Curmudgeon's Corner
cur-mud-geon: anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
17-16 or 16-17?
17-16 or 16-17? That is the question to be answered for some time to come if Sen. Dale Schultz (R) continues to work his magic as the ‘swing’ vote in the Wisconsin Senate.
He has decided to vote against a pending bill that would alter the recent redistricting law changes in time for recall elections ahead of us this spring. He will side with Democrats to defeat the bill. He has spoken.
Schultz recently toured parts of his district in Southwestern Wisconsin with Sen. Tim Cullen (D) to promote cooperation between the two parties. He is enjoying his newfound power without regard to what he might say in that regard. People who spend that much time in their lives in politics are very much aware of their own power in such situations.
Schultz comes from a district that appears very evenly divided or that leans Democrat, and one that seems to reward politicians who vote as he does. He occupies the middle ground from his perspective and there is much less of that today than was the case sometimes in our state’s past.
He may be a ‘reasoned voice’ as he would portray his position, but he will be the recipient of much anger as the result of what others see as ‘waffling’ or even as ‘selling out’ to the opposition. His telephone lines were apparently blocked yesterday in response to the number of irate calls he was receiving.
Beyond all the angst, however, is the simple fact that he relishes the limelight that has been bestowed on him given his newfound power.
He looks like the most powerful person in the Senate today…and that may make him the most powerful person in Madison when it comes to legislation. Pretty heady stuff for a politician.
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