The Republican Case Against Walker by Dee Ives

Dee Ives posted the following note on facebook on 9 Jan. 2012. Reposted here with permission.

I Recall by 

WI Progressive Naught TEA Republicans

I was born the same year that Collective Bargaining became Law in WI, became a Veteran serving under both Carter & Reagan, and I still remember when being a Reagan Republican was cool not for the policies he enacted, but for the sense of Patriotism and the sense of American Destiny he envoked. I remember President Reagan raising taxes on everyone (including Corporations) 12 times while in office, that is why I will help recall TEA Party Walker who cannot comprehend there was more to this Presidency than just busting the Air Traffic Controllers Union for an illegal strike.Paying taxes to provide government services is also required to be a burden shared by Corporations and millionaires if you are really a patriotic American! The Sacrifice is shared, not just placed on working families while giving millions in Corporate tax breaks.

I remember when being a Republican, the party born in Ripon WI, the party of Lincoln meant that Labor of the average citizen was of more value than the tricks of Commerce...as Lincoln put it best, "Any man who tells you he loves America, but hates Labor is a liar; Any man who tells you he trusts America yet fears Labor is a Fool!". When the Grand Old Party stood with family farmers and small business owners after "Fighting Bob" LaFollette beat the robber barons that our Grandparents told us with pride. Gov Walker and his TEA Party are not Republicans, they passed Act 10 to strip workers of our bargaining rights simply for political gain, and violating the open meetings law WI has enacted to protect our citizens from these new Political Robber Barons the Koch Brothers and their ALEC friends have bought...that is why we real WI Republicans will recall them. As a Union Veteran, like so many others, we used our educational benefits to obtain jobs serving our communities and protect our fellow citizens as Firefighters, police, Nurses & Teachers only to have the TEA Party call us "Union Thugs". We veterans swore to defend our Flag and the Constitution it represents against ALL enemies, both Foriegn & Domestic, and any politician who violates the Constitutional Right of Free Speech and to join a trades union like the TEA Party has under Gov Walker's direction is an enemy of WI Democracy,as much a dictatoras Hitler or Hussien, that is why we will recall him.Voter ID threatens to disenfranchise our elderly veterans from the very right to vote this year, the right to participate in the Democracy they served to protect, that is why we will recall Walker to regain our heroes'  voices .

I remember when the Democrats and Republicans under Gov Tommy Thompson were able to enact BadgerCare for our WI citizens, a program that Romney & Obama copied, but added the mandates to, now the TEA Party attacks Tommy as a Liberal as they threaten to underfund the healthcare program we all support...another reason we will recall him. But, the idea that it was okay to hire theives in Milwaukee County to positions where they embezzled charity funds from Operation Freedom, some of which were used to pay for Walker websites when running for Governor is the most compelling reason of all to recall this Governor as NO REPUBLICAN would ever think it ok to steal from our vets!