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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's Newt Gingrich Moment
Tweet Share on Facebook February 21, 2011 Comment (32)When Scott Walker first thought about running for governor of Wisconsin in 2005, I was working for then-Gov. Jim Doyle. Walker spent several months riding around on his motorcycle trying to explain how his experience guiding Milwaukee County to the brink of fiscal collapse (he was county executive) was just the thing Wisconsin needed in the state house. Eventually he dropped out, saying it was “God’s will” that he not run.
Four years later, he’s governor. His move to strip many state workers of their collective bargaining rights has drawn national attention. Conservatives are hailing his bold leadership. He’s managed to put himself, at least for a day or two, at the center of the political universe.
Heady days. But if history is any guide, he should enjoy them while they last....
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Voters Snookered Republicans on Budget Cuts
Tweet Share on Facebook February 17, 2011 Comment (35)When Speaker John Boehner lies awake at night wondering how things in the House got so bumpy so fast, there's one person he worries about the most. It's not a triangulating Democrat or a hard right Republican. It's Jodine White.
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Media Shouldn't Confuse Civility With Bipartisanship
Tweet Share on Facebook February 3, 2011 Comment (3)In the movie Chocolat, a whimsical shopkeeper whips up mysterious concoctions in her kitchen that somehow manage to solve the problems of everyone who tastes them. When you see it, you can tell the filmmakers are convinced their audience will be captivated, watching in breathless wonder as the story unfolds. Personally, I have never hated a movie more. But the critics ate it up. I think it was even nominated for an Academy Award.
I’m beginning to think that the media is arriving at a Chocolat moment of its own as it looks on in breathless wonder at the newfound “civility” on Capitol Hill. High praise and hosannas all around. But folks, it’s just not that great. Here’s why:
