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As usual, when the rules get in the way, the fuckers at the top ignore them, break them, or re-write them, often in direct defiance of the legislative process.

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Walker also outlined a ploy to get the Wisconsin Fighting 14 back to the state. He would offer to talk to the minority leaders in both the senate and the assembly, along with the majority leaders, if the senators came back into session. Once they went into recess so leadership could talk with the governor, the 19 senate republicans could act because Walker believes the democrats don't legally need to be physically present since they had the necessary quorum prior to the recess. The really sleazy part is that he emphasized that he would just talk with them and had absolutely no intention of negotiating with them.

And Walker seemed particularly anxious to reassure Koch that the only reason he would talk to the democrats is to lure them in: "if you heard I was going to talk to them, that would be the only reason why".

Another tactic Walker said they are exploring is the possibility of filing ethics code violations against the Wisconsin Fighting 14 if the unions are found to have been paying for the senators' food and lodging. They are also awaiting an opinion from Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen as to whether felony "misconduct in office" charges could be filed for "obstruction of their ability to do their job". Seriously. I am not aware of any evidence that the unions have paid for any senator's food or lodging.

Indeed, Walker made his intentions perfectly clear:

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If they think I'm caving, they've been asleep for the last 8 years....we don't budge... we don't compromise.

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Gov. Walker made it clear he sees neither collective bargaining nor the ability to organize a union as basic rights of workers.

Even more disturbing is his cavalier attitude towards the loss of jobs, seeing public employees as no more than pawns in what is clearly a game for him. He brazenly outlines his strategy to sacrifice the jobs of thousands of public employees in order to put public pressure on the senate democrats to return to the state:

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I've got lay-off notices ready... we'll announce Thursday...next week 5 to 6000 state workers will get at-risk notices ...we might ratchet that up a little bit too.

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But what else would one expect from someone who not only refuses to negotiate, but has plans to lure the other side to the table with no intention of bargaining in good faith?

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