Watching From The Outside

Kevin is watching Wisconsin’s budget process from D.C. and has some analysis. 

Already the writing is on the wall that they’ve over-played their hand on this one. Their lack of a serious committee hearing and debate on the plan shows it was poorly thought out and muscled through their caucus. They’ve let it drift in the wind defending “the principle” while the details have been teared apart one by one by Republicans, the media, and conservative think tanks. Finally, they drafted a plan they had to have known the Governor wasn’t on board with, but kept pushing it anyway.

What they’re left with is an anchor they themselves have placed on the budget conference. One so big, it doesn’t just wear down the process; it’s left them politically boxed in between having to kill Healthy Wisconsin themselves (something a well-read liberal blogger’s now urged). Or even worse; they force their own governor to veto it out of the budget, thus facing the wrath of his own party’s political base.

Hell, if nothing, the always reliable liberal barometer that is Own Wisconsin Now quit urging for socialized health care on a regular basis last week should say something. All the “Healthy Wisconsin” train has tied left to it are the Alliance of Cities and the diehards like Jack Lohman and the bill’s authors.