Expose': What Republicans are really thinking...

The surreal efforts by the right wing to play down Scott Walker's draconian cuts to the UW and ridiculous changes to Wisconsin Idea may at long last help bring more attention to what is really going on at the Capitol and in the heads of our Republican legislators.

Thanks to a former member of the state senate, Dale Schultz, we're able to get the real story behind the deceit and phony concern they have for public policy. On WPR's Joy Cardin Show, Schultz again let it all hang out.

Transportation and education disaster: Schultz gets right to the problem; the no tax pledge with Grover Norquist. Do legislators know Norquist came up with this hair brained idea when he was just 12 years old? I've got a 12 year old they can meet, if they don't mind waiting for him to get home from school. Why wait years and have to go through a think tank pledge?

"Everytime Grover Norquist writes a letter, my colleagues wet themselves."

Who can argue with that? Schultz also says we should chuck the entire voucher experience:

"I remember one time in my caucus asking my colleagues 'where are the failing schools. Which of you have them and would you be able to meet them,' and not a hand went up. I think it is time to stop this nonsense with our educational system, that we chuck the entire voucher experience, the data is in, it doesn't work as well as public education." 

WEAC: Schultz said,“There is no evidence that this (voucher system) works better than public education,”  

“After 25 years why do we insist on expanding and duplicating what our public schools are doing and don’t even do it as well … and yet with the evidence in, it’s time to say this (voucher system) doesn’t work. We need to recognize that the best chance of getting the most out of our dollars for Wisconsin’s children now and in the future lies with public schools.”

Schultz: "This is nothing more than the wholesale destruction of the University of Wisconsin system. The greatest economic driver that we have in the state of Wisconsin...and for what?" For a $5 property tax cut a year.



And on Walker's attempt to shred the Wisconsin Idea, the UW's mission statement:

"The whole tawdry affair...it sickens me because this is a sophomoric sideshow that is incredibly hurtful and not productive."

Schultz said “a number of people around the governor” are attacking education and educators “in a very mean-spirited way” for political purposes. “The bottom line for K-12 education is we cut, again, $135 million over the biennium to get a $5 per house tax cut, and I am just thinking whose idea of a priority is that?” It might be great for Governor Walker’s political ambitions, he said, but “What does it do for the people of Wisconsin?”

“This is nothing more than the wholesale destruction of the University of Wisconsin System, the greatest economic driver that we have in the state of Wisconsin.” Schultz said Walker’s rewriting of the UW mission statement and deletion of the Wisconsin Idea was a “sophomoric sideshow that is just incredibly hurtful and not productive.” It will make people wonder whether people are serious about education’s role in Wisconsin. “We can’t afford this kind of mean-spirited nonsense,” he said.

“This will continue unless every single person in Wisconsin takes this as a wake-up call and engages as every citizen ought to and speaks to their Legislature and responds to the governor’s proposal in a way that makes it clear that this is unacceptable. If we don’t do that, then I think the Wisconsin that many of us know and love will be a thing that will be a part of history.”

The Truth, and nothing but the Truth, from Dale Schultz.

Why does it always take a Republican to come right out with the brutal truth? Ever notice how Democrats are always softening the message and try to mediate the political disagreements they know they're not going to win?

From the Devil's Advocates show, soon to be former Republican State Sen. Dale Schultz absolutely trashed Rep. Robin Vos, the defunding of the UW, letting our roads go to hell, cut taxes while public education withers away in rural areas...everything is here. It's a myth busting 9 minutes of reality...from a Republican:



The Cap Times' Steve Elbow has transcribed a number of Schultz's comments.

Outgoing State Sen. Dale Schultz sets the record straight on GOP Voter suppression laws.

While the Democratic Party has been sounding the voter suppression alarm for the longest time, people still tend to believe the one or two Republicans who've said the same exact thing. Such is the case with outgoing Republican Sen. Dale Schultz. 

On 92.1 FM The Mic, Devil's Advocates hosts Mike Crute and Dominic Salvia asked Schultz about this next round of voter suppression laws. Schultz does not hold back in this shortened audio:

Schultz: “I am not willing to defend them anymore … I’m just not and I’m embarrassed by this. It’s all predicated on some belief there is a massive fraud or irregularities, something my colleagues have been hot on the trail for three years and have failed miserably at demonstrating … It’s just sad when a political party has so lost faith in its ideas that it’s pouring all of its energy into election mechanics. We should be pitching as political parties our ideas for improving things in the future rather than mucking around in the mechanics and making it more confrontational at the voting sites and trying to suppress the vote.”

Al Sharpton's producer thought this was a big enough story to feature on the show:



More coverage on The Last Word, with John Nichols:

Republican Sen. Dale Schultz dishes out the truth on Walker and his Party.

While Democratic Party searches for right words to criticize our current Republican administration, outgoing Sen. Dale Schultz had no problem taking on his own party. 

I put together a condensed 7 minute lesson in messaging for Democrats, using Schultz's no nonsense take down of Walker and his fellow Republicans. Not once does he give the benefit of the doubt to his majority party's intentions, like so many Democrats often do.

I can't tell you how many times I've screamed at the radio and TV, when without fail, Democrats blather on about hoping the 'Republicans will come back to the table and work together with them, blah, blah, blah'...stop it please.  

My favorite Schultz line leads off the clip:  

“Life has in recent years we've been steered by a group of people with enormous power and very powerful media organs, and you know, they've sort of picked at the scab of the carnage of the great recession. It’s a damn poor kind of leadership when people seek to divide, don’t appeal to the best in people, they appeal to the worst.”

Or this top contender:

“I think it fair to challenge educators … but we have had generations of Wisconsinites who have built one of the finest educational systems in the world, and I think just trashing it, ah, and demonizing the professionals that serve us, doesn't improve education and again tears at the fabric of our society.” 

 Worth a listen (audio) to say the least. From WPT:

Republican State Sen. Dale Schultz won't run. Can't identify with his party anymore.

Sad to say my favorite Senate Republican at the Capitol is not seeking reelection. It's goodbye for now from Dale Schultz, who is hinting at a comeback somewhere else:

State Senator Dale Schultz says he's walking away after a lengthy career, choosing to retire after spending the last few of his years in political turmoil. He laments the state of his party, and admits to still feeling "uncomfortable" with his vote last session on voter ID.

"While I certainly believe we need to safeguard the integrity of the ballot box, I think we have crossed the line on a couple of occasions," said Sen. Schultz. "And it’s been a very uncomfortable situation for me having to vote along with the caucus because I've tried to be a good Republican."

Here's the story from Channel3000/WISC:



WKOW's Greg Neumann featured the pre-recorded interview with Schultz on the same day as Schultz's announced retirement. Wanna know why I like him, because he makes more sense and articulates his positions so much better than what we're getting from most Democrats:

Schultz: "Before I talk about what I think is warranted or what I'd like, I want to tell you about what my constituents think..."

Republican Sen. Dale Schultz Gets It.

I couldn't let this story go, so here's my take on the important points in the Cap Time's Jack Craver article on Republican Sen. Dale Schultz.

Before it fades into archival obscurity, I thought Schultz' critique of his own party's political control and problems hit the mark, which means that many on the right know just what they're doing, but just can't let the opportunity slip by no matter how ugly it gets. And it's killing this state. I'm mean really, who can be satisfied with the anger and political division eating away at the character of Wisconsin?

ON UNIONS: Schultz tried to broach a compromise with the governor in which

collective bargaining rights would be suspended for only two years. The governor was not interested. the governor and other GOP leaders had a political objective in mind that would not be accomplished with a temporary suspension of collective bargaining.

“It was about busting unions,” Schultz explains … while other Republicans cast unions as nothing less than public enemies, Schultz sees them as an important check on the power of employers.

WHY WE PROTESTED-Schultz Gets it: “Absolute power is a dangerous thing,” he says. “When it’s always a win-lose situation and one side’s always losing, you strip people of their dignity. They lose hope and they get angry. I think that’s what 125,000 people came down to Madison to tell us. They didn't believe what was going on was fair.”

Schultz believes those who think independently or seek compromise are viewed as threats by the special interests, which finance campaigns with the expectation of dictating policy once their preferred candidates take office. “I think increasingly legislation is coming to the legislature entirely pre-packaged,” says Schultz. “And anybody who wants to work on it, who wants to think about it, or wants to change it gets in trouble.”

Case in point: The mining bill. “Over in the Assembly this bill arrives, nobody is the father of it until (the Republican leadership) all stood up and said, ‘I’m Spartacus,’” he chuckles. “Silly us that thought we were going to have some opportunity to impact something,” he adds.

“When some think tank comes up with the legislation and tells you not to fool with it, why are you even a legislator anymore?” he asks. “You just sit there and take votes and you’re kind of a feudal serf for folks with a lot of money.”

Republican Sen. Dale Schultz Blasts Budget..."It Smacks of the kind of Tactics you'd expect from Vladimir Putin."

This is a must listen to audio from WPR's Joy Cardin's morning radio show. State Sen. Dale Schultz took on his fellow Republicans with a blistering assessment of their late night back room budget dealings. If only one Democrat could be this honest, this blunt! Schultz kicks ass basically.

Republican State Sen. Dale Schultz on Vouchers: "Don't Start another entitlement...another school system."

It frustrates me when a Republican like state Sen. Dale Schultz, is the best one to describe the role of public education and makes the best argument against vouchers. But here it is, from Upfront with Mike Gousha (goo-shay):

"If there's a problem with out public schools, get involved and help solve it. Don't start another entitlement...another school system."

I couldn't have said it better.



Is it any wonder Republicans want to purge Sen. Dale Schultz, a dissenter, in the upcoming primaries. It's funny too to hear Republicans make the argument that politicians shouldn't be recalled for taking a strong stand or an unpopular position for "leading" on legislation, when they're just as happy to deep 6 their own for taking an unpopular position and leading in the next election.

Avoiding a Mining Takeover of Wisconsin, or How the Republicans gave away the farm, the bluffs, the rivers, lakes....

It’s important to know just what was so bad about the failed mining bill, and to tar and feather the governor and the Republicans majority for their belligerent attempt sell off scenic Wisconsin to corporate interests. It wasn’t just Gogebic’s outrageous ultimatum of “our way or the highway” bullying either that turned the tide. 

It was the Republican Party’s irresponsible stewardship of our states natural resources that stuns the senses. Here are a few important highlights (easy enough for my conservative friend to understand) of an article that originally appeared in the Reedsburg Independent by editor Jeff Seering and reprinted at Dane101, which I saw first at the Political Environment (whew!). The whole article can be seen here at Dane101: 

Schultz said about the mining bill compromise he proposed, “No one got up to refute anything we put in.” He said it was bizarre that no one from Gogebic or the other side of the issue ever contacted him to explain what provisions were unacceptable. He said at no time during the process did anyone say why the environmental changes in the Assembly bill and subsequent Joint Finance amendment that changed existing laws were essential … the bill would have changed iron mining laws in the entire state.

For those who’ve marveled at the landscape on their trip to the Dells taking Hwy 12, The real kicker is this:

The bill being debated had a provision in it that said State Natural Areas would no longer be protected in areas where mining takes place. There are no State Natural Areas in the Penokee Range where the Gogebic mine was proposed, the Senator said. But there are plenty of them in the Baraboo Bluffs, where iron mining has taken place in the past. He questioned why that provision, which could affect his district, was included in the iron mining bill.  

I could make a crack or two about W. Virginia, Kentucky, Texas or Alabama at this point, but I’m guessing you that already occurred to you.

The mining bill proposed “elevate iron mining over other potential uses as the highest and best use of land... allowed the mining company to place fill in streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. That would conflict with the Public Waters Doctrine in the state’s constitution, which states open waters in the state belong to the public.

The bill that stated runoffs from tailings from the iron mine would not pollute water … (but) there is pyrite in the ground above the Penokee iron deposit … brought to the surface, can lead to acidic runoff. “The findings in the bill are not based on good science”

A public forum … in Mellen all of the speakers said they were concerned about the environmental effects the mine could have. Schultz notes he has received support from the people he represents in the 17th Senate District … running six or seven to one ahead of those opposing it.