Barca On The Fitzmandering By The GOP

Representative Peter Barca has a post on Daily Kos regarding the gerrymandering ways of the GOP and why they're doing it:

Last night, in a surprising move, Republicans in the Senate joined with Democrats to pass legislation to capture $89 million in federal unemployment benefits for more than 10,000 Wisconsin workers and remove the one-week waiting period before receiving benefits that Gov. Walker “applauded” them for requiring.

Many of my colleagues expressed hope that the Republicans had finally seen the light and were now willing to stand with us to end these partisan games and get back to creating jobs and standing up for Wisconsin families.

Instead all we got was more of the same old Fitzwalkerstan political theater that has caused 65% of Wisconsinites to believe their state government is run for a few big, special interests rather than being run for them.

By voting to extend unemployment benefits, but also voting to require a one-week waiting period, Republicans are playing a dangerous, political game where Wisconsin job seekers and their families are the victims. The pair of votes allowed them to appear to help the unemployed, while the actual result was at best forcing a waiting period before benefits begin while also delaying, and perhaps at worst killing, the extension of the benefits by 13 weeks for struggling Wisconsin families.

Essentially, the Fitzgerald brothers have worked to ensure that Senate Republicans, many of whom who facing tough recall elections, get a fake vote in support of the middle-class while also giving Governor Walker political cover by not forcing him to veto the bill.