Right-wing Coup In Wisconsin

Far right judge David Prosser will be sitting in for Scott Walker next month

With one Republican Senator (Dale Schultz, who represents a district Obama won with over 60% in 2008) voting NO, Scott Walker's pure anti-worker bill-- stripped, he claims, of any of the fiscal implications that would make a Senate quorum necessary-- passed tonight 18-1 in an end-run around democracy. I don't get how a bill that includes pay cuts and pension "reform" isn't fiscal but I guess that will be up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to decide, a 4-3 Republican-skewing Court, although Wisconsin can speak on April 5 when one of Walker's cronies, like-minded partisan hack, David Prosser can be defeated by assistant State Attorney General JoAnn Kloppernburg, a Democrat in his reelection bid. His term is up July 31.

Former U.S. Congressman, Assemblyman Peter Barca (he represented the district now held by Paul Ryan), challenged Republican Senate Leader Scott Fitzgerald that what they were doing was illegal:

Fitzgerald: "This is the bill that passed the Assembly. There's nothing different from that."

Barca: "Nothing different?"

Fitzgerald: "They just removed items. There's nothing new."

Barca: "This is clearly a violating of the open meetings law! This is not a rule, this is a law!"

Angry crowds could be heard through the locked doors chanting "Shame! Shame!" The Leader of the Senate Democrats issued a statement:

In thirty minutes, 18 State Senators undid fifty years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten. Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people. Tomorrow we will join the people of Wisconsin in taking back their government.

Wisconsin workers will rally tomorrow morning at 8AM at the Capitol and there will be rallies around the state starting at 9AM. As we have all during this crisis, we turned to Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate for clarity. He didn't disappoint:

"Using tactics that trample on the traditions of our Legislature, the Republican leadership has betrayed our state. Republicans have rubber-stamped the desire of the Koch Brothers and their godshead Scott Walker to cripple Wisconsin's middle class and lower benefits and wages for every single wage-earner in our state. The vote does nothing to create jobs, does nothing to strengthen our state, and shows finally and utterly that this never was about anything but raw political power. We now put our total focus on recalling the eligible Republican senators who voted for this heinous bill. And we also begin counting the days remaining before Scott Walker is himself eligible for recall."

I guess Russ Feingold will be the next governor of Wisconsin. In Europe, a general strike would have been called against this outrageous usurpation of power by now. Dave Cieslewicz, the mayor of Madison is among the angry protesters currently occupying the Capitol.



UPDATE: Republican Party's War On Democracy

Here it is, captured on video last night: