Recalls Will Revolve On Republicans' Radical, Renegade Record

Republicans in Wisconsin must have a death wish, as they are heading into Senate recall elections and Scott Walker's inevitable recall and removal with a repugnant, reactionary track and hack record - - all of which is outside the Wisconsin political mainstream, contrary to state history and threatening to democracy as we know and respect it.

[I had to chuckle at this AP report posted a few hours after this one by The Wisconsin State Journal (I hadn't seen it before I wrote my account, and I am sure, vice-versa) that makes many of these points, but has a far more understated headline: "Walker, GOP put conservative stamp on Wisconsin." Anyway...]


In just a few months, and based on Walker's 52% mandate [sic], they have:

* Pushed at the expense of the Open Meetings law Walker's surprise eradication of collective bargaining rights under the guise of repairing the budget.

*  Gave Walker the power to veto departmental rules previously requiring a legislative hearing and vote, thus tilting the balance of powers towards the Governor's office.

* Locked down the State Capitol and continue to block the public's access.

* Implemented a repulsive scheme to run fake Democrats in the recall elections to give Republicans scheduling and financial advantages - - raising basic questions about electioneering fraud and making a farce of their alleged fair election concerns with the Voter ID bill they pushed through.

* Planned to address the pending two-year, multi-billion dollar state budget under emergency meeting rules that limit debate - - a grotesque violation of the purposes of extraordinary legislative sessions and again mock open, reasonable, democratic processes.

Republicans know that fast-tracking democracy degrades it.

By willfully doing in the name of power politics is to beg voters to throw them out of office the way invaders would set themselves up for removal if they sneaked across a frontier as occupiers and established themselves as a rights'-suspending, unprincipled and authoritarian regime.