Sunday, July 28, 2019

WI GOP legislators use cheesehead McConnellism to further de-legitimize Evers

The GOP monkey-wrenching duo of Fitzgerald and Vos running the Wisconsin State Legislature is approaching the seventh month of holding hostage the confirmation of any and all Tony Evers' cabinet secretary nominations.

I was getting ready to blog about the State Senate's refusal under pre-Trumpian little dictator and GOP Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald
Wisc Sen. Scott Fitzgerald.jpg
to confirm Acting DNR Secretary Preston Cole despite his degree in forestry, management of Milwaukee city environmental public works and chairmanship of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, but the State Journal beat me to it with a more comprehensive story.

The reason that the Legislature won't hold confirmation hearings has nothing to do with nominee qualifications, resumes and actual, credible vetting; rather it's just another partisan move by Republicans determined to de-legitimize Evers' tenure and appropriate to themselves as many of the Governor's powers as possible.

Just as they did through their lame-duck legislative session that stripped Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul of executive functions, and just as they are now doing by gearing up to restrict with a state constitutional amendment the gubernatorial veto authority which previous Governors enjoyed until Evers - - horrors! - - used it to make Milwaukee eligible for a small amount of spending perhaps for streetcar services.

Add to those hypocrisies the deliberate uncertainty being enforced on Evers cabinet through the apparent indefinite application of the title "acting,"

How attractive are these acting positions and others at the deputy or assistant secretary level to the incumbents or any potential replacements?

Fitzgerald and Vos hope the intended disrespect has its sting.

How deeply undercut are these position holders when their correspondence with the "acting" title in letters or grant proposals or partnership offers are reviewed in board rooms, law firms and other agencies?

Fitzgerald and Vos want those wounds to be fatal, so as to shrink Evers' achievements. Call it Mitch McConnellism with a cheesehead twist.

How much bowing, bending and scraping must take place in front of these self-important, per-diem subsidized and generously salaried legislators before they behave like adult public servants and less like bratty students who have decided to throw paper airplanes at the substitute teacher.

Fitzgerald and Vos need 24/7 groveling to prove to themselves that they are more than  Walker's clerks or errand boys dispatched from Koch Central.

When Republicans were in charge across-the-board, "certainty" was gospel.

Now it's just another GOP norm tossed away in favor of tacky tactics and raw partisanship, like fiscal conservatism and local control, until the GOP can restore what it had come to see as the biggest norm of them all - - Republican domination for their own careers and special interest donors in all three branches of government.

3 comments:

Katrina said...

As a state employee I can tell you that it doesn't make a bit of difference to me whether my Secretary is confirmed. They are set the agenda for the agency and I will do my job. Frankly, not being confirmed by this gerrymandered, illegitimate legislature is a badge of honor.

Jake formerly of the LP said...

What Katrina said. GOPs are being petty and aren't changing anything by their childishness.

Anonymous said...

Vos and Fritzgerald are acting like 7 year old brats "I will take my ball and go home". Keep it up boys, your just hurting yourselves. Wa wa wa!