Walker won, you see, because he represented the taxpayers, not the special interests, like the public-sector employee unions. And he won because he was trying to save money for the taxpayers, not milk them, like the public-sector employee unions.
The recall vote was spurred by Walker’s successful push to limit collective bargaining rights for public-sector unions and require them to contribute slightly more for their health coverage and pensions. He also eliminated unions’ ability to collect dues via payroll deductions (and union memberships have been dropping as a result).
Union members and their supporters went ballistic, occupying the Statehouse and acting like hooligans while Democratic legislators ducked their responsibility and fled the state in hopes of stalling the reforms by preventing a quorum of the Legislature from meeting.
But Walker hung tough and withstood everything the left threw his way.
His reforms paid off, too. They had saved Wisconsin taxpayers an estimated $1 billion already by this month. In fact, they were so successful that they were neutralized as an overt campaign issue to a large extent. Even more remarkably, polls show Walker’s pro-taxpayer reforms were supported by a majority of union members — not public-sector union members, mind you, but those who belong to private-sector unions. Those who like other taxpayers have had to help foot the bills for the public workers’ salaries and cushy benefits.
Walker’s reform proved so popular with so many that his opponents could not even persuade President Obama to throw the weight of his office into the recall fight. Instead, his support was limited to a brief tweet. What courage!
The public-sector unions obviously had a great deal at stake on Tuesday and suffered a crushing defeat. It is hoped that the outcome will embolden other governors to follow in Walker’s footsteps and not shy away from battles on taxpayers’ behalf.
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Your dogma is getting in the way again of reality. It WAS the middle-class that voted against the union elite class. Even Obama saw the futility and did not go near Wisconsin. Try again Foley.
Keep believing that fairly tale about exit polls right up to the November elections when socialist Marxist Obama will be shown to the exit. Exit polls were not accurate, because voters feared harassment from union thugs.
You also failed to point out that Walker lost his GOP majority in the Wisconsin senate. The new Democratic majority will make sure he has a tough time pushing through any more of his radical agenda.
Isn't that how the socialist Obama won the presidential election in 2008?
I'll wager you had no problem with that!!
Your second statement I actually agree with. A balance of power is in most instances a good thing.
In fact, now that I think about it if we had those checks and balances in place in the congress after the 2008 elections we wouldn't have ObamaCare and the worthless stimulus and the bank bailouts and the car company bailouts that have kept our country in a liberal led recession with an 8% unemployment rate.
Please try to be accurate next time Mr Foley?
Who cares if the senate is out until November? The senate recall is every bit as symbolic as Walker's so-called "victory".