Wisconsin Republicans Should, But Don't Compromise

Republican Senator Rob Cowles told the Green Bay Press Gazette that he believes the Republicans should be willing to compromise on collective bargaining and other non-fiscal provisions in the budget repair bill. “The important part is the monetary concessions. That’s the part that helps balance the budget. The other things are less monetary in nature,” said Cowles, who is the latest Republican to admit collective bargaining doesn't affect the budget. I'm glad to see two Republicans now think we can negotiate on non-fiscal items. Yet, there are many ways a budget can be balanced, and even though the Republicans insist they know best, based on their latest behavior, I'm skeptical to say the least.

Instead of compromising, the Republicans seem like they're just sticking their fingers in their ears and shouting near obscenities. Last night I commented on the dramatic difference in behavior between Rep. Cory Mason (D) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) on MSNBC's The Last Word. By the end of the interview, Fitzgerald was so agitated that it made me uncomfortable. I attributed the behavior to the massive public pressure the Republicans are under. Today, The Cap Times has an editorial comparing Senator Mark Miller's (D) letter to Fitzgerald with Fitzgerald's letter in response, and they noticed the same stark contrast in tone. Fitzgerald's behavior is reminiscent of Charlie Sheen. Would Fitzgerald be acting this way if he truly felt he was on the right side of history?

Fitzgerald isn't the only Republican acting up. Republicans U.S. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner and Wisconsin Senator Leah Vukmir walked out on a town hall after about 30 minutes, because they didn't want to talk about the issues with the budget repair bill.



Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Democratic Party say they have reached 15% of the required number of signatures to recall the Republican 8 in the first weekend, and Republican Senator Dan Kapanke said he figures they'll get enough. So, it seems the Koch addiction is strong, confusing the Republicans into political suicide instead of standing up for the rights of Wisconsin workers.