A Prodigal Democrat Returns

Human Events ^ | March 2, 2011 | John Hayward

[Scanian]

It appears that one of the 14 fugitive Wisconsin Democrats has returned to the state capitol, heeding Governor Scott Walker’s ultimatum.

A flurry of Twitter messages late Tuesday night heralded the return of Democrat State Senator Tim Cullen, who represents labor union interests in the 15th Senate District surrounding Janesville, Wisconsin.

A Tuesday piece in the Janesville Gazette described Cullen as “open to some of Governor Scott Walker's budget proposals.” The Gazette describes his position as follows:

“Cullen calls Walker's budget address a good speech, and the goal of getting Wisconsin moving again is shared by everyone. He does have a lot of questions about the details though. The Democrat wants to know how it will affect schools, municipalities, and health care. He says the sticking point is still the proposal to strip public workers of most of their collective bargaining rights.”

[Colonel Kangaroo]

The whiff of compromise is in the air.

[chickadee]

I will believe it when I see it. After what the mob did to Glenn Grothman, they would tear Cullen limb from limb unless he entered in disguise.

[Scanian]

Anybody know what kind of district Cullen represents?

[Shqipo]

I wonder how “civil” the Left will be toward him.

[mewzilla]

Could more than one of them be returning unbeknownst to any of the others...?

If so, ROTF!!

[chickadee]

I don’t know, but I am betting that more than one elected Democrat is thinking that there could be real violence if they don’t stop their shenanigans.

[chickadee]

I don’t know the Janesville district, but on doing a little checking, Hulsey was Dane County Board supervisor before running for the Assembly. Dane County is where Madison is located, so one would have to presume he is a very left of left lefty.

[Truth29]

Questions:

Where are the police to protect the Republican Senators from the mob (silly question)?

Why wasn't the Democrat Senator detained when he returned to the state to be delivered to the Senate chamber?

[Mister Da]

I smell it, too, & it stinks.

[C210N]

Sounds like Cullen was inching in this direction a week ago...

Cullen sees way to end senators' hideout

State Sen. Tim Cullen of Janesville spoke from his "undisclosed location in northern Illinois" on Monday, saying he has proposed a way out of the stalemate that has kept him and other Democrats out of the Senate chamber for five days.

more...

[C210N]

(note: that article is from LAST Tuesday, 2/22)

[TMA62]

On the Indana front, Mitch Daniels and the republicans are mocking the dems in song. House Speaker docked their pay and told them to come back to work act like grown ups. The local media has turned on the dems as well.

I would think that there is no solidarity in the Urbana Comfort Inn now and there are alot of dems who now wished they never pulled this stunt.

[Rebelbase]

"they would tear Cullen limb from limb unless he entered in disguise."

"Hey mon, I am Raustis from Kingston, here to support your fight against the mon."

[creeping death]

Janesville has one of the highest unemployment rates in the whole state. It’s been hard hit since the GM plant there closed a few years ago. There are a lot of private sector union members who are supporting Walker in this case. They’ve watched their pay and benefits cut and are not sympathetic to the leeches here. Only the hardcore Kool-aid drinkers are. btw, Janesville is also in Rep. Paul Ryan’s district.

[Mygirlsmom]

I would imagine Janesville is heavily Dem, but leans private union as opposed to public. There was a GM plant there, now closed. People are hurting and I think they are probably open to giving Walker’s policies a chance since Hopenchange hasn’t done a lot for them thus far.

[bert]

——The whiff of compromise is in the air.———

Or perhaps fear

His presence allows a vote. His personal vote will be meaningless.

[Scanian]

That explains a lot if this Cullen really comes back.

[Fishtalk]

I truly believe that allowing this to foment as the Democrats are is going to eventually lead to some tragic event that even the spin-doctor Democrat party cannot get out of.

I’m surely conflicted because I sure would like, once and for all, the ugliness of this thing to be exposed to Joe Sixpack and his wife but I sure don’t want to see any tragedy.

[chickadee]

I don’t want a tragedy either. We can all help to expose the behavior that the media wants to hide by sending the link to this YouTube to our friends and acquaintances. If you post on other commentary threads, post it there, too.

[EDINVA]

So does that now give Walker the quorum? Day later/dollar short?

[Evil Slayer]

Throw his butt in the Senate chambers. Get on with the vote NOW. What are they waiting for?

[Fishtalk]

A chickadee, btw, is one of my favorite bird fellows, next to the Red Breasted Nuthatch.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Janesville is one of the biggest towns in far southern WI. It is just across the border from Rockford, IL where the senators were first found and videoed while hiding out at the Clock Tower Inn by the Rockford Tea Party people. And it's just a relatively short drive (40-45 min.?!) from Janesville up I-90 to the People's Republik of Madison. As others have said on this thread, it USED to be a big automotive manufacturing and other industrial town, but it has been hugely hit by job layoffs, etc. in recent years. I don't really know this for a fact, but it's likely that some of those car-manufacturing jobs either fled to Mexico, or another right-to-work state.

Rockford Tea Party

Rockford Tea Party PATRIOT who busted Wisconsin Dems on Cavuto

[dirtboy]

ping

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I truly believe that allowing this to foment as the Democrats are is going to eventually lead to some tragic event that even the spin-doctor Democrat party cannot get out of.

Never underestimate the ability of the dem spin-doctors to turn chicken sh*t into chicken salad. (See: Kennedy, Edward (Ted)/Kopechne, Mary Jo.)

[chickadee]

Mine, too. They are fun to watch. Their coloring is so spiffy and clean. And I love their calls. My sister says the secondary call is “feeeed me”. lol And, I am very fond of the little nuthatch that visits my feeder.

[Thane_Banquo]

Janesville is working class. Not a lot of money. The one thing they had going for them was the GM factory, until GM had problems...

[CPOSharky]

...and the goal of getting Wisconsin moving again is shared by everyone.

Yeah, right. Out of the mouths of libtards come self-evident LIES.

[Bushbacker1]

The whiff of compromise is in the air.

I don't think so. IMHO.

The whiff of capitulation (on the dummies part) is in the air!

[justice14]

Never underestimate the ability of the dem spin-doctors

Especially when you have the media in your backpocket. If Republicans did this, it wouldn't be off the news until the end of the election in 2012 (stating the obvious, I know). Hopefully America doesn't have a short memory span with this.

[monocle]

Will the unions issue a fatwa against him?

[Christian Engineer Mass]

Wow. There are still balls in America, seen in how the republicans have held their ground in this.

Imagine if America got its balls back.

Wow.

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

[Trust but Verify]

Cullen represents some of the same area that Congressman Paul Ryan represents. It is a right-center area.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"The Democrat wants to know how it will affect schools, municipalities, and health care. He says the sticking point is still the proposal to strip public workers of most of their collective bargaining rights.”

IDIOT! Nobody's asking you to vote "yes," just SHOW UP!

[MNlurker]

Also note that its Paul Ryan’s home district too. This is an area that is filled with “Reagan Democrats” that suffered through the debacle otherwise known as the Diamond Jim Doyle Governorship.

[Ballygrl]

Does the DU know?

[The_Media_never_lie]

I agree. There are too many nutjobs out there.

[golas1964]

I think Cullen was sent back by the Dems merely to stall for time.

[COBOL2Java]

Democrat State Senator Tim Cullen, who represents labor union interests in the 15th Senate District...

Too bad the non-union constituents have no representative there.

[ladyvet]

Their website has been down for a couple of days now.

[Ballygrl]

It’s been backup since yesterday, those of us at conservativecave are able to get through now.

[Ballygrl]

It’s been back up since yesterday, those of us at conservativecave are able to get through now.

[Scanian]

After all, his party’s leader was a world’s expert at voting “present.”

[safetysign]

Just another Democrat in drag.

[theDentist]

Dear Wife of Wisconsin Senator (insert name),

It must be difficult having your husband in another State for political reasons, moving from place to place. It's a good thing that his 'special friend' has been able to support him and relieve his tension during these long days away.

[Scanian]

Maybe Charlie S. will fly to IL and bring his “goddesses” with him to help the boys de-stress.

[Lazamataz]

A flurry of Twitter messages late Tuesday night heralded the return of Democrat State Senator Tim Cullen, who represents labor union interests in the 15th Senate District surrounding Janesville, Wisconsin.

And I had always assumed he represented the entire constituency in the 15th Senate District.

Imagine my embarrassment.

[Evil Slayer]

They need to get him to the capital immediately to fulfill the required quorum and vote the bill into law. If Walker is waiting for all 14 to return, it will only make it harder to contain the MSM and union bosses from derailing the vote. The dem doesn't have to vote, just sit in his seat and be there to get the bill passed.