As legislators meet today on a last-ditch 'compromise' on the mining bill, with Democrats said to be under ferocious pressure from the right, a salient bit of history:
Two Democratic Senators - - Jeff Plale and Russ Decker - - broke ranks and voted with Senate Republicans in the waning days of out-going Gov. Jim Doyle's second term, helping block approval of previously-negotiated state worker contracts and paving the way for Scott Walker's union-busting "bomb" dropped just after Walker's inauguration.
Key mining holdout Dale Schultz, (R-Richland Center) may be the swing vote and obstacle right now against the Senate's adoption of the blatantly-pro-industry mining bill - - but he can stand firm against a barrage of criticism from talk radio and the WI Club for Growth only if all Democrats remain united against a bill so bad the Journal Sentinel called it "rancid" - - and that level of discipline broke down at the last minute the last time a high-profile vote at the end of a session surprisingly went Walker's way with Democratic defections.
Just saying...that bad bill is not dead yet.
The Dems need to remember they were effective when unified as The 14 who stood strong together over collective bargaining. Clean water, citizen participation and treaty rights are that important.
Why not remember Vinehout as well? She certainly is a Democratic rank-breaker. She certainly betrayed her party's platform, killed a bill just before it was about to be "born", DEEPLY upset and inconvenienced her fellow Democrats (Joe Erpenbach was chair of the committee and expressed nauseated disbelief over and over during the meeting) She CERTAINLY helped her "opponents", as the entire Republican faction SAT MUTE, literally mute, because Vinehout was "passionately" doing their work for them. Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh at the time) actually did a kind of giggle of happiness and passed on making any comment because she felt Kathleen was doing so well.
ReplyDeleteAnd why not also mention that NARAL WI is so disturbed by the Vinehout candidacy DURING THIS WALKER WAR ON WOMEN, that they issued a press release just days ago on this 2008 betrayal. Vinehout is a one-woman sleeper cell when it comes to the war on women.
Yet Vinehout is continually portrayed by Left Bloggers as "huggy" and "charming". There is not hing charming about being a "Democrat For Life" (pro-life Dem) and nothing "huggy" about lying about your positions and behavior so you can support VOUCHERS and anti-woman legislation once elected.
footnote: Joe Winike also screwed the party when he became a lobbyist for a big telecom immediately after leaving his post as chair, to grease anti-populist legislation. Or horrifying Mike Sheridan who slept with the lobbyist and then reversed his vote in her favor killing the excellent Hintz payday loan bill So yes, we have plenty of crappy Democrats. But right now we have on with the audacity to be running for governor who keeps getting a pass from the very people who should be paying attention and holding frauds accountable. Before it's too late.
p.s. I hear elections have consequences.
The least you could do is spell the Democratic Senators' names correctly, if you want your comments will be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteIt leads me to think you may be a ringer.
Nothing compares to Plale the traitor- bought and paid for by the Walker regime.
ReplyDeleteWALKER bought Plale to vote against stare workers and then turned around and gave him a high ranking job in his administration.
Elections have consequences - sure - is that the ticket/pass to punish,alienate,polarize, rape the environment,demonize public servants, deny equal rights to women..God the list goes on and on...is that the ticket? We need a leader, not a fascist.
Why did I receive a call to put pressure on Tim Carpenter not to sign the mining bill? WHY? Another traitor?
ReplyDeleteThe GOP is looking for weak links.
ReplyDelete