As Sarah mentioned in GMN, Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly managed to upend a days-long filibuster by Democrats and approve Governor Scott Walker’s union-busting legislation.
And then what happened? Exhausted Democrats made like a drunk Jerry Springer crowd. And good for them. Watch democracy get messy:
Meanwhile, in California’s fight over a $26.6 billion budget deficit, at least people are still laughing. Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, spoke at a joint legislative budget hearing to upbraid Republicans for blocking a ballot measure on tax extensions. Brown, a would-be Jesuit priest, among other things, offered to help them out of their “no tax hike” vows.
“I took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and I was able to get a dispensation to get out of it,” he said to laughter. “We can set up a process to dispense people from their pledges. We’re working on that now. If people want dispensation, they should come down to my office.”
Regardless of which side of the issue you stand on, this behavior is appalling. We’ve been lamenting the absence of civil discourse when it comes to TV’s talking heads and often ill-informed street protestors, but when the politicians themselves react to a lost vote by throwing a public tantrum in the chamber, then we’ve all lost. This is hardly different than teabaggers interrupting POTUS in congress.
(steps down from soapbox)