Test of political courage: Scott Walker's recall election in Wisconsin

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

The Republican presidential contest rolls into Wisconsin this week. But an election that may be even more important won't be held until June 5. That's when voters will decide whether or not to recall the state's Republican governor, Scott Walker.

After taking office last year as a Republican in a blueish state, Walker didn't take the path of least resistance, as many elected officials do. Instead, he set out to close a $3.6 billion budget hole, in part by reforming perks for public-sector unions. His reforms, which gave workers choices as to whether they wanted to join a union and curbed union collective bargaining powers that were crippling local government budgets, sparked a wave a protests around the capitol in Madison.

Democratic senators fled the state in a desperate stunt aimed at blocking the reforms. But Walker stood firm and prevailed -- and his key reforms survived court challenges and a union campaign to retake the Senate by recalling Republican lawmakers. Now unions plan to spend tens of millions of dollars on a campaign to recall him.

The biggest problem for Walker's opponents is that his proposals have actually gone into effect. As the first school year with the reforms in place nears its conclusion, none of the hysterical warnings from unions and their Democratic allies have come true. Instead, the added flexibility of negotiating health benefits and other reforms have allowed local governments to save money and avoid massive layoffs. Not only did Walker's reforms close the budget deficit without raising taxes, they actually led to lower property taxes for schools after five consecutive years of increases.

The importance of the recall election will be felt far beyond Wisconsin. Throughout the nation, public-sector unions are putting a chokehold on state and local budgets. Lawmakers everywhere will be watching the recall election to see if a state executive can take on the unions and survive. And the unions are worried that a loss in Wisconsin would mean a sharp diminution of their power. On the flip side, as Walker said in a February interview with The Washington Examiner: "God help us if we fail. I think it sets aside any courage like that at least a decade, if not a generation. And I ultimately think that's what's at stake. It will have an impact on any sort of courageous political acts anywhere in any state, and probably in particular in the halls of Congress."

[logicnreason]

I agree with our Governor...and come June 5th, I will proudly vote FOR him once again (in this day and age, it is so fantastic to be able to vote FOR ANY politician)!

 

This silly "recall" election may just turn out to be a bellweather for the upcoming national election this fall. Will the right be able to mount and hold as much power as it did in the '10 elections? Time will tell; but watching WI may give us a hint of what's to come.

 

And as a thought....is WI the only state in the union that can mount a recall election for no other reason than some voters don't like the current candidate? In WI, it is not necessary apparently that the recall effort reflect a felony judgement against the office holder. The only "criteria" necessary to recall an elected official in WI is that enough signers of recall petitions (let us not get into the "valid signature" mess) simply don't like the office holder.

 

Silly me! I thought that's what elections are for! Perhaps here in WI, the right will take a lesson from the left....if in fact the current governor is recalled and a lib governor takes his place, then the right should mount an immediate recall of the new lib governor for no other reason than they don't like him/her!

 

Yep....this is the WI form of "term limits"! We need a general election about every 100 years or so....then an endless series of recalls in between!

 

What an incredibly stupid state WI is.....politically anyway!

[Geee]

Isn't it just crazy that in a state so packed with liberals we have Scott Walker, Paul Ryan and Ron Johnson? I consider it a privilege to be able to vote for all three.

[Draggingtree]

http://theothermccai...consin-primary/

 

Why Is the U.S. Justice Department Monitoring the Wisconsin Primary?

Posted on | April 3, 2012 | 10 Comments and 0 Reactions

Dan Collins at The Conservatory calls attention to a news item:

The U.S. Justice Department says it is dispatching observers to watch over Wisconsin’s presidential primary on Tuesday.

The Justice Department said Monday its poll watchers will be in Milwaukee to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights laws.

Did I miss something? Is Milwaukee in 2012 like Selma in 1965?

Are Romneyites trying to intimidate Santorum voters in Wisconsin? As if all those endorsements and more than $3 million in attack ads weren’t enough to do the trick?

First, there was that made-for-MSNBC bombing at Planned Parenthood — a “small device” that caused “minimal damage” at an empty office — and now, for the first time in the 2012 campaign, the Justice Department decides that a primary election requires federal election monitors?

Why Wisconsin? Why now?

The word you’re looking for is “shenanigans.”

[Geee]

http://theothermccai...consin-primary/

 

Why Is the U.S. Justice Department Monitoring the Wisconsin Primary?

Posted on | April 3, 2012 | 10 Comments and 0 Reactions

Dan Collins at The Conservatory calls attention to a news item:

The U.S. Justice Department says it is dispatching observers to watch over Wisconsin’s presidential primary on Tuesday.

The Justice Department said Monday its poll watchers will be in Milwaukee to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights laws.

Did I miss something? Is Milwaukee in 2012 like Selma in 1965?

Are Romneyites trying to intimidate Santorum voters in Wisconsin? As if all those endorsements and more than $3 million in attack ads weren’t enough to do the trick?

First, there was that made-for-MSNBC bombing at Planned Parenthood — a “small device” that caused “minimal damage” at an empty office — and now, for the first time in the 2012 campaign, the Justice Department decides that a primary election requires federal election monitors?

Why Wisconsin? Why now?

The word you’re looking for is “shenanigans.”

 

The crazy liberal court here has put a stay on the law that was passed requiring voter ID. I'm thinking they are making sure that no one DARES to ask for ID so that voter fraud CAN continue. They have also mandated that the city of Milwaukee make available Spanish speaking poll watchers My first thought was-how can they mandate for just a section of a state? I'm thinking that this has nothing to do with the primary, but other elections taking place today such as mayoral.