Don't Spike the Ball

Governor Scott Walker has thankfully prevailed in his recall election in Wisconsin.  This, despite the full-throated efforts of the public-service unions there and from around the country (see: Forbes Story) ... and the fact that voter turn-out in uber-liberal-leaning Madison was 119% (see: Breitbart Story).  Curious!?!

Not that he takes my advice, but I have a suggestion for Governor Walker ... "Please don't spike the football."  The emotions in Wisconsin have been running very high and what may otherwise appear to be rational people have been acting quite irrationally.  In fact, I have been shocked by the rabid actions of those who have been skunked in this Waterloo for public-service employees.  Describing the actions of many of these wing nuts as bordering on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest" is not too much of a stretch.

Both George Bush and Barack Obama have made the mistake of spiking the football after a victory ... and they have lived to regret it.  A more modest and self-effacing reaction from Governor Walker to this victory would indeed be refreshing ... and probably beneficial to him in the longer run.

Back Scratching

If you need any evidence that there is an unhealthy relationship between politicians and public-service unions, please read the following story that details how these very same unions and the local Wisconsin governments elected by these unions are rushing to cut sweetheart deals before the new anti-collective-bargaining law takes effect. See: Associated Press Article. 

You would think that these local governments, if they were truly looking out for the interests of their taxpayers, would sit on their hands until this law needs to be heeded.  But even more interesting is that the Democrat Secretary of State in Wisconsin is delaying the enactment of this law to allow this "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" conspiracy to play itself out.  This is in defiance of Governor Scott Walker's direct request to expedite this process ... clearly more pinkie-ring shenanigans.

This subterfuge also seems strange to me since didn't we hear over and over again during the three weeks of this kerfuffle in Wisconsin that the unions there were more than willing to concede the proposed economic cutbacks in pension and health care?  Now, many of these unions' apparently disingenuous concessions seem to have conveniently disappeared like so many of Obama's campaign promises.

Juxtaposition XIX

Street sweeper from
"Fractured Fairy Tales"

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

Only this time he isn't sweeping up elephant turds, he is cleaning up donkey excrement.