Eagle Scout and son of a preacher-man Scott Walker, Emperor of FitzWalkerStan, had nothing but praise for his Republican cohorts as they rammed through the bill requiring a medically unnecessary ultrasound before any woman in Wisconsin has an abortion. However, not a peep since it's been sitting on his desk waiting his signature.
Today, he announce he's signing the newly minted, odious 2 year budget he wanted on Sunday (huh? - working on the Sabbath???). I'm wondering if he'll throw his John Hancock on the abortion bill at the same time to avoid the publicity he'll receive as Governor Vaginal Probe II (his fellow Republican Governor, Bob McDonnel of Virginia has the distinction of being the original).
The Governor of Wisconsin has extraordinary veto powers where numbers or words can be "adjusted" and there's been more than a bit of speculation on how much he'll change the horrible budget already on his desk which also includes quite a number of non-budgetary policy items. And could those changes make his signature on the mandatory ultrasound bill non-newsworthy and easy to ignore if it was done at the same time.
Dumb as a pile of rocks on most everything, Walker does use every brain cell he has to calculate politics and political advantage for himself. While looking for praise among his so-called pro-life base, he's seen the fallout Bob McDonnel and Virginia Republicans have faced with their identical bill, now state law. Knowing Walker (I used to work for that clown), he'd prefer to avoid the negative publicity.
So, will he use his mighty veto pen to make the tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthy even more generous, remove any oversight in his plans to sell off state property without bid, stick more money into the budget of the scandalous money losing WEDC, screw public schools and public employees even more, approve the borrowing of even more money so he can pretend he's balanced the budget, or (insert your scariest "GOP would love this" item here)??? And will he use the newsworthiness of that to hide his signing of Wisconsins new anti-abortion law?
I think so. Otherwise why is it still sitting on his desk. And why hasn't he talked about it, put out a press release about it, or signed it already.
And why is he signing the budget on a Sunday....
Hmmmm.
Your thoughts?
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This space for rent unless some newsworthy stuff happens.
Update: Stuff Happened Edition: I had just posted the diary when DK went awfully wonky. It half loaded and I barely got this diary republished to Badger State Progressive and then I thought I had computer problems. Support - down and nothing showing up on DK Twitter. I booted my modem without success. Really thought it was my internet connection (I got the Diagnose Connection Problems thing and it said so), but it was strange that I could get in everywhere else.
Anyway, back in the saddle again. And there's more:
OMG, my Republican Congresscritter, Jim Sensenbrenner is on the correct side for once in his disapproval of the SC decision on the Voting Rights Act:
“The Voting Rights Act is vital to America’s commitment to never again permit racial prejudice in the electoral process. Section 5 of the Act was a bipartisan effort to rectify past injustices and ensure minorities’ ability to participate in elections, but the threat of discrimination still exists. I am disappointed by the Court’s ruling, but my colleagues and I will work in a bipartisan fashion to update Section 4 to ensure Section 5 can be properly implemented to protect voting rights, especially for minorities. This is going to take time and will require members from both sides of the aisle to put partisan politics aside and ensure Americans’ most sacred right is protected.”
Yup. He supports the voting rights act. If you're in his district, you might want to sent him an
email at his website.
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