Death penalty for ethics violations?
The Republican-run State Assembly, in its final days of the session, killed ethics reform but decided to put a death penalty referendum on the statewide ballot -- in November, of course.
They have no shame. They've already put the gay marriage-partnership ban on the November ballot, and make no bones about the fact they hope it will help them defeat Gov. Jim Doyle.
The death penalty, which Doyle opposes, is simply a second chance to get the yahoos to the polls. Why no advisory referendum on concealed weapons or abortion? Because they'd lose. This isn't about getting the people's opinion; it's about turning out the right-wing base.
How cynical do you have to be to operate that way? And how dumb do you have to think the voters are, not to see what's going on?
Maybe we should consider the death penalty for legislators who violate the state ethics laws. Referendum, anyone?
UPDATE: They are even more cynical and devious than I thought, if that's possible. The Associated Press
reports that three GOP members who were against the death penalty were asked to leave the Assembly chambers so it could pass with a two-vote margin.
posted by xoff @ 9:58 AM
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1 Comments:
It will be among the most grim and embarrassing days in Wisconsin legislative history if it is proven that legislators who oppose capital punishment stepped out of the chamber in the name of partisanship and permitted the measure to pass.
It's one thing to play the political game. It's not usually a matter of life and death, but this time it appears it was.
Don't these legislators have any core values remaining?
The behavior of the Assembly this session was already an abomination before the death penalty measure sneaked through.
The Assembly's leaders and the members they control have completely forfeited their remaining credibility and with it, much of the reputation of the law-making environment in Wisconsin.
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