PrintMarch 14, 2011
Lessons From the Battle of Madison
Long, drawn-out crises can be frustrating in more ways than one. I had a first-class piece written about the Wisconsin standoff the first week, just waiting for the climax. Full of apt historical references, allusions to the Grenada invasion and the advent of Maggie Thatcher. But then it dragged on, and dragged on.... Day after day, week after week. By the time it ended, many of my "insights" such as they were, had been stumbled across by various media gnats, tearing huge holes in my thesis. Publishing it now would make me look even sillier than usual. So instead, three points:It did take too long. Way too long. This is not to imply that Scott Walker should have swung the axe immediately, but three weeks is stretching it. Detaching the union aspects from the budget bill, as brilliant a maneuver as it was, could have been done at any time. It should have been done earlier. The matter should have been fairly discussed, the prodigal Democrats put on notice, and the unions...(Read Full Article)
