* It began when Republicans running the Wisconsin Senate on Gov. Walker's behalf got state troopers dispatched to round up Democratic legislators unwilling to march in lock step to the Walker legislative timetable. The dragnet, including early morning visits to some legislators homes, was a failure.
Two Madison attorneys, including constitutional law expert Lester Pines, said the Senate had no authority to order Senators arrested and delivered to the Senate to vote.
The commander of the State Patrol at the time was Stephen Fitzgerald, a Scott Walker appointee and father of both Scott and Jeff Fitzgerald, the State Senate and Assembly leaders, respectively.
* The Walker default to delivering a message through armed personnel has continued on the most public of grounds in Wisconsin - - the State Capitol rotunda - -where citizens who want to gather, protest, sing, or observe are restricted, hassled, arrested and abused. Videos and images, here.
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| From Occupy Riverwest, via Light Brigading |
Directing the Capitol arrests is a new senior commander picked by Walker right off his personal security staff and handed a hefty and questionable raise.
* In the Penokee Hills in Northwest Wisconsin, citizens guaranteed access to forest lands under current law are about to be legally-barred from the property, and surely arrested should they walk or hunt the land.
Armed private guards were sent there by a mining company before they were properly licensed - -with the knowledge of Walker's office.
All this defaulting to arms and arrests and concocted, disproportionate aggression begs the question: What is the end game here being played and implemented by Walker and his allies?
Walker should act more like a leader and less like a tin horn dictator.
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| GTAC guard - - Jim Limbach photo |
Well said.
ReplyDeleteFinally. The Kapital Singerz, a permitted group, is going to perform at the Capital with a paid permit. No more civil disturbances by law breaking flag disrespecting jerks. God bless America!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/capitol-singing-permit-seeker-wants-to-test-process-b9988226z1-221940031.html
The state jobs Walker has arranged for his allies are disgraceful. Mike Ellis and the Fitzgerald family are like comic book villains, like the stereotypical corrupt politicians from a bat man movie. But it's a big stretch to connect the paramilitary guards to Walker.
ReplyDeleteA more important topic for you would be to understand Wisconsin's schizophrenic electorate. Republicans control the state legislature. It's ironic but relevant that it elected Walker and Tammy Baldwin at the same time, politicians at opposite ends of the spectrum, but not long after electing RoJo. Why?
The Wisconsin Democratic Party is failing to present a better option to the ham fisted Republicans. The Democrats should begin to place their finger to the pulse of the electorate before they can do anything to reverse the damage.
The Democrats are impotent in both houses, yet keep talking about getting rid of Walker, vouchers, act 10, while the public is all about cutting public employees, cutting taxes, cutting welfare entitlements, and creating jobs. And on jobs why continue bringing up that train? The majority of voters hated the idea. They need a different alternative.
Walker failed at creating jobs, the dems should keep pounding that message, and only that message. They should stay the f@#k away from gun control, immigration, minimum wage, any discrimination claims (voter I.d. equal pay), or promises to public employees until they regain control.
Not a stretch to connect the paramilitary guards to Walker== http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walkers-aide-others-notified-by-security-firm-of-plans-for-mine-site-b9972362z1-219035771.html
ReplyDelete"Walker failed at creating jobs, the dems should keep pounding that message, and only that message."
ReplyDeleteThat's a no points issue as long as the federal private sector job numbers continue to be unproductive under Obama
However, I agree with most of what you say, every talking point you want the dem's to leave alone leaves the party without a platform. In Wisconsin, the poeple have rejected that platform twice in one term.
The democrates in this state are without leadership or a platform for many many more elections.
Umm, Wisconsin is massively underperforming the rest of the country and its Midwest neighbors in jobs. Hate to burst your right-wing bubble, but that's a mathematical FACT.
DeleteCombine that with an attack on cronyism, including gerrymandering and one- sided, divide-and-conquer GOP "governance", and I think that could be enough in itself to boot Walker and WisGOP from Madison, even before a candidate is known.
Before a single protester showed up at the Capitol in 2011, Walker talked about calling out the National Guard. It was his first thought, his first recourse, for dealing what he knew would be the response to the bomb he was about to drop on the people he was supposed to represent.
ReplyDeleteAnd admitted to "David Koch" that he and his staff considered planting troublemakers and only backed off because he felt the optics would hurt him politically.
DeleteWalker doesn't have the guts to confront people in person and explain his reasons, he just has thugs impose and repress those who dare to speak out. This can be in the form of Erwin's thugs, or with Walker's spokespeople on AM radio.
@Jake
ReplyDeleteTake a hint from the very observant and wise poster @ 8:06 "the public is all about cutting public employees, cutting taxes, cutting welfare entitlements, and creating jobs."
He understands why the left is now powerless in the Assembly, Senate, and the the Governors office.
Meanwhile, unrelated and petty side stories are not of the voting public's interest unless you're a decided Scott Walker hater. That's the minority. They're of no interest to the majority of the voters in this state.
The pendulum has swung the other way and it's not going in the other direction anytime soon.
Please stop quoting yourself, troll. It makes you look even more pathetic than you are.
DeleteThe pendulum is indeed swinging, and only you weaklings in right-wing bubble-world can't see it. Dems are in the clear majority in Wisconsins health care policy, against school vouchers, against Walkerist cronyism and bullying, and for decent wages for workers.
All Dems gotta do os stop worrying about the bug money and right-wing radio sqwuawkers, yell the truth, and stick with it.
You're no General George Patton, Jake.
ReplyDeleteYour plan couldn't motivate a flag football team.
Jake the pendulum is stuck to the right. What Democratic policies resonate with the majority of voters? The party made an awful vote to promote young Chris Larson. Why did they do that? His ability? His experience? Were they trying to market to younger demographics?
ReplyDeleteMinority politicians should choose battles wisely. Larson is an amateur, discussing fringe issues. They shouldn't get near controversy, including this mining stuff. I believe jobs and cheap energy outweigh the environment with the public on this issue. They are not losing that advocacy group, so they should target the independents. The Democrats are in very deep trouble with this vision-lacking leadership.
If they give up their core platform, they will be more palatable. Beat the republicans at their own game. Obama is excellent at doing this, they should follow his lead. Obama didn't campaign too often on the keystone pipeline and he just ignores it today because he is smart enough to know to choose the right battles.
Follow Obama? Really?
ReplyDeleteHis own party is abandoning him.