The republicans in Wisconsin are going to pay a dear political price for what they are doing now

[Horse with no Name]

They are overplaying their hand when ALL the polls say that the population of Wisconsin supports the unions.

Go ahead with your smash and grab--you might change things temporarily--but make no mistake--you will PAY for it with YEARS of republican losses in the Midwest and beyond.

[Blue Owl]

1. Oh yes they are

Were they paying ANY attention to the polls the last couple weeks?

Of course not -- the people don't matter to them.

[Chris_Texas]

20. What percentage wanted a public option on healthcare?

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. How are they doing this, I thought they didn't have a quorum?

[walldude]

3. They don't... they split the bill

they don't need a quorum if it's not a fiscal issue. Not sure exactly what they did thought..

[Horse with no Name]

5. They took the fiscal part out of the bill

it is straight union busting now.

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Can't exactly hide behind "fiscal responsibility" with that one, can they?

[doc03]

4. They need a quorum for the budget but can take your

bargaining rights away with a simple majority.

[Liberal Insights]

12. Thanks.

Thanks for the clarification.

[bbinacan]

6. My understanding is that

if the fiscal aspects are removed, a quorum is not needed.

[midnight]

8. K&R I wish this was true, but I think that since they got away with

it in Miwaukee it will be watered down maybe via a compromise.. This would be a gigantic mistake... The real culprits of this deficit should be held responsible... But in the eyes of the big boys it's the teachers, nurses, and unions who are going to be next.....

[Better Believe It]

9. What price? They will be richly rewarded for their dirty work by corporate America and Wall Street

When they "lose" an election or get recalled from office they move on to more lucrative positions in "the private sector".

So most them don't worry about being "punished" by voters.

[elocs]

10. This will make the recall of the Republican senators much, much easier

and go a long way to ensuring their defeat in each and every one of their elections this summer. This is going to make U.S. political history.

[louslobbs]

11. Sounds like a Dicktatorship to me......split the bill lol, what a bunch of idiots

You know, there have been a lot of firsts since the election of our first black President. It's absolutely amazing and all on the Republicons end. Why I can't remember in my lifetime, people bringing firearms to political gatherings, but, elect a black President and boom, it happens. A white President puts his feet up on a desk, not a problem, but a black President does the same thing on the same desk, boom, a huge whitewing uproar. I could go on all night, but you get where I'm going. I'm glad they are overplaying their hand and that people, real people are waking up. I was hoping people would wake up and I didn't care what it took to do it, and now it is happening. Two of my acquaintances in life, both Republicons, can't believe what their side is doing. So this is affecting most people and is helping our side to be heard.
Lou

[cecilfirefox]

13. Politically this is terrific for the Democratic party nationaly,

The Republican machine has been on a push now against public sector Unions, and its only going to galvanize a base that the President was having trouble holding onto. The Republicans have got themselves now into a similar mess that the Democrats did- their base supports the dissolution of worker rights the way ours was rallying for health care, and they can't not do anything on the subject because if they do they will only take a major political defeat. Therefore they are playing their hand- this is, essentially, the biggest national battle the conservative movement has chosen since they took a commanding control of so much of the country.

It really will only help our base in 2012.

But it'll be awful for a lot of people. :/

[Better Believe It]

18. It will be a major defeat of the working class but that's terrific for the Democratic Party!!??

Isn't that just wonderful?

[fascisthunter]

19. funny how we always end up being the political football

[onethatcares]

14. and who is going to replace them?

here in sunny floriduh the speaker of the house for 2017 has already been chosen. the guy that will reign in 2012 was annointed back in 2005, It seems that anyone that goes anywhere in the political sphere is a pawn, been bought, either gets a plum or a lemon for assignment and is given marching orders that they either follow, or get kicked to the curb.

I have lost faith in our political arena, from the city council to the president of the United States of America.

Somebody talk me down.

[Horse with no Name]

15. The way I understand it

That when the recall petition is voted on, there is a name of a new person you are voting on.

With this kind of grab--I expect those names will be Democrats.

[Scuba]

16. Violence will only discredit our peaceful protest....

....Let's keep it peaceful and work the recall.

[Horse with no Name]

17. Yep. This act of aggression should facilitate the recalls

nicely.

[Chris_Texas]

21. Sadly I doubt it. Just a thought, but...

These GOP douchebags are delivering exactly what their their voters wanted, and MORE. We could have demanded the same, but we are too busy making excuses.

Our biggest victory over the last two years was.... (drumroll please)

...Forcing poor people to either BUY health insurance! It was perhaps the biggest gift to insurance companies in history, the biggest fuck you to the people this nation has ever seen, and it was championed (and is still cheered) by Democrats.

[Horse with no Name]

22. No. This was NOT on the agenda

per a couple of the republican Senators.

[Scuba]

24. Bingo.

[TheWebHead]

23. don't underestimate America's short attention span

outside of WI, I'm guessing this will be largely forgotten by the next election. removing the collective bargaining privileges of public sector workers is something that has been going on in other states for years but the state senators going on the run and the protests made this one a national media cause celebre. when the media stops talking about it in a few weeks the attention will divert to another issue, people will throw their arms up in anger or joy depending on their political views, and the process will repeat.