As the most radical, anti-business, anti-taxpayer state budget in history moves from the JFC to the Assembly, some political watchers are wondering if Governor Doyle is running for re-election. They figure after this budget Doyle will be un-electable, that Doyle knows this, and that's why he won't run.
What they don't account for is how Doyle's minions are already working over Doyle's likeliest opponent, Scott Walker. Between the County Board, the state legislature, and almost every member of the media (paid and unpaid), Walker is going to get dragged through the mud. The orchestrated smear of Ambassador Green is going to look like an ice cream social compared with what Walker is going to experience.
Meanwhile, Democrats are counting on the cyclical nature of the economy to turn around in time for them to point to an improving job situation and economic growth, regardless of the long-term economic damage. If the economy recovers, they figure, the voters will forgive them all of the higher taxes and fees.
There is another factor, too, why this budget is the way it is. Sometimes jaded political observers forget that the Democrats actually believe in what they are passing. That's right. They believe people should pay more for everything, consume less, and become little state-funding, state-controlled ascetics having abortions paid for by state-run health care.
Sometimes you gotta let Democrats behave like Democrats to see what they really believe. It's like watching a National Geographic Special, only instead of the wildebeest getting mauled by the lions, it's Wisconsin's taxpayers.
