Will Walker Own His 'Winning?'

There's no denying the breathtaking institutional damage from the bomb Scott Walker that dropped on collective bargaining, as it is reported that major Wisconsin public unions - - after a half-century or so of history and presence - - have chosen not to chase after recertification because Walker and the legislature intentionally used state law to make it recertification impossible (italics added below):

In March, Walker signed legislation ending all union bargaining for public employees except for limited negotiations over wages. Union employees can't bargain for raises larger than the rate of inflation unless approved by voters in a referendum.

The legislation also requires that unions go through yearly recertification votes to keep their official status rather than retain that status indefinitely after an initial vote creating the union as had done in the past. Unions can still exist without that official status, but government employers, such as schools and the state, don't have to recognize them or bargain with them over anything.

To win the recertification election, unions must get 51% of the vote of all the members of their bargaining unit, not just the ones who take the time to cast ballots - a much higher bar than state elected officials have to clear to win their offices.

And is it hubris, arrogance or political blindness that allows him to stick it to the very people - - and set aside policy activists upset about any or all of the myriad budget, legal, electoral and process issues that have also marked this tumultuous year - - who have more than enough reason to push for his recall.

I frankly don't know, but here from PolitiFact is just some of what I am addressing:

Walker lied about his intentions at the beginning of the uproar he initiated:

Says under his budget-repair bill, "collective bargaining is fully intact."

Scott Walker on Friday, February 18th, 2011 in a radio interview

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says his budget-repair bill would leave collective bargaining “fully intact”

Lied about his strategy: 

"I campaigned on (the proposals in the budget repair bill for Wisconsin) all throughout the election. Anybody who says they are shocked on this has been asleep for the past two years."

Scott Walker on Monday, February 21st, 2011 in a news conference

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he campaigned on his budget repair plan, including curtailing collective bargaining

Falsely claimed it was the unions who were spreading disinformation about his plan:

Says many public-employee unions falsely told their Wisconsin members his budget-repair bill sought 12 percent to 13 percent of their incomes for health insurance premiums.

Scott Walker on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 in a television interview

Gov. Scott Walker says public-employee unions falsely told members that they would have to pay up to 13 percent of incomes for health insurance

And still, months later, can't tell a straight story about what he did:

"I asked the unions to pay into their own health care insurance ... and they said I was being unreasonable. I requested that they contribute toward their own pensions ... and they screamed it was unfair."

Scott Walker on Friday, September 2nd, 2011 in a campaign fundraising letter