Rep. Gerry Connolly forces Gov. Scott Walker to admit that he didn’t specifically campaign on ending collective bargaining, as he claimed during his union busting attempt in February and March.
Firedoglake.com reports Rep. Dennis Kucinich grilled Walker and forced him to admit that some of his key elements have nothing to do with the budget or saving money.
KUCINICH: Let me ask you about some of the specific provisions in your proposals to strip collective bargaining rights. First, your proposal would require unions to hold annual votes to continue representing their own members. Can you please explain to me and members of this committee how much money this provision saves for your state budget?
WALKER: That and a number of other provisions we put in because if you’re going to ask, if you’re going to put in place a change like that, we wanted to make sure we protected the workers of our state, so they got value out of that. […]
KUCINICH: Would you answer the question? How much money does it save, Governor?
WALKER: It doesn’t save any. […]
KUCINICH: I want to ask about another one of your proposals. Under your plan you would prohibit paying union member dues from their paychecks. How much money would this provision save your state budget?
WALKER: It would save employees a thousand dollars a year they could use to pay for their pensions and health care contributions.
KUCINICH: Governor, it wouldn’t save anything.
Again, this contradicts prior statements. Obviously, those measures are simply union-busting ideas. The best part of this was when Kucinich tried to submit a letter from the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau that concluded all the anti-union measures were “nonfiscal,” (after all, they were put into a nonfiscal bill) but Darrell Issa refused to enter the letter into the record
As more and more Americans grow disgusted by the attack on public employees, Walker seems to become more embolden. Walker’s push against public employees appears to be all about power, union busting, and ultimately ensuring that this sector of workers won’t be contributing large amounts of money to Democrats.
Will he be a short timer? Where does Walker’s brand of politics fit in with the GOP, or does it fit?
Apparently, this “disgust” doesn’t seem to be manifesting. Wisconsin just voted for the judge that will probably uphold Walker’s bills.
What’s wrong with dragging Wisconsin into the 21st century and making is a right to work state?
@Cargo I would say that race couldn’t be called a mandate. furthermore, I don’t think the judge is the same thing as the governor. Too many people have friends and relatives who are public servants for this one to resonate. These series of actions involve a person’s ability to make a decent living. That’s where Walker will lose ground.
Surely you have watched the multiple polls that are coming in on Wisconsin?
Of course, Walker is an idiot for agreeing to be “invited” to speak before these clowns? By what right and authority do these clown have to interrogate a governor? Walker should have told these idiots that it was none of their business what he campaigned on nor what bills he put forth.
@Cargo
I haven’t figured that one out yet. As much as I dislike Walker and his policies, I haven’t figured out why he is testifying before congress.
If ever two guys belonged together, it’s Kucinich and Connolly. Both believe in UFOs.
Here’s more video of the referenced questioning. Connolly is the dummy:
http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1104/dennis_kucinich_ventriloquist.html
@Slow,
No fan of Kucinich here but does it matter? He was asking the questions. Running down Kucinich doesn’t make Walker any less of a story teller.
No. I don’t watch polls. They are too easy to manipulate.
I would consider the Prosser win to be almost a mandate. He won by 7000+ votes, in a state dominated by unions which spent millions to defeat him.
And when Walker was elected, his supporters knew what they were getting. The unions are an arm of the Democrat party. They expected him to pull their fangs.
Not really and that is the point being made by Connolly and Kucinich….that Walker is not being truthful about union busting being a campaign promise.
At least you have admitted that it is all about busting up unions and destroying the underpinings that Democrats in that area rely on. Finally.
What do you think would be the Republican equivalent? Corporate America? What if the shoe were on the other foot?
Thats rich, Connolly, who represents a right-to-work state, drilling Walker about unions. What a tool.
@DC
Bwaahahahaha is that the best you can do? There are unions in Virginia. Just because VA is a right to work state has nothing to do with WI.
But it’s fun!
Guess the people of WI have spoken.. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5huBUBx-hwmCRV8_OqQvvBp2PI-lw?docId=b86d19d6e93746949f8cb6bfa107f19f
Canvass shows conservative wins Wis. court race
(AP) – 1 hour ago
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservative justice has weathered attempts to link him to Wisconsin’s governor and a divisive union rights law and won re-election, according to county vote totals finalized Friday.
The reality is that Walker pushed this initiative under the “guise” of a budget crisis. Not one person here can deny that, so what’s the problem with requiring Walker to clarify this point. I am also not necessarily a huge fan of unions, but I I am also not a fan of liars and Walker was clearly lying about this being a financial issue for the state.
Does the motivation change anything meaningful? Does it change the law? Even if he screamed it from the roof top of the capital – what difference were it to make?
@marin, I don’t think so but…it takes away his ability to keep saying he is just fulfilling his campaign promise and also that he is saving his state money.
But yea, I still think he is a dog you know what.
@Elena
Even if he did, by what right or athority do those clowns have to question Walker?
What a disgrace Connolly is! He got the talking points, but apparently no pronunciation guide, and couldn’t even pronounce “Koch” correctly. I was actually at the hearing, and Connolly is an embarrassment. Of course, the far Left will ignore those facts.
And it’s funny: I don’t remember any union partisans complaining when the Democrat elected Governor of Iowa tried to repeal the Right to Work law, having never mentioned it in HIS campaign.
And Moon-Howler, it’s not “busting up unions” to say that they should merely survive without government subsidy and government-granted monopoly powers. Or are you really so pessimistic about unions’ ability to survive on their own merits? That would speak volumes.
Many people other than the far left will also ignore the fact that Connolly doesn’t pronounce Koch to suit you.
JY, I beg to differ. Yes, he is attempting to union bust. I am not interesting in a discussing of weasel words with you.