If their own rules are followed, one of the Assembly Democrats' biggest fundraisers of the year is going to be void of Assembly Democrats.
The June 15 event is at the Wild Rock Golf Club at Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Contributors who want to play will pay $1,000 each, or $3,350 per foursome. Duffers who want to pay but not play can still get involved by sponsoring a hole for $750 or the entire event for $1,000. In addition to the outrageous fees - a.k.a. required campaign contributions - it's offering outrageous hole-in-one prizes to the well-heeled special interests and lobbyists who attend - $50,000 and a new Chevy Tahoe.
A notice about the event says its special guest will be Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan along with "other reps and guests."
Here's the problem. Last February the Assembly passed a rule banning its 99 Republican and Democratic members from holding fundraisers or even accepting or soliciting campaign contributions "during the period beginning on the day the biennial budget bill is introduced and ending on the date the biennial budget bill is presented to the Governor."
Sheridan said this week the Assembly plans to take up the budget June 10 and send it to the Senate shortly thereafter. However, Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker said the Senate doesn't plan to take up the budget until the third week in June. On top of that if the Senate changes the Assembly's version of the budget in any way, a committee of legislators from both houses will meet to hammer out a compromise budget that must be approved without changes by both houses before it is sent to the governor.
The golf fundraiser is sponsored by the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee, which is one of four legislative campaign committees controlled by Democratic and Republican Assembly and Senate leaders to soak special interests for campaign cash. These committees, which were exempt from the fundraising ban, raise money to help their respective caucus members get elected.
But the rule commendably spearheaded by majority Democrats clearly prohibits Assembly members from raising money for their own campaigns as well as soliciting cash for other committees that could provide them with election year resources.
7 comments:
Appears? APPEARS OUT OF BOUNDS? Wow, that was a good one.
This just goes to show that there are two rules, one for democrats and one for everyone else.
The spin that Sheridan spews in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is mind-boggling. I'm sure the Dems wrote those weasel words ahead of time.
And if Republicans were doing the same thing...would it APPEAR out of bounds?
If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, it's a duck. Except for democrats, where it APPEARS OK.
What a bunch of hypocrits.
Is it carved in stone somewhere that all comments to articles and blogs on the web have moronic rants written by partisan hacks?
How can anyone read the original post or the Journal Sentinel writeup and come to the conclusion that WDC thinks the fundraiser "appears OK"?
From the JSOnline article: "Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said Sheridan and others must skip the fund-raiser because of the ban.
"My view is members shouldn't be there soliciting donations," McCabe said. "I think this one steps over the line with respect to both the spirt and the letter of the (rule)."
Hey doofus, learn to read. I NEVER said that ANYONE said it APPEARS OK.
The freakin' title is, and I will type slow because you are obviously an impared reader: "Assembly Democrats' Fundraiser Appears Out Of Bounds"
ANd here's a good one, from YOUR OWN POST: "I think this one steps over the line..."
There are SO MANY weasel words in Mike's post, and the JS story, that it makes the whole "outrage" laughable.
I have an idea, why doesn't Mikey grow some stones and tell the Democrats that they are bald-faced liars and cheats for attending.
There's nothing that "appears" right or wrong...either it is or it isn't.
So before you blather off about being a partisan hack, learn to read posts...especially the headline.
You say "I NEVER said that ANYONE said it APPEARS OK." But in your first comment, you say "If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, it's a duck. Except for democrats, where it APPEARS OK."
You have a strange way of defining "never."
I never implied, or said, that Mikey said OK. But his lukewarm outrage, at best, is weak.
Read my last sentence, slowly: "except for Democrats, where it appears OK." If the Dems are doing their fundraising, it must be OK to them.
The bottom line is that the Democrats are being two-faced liars when it comes to "reform" and Mike feigns outrage. Yet if the Republicans were doing this, we'd have xoff, et. al., screaming for someone's head on a platter.
ANd all you have to say is that I'm a right-wing attack dog for questioning how "outraged" Mikey really is being.
Call for an investigation! Call them out!
But no, nothing will happen, and the Dems will once again pull a fast one.
It's truly amazing how legislators talk to their constituents on their home turf versus when thery are in Madison. The State budget is on a collision course, and the sting it will leave on those who pay the most will keep stinging until the next legislative elections, there will be a few one term legislators this time around. Maybe they need cochular implants! www.leebrocher.blogspot.com
The only real point that's been made by the comments to this blog is that it is clear why most people post feedback anonymously. They wouldn't want their names attached to such juvenile name calling and low-class, insulting garbage.
Is the irony lost on everyone that whoever said McCabe should "grow some stones" did so anonymously? Agree with him or not, McCabe puts himself out there on the firing line. Compared to whatever coward made that comment, he's got balls the size of pumpkins.
The funny thing about the original blog posting though is that it was posted by "Hadrian." Because I work for a political news service, I happen to know that is the nom de plum of the Democracy Campaign's research director. McCabe didn't even write what he's getting blasted for.
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.