Posted on 03/06/2011 8:13:12 PM PST by bigbob
Senate Dems late tonight sought to downplay Minority Leader Mark Miller’s comments that they plan to return to the Capitol soon for a vote on the budget repair bill to put their GOP colleagues on record in the face of polls that show the legislation is not sitting well with the public.
Miller told the Wall Street Journal that moving forward with a vote on the budget repair will would give Dems more leverage in seeking changes to the 2011-13 budget the guv released earlier this week.
But a Miller spokesman and two of his Dem colleagues insisted nothing has really changed for the caucus and Dems continue to seek changes to the repair bill.
Sen. Bob Jauch, who along with Sen. Tim Cullen has been part of the negotiations with the governor’s staff, said Dems have known all along they would have to return to Wisconsin at some point. That position hasn’t changed in the past two weeks, and he said Dems want to force their Republican colleagues to show the public whether they stand with the governor or with workers when it comes to the proposed changes.
“I think he’s speaking the truth that at some point – and I don’t know when soon is – at some point we have to say we’ve done all we can,” Jauch said.
Cullen declined comment, saying Miller didn’t speak with him before making the comments, while Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who’s been the lead contact with media during the standoff, said Dems are not preparing to return.
Miller spokesman Mike Brown insisted there was nothing really new in Miller’s comments and that Dems continue trying to keep the lines of communication open in what has been a fluid situation.
“The bottom line is that Democrats would still like to see a reasonable negotiated settlement,” Brown said.
Jauch said even though the repair bill was engrossed by the Senate, he knows from his more than 25 years in the Legislature there are ways changes could still be made.
If Mark Miller sounds merely confused and contradictory, take a listen to Lena Taylor's rant to get a sense of the true level of incoherence:
Goody.. the longer the dumbocrats stay away the more the stink of it all invades Wisconsin voters noses.. They should be encouraged to “STAY AWAY”... But damn then they would come back..
Are the Republican Senators been voting on anything non-fiscal related? IF not you should be calling and telling them adamantly to get their asses moving on other legislation and start getting other things the people voted for walker to sign instead of this constant we need the Rats to come back to do anything, that’s crap.
Tell them to shut the RATS out, quit talking to them, pull the collective bargaining piece out of the budget bill and pass it and shove it back at them.
Good Lord she’s bad, but think of the people who elected her.
“Mass Mope” lol! These Fleebaggers are the gift that just keeps on giving. And as an IL resident, we appreciate Wisconsin taking the “Stupid State” award for a while.
But they need to get this wrapped up - we’ve got the Blago retrial coming up...
The Governor and Republicans are apparently waging some economic warfare on the “Fleebagger Democrats” by withholding their paychecks, etc. They should also dock them pay for missed days of work.
However, they should also set up an investigative committee in the legislature that would have subpoena power to see how much money the unions are giving to the Fleebaggers, and whether is is legal since the Dems are still eligible to draw a paycheck (double-dipping?, illegal contributions to influence votes?; call the IRS to investigate this money and see if it is taxable)
Also, they should look into how much out of state money is allowed to come in to influence state legislation.
And about that violence, let them investigate who the thugs were, and to bill the unions for the millions of dollars worth of damage to the state house/grounds.
Hit them where they don’t expect it, and hit the bastards hard.
They’re believing their own phony polling. Boy are they going to be unhappy when the come back “make their point”, and the majority of the public doesn’t immediately nominate them for sainthood.
As of Friday they Flee Party renegades are liable for $100 a day fines, and their paychecks must be picked up in person. They even disabled access codes to the copiers so the RAT senators aides can’t even make a copy without a Republican giving permission. You gotta figure they’re real popular with their staffs now too, whose resumes just got turned into a joke.
He must have gotten a call from the “real” union boss - Mr. Barack Obama. Chicago style too!
They can’t get moving on anything — no legislation can be considered without a quorum in the senate in Wisconsin according to their Constitution. They need 20 Senators — there are 19 Republicans. They are 1 short until they can capture and hogtie one of those derelict Dems who are gonna try to cash their government paychecks for doing nothing but running AWAY from work....Wait. That makes them the PERFECT representatives of MOST Democrats! Oh, sorry...
If they can recall and replace ONE runaway dem - wouldn’t it be all over?
I heard that interview live. WI must really be proud of their Senator Taylor../s
BTW—Don and Roma were on vacation, Dan and Bruce were sitting in and did the interview. They have a great “HATE Saturday” show on WLS, where they spew their “right wing venom.”
They are being fined $100.00 a day.
I think the quorum rule only applies to legislation involving budget/spending.
I’d sure like to see some reliable polling on what Wisconsinites think of the runaway senators. A poll out earlier today showed they had ~50% favorables and that the people wanted “compromise”. But apparently whatever polls the RATs are looking at tell a different story. Where’s Rasmussen on this?
Truth be told the GOP senate could expel them from the senate if they wanted to!
They can according to Senate rules.
You would be quite correct Yardstick. I have no idea why they won't pass any bill that doesn't involve money. Make Wis a right to work state, no collective bargaining for state employees. The Pubs could cleanup bo's and co's of crappy laws.
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