Wrestlin' in Wisconsin

Then why don't I see you at any of the meetings?

Ground Shift: Are Wis. Republicans Now Getting Worn Down?
Eric Kleefeld | March 8, 2011, 3:25PM

The narrative in the Wisconsin political standoff over Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal and its anti-public employee union provisions seems to have shifted very quickly. Just two days ago, the media was abuzz with talk that the state Senate Democrats who had fled the state in order to block budget quorum might come back -- and now, the chatter is about how some key Republican legislators could derail the bill.

On Sunday night, Dems were knocking back a Wall Street Journal report that they were soon to return. Instead, Minority Leader Mark Miller (D) called for a meeting with Walker at the state line.

In response, Walker and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) blasted the Dems for the negotiations that had already gone on, and claimed that some of the Dems were on the verge of coming back -- which only led to those same key Dems making clear that they weren't splitting from the caucus.

But with the GOP's efforts to wear the Dems down now stalling out, is it in fact Republicans who might be getting worn down? It appears that more Republican state Senators have been becoming critical of the package. This, too, could very well sputter out -- but Dems only need three defections out of the 19-member GOP caucus to defeat the bill.

State Sen. Dale Schultz has been publicly undecided since a week ago. Late last week, he sounded awfully critical of the bill -- and indeed, tired of the whole controversy -- in a radio interview: "All I know is, we're not talking. We're wasting valuable time about collective bargaining, which I don't ever remember being a part of the last election whatsoever. But most of all, you know, to me, this just looks like the classic overreach we see every two years."

And on Monday, state Sen. Robert Cowles told the Green Bay Press Gazette that Republicans should look at compromising with the Democrats, having already won the major financial concessions on union employees' contributions to their health care and pensions. "The important part is the monetary concessions. That's the part that helps balance the budget. The other things are less monetary in nature," said Cowles. "It's the challenge of the senate to go through those and find a conclusion on items that have little or no connection to finance."

At the same time, though, the paper noted that Cowles wasn't quite crossing over yet:

Cowles intends to vote with Republicans on Walker's bill, though he understood why some might question its inclusion of the collective bargaining overhaul.

"I think once this is over with, and I think we all want to get it over with, then it'll be time to do the armchair quarterbacking," Cowles said. "Would they have gotten the concessions (on pensions and health care) without the other things in that bill? I don't think so."

Also on Monday, state Sen. Luther Olsen told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Dems should be negotiated with:

Sen. Luther Olsen of Ripon, one of the Republicans facing a recall effort, said he was glad to see Walker talking about how his administration is talking with Democrats.

"They're in the minority but holding some cards so you've got to negotiate, you can't give up the whole ship," Olsen said.

Olsen said he's forwarded to the governor undisclosed ideas for compromise.

As TPM has noted, Olsen has previously called Walker's plan "radical."

The GOP has to work with the Dems and has to face to voters, so it is important to appear to be reasonable. Wake me when a member of the GOP says he will vote against Walkers plan.

Dale Schulz, GOP state Senator of WI

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Dale Schulz, GOP state Senator of WI

have you got a link?

He's indicated to Dem leaders that he won't vote on the bill, but won't say so publicly

REEDSBURG, Wisc. -- At a town hall meeting held in this rural community on Sunday afternoon, Republican state Sen. Dale Schultz faced loud opposition to a proposed compromise he said could end the legislative stalemate over union rights that's led to close to three weeks of protests in his state.

Schultz has proposed an amendment that freezes collective bargaining rights for public employees for two years, and said he though that would be a fair compromise -- and one that could end the standoff in Madison over Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget repair bill.

"I believe it could head off a passionate explosion," Schultz told the 300 hundred person crowd seated inside of the Pineview elementary school gymnasium.

The word "no" reverberated loudly through the crowd, while many others shook their heads silently.

"That won't do!" an audience member called out to the senator.

Their reaction suggests that the plummet in support for Walker among Wisconsin voters since the standoff began -- his negative rating is up 18 points since November and his "strongly unfavorable" rating shot up to 41 percent from just 19 percent then -- could also be something affecting Republicans further down the ballot.

Take away for Rebubs is "dont talk compromise, the Dems will not reward you and the conservatives will hammer you"

The 'compromise position' is one in which the financial cuts to the unions are accepted, but the removal of their rights is not. The Dems are merely signaling that they won't buy obvious bullshit

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The 'compromise position' is one in which the financial cuts to the unions are accepted, but the removal of their rights is not. The Dems are merely signaling that they won't buy obvious bullshit

In what universe do you reside where when one side says "remove X" and the other says "dont remove X" is "suspend X for 2 years" not a compromise position??

You're hardly neutral on this one yourself, Hawk. You aligned yourself with the anti-union forces long ago and are now cheering them on to win. So, I don't really give a **** what your opinion is regarding the compromise and fairness of that.

Sorry Hawkeye you been sounding like the fox network on this thread.

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Sorry Hawkeye you been sounding like the fox network on this thread.

being compared favorably to the most successful news brand in TV is a compliment. ....though I dont watch any of them.

You don't quite understand the difference between cable and broadcast TV, do you?

The median age of the old network news viewer is over 60

Among ad-supported cable nets, the news nets (along with older-skewing Hallmark Channel, Golf Channel and GSN's daytime sked) sport the most gray, with Fox News Channel's daytime and primetime skeds the absolute oldest, clocking in with a median age above 65. Youngest nets are the daytime skeds for Noggin and Nickelodeon, with a median age under 10.

The median age for Big Three nightly news viewers last year was 62.3,