Childish Wisconsin GOP Taunts "Leftist" Judge
by Abe Sauer
After the state chapter of the Republican Party made a massive open records request to (admittedly) intimidate University of Wisconsin professor Bill Cronon, things just got nuts.
Today the Republican Party of Dane County released an “apology” to Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi regarding her restraining order on the enactment of the budget bill pending a court hearing. The apology followed a March 29th statement from the Republican Party criticizing Sumi’s decision.
It’s a jaw-dropping demonstration of stereotype and petulance and it’s below, as it might not be on the Party’s website for long.
RPDC Apologizes To Judge Sumi
The Republican Party of Dane County sent out a press release on March 29th criticizing Judge Maryann Sumi for holding up the publication of Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining reform bill. Upon further reflection we’d like to apologize for not understanding her point of view.
Sure, Governor Walker’s bill is unquestionably constitutional, increases worker’s rights and helps local government balance budgets without having to fire public workers. The Wisconsin state legislature consulted with their non-partisan parliamentarian to make sure that the passage of the bill followed the rules of the Senate and Assembly. But this isn’t about the law, is it?
The Republican Party of Dane County recognizes that Judge Sumi is a leftist living in Dane County. Her friends are leftists living in Dane County. Her son is a left wing activist in Dane County. She goes to cocktail parties held by leftists in Dane County. She shops at organic gourmet food shops run by leftists living in Dane County. If she were to enforce the law of Wisconsin and do what was in the best interest of the people of Wisconsin, she’d be exiled from her lifestyle. She’d lose her friends!
The leadership of the Republican Party of Dane County have all made the choice to stand against the Dane County elite. We accept that Left feels righteous vandalizing our homes and keying our cars. It’s only fair. We disagree based upon logic and principle. That is intolerable! We prioritize the Constitution and the well being of the people of Wisconsin over foie gras at cocktail parties. That’s the choice we made. We respect Judge Sumi’s decision to live her life with the rich diversity that liberals cherish.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Dane County GOP will be here all week. Tip your waitresses and try the veal.
The Cap Times reaches the Dane County GOP’s Jeff Waksman who shockingly does not explain the website was hacked by Anonymous or something and instead gladly takes credit, pointing out that “Madison is a very intimidating and stifling intellectual environment.” It seems Waksman “moved to Madison six years ago from the New York city area” and…
“You walk down State Street, and every store has a sign that if you support the bill you hate teachers or children,” he says. “So people can’t even walk into the stores without being afraid and wondering, is this person going to even give me good service?”
Waksman works for, yes, UW-Madison.
But wait, it gets better. In 2009, Waksman wrote a letter to the editor on behalf of the Republican Party which was at that time “offended and outraged by a slanderous attack” from comments by Dane Co. Supervisor Brett Hulsey about the “tea bag, anti-RTA, anti-Obama crowd.” Waksman went on to say that such “rhetoric has no place in our political discourse” and that “Hulsey should immediately apologize.”
It should also be noted that Judge Sumi was appointed in 1998 by Republican Tommy Thompson, a former governor who, Walker said in his February budget address, “brought into office bold new ideas and strong leadership.”
Congratulations Wisconsin, if the battle over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill was not yet officially a satirical farce, it is now.
Abe Sauer can be reached at abesauer at gmail dot com.