It seems that presidential wanderlust brings out the worst in some Wisconsin GOP governors, current and past. (Lee Sherman Dreyfus, excepted).
Remember when former Gov. Tommy Thompson said during his fifteen minutes of presidential politicking in 2007 that employers should be allowed to fire employees over sexual orientation - - then had to recant that position, because, among other things, it conflicted with Wisconsin law he had enforced as Governor?
But said the question confused him because he was distracted by a bad hearing aid battery and the need for a bathroom break?
True story.
Now it's Scott Walker's turn for a flip-flop on the issue - - what is it with Wisconsin's GOP leaders, anyway? - - though in Walker's case, he's moving backwards towards enabling sexual orientation discrimination.
Walker used to tout Wisconsin's first-in-the-nation legal protections for gay and lesbian workplace rights - - the protections which Thompson forgot - - when endorsing Wisconsin law to oh-so-cleverly "balance" out Wisconsin's marriage equality ban, Salon.com notes:
But now through his calculated, pandering silence I wrote about yesterday, Walker is giving cover to Indiana's ugly step backwards to help out fellow right-wing ideologue Mike Pence, the Hoosier state Governor.
Walker should be forced to say if he'd sign an Indiana-style law and overturn nearly 35 years of inclusive, fair-minded, modern Wisconsin practice.
Remember when former Gov. Tommy Thompson said during his fifteen minutes of presidential politicking in 2007 that employers should be allowed to fire employees over sexual orientation - - then had to recant that position, because, among other things, it conflicted with Wisconsin law he had enforced as Governor?
But said the question confused him because he was distracted by a bad hearing aid battery and the need for a bathroom break?
True story.
Now it's Scott Walker's turn for a flip-flop on the issue - - what is it with Wisconsin's GOP leaders, anyway? - - though in Walker's case, he's moving backwards towards enabling sexual orientation discrimination.
Walker used to tout Wisconsin's first-in-the-nation legal protections for gay and lesbian workplace rights - - the protections which Thompson forgot - - when endorsing Wisconsin law to oh-so-cleverly "balance" out Wisconsin's marriage equality ban, Salon.com notes:
Walker, that erstwhile champion of a “healthy balance” — a little inequality here, a little equality there — is now lending his support to Indiana’s discriminatory law. Asked for the governor’s position on the measure, Walker press secretary AshLee Strong told CNN on Sunday, “As a matter of principle, Gov. Walker believes in broad religious freedom and the right for Americans to exercise their religion and act on their conscience.”In other words, marriage discrimination, OK - - workplace discrimination, No - - even-steven, let's move on.
But now through his calculated, pandering silence I wrote about yesterday, Walker is giving cover to Indiana's ugly step backwards to help out fellow right-wing ideologue Mike Pence, the Hoosier state Governor.
Walker should be forced to say if he'd sign an Indiana-style law and overturn nearly 35 years of inclusive, fair-minded, modern Wisconsin practice.
Scott Walker will say that such a bill won't cross his desk because it's not on his agenda. Then he'll let his GOP rubber stamps in the legislature draft the bill and pass it. Then he'll sign it with no fanfare. That's Walker's cowardly way.
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