Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sean Duffy Can't Make It In The Real World - Wisconsin

Sean "Pretty Boy" Duffy's main claim to fame is still his appearance in the reality TV show "The Real World."  It is becoming rather apparent though, that despite his reality TV show background, it did not come anywhere near to helping him deal in the real world in Wisconsin.

The first inkling came last week when Laura Hauser-Menting, Co-Chair of the Portage County Democrats issued this press release remarking on how Duffy was avoiding her county like the plague:
With media reports indicating that redistricting plans are well under way, Republican Congressman Sean Duffy appears to be hinting at Portage County's fate. According to his own website, he has held no town hall meetings in Portage County - the 7th District's third most populous county -- while making two stops each in next door Wood and Marathon Counties (http://duffy.house.gov/interactive-district-map, www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14860214).

"I'm disappointed in Congressman Duffy," said Laura Hauser-Menting, Co-Chair of the Portage County Democrats. "After his promises to be accessible, I expected to see Duffy in Portage County quite often. There's been a lot of speculation here the past few months that Duffy would play backroom politics to chop our Democratic-leaning County out of his district, but I continue to hope I'm wrong and urge Congressman Duffy to keep central Wisconsin together where it belongs -- in the 7th District."

Portage County Democrats have long been proud to be in the 7th District and the County itself is a part of the Wausau television market that is based in next door Marathon County. In fact, Portage County, as well as Marathon and Wood Counties, have been part of the same district for 100 years. They have been together as part of the 7th District since the 1930-31 redistricting, but also for 20 years prior (going back to 1910-11), together in what was then known as the 8th District.

During the century since, the District has sent members of both parties to Congress including former Secretary of Defense Mel Laird (R) and Dave Obey (D). Last fall, Portage County supported the Democratic candidate over Duffy by a margin of 14,582 to 12,355 votes.
Now, with Republicans in solid control of the State Capitol, many local Democrats have worried that Duffy and Republican legislators might try to gerrymander the 7th District to protect Duffy by taking Democratic-leaning Portage County out of its traditional home.

"We get much of our news from Wausau TV stations, so being separated from the rest of central Wisconsin will have a lasting detrimental impact on our community. In that respect, my hope is simply that our County will remain where it has always been," concluded Hauser-Menting.
Unfortunately, it appears that her premonitions are correct.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that WISGOP has indeed gone ahead and done a redistricting plan with no feedback whatsoever from the Democrats or the local counties, cities and towns that will be affected. And the sole purpose of doing this chicanery and dishonest method of redistricting is to pull Duffy's bacon out of the fire:
Republicans are taking aggressive steps to protect House freshman Sean Duffy under a draft redistricting plan that hasn’t been released to the public but is circulating among Wisconsin members of Congress.

The plan goes to significant lengths to make Duffy’s marginally Democratic seat more Republican, according to a map provided by a Democratic source and whose main features were confirmed by sources in both parties. (You can find the map here).

Arguably his party’s most vulnerable House incumbent, Duffy represents the Seventh congressional district in northern Wisconsin, previously held by Democrat Dave Obey.

The plan would carve out a Democratic chunk of central Wisconsin (including the cities of Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids) and shift it from Duffy’s seat to Democrat Ron Kind’s western Wisconsin district.

The result: Duffy would “lose” one of the most Democratic counties in the state, Portage, while gaining the fastest-growing Republican county in the state, St. Croix.

Members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation discussed the map behind closed doors Monday evening. GOP House member Paul Ryan took the lead among his colleagues in crafting it, according to sources.
Duffy only won his election due to the strong anti-Democratic rage that occurred in 2010, which is appearing more and more like a fluke than a movement, and not because he was so wildly popular. To make things worse for himself, Duffy didn't make himself any friends when he told his constituents that he was struggling on his six figure income.

Because of Duffy's weakness as a re-electable politician, Paul Ryan apparently felt the need to be as corrupt as the other Republicans in the state.

From Walker and his pay for play way of ruling, the continuously law breaking Republican legislators and the corrupt and bought Supreme Court.and now even the Republican federal representatives being corrupt, we are going to have a lot of work to do to clean up this state from the stain they are leaving on it.

And as for their dishonest and unethical way of dealing with the redistricting business, don't expect that to fly too well.  In Milwaukee County alone there is quite the uproar when the County Board tried to do the redistricting without consulting with the local leaders. Imagine the outrage that could occur from 72 counties not being consulted and the Republicans trying to ram this through.

1 comment:

  1. Duffy has been in many Wisconsin parades lately.

    Duffy also has "plain-clothes" supporters following his support group in the parade on either side.

    The "plain-clothes" supporters will inconspicuously slip next to people as Duffy pass by and begin applauding heavily.

    And then the Duffy supporter in the crowd literally disappears and reappears down the street just in time for....., Duffy!

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