Jay Weber Show transcript 1-5-21 6:05am
So....a new legislative session got underway in Madison yesterday. On paper, at least.
The most-recently elected lawmakers were sworn in in both the assembly and the senate...and they officially started the clock on a new two year session.
But it is clear that the gridlock of the last two years ever since Tony Evers became governor-is going to endure.
Very little is likely to get done over the course of the next year-and then things are guaranteed to grind to a halt in 2022...which is another election year, and the first time that Tony Evers is up for re-election. Neither side is going to want to do anything other than grandstand next year.
And so- we expect a standoff -and the status quo of the last two years-to continue.
And the liberals and their media accomplices are going to want to blame the republicans who control the legislature, of course. They are the ones constantly portrayed as not wanting to compromise and not wanting to get anything done...
But that’s little more than political posturing.
In truth- it’s been Gov Evers and his group of radical socialist progressive handlers who have not wanted to get anything done.
It has been Evers and his team of political game players who have spent the last two years being more interested in playing fruitless, childish political games...as they continue to stew over a great eight year run of republican reforms under Scott Walker.
The Walker years have left Wisconsin democrats so bitter that they still cannot find any motivation to do the work of the people of Wisconsin.
They -still- cannot envision any cooperative effort that might give the legislative republicans a win.
They -still- cannot focus on anything other than on the bitterness and bile of the walker years...and trying to get some sort of payback for it.
But- look-
They don’t have the numbers to reverse even a single walker era item. They can’t repeal act ten, or prevailing wage reforms, or right to work, or concealed carry or castle law...
They don’t have the power to reverse one single. Walker and GOP reform...of the last decade. All they have is the governor’s chair.
And-in their typical stupidity-these democrats don’t know what they have. They see Evers as having a ‘blocker’s’ position.
And he does. Evers has the power to block and veto anything that the republican chambers of the legislature might pass, sure.
But that’s not-all- that the democrats have- if they have the governor’s chair.
The governor’s chair- gives them the bully pulpit. It comes with the power to—lead. The power to craft a pro-Wisconsin agenda that they could then use to recruit the state’s voters over to their side.Just like walker and the republicans did for a successful 8 year run.
But -for as emotional as democrats are-they never seem to have any vision or any ideas.Tell me right now-what is Governor Evers’ agenda for Wisconsin?
What is the WI democrat party’s agenda for this state?
Does anyone know?
Do they?
Evers and these Dems have no agenda for Wisconsin. At least none that actually solve the problems and service the needs of the Wisconsin voter. Sure, they are on board with the national party’s agenda of never-ending socialism and future totalitarian state...
But as for anything that might be helpful or impactful for the people of Wisconsin?
Nothing.
It’s all petty, often nasty, political games.
Take their actions yesterday:these democrats couldn’t even go along with the traditional swearing-in ceremony for new members.
This is one of those events that is meant to bring both sides together. Bring the members of the two parties together in some collegiality. Celebrate their election to the bodies...and sit in their new seats and extend a hand of friendship and cooperation to each other. Even if it won’t last, or isn’t genuine.
It’s a lasting tradition in the Wisconsin state house, state houses around the country, and in dc.Swearing in day.
Folks- Wisconsin democrats skipped the ceremony yesterday. Refused to participate in person...and making up some bogus excuse about how there was no ‘mask mandate’. The j/s and associated press dutifully reported this silliness...as if it were another instance of Republicans being irresponsible and as if it was a ‘real issue’.
So ‘happy ending’ Hintz makes a big deal out of the lack of a mask mandate-but folks- everyone who showed up in the two chambers wore masks.
There didn’t need to be a mask mandate. They are all grown adults, and showed up on their own...in their masks.
At least republicans did. There is video and still photos from the assembly chambers in which literally every single person in attendance has a mask on.
And so- republicans showed up...in masks...and socially distanced and participated. Democrats decided to be difficult jackasses...and not wanting to be in-any way- collegial or cordial with republicans-refused to attend. And they engaged in cheap political games-again- using a mask mandate as an excuse.
This is the sort of unserious and childish nonsense we have gotten out of Governor Evers and the legislative democrats for two years now-ever since they won back the governor’s chair.
They aren’t using it.
Tony Evers isn’t leading.
In fact-he’s the figurehead of a uniquely bad and pathetic administration. I’ve been watching and covering gubernatorial administrations since the tony earl era-and every single governor since- Tommy, McCallum, Doyle, Walker....
Every one of those men had more robust agendas and were more ‘on top’ of Wisconsin’s problems than Tony Evers and his whiney socialist handlers are.
They have gotten-nothing- done that makes Wisconsin a better place to live and work.
Name a single thing Tony Evers’ administration has done to help the people of Wisconsin, or make the state more livable.
The only big challenge of his first two years was to get Wisconsinites their unemployment checks on time after he closed down the state due to covid-19 and he botched that up so badly that people are still waiting for their checks. There’s still a massive backlog that Evers and his people refuse to correct.
God forbid anyone work more than a seven hour day...in that governor’s office or in an ‘Evers agency’.
Tony Evers has categorically been the most useless person to sit in this governor’s chair in my lifetime And it’s not debatable, and it’s not even close.
Because he’s in over his head, and his closest advisors are only interested in playing cheap partisan games and trying to get some sort of political payback for what was-as most Wisconsinites would agree was a great 8 year run of much needed reforms.
What’s the latest insincere game? Evers and Dems calling on GOP lawmakers to pass Evers’ ‘compromise’ covid-19 bill.
Folks- it’s not a compromise if Evers’ team made it up and said republicans have to pass this.Evers has the media calling it a ‘compromise’ bill when there has been no compromise. Evers’ team put about six useless items into an unserious bill and claim the onus is on the GOP to now pass it.
We’ve talked about this plan in the past: it includes-nothing. Not a single idea to combat covid-19.Its items like: let’s agree school kids don’t need to take the national standardized tests this year.
Really? That needs to be voted on? That’s what is top of mind-when they are talking about covid-19 around the conference table in the governor’s office?
It’s not even a serious bill.
Meanwhile, the republicans submitted a serious package of ideas with something like 30 proposals. Many of which-do- directly address the covid-19 crisis-
And Tony Evers and his team shot it down without consideration. Proving all they want to do is play cheap partisan games and yesterday- happy ending Hintz as much as admitted that the legislative democrats have no interest in doing their jobs if they aren’t in power.
Legislative staffers and reporters will be excited to hear that- because nothing is more tedious than listening to bloviating democrats pretend to be smart on the senate or assembly floor. But....Gov Walker and the GOP majority is a full two years in the past now...and the Dems are still pouting and pathetic.
And from where I sit- gridlock in Madison is great. Huzzah for gridlock. We don’t need to pass another bill...between now and the next Election Day...
And for the life of me I don’t know what Gov Evers is going to run on as ‘accomplishments’. His GOP challenger will have a strong case to make that four years of‘ whatever this is’...is enough.
photo credit: Fox New Milwaukee