Big Money Winners And Losers
Well, Democrats got whomped. No getting around it. Angry voters took it out on the majority party.
A bad economy - - but lots of corporate, candidate and donor cash available (and isn't it telling that the lousy economy didn't shrink those piggybanks) - - merged in this first, post-Citizens United election to sweep many Democrats out.
(Sidebar: those of you who said in 2000 that there was no difference between Democrats and Republicans, let me remind you of four key words: Chief Justice John Roberts. Feingold-McCain campaign finance reform is a memory now. Russ Feingold will be gone from the Senate. A huge loss for the state, the Senate and the country. 'Nuf said.)
Republicans have it all in Wisconsin now - - Governor, legislature, and depending on the issue, the Supreme Court, too.
So as they will consolidate their power, progressives will dust themselves off, make adjustments and begin keeping score.
We'll see how Republicans create 250,000 jobs through tax cuts while balancing the state budget - - already a sea of red ink - - without dumbing down education and forcing local governments to raise taxes for services abandoned by a GOP-controlled state government.
Scott Walker often complained about unfunded mandates; My guess is that poorer municipalities, like Milwaukee, Racine and others ain't seen nothing yet.
And speaking of red ink: it's a cruel political joke that Scott Walker simply absconds to Madison, leaving behind a mess so large after eight years of indifference as Milwaukee County Executive that private sector officials in Milwaukee will soon release a report saying the county should consider bankruptcy.
Who'd want the job now?
Amazing also, isn't it, that up until election night, Walker kept blaming long-gone Tom Ament for the County's problems that Walker couldn't or didn't care to fix since 2002.
Barack Obama inherited a monumentally-bigger mess from George W. Bush, but a fickle and short-sighted electorate - - egged on by self-interested and opportunistic Walker types in the GOP, the Tea Party and righty media- - demanded that Obama and the Democrats take the blame and the hit for not bringing the country out of a near-Depression in a mere 21 months.
Walker couldn't get County buildings inspected on a regular basis.
What a double-standard - - and you watch: When Walker runs into trouble creating those 250,000 jobs, he'll turn Doyle into Tom Ament II, the new scapegoat.
Two more things:
* Walker's victory party on television looked like a country clubbers' convention - - a room that was all-white, and nearly-all male - - a throwback celebration to a defunct, 1950's patriarchy, when Chambers of Commerce and Father Knows Best were fully in charge
* Which brings me to that group's Congressional godfather, the Kimberly-Clark heir and consummate insider incumbent Jim Sensebrenner, who brayed into his victory party microphone that Republicans would soon swarm Madison to watch Jim Doyle and Barbara Lawton "slink" off-stage and into the "cesspool of history."
There are good winners and bad winners, and then there are Wisconsin winners Tuesday night like Sensenbrenner, who will always be losers.
6 comments:
Decker lost because big labors money was not enough to over come the Tea Party (the real people of the United States).
May God Bless you.
Bye, bye Russ-Russ and the 3rd term of Jim Doyle.
Good riddance to both.
Gratz to Milwaukee on retaining Barret as Mayor, Tom is as about as good of a Democratic politician Milwaukee can hope to have in this day and age.
Condolences to Milwaukee County taxpayers - we now get to see the horror show of the board running the show.
There was one black person at the Walker party, Marvin Pratt, no doubt with a lucrative appointment, worth at least 30 pieces of silver, in his future,
You're upset because Walker's election night party wasn't 'diverse enough'!? Get over it...
Let us see, Dems predominate the county board and the problems are all Walker's fault. Fiscal problems abound, we are broke and Dems want to spend more $.
To be sure, the Republicans have too often not lived up to their rhetoric, but I fail to see how adding to our most obvious problems will solve anything. But be advised that some of us activists will hold Repubs to account just as much as Dems.
BTW, I witnessed the end of the Walker celebration, and greeted friends Manny Perez, Jose Flores, Daschle Young, and saw a number of other non whites there. Not enough, but we are working on it. Where I agree, I too saw the country clubbers, and if the Republican party is to grow, they need to suppress their elitist attitudes.
Your poll watching buddy.
If you weren't there, then you ought to keep your mouth shut.
First, there were a lot of women at the event. A lot.
Second, there may not have been a lot of blacks (no real surprise), but there were plenty of Latinos there, which was refreshing to see.
And third, heard from a journalist who went to both parties, he said that Barrett's party nearly half the size and energy.
Post a Comment