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Do You Recall?

“I don't recall your name but you sure were a sucker for a high inside curve.” -Bill Dickey

Hey Joe Popular, there is a reason your answering machine has 103 messages.  While way overdue, you have been finally recognized as the coolest person on earth. 

That, or like the rest of us, you are just be buried alive with robo-calls from R.W.A. — Republicans With Attitude. 

The election season is, once again, upon us.  I, for one, am ready.  I have my special voting pencil sharpened, my Mitt Santorum t-shirt freshly pressed and my extra ballots stuffed in my pocket.  Next Tuesday we Rock the Election.

April 3rd is Election Day, but it is not Recall Election Day. They are saving that ‘fun’ until May and June.  That is just fine. We can wait.  Unless some office-holder has committed high acts of treason, recall elections are a waste of time and money. 

Here is a thought:  If an existing office holder does something to raise your ire, help the jerk’s opponent in the next election.  Time passes by fast enough.  We do not have to create extra elections. What is the point?

(The goal of this column?  To get 1,000,000 petition signers upset with me. I best stay clear of the teacher’s lounge.)

Quick Review:  Governor Scott Walker is being recalled.  Why? Because, as Governor, he did something he promised he would do during his campaign in the time period he promised to do it in.

Listen, I will come clean right here:  I did not vote for Walker during the last real election.  While this was based solely on my bias against men with bedroom eyes, I was not a Walker Supporter. Until now…

Why are we recalling a guy who – like him or not – is honest and lived up to his campaign promise?

Enough people agreed with his platform.  Droopy Eyes did get elected and it was not that close. 

Hey - that son of a gun Walker killed my favorite public spend – trains.  But he never promised he would not.  In fact, he personally called my cell. “Mike, I am killing the trains. Too bad, so sad.”  Sure, it was little personal and a tad childish, but he was honest. And he sent all that train money back to Washington DC before he found a parking spot on State Street. 

Really peeps, do we not have bigger fish to fry?  Do we not have better things to do in Wisconsin than recall office-holders  - even those with those hideous tired eyes?  If we are going to do some recalling, let’s go after the Big Fish. I have two examples of ‘bigger fish:’

Example 1:  Let’s recall the entire position of Lieutenant Governor.

No one can possibly recall what a Lieutenant Governor actually is.  It sounds like a position at the Moose Lodge you give to Frank after dementia sets in.  This is not a slam on Rebecca Kleefisch. She is bright, articulate and rather hot.  She is way over-qualified.

It is just that if this position of Lieutenant Governor was quietly eliminated tomorrow, no one would ever notice.

Example 2:  Let’s recall the State Bird. 

I have had it with you, robins.  You, with your fancy orange chest, you are so on my recall List.  Why do I hate the State Bird? Here is some background:  I drive a black car.  Robins seek out black cars.  It is a sport with them – how many black cars they can hit in a day.  And the idiots hit the same car, over and over again.  How is that within the rules?  Piling on, ref – they are piling on! 

The Latin name for the Robin?  “Turdus migratorius” – I am not making this up.  Check Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin

As it has been over 600 words, you may not recall the point of this column:

Tuesday is Election Day. Vote early and vote often. It is how we roll here Inside the Bubble.

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Stephanie Mares March 29, 2012 at 04:12 pm
Great article, Mike. Couldn't agree more. Leave it to you to say it in such a witty way!!!
Donna March 29, 2012 at 04:18 pm
Yep, I'm on board with what your saying, I am SO over all the recall hoopla! I wish they would 'get a life' and next election, elect someone you do like, but if every time elected officals do something you disagree with and you want to recall them, then something is very wrong...its a waste of time, our money and much aggravation!
mark z March 29, 2012 at 04:39 pm
I agree we should recall the Robin as the state bird. It doesn't even stick around in the Winter! What kind of State bird id that? A better state bird is the Crow - is stays around in Winter and complians about it the whole time.
I agree this recall bologna has gone on too long. What needs to be done is the election needs to take place on April 2nd so we can finally throw Walker to the curb and get a real leader, as you say why drag this out. It's sad to think Walker spent his whole life getting to the top only to be known as a failure. A shame for sure!
Isaac March 29, 2012 at 11:29 pm
The choice to try and recall Walker was not a real smart move. Now whenever a state has an elected official that they don't like, they are going to try and recall them. We should be working to help the state not trying to get rid of our governor.
Bren March 29, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Politifact Wisconsin rated Walker's claim as False that he campaigned on collective bargaining (stripping).
J H RDH March 30, 2012 at 02:29 am
The teachers and public workers who voted for Walker were basically stabbed in the back and villified in the process. I don't work in the public sector but I don't like a liar!
I guess it is easy to make light of the whole situation if you haven't had your livelyhood effected in any way. Gutting education is not a pathway to progress.
Jason Patzfahl March 30, 2012 at 11:01 am
Ah Mike, while your lady friends seem to like your wit, do they or you know the facts about Walker's campaign promises? One week before the Gubernatorial election in an interview with the editorial board of the Oshkosh Northwestern Walker was asked how he would handle getting state employees to contribute more towards health care and pension plans... his answer "You still have to negotiate it. I did that at the county as well." http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/03/05/scott-walker-caught-in-pre-election-lie-on-collective-bargaining-plans-will-wisconsin-voters-care/
The "man" never once mentioned killing the unions. And why not dissolve ALL public sector unions like Police and Fire? Wouldn't that save even more $? And they way a MILLION people see it is that "yes" Walker committed a crime when he violated the rights of tens of thousands of public servants and now hundreds of thousands of low income, elderly and minorities when he made them second class citizens unable to vote without "proper" ID.
Mike Vickery March 30, 2012 at 12:44 pm
I am completely on board with Crow for State Bird. Excellent nomination.
CowDung March 30, 2012 at 01:13 pm
Funny how you get your 'facts' from an opinion piece...
Perhaps Walker's change had something to do with the union leaders telling Walker (in no uncertain terms) that they will not make any concessions. This happened in December 2010--after Walker got elected. During his campaign, he was looking to negotiate and work with the Unions. After he was elected, the unions stated that they are unwilling to negotiate. Walker had no choice but to remove collective bargaining in order to get the increased contributions he campaigned on.
CowDung March 30, 2012 at 01:21 pm
I guess you didn't notice that education hasn't been 'gutted'. Walker is not the real liar here...
Mike Vickery March 30, 2012 at 09:33 pm
Wait, what? Only my 'lady friends seem to like my wit'?? C'mon, man friends, get on board! You can seeminly like my wit, too!
Jason - You make some good arguments, to be sure. I mean, citing Forbes? Good stuff. Beats my Wikipedia thing on robins... Requiring a photo id is just a good idea...whether to vote or take an SAT test. Feeling like a second class citizen is reserved for those going through airport security.
Dennis Towle, Jr. April 19, 2012 at 12:07 am
Michael, as a man-friend and classmate, your writings are as diplomatic as they are insightful. I and my little bunch of FB friends consider your bloggerisions (sorry, I had to make something up) a necessary source of humor and intelligence that balance out the banal writings of newspaper reporters. Carry on my friend, carry on!
Dennis Towle, Jr. April 19, 2012 at 12:10 am
OK, this is how you explain a political position... not with rancor, but with a touch of laughter and a smidgen of humility! Thank you Michael... again!
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Mark Maley (Editor) June 8, 2013 at 05:59 pm
Welcome to Greendale! We're glad to see that you're part of our community. Patch readers can findRead More out more about this new business in a profile that will be published next week.
David Cotey (Editor) June 9, 2013 at 11:04 am
We actually did a story on Friday! :)Read More http://greendale.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/florist-opening-second-location-in-downtown-greendale
Steve ® June 6, 2013 at 12:38 am
LOL teachers doing anything in the summer. Full time pay for part time work and you think they willRead More use this without a union mandate!
Walker celebrates after defeating the liberal unionista blue fisters
Jason Patzfahl June 5, 2013 at 12:23 pm
We can look up to see who signed a recall of their elected official because of grievances, but weRead More cannot look up who donated large wads of ca$h to the same official's campaign...Thank you GOP for turning that window of open accountability into a one-way mirror with the GOP looking out and everyone else stuck looking inward, wandering why we don't get the same vantage point. A bit hypocritical don't you think? And BTW, your GOP budget just ticked off every principal, superintendent and public school family in the state of WI today. Good luck on that second term of negative growth (-0.74).
Steve ® June 5, 2013 at 12:38 pm
Jason- See the IRS for list of donors to pro republican groups. They were illegally collected andRead More distributed. You signed the recall, no one made you do it. Deal with it already and stop changing the subject to interject some off the wall non comparison. ~in solidarity
Bren June 14, 2013 at 08:20 am
I think Scott Walker's record speaks for itself in terms of state job growth and misplacedRead More priorities. "Blue fisters" didn't create Scott Walker, he's been a creature of ALEC since the early 1990s. Let's see if he decides to do a Bachmann in 2014. A lot of people who didn't vote in the recall election because they didn't understand/agree may not have voted for him in 2010. Anyone who has a 20-something college grad who can't find a job, male spouse, family member or friend in their 50s who can't find a job, was cut from needed health care benefits, etc., is bound to be looking for better leadership.