By Steven Welcenbach
When, if ever, will elected Republicans at all levels of government stand up to the bullies of the Left and give them the verbal and procedural thrashing that they deserve?
Last week I attended a Wisconsin Assembly committee hearing regarding the three bills related to local school referenda. My assembly representative phoned me the prior week asking if I would come to Madison and testify in favor of the bills.
After being assured that I would be given a chance to actually speak my testimony and answer questions from the committee directly I agreed to forego a day of work to provide this important component of the legislative process - hearing directly from the people of Wisconsin.
But, just like Charlie Brown running up to kick that football and Lucy Van Pelt pulling it away, Surprise! I wasted my time again! I never got to testify.
You see, these hearings really aren’t about hearing from the people. First, you need to have at least an hour plus of legislative grandstanding, with Republicans strutting their importance in support of this bill while Democrats bring up the most inane and irrelevant arguments, then rehash them over and over again with the intended aim to waste as must hearing time as possible.
Finally the testimonial portion begins, and lo and behold, all of those people populating the chairs in that room when you arrived [composed primarily of capital denizens (paid lobbyists)], will be speaking before you. That means you might get your say sometime after 5 PM if everyone gets 5 minutes.
So once again the paid lobbyists, who understand how to work this system better than any other perpetual welfare recipient, will all get their chance to advocate for their special interest in the hearing, with their Leftist assembly allies using and abusing their power to ask questions to beat their dead horse arguments into mush. One lobbyist from some group supposedly representing some type of school administrators began his testimony at 11:50 and was still on the chair at 12:30. And he literally had nothing to say. Between him and his Leftist questioners, they not only wasted valuable testimonial time but lulled everyone into despair or to sleep.
By 1:30 it became obvious that my turn would never come, unless I planned to camp out in the Capitol like an occupier of lore, so I left to put my time to better use. But I admit being vociferously upset that our Republican representatives, which we not only have gotten elected but also defended in the past seven years, continue to let Democrats set the agenda and abuse the formalities of process to keep our voices from being heard.
Why does the chairman of the committee, a Republican who asked all supporting assembly members to provide 4 people to testify, not utilize the power of his position to cut off filibustering and inane, irrelevant commentary so some actual real testimony could be heard? Why can’t they allow individuals and unpaid testifiers the courtesy of speaking first? The lobbyists work at the Capitol with continuous access to their intended targets. Why should any of them be allowed access to these hearings if you want to hear from the people? Set up a separate lobbying session. The way it stands now, these scoundrels know exactly how to work the system to eliminate almost all input from the masses. Why do they let them get away with it? This must change.
Republicans have the power to implement such procedural changes. Why aren’t they doing so?
To me the Republicans appear scared of something - the media, the political correctness police, maybe repeat visits to their offices by Leftist activists. Newsflash! Being timid does not appease any of them but makes them bolder in going after you.
But maybe they don’t really want to her from us. I’m sure plenty of (R)s prefer the lobbyist over the individual citizen activist. For the state that showed the world what political courage looks like and what the Activist Army could accomplish, this display of cowardice cannot be tolerated.
On the federal level, a fellow patriot called Ron Johnson’s office today to inquire about the non-stop fake investigations that Republicans apparently have no will to stop, or even to comment on their lack of validity or waste of taxpayer money and time in addressing crucial issues. Why aren’t legitimate investigations being initiated for crimes we KNOW were committed by Hillary Clinton with her illegal e-mail server and handling of classified information? What about her Bengazi lies and the deaths or real patriots that occurred there? And the Obama/Holder crime of Fast and Furious which killed at least one Border Patrol agent and who knows how many people in Mexico? The statute of limitations cannot be the reason.
The Senator’s staffers told him that Ron’s priorities today are 1) motorcycle fairness and 2) something about insuring that milk comes from cows. Wow!!
Understand that Ron Johnson represents one of the BEST guys we voted into the Senate. Does this commentary not embody exactly all of the elements we despise of Republican electors which clearly do not pursue the priorities of the rank and file GOP voters that got them there?
Donald Trump shows every day why he cannot be considered a Republican using the present day paradigm. Trump not only demonstrates continual leadership by refuses to be bullied by media, the political correctness police, the East Coast Establishment Elite, nor anyone else for that matter. His approval rating skyrocketed last week because of his boldness and refusal to be cowed into submission by those who want and try to deconstruct America.
When will the Republican Party quit cowering in the corner and stand up to the bullies that intend to destroy America as founded? Or must the current GOP rank and file establish a new vehicle to get the hard work of restoring our Republic under God underway?
Wake up GOP and get in the fight!