Wisconsin senators' absence raises questions on tactic ('setting themselves up for a BIG failure')

Yahoo ^ | 2/19/11 | Eric Johnson

[Libloather]

Wisconsin senators' absence raises questions on tactic
By Eric Johnson – 17 mins ago

CHICAGO (Reuters) – As demonstrators wrangled on Saturday over Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's move to weaken public unions, analysts weighed the consequences of 14 Democratic senators' decision to flee the state to stall the bill's consideration.

**SNIP**

"As far as the constitution goes, there is nothing that expressly forbids their actions," Copelovitch said. "But if the same thing that is happening in Wisconsin spreads to other states, there should be explicit rules written to forbid it."

Senator Jon Erpenbach said Friday that the senators were prepared to be away for weeks, and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca said he didn't know when they would return.

"Sooner or later all 14 will have to return--they are away from their states, homes, and businesses," said Sabato, adding that a vote is inevitable and the mathematics is not on the side of the Democrats.

"The upside is that they have brought a lot of attention to their point of view. The downside is they are setting themselves up for a big failure in public relations at some point," Sabato said.

[Libloather]

They are obviously taking a leaf from the book of the Texas legislators, who fled the state and hid out in Oklahoma ten years ago, to avoid a redistricting vote.

Texas state Democratic senator advises Wisconsin counterparts to stick together

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Senator Jon Erpenbach said Friday that the senators were prepared to be away for weeks, and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca said he didn't know when they would return. “Sooner or later all 14 will have to return—they are away from their states, homes, and businesses,” said Sabato, adding that a vote is inevitable and the mathematics is not on the side of the Democrats. “The upside is that they have brought a lot of attention to their point of view. The downside is they are setting themselves up for a big failure in public relations at some point,” Sabato said.”

I don't see how the liberals win this one.

On the other side, National Republicans need to publicly tie this WI shutdown/walkout to Obama and Reid's rejection of the house budget. They should call on Obama to tell the teachers to go back to the classes, to do what they are being paid for, like taxpayers must do. Do this on every TV show tomorrow.

[okie01]

I believe this same thing happened in Texas a couple of years ago. Dem Senators skedaddled across the border to New Mexico in an effort to stop the legislative process.

Theissue was re-districting. And they did it twice. The House bussed to Ardmore, OK; the Senate flew to Albuquerque.

The press loved it. They thought it was "cute".

The voters hated it. They thought it was "bullshit".

And the Dems got their butts kicked in the next election.

[Republic]

When protestors go to private homes, unguarded and not fenced as the WH is, it is time to call out the police and jail um. That stinks. ACORN did this to bankers who refused to give out unsecured loans to people unable to afford the morgage much less the upkeep. It was creepy and vile.

uhbama has his troops and they are a cabal of idiots bent on doing whatever it takes to win.

When I see the union protestors, this is what I think about. How far will they go? Another reason why uhbama should keep his big ugly self out of Wisconsin's business.

[MNlurker]

I have a couple of teacher friends that are throwing themselves up on the cross this weekend about how tough things are...pretty laughable. They can only respond that Walker is breaking up their right to unionize :)

Another saying that Obama is going to come in and show Walker who’s boss...still trying to figure out if I really want to get into the whole what just happened here 3 months ago thing LOL

[goldstategop]

TX Senate Democrats fled in 2004 to avoid a vote on redistricting. They can’t pull that trick now with GOP supermajorities in both houses of the TX legislature.

[DustyMoment]

Texas Democrats pulled this stunt many, many years ago to avoid voting on a bill they didn’t like.

Shortly afterward, Texans began replacing them with Republicans and they haven’t looked back.

History will repeat itself in Wisconsin.

[cycjec]

And then what? Those behind all of this aren’t your
garden variety DUpies or Kosniki. They must have a
Plan B ready.

[Elsiejay]

What is that “move to weaken public unions?” Surely compelling union members to contribute part of their pay to their own retirement funds and at least a meaningful portion of their medical insurance premiums cannot be construed as a “move to weaken public unions.”
As a Univ of Wis faculty member a TIA retirement fund contribution was withheld from my salary. Of course, I did not have a union contract to exempt me from that reasonable requirement.

[Mike Darancette]

Could the current Assembly and Senate pass a law that forces these people back or, if they don’t come back, to forfeit their office?

They could pass all kinds of laws like open carry, voter id and right to work. Stuff the missing RATs would love to vote against.

[Gilbo_3]

National Republicans need to publicly tie this WI shutdown/walkout to Obama and Reid's rejection of the house budget. They should call on Obama to tell the teachers to go back to the classes, to do what they are being paid for, like taxpayers must do. Do this on every TV show tomorrow.

they *could* but we know they wont...

just like the natl pubbies could be proposing and facilitating the Wi guys, that every non-fiscal, conservative wetdream agenda item be pushed thru by end of business on monday, setting a precedent that this sh!t wont dare happen anywhere else...

but they wont...

[Elsiejay]

The following what a “move to weaken ... labor unions” (sarc) looks like, what Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill actually seeks to achieve:

- Ask government workers to pay half the cost of their pensions - still less than private employees pay for their pensions

- Ask government workers to pay 12% of their own health insurance premiums - the national average for the private sector is over 20%

- End collective bargaining for government unions for pensions and benefits. Allow bargaining only for raises that are less than inflation.

- End forced union dues, collected by the state. Union dues would become voluntary.

- Union members get to vote yearly on whether to keep their union.

[kevao]

Ask government workers to pay half the cost of their pensions

The information I got was that they were being asked to contribute 5% to their pensions.

[WesternPacific]

And the Dems got their butts kicked in the next election.

Hopefully, history will repeat itself.

[Defiant]

Best idea I’ve read yet.