Have Republicans Declared War In Wisconsin?

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Since Barack Obama was elected President, it does seem that the Republican Party started right where they left off when they tore into Bill Clinton and demonized the Democratic Party in the 90’s. The hostile partisanship and negative atmosphere has reached new heights in Wisconsin, including the Rock County area. As soon as former Governor Tommy Thompson quipped, “The whole thing is blue! Wisconsin is the bluest of the blue,” local GOPers began scrambling to plan offensives into border-line sympathetic and vulnerable communities. More and more I’m beginning to see evidence of this in Rock County and more specifically, in Janesville.

Aside from the national economic devastation ushered in by the Bush era, two major “adjustments” have taken place right here in southern Wisconsin. With the closing of the Janesville GM plant and a general malaise among the local union faithful, Republicans are sensing a gain by subtraction and are making inroads into local government. Coupled with a strong media accomplice in the Janesville Gazette, several GOP ‘partisan’ candidates for the Janesville school board and city council are campaigning unhindered of the usual reporting that seemed to follow other candidates in past elections.

In January, the Janesville City Council endorsed the legislative agenda of Forward Janesville, a politically active right-tilt special interest group. Another GOP operative, Bill McCoshen, is leading a delegation of investors in a junior hockey team into gaining full billboard and advertising rights at the Janesville Ice Arena, a taxpayer funded facility.

On the regional scene, the GOP’s “anointed one” Rep.Paul Ryan and his rattlin’ caravan of ragtag misfits rolled into Milwaukee two weeks ago in what appeared to be an attempt to rewrite history and the blame for our economic mess. Organized by the radicalized group Americans for Prosperity, Ryan and “Joe the plumber” headlined the nightmarish speaking engagement ripping into RNC chairman Michael Steele and John McCain while demanding a recall of Gov. Jim Doyle and denouncing President Obama, among other anti-American rhetoric.

Joining Ryan and the ‘plumber’ in one of the largest clogs of local Right-wingnuts, pseudo-conservatives and anti-intellects were Supreme Court candidate Randy Koschnick, J.B Van Hollen, Scott Walker, Wall Street Journal writer Steve Moore and Rep. F.James Sensenbrenner among others.

Admittedly, this is a tough call to make on the effectiveness of the latest volleys thrown by the geepers as most of it seems like dysfunctional scatter shot in pursuit of a solution to what ails them - not the country. Still, while Democrats are tending to the nation's problems handed down from the previous President and Congress, we shouldn't wait for the smoke to clear before taking action. By then it could be too late. Particularly at the local levels.

Special Note: The group 'Americans For Prosperity' joined with the Young Professionals of Milwaukee to have a 'We hope the country fails' pre-Summit Happy Hour.