Super Joe Lands in Rock
Defining the Democratic Difference
Super Joe Wineke, the Chairman of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, ventured down here to Rock County yesterday – speaking to the safe and comfy crowd gathered at Janesville’s Labor Temple.
(Just how did union halls become to be called, temples?)
Whew, the Dem Party Chair, landing in 55% Democrat-voting Rock County, and EGADS, mixing it up with those hostile union GM workers.
Caroline Kennedy has a chapter waiting for Super Joe in her next edition of Profiles in Courage.
This would be called, as GOP St. Senator Mike Ellis has coined, kissing your sister.
So Republicans now have confirmation of the grand strategy to reelect Jim Doyle – a base-vote operation that artificially boosts turnout among minorities, organized labor, teachers, trial attorneys, acorn-eating liberals, and the Feingold Build a Wall around Dane County, voter groups.
Nothing new really - and still no message.
But doubtful Governor Doyle can pull it off. Reagan Democrats in Rock County are not all that sweet on Doyle. Granted, Super Joe can sit with the common man over a tapper and a cheap cigar and bring Democrats back into the fold, but he ain’t the personality leading his Party’s ticket.
Oh, and had I been invited to the UAW Local 95 Labor Temple, I’d like to ask; how can union brothers vote to take back health care benefits from retirees – the very same union brothers who once fought for the benefits those active workers now enjoy?
Democrats, the Party of Health Care? Yea, right.
I’d guess the response would be crickets chirping as Super Joe points to the door, red face screaming - out, OUT!
posted by Slide @ 8:08 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
"Oh, and had I been invited to the UAW Local 95 Labor Temple, I’d like to ask; how can union brothers vote to take back health care benefits from retirees – the very same union brothers who once fought for the benefits those active workers now enjoy?
Democrats, the Party of Health Care? Yea, right."
Oh my goodness. If there were an internet-wide award for assinine blog statements, I'd nominate you right on up.
You ask how unions vote for Democrats first...how about because they consistently work to strengthen collective bargaining measures and ensure that the NLRB at least takes a cursory look at union grievances. Every now and then, Democrats work to reign in corporate power over and abuse of workers. Throw in the fact that Democrats put in place and are at least working to expand and protect union-backed things like social safety nets, minimum/living-wage laws, and occupational protections. There's more...but why stomp a dead horse when it's already halfway to the glue factory.
Then you ask how the Dems are the party of health care...the very first thing that should be said is that if Republicans are the party of Health Savings Accounts, then Democrats are by default the party of health care. HSAs are more about reshuffling the chairs of the insurance deck for those who already have it. Look at the roughly 1 trillion reports that have been done on the effects and likely effects of HSAs for the nation's economy. And HSAs are about catastrophic health criseses. HEALTH CARE is about regular promotion and protection of healthy living -- something that requires stable insurance for medical costs but also about promoting a healthy lifestyle. If we just caved to the Republican line of thinking, we'd all be working 80 hours a week for the man so he can take the fruits of our labor (no health-care coverage, tiny hourly wage, no breaks, child-care...seriously?) and shelter them in the Caymans so he doesn't have to pay the LOWEST CORPORATE TAX IN AMERICAN HISTORY. HSAs will effectively eliminate from potential coverage for health insurance (much less health care) millions and millions. This proposal Bush has is not about ensuring health care for all so much as it is about privatizing and consolidating more and more wealth. Being against the removal of possible coverage of health care seems pretty pro-health care to me.
Now, the flip side to the Dems being the party of health care is that a) people in the Democratic Party are advocating single-payer, universal health care (the only reason that this might not qualify the Dems as the health-care party is that small businesses, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, mid-sized local businesses, and major corporations stand to gain as much or more from USP health care as any common man), b) Democrats created and are maintaining (even with Republithug antagonism) health care safety nets like Medicare and Medicaid, and within Wisconsin, SeniorCare and BadgerCare. Again, we could go on, but superfluity is not the M.O. of the blog-world.
PS "Reagan Democrats" might just be the most date political categorization around. It's even worse than "soccer mom." Reagan Democrats don't exist anymore.
PPS, you really should explain this too:
"So Republicans now have confirmation of the grand strategy to reelect Jim Doyle – a base-vote operation that artificially boosts turnout among minorities, organized labor, teachers, trial attorneys, acorn-eating liberals, and the Feingold Build a Wall around Dane County, voter groups."
Was there ever a question that to get re-elected, Doyle would have to maximize turnout in Dane County, the La Crosse area, Milwaukee County, Rock County and northern state senate districts (which are, I might add, pretty blue). And part of that will likely include labor groups, who typically do provide RANK AND FILE members for part of an amazing field operation. Teachers are another natural Democratic constituency because Republicans have continually shown, especially in Wisconsin, that if they aren't out to get educators, they sure don't know how to make it not look like that. Minorities? They get f'ed by Republicans harder than most. And Dems have at least attempted to stand up for blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in terms of policy (which should not be confused with rhetoric or empty appeals -- I know that one's tough to swallow). But all in all...how is this "artificial"? I'm sure you know that the majority of Americans, when asked in specific terms, favor progressive and "liberal" policies and programs and are against more and more regressive social policies and tax cuts for the wealthy. So when you look at political representation today, especially in light of the platforms of state GOPs and candidates nationwide, the dominance of government by Republicans is the thing based on artificial turnout -- scare tactics, false demonization, outright lies, and an amazing field operation built since the 1960s. Speaking of: gay marriage is not the best wedge issue in Wisconsin right now because those of us with our heads in the real world see that the state legislature has WASTED its time on three bogus amendments to our state Constitution and screwed away their time (and that taxpayer money Republicans are so worried about, allegedly) with their gay marriage, anti-contraception (are you sure that's anti-abortion or just simply anti-sexual freedom/anti-sex), concealed carry, and TABOR. So if the Republicans were going to rely on churches to be their field operation in Wisconsin like they were in Ohio in November of 2004, it's time to think again. But then again, from an organization as ideologically bankrupt as the Wisconsin GOP, I'd expect about the same.
This is the best piece of fiction I have read since Doonesbury...
Peter, I challenge you to take your thesis and either run for office yourself, or find a kindred spirit that you can manage the message on their behalf.
Either way, your misplaced understanding of the American electorate will garner you maybe, maybe, the Dem base vote in any givin district.
And you say, Reagan Democrats don't exist anymore?
Perhaps you are right. With GOP majorities in both Houses of Congress, the White House, most governors and state legislatures, perhaps those Reagan Democrats have finally dropped the "Democrat" label, and now simply call themeselves - REPUBLICANS.
Now, go collect your per diem from liberal looney Ed Garvey. If you are getting paid by the word, you've done well.
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