Sunday, January 26, 2014

Senator Dale Schultz Announces Retirement

The bully boys of the Teapublican machine have finally succeeded in pushing out the last respectable Republican - Dale Schultz.

Channel 3000 is reporting that he has told them that he is not going to seek reelection.

Looking at his statement, it's not hard to discern why he chose to step down:
His stock in the capitol has risen and fallen, winning a close race for majority leader of the Senate against Scott Fitzgerald in 2004, losing that seat when Democrats took control in 2006, then becoming a swing vote in that House in the last three years of contentious bills.  Schultz says his no vote on Act 10, the collective bargaining bill, was the hardest he made in 30 years.

"I would say that because it was a point in my life where I had to make a decision on what was most important: what the people of my district wanted as opposed to what would allow me to continue to be a member of the caucus in good standing," said Schultz.
It's not really a surprise. I've been hearing for years, since the WISGOP machine decided that Walker would be the chosen one, that the Teapublicans have been operating like a syndicate in coercing their more moderate members into compliance.

Schultz must be feeling relieved not having to walk on eggshells anymore.  And he goes out saying it like it is:
He laments the state of the Republican party and even says he still feels "uncomfortable" with his deciding vote last session on voter ID.

"While I certainly believe we need to safeguard the integrity of the ballot box I think we have crossed the line on a couple of occasions," said Schultz. "It's been a very uncomfortable situation for me having to vote along with the caucus because I've tried to be a good Republican."

Schultz already had a named primary opponent if he did run.  Republican Rep. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green has said he will run for the 17th Senate district.  Schultz says he won't endorse Marklein in the upcoming election because Marklein said he was challenging the incumbent on the issues of votes on Act 10 and the mining bill.

"I have always felt it was best to be candid and a straight-shooter with people and not having a prompter going in the back of your mind about what might be said," said Schultz.
While I can't say that I've agreed with Schultz all that often, I thank him for his years of service and for trying to keep his integrity intact as his party sunk into the mire of its own creation.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks Capper, well said.

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  2. Run for Governor, Dale!

    There are a heck of a lot of us Republicans who want an alternative to an extreme right-wing Scott Walker. I know many of us will be sitting out the next election entirely if our only option is to vote for Scott Walker. We gave him the benefit of the doubt in the recall election to let him serve an entire term, but that will not apply to the next election. And based on his performance, my wife and I can no longer vote for Mr. Walker.

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  3. Schultz is arguably more progressive than Burke... and would have a better chance of beating Walker.

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  4. Being a die hard progressive, if it came to it, I could vote for Dale Schultz. I'm sorry to see him go, he was a voice in the gop wilderness that actually tried to do the right thing!

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  5. He probably will be a good witness for the prosecution.

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  6. As a Republican, I wince at what my Republican legislators have done to this state, and, I abhor how Gov Walker has divided so many groups. This fall, I will be sitting out the election because I can not, in good conscience vote for GovWalker

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  7. The people of Wisconsin will look favorably upon Dale Schultz's legacy. He is a statesman. Scott Walker on the other hand will be remembered as a crook, liar and thief who ran the State into the ground in order to advance his political career.

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