Republican governance has always been based on crass cronyism.

You expected something different from the Republican Party in Wisconsin?

It amazes me how conservative newspaper editorial boards are surprised by many of the recent moves by our Republican governor and legislature. Republican politicians didn’t hide their extremist positions in the midterm debates. It’s just no one thought they would be that crazy. They are!!

Cronyism is part of the conservatives free market belief system that replaces a government for and by the people, with a “job creating” corporate structure.  The Republican version of cronyism replaces scientists, academics and qualified candidates with fund raisers and corporate toadies.  

Oh and don’t forget family members…

Steve Fitzgerald, the father of the top two Republican law makers in state government, will lead the Wisconsin State Patrol, Gov. Scott Walker's administration announced Tuesday.
His new position leading the 638-member State Patrol deepens the growing power of the Fitzgerald family.

But the Democratic Party of Wisconsin questioned whether cronyism played a role in the decision and accused Walker of showing preferential treatment to friends in the past. 

"We question whether best practices were followed," party spokesman Graeme Zielinski said.

And that’s been the Democratic Party’s problem for decades; hedging on a sure thing, questioning, instead of point blank bluntness. It's cronyism. Steve Fitzgerald didn’t care about how it looked or effected public perception applying for the job. Walker didn’t care about accusations of cronyism or how it looked to voters worried about one families power grab in state government. And the Fitzgerald brothers apparently didn’t try to take the high road by convincing Walker to look elsewhere.

Republican cronyism is expected. Conservative voters, who believe they are the victimized majority, have given cronyism a pass because they’re fighting for their political lives against the big bad Democrats. It’s just the way they run government. And we won't forget this one shining moment of honesty.