Wisconsin in turmoil, press stories love those lefties

I have been following as closely as I can, the recall stories in the mess created by the unions in Wisconsin. Governor Walker and the State Senate, controlled 19-14 by the Republicans and the Assembly controlled by Republicans 60-38 are under relentless attack by the thugs of the public employee unions. Despite their best efforts at demonizing the Republicans the latest polls show Wisconsin voters aren't that excited at booting the recently elected members of either party in a recall.

The State has been historically run by the liberals and the election of 2010 was quite a shocker because the Republicans took over the legislature and the governorship.  The people of the state wanted the deficit fixed and the "good ol' boys" of the left were not up to the task.  Well, when the Governor and the legislature came forth with their plans the unions went bonkers and the fight was on.  Last week the democrats and republicans were in their primary races and as expected they all won.  Now on to the general elections next month.

What I find interesting about the reporting is how biased the articles are in favor of the unions and their demonizing of the Republicans.  The press in Wisconsin and now nationally has also decided these recalls have national significance to the election of 2012.  They do this every time as we remember Scott Brown in Massachusetts and others.  In the case of Brown it actually did portend the national mood as Republicans wiped out the democrats in the House and took back six seats in the US Senate.  I don't see this hap penning as a indicator in Wisconsin.  The elections are an aberration which recalls usually are.  Having been the target of recalls as a county Supervisor a couple of times, I can attest to the rancor some people have to having lost an election and their sour grapes.

Wisconsin voters may toss the Republicans and they may not.  These recalls are among the first ever in the state and to get people motivated outside of the union memberships may be tough (turnouts werelow).  Liberal interest groups are pouring money into these fights and it is coming from all over the country.  The unions know they are the target of government cost cutting and since most of the cost of government in many cases is labor, it is the natural place to try and save money Walker is asking the unions to pay something towards their pensions and medical coverage..  Other state have and are trimming the fat and unions are making a stand to protect their fat in Wisconsin. 

The unions try and portray their contracts with the government jurisdictions as "rights" when they are simply terms of agreement in a contract.  They are not "rights" and though the press knows this, the press still uses the term "rights" to amplify their favorable view of their compatriots in the unions and the left.  The reporting on the Republicans is always negative and the press seems to be stuck on the R's "taking away" a "right" which is much more inflammatory than taking away a contractual clause of agreement or disagreement.

The press is committing journalistic malpractice and are fanning the flames of discontent by their favoritism in how they report these stories.  This is usually how it goes.  Republicans "bad", democrats, "good".  Those wascally Republicans are just a bunch of unfeeling knaves and the democrats love and sing kumbaya for all the poor and unfortunates of the planet.  Well, we all know that is the template the press uses and sometimes it works and sometimes the people don't buy it.  Last November Wisconsin voters booted the democrats to give the Republicans a chance to fix the mess created and sustained by the democrats in a heavily democrat state.  The people of Wisconsin decided to try a different method to save their state from debt.  Well, all that will be tested again since the press and the unions have teamed up to take out those budget balancing Republicans. 

The results of these recalls in my view will not be a indicator of some national trend.  The state is heavily democrat and sometimes what is truly right does not prevail.  But if Wisconsin wants to get back to normal and be relevant, my hope is the people will not let the DailyKos and the AP dictate their government leaders anymore.