But Taylor is a specific person, not merely a member of a minority group, and there's some real detail to the power moves among these Wisconsin Senate Democrats. Though I live in the Wisconsin state capital, I don't obsess over the Wisconsin Senate, but here's Bruce Murphy at Urban Milwaukee providing some background on Larson, who's only been in the senate since 2010 (when he beat the incumbent Democrat (Jeff Plale) in the primary with 61% of the vote). Now, he's beaten long-term senator Jon Erpenbach to be minority leader. That's a big deal!
Adding... controversy to Erpenbach’s defeat was that a last minute switch by one legislator gave Larson his victory. Insiders have speculated that State Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) changed his vote. Wirch declined to confirm this, but did tell Wispolitics he wanted an appointment to the joint finance committee. No sooner was Larson elected than he appointed Wirch to joint finance, along with Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse).Boldface added. Lena Taylor is not Generic Black Woman. She is (apparently) a bad legislator and she's been opposed to Larson politically, repeatedly. So now she's on the outs and she's trying to play the race card. Some conservatives think it's too fun not to play.
In giving Wirch the position, Larson dropped Milwaukee state Sen. Lena Taylor from joint finance. Taylor decried this, noting that its the first time in 30 years there was no African American on joint finance. Larson and Taylor have butted heads before. Taylor supported Plale against Larson and probably supported Erpenbach over Larson.
The two were also on opposite sides on legislative elections. Taylor supported Millie Coby against incumbent Sandy Pasch, Elizabeth Coggs against Nikiya Harris and Jason Fields against Mandela Barnes in the September primaries. All three of her candidates lost, all to candidates supported by Larson.
Then there is the question of Taylor’s effectiveness. A February 2009 Milwaukee Magazine ranking of all state legislators by Marc Eisen ranked Taylor as one of the ten worst legislators. With Republicans controlling both houses, they get 12 of 16 appointments to joint finance, so the outnumbered Democrats need very strong choices. Larson gets only two appointments, and his two picks, Wirch and Shilling, both have more than a dozen years experience in the legislature.
Posts
58 comments:
It's a cheap shot, but it is also politics. Rather depressing that people would take the cheap shot and accuse people of racism anyway.
Alas: Petards, self-hoisting, some assembly required.
Of COURSE it's "too fun not to play"!
The Democrats want to play the race card? Fine! Everything they do that can draw the race card, will get it. It's called justice.
hmm
House GOP Committee Chairs Will All Be White Men In Next Congress
ok, ok, as this is just a smallish local blog which only posts anti-Dem/liberal articles.
Grow up Shiloh
This is more substantive coverage of what happened here than you would of ever read in the crapital times
The teachers' union didn't think they got enough for their money out of Erpenbach, so they used their campaign donations and influence to get a shiny new Senator, Larson, and then bought him the minority leader spot through intensive closed-door lobbying and additional campaign money promises.
WEAC is alive and plotting its eventual return to power. Bwah-ha-ha-ha! (Evil laugh)
He just helped her disregard her “American-ness, femaleness, Blackness, sexuality, and economic status.”
In that light, who gives a shit?
Lena Taylor is not Generic Black Woman. She is (apparently) a bad legislator and she's been opposed to Larson politically, repeatedly. So now she's on the outs and she's trying to play the race card. Some conservatives think it's too fun not to play.
More generously, some conservatives think the best time to prove to the middle that decisions which result in racial disparities are not necessarily caused by antipathy is when Democrats are making them.
DC
This blog caters er tries to appease its 90/10 con flock, especially after Willard got his clock cleaned.
Somewhat amusing, but not a problem as free speech marches on.
Althouse is still lamenting 2 of 3 loverboys losing ~ Willard and Brown. Whereas Ryan lost and won lol. Hey, she still has Walker to gloat over ...
And yes, "substantive" local coverage. Kinda like inside baseball and about as entertaining.
Party Uber Alles.
Lena Taylor is not very smart and not a very good politician. She does represent a sliver of Wauwatosa so I do pay attention to her.
Chris Larson represents Milwaukee's Bay View and East Side neighborhoods -- both are filled with progressive white liberals who like minorities as long as they live west of the Milwaukee River and I-94. He has also never had a real job and is basically a KosKid in elected office.
He will become the face of the State Dem Party and that won't help the Dems gain any seats they don't already have. Moderates will be further purged from the state party.
If Taylor had any brains, she would vote with the GOP on select issues just to make life harder for Larson.
Larson is the type of politican that voted against a mining bill out of spite even though the two largest mining equipment makers in the world are located in his district.
But Taylor isn't much better. She called for boycotts of small businesses in her district just because the owners donated to Scott Walker.
THIS JUST IN:
The Associated Press's board of directors is still almost all people of very little color. Ditto for NYT staff, NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC talking heads and WAPO writers.
Mitt Romney did not get his clock cleaned. Rather, Democratic party fraud was able to combine with the advantages of incumbency to eke out a marginal win.
Because of the voter fraud, the Democratic President and the Democratic Senators who put in place by fraud have no legitimacy.
The primary objective of the Republican Party should be an Honest Vote. Every vote should be strongly associated with a fingerprint on the registration form, with each fingerprint checked against all others for duplication- indicating multiple votes, aka fraud. Missing votes should also be checked, as evidence of vote suppression. Evidence of vote surpression should be treated per the 14th Amendment. Evidence of voter fraud should be prosecuted by private attornies, with costs paid by the fraudulent voter, and party for which they voted. Fraudulent voting, or conspiracy to aid and abet fraudulent voting should be punished as a felony, with mandatory jail time and loss of citizenship.
Professor let me see if I understand your position:
US Senators accuse the UN Amb of lying to the US public -something she did - and they are accused of 'racism' and 'sexism'
BUT WI state Senators lie to get a committee seat, thus acing out a black woman who has sat on said committee for years and that is somehow NOT 'racism' NOT 'sexism'
The rather idiotic notion that only conservatives are 'racist' and 'sexist' is lie on its face and calling out Dems/Leftists/Journalists on it EVERY time is the only way to confornt their hypocrisy.
But Taylor is a specific person, not merely a member of a minority group...
This is so last-century.
Larson is the type of politican that voted against a mining bill out of spite even though the two largest mining equipment makers in the world are located in his district.
There is nothing stopping the mining company, now, or previously, from mining.
The real question is whether any of these idiots, on either side of the aisle, can balance a checkbook.
"Professor let me see if I understand your position: US Senators accuse the UN Amb of lying to the US public -something she did - and they are accused of 'racism' and 'sexism'. BUT WI state Senators lie to get a committee seat, thus acing out a black woman who has sat on said committee for years and that is somehow NOT 'racism' NOT 'sexism' The rather idiotic notion that only conservatives are 'racist' and 'sexist' is lie on its face and calling out Dems/Leftists/Journalists on it EVERY time is the only way to confornt their hypocrisy."
That could only make sense if I'd taken the position that the accusations re Rice were correct. I didn't. I'm being consistent. I'm rejecting playing the race card to get back at other people who played the race card. I'm taking the stronger position on not playing.
"Althouse is still lamenting 2 of 3 loverboys losing ~ Willard and Brown. Whereas Ryan lost and won lol. Hey, she still has Walker to gloat over ..."
Scott Brown and Mitt Romney are very good looking men. Who do you think is dreamier? I think Brown, but Romney is very, very rich. That does have an effect on one's vision. Nevertheless, I still say Brown.
Tiger
I believe in "race theory" only whites are capable of being racist, only those in power can be prejudice. At least that's how it was explained to me by a visiting black professor in a high school English class in 1969.
I agree there's PLENTY of basis for Taylor having been knocked off the committee, just in terms of the interpersonal political dynamics involved and her poor performance as a legislator.
But Instapundit's point in highlighting this, I take it, was the double-standard: none of the actual facts of this particular situation would much matter if the white men were Republicans; all that would matter was that they'd taken action in concert to strip an African American women of a prime committee spot.
Althouse, Brown is "rich enough."
If Taylor had any brains, she would vote with the GOP on select issues just to make life harder for Larson.
The GOP Majority isn't that slim, is it, that one vote will matter?
(I don't really pay attention)
I said,
"If Taylor had any brains, she would vote with the GOP on select issues just to make life harder for Larson."
MM responded,
"The GOP Majority isn't that slim, is it, that one vote will matter?"
The state senate GOP did get that extra seat to neuter Dale Schultz, but it's always handy to have one more vote and to have some bipartisanship. I don't predict Taylor will vote anything other than Democrat, but there are Milwaukee-area issues where she and Larson are in direct conflict. There are also issues outstate that don't impact Taylor's district, but Larson will be fighting. It's no loss to Taylor or her district if she doesn't follow the party.
Taylor likes power as much as the next politician. She may find a way to gain some.
pass the popcorn...
I hate when Dems play the race card. I guess one way to neutralize it, is to play it on every decision.
So much for a Post-racial presidency...
Re: Althouse continued superficiality, "they" say power is the "biggest" er ultimate aphrodisiac. Coincidentally, also-rans Willard/Brown are now far less appealing. Whereas William Jefferson Clinton keeps going and going and going much to cons chagrin! :)
Hey, some fools er folk thought Kissinger was sexy ?!? :-P
And yes, "substantive" local coverage. Kinda like inside baseball and about as entertaining.
And yet 2 of the first 8 comments are yours. Obviously it's entertaining enough for you to troll (like you do every other post), so what's your complaint?
What is it about liberal trolls? You don't see conservatives wasted their time gumming up discussions on DKos (as if they could be any less coherent). Oh yeah, they'd get deleted.
It is only by the grace of Meadehouse that you are tolerated. You might want to take that into account every now and then.
William Jefferson Clinton keeps going and going and going much to cons chagrin! :)
Only a debilitating disease or death stops a sociopath.
Actually Althouse, we are told, is a liberal Democrat.
Maybe the conservatives that post here are the trolls?
What if...!!
"garage mahal said...
There is nothing stopping the mining company, now, or previously, from mining."
So you are saying if they chose to, they could start actual mining today? Really?
You should tell them.
So you are saying if they chose to, they could start actual mining today? Really?
Yes, really.
"Professor let me see if I understand your position: US Senators accuse the UN Amb of lying to the US public -something she did - and they are accused of 'racism' and 'sexism'. BUT WI state Senators lie to get a committee seat, thus acing out a black woman who has sat on said committee for years and that is somehow NOT 'racism' NOT 'sexism' The rather idiotic notion that only conservatives are 'racist' and 'sexist' is lie on its face and calling out Dems/Leftists/Journalists on it EVERY time is the only way to confornt their hypocrisy."
That could only make sense if I'd taken the position that the accusations re Rice were correct. I didn't. I'm being consistent. I'm rejecting playing the race card to get back at other people who played the race card. I'm taking the stronger position on not playing.
Professor? I mis-understood your point.
My apologies.
garage mahal said...
So you are saying if they chose to, they could start actual mining today? Really?
Yes, really.
GM is obviously playing word games here because IN WISCONSIN they can not just 'start drilling today' unless they want to break the law OR he means they could start drilling but not here in Wisconsin OR he means they could drill at some pre-existing mine OR he means some other childish nonsense
GM is obviously playing word games here because IN WISCONSIN they can not just 'start drilling today' unless they want to break the law
Why would a mining company need to break the law to mine?
This damned white men. How dare they?
"It is only by the grace of Meadehouse that you are tolerated."
froggy must have missed the recent thread where several of my posts were deleted faster than Willard's friends on Facebook 'cause meadehouse didn't like what I was sayin' er the truth.
No biggie as I expect Althouse hypocrisy re: free speech and would be disappointed otherwise.
Again, w/out the few libs who posts here, this blog would be :::zzz:::
>
Oh and anyone can post at kos, which requires membership unlike this amateur production, as long as they are civil and behave. Indeed as cons, as a rule, avoid kos as they are mostly ignored.
Another kos difference is libs at kos donate $$$ to politicians and political causes, whereas cons here donate to their high priestess!
blessings
shiloh: "Whereas William Jefferson Clinton keeps going and going and going much to cons chagrin! :)"
Apparently Gennifer Flowers had enough of him:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/gennifer-flowers-helped-clinton-household-article-1.1208892
But Bill and Hillary are very very much in love.....so the MSM informs us.
garage mahal said...
Actually Althouse, we are told, is a liberal Democrat. Maybe the conservatives that post here are the trolls?
Having different positions is not trollish. Derailing the conversation to protect the subject is trollish.
Let's just scroll the comments for examples:
shorter shiloh: "you guys can't discuss this, only discussions that Republicans are racist are acceptable". This is a troll.
3rd comment. Didn't have to scroll too far.
Oh and anyone can post at kos, which requires membership unlike this amateur production, as long as they are civil and behave. Indeed as cons, as a rule, avoid kos as they are mostly ignored.
That is a bald-faced lie. Rule number one for hide-rating on the DKos FAQ:
"1. Do not troll rate people for expressing a contrary opinion, so long as it is expressed in a civilized fashion. The exceptions are for conservative talking points or debunked or false information; this isn't a site for conservatives, they have entire swaths of the internet in which they can regale each other with their reality-impaired fantasies."
"But Bill and Hillary are very very much in love"
Again, power is intoxicating, but they appear to have a deep bond/respect for each other.
Repeating, a mid '70s presidential "study" said only (2) presidents didn't were "faithful". Truman and Ford. And Ford doesn't really count lol. Indeed, Harding had a "love child" just before he was elected and if one is looking for evangelical purity one should not look towards politics.
But, but, but IOKIYAR
Sanford
Larry Craig
Vitter
John Ensign
etc. etc.
hmm, a recent pro-life Rep congressman was easily re-elected after it was reported he "forced" his "mistress" to have (2) abortions. :o
Praise the lord!
"The exceptions are for conservative talking points or debunked or false information; this isn't a site for conservatives, they have entire swaths of the internet in which they can regale each other with their reality-impaired fantasies."
Indeed, as lying is not tolerated at kos which is why cons have so much more fun here!
The yin/yang of liberal/con blogs. Heck, fixednoise has made a cottage industry out of lying.
So the "Talk with Walker" Tour is pretty awesome.
The statement: "For the next several months, the Governor will talk with Wisconsinites about their priorities and ideas for building a better Wisconsin."
Turns out the events, thus far, are: unannounced, closed door sessions for business owners only, and closed to the public.
Sweet, just let us know how it all turns out for you, Guv!
Shiloh, are you saying that all conservative talking points are categorically lies?
SK, no I'm sayin' kos frowns on lying, which is why cons, like yourself, are much better off posting here ...
and closed to the public.
Cuz, you know, he doesn't typically give public addresses every freakin week or anything, on top of his other appearances around the state, office appointments, and his daily pressers. God forbid the Governor with his term already effectively shortened by the recall distraction actually try to address job growth in the state by talking with the people who are creating jobs.
And of course meeting with business owners would be SO productive in a public forum where Madison jackwads with signs, chants, and vuvuzelas disrupted conversation.
The Governor will be at our corporate offices as part of this effort in the very near future, garage. Invite him to your offices and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Shiloh said,
"Sanford
Larry Craig
Vitter
John Ensign
etc. etc.
hmm, a recent pro-life Rep congressman was easily re-elected after it was reported he "forced" his "mistress" to have (2) abortions. :o
Praise the lord!"
------------------------------
Praise the lord and pass the contraception!
Invite him to your offices and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I can just about guarantee Walker would be neither invited, or welcomed at our offices, for his sham "Talking Tour".
"garage mahal said...
So you are saying if they chose to, they could start actual mining today? Really?
Yes, really."
So no permitting, environmental studies, inspections, etc.
They could but that land and start mining today?
shiloh: "hmm, a recent pro-life Rep congressman was easily re-elected after it was reported he "forced" his "mistress" to have (2) abortions. :o"
Would you care to share this Congressmans name?
Why so coy?
shiloh: "Again, power is intoxicating, but they appear to have a deep bond/respect for each other."
Take a moment to enlighten us as to how this deep bond/respect is manifested.
You know, so that we'll know it when we see it.
Drago,
Sholohbot would rather talk about Election 2012 then about how racist Democrats are acting in WI.
Shilohbot did not care one whit about Amb. Stevens either -- for it to care, it has to be human. And when Stevens was killed, all the Shilohbot kept talking about was about How Obama was going to win during.
Drago, the Godwins created the perfect party machine that would never attack corruption within the democrats: The Shilohbot.
And if Shilohbot shows any sign of humanity, that would be a surprise.
Representative Scott DesJarlais.
DesJarlais faces request for Congressional Ethics Probe
Cheap shots are a Dem specialty. But anyone can play!
garage mahal said...
GM is obviously playing word games here because IN WISCONSIN they can not just 'start drilling today' unless they want to break the law
Why would a mining company need to break the law to mine?
Because fuck you, that's why.
If a bill/law wasn't needed to mine then why did the state senate Democrats refuse to be involved in passing one?
Stop being a passive/aggressive child, garage; it looks bad, even coming from one as trollish as you.
I can just about guarantee Walker would be neither invited, or welcomed at our offices, for his sham "Talking Tour".
...and they call this "open-mindedness"...
Glenn Reynolds is an idiot.
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