Did CRG Just “Come Out” of the Partisan Closet?

First the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel fails to ask the tough questions regarding Scott Walker's credit card budget, then they fail to hold him accountable for constantly contradicting his own positions. Now they run a story about a right wing group that is pimping themselves out to push the next item on Walker's electoral agenda. Most already know that Citizens for Republican Responsible Government (CRG) hijacked the mainstream outcry over the Milwaukee County pension scandal and used it as a tool to install Scott Walker in his current position. That was the group's heyday and they have had little effect ever since. That being said they have always been available to help push any Walker agenda item no matter how bad for the county and no matter how much it might conflict with their own pretend positions.

If CRG was really an organization that stood for its stated principles it would have applied its recall shtick to Scott Walker a long time ago. Even now with this farce of a proposed budget they not only fail to confront Walker but seek to be used as merely his useful tool. Are they really against credit card-type spending in Milwaukee County government? If they are they should be against Walker's budget. Are they really against taxes/new and increased fees? If they are then they should be against Walker's budget. Are they really serious about a zero percent tax levy increase? Then they should be against Walker's budget because his proposed tax levy today is $40 million (18%) more than HIS proposed amount from HIS budget for 2003. And exactly how do they feel about the federal stimulus and government taking a leading role in creating jobs? If they are really against such concepts then they should be against this Walker budget. But alas they are not and their repeated inconsistency only points to the barely veiled partisan motives involved.

Actually CRG mouthpiece Chris Kliesmet, in a split second of candor, made things crystal clear for us. In a statement in today's MJS story, Kliesmet admits that "he hoped that Walker would be elected governor next year." Can you get any more political and partisan than that? Given that very direct statement in this context and given CRG's willful contradictions, how can anyone describe CRG as truly "nonpartisan"? Even more important, how could the MJS run the story describing this group as being merely a "citizen group"? Are you serious? After their mouthpiece just told you about their political fantasies involving Scott Walker? Actually the story shouldn't have been about the budget at all. It should have been about CRG finally "coming out" of the partisan closet.