Wednesday, November 14, 2012

State Dems Shine As WISGOP Shames Itself

As the gentle reader is surely painfully aware of, due to their immoral and unethical gerrymandering - and only because of the gerrymandering - the Republicans regained control of the state senate as well as strengthened their hold on the state assembly.

With the shift in power and the upcoming legislative session hanging over Wisconsin like so many storm clouds, each part has now picked their leaders for the approaching year.

In the state assembly, the Democrats made the safe but smart choice of bringing back Peter Barca as their leader. Time and time again, Barca has shown himself to be a champion of the people and of the Constitution.

But the really exciting news came from the state senate, where the Democrats elected Chris Larson to be their leader. Not only was this a bold move, but it showed a rare bit of political savvy.

Larson brings a lot of assets with him. He is young and vibrant, passionate and articulate. His leadership skills really came through during the dark days of 2011 when the Fab 14 left the state to put a temporary stop to Act 10, allowing the people time to recognize the threat and respond to it in historic ways.

While the Republicans and the mainstream media - but I repeat myself - scoffed at the choice, they might soon be choking on their laughter. While relatively new to the state senate, Larson earned his chops in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where he spent years successfully fighting against Scott Walker's malevolence. Larson knows Walker's ways better than most and was integral in thwarting many of Walker's attacks on the people of Milwaukee County. I expect that he'll do no less for the people of Wisconsin.

It is also exciting to finally again have a voice for Milwaukee in a role of leadership in the state legislature, after many years of being stifled.

WISGOP didn't do nearly so well for themselves.

We already know that the ALEC-controlled WISGOP had picked unethical and scandal-ridden Scott Fitzgerald to again be their senate leader.

Not to be outdone in the bad choice department, the Republicans in the state assembly voted for Robin Vos to be the speaker. After his election, Vos said this:
In thanking his colleagues, Vos promised an "aggressive agenda," saying they would take on reforming the tax code, reform regulations and figuring out "a way to make sure every child has a great education."

"My style is one of inclusiveness," he said. "I want everyone to feel I will always listen."

He said he was pleased the state Senate has been recaptured by Republicans, but also pledged to work in a bipartisan way even though Democrats are in the minority in both houses.

"Not one party, not one chamber, has a monopoly on good ideas," he said.
In his next breath, he belied his own words:
Vos of Rochester, elected speaker as expected, made a plea for bipartisanship. But he also made comments undercutting Larson even before his appointment was announced.

Vos told his GOP colleagues about the selection of Larson even as Senate Democrats were still in closed caucus. Assembly Republicans at first didn't believe Vos.

"Are you kidding me?" one of them asked.

"Sometimes, God gives you a gift," Vos responded.
Vos should remember the adage of being careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. I'm sure that Larson will have no problems making short work of Vos when the time is right.

And as for Vos' comment about "figuring out 'a way to make sure every child has a great education,'" let's not forget that Vos was the one that used government email and government facilities to promote a propagandist film bashing public education and teachers unions. Of course, that was only after he received a lot of financial support from the unethical Scott Jensen and other advocates of privatizing education.

Not that Vos has much to be proud of in himself anyway. He has been one of the most scandal-ridden legislators in state history, from extramarital indiscretions to unethical behaviors in his official capacity. Heck, Vos even managed to get himself tied up in Walkergate.

Not done embarrassing themselves with Vos' election, the assembly Republicans then chose Scott Suder to be their leader. Suder's first action as leader was to give a warm, sloppy kiss to Roger "Some girls, they rape so easy" Rivard:
A month after the political organization for Assembly Republicans said it would not financially back Rep. Roger Rivard because of his controversial comments on rape, the Assembly majority leader said Tuesday that Rivard will “always be welcome in this caucus.”

The comments by Majority Leader Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) came as Assembly Republicans bid Rivard, a Rice Lake Republican, and other losing incumbents goodbye in the state Capitol.

“I cannot say enough about the person you are,” Suder told Rivard. “I’m proud to call you a dear, dear friend. … You are always welcome in this caucus.”
Of course, given Suder's own personal history of misogyny and domestic violence, it's not surprising that he would warmly reach out to a fellow misogynist.

It is not only the WISGOP leadership which is a group of miscreants and reprobates. The fact that the Republicans vaulted these oafs into their roles is not surprising when you look at the reprehensible fools that voted for them:
As Gov. Scott Walker contemplates whether to create a state health care exchange under Obamacare, he will have to contend in the coming legislative session with nine lawmakers who have said they back a bill to arrest any federal officials who try to implement the health care law.

Eight of the nine Republicans also have gone on record saying they also want to write a law that would see airport screeners charged with sexual assault if they conduct overly invasive pat-downs of passengers going through security.

All nine also told a tea party-aligned group they backed passing so-called "right-to-work" legislation; allowing people to carry guns without having to get permits from the state; allowing people to buy raw, or unpasteurized, milk; and blocking state funding for the federal Real ID law that requires states to develop more secure driver's licenses.

But their stance on the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, could cause the most fireworks in the upcoming session. Walker must decide by Friday whether the state will create a health care exchange under the health care law or leave those duties to President Barack Obama's administration.

Rep. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) is one of the nine from Wisconsin who told the Campaign for Liberty he would back legislation to declare Obamacare illegal and allow police to arrest federal officials who take steps to implement it in Wisconsin. He said he believes the health care law is unconstitutional, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that it passes constitutional muster.

"Just because Obama was re-elected does not mean he's above the constitution," Kapenga said.

In addition to Kapenga, those listed as supporting the Campaign for Liberty's positions are Sen. Mary Lazich of New Berlin; Reps. Don Pridemore of Hartford; Erik Severson of Star Prairie; Tom Larson of Colfax; Scott Krug of Wisconsin Rapids; and three Republicans elected for the first time last week who will be sworn in early next year - Rob Hutton of Brookfield, Mark Born of Beaver Dam and Dave Murphy of Greenville.
I wonder if they were born this moronic or if they had to work on it.

Y'know, if I were a Republican in Wisconsin these days, having just elected these depraved lunatics by , I'd be too damned ashamed to show my face, much less brag about it.  Even if that was the only "win" they had from the elections.

10 comments:

  1. A little off topic, but the ACA health insurance exchange battle is going to heat up, and it'll be interesting to see how the minority handles it. I wonder if any of these tea party folks, or their family members receive Medicare or Medicaid services. Any sleuths out there?

    However, a copy of a letter sent to Walker and BizTimes by Jeff Horn of the "Prairie Patriots" of Sun Prairie, warns Walker not to establish the exchange.

    "Wisconsin must stand. As a significant and highly active portion of your base, we have defended you tirelessly through all of the battles of the last year and a half. We also came to the aid of legislators who stood with you on Act 10. We have done right by you. We now urge you to once again do right by us," stated the letter, which was signed by Tea Party advocates from around the state, including Joanne Terry of "Ozaukee Patriots" in Mequon, Paul Bruno of "Tea Party Perspective" of Racine and Ed Willing of "Founders Intent" of Caledonia. "The sovereignty of this state and the personal liberty of every single Wisconsinite is at stake – including the lives of the unborn, on whose behalf you have, to date, always advocated. No other considerations can compare to life and liberty. As noted, a yes to Obamacare is not an option. We will not accept it. We are therefore waiting for you to issue an unequivocal, 'NO!' When you do, we expect all Republican state legislators to stand with you, as will we."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Give the Wisconsin Teabillies enough rope and they'll hang themselves. Setting these guys up by asking them open-ended provocative questions could become a popular sport.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that is why they duck debates and hide from interviews from anyone outside the radio hate sqwuaker bubble!

      Delete
  3. You have to get to them in their natural habitat, bars.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, go gloat over the national election and the transparency with which Obama will save our nation from financial ruin.

    You sound goofy bellyaching over the state stuff. Elections have consequences - times two. If I have to move on, so should you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The difference is the will of the people won out on the President Obama race, jim troupis won the assembly

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think the Democrats better sweep their meeting room for bugs if Vos knows what they are planning before making it public.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kim Simac's brother, Richard Perreau, the dude who stole $30,000 from the Boy Scouts in Illinois, is in an Assisted Living facility in Eagle River. http://www.politiscoop.com/us-politics/wisconsin-politics/past-news-stories/348-simac-be-prepared.html She's since scrubbed any information on her bro from the Internet, but he's still there. Kind of like a Federal taxpayer funded babysitter and free hotel to house her family member while Simac plays with AFP and Tea Party wackos in Wisconsin and beyond. You have to wonder if he even needs assisted living care, or if it's just a place to park a ne'r-do-well sibling at government expense, ya know?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ask Simac WHO paid her back property taxes.. It would'nt be two brothers with the last name of Koch would it.... Gee... Imagine that !

    ReplyDelete
  9. When republicans lose they're suppose to suck it up and move on but when democrats lose they go on and on beating a dead horse.

    ReplyDelete