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In Wisconsin, the Left Picked a Fight -- and Lost
The Atlantic ^ | June 5, 2012 | Molly Ball

Posted on 06/05/2012 8:11:42 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY

It doesn't mean Obama is going to lose, but the failed attempt to recall Scott Walker gives Democrats and organized labor reason to fear an emboldened conservative agenda.

It's important to remember, as Democrats cope with their failure to topple Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall, that this was a fight they chose.

Unlike the vast majority of elections, which occur on a regular schedule, the recall was a fight the left picked on purpose. They picked it because they thought they could win. And they were wrong.

It wasn't even close. With two-thirds of the votes reported late Tuesday, Walker led his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, by 58 percent to 42 percent.

The idea behind the recall effort was to send a message: a warning to conservatives across the country that there was a line not to be crossed when it came to messing with the hard-earned gains of public worker unions. By losing, however, the consortium of unions, progressives and Democrats that worked so ardently to send Walker packing may have sent the opposite message. If Walker can survive, what's to stop any other right-leaning governor from pushing the envelope?

"This really is a test case. The far right made Wisconsin its petri dish," said Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action Wisconsin, a grassroots progressive group that supported the recall effort. Walker's win, he said, will embolden the Koch brothers and other national conservative funders to get ideologically sympathetic Republicans to push their agenda across the country.

"Wisconsin will not be the high water mark of the attack on unions, public employees, and the middle class," Kraig said. "You will see more Walker-like politicians elected in other states, and you will see more current governors taking this type of attack."

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: 2012; elections; milwaukee; scottwalker; tombarrett; unions; wisconsin; wisconsinshowdown
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To: Free ThinkerNY

[[ “Wisconsin will not be the high water mark of the attack on unions, public employees, and the middle class,” Kraig said. “You will see more Walker-like politicians elected in other states, and you will see more current governors taking this type of attack.” ]]

We can only hope....


21 posted on 06/05/2012 8:26:57 PM PDT by Road Glide
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Maybe this means that November will be a 60 - 40 percent win?


22 posted on 06/05/2012 8:27:18 PM PDT by garjog
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To: Free ThinkerNY
"Wisconsin will not be the high water mark of the attack on unions, public employees, and the middle class," Kraig said. "You will see more Walker-like politicians elected in other states, and you will see more current governors taking this type of attack."

Here's hopin'!

23 posted on 06/05/2012 8:30:46 PM PDT by Yashcheritsiy (not voting for the lesser of two evils)
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To: ari-freedom
Let's not forget how they trashed the State Capitol

No... the voters did not and will not forget that desecration.

24 posted on 06/05/2012 8:31:19 PM PDT by Musketeer
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To: Migraine
"Here these sorry bastards pick a fight, try to overturn an election, bring in all the out-of-state union resources in the world early-on —..."

....... 'N

...THEN SCOTTY BRINGS IN A RESOURCE

OF HIS OWN....

THE SARAHNATOR ...


25 posted on 06/05/2012 8:33:21 PM PDT by jimsin
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To: Free ThinkerNY
This one's for The Tailgunner!


26 posted on 06/05/2012 8:36:04 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: All

the MSM is in panic mode saying this is an “ominous sign” that voters have been mesmerized by conservatives promising to scapegoat unions.

Conservatives can win by being conservatives and people will vote conservative.

The MSM is just stupified into wondering what else conservatism will take from the left.


27 posted on 06/05/2012 8:36:31 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
they ask for it, and they got it... and i hope it hurts
28 posted on 06/05/2012 8:37:57 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Musketeer

And how the cops refused to do their jobs, siding instead with the lawless thugs...

Do you think they will figure out that the people of Wisconsin are their employer?


29 posted on 06/05/2012 8:39:19 PM PDT by butterdezillion
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To: butterdezillion
"Stroke of the pen. Law of the land. Kinda cool." --Clinton presidential aide Paul Begala, July 1998

Public Service doesn't mean you're to be serviced by the public for life

President Kennedy’s Executive Order 10998, allowing Federal unions, is what opened the door for public sector unions at the state and local level, which is leading to bankruptcy from bloated public sector salaries, benefits, and retirement plans. Businesses that offered plans like many governments have would go bankrupt. Gov’t entities will, too, eventually, but it will be much more painful.

This is why unions should again be outlawed for public employees.

When collective bargaining was brought into American schools in the 1960s, it was a revenue stream and power base for Big Labor. Suddenly, union bosses became more interested in building political muscle than educating children.

At that point the battle between unions and school boards became more focused on salary, benefits, pensions and working conditions for adults, and less about students.

Kids are only pawns in the self-serving union game.

What is the purpose of teacher unions? To work for children? Establish new and better requirements? Push their members to better serve parents and children?

"Despite what some among us would like to believe, it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about children. And it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power. And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees" ...National Education Association's just-retired General Counsel Bob Chanin. (The NEA is the County and State Association's parent body).

NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin Says Farewell:

VIDEO

As legendary New York teachers union leader Albert Shanker said, "When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children."

All government unions should be banned. The idea that government workers need protection from guess who?? THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, is ridiculous. remember, teachers are government employees. Ban government unions.

.

30 posted on 06/05/2012 8:51:32 PM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: kempster
Go Home, Barrett concedes, pay your 12% for your health care like everyone else and shut your pie hole.

Forget that, pay the whole damn thing. They get paid a salary, buy what they need from that, and stop embezzling public funds for all these benefits. Learn what every small business owner learns - the pain of not being able to deduct health insurance, of having to make tough decisions, and more so, choosing health plans that make economic sense, instead of these gold plated benefits that only raise the cost for every taxpayer.

They want retirement benefits? Buy it as well. Stop stealing the people's money.

31 posted on 06/05/2012 8:51:32 PM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: butterdezillion
And how the cops refused to do their jobs, siding instead with the lawless thugs... Do you think they will figure out that the people of Wisconsin are their employer?

That will always be a mystery to me. Why is it anyone who works in the public sector looks arrogantly down on those who work in the private sector, the only source of their income. They may may blurt "I pay my taxes too" but in fact their tax payments come from the income provided by the private sector. The Government is double dipping (no doubt far more) from the private sector.

In the words of Rodney Dangerfield.... NO RESPECT

32 posted on 06/05/2012 8:55:03 PM PDT by Musketeer
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To: kempster

Did he say Wisconsin voters are “racist!!!!!”


33 posted on 06/05/2012 9:03:08 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: Musketeer

‘That will always be a mystery to me. Why is it anyone who works in the public sector looks arrogantly down on those who work in the private sector, the only source of their income. They may may blurt “I pay my taxes too” but in fact their tax payments come from the income provided by the private sector. The Government is double dipping (no doubt far more) from the private sector.’

That makes way too much sense for the average government employee to understand. After all, they see those who work in the private sector as “greedy” and “needing to pay their fair share”.


34 posted on 06/05/2012 9:07:08 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: jimsin

Thanks for the post and the pic of Queen Grizzly. She and Clarence Thomas are my heroes these days.


35 posted on 06/05/2012 9:08:32 PM PDT by Migraine (Diversity is great; until it happens to YOU.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

It'd be fun to go to a lib with this pic and suggest that these are Tea Party folks, to see how quickly the lib points out facial features and clothes as proof of the intellectual inferiority of conservatives.

Then and only then do you let them know that these are Barrett supporters at his Election HQ...

Cheers!

36 posted on 06/05/2012 9:21:58 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Can someone make a YouTube Video of Hitler reacting to Walker surviving the recall?

Cheers!

37 posted on 06/05/2012 9:30:31 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers; Free ThinkerNY
Should've looked first.

Cheers!

38 posted on 06/05/2012 9:35:31 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Watching all the MSNBC shows with glee!


39 posted on 06/05/2012 9:49:22 PM PDT by QT3.14 (Never Argue With A LIBERAL...They Will Drag You Down To Their Level, Then Beat You With Experience!)
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To: Musketeer
Scott Walker for President!

AMEN! I like what I've been hearing/seeing of Gov. Scott Walker! Perhaps in 2016...

40 posted on 06/05/2012 9:52:52 PM PDT by nutmeg (So... Clinton was our first black president, and Obama is our first gay president?)
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