Wis. GOP Leader Scott Fitzgerald: 'Are Our Recall Statutes Legit?'

Source: TPM

Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) expressed his frustration with the state's recall laws, during a press conference on Tuesday.

Fitzgerald's off-the-cuff comments sounded less like he was mulling any actual prospective efforts to change the law, but rather seemed more a show of irritation that a significant number of his caucus members -- those last elected in 2008 -- are being targeted for recalls by Democrats, in the battle over Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal and its anti-public employee union provisions.

~snip~

"Yeah, I mean, I've always been a believer that recall probably would be more appropriate if a legislator was involved in some type of, you know, either criminal activity, or something that could be deemed, you know, unethical," said Fitzgerald. "Not related to simply taking a stance on a tough vote. And you know, I think there's other legislators that feel that way as well."

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/wis-gop-leader-scott-fitzgerald-are-our-recall-statutes-legit.php?ref=fpb

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Sounds like they are getting nervous. In typical RePug fashion they are now questioning whether the recall statute itself is legitimate. The madness never stops.

It's OK If You Are Republican.

Doesn't the Bible that they tout so heavily say something like: "though shalt not lie?"

Their hypocrisy never ceases to both amaze and disgust me.

Sounds to me like falsely accusing someone of having done something, but wrong, yes, it is usually loosely interpreted as "don't lie."

Handy website for Bible quotes:

http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=bear+false+witness&qs_version=KJV

People using laws and statutes and stuff against Republicans. Well, I never!

Laws being used by Democrats against Republicans?? **Moan, whimper, whine** Good Gawd, however did it come to this?
QUICKLY change the laws, do you hear, this instant!!1!1!

Don't those dirty fucking hippies know that Republicans are above the law?

Seems they have passed/changed a couple of laws to punish the WI 14 Dems, so it will not surprise me in the least if Walker & his gang change yet more laws to their own personal benefit.

is more like that awful fraternity (Deltas?) who beat people up and broke the rules and ran roughshod over everyone.

financial bills.

can't be used except for the thing he mentions: criminal, unethical, etc. and therefore NOT in this specific case.

which is argue that a district by district recall which goes after reps based on how they voted is not the way this law was intended to be used. they will argue that by design this is not about ethics. just my humble prediction.

you actions are unethical

It's called, 'no confidence.'

These hypocrites just can't understand what "calling a spade, a spade" is and dealing with such appropriately!

even if they're recalled. ESPECIALLY Walker. I could see a situation where the State Police might have to forcibly evict him.

That's the kind of thing dictators do...

Wisconsin law enforcement officers have been great throughout this, but that appointment was just wrong.

a completely unconstitutional bill that would establish a recall process for the governor only. since we just impeached a governor, i would say that we are adequately protected against idiot kings in springfield. it is going nowhere, but.......

Poor widdle Fitzy. Realizing your sinking fast, and even if you win you're gong to lose? :evilgrin:

It was a glom-on-with-both-hands, gimme-gimme-gimme, nyah-nyah-in-your-face-suckers power grab, and thanks to the 14 they got called on it.

And now they're being recalled on it.

and it seems to me that if you were a "law and order" kind of legislator, you would not have made those imbecilic comments.

Then do tell us the names of the other legislators who agree with you that subverting justice and the constitution are bright ideas so they can be recalled, too.

but I see his point within the context of American politics and without knowing the structure of the WI law. There certainly could be a construction in which recall is only available in the case of illegality or malfeasance.

That said (here's where I test all your reading skills) I am a firm believer that the US needs mechanism for no confidence votes (a la California). If the majority of the electorate doesn't trust you anymore then either you lied to them during the election to garner the votes necessary to win or you are an incompetent unworthy of office. Whatever the law is in WI, no confidence votes for removal should be written into the law across the U.S.

But the most important provision of our constitution regarding recalls...



Apparently the idiot has never read the constitution of a state in which he was elected to office.

That's exactly what I meant. But he was clearly imagining a more limited mechanism. I'm glad he's wrong.

and we don't seem to have a year-long wait period.

I would have expected most of it to be in law, rather than the constitution, but I guess watching how the previous states did it gave the founding fathers enough of a heads up to put in all in a place where it couldn't be easily toyed with by despots.

and hopes no one else has. Whoever wrote that provision probably could envision Wisconsin's current situation.

There's been fear that these thugs could just change the recall laws.

started within days of Davis being re-elected. Second - he was re-elected by more votes than steroid boy received in the recall. The factors in California were: 1) enron; 2) the rnc playing issa for the sucker he is; 3) lots and lots and lots of money; and 4) complete media cooperation in trashing Davis

there were more sinister things in play with cali's recall (issa?)

The fraudsters foolishly described their exact actions in documents sent to their lawyers. As a full and complete admission of guilt, their own lawyers had no choice but to forward the documents to the State of California.

Davis put these documents online for the whole world to see.

Under GW, the Feds challenged the State's jurisdiction in court as the fraudsters were headquartered out of state. The court (correctly) concurred. The Feds then let the case drop. And the Republican controlled Congress did nothing.

Instead of California getting treated to a trial of the fraudsters, they got treated to recalling Davis because of the fraudsters. Arnold in, Davis out, and the documents...?

California has never recovered from the losses we suffered due to that fraud.

COMMON DREAMS, August 17, 2003
Title: “Ahnuld, Ken Lay, George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Gray Davis”
Author: Jason Leopold

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/13-schwarzenegger-met-with-enrons-key-lay-before-the-california-recall/

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “solutions to California’s energy woes” reflect those of former Enron chief Ken Lay. On May 17, 2001, in the midst of California’s energy crisis, which was largely caused by Enron’s scandalous energy market manipulation, Schwarzenegger met with Lay to discuss “fixing” California’s energy crisis. Plans to “get deregulation right this time” called for more rate increases, an end to state and federal investigations, and less regulation. While California Governor Gray Davis and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante were taking direct action to re-regulate Califonia’s energy and get back the $9 billion that was vacuumed out of California by Enron and other energy companies, Schwarzenegger was being groomed to overthrow Davis in the recall. Thus canceling plans to re-regulate and recoup the $9 billion.

After the California’s energy debacle of 2000, Davis and Bustamante filed suit under California’s unique Civil Code provision 17200, the “Unfair Business Practices Act,” which would order all power companies, including Enron, to repay the nearly $9 billion they extorted from California citizens. The single biggest opponent of the suit, with the most to lose, was Enron’s CEO, Ken Lay.

Lay, a very close friend and long time associate of President Bush and Vice-president Cheney, and one of their largest campaign contributors, hastily assembled a meeting with prominent Californians (confirmed by the release of 34 pages of internal Enron email) to strategize opposition to the Davis-Bustamante campaign and garner influential support for energy deregulation.

Included in the meeting were Michael Milken, “junk bond king” convicted of fraud in 1990 who currently runs a think tank in Santa Monica that focuses on global and regional economies; Ray Irani, Chief Executive of Occidental Petroleum; former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan; and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Riordan and Schwarzenegger were at that time being courted as GOP gubernatorial candidates.)

http://www.alternet.org/story/16902

Arnold's Enron Secret
If Arnold wins, it's hasta la vista baby, to the $9 billion owed to the state of California by Enron and the other electricity barons.
October 5, 2003

It's not what Arnold Schwarzenegger did to the girls a decade back that should raise an eyebrow. According to a series of memoranda our office obtained today, it's his dalliance with the boys in a hotel room just two years ago that's the real scandal.

The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.

Now, 34 pages of internal Enron memoranda have just come through this reporter's fax machine that tell all about the tryst between Maria's husband and the corporate con men. It turns out that Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.

And that is about the Gropenator his involvement in the energy crisis and his election in the RECALL!

the only problem (but i can live with it) is the big korporate $$$$ campaign spin to defeat the proposed recall. it's a problem we live with in primary and general elections anyway, which is why we need a concerted effort to support the fledgling clean money campaign.. In addition to politicians, we need a people's right to recall justices on every level, and especially the Supremes.

with what you said.

And to prove that I can pass your reading test, I agree completely with your second idea as well and a name popped right into my head. And that's all I'll say about that.

:eyes:

That is what "representative" democracy is all about.

WAKE UP BUDDY! THERE'S A WHOLE LOTTA 'UNETHICAL' ALL AROUND YOU GUYS AND THAT THUG YOUR FAST SINKING WITH.

Recall laws are quite clearly defined in our state constitution.

Pukes can't make any serious changes without it going through the amendment process - which requires passage by both houses in two separate legislative sessions (meaning the second vote can't take place until after 2012 elections) and then it has to be approved by the voters on the next ballot.

There isn't anything he can do to stop the recalls taking place now or the recall that will excise Walker from our cancerous backside.

with the recall laws when they are subject to recalls.

If it were up to me, I'd, like, you know, recall him for like, you know, excessive use of, you know, "you know." Like, totally. Whatev.

perfect......:rofl:

Dude...*loooooser*...chillll...

SO right you are mahatma :)

"if we lose with ballots, we'll use bullets."

I forgot which female Rethug gave that particular pre-election call to murder. (It wasn't Half Governor Palin, or "2nd Amendment Remedies" Angle or Batty Bachman, tho'.)

I thought arrests were for, you know, criminals and stuff.

This is the lesson they are taking away from this. Not that they are doing something wrong. Sociopaths would do nothing less.

... part and parcel to it SHOULD be recalled, you fuckwit Fitzgerald! :hurts:

you work FOR them, REMEMBER????

is Yes.

Yes, they are quite legitimate...

Wisconsin has become a touchstone for the class warfare of the uber-rich against the working class--namely, against about 98% of the population. They are now operating in the open, and would change the state constitution of Wisconsin, and of every other state, if they could. It is time we used de-wormer tablets against these parasites. And they are parasites, according to the definition of a parasite. Another analogy is the one of cowboys and cattle. The cattle ranchers don't care that much about the fate of individual cattle. If one dies from malnutrition, or disease, or by an attack of coyotes, so what? The whole herd will bring in megabucks, either by milking or by the slaughterhouse. The whole purpose of the neocon agenda is to maximize their take, their ladling off of the surplus profits in a greedy race to accumulate as much capital as possible. And then when the instabilities of capitalism create yet another crisis, guess who pays to repair the damage to the wealth of the uber-rich? You guessed it. Moo!

What exactly were Gray Davis' crimes?

the guy doesn't realize what a recall is for. It's a mechanism specifically

for the people to remove a politician from office that no longer represents the will of his constituents. Typically there are other mechanisms for removing lawbreakers or ethically challenged (impeachment, laws not allowing criminals to hold office, etc)

GK

Especially one who claims to be a Democrat

Roadside sign on Highway 94: "Wisconsin State Capitol and CHEESE SHOP!"

amusedly,
Bright

The Mayor had only been in office about 18 months when the effort started. It was mostly funded by 2 wealthy Omahans and was spearheaded by the campaign manager of the losing Republican candidate, thanks to Citizens United. It failed when Republican sections of Omaha voted recall in smaller numbers than they had in the actual election. It had the smell of sore loser written all over it and the voters didn't like it. The offense. The Mayor signed an entertainment tax bill to fund construction for a new baseball stadium to keep the College World Series in Omaha; the contract was signed by the prior Mayor and opposed by one of the wealthy Omahans that heads one of Warren Buffett's many enterprises.

"Yeah, I mean, I've always been a believer that recall probably would be more appropriate if a legislator was involved in some type of, you know, either criminal activity, or something that could be deemed, you know, unethical," said Fitzgerald. "Not related to simply taking a stance on a tough vote. And you know, I think there's other legislators that feel that way as well."

Bullshit. Recalls are for when a politician takes office and the people figure out he's not representing them as they thought he would.

You better respect it, or you'll see your ass out on the street along with your corrupt father.

The assembly's attempt to vote without Democrats present was unethical.
The assembly's sudden 15 second vote, before all Democrats were able to speak, was unethical.
The Senate would have done the same if given the chance.
Acting like the minority members and the people who elected them do not matter is unethical.
RECALL!

or a group of people. Get thine head out of ass.

My grandfather once told me never trust a man who uses "legit" in any sort of pitch.

I'm sure they will take the same stance when CA had that recall. You know the one where the voters were pissed off even though there was no criminal activity, just because.

I seem to remember Fox was leading the call for recall in that one and they are known for their consistency.

Right!

Yes, a recall vote shouldn't be sought just because people aren't happy with an election's outcome.

But, imo, Fitzgerald has left out a valid reason for seeking a recall. That being the electorate thinking that the person elected is not performing as advertised.

What the Wisconsin Senate is trying to ram through is not what they ran on.

They can argue that this was an unforeseeable issue, and though I don't buy that the answer to that would be that Wisconsin's recall provision lets the electorate respond to how Senators deal with the unforeseeable.

It cuts both ways in Wisconsin.

I guarantee you other states are reviewing their recall statutes right now.

IOKIYAR, I guess. :eyes:

watching these bass turds squirm for an out!
Meanwhile, if it was a Democrat, they would be calling for his or her impeachment!

:shrug:

sorry been watching too much danger moose. er moss er mouse...(bad david jason bad)

"Yeah, I mean, I've always been a believer that recall probably would be more appropriate if a legislator was involved in some type of, you know, either criminal activity, or something that could be deemed, you know, unethical,"

uh. yeah. thats why the recall is happening. they voted in support of a person who has possibly broken the law, and committed unethical behavior. zzzzzzzzzz meanwhile (in the david jason voice) this whole anti union thing supposedly has it's aim to kill the political base of it's opponent. Is Fitz on meth or something?? It's like hey Fitz. your Boss is making Blago look like a good guy. Nothing Blago did was this bad. I'm, just glad it didn't turn into a St Paul MN fiasco where cops there did pre offense arrests. (Minority Report) mostly because a bunch of extremist right wing people got mixed up with left wing protests. Anarchists are not left wing. Anonymous supposedly has an anarchist on tv the other day. I'm not an anarchist supporter. They are closer to Tea Party purists (not the actual idiots who run the show because they actually want bigger gov. just not left wing bigger gov) who want a small gov... I would assume not all Anonymous members are anarchists. Because the group wouldn't last if there were no laws/rules within the group. which is probably why ELF and ALF never get off the ground and ALF continue's to be silly. ELF not much better. Absolutely no regard as per what happens when you light a bunch of Hummers on fire and the Environment. Be like a bunch of people protesting CFL bulbs, gathering them in a pallet size box and dumping them on the street. Now where'd that mercury go. No though going on whatsoever anywhere except the Protesters in the Capitols

In the same way they voted to stop copy machine privileges for the staff of Senators who are absent more than two days in a row. Or losing their parking privileges. Or losing direct deposit of their salaries...

Just make up laws petty as you see fit, asshole.

keep that in mind, sir.

about the value of union protections for rights in the workplace. Perhaps he can draft some legislation to incorporate a "just cause" for discharge provision into statute (assuming for the moment that such a provision wouldn't violate the Wisconsin Constitution). He seems to be mighty happy with an 'at will' doctrine for the rest of the poor 'slobs' working for a living in Wisconsin. Isn't the hallmark of democracy that our politicians serve at the public's will?

What a buffoon.

WI Senate GOP Leader Admits On-Air That His Goal Is To Defund Labor Unions, Hurt Obama’s Reelection Chances

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/09/scott-fitzgerald-obama/

things that have been constitutional and applied to others in the past, only when they are facing the application of the same rules or laws that others have had to face and abide by? They can't get rid of recalls because their state constitution says they cannot. So why the question of legitimacy about recalls now? What a bunch of pathetic human beings the lot of them. Here's a little tidbit from your own constitution.


(7) This section shall be self-executing and mandatory. Laws may be enacted to facilitate its operation but no law shall be enacted to hamper, restrict, or impair the right of recall.



read it an weep you little pantywaists.
Lou

Our Democratic mayor faced the same thing and his supporters said the same thing. Deal with it. We did and won the recall election.

Attention:

Selling your state to the Koch Brothers may not be criminal if you write the laws, but it can be deemed, uh you know, unethical.

Sincerely,

tsuki

and passes ANY kind of bullshit the republicans will try and throw up to try & stop it....

THE REPUBLICAN CORPORATE FASCIST ARE GOING DOWN!

Keep supporting the unions and send any donations you can to the recall effort!
http://www.actblue.com/

change those statutes in some way that it will read that the reason has to be criminal or unethical.

The senators are coming back tomorrow. I see no reason why the recalls should not continue. We should not stop fighting.

Particularly if those citizens are poor and/or don't have a penis?

That's what they'll say if they can thwart the recall but still face re-election in 2012.

So Scotty, based on your unprecedented actions, you and that other Scotty are eminently qualified to be shown the door. Just don't let it hit your Karl Rove too hard on the way out!

there are much faster ways to rid ourselves of these republican scum

Elected California's Governor handily in 2002, recalled for nothing in particular in 2003 so Arnie Schwartzenegger could replace him as Governator.

we're boiling mad here in Wisconsin and we're fiercely determined to recall the assholes who did this to our families and our children. After we remove them from office we're going to continue to let them know, for years to come, what disgusting pigs they are.

for the citizenry to use against thugs like Fitzgerald & his cabal. And Walker.

because the people didn't like how he was doing his job. No criminal activity, nothing unethical. But he was a Dem, so it didn't count.

This idiot just justified the recall effort although he had no idea that he did it.

Of course, he probably doesn't consider "honor killings" to be criminal or unethical activity, either.

conviction on charges of a violent felony. Just watch.