Walker's Problems in High-Stakes Battle

Update: See Live Coverage from Madison Wisconsin.

The problems with Gov. Walker and the GOP are their own.

In good-faith negotiations, you recognize your opponents' position and sit down and hash out a compromise.

Not Gov. Walker.

• Not only does he refuse to negotiate, he refuses to recognize the public unions' right to exist and organize, out of vengeance for their opposing him in the last election.“If they succeed in Wisconsin, the birthplace of A.F.S.C.M.E., they will be emboldened to attack workers’ rights in every state,” Mr. Gerald McEntee, president of A.F.S.C.M.E said. “Instead of trying to work with public employees at the bargaining table, they’ve decided to throw away the table.” (Cooper, Seelye; NYT) 
• Walker is also attempting to suppress and obstruct Democratically leaning voters, such as college students, in the Voter ID and end-same-day registration bills, for those opposing him in the last election.
• And, I have been told, Walker is seeking to see that his allies redraw the Congressional, state Assembly and Senate districts for Democrats' opposing him in the last election. Specifically, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) is being targeted.

These are not the actions of a governor of all Wisconsin citizens. These are the anti-democratic assaults of a vindictive partisan.

WEAU reports a recall of Walker would need to begin on January 2012: "Organizers would need signatures totaling 25 percent of the votes case in the last gubernatorial election. In Walker's case, that translates to about 540,200 names." (AP. Feb. 18. 2011)

Walker is desperate now, and he would be wise to heed the voice of Wisconsin today. When you hurt some one's family, memories die hard.