Forget Public Opinion, Republican legislators controlled by ALEC business Lobbyists.

"ALEC is a national organization that brings together state lawmakers and corporate lobbyists to craft legislation supporting free markets, limited government and federalism. Republican State Sen. Leah Vukmir is second-vice chairwoman of the group."-WSJ

Talk to the hand...

Vukmir is not exactly serving her Wisconsin constituents is she? Crazy right, but its standard operating procedure for Republicans, because they are admittedly, the party of big business.

When asked about the influence ALEC had on state legislation, Vukmir said her emails to and from ALEC were confidential. Heck, ALEC even stamped the confidential. After a challenge, a court said that wasn't true, and ordered her to turn over ALEC communications.

Center for Media and Democracy, which filed the lawsuit, said the more than 100 pages of documents provide the first evidence that an effort by the American Legislative Exchange Council to rebrand itself as being legislator-driven is “just a sham.” Brendan Fischer, a lawyer for the liberal Center for Media and Democracy, (said) “This demonstrates that ALEC is really a lobbyist-driven organization. The lobbyists are the ones calling the shots. The legislators are just following along.”

A couple of examples:

1. Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, voted on a policy allowing only lawmakers, and not lobbyists, to introduce model bills. At the same meeting, she sponsored a model bill under the direction of a lobbying group.

2. In one email, Christie Herrera, vice president of policy for the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank with a registered lobbyist, wrote to Vukmir and three other legislators from other states thanking them for sponsoring a resolution opposing the expansion of state Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act and coaching them on what to say. “Each of you will need to introduce the bill,” Herrera wrote. “As such I have written opening remarks that are also attached to this e-mail.

And that’s what they call “leadership?” It’s nice to see these staunch supporters of freedom and liberty so fiercely defend their rugged independence.