Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Wisconsin Republican leaders are law and order types indeed. Unhappy that fourteen Democratic state senators are boycotting Governor Scott Walker’s union busting party, they have authorized the Senate Sergeant at Arms to round-up the legislative desperadoes “with or without force.” The Gang of 14, of course, are holed up in the neighboring Illinois badlands but Sheriff Walker wants to get his men (and his agenda railroaded through) so niceties like democracy and respect for the rights of the opposition need not be observed.
Not everyone is enamored of this novel approach to forced bipartisanship. Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director, Jim Palmer, slammed the contempt order saying, “Politics aside, encouraging the forcible detention of duly elected lawmakers because they won’t allow you to dictate with a free hand is an unreasonable abuse of police power.”
Governor Walker and henchmen are undeterred — and in no mood to compromise. Walker said he will issue layoff notices to 1,500 state workers today if his proposal, which also would force the workers to pay more for benefits, isn’t passed. The love of money , it seems, is the highest ideal in this Kremlin on Kegonsa Lake.
Source: Portland Press Herald
Union Solidarity Forever!
SL,
I hope this goes through….
“Politics aside, encouraging the forcible detention of duly elected lawmakers because they won’t allow you to dictate with a free hand is an unreasonable abuse of police power.”
Exactly. Walker’s threats of arrests and layoffs shows him for what he really is: An obstinate teabagger with absolutely no concept of the Constitution, the rule of law, and proper governing for the benefit of all constituents, not just those pulling his puppet strings.
Believing he have a mandate when he really doesn’t is biting Walker in the behind. Big time.
Gotta love karma.
Makes me think of the Pinkertons back in the 1800’s … Walker will have to form his own security force … the KochCoppers
Walker is actually loosing popularity faster than Sarah Palin did.
Seems to me that Walker is practicing corporate sponsored blackmail, as well as not honoring his own state Constitution and conspiring to extort money from the residents of Wisconsin. The “Rule of Law” applies to him too. I hope he and his corporate co-conspirators are incarcerated soon.
The use of force by Walker is on the table and I wouldn’t put it past him to hire private security to go after the W14. When he started enforcing the lockout at the capitol building I wondered about the mechanics of that. Who would do it? The local law authorities seem too supportive so how can he do it. The virtue of calling in the National Guard is they would not be local, I thought.
Last night one of the news shows stated that the policeman that manhandled the W. House Democrat trying to get into the capitol building was an out of towner, Walker has been calling in non-locals to enforce the lockout and provide security. This tells me that Walker is prepared to do whatever it takes including hiring private security or bounty-hunters to bring back the W Senate Dems.
He has shown that the law is actually immaterial to him by locking down the capitol building itself. That kidnapping a Dem and presenting him on the floor of the Senate so he could take a 5 minute vote would be consistent with his style.
SM and Mike S.,
Huckabee does seem to be a stealthy type. The good news is that he suffers from the same delusions as most of the far Right as evidenced by his attack on Natalie Portman.
SM,
Huckabee is very dangerous because on the surface he seems reasonable and affable, but watch his eyes and face and you’ll realize he might be more batshit crazy than the rest of them and that says a whole lot.
Mike S., Huckabee seems to be the leader now. He has attacked both Obama and Natalie Portman in recent days.
It seems to me that the Teabaggers and their ilk are beginning to overstep themselves by believing that they are anything but a small minority. Their tactics expose their agenda and their lack of devotion to the Constitutional process. I think this will lead to a self inflicted disaster for them, but it is by no means a sure thing. Hitler parlayed a vote of 34% and the backing of corporate interests into becoming a dictator. Anyone who thinks Walker, Palin, Gingrich and the lot wouldn’t be emulative of Hitler is naive.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/50196.html Walker is even worse than Perry. Perry was reluctant to back his plan.
Hate to say it, but this could be a mini preview of what will happen in this country if Obama and his people (the democratic party) dont get themselves together and blow the next election too..
AY,
It does sound a little like the Bug Man!
I think that this was one of the DeLays…..that was advising Walker…had to be…
Well said eniobob! Isn’t there also a question if they Republican Senators have a quorum to make any decision? This guy is going to make us in Illinois feel much better about our old friend, Blagojevich!
AY,
I think Jan Brewer and Rick Perry are advising Walker!
“Wisconsin GOP senators unanimously passed a resolution finding 14 Democratic Senators in contempt, ordered Democrats to return, and threatened arrest for noncompliance. This GOP Senate Resolution says the “sergeant-at-arms will be ordered to bring them to the Senate chambers ‘with or without force, and with or without the assistance of law enforcement, by warrant or other legal process.'”
Is this ok? Wisconsin lawyers say no: Madison Attorneys Allege Illegal Conduct By Republican Legislative Leaders, where a blogger posted a memo circulated by Madison lawyers that concludes that the GOP Senators do not have legal authority to hold the Democratic Senators in contempt or order their arrest:
The Wisconsin Constitution absolutely prohibits members of the Wisconsin Senate from being arrested for a non-criminal offense. The failure or refusal of a senator to attend a session of the senate is not a crime. Nor is it in contempt of the Senate. Moreover, the Senate’s authority to cite any individual for contempt is limited to those offenses listed in Wis. Stat. §13.26(1), none of which have been committed by any of the absent senators. The Wisconsin Senate’s action today in citing fourteen of its members for contempt for their refusal to attend the Senate’s sessions and to issue warrants for their arrest has no basis in the law of this state.”
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/04/952435/-Lawyers-Say-Threatened-Arrest-of-Democratic-Senators-Unlawful
Is this what “democracy” looks like in Wisconsin now?
This Walker won’t compromise on anything, will he? He’s not doing too well in the polls these days.
“Politics aside, encouraging the forcible detention of duly elected lawmakers because they won’t allow you to dictate with a free hand is an unreasonable abuse of police power.”
Is there a reasonable abuse of police power?
Seems the Texas influence has gone Norte…..