Feingold Calls On Walker To End His 'Assault On Wisconsin's Traditions'

[ProSense]

Feingold Calls On Walker To End His 'Assault On Wisconsin's Traditions'

In an interview Tuesday night, former Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold characterized Governor Scott Walker's crusade against public sector unions as an "assault on Wisconsin's traditions," and called on him to drop his bid to ban state and local workers from engaging in collective bargaining.

Feingold took particular issue with the threat Walker issued in his fireside chat Tuesday evening -- that if Democratic state senators don't return to Wisconsin and help him pass his legislation, thousands of state workers will lose their jobs.

"This is not about the budget at all this is about trying to destroy people's right to collectively bargain," Feingold told me. "If you begin with a dishonest approach...and begin making threats, it's a really an assault on Wisconsin's traditions. It's really something a new governor shouldn't be doing."

"I call on him tonight to pull back, to drop this issue of collective bargaining and get back to budgeting," he added.

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[Bjorn Against]

1. Recall Walker, Feingold needs to run for Governor

[polichick]

2. Feingold would make a good president too.

[ClarkUSA]

3. No thanks. He was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans against the Wall Street reform bill.

Source: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/98180154.html

So much for standing on principle. Political expediency last year on this vote; now he's grandstanding, no doubt with an eye to running for political office again. I don't disagree with his sentiment but it's interesting how silent he's been until now. Was he waiting to see what the polls said before saying anything definitive? Probably.

I hope he runs for Governor next time around, though. He'd be better than the POS in office now.

[polichick]

4. Yeah, because it didn't go far enough. That IS standing on principle.

[ClarkUSA]

5. lol! What a CYA rationale. He did it because he was behind in the Senate race against a teabagger.

Funny how no other liberal Senator felt the same way. I guess Bernie Sanders is a sellout. eh?

:sarcasm:

Even the very liberal Senator Boxer -- who was in a very tight race against Carly Fiorina at the time -- bit the bullet and did the right thing and denied the Chamber of Commerce and the Koch Brothers by standing with her caucus.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[ProSense]

7. I'll take Feingold

over 85 percent of the Senate, but his vote on Wall Street reform sucked.

Claiming that the reason he voted against it is because "it didn't go far enough" doesn't really hold water. The same claim is made against the health care law, but Feingold voted for that bill, and defends that vote.

Both bills made significant progress so not going far enough is not a good reason to vote against WSR, especially when it includes the CFPB, the Volcker rule, etc.