Bumbling Republicans Rush to Trash Gov. Evers Mask Mandate, but instead, mistakenly kill $49 million Federal Food Assistance money!!!

Bumbling Republicans didn't know. No excuse, no joke after 10 months of doing nothing. 

1. They were so dead set on repealing Gov. Evers mask mandate, they didn't stop to debate or think...

JSONLINE: Republicans introduced their plan a week ago and rushed it to the Senate floor without holding a hearing on it. Until late Wednesday, they did not know their effort could take away food assistance in the middle of a pandemic that has forced thousands of people out of work.

 

A Republican plan to eliminate Wisconsin's mask requirement would likely cut off nearly $50 million in food assistance a month to low-income people and those thrown out of work … A COVID-19 package Congress passed last year gave states additional funding for food stamps if they have emergency health orders in place.

2. I only noticed this amazing mistake when I found the press release from the Hunger Task Force, at The Wheeler Report:

“Emergency FoodShare is 100% federally funded, so in effect, our state Legislature is voting to turn away federal assistance in a pandemic without regard for people in need.” 

3. Still Repealing the Mask Mandate, Republicans have the Balls to add this:

Republicans "added a measure authorizing Gov. Tony Evers to declare a state of emergency for the sole purpose of receiving federal FoodShare funds."

"Sole purpose"? Yup, no mask mandate, crowd sizes limits, etc. Since the pandemic isn't real, what's the point of declaring what would be a phony emergency health order? My god.

4. Vos takes credit, after the fact, that the Assembly did their due diligence? Can you believe this ass**le?

Vos told reporters shortly before the Assembly convened, "Unfortunately, when our Senate colleagues passed it, they didn’t necessarily do the same level of due diligence. … We do not want to repeat that mistake."

5. Clueless and incompetent Vos sabotages state's economic comeback: Banning the mask mandate is bad for the two reason's Sen. Chris Larsen listed below: 

a. They constantly criticize how slowly the vaccine has been rolled out, yet they vote for bills that prevent hospitals from requiring their employees to receive one.

b. They say they want businesses to be open and schools to be in-person, but against the wishes of doctors, scientists, teachers, and business leaders, they passed a resolution in the Senate to repeal the statewide mask mandate - the very thing we need in place to keep them open.

6. Republicans can't govern. NOT THE FIRST TIME:

And yet, Republicans are ripping Gov. Evers for everything COVID, claiming he's not taking the pandemic seriously. You can't make this stuff up.

In an opinion piece on Channel3000, Bill Wineke summed it up perfectly this way:

The reason the Republican backers of this proposal give is that they don’t think Evers should have the power to make such an order. In fact, it’s pretty clear they don’t think Evers should have the power to do much of anything.

Their goal – and I don’t think I’m being too radical about this – is for Evers to have no power to fix anything and to be held responsible for everything that goes wrong.

In Denial, here's the Wis. Republicans not-so COVID-19 pandemic "bill." Pandemic, what pandemic?

 It looks like WI Republicans gave up the sham appearance of supporting face masks with their latest "COVID-19 legislation," which totally ignores the deadly pandemic in every way. This is a truly sick in-your-face denial of the pandemic, and grotesque support of business over their constituents lives. 

There is No Pandemic #1: The first obvious, but also breathtaking proposal not seen since the Gilded Age; a return to abusive sweat-shop labor and dangerous working conditions:

The new GOP-backed proposal would give businesses, schools and governmental entities legal immunity if someone contracts COVID-19 on their premises, even if the entity isn’t following local, state or federal requirements to curb the spread of the virus.

You can't make this stuff up. THIS is okay with conservative voters? 

NOTE: Imagine the medical bills and debt families who are treated in a hospital for Covid-19 will be racking up, while businesses get a pass for being irresponsible. This is fucked up.  

There is No Pandemic #2: The second obvious slap at wearing masks at all: 

GOP lawmakers also pass a resolution calling on the Evers administration to reopen the state Capitol building. The resolution called on Evers' DOA to "immediately to provide free and open public access to the state capitol building." "The executive branch … may be impermissibly interfering with the ability of the legislative branch to carry out its legislative duties..."

Democrats tried unsuccessfully to amend the plan to require that people wear face masks when they're in the Capitol. Several GOP lawmakers attended session in person without masks, as did several members of the public in the legislative galleries.

There is No Pandemic #3: Can Republicans be any clearer? They really don't care about wearing masks, and they will force the public and children back into the workplace regardless of the pandemic, good or bad. For instance, Republicans think a lot can apparently happen with the virus in just 14 days:

Bar schools from providing virtual instruction, unless its school board votes to approve virtual instruction by a two-thirds vote of its members. Each approval would last only 14 days.

Limit local health officers’ ability to restrict capacity of businesses during the pandemic to 14-day periods, unless the local government approves an extension of such an order. Each extension could only last 14 days.

Bar DHS and local health officers from closing or forbidding gatherings in places of worship.

 

Republican COVID-19 Deniers intentionally destroying Wisconsin Economy to Blame Evers in 2022? Sure, even if a few hundred have to die.

Question: Could the gerrymandered Republican legislature be planning on destroying the Wisconsin economy just so they can blame Gov. Evers in 2022? I think so:

The 44 Percent Super-Spreaders, Reason 1: Okay, instead of screaming at my TV, I'm going to just ask the question here; why are reporters skipping past the huge number of heavy breathing Wisconsin Trump supporters not wearing masks? Is there a reason why COVID-19 is spiking off the charts in mostly conservative area of the state? Maybe it's those Trump supporters, ya think? 44 percent will vote for Trump, almost half the state:

The 44 Percent Super-Spreaders, Reason 2: Think back on the failed Republican idea to "have a discussion about those statewide high COVID 'pocket's,' and leave the other areas alone." How'd that work out? As you can see conservative area's of the state are exploding, counties that had low infection rates once, while liberal mask wearing counties today...aren't. The last 14 days...:

The 44 Percent Super-Spreaders, Reason 3: So it's pretty clear Republicans are using the mask-free-Trump-induced statewide spread of the virus to claim that wearing a mask doesn't make any difference. And conservative voters will oddly go along with the same list of irresponsible, tired, and ridiculous sounding excuses every time there's a problem Republicans don't want to solve? Here are some:

1. "Let's look at things that we can do to manage that." But Republicans have already said they won't be stepping in to help, so...?

2. "We can have this very detailed discussion...let's step back..." Sure, we've got all the time in the world. 

3. "They had people that were in hospice that had days to live, and then they died from what they had, and they got labeled (as COVID)..." Republicans claim a large percentage of the 214,000 COVID deaths were really from other diseases. 

4. "The problem here is the legislature isn't at the table, it's not able to get the facts to help make good decisions." Remember when the Republicans took the Governors powers away? So what do they need him for? Or how about the mind-blowing idea the Legislature doesn't have access to the facts?

TOP 4 Republican COVID-19 Deniers, Killing People and the Economy: Wisconsin Republican comments, like State Sen. Chris Kapenga statements below, should be added to the historical record, documenting just how bizarre this do-nothing Trump-cult party prevented government from responding to anything. Here's the answer to Kapenga's false statement about ineffective masks:

Mark Kaufman, a physician and chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said “No part of the state is untouched. The main reasons are a lack of individual and collective compliance with the public health measures that we know will work to control this pandemic.”

From WKOW's Capitol City Sunday:

Still embarrassing his district, Sen. Van Wanggaard said the same nonsense most Trump-trash supporters believe now is true. It'll blow your mind again. From Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 

Reporter: "They're the premier health organization (CDC) in the country, why would they want to misrepresent information?"

Wanggaard: "I don't know if it was intentional..."

Reporter: "So the 210,000 people who have died this year..."

Wanggaard: "Could be much fewer than that."

From last week, Rep. John Nygren and Sen. Duey Stroebel made these breathtaking leaps of fantasy:

Sen. Duey Stroebel: "I'm not a scientist, I'm not a doctor, I think you can also look at some facts that say the masks haven't been changing anything, but then again..." 

Interiewer: "But Senator, that's not what your public health officials are saying...."

Economy will not recover until the virus is under control warns Federal Reserve Bank president.

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said at a webinar held by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business association Wednesday, “This is not about politics — it’s about confidence.”

Kashkari’s overview of what’s ahead was not encouraging, he said people will be wary of going to restaurants, movie theaters and sporting events. “If thousands and thousands of businesses go bankrupt,” Kashkari said, “this recovery is going to be much slower.”

Employment in the manufacturing sector is still down by about 720,000 jobs nationally from February.

Republicans Legislate through the Courts with Lawsuits: With a gerrymandered permanent Republicans majority in control, they've set up a legal arm to take lawsuits to an activist conservative Supreme Court.

But wait, one judge is calling out that scheme:

St. Croix County judge R. Michael Waterman was appointed to the bench in 2015 by then-Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican. He said:

"The legislature can end the state of emergency at any time, but so far, it has declined to do so. As the statewide representative body of the citizens of Wisconsin, the legislature’s inaction is relevant and it weighs against judicial intervention, especially when the requested intervention will have statewide impact," Waterman wrote. The judge agreed with Evers that he can continually issue public health emergencies, which attorneys for the plaintiffs argued Evers could not do legally. Emergencies are limited to 60 days, but the governor can issue new ones after each emergency expires, Waterman said. "Plaintiffs in this case don’t ask to preserve the status quo; they ask to change it," Waterman wrote.

Activist GOP State Supreme Court wants Green Party on Ballot, "everybody needs to get a fair shake." Also, Pandemic wins as In-person Christian Schooling returns.

Isn't it funny you never hear about "judicial activism" anymore, especially when hard core Republican judges and justices are in control of the courts. 

Isn't it obvious by now right-wing legal challenges are fast tracked to the activist State Supreme Court for a predetermined legal outcome? Yes, the scheme is shockingly obvious. 

"Freedom" and "liberty" are the go-to patriotic reasons actual laws are now being struck down, leaving government unable to do anything. Can't stop a pandemic or adhere to basic election law requirements? Nope. 

The Supreme Court ruled Gov. Evers orders to control the pandemic "tyrannical." What's "tyrannical" is a Court that usurps the power of the governor and locally elected officials with flag waving declarations of freedom and liberty,  forget any legal arguments. 

Elect Trump, Vote Green Party: For instance, the Wisconsin Supreme Court halted the distribution of absentee ballots because the 3 Republican election commissioners wanted the Green Party candidates on the ballot to syphon away Biden voters. Gee, I wonder how they'll rule? 

Breaking!!! It's too late?  That's it, none of the other reasons listed below under BREAKING MON 9/14? 

"The state Supreme Court has denied the Green Party's request to place presidential candidate Howie Hawkins on Wisconsin's ballot, ruling it's too late to grant the relief sought. Order clears way for local clerks to begin mailing absentee ballots." Justice Brian Hagedorn broke with his fellow conservatives to form a majority with the court's liberals that kept Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins off the ballot.

Maybe things were looking a little to obvious? It now makes the comments by Republicans con artists so much more revealing doesn't it? Check out pure partisan, not very legal reasons the conservative Justices gave to put the Green Party on the ballot, they're so sad:

1. Roggensack called the Elections Commission "lawless" for keeping Hawkins and Walker off the ballot. "This lawsuit is not about the Green Party sleeping on its rights. It is about the treatment that independent candidates from a small political party received from the Commission, who repeatedly refused to follow the law relative to nomination papers."

2. Ziegler wrote that keeping a worthy candidate off the ballot is "the ultimate voter suppression."

My original post continues...

Imagine a Democrat offhandedly throwing out this flimsy reason to bypass petition requirements:

Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson said it was clear, based on the dates on the ballot petitions, that (VP) Walker had moved on either July 29 or 30. The only fair thing to do, Knudson said, would be to put the Green Party candidates on the ballot. Besides, Knudson said, if the commission didn't do it, the courts likely would. "Everybody needs to get a fair shake," said Knudson,

BREAKING MON 9/14: It took the Washington Post and a note from the Bulwark to get what the local media missed completely. This is pivotal, since it also shows how Republicans, helping the Green Party, love to fast track cases directly to the Supreme Court: 

Questions about the Green Party ballot petition began in August, when a state voter complained that there was a discrepancy in Walker’s address on the party’s signature pages. The campaign said that Walker had moved during the signature-gathering phase. But campaign officials failed to respond to a request from the state elections commission to fix their signature sheets, which they could have done by submitting an affidavit explaining the address discrepancy.

In a report to the Wisconsin Elections Commission ahead of its Aug. 20 meeting, the commission’s staff argued that the affidavit would have “easily cleared up confusion” — but absent that, the commission is left with “legitimate arguments” against the petition’s validity.

Weeks later, the Green Party ticket asked the Supreme Court to intervene. “You get help where you can find it,” Presidential contender Howie Hawkins told The Washington Post when asked whether Republicans had financed the legal action. “They have their reasons and we have ours.” Hawkins’s campaign manager, Andrea Merida, later denied that...

Religious Schools Protected By God from COVID: And then it took just 3 very insecure religious families that were worried their children drift away from Christianity without in-person schooling, to get the court to "block Dane County's ban on in-person classes for grades 3-12 the same day the state had a surge of new COVID-19 cases that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans." 

Yup, religious "freedom," forget about that pandemic thing. Let's see how long those schools stay open. The likely sick children or family deaths will be on the Supreme Court, not that they'll care. They probably had some underlying health issue before they got Covid. 

Like the Milwauke Journal Sentinel email summed up:

The conservative majority's logic, particularly in the Dane County case and a previous decision diminishing the state's ability to lead a coordinated public health response, is rooted in concern for freedom and individual rights. 

The Difference in Bizarro World: The Court is removing any difference between the extraordinary measures to control a public health crisis and an authoritarian political system grabbing control, ironically like the Supreme Court did when they approved the GOP's lame duck power grab over the governor and AG.  You can't make this stuff up. 

Devoid of Issues, Republican's seek to end "liberals," hoping to crush their Enemy neighbors!

Not solving Wisconsin's, or even America's social and economic problems, sure beats working. The Republican convention message couldn't be clearer.

Weird Freedom and Liberty Tantrum: For example, on Parler, AZ Rep. Andy Biggs posted:

"Nothing typifies this path to totalitarianism more fully than gov't mandates to wear a mask." (note: Arizona had 2,742 new cases, and 147 new deaths from the previous day.)

I commented: "True, only if there was never a pandemic and then you were ordered to wear masks, because masks are kind of silly without a health crisis, right?"

But that's really the issue isn't it, conflating tyrannical edicts with preventive "orders" to fight a contagious airborne virus that hurts and kills people.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Vos on what really matters!

And with Covid-19 surging in Wisconsin again (7/18 Sat 978 new cases, 10 deaths), believe it or not, Republicans aren't about to come back to work and admit they and the State Supreme Court were wrong. Their voters won't hold them accountable or even notice their depraved lack of responsibility.

It seems Republicans simply want to "stand with the police" not reforming a thing, stand with the NRA doing nothing about mass shootings, or stand against COVID-19 health policy.

Reckless Abandon #1: GOP convention host Rep. Mike Gallagher (R) trashed Democrats with utter nonsense, and they liked it. No Democrat, no progressive, no liberal I know has ever said the things listed below. But they do set up a stark contrast that makes doing nothing about the nations social and economic problems seem like the best alternative if the other choice is to "tear down our country, tear it apart and destroy it." 

Democrats supposedly have said...

"America is an evil country," "America is so evil and so racist...we must tear it down." "it's about blaming America first," "they believe America is inherently evil," "this election is about the mob, the leftists," "they force those who they disagree with to kneel before them," "to cancel out history,"  "to tolerate lawlessness under the disguise of justice," …"We utterly reject the lie that America is an evil racist country":

We all reject that lie because no one said that. He's quite the story teller:



Reckless Abandon #2: How Republicans avoid problem solving or dealing with civil unrest:

1. Gallagher: "We've seen violent mobs take to our streets." Nope, they're called protesters. Why are they out protesting again?

2. Gallagher: "Let them say we stood with our dedicated law enforcement professionals..." So, no problem, no reform?

3. Speaker: "Do we want to be the next Seattle? Do we want to be the next Minneapolis...Chicago? Well, those are cities and we're a state? No?
4. Speaker: "The Democrats, they don't want you to speak up, they want you to fear, to be silent." No one ever said that. And who are these chicken shit frightened losers afraid to speak up? Uh, that's on you.

5. Tiffany: "They want to release violent felons." No, but scary.

Reckless Abandon #3: On our gerrymandered Republicans much talked about efforts to work with Gov. Evers after gutting his powers just before he took office:

1. Fitzgerald: "When you have a reluctant candidate (Evers), who was then fortunate to be elected, I don't think he wanted the job, and I quite honestly don't think the governor is up to the job." He beat Scott Walker...a "fortunate" win?

2. Fitzgerald: "You had to consider, was he a peer? Was he somebody who had an agenda, was he somebody who defined himself already, and I think the answer to all that is no." Arrogant Fitzgerald works only with his "peers." So Evers won a statewide election without "an agenda?"

3. Fitzgerald: "So what happens, the void is filled by staff, and he surrounded himself with staff and the staff is political, they're not policy people." Policy people? You mean lobbyist, sons and daughters of lobbyists, political advisors and former politicians with no previous experience in their departments? Got it.

4. Fitzgerald: "...we were joking about the recording earlier, but that's kind the epitome I think of the disrespect that has emerged." And that's the epitome of petty lengths Fitzgerald will go to manufacturer phony outrage.

Reckless Abandon #4: Dumb Ron Johnson couldn't show up to this hot bed of Covid-19 spreaders, so as usual, he avoided another personal appearance with the following recorded moronic attack on the Democrats. Notice how Johnson asks that we work together, all the while demanding the Republicans "defeat the left at every level and every stage of the election cycle." Also quite humorous and ridiculous, the idea that "younger Americans are embracing socialism and rejecting freedom of expression."  Notice too that "lawlessness" is happening because of the Trump administration. Say Ron, if you have to make stuff up like this to make the your crazy lack of governing look better, okay.

Notice again there are no policy ideas or solutions offered up. I'm assuming the elimination of protesting bad government is solution enough:

Johnson: "The Democratic Party is lurching toward socialism. The unfortunate reality we face today is a result of the radical left taking control of our colleges and universities within the last several decades by controlling the colleges, of education, journalism, and the law. 

The impact is particularly noticeable on younger Americans who are embracing socialism and rejecting freedom of expression in alarming numbers. 

Instead of working together to form a more perfect union, their goal is to tear down our country, tear it apart and to destroy it. 

We need to defeat the left at every level and every stage of the election cycle. This is another moment of choosing when we descend down a path of growing lawlessness and destruction, erasing our history in a futile pursuit of a socialized Utopia that history proves does not exist, or do we come together and acknowledge our shortcomings and work to help every citizen pursue and achieve the American dream?"

Reckless Abandon #5: The Chaos Trump let Loose: My Trump cult friend in Milwaukee is reveling in Trump's campaign of horror, partially listed here by Thom Hartmann:

They revel in their efforts to end Obamacare; resumption of federal executions; authorize the use of formerly banned pesticides causing cancer and neurological damage to children; allow coal and oil companies to dump more waste in our rivers; children slaughtered in classrooms; Black people regularly murdered by police; Trump calls those asking for change "terrorists" and "thugs;" refers to Nazis as "very fine people" and retweets calls for "white power;" fighting efforts to extend unemployment relief; discouraging wearing masks or social distancing; raising doubts about science; causing the deaths of over a 100,000 Americans; holds indoor rallies knowing some people will be dead in a matter of weeks.

Like Watching an Accident, COVID-19 Deniers welcome death just to Buy Things and help closed businesses.

It's true that the media is going way overboard covering the sparsely attended pandemic denier protests begging to go back to work, just like the media did with few obnoxious Tea Party losers disrupting town halls so people couldn't get affordable health care.

This all comes as a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll showed nearly 60% favored keeping in place stay-at-home restrictions.

A Marquette University Law School Poll, released April 1, found 86% of Wisconsin registered voters surveyed said that "it was appropriate to close schools and businesses, and restrict public gatherings" to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

The silent majority following Evers' order and staying home vastly outnumber the people who are protesting.

We can't believe what we're seeing, right? The drooling primitives known as Trump cultists are hoping a few thousand sacrificial people will bring about a healthy economy, kind of an extreme version of sacrificing someone to a roaring volcano.

So yes, the "accident" is fascinating to watch, especially with signage like this demanding shopping over life itself:

Utilizing the same tactics Republicans were so outraged about during the Act 10 protests in the dead of winter, what they angrily called "intimidation," COVID-19 deniers will now defy the same laws their hero Scott Walker put in place. You can't make this stuff up:

Despite having their permit rejected by Gov. Tony Evers' administration, organizers of Friday's rally to reopen the state said they plan to move forward with their event on the grounds of the state Capitol in Madison. "We're going to peacefully assemble," Madison Elmer told the Journal Sentinel Wednesday. Elmer said the email stated: "Due to do the Wisconsin Department of Health Services safer at home order the permit request is being denied."

As for those supposed notorious "out-of-state" liberal "provocateurs" defending employee rights, Pandemic gun-rights protesters bearing arms from Minnesota will infiltrate our state politics by setting their laser-focused sites on safe-at-home families trying to stay alive. Now it's just fine to let out-of-staters tell us what to do:

...a third group, led by Ben Dorr of Minnesota Gun Rights, has called for a "drive-in rally, operation gridlock."

Here's hypocrite and now admired authoritarian Scott Walker back in December 2011. Hey COVID-19 hoaxers, try defending the Minn. Gun Rights clowns and their promise of a drive-in rally, operation gridlock now:

Walker answered: "People should not be coming into the state trying to intimidate lawmakers, offer up threats or anything else. That’s just not the way it’s done, at least not in the Midwest. And thankfully, again, our lawmakers stood up to those sorts of thuggery attacks, and we’re not going to allow that here in the state of Wisconsin … But the people coming in from other states, that bring these sorts of tactics, just don’t belong here."

Even more indefensible, was this shocking interview from August 2013 between former candidate to the State Supreme Court and law professor Ed Fallone, and loony tunes conservative pundit Kevin Hermening, who trashed protesters...yup, just like the ones we'll see protesting their right to shop during a pandemic.



Here's some audio of Scott Walker's disapproval of out-of-state protesters silencing Wisconsinites. Keep in mind, this was enormously overblown and many times just made up, suggesting local protesters asked for their help:



Let's take a look at these "smart" protesters ignoring social distancing and not wearing masks to simply protect their fellow protesters. They talk about the risks, but think 2 weeks is enough?



Because things aren't getting worse?

Think Gov. Evers would be even more tyrannical if he said what Walker did below:

WMC says get back to work, death rates much smaller than in New York.

If only I could risk my health and life just to keep someone else's business open. If only...sigh.

Trump cultists clamoring to go back to work are convinced capitalism is worth the lives of hundreds of thousands of other people. Their own juvenile arguments and death wish that puts their close family members at risk shocks the senses doesn't it?

Kurt Bauer, from the conservative lobbying group Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), said keeping people safe at work is "obviously" a part of their mission.

"And it's a responsibility that all businesses must take seriously. Businesses have a commitment to keep their people safe on the job..."

But is it really...?

As more essential workers become ill with coronavirus, OSHA is telling many of them that it won’t crack down on businesses that fail to follow COVID-19 guidelines. The position has left some workers, unions and advocates scrambling to figure out how to protect employees. “Workers are left to fend for themselves right now,” said Rebecca Reindel, safety and health director at the AFL-CIO.   Workers say employers aren’t cleaning worksites properly, providing protective equipment or telling them when coworkers became sick with the coronavirus, interviews and records obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel show.

Upfront's Adrienne Pedersen wasn't buying into Bauer's flimsy "hope" that businesses would act responsibly, saying WISN's newsroom received calls claiming just the opposite.



Trump Guidelines calling for 14 Day Downward trajectories...ignored for WI's smaller Body Count: Hey, compared to New York, our numbers are much smaller!

To Bauer, "getting there" is all we really need to force safe-at-home workers back into a pandemic, even if they didn't want to.

Republicans have already targeted that eventual problem up by claiming the federal unemployment payments were set too high, discouraging workers from going back, discounting their actual fear of getting infected. That will set up firings statewide, resulting in a "work or die" situation:

Bauer: "I think we are getting there...we're on the right trajectory. You're looking at Wisconsin infection rate, Wisconsin's hospitalization rate, and the death rates are relatively small by comparison..." 

Scott Walker wrongly claims States not working on a Game Plan: Insists there has to be a "balance" where there is none, and back-to-work must happen now...but slowly? The poster boy of career politicians who liked biting the hand that fed his whole family. When this guy talks, it makes everyone wonder how we survived 8 years of this incompetent sociopath. Had to be pure luck:

Solution Avoidance Excuses during Pandemic piling up.

The avalanche of excuses flowing out of Trump-like Republican blame shifters is now at such a shocking level that you would think media outlets would have notice?

Pandemic Exposed Lazy No Solutions Whiners: As I've written before, no one seemed to noticed how Gov. Scott Walker never solved any of Wisconsin's growing list of problems, which continues today with our safe gerrymandered Republicans legislature. Each one of the juvenile "can't do" whining's below avoids a problem or discounts a proven solution rolled out in other states.

It's so much easier to deny there really is a pandemic, than have to work hard solving the problem. GOP leaders are happy to jump on board the clown car parade, forget testing and downward trajectories. Hey, are these people from out of state?:

Even as the statewide stay-home order is working to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the virus curve is flattening, a right-wing conspiracy “news” site is promoting a mass gathering next week at the State Capitol in Madison to try to get Gov. Tony Evers to “open up Wisconsin.”

As of Thursday morning — the day after conservatives equipped with firearms, MAGA hats, and Confederate flags clogged the streets in Lansing, Michigan, for a similar protest — more than 750 people on Facebook have marked themselves as “going” to the Wisconsin event and more than 3,500 are interested. Members of a group called Wisconsinites Against Excessive Quarantine say forcing people to remain at home is hurting the economy and is no longer necessary to protect people’s health.

Just a thought, but shouldn't child services make a point of visiting this woman? Not only is she not protecting her kids with vaccinations, she had them carry signs to "reopen the playgrounds" without protective face masks:

 And yes, GOP idiocy follows a distinct pattern:

1. Mail-In Voting Statewide: 5 states have already converted to mail-in voting. If there is any problem getting a ballot, "Colorado allows people to cast a ballot at an in-person voting center during the early voting period or on Election Day ... (and) States also provide plenty of drop-off boxes." Still, despite the successful roll out of cost saving mail-in ballots, Republicans have imagined a whole list of phony excuses:

All mail-in headline

WSJ: Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, opposes the Democratic proposal (on mail-in voting) because of the cost, potential for fraud (voter fraud per capita is no higher, and often lower, in vote-by-mail states). For Steineke, such an overhaul isn’t worth it. “This idea that the system is broken and there’s no way to fix it is crazy.”

Oh, and about solving the problem of lost and returned ballots...you know, protecting a persons right to have their vote counted?:

They also balk at the mailing issues voters experienced with absentee ballots in April, and fear a primarily mail election could leave people with no recourse if they never received their ballot, because polling places would be reduced.(Again, Colorado solved that problem)

Voting Suppression Voter Purges...a thing of the past:

Steineke said he is concerned about 200,000 voters on the rolls may have moved. Ballot envelopes have bar codes that are unique for each individual voter, and only one ballot, the first one in, is accepted … States with all-mail elections are constantly updating their voter rolls, another benefit of all-mail elections.

2. Defy Stay-at-Home Democratic Gov. Evers Order: Death Party denialists are ignoring Trump's phase 1 plan for reopening some businesses that are still not in place in Wisconsin, and Republicans aren't willing to "spend money on" costly mass testing. NO Solution:

States must first meet a "gating" criterion that includes a "downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period" or a "downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (flat or increasing volume of tests)," as well as hospital preparedness.

Anyone trust this owner of 3 pubs after hearing his whiny reasons to open? Again, Trump's 14 day downward trajectory and positive tests requirement have not been met:

Dangerous Dan

Dan Zierath, the owner of Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub in Wauwatosa said he will open the dining room to the public on May 1, in defiance of the governor's safer-at-home order that bans dining in at least until May 26 … questioning customers at the door if they've been exposed to COVID-19 or if they have fevers (no quick read thermometer?), but he was determined to proceed. "I feel like our constitutional rights are being taken from us. And I’m just not willing anymore. What’s going to happen is going to happen...I just see no harm in that whatsoever." 

It's all about him and anecdotal support. Capitalist question; how will business insurers feel about picking up the costs and liability? 

Asked if he had consulted an attorney in the matter, he said he had and was advised against opening the restaurant. "I have a ton of support on social media if we open," he said.

3. Passed Referendum prompts Pandemic Recount and Large Gathering: The Racine school districts referendum passed 5 votes, but that's not good enough, so up to 125 people will have to gather at Festival Hall during a pandemic. Why not? Recount reasons by anti-education parents were mindboggling and labored:

The Racine Unified School District received four petitions from voters concerned the vote totals were incorrect. 

a. One petitioner said he did not believe all absentee or in-person ballots were counted.

b. Another said he believed ballots were changed to “falsely represent” the voter’s intended choice

c. and that poll workers persuaded certain voters to support the referendum. 

d. another said he believed ballots that were improperly filled out or postmarked were counted when they should not have been.

Gov. Tony Evers...COVID-19 Tyrant!!!

According to our angry tyrant, Trump, the presidents power over governors is TOTAL:



Even a Conservative group's Ad disagrees with Trump:



The New Authoritarian Tea Party Stupor: While Trump says he'll adjourn the congress...

…and overrule governors stay-at-home "tyrannical" restrictions, use FEMA to confiscate all PPE's and ventilators, and withhold pandemic help to Democratic governors states, disconnected Republicans in Wisconsin are outraged over Dem Gov. Tony Ever's attempts to stop a spreading killer virus. It's an emergency power he has...for now. They're calling him a...tyrant?

Wisconsin Republicans reacted with anger to Evers' extension, threatening lawsuits, the firing of his health secretary and other curbs on his power. More than 1,400 people said on Facebook that they planned to attend a rally at the state Capitol on April 24, the day the original order was to end, demanding that Evers reopen the state. Rep. Barb Dittrich, of Oconomowoc, called Evers a “tyrant.”

The lower conservative life form wants to reopen the state with no plan, no mass testing, no contact tracing, no anything! 

Like I said, let every reckless freedom and liberty fighting heavy breathing Trump cultist go back to work for us, and we'll see how that works first.

81 percent of Americans in a recent poll agree with continued social distancing, and only 10 percent want to irresponsibly go back to work.

Keep in mind, our overlord Republican majority who took most of the Governor's and the AG's power away before they took office, have not approved many of Gov. Evers appointments in an attempt to silence their possible criticism of the GOP legislature. And guess what, Republicans aren't shy about using that authority to remove those who disagree and don't follow in lockstep:

The state Senate which has yet to confirm Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm and could vote to fire her. The Senate has already fired Evers' agriculture secretary.

“She must not be allowed to continually trample on the constitution or the state’s economy,” Republican Sen. David Craig said of Palm. “Enough is enough!”

In Car Protest...and the not so Brave Conservative Cowards: Since Wisconsin conservative crackpots never had an original thought of their own, they copy cat others. If the economy has to open up without any real "freedom and liberty" pandemic restrictions, well, get the hell out of your cars.

The planned rally next week at the Capitol comes after similar events in Oklahoma and Michigan attracted thousands. Evers said he respected the protesters' free-speech rights, but he hopes they remain 6-feet apart from one another so they stay healthy.

Who paid for this stunt?

The Bullwork put it this way, from the Washington Post:

And so on the umpteetnth day of the Great Lockdown, the masses finally rose up. Or something.

For miles, thousands of drivers clogged the streets demanding Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) ease restrictions and allow them back to work. They drowned downtown Lansing, Mich., in an cacophony of honking. They blared patriotic songs from car radios, waving all sorts of flags from the windows — President Trump flags, American flags and the occasional Confederate flag.

But in the massive protest Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home executive order — which they have argued is excessive and beyond Whitmer’s authority — the pleas from organizers that protesters to stay in their vehicles went unheeded. Many got out of their cars and crashed the front lawn of the capitol building, with some chanting, “Lock her up!” and “We will not comply!”

It’s easy to dunk on this sort of thing as yet another vector of wingnuttery, especially because it is potentially dangerous to public health. But, it's also worth recognizing that populist libertarianism is a thing and completely compatible with Trump's proto-authoritarianism.

Conservative voters, any chance you might want to stop these losers in November.

Republicans Vos/Fitzgerald seek another power grab over Gov. Evers, using deadly COVID-19!

Are there any other adults in the room embarrassed by the constant bitching by Wisconsin Republicans for their own self imposed irrelevance and victimhood after taking the rest of the year off during a pandemic?

These elite authoritarians, after taking the rest of the year off, were exposed for their gut wrenching double standard:

The pathetic whining emanating from the Capitol by the gerrymandered Republican Party elite, who have never outgrown the resentment they had for parental limitations, should be embarrassing enough during a pandemic. Yet they've found another way to wallow in their victimhood. 

Vos is now framing an argument to make the governor completely irrelevant. 

They (Fitzgerald and Vos) also made clear … "Fundamentally I think that our entire republic is based on the concept of three co-equal branches (of government) and we have temporarily loaned the ability to (the governor) make decisions without the same due process … (they) signaled they would not have limitless patience.

It was a Bad Idea but we Have to Follow it....

Not letting Evers get all the credit, Vos/Fitzgerald said in their own words all the reasons Gov. Evers gave for his stay-at-home policy, yet questioned if Evers knows that "we should not tolerate this for no good reason"....uh, the deadly pandemic guys. They're so smart: 

…they raised concerns about the prospect of forcing businesses to close and limiting people's movement for an extended period. "We should not tolerate this for no good reason and we certainly should not tolerate it for a long period of time unless it’s in the public’s best interest," Fitzgerald said. 

Under state law, Evers can declare a health emergency for up to 60 days. The emergency declaration can continue after that only if lawmakers sign off on it. Evers declared the emergency on March 12 and his expanded powers can continue under that order until mid-May.

POWER GRAB AGAIN PT 2: The Borg-like Vos/Fitzgerald legislature is already moving toward another power grab on two more fronts after their surprising lame duck victory. First...:

Sen. David Craig of Big Bend introduced legislation this week that would require Evers to get legislative approval before issuing such edicts … (like a) statewide order to stay home to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. . Craig wrote: 

"The Executive Branch does not have unchecked authority in such a crisis. To impair fundamental rights — as gathering bans, etc. do — the government must have a compelling state interest to do so AND must do so in a narrowly-tailored and least restrictive means possible under the constitution."

Remember, they're doing this during a deadly pandemic, still predicted to become much worse!!!

Evers would be required to provide lawmakers with a report detailing reasons that justify issuing a ban on large gatherings and a report on arrests made for violating such bans.

POWR GRAB AGAIN PT 3: Republicans setup a "legislate from the bench" arm of their power structure, hiring Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL) to take all cases to the conservative activist State Supreme Court. Again, we have a national COVID-19 pandemic with people dying:

WILL published a legal analysis that argued Evers' emergency powers could face constitutional challenges, particularly if the pandemic persists for a long time. Strong arguments could be made that Evers' actions violate the rights to free speech, due process, peaceably assemble and worship as one chooses, wrote WILL's president, Rick Esenberg. Evers' orders shutting businesses could also be construed as unconstitutionally taking something of value without fair compensation, he argued. 

Feeling left out and powerless, Vos will not give up his "arm-chair-governorship," and using the pandemic makes sense:

Vos said he hoped the emergency would last less than 60 days. Lawmakers will evaluate the situation if Evers believes it should continue after that. "Once we get past that 60 days we have to see a very clear-cut reason" to continue it, Vos said. Evers has pushed Republicans to waive a one-week waiting period for people to access unemployment benefits. Vos said Republicans were considering doing that temporarily. “The longer this order goes, the more businesses are never going to have a chance to reopen,” said Vos, who owns a popcorn business.

Trump's Easter Economic Resurrection: Nationally, Trump Republicans are all onboard ending any safety measures. Twitter commentary...

Still a good idea to invite this loony tune on campuses?

COVID-19 Emergency solutions borrow from all of Democratic campaign's "radical" Ideas.

Don't be distracted by the temporary nature of the government's help during the Covid-19 epidemic. Look what's happening;

1. The U.S. government is being required to supply the American people with all the "radical" things that Democrats have been criticized for proposing during the campaign.

2. Free health care (testing).

3. Paid sick leave.

4. Waivers for the GOP's wrongheaded work requirements under unemployment and food stamps.

5. And the not so radical idea of a universal basic income (a possible $1000 per adult, $500 children for pandemic. This is estimated to cost around $250 to $600 billion, but a payroll tax cut would cost over $950 billion).

Yes, all at once, and it took a pandemic to shock some into reality! This shows how bad Republicans have ignored serving the American people.

Professionals who have studied this stuff and promoted these changes have been vilified as "elite." They may be right, but they "believe they should have the power to tell you what to do." It's the politics of resentment:

“We will never have the elite smart people on our side,” as former US Senator Rick Santorum put it in a 2012 speech, “because they believe they should have the power to tell you what to do.”

This is how it all started, Trump cutting the pandemic team because they "haven't been used for many many years." For those who love having a business person like Trump around managing the country...

Trump: "As a business person, I don't like having thousands of people around when you don't need them." 

Another set up clips documenting how Trump never took the coronavirus seriously:

Here's another video of Trump's moments of genius. Note, we could do without the overly dramatic soundtrack:

Evolutionary Theory "Survival of the Fittest," broken! Still too many Republicans.

From what I've seen, including what my Trump cultist friend in Milwaukee keeps texting me, nothing has changed 

Strong Survival Instinct: Democrats demonstrated a rational fear of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Weakest Survival Instinct: Republicans chose denial, risk, cultist feelings for Trump, and low information. 

So with the above information in mind, how is it so many Republicans have survived this long? 

Perhaps Darwinian theory isn't working anymore. The Yahoo News/YouGov poll:

1. Knowledge is Power: 48 percent of Democrats said they were following the coronavirus news very closely; only 32 percent of Republicans said the same.

2. Heeding Warning Signs: 29 percent of Democrats said the threat is exaggerated; among Republicans, that number was 58 percent.

3. Survival Instinct: 74 percent of Democrats said they are worried about the virus; only 45 percent of Republicans agreed.

4. What you don't know can't hurt you: 58 percent of Democrats predicted coronavirus would spread to the entire country; only 28 percent of Republicans agreed.

5A. Science: Most Democrats echoed the authorities in saying that the U.S. death toll would top 1,000 fatalities (55 percent) and that no vaccine would be available this year (61 percent). 

5B. Blissful Ignorance: Most Republicans said the opposite, with 66 percent predicting fewer than 1,000 fatalities and 57 percent saying a vaccine would arrive in 2020.

So what's the scientific theory behind "dumb luck?"

Pandemic Fight...put off until we have "clearer idea:" Facing mounting deaths and suffering, Republicans let governments Coronavirus response...wait:

Republicans rejected:

Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Economic policies such as increasing unemployment insurance and food stamps (52 percent support), providing paid sick leave (77 percent support), reducing the payroll tax (54 percent support) and covering insurance costs for victims without insurance (74 percent support) were widely popular.

Wait for it...Trump wants More Cuts to CDC and Pandemic Response: Behind every tax cut, is this, a spending cut. Eyes opened yet?

Russ Vought, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Tuesday doubled down on proposed cuts to health services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in President Trump’s 2021 budget request. , despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Under intense questioning from Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) about … cutting Health and Human Services funding by $9.5 billion, including a 15 percent cut of $1.2 billion to the CDC and a $35 million decrease to the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund's annual contribution.