What's the Matter With Wisconsin??

I read an article today at commondreams.org that was originally published in the Madison, Wisconsin "Capital Times"
(http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/09-7).  

It started off well..."Having elected its second millionaire to the U.S. Senate and sending its most courageous and progressive congressman home, having installed a Republican governor and Republican majorities to both houses of the state Legislature, Wisconsin has in the name of a "populist" uprising put into power a party totally opposed to the best interests of those most in need of real populism and government-led defense: rural and inner-city people. In a state with a prominent progressive tradition, what happened on Nov. 2 was a tragedy," So far, I agreed with every word...but then the sentence continued, "but not a very surprising one." 

Really?  Not surprising at all?  The writer doesn't think it's at ALL surprising that the voters of the state of Wisconsin, formally so progressive that we have actually elected Socialists for Governor and other state posts (Congress, Assembly,  Secretary of State, Attorney General, etc.) as well as to the national offices of Senator and Congressmen, has this year fully turned the state over to the GOP?  Especially to turn it over to the likes of Scott "every embryo deserves a name" Walker; Rebecca "compare people to inanimate objects/animals" Kleefish; and Ron "trust me cuz I ran a business with help from my wife's rich family and government programs that I now disavow" Johnson?  And then there is the leadership/control of the state Legislature by the "Big Fitz"/"Little Fitz" brothers who can't wait to be "under Walker's wing".
(http://arismusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/brothers-grim.html) 

A state whose motto is "Forward" but who has just taken a giant leap backward...

Well...I suppose I shouldn't find it all that "surprising" considering just how much money was dumped into this state to convince my fellow Wisconsinites that voting against their own self-interests in favor of the uber-rich in this country was the smart thing to do. 

For months leading up to the election, in addition to the spots being run by the individual campaigns (Johnson, Walker, Kleefish, etc.), we were constantly bombarded with commercials like this one...



Stop digging, indeed...

Unfortunately, our new Senator-elect doesn't even get his own side's message, as he said this in his acceptance speech when he took the Senate seat from the one of the finest Senators I've seen in my lifetime:



The article then goes on to further state, "We could blame the unleashing of conservative dollars for political advertising and the high unemployment rate, but in truth the primary responsibility must rest with a Democratic Party that has pretty much abandoned its genuine democratic, populist, progressive roots at both the federal and state level."  This is an assessment that I couldn't possibly disagree with more.  I absolutely DO blame the massive conservative dollars that were pumped into this state in order to trick the voters into believing that the self-interests of the wealthy were somehow more important than their own.  I also blame, not the Democrats...who have passed some of the most pro-populous legislation since FDR's "New Deal" (which the Right hated JUST as much, if not more) http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/, but the "Party of No" that has fought them every tiny step along the way and now vows to make it a priority to overturn all that has been accomplished.  Just like they tried to overturn/destroy Social Security and numerous other "New Deal" plans that literally helped save our country during the FIRST "Great Depression", they currently want to sabotage everything that is being done to stave off the second "Great Depression" (of their making in the first place) that is still nipping at our heels. 

During the first two years of the Obama administration, the Right was all screaming about the "bank bailouts" and blaming them on Obama.  I must admit that I also hated the bank bailouts, but I remembered that the most egregious of those bailouts...AIG...predated Obama.  That one was ALL Bush!  But the Right wanted everyone to forget that.  They blamed Obama...put it all on him.  They used the American people's anger at that bailout (and the stimulus which they kept calling "failed" even though more private sector jobs have been created thus far under Obama than the entirety of the Bush presidency) to seize back the power.   However, now that the election is over and they've managed to trick the people into giving them back the control that they abused the last time they had it...NOW that same bailout that they used to demonize Obama is publicly being credited for "saving the economy", most especially in Dubya's new book (I wish I knew who actually wrote that book, cuz lord knows it wasn't dumb-ass, inarticulate, "couldn't find a coherent sentence with a map and a flashlight", Dubya).

The Cap Times/Common Dreams article, in blaming the Democrats for not being "Progressive" enough, is missing a point that Bill Maher made recently.  Have the Democrats in Washington been perfect?  Of course not!  Am I somewhat disappointed in some of the things that they've compromised in order to get done what they have?  Absolutely!  But there is a HUGE difference between being upset at, or disappointed in, a friend who has let you down a bit and turning against that friend to support the sworn enemy that was the CAUSE of your friend disappointing you in the first place...just cuz you're a bit pissed at your friend for not resolving things fast enough.  In that regard, I agree far more with this article from the San Francisco Chronicle:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fg%2Fa%2F2010%2F11%2F03%2Fnotes110310.DTL

On Tuesday, November 2nd 2010, the American people put the enemy back in charge.

Gods help our state and our country.