Lawless

[paft.livejournal.com]

As I was saying:

Republican Wisconsin State Senator Scott Fitzgerald on what Walker’s union busting is REALLY all about:

If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the union, Obama is going to have a much more difficult time winning this election and winning the state of Wisconsin.

Democratic Representative Peter Barca, as the Joint Conference of Committee rams through the bill stripping public sector unions of most of their collective bargaining rights:

This is a violation of law. This is not just a rule. This is the law.

This attack on public sector unions is not about being fiscally responsible, any more than “voter fraud” laws supported by Republicans are about respecting the vote.

This is about breaking the unions, defunding the Democratic party and making it difficult for President Obama to be elected. It is about the raw exercise of power, regardless of the law. It is about establishing what amounts to single party rule.

I draw a direct line to this moment from our willingness, as a country, to countenance what happened during the 2000 presidential “election,” when Florida’s Republican Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, deliberately disenfranchised several thousand legal voters. Afterwards, the leadership of both parties told those of us who objected to sit down and shut up about it, as if valid American voters being turned away from the polls were nothing to make a fuss about.

The Republican Party learned they could win by openly and illegally subverting the will of the people and trashing the constitution and rule of law. Nobody should be surprised that they’ve escalated this tactic over the years. A large voter turnout is a liability to the G.O.P., and they know it. Their agenda directly and adversely affects too many voters – minorities, women, gays, union members, and lately, the middle class in general.

They don’t really need or desire a lot of voters anymore – just a nasty core of astro-turf supported yellers, and corporate buddies to funnel money into their campaigns.

And we, as a country, have allowed this to happen.

I stand behind pro-union demonstrators in Wisconsin. I wish them luck. I hope the tide of protests doesn’t recede. I hope that every single one of those Republicans who are ramming through this law find themselves confronted with hisses of “shame” every time they step out into public. I hope that recalls send as many of them as possible packing in the next couple of years.

But to every one of those protesting people who voted for Scott Walker, or those other Republicans I also say, “elections have consequences.” By voting for people who have nothing but contempt for you, you threw away freedom with both hands.

Good luck getting it back. And I mean that sincerely.

Crossposted from Thoughtcrimes

Comments

[telemann.livejournal.com]

That vote was pretty much a violation of Wisconsin law, and several legal experts last night mentioned that in past instances where such illegal votes were challenged in Wisconsin, the law was overturned by the courts. And guess what, Wisconsin is electing it's Supreme Court next month, nevermind there are several efforts to recall Republican Senators and Governor Walker.

Democracy, not lawlessness

[russj.livejournal.com]

It's good to hear from a democrat who believes in respect for the constitution, and the rule of law.

I live in Minnesota, where the Democrat-party secretary of state certified comedian Al Franken as our newest Senator by allowing voter fraud for partisan political gain.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123111967642552909.html
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/peter-roff/2010/07/20/Al-Franken-May-Have-Won-His-Senate-Seat-Through-Voter-Fraud
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2008/11/19_challenged_ballots/

I agree with FDR, that collective bargaining has no place in public sector unions, and that "militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of Government employees"

See: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=15445

That's why I approve of the recent action by Wisconsin lawmakers, to curtail these practices. Why should public-sector union members be exempt from the "shared sacrifice" that everyone else has been making?

If this effort fails, our state governments will eventually become insolvent. The taxpayers can simply no longer afford to give grant these "cadillac" benefit plans to public sector employees.

I have contempt for the absentee Democrats, who fled to Illinois for three weeks to avoid taking a vote on this bill. By so doing, they robbed their constituents of representation in the Wisconsin legislature. These are the people who threw away freedom -- and for nothing more than partisan political points.

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

"This attack on public sector unions is not about being fiscally responsible, any more than “voter fraud” laws supported by Republicans"

Yes, because politicians are only allowed to have a single motivation for any action.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised that the Department For the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice turns to Vice while calling it Virtue. I will say, however, as a counterpoint that having her own funds didn't help Carly Fiorina beat Moonbeam......

[notmrgarrison.livejournal.com]

what dems support of unions is REALLY all about

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Ok you caught us.

-Respectfully,
The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy

[headhouse.livejournal.com]

Wait. Is this an "I told you so" post? Or is it a "Pay attention to me I'm soapboxing" with no actual point? Or is this "Republicans are evil because X" day again? That's usually thursday, right?

I ask, because someone else already posted on this topic, and I didn't see you commenting in there, so I expect you don't have anything to contribute other than the options I listed above.

Actually, don't answer that. Rhetorical question.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Public sector workers are still free to contribute to whatever political party they want to, and they are still free to vote for the party they prefer. In other words, this has nothing to do with Democrats' funding or Obama's reelection.