Report: More Wisconsin GOPers wavering in support for Walker

:thumbsup:

Report: More Wisconsin GOPers wavering in support for Walker

Report: More Wisconsin GOPers wavering in support for Walker
By Greg Sargent
Two Wisconsin newspapers, the Milwalkee Journal Sentinel and Green Bay Press Gazette, are now reporting that two more Wisconsin GOP Senators are wavering in their support for Governor Scott Walker:

In an interview with the Green Bay Press Gazette, Sen. Rob Cowles said Monday that his Republican colleagues should be prepared to meet Democrats halfway on aspects of the collective bargaining bill that don't help balance the budget or save taxpayers money.

"The important part is the monetary concessions. That's the part that helps balance the budget. The other things are less monetary in nature," said Cowles, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

"It's the challenge of the Senate to go through those and find a conclusion on items that have little or no connection to finance."

The Journal Sentinel reported Monday that Sen. Luther Olsen of Ripon also favored some negotiation with Democrats.

"They're in the minority but holding some cards so you've got to negotiate, you can't give up the whole ship," Olsen said.

Olsen said he's forwarded to the governor undisclosed ideas for compromise.

A couple of key points. First, note that GOP Senator Cowles is endorsing the three core union arguments: that unions have already made the fiscal concessions Walker has asked for; that the rollback of bargaining rights won't have any meaningful fiscal impact; and that Republicans should compromise with labor and Dems.

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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/03/report_more_wisconsin_gopers_w.html

Let the bill be changed first before Dem senators should come back.

..........ALLOUEZ — Efforts to recall Republican Sen. Robert Cowles are gaining traction as opponents of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill pressure GOP members to vote against their party.

Protesters Monday outside the Green Bay Correctional Institution continued to collect signatures in hopes of booting Cowles, R-Allouez, from office. More than 1,200 have signed the petition, about 7.5 percent of the nearly 16,000 needed to initiate a recall election.

"We're doing what we believe is the right thing to do," said Mary Ginnebaugh, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Brown County. "Rob Cowles has supported collective bargaining in the past. It's disappointing he's chosen to ignore his constituents."

Forces behind the recall are just being politically opportunistic, said Cowles, who has represented the area in the Senate for nearly 25 years.

Repeat: Walker is losing

things in that bill that need to go, like giving Walker free rein to sell Wisc. energy cos to his buddies, the Koch bros in no bid contracts.

The whole bill needs to go. No more compromising with, fascist, totalitarian regimes.

that costs the taxpayers NOTHING and the employees all the money they have ever put into it.

Bye bye Republicon birdie.

... because they need to "seem reasonable" next election.

Does that give them enough NO votes to defeat the bill and give Walker a 'graceful way back from the cliff'?

Dunno. :shrug:

But I wonder how many state senators might be feeling the pinch of popular sentiment? Walker would be knocked out of the loop entirely if even a minority of the Senate Republican caucus experienced an attack of the reasonables.