Posted on 02/18/2011 11:23:00 AM PST by speciallybland
Sam Stein asks Texas Democrats -- who fled a redistricting proposal almost a decade ago -- what they'd advise their Wisconsin counterparts:
As a group of Wisconsin Democrats camp outside their state in hopes of stalling an anti-public union bill, veterans of such high-stake showdowns see numerous challenges ahead. The media coverage will be suffocating; the urge to cut a deal will be compelling; the lack of sex will be, well, unsettling. Seriously.
"If you are going to be out more than two weeks call your spouse for conjugal visits," explained Texas Democrat Leticia Van de Putte, who, back in 2003, was one of 11 state senators who fled to New Mexico in order to stall Republican redistricting plans. "After two weeks -- and most of my colleagues are men -- I said get their wives here and quick because you are under intense stress."
She's not joking. Among the many trying elements that come with a "quorum break," the disruption to a lawmaker's personal life ranks highest. In interviews with The Huffington Post, several legislators and a top staffer who went through the Texas saga called it, easily, the most exhausting of their careers.
"It is a nightmare," said Harold Cook, the man who staffed Senate Democrats when they fled to Albuquerque on their quorum break. "First off you are going to a place you are not familiar with, and you will be around people you don't know, and you will be going to try and get out your message to your constituents through a reporter you may never have met. You are going to be short on staff because they are going to be back in the capital ... It was just about the toughest thing I did professionally and I think a lot of the senators would say it was the toughest thing they did in their legislative careers."
Their flight was also, ultimately, fruitless, and I think inexplicable to many voters.
Yeah, that's a real "professional" thing to do, Mr. Cook. Run away from your job.
How about they advise the WI Dems to return home and do their damn jobs. This article ticks me off. Lack of sex? We need to advise the Dems to get plenty of sex while they’re hiding out?
O.M.G.
Well, they could steal a page from the Charley Sheen playbook and call in the pros. I mean, they are already screwing the taxpayers, so why not . . . .
Somehow, I think they will be rather sparsely populated buses.
Very expensive, yet empty... Just like the Democratic party.
After checking out Ms. Leticia Van de Putte om Wikipedia, I find it hard to believe conjugal visits were high on her husband’s list.
withhold salary and benefits. make them pay for the stunt out of their own pockets! just like should happen when they can’t pass a budget!
The Democrats abandoned their jobs in the Senate, are you telling me that there isn’t a procedure in the Senate for when a Senator goes missing?
Use it
The price of hookers will undergo what is termed an economic expansion in the next few days.
High end clothiers will also experience a similar boomblet.
Yuk.
Here’s what you do. You make an anonymous phone call to an urban Democrat and tell him that his wife is tearing the house up looking for his stash. Stop him at the border and drag him into the chambers.
Recall petition should be started the 3 to 4 representatives that had the closest election last cycle. Petition has 60 days to circulate and they need to have 25% of the vote from last election. If we begin with a ground game to contact all the republicans in their districts to sign the petition by calling them at home and telling them where they can go to sign the petitions, then we could set up recall elections for just enough to get past the quorum rule.
In the mean time, cut off their per diem, withhold their pay, and stop paying their staff.
Open the session every day and pass anything that does not have a quorum rule.
The Legislatures and rules governing them were creating in a time when government wasn’t a full time job. Hence, the flexibility for members to be out - to tend to their jobs and families.
An easier solution is for the Wisconsin Senate leadership to compel attendance and issue warrants for their arrest and bring them back to the capitol in handcuffs.
If papa thinks momma found or knows about the stash, he be heading the other general direction.
These things are interesting when state lines are crossed.
I would bet that if one had the time to dig through a pile of statutory law taller than a giraffe these democrats passed in the last decade, one could find a legal mechanism in some fine print addendum to have the FBI lasso them and drop their a$$es in a shiny federal institution.
These legal mechanisms, alas, are only intended to be implemented against republicans. No one has the time to do such today, as they are busy relocating their families and property from the peaceful protest.
That's all well and good but they fled the state on purpose. They're beyond the reach of the WI governor, WI state police and WI law.
Maybe we need extradition treaties among the several states for when lawmakers go on the lamb?
This is a circus.
This is good information. Parade some sexy hussies in the lobby and get pictures on these Dems!!!
They should be searching each AWOL Senators office for any thing incriminating. Conduct forensic audits of all expenditures. Issue subpoenas for family members to testify on record of their whereabouts. Setup a perjury trap and pursue with all power. Eventually these bastards will acquiesce.
Don’t think Ill Noise would be too cooperative in this case. Notice they didn’t go to Minnesota.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.