debate/lying that way to the majority of people in Wisconsin who are not in favor of what he and the GOP have done.

 

I would certainly hope the JS writers had filed FOIA requests for just about everything during the last few weeks. If they didn't they're not doing a very good job.

 

The folks have been inspired by the Middle East and are using Teh Googles to map out protests.

http://batchgeo.com/map/eaae325f75419fed9793ac9fe6de566d

 

Why? That's how politics works - maybe they are doing for budgetary reasons, but to get it done need to do it separately? Isn't this form over substance? I admit, I haven't been following as closely as you all have - I may be missing something.

 

And far be it for a state agency to selectively release what they want on the timeline they prefer.

 

True.

 

Well said, Bubbler, on many counts.

Going forward, Walker will have a difficult time working with the Dems. Why shoot yourself in the foot so early in your tenure?

And how about some transparency? AP and Isthmus suing to gain access to Walker's emails:

http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=32638

 

The "Fab 14," now back in the state (a big mistake) should STILL refuse to go to the Senate, to the point of physical resistance if/when Herr Walker sends the fuzz to drag them in.

Armed cops dragging duly-elected lawmakers through the doors of the Capitol in cuffs. Beautiful. Smile for the cameras.

 

@analieseeicher Clerk calling the roll in the assembly