What's Changed After Wisconsin: Obama Administrration House Full of Cards

Wall Street Journal ^ | 6-8-12 | Peggy Noonan

[afraidfortherepublic]

What happened in Wisconsin signals a shift in political mood and assumption. Public employee unions were beaten back and defeated in a state with a long progressive tradition. The unions and their allies put everything they had into "one of their most aggressive grass-roots campaigns ever," as the Washington Post's Peter Whoriskey and Dan Balz reported in a day-after piece. Fifty thousand volunteers made phone calls and knocked on 1.4 million doors to get out the vote against Gov. Scott Walker. Mr. Walker's supporters, less deeply organized on the ground, had a considerable advantage in money.

But organization and money aren't the headline. The shift in mood and assumption is. The vote was a blow to the power and prestige not only of the unions but of the blue-state budgetary model, which for two generations has been: Public-employee unions with their manpower, money and clout, get what they want. If you move against them, you will be crushed.

Walker was not crushed. He was buoyed, winning by a solid seven points in a high-turnout race.

Governors and local leaders will now have help in controlling budgets. Down the road there will be fewer contracts in which you work for, say, 23 years for a city, then retire with full salary and free health care for the rest of your life—paid for by taxpayers who cannot afford such plans for themselves, and who sometimes have no pension at all. The big meaning of Wisconsin is that a public injustice is in the process of being righted because a public mood is changing.

Political professionals now lay down lines even before a story happens. ~snip~ The line laid down by the Democrats weeks before the vote was that it's all about money: Walker forces outspent unions so they won, end of story.

[ridesthemiles]

Why do you think they act like cogs in a wheel with no effort to rise higher & get more education, etc?

Once they have passed their 6 month probationary time, they about have to be found dead at their desk to be moved out.

I once worked at the Wisconsin Dept of Highways. We chacked the calculations of bids for road building & repairs for mathematical accuracy. Contracts were bid monthly—at the beginning of the month. Therefore, we worked like mad for 2 weeks and then -—I KID YOU NOT-—read magazines or sat at our desks and KNITTED SOCKS for the rest of the month.

I tolerated it for the 6 months. When I went in to tell them I was moving on—I was told that I was “not State Employee material” because I went slowly bat crap crazy in those 2 idle weeks.

I did learn something, tho. I learned that I could make a pair of wool tall calf length hunting socks—a pair a week—while sitting and watching the days click off. 2 of my old High school classmates liked those hunting socks. I got reminded of such at my 50th reunion 5 years ago.

I am NOT making this up.

[BfloGuy]

Wisconsin Noonan on Walker ping

It is a good column. It will take Peggy several years, though, to make me forget her crush on Obama in 2008. Used to love her -- always skeptical now.

Peggy, redeem thyself!

[freekitty]

I believe you.