Robin Vos Should Step Down Or Be Kicked Out As Speaker

Even though they knew that Representative Bill Kramer had personal problems and a long history of inappropriate behaviors, the state Teapublicans still chose to install him as their Assembly Majority Leader.  But when Kramer groped the wrong woman, WISGOP, led by Robin Vos, felt they had to spring into action.

Within a few scant days, the Assembly Republicans unceremoniously dumped Kramer on the side of the road and couldn't get away from him fast enough.

Apparently Kramer's behavior was so scandalous that even Scott walker had to chime in and give him a good swift kick:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker stopped short of calling for state Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, to resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct Wednesday, but reiterated if the allegations prove true there is no place for that sort of behavior from someone in a "position of public trust."

“Again, as I said the other day, I thought it was appropriate for the speaker (Rep. Robin Vos) and others in leadership to move to have him out of office in the leadership position,” Walker told reporters following a speech at the Monona Terrace Convention Center Wednesday. “Assuming that what’s been alleged against him is accurate, I don’t think that he or anybody else like that should be in a position of public trust.”

What's remarkable about this story is not that Kramer has been accused of sexually assaulting and harassing women - misogyny is a plank in the GOP platform - but that WISGOP actually took action against him for it.

After all, Roger Rivard barely got a slap on the wrist and a 30-second time out for saying "some girls, they rape so easy."  Scott Suder, who has a history of roughing up and threatening women, had his transgressions overlooked and was richly rewarded for being a good foot soldier for the Koch Empire.

And Scott "Governor Ultrasound" Walker is an idol of the GOP even though he has passed or tried to pass every misogynistic bill imaginable from repealing pay equality laws to the ultrasound law.

The real mind-boggling aspect of all this is that Vos was leading this charge.  It is mind-boggling in the fact that Vos is as guilty as anyone of sexual harassment.

Cindy Kilkenny at Fairly Conservative has written that she feels that Vos should be removed from office.  However, her complaint is based on the well-known fact that Vos was and is having an affair with former Representative Michelle Litjens.

However, Vos' crime is more serious than having an affair.

One must remember that Vos was elected to be the Speaker of the House, a very powerful position.  And Litjens was a freshman representative.  To be blunt about it, he had power over her and he abused that power by having an affair with her.  It is not really any different than if a boss starts having an office romance with his secretary.  It is an abuse of his power and his office.

But the odd thing is that one doesn't hear Walker, Charlie Sykes or any of the Teapublicans calling for Vos to step down as speaker.  You don't see them rushing to vote him out of any position of authority.

But the gentle reader has probably already figured out yet that the Republicans are the masters of double standards as well as double speak,

And that is a shame.  For as Kilkenny said, "What's good for the gander is good for the other gander."

The Republicans were correct in finally holding Kramer responsible for his actions - something they should have done a long, long time ago.  But the fact that they won't hold Vos responsible for his actions - despite the similarity in the two - shows why all of them really needs to step down and why the voters should force them out if they don't.

WISGOP Suffer Buyers Remorse With Kramer

In breaking news from Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Republican Assembly Majority Leader Bill Kramer has had serious charges of sexual harassment leveled against him:

Sources said one incident involving Kramer and the women occurred shortly after the fundraising event. Another incident occurred on the Thursday flight back to Wisconsin.

Kramer is accused of groping at least one of the women and making lewd and inappropriate remarks to at least two women.

"Part of it is supposedly verbal and some of it is physical," said a source.

Bice further reports that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos - no puritan himself - is taking swift action and that it is likely that Kramer will lose his leadership position.

It should be noted that the Republicans' dismay over Kramer is more than a bit disingenuous.  They knew about Kramer's behavior problems when they elected him:

Two paragraphs from the Green Bay Press Gazette does a good job of giving us a glimpse of the kind of 
clown prince WISGOP has running the assembly majority:

But he also displayed a testiness bordering on anger over the frequent protests and interruptions from spectators in the gallery, including during the marathon 61-hour filibuster over the collective bargaining bill in 2011. Kramer was a strict enforcer of Assembly rules barring signs, cameras, clapping or other outbursts.

Kramer also said he sometimes carries a concealed handgun onto the floor of the Assembly for his own personal safety.

Yup, Little Big Man Kramer is so afraid that someone might take a picture of his bad side that he won't allow cameras in the gallery, but has no problem packing heat. The fact that he is allowed to have a gun at all, much less conceal carry, is alarming given his general state of inebriation. 

The Press Gazette also has another one of his greater moments:

Kramer was the only lawmaker who applauded a line in Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2007 budget address mentioning that oil companies had made record profits. Doyle was using the line as part of his reason to raise taxes on the companies, but Kramer said profits were the state’s economic lifeblood.

Oh, the greed is strong in this one!

But the real juicy stuff comes from WisPolitics.com, which gave some very interesting points from the debate on who should be the new majority leader, Kramer or Dean Knudson from Hudson.  Knudson supporter Chris Kapenga (not to be confused with Dale Kooyenga or Captain Kangaroo), leveled some strong charges against Kramer (bold lettering theirs; italics and asterisks mine):

-- Assembly Republicans today elected Rep. Bill Kramer to be the next majority leader despite Rep. Chris Kapenga accusing his GOP colleague of displaying a pattern of inappropriate behavior that made him unfit to hold the No. 2 spot in the chamber.

Kapenga, R-Delafield, made the allegation while giving one of the two nominating speeches for Rep. Dean Knudson for the post. He also charged there was an incident at an American Legislative Exchange Council event last month in Chicago. But he did not provide details in his speech and declined to provide specifics when he was approached by a reporter following the vote.

Kramer, R-Waukesha, shrugged off the allegation, which sent a ripple through the room ahead of today’s vote, saying “Things get said in a campaign.”

“I have heard that something happened at ALEC, and everybody I’ve talked to said they heard something inappropriate happened at ALEC,” Kramer said. “I haven’t run into anybody that saw something inappropriate happen at ALEC.*  Apparently, I had a pretty good time. What that means, I have no idea because the night in question, I was home early.”

Kramer acknowledged concerns about his sense of humor before his selection as speaker pro tempore, a spot he gave up to run for majority leader after Rep. Scott Suder left the post to take a job at the PSC. But Kramer said he proved he could be respectful on the floor and planned to do the same in his new role.

[...]

-- In his nominating speech for Knudson, Kapenga said he has been to numerous events with Kramer stemming from their time in the Waukesha County GOP and said he has noticed a “behavior pattern that is prevalent at every event I can remember.”

He then went on to reference the alleged ALEC incident, saying both Kramer and Knudson were there and “one represented well. One did not represent well.”

“That cannot happen ever,” Kapenga said. “We can’t have sexual innuendos. We can’t have bad language in the public.** I don’t have any concerns with Dean. I don’t. None. I do have those concerns with Bill.”

It should be noted that Vos had supported Kramer's opponent, Dean Knudson, during that election. I wouldn't be surprised if Vos makes a push for Knudson again, although learned people have also said keep an eye on Dale Kooyenga, WISGOP's current golden boy.

Two More Marks Of Shame For Walker Regime

Alleged sexual harassment and related cover up.

And that wouldn't be the first time that's happened in a Walker administration.