Eyes on Wisconsin

            It began with his  attack on unions. It has led to his recall election How that election works out remains to be seen. There is an interesting aspect to this election that should not be overlooked. That is the out of state money coming into Wisconsin to defend Walker.

            This creates an interesting dynamic and an issue for the voters of Wisconsin a secondary issue to consider. A vote against Walker will also be a vote against outside money trying to influence their state. They are “removing the king.” They better make certain he is gone for good.

            Why do so many people in other states care what happens in Wisconsin? Why does a billionaire write a $5 million check to Gingrich’s PAC? There seems to be a Republican agenda that is coming to light in all states where Republicans gained control in 2010. A “personhood begins at conception” law was knocked down, fortunately, in Mississippi. Had it passed, it would have made many forms of birth control illegal. A number of states have passed, or are working on passing, voter ID laws based on preventing “fraud” that doesn’t exist. As a point of information, my dad would not have been able to get one of the ID’s.

            The big issue these days continues to be the economy. Jobs are a subject of debate. This is not, however, the only issue, and we ought not allow it to be used to divert our attention from the other issues. The Republicans took control of the House in 2010, using the economy to do so. How many jobs bills have they passed? How many anti-abortion bills? What is their real agenda?

            We just had the two year anniversary of Citizens United. Corporations are now people and can contribute unlimited money to campaigns.  Spending is quite high already, and the primaries have only hit three states.

            President Obama, in his State of the Union address criticized this court decision. Romney, and the other Republicans support it. I expect this will be an issue come November, as the public tires of all the attack ads. There already exist a number of efforts to get money out of Politics. Dylan Ratigan has one  Bernie Sanders has one. They are far from alone, but overturning a Supreme Court decision is not an easy thing to do. Voting against those supported by the most corporate money might be an easier path. Voting against those who support the decision is easy.

            Why have the Republicans been so unwilling to compromise on budgets or job bills? My theory is they have other agendas which they feel they can sneak through while our attention is held by the debates/discussion on the economy, the debt ceiling, and jobs. Voter ID laws will suppress the voting of seniors, minorities, and younger folks. These are the people that are more prone to vote for Democrats. Let us not forget the influence the religious community has on the Republican Party. If they get enough republicans elected, they can outlaw abortions and contraception. Unions have a target on their backs. This was a 

            The Republicans are not about to compromise in the area of the budget. Except for Ron Paul, they all want to increase defense spending. Where then do they plan to make all the cuts?  How many of the corporate donors make their money via defense contracts? That would explain making large contributions to candidates who want to increase spending in that area. Those with religious views that are anti-abortion have a vested interest in contributing to candidates who will outlaw abortions and/or contraception.

            What happens in Wisconsin will not stay in Wisconsin. If Walker survives the recall, it will embolden Republicans in other states to pursue their agenda. Their party seems dedicated to destroying unions and the middle class. They seem determined to prevent women from having control over their own bodies. They are determined to cut Social Security and Medicare, if not eliminate them entirely.

            In my opinion, Wisconsin is center stage in all of this. The stakes are high.