“The longer the Democrats keep up this childish stunt, the longer the majority can’t act on our agenda.”
So said State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald after Wednesday’s rush vote to essentially end collective bargaining for public workers.
I ask, what majority? He must be talking about the majority of the legislature … not the majority of the people they represent. After all, poll after poll has clearly shown there is little appetite, outside the walls of the Capitol, for curtailing collective bargaining rights for unions.
Of course, these Republicans have a so-called “agenda,” one built by mistaking election for mandate. And they’re pushing it, at their peril.
Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans say we should not be surprised by their move to end union rights. I argue strongly otherwise.
Never once during the campaign did Walker or any Republicans I know of even come close to threatening the future of unions. If they had, I guarantee the results in November would have been much, much different.
And it’s why the results will be much different in 2012. Their actions Wednesday assure that.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Um, we don’t govern by polls, we govern by elections and the majority wins the election.
could not have said it better, justamom.
Majority wins, but a win is absolutely not a mandate — not reason to disregard the fact the nearly half of the state voted for “the other guy” and well over half the state does not support the polarizing position to end collective bargaining. To me, good governing is give and take. It’s easy to stand rigid in your position, to only pay lip service to compromise in the face of broad public outcry. It’s hard to meet in the middle. I wish more politicians would take the hard way.
Erik, The governor decided not to play politics in the public arena. Rather, as the numerous on-going emails have shown, he attempted to negotiate in private so that the elected officials on both sides of the aisle could thoughtfully consider the various options without playing it through the media. Unfortunately, the minority party (while hiding in Illinois, which is clearly not part of their job), chose not to negotiate at all. The released emails show a handful of concessions the governor was willing to make. I have not seen ANY concessions coming from the minority. It seems to have always been “give us what we want or we’re not coming back”.
I was never polled… were you?
I was never polled about Obamacare either and what was it I kept hearing from the left, “elections have consequences”?
The tribe has spoken.
Raf, Don’t forget:
“I won”
“The campaign is over John”
“We have to pass the bill so you can see what’s in it”