Robert Reich: Governor Walker’s Coup D’Etat

[highplainsdem]

http://robertreich.org/post/3760147381

Governor Walker’s Coup D’Etat

Thursday, March 10, 2011


Governor Scott Walker and his Wisconsin senate Republicans have laid bare the motives for their coup d’etat. By severing the financial part of the bill (which couldn’t be passed without absent Democrats) from the part eliminating the collective bargaining rights of public employees (which could be), and then doing the latter, Wisconsin Republicans have made it crystal clear that their goal has had nothing whatever to do with the state budget. It’s been to bust the unions.

That’s no surprise to most people who have watched this conflict from the start, but like any coup its ultimate outcome will depend on the public. If most citizens of Wisconsin are now convinced that Walker and his cohorts are extremists willing to go to any lengths for their big-business patrons (including the billionaire Koch brothers), those citizens will recall enough Republican senators to right this wrong.

But it’s critically important at this stage that Walker’s opponents maintain the self-discipline they have shown until this critical point. Walker would like nothing better than disorder to break out in Madison. Like the leader of any coup d’etat, he wants to show the public his strong-arm methods are made necessary by adversaries whose behavior can be characterized on the media as even more extreme.

Be measured. Stay cool. Know that we are a nation of laws, and those laws will prevail. The People’s Party is growing across America — and the actions of Scott Walker and his Republican colleagues are giving it even greater momentum. So are the actions of congressional Republicans who are using the threat of a government shutdown to strong-arm their way in Washington.

-snip-

Good advice.

And this is what Reich tweeted minutes ago:

RBReich Robert Reich
Walker and Wisc Rs have pulled a coup d'etat. Opponents should mobilize but stay cool. Don't give Walker evidence the coup was necessary.
15 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[deacon]

1. Big kick. n/t

[BzaDem]

2. "those citizens will recall enough Republican senators to right this wrong." Unfortunately, no.

Every single eligible Republican Senator could be recalled, and yet the law would still be on the books. It takes both houses + the governor to change the law. The law will be here until both houses switch parties AND the governor changes.

[tcaudilllg]

4. What we need is federal intervention. n/t

[coti]

5. You are here every single fucking time to *attempt* to pour water on the fire of progress.

That one was particularly weak, considering that after 1+ year they're going to be recalling the governor, too.

[BzaDem]

10. Seriously? You are outraged when I'm not cheering on a post that might inadvertently give others

false hopes?

Even if Walker is recalled next year, and even if ALL the state senate recalls go the Democrats way, the Republicans still have a 22 SEAT MAJORITY in the assembly. There is no way to change that until the next election.

Am I seriously supposed to be acting as if this is not the case? Of course recalling Walker and all of the Dem Senators would be progress! I'm just saying that we shouldn't expect their union busting to be reversed until the next election at earliest.

[regnaD kciN]

7. Actually, that may not be the case...

There are almost certainly going to be court challenges to the law, especially the notion that a bill restricting what unions can negotiate for with the government has no "fiscal" status.

Now, the Wisconsin Supreme Court currently has four Republicans and three Democrats...but one of the Republicans is standing for re-election within a month. Replace that Justice with a Democrat, and the chances for Walker's power-grab to be throw out in court increase exponentially.

So, while the recalls are important, the first real test will almost certainly come within a few weeks, and will concern that SCOW seat.

[BzaDem]

12. Even the Dem state senators agreed that collective bargaining would pass the no-fiscal test.

In fact, they frequently went on MSNBC shows to challenge the Republicans to put it in a non-fiscal bill, so that it could pass even without the Democrats. (They did this because they thought there was no way all the Republicans would vote for such a stand-alone bill.)

Unfortunately, the only fiscal issues the Constitution requires a super quorum for are

"any law which imposes, con- tinues or renews a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, con- tinues or renews an appropriation of public or trust money, or releases, discharges or commutes a claim or demand of the state"

There may very well be a legitimate claim that the conference committee the passed the bill violated open meetings laws (since there wasn't 24 hours notice). So if the Republicans are stupid enough to not re-do the conference committee with the proper notice, AND the courts don't rule on the issue until after the Republican state senators are recalled, THEN perhaps the bill can be stopped. But that is an extraordinarily unlikely scenario.

[Bandit]

17. This is important news and I hope it gets saturation coverage in Wisconsin

and even National. Maybe Rachel or Ed will pick up on this and beat the drum a bit. Elections are the answer and let them try their 2nd amendment remedies so we can get them off the streets to a place they belong. It is going to take a bunch of money because the opposiotion certainly has a bunch...

[tavalon]

15. You do realize that they can be recalled for illegal behavior

Tonight's behavior wasn't just reprehensible, it was illegal. That comes from the current AG of the state. Let me repeat that word for you - illegal. Ergo, get enough signatures, recall will happen and then they can send some people to Madison who know how to work within the laws of their state.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

3. This is a time for a well thought out response

But by the same token I am a firm believer in "Speak softly, but carry a big stick."

[dreamnightwind]

6. The People's Party

Anyone else catch that? Reich said The People's Party is growing across America. I find some significance in that. Reich was (is?) a leading Democrat, but it sounds to me like he's looking for an alternative that actually represents the People.

Power To The People!

And K & R for Robert Reich, the biggest little man.

[regnaD kciN]

8. I don't think he's talking about some progressive "third party"...

...(which, IMHO, would be a monumentally-stupid idea), but a counter to the Tea Party -- an active movement to fight the conservatives on a grassroots level.

[dreamnightwind]

13. I don't know

Either way, he said it, he capitalized it, he meant it. And either way, inside or outside the party, it's great to see someone from the inside like Reich thinking in those terms.

[malaise]

9. K & R

The fuckers must be stopped

[xchrom]

11. Recommend

[dreamnightwind]

14. See also

The Principles of the People’s Party
http://robertreich.org/post/3752615196

Thanks to this thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x600690 for the link.

[ladjf]

16. He is one of our smartest people. We should heed his advice.

[ProSense]

18. "Be measured. Stay cool. Know that we are a nation of laws, and those laws will prevail. "

Exactly, this is not a time for panic.

[PufPuf23]

20. I am with Reich but the problem is that the USA is not at present a nation of laws.

Otherwise POTUS Obama and the DOJ would be prosecuting war and financial criminals and not supporting "laws" and policy that are at the core fraud and non-democratic.

[highplainsdem]

19. kick