State GOP hypocritical in move to change recall process

Moves to restrain democratic privileges completely political, partisan

If you're still not convinced that Republicans in our state are hypocrites, just look at what they're doing now as proof positive of what so many of us already knew.

In an effort perhaps to stop future occurrences, Republicans are mulling around ideas designed to stall or hamper the recall process in Wisconsin. Their rationale to the people? The recall process is forcing senators into campaign mode during a time when they should be working, thus stalling and/or sidetracking work that must be done within the legislature.

To any educated observer, however, it's clear that the recalls haven't really stalled anything: Gov. Scott Walker's radically conservative budget was passed, as were voter ID, concealed carry, and a plethora of other Republican agenda items.

But besides being flat-out wrong about the effects of the recall process, Republicans are also being hypocritical. If their true concerns are about the potential delays caused by the recall process, you would think they'd try to streamline the current recalls as quickly as possible.

Instead, Republicans are doing just the opposite, running "zombie" conservative candidates in Democrats' clothing to force recall challengers into primary contests. Doing so pushes the recall elections from July 12 to August 9.

Not only does this move prolong the very process Republicans complain takes too much time to carry out, but it also costs taxpayers more money to implement, in some senate districts doubling the costs of what a standard recall would be.

This whole fiasco makes the Republicans in our state hypocrites two times over: first, in delaying a process they claim is far too distracting; and second, in increasing electoral costs to the taxpayer, a move they had been all-too critical of during the State Supreme Court recount.

Their agenda being completely political in the first place, it's really not a big surprise to see the GOP acting political when it comes to "reforming" the recall process. It's just a shame that it's the citizens of this state who have to deal with both the costs and the potential setbacks to their democratic privileges if Republicans get their way.