April 8, 2011
Mad as hell
I should have been suspicious earlier yesterday when Prosser did not immediately call for a recount when it was clear he lost by 204 votes. Prosser "the profane"; Prosser, the guy in need of anger management counseling, accepting his defeat to a lesser being? Paaahhleeze! He remained out of reach out of fear he might gloat before it was time. I should have been tripped off by his behavior--it was adult-like.
Then yesterday a right-winger volunteered that he "accepts the results--that Kloppenburg won"--with a razor thin margin. He assured me that "this is Wisconsin and we are honest." C'mon! Why would he say that? Now we know. Charlie Sykes and others apparently already knew how the Waukesha game plan would roll out. The former Prosser staffer kept quiet for 29 hours. Why? Daily Kos opines that they needed to know how many votes were needed to kill a free recount! Prosser does not want a recount.
If an election is within .5 percent of a tie the state pays for the recount. (Personal disclosure: In my U.S. Senate race with Bob Kasten in 1986, we thought there may have been some hanky-panky, including possible stashing of votes, but we did not have the money for a recount and the Democratic Party was no help. Did Kasten win? Probably. Should we have tried to pay for a recount? Yup.) Should money be raised for a recount now in the Prosser "victory"? You bet! Will the Walker forces try to persuade Kloppenburg to skip a recount and accept her loss? You know they will try.
Few of you will ever accept the 2000 presidential results; few of you will accept the assertion that Ohio was won by Bush four years later; none of you accept the WMD story that they used to justify our entry into Iraq; precious few of you will, I predict, accept this Prosser "victory." Hells bells, we might all need anger management counseling!
Shutdown: Another case of the carney game. It ain't about "the money" it is all about "women's health"! Damn it. When will this nation recognize women as full citizens?
Paul Ryan, the spoof and goof: Krugman sums it up: "Ryan's plan is ludicrous and cruel." It is voodoo economics with an extra dose of fantasy and a large helping of mean-spiritedness." (And Ryan is supposedly the smart one?)
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And, you do recall the reports that Walker had not lost his resolve following Kloppenberg's win? Did he know, and to what extent? I wonder how much of Wednesday Walker spent making calls and twisting arms.
When there are questions about the integrity of any election, there should be a mechanism to vote again. Have we become a banana republic where we now need marshals and observers at every polling station?
-Franz Fripplfrappl | Madison | April 8, 2011
love to hear Liberals whine when they are beaten at their own game.
-Dohnal | Wauwatosa, wi. | April 8, 2011
Dohnal:
This is not a game. This is our democracy, our future and our lives. If you are satisified with a government that takes more than it gives back, what Walker is doing will bring you great delight. At some point in your life, Walker's actions will come back to bite you and you'll wonder why.
-Maria Caliente | Middleton | April 8, 2011
I love when repubs rush across the Rubicon. They will never learn to build durable power.
-haye | Wauwatosa, wi | April 8, 2011
I used to be a Democrat. After Clinton, the whole party lurched so far to the left that hard as I tried, I couldn't stay with them. The final blow was the utter meanness. I had been a Dem during the days of Atwater, DeLay, Armey -- and had thought "How could people belong to a party that acts like that?"
Now I can't read a Dem article without running into profanity, hyperbole, ad hominem, and outright evil -- Death threats to legislators because of votes? I don't get it.
What happened to you guys? Krugman writing that a budget he disagrees with (by a well-respected congressional member) is "cruel," as if we live in Dickinsonian times and children are being denied their gruel?
Nothing's ever just "different views" or even just "wrong" according to the Dems anymore. It's "they're here to kill women," "thousands of childrens will die," "the right wants to destroy the environment," and my favorite (in view of Obama's crony capitalism,) "The Repubs only help the rich."
What's with you guys? Ever since 2000, it's been "W is a killer" and "Palin is a c***." How can you stay with a party that acts like that?
-vladdy | Joplin, MO | April 8, 2011
Let's hope the Kloppenberg group or other responsible adults will use the open records law to go after any and all emails, correspondence, phone logs, etc, relating to Walker's role or roles of any in his office with regard to this election and the days following Tuesday. Could we be surprised by the activity or should we be content to think those in his office sat on their hands.
-Pietr Haikuu | Hurley | April 8, 2011
Wine, wine, wine...libs...go tell someone who cares.
-Steve | Houston, TX | April 8, 2011
There is a rally at the Capitol at 4:00 PM. We must support an investigation of all LATE LATE voting reports. How can people who have only 24 votes to report wait until the next day to turn in their votes? Baloney. Are they sending it by cow express? Even that would be faster.
There MUST be A LIE DETECTOR TEST demanded of this woman and any other with those late late votes; records of phone calls and e-mails from the "war-room" must be examined. WHY was
anyone using "war rooms" anyway, after the polls closed??? And, WHY did the GABoard say that the "loser must be comfortable with the results and believe it...blah blah" when no one had even asked for a recount? That statement sent up red flags as did a definite feeling that something not right was happening the night of the election. Why was this woman, with such a HUGE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, even employed in such a job? Where was the GABoard regarding this??? Look online at JS August report of her ignoring request to upgrade equipment. SMELLS SMELLS SMELLS. Rise up, Wisconsin! NOW.
-hmj | Madison, Wisconsin | April 8, 2011
Call for federal investigation of entire election including Winnebago County as well. Late votes are inexcuseable.
-hmj | Madison, Wi | April 8, 2011
Any dem care to respond to vldaddy. He's made some valid points
-yorktown | Monticello wi | April 8, 2011
First Scott Jensen plea bargain a felony to littering, now the county clerk finds 7,500 or so votes for Prosser in her nether area.
The Waukesha mafia is alive and well
-nonheroicvet | not surprised, WI | April 8, 2011
Has it occured to any of the left that making a Supreme Court race all about Walker and public unions wasn't the smartest move?
Prosser is/was a seriously flawed candidate but Walker won handily and still has strong support. I guess that never dawned on the placard carrying, guitar thwanging, 60's nostalgic idiot left in the State of Wisconsin.
Go to school lefties, and the f--k out of Madison once in a while. It may show you what the state is like and how to frame an election for once in your life.
-Griebnotz Doerkpfester | I Escaped, WI. | April 8, 2011
Sure, I'll respond to vldaddy.
George W. Bush is a war criminal. After he and the Supreme Court stole the election in 2000 he promptly launched an illegal war on Iraq that has cost over 5000 US military personnel, and maybe over one million innocent Iraqis, their lives.
In a Daily Telegraph op-ed Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, warned Bush to stay out of London or risk arrest.
And I've never heard any Dem refer to Sarah Palin as a c***.
-Steve Carlson | Trego, WI | April 8, 2011
vladdy
Where are you reading "Dem articles" with all of the profanity? Please reread this entire site and realize your references along with 'doerk'festers'are the only remarks containing profanities.
I am ultimately confused that anyone with even minuscule intelligence could find the current 'budget' proposed by Walker as anything but cruel? Actually, a more accurate adjective would be nafarious...or how about scandalous? Not only does it profoundly affect less fortunate children and our elderly,it enables rich,miserly corporations to avoid paying their SHARE. And where in any budget should there be an issue on collective bargaining? How, in any stretch of the imagination, is that going to balance any budget? However, in the long run I would agree ,it will help immensely line the pockets ,yet again, of the corporations who will regain power to dictate low wages, obsurd working hours, and control on what I'm sure they hope will be a world of the rich and the peasants. Believe me, the American people will not let this happen!
Not a Dem anymore vladdy? Thank goodness! You're an embarrassment.
Dohnal....Glad you think this is a game..WOW
Steve in Houston....Get a dictionary! Unless of course you were drinking? This, conclusively ,would explain your brilliant remark which made an impact on the world!
greibnotz doerkfester......MY FAVORITE! How blind! Prosser LOST because it WAS about Walker and ALL he stands for, which is ludicrous. And Prosser just couldn't keep his mouth shut.This race should have been won by Prosser but because of the 'placard, guitar thwanging, 60's idiots Kloppenberg WON. I know it, YOU know it, the NATION knows it......thank God you're out of Wisconsin, good riddance!
-democracybeliever | Parkman | April 8, 2011
I understand that having victory pulled away after it felt secure is maddening and tremendously frustrating. I'm sure would in that situation let myself engage in conspiracy theories, demonizing, ranting about the evil that is the other side etc. So I can sympathize to some degree with Ed's willingness to let go of rationality and the facts. I was a bit disappointed though that he couldn't find a way to work the Koch brothers into the mire of evilness and treachery. But--there's always tomorrow.
I can also see that it would be easy to fall back into old habits---Bush war criminal, etc. etc..
Having said all of that, I do think that being Mad as Hell as communicated by Ed feels and sounds less like righteous indignation, and more like the foot stomping of a spoiled 8 year old.
(O and by the way, it was Bill Maher who called Sara Palin a cunt and a dumb twat.)
-Craig | Madison Wis. | April 8, 2011
So Steve Bush is a war criminal for lauching a war aproved by congress and the holy liberal grail the UN? What does that make our current President? I don't recall congress authorizing any action in Libyia. I highly doubt the cry of war criminal will be thrown at Barry. When will Cindy Shehan be protesting at his house in Chicago along with Rev Al? Oh that's right even though 2 wars still continue and Club Gitmo is still open you lefties have kind of let that slide for Barry since he is a Dem.
As far as the Supreme court Race goes hahahaha! You lost after throwing every thing you had at it. It was close I'll give you that but according to you it shouldn't have been WI was all about collective bargaining rights.
-Steve W | Waukesha WI | April 9, 2011
I appreciate this blog and hope Ed can continue to write for many years. One sane voice gives me hope in a country where we have extremely high unemployment with no clear way out. I will continue to try to make sense of the truth and Ed is one source of truth for me.
-Pat Nelson | Three Lakes, Wisconsin | April 9, 2011
@SteveW: We "threw everything we had at it," but were nevertheless outspent 2 to 1. Thanks for making the case for campaign finance reform in this post-Citizens United era. We definitely need it. You can follow up by credit card at ProgressivesUnited.org. The fight continues.
-Jeff Pieterick | Waterloo, WI | April 9, 2011
Bill Maher is a well known Libertarian.
The Mayor of London thinks Bush should be arrested for war crimes. Maybe you should get in touch with him with your concerns over "Barry."
Cindy Sheehan has been out in front of the White House calling Obama a war criminal.
And, Steve W: how in the hell does Kathy Nickolaus get elected term after term in Waukesha county? Can't you people do something about that?
-Steve Carlson | Trego WI | April 9, 2011
Steve W:
Actually Kloppenburg did remarkably well in the election. Had Prosser won with 60-80% of the vote, then it would have been a win indeed for him. The fact JK has come so close is a sure indication that the Force is no longer favoring Prosser or the Walker cabal.
-Pietr Haikuu | Hurley | April 9, 2011
WOW! Garvey, have you been smoking something? Are you not capable of linear thought? It is one thing to be partisan, but you need to be grounded in reality too.
-Robert Higley | Plover, WI | April 9, 2011
Thank God WI voters came out and defied the Mafia Unions. Shame now many of the business owners are now being threatened by these vary same sick individuals. Cops belong to the Unions, no protection there. Self before public service.
God bless each and EVERY WI voter who voted to keep the waters clean and walked above the corruption the Unions tried to lay out but FAILED!!!
Guess the Union thug Boss better make more trips to the WH and get better financing to undo America.
Americans are fed up with the me, me, me Liberals, its time to stand on your own two feet and get off middle class America's backs.
Grow up!
Leave the hate on the playground, it helps no one.
-Debbie | CA | April 10, 2011
@Debbie: Ok. You convinced me. I feel the love. Now what? LOL!
-Jeff Pieterick | Waterloo, WI | April 10, 2011
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