Wisconsin's Very Own Three Stooges

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It was only a little more than a week ago...

WSJ Excerpt:
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's administration quietly signed a deal with the federal government over the weekend committing the state to spending the full $810 million in federal money granted for a high-speed passenger-rail line between Milwaukee and Madison.

Republicans screamed bloody murder against the move calling it "a quiet, secret deal in the middle of the night." They claimed it would make it more difficult for Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, the Republican candidate for governor, to stop construction of the rail line if he is elected. Well, Walker won the election and, at least in my view, Doyle did exactly the right thing by putting the hi-speed rail project into the hands of the future governor. Despite Doyle's obvious courtesy to the governor-elect, Walker's supporters still found fault with Doyle and accuse him for the train project mess and playing political games upon his impending exit. It's almost as if they'd prefer he had rammed the deal through. Nobody can win with these lunatics.

Walker in the meantime has been playing a game of brinksmanship by trying to shift the blame for the job losses his kept promises will create, back onto the Obama Administration calling it a grave mistake if the train fund cannot be raided and used for roads and bridges instead.

Stopping the train should be an easy call for Walker, afterall he is ideologically opposed to the project and ferociously campaigned against it and deficit spending stimulus dollars from the start. Remember, his first brown bag campaign slogan was not to spend what we don't have.

Excluding Walker's attempt to strong arm the federal subsidy away from one business sector to leverage another, I really don't see what the all the hoopla is about. During his campaign, Walker stated that government doesn't create jobs - so unless the private sector steps up with 250,000 jobs over the next four years - it's promises kept there as well. His only plan to create jobs revolves around giving tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations.

Other republicans appear to be driving around Walker's trainwreck.

JS Online Excerpt:
Meanwhile Tuesday, another key Republican from Wisconsin, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville, would not commit right away to Walker's plan. Ryan, who is expected to become the next chairman of the House Budget Committee, said in a statement only that he would work with Walker, U.S. transportation officials and others on "how we can meet our state's primary transportation needs and do so in a fiscally responsible way." Ryan was not available for an interview.

The usual double-talk from Ryan. He won't commit to anything but he'll work with him. The slick congressman knew exactly what to say to squeak out of that one.

And, where's Ron Johnson?

JS Online Excerpt:
Senator-elect Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) did not respond to a request for comment.

You know, asking Johnson about an important issue so soon after the election is asking for a little much. Afterall, he's undoubtedly working on a different monologue from what the voters apparently accepted from him while on the campaign trail. He did promise that if he won, his true feelings will finally take voice. Aren't we lucky.