Confidence-Builder? Wisconsin Senate GOP Leader Says "Supreme Court Is Crazier Than The Legislature"

I wrote Sunday on this blog that conservative political leaders in our state were showing an ugly Wisconsin face to the world.

Wisconsin's motto "Forward," represented in state tradition and Capitol statuary, is taking a beating in Madison these days.

What could better describe the collapsing state of public affairs and open, confident government in Wisconsin right now than conservative State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser  - - having already admitting he'd called the Chief Justice "a total bitch" and had threatened to "destroy" her - - now denying he'd recently grabbed a liberal colleague in her office by the throat...

That's bad enough, but there's more to despair about in the other branches of state government, too.

What do the real experts think?

One of the leading culprits in the "Escape From Wisconsin" re-branding is State Senate Majority leader Scott Fitzgerald, as it was his quick gavel and short notice in passing Scott Walker's so-called budget-repair bill (read: "dropped the bomb," collective-bargaining termination that set off months of demonstrations, lawsuits and continuing upheaval.)

Fitzgerald offered The Journal Sentinel's Patrick Marley a speaks-volumes' observation Sunday "to accusations that Justice David Prosser put his hands around the neck of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley during a heated exchange earlier this month:

"Wow," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau).

"The Supreme Court is crazier than the Legislature, apparently. It's hard for me to believe that really happened.'"