In other words, he ain’t cavin’. Apologies to the Gov for the last column and its presumptions as to his character. Given his RINO-esque whitewashing of the protests as “civil and nonviolent” when they were anything but, I thought he might be looking for an out, especially one that could deliver all of his legislativegoals immediately just not permanently. It looks like Walker has no interest in such a maneuver even though it could relieve the assault on Madison today while tripping up the Democrats at a crucial point two years from now.

Obviously he is a student of the Speak softly but carry a BIG stick school. Or more accurately, SWING a big stick! Of course the Executive always has a big stick it is just that when Democrats use it against their declared enemies it is lauded and when Republicans do so it is decried. Republicans at large have learned that lesson like a lab monkey learns to fear white coats. But it is an age of miracles, no doubt. Walker promises (or threatens) that without passage of his budget, layoffs will begin within the week. Absent Senators will suffer recall elections. Further, unionists who engaged in any illegality will actually feel the brunt of that, a true sign of the Apocalypse! Teachers engaging in this illegal work stoppage (no one disputes it is illegal) will be fired for cause. Doctors who provided fraudulent excuses will be de-licensed. Walker, it is plain, is swinging for the cheap seats and seems to do so with impunity. What has changed lately (and Wisconsin is exemplary, not a deviation) is that the population at large which is usually very susceptible to media scapegoating and protectionism has decided that the Republicans’ enemies are the enemies of the public good, the public weal…. certainly the public budget; and the public, well hey! That’s us!

Absent Walker’s collapse, the struggle in Wisconsin does continue along the same lines. Unlike their colleagues of the Fugitive Caucus, in the Assembly the Democrats have punched the clock. They oppose the budget bill vociferously but impotently as the Great Shellacking varnished them as well turning even this cradle of Progressivism strongly Republican. The Minority Leader screams “You cannot be pro-job and anti-worker!”, the screaming itself being a breach of decorum that again a Republican would be unwise to indulge. Unwisdom holds no terror for the Democrat.

And why would it? The gentleman above can be certain that his foaming denunciation will be repeated uncritically by a cooperative Press Corpse until it should become troublesome, at which time it will be quietly scuttled. Certainly it would not be difficult to find some prominent person to give the obvious counter, that one cannot be pro-job and pro-bankruptcy, or anti-business, (or pro-union, if they were frisky!) but the Democrat understands that such a thing will never happen. Outside the mad confines of Hannity and Levin such an effort at balancing would be considered rude if it were considered at all.

Is this a malign accusation of unfairness and unbalance? I’ll report, you decide. The most hilarious media event of the day can only be the tale of Democrats on the run. They have fled from Wisconsin to prevent a sufficient presence to convene a legislative day. This is the quorum. They have fled Indiana as a simple boycott, as in Indiana they do not even have enough members to prevent a quorum. For some reason ungiven, they all flee to Illinois but let us leave that unexamined (for now) as it would simply add to the humiliation of the Land of Lincoln. But with our modern state of telecommunications they do not need to remain incommunicodo. Quite the reverse. The Wisconsin Dems have given multiple news conferences in this or that Best Western. The crawl sez they declaim from “an undisclosed location”. But this is not true. Are the Democrats doing proof-of-life videos and dead-dropping them at the local CBS affiliate? Aw, hell no. They are sitting for interviews like anyone else. They are not in an undisclosed location as they have disclosed it to the press. The press simply declines to disclose it to you! If there are countering events or information to show that this is not active and journalistically unethical collusion, let’s see it.

In the meantime we have other, under or un-reported events of true clarity and hilarity. Walker is no Lone Wolf. Senate Republicans have introduced (and passed) a resolution canceling direct deposit for absent law makers and forcing them to take their checks in person and on the Senate Floor during session! For this the Democrats did at least manage to phone it in. One Jon Erpenbach (D-Holiday Inn) objected, by conference call. Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), the committee chairwoman, refused to let him vote. As reported by the local JSOnline….

Senators routinely participate in committee meetings by phone and are allowed to debate, offer amendments and vote on measures. But Lazich said she wasn’t allowing Erpenbach to vote because he had an invalid reason for being absent.

“I won’t extend courtesies for unethical behavior,” Lazich told Erpenbach.

“Do you want the headline to be, ‘Republicans won’t let Democrats vote,’even though we’ve allowed that many, many times?” Erpenbach said.

Erpenbach’s name was not called as the clerk took the roll, but he repeatedly yelled, “No!” over the speakerphone.

Now this is funnier and more relevant than the last ten episodes of Saturday Night Live and has the added virtue of being real. Press coverage? Well, you tell me. But of course Erpenbach is quite confident of what the headline will read; who will be the hero of this sketch and whom the goat and no impugning of his dignity or rectitude is likely, to say the least.

Well, whatever Erpenbach, is perhaps what Lazich should have said. Or if I could possess Lazichfor a moment she would say, “I don’t give a fuck what the headlines say, Jon.” but of course that worthy official would then be lambasted for her foul tone. In any case, what these doofs and their pet headline writers do not grasp is that the reality warping power of the press, friendly or hostile is limited. No headline… even in the New York Times! can add a single dime to the state budget, especially so far away as Wisconsin. No news coverage, however skewed, can alter the Wisconsin Constitution. No, not the US Constitution either, sorry. Documents like this are the foundation of our legal and governmental reality. Headlines have no Constitutional standing. Mobs have no Constitutional standing. Opinon polls have no Constitutional standing but electoral polls, friends and foes, most certainly do.

So here is a bit of news coverage, unfair and unbalanced but it is news you can use, especially if you are in Wisconsin or find yourself in a Wisconsin-esque state in the near future (and you will).

Without Walker’s bill or something that cuts an equivalent amount, Wisconsin’s budget will fall at least $3.6 billion dollars short. The Constitution requires a balanced budget. Absent an ammendment movement (which does not seem to exist) Walker and the Legislature will be required by law to basically halt government operations. Now, I’m not necessarily against that. It could well be salutory but then I don’t get a gub paycheck and it’s a good thing because THESE CHECKS WILL BOUNCE! in addition to checks to vendors, taxpayers, local gubs and contractors. If you are against Walker this is what you are for regardless of your ignorance of the facts. If you think the Walker bill is harsh, just try life without it and show us all the way.

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