Athletes and sports fans know what a ball hog is in basketball. It's just like it sounds - a ball hog is a player who never gives up the ball. Ball hogs are convinced that there's only one way to win, and that they're the most talented players on their teams. They listen to the coaches and nod in agreement when the game plan is explained, but when the ball is in play they ignore strategy and resort to whatever they learned on the playground. Ball hogs operate from fear and ego. They want to win, but they would almost rather lose by taking a bad shot than trusting someone else to score the winning basket with a play they've never run before.
One of my fears about the Wisconsin recall of Governor Walker is starting to come true. Ball hog politics in the primary. Labor unions have apparently decided they know how to win the election without any help from the grass roots. It appears they are going to play by the same playground rules that Scott Walker has adopted: Lots of money, shadowy political action groups, and a barrage of predictable, boring television ads that sling more and more mud as the election date gets closer. In Walker's case, it's all of those plus even more money.
I blogged a couple weeks ago (on another site) about a political action committee known as Wisconsin for Falk. The group had just registered with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. They listed a Madison post office box as their address, and two phone numbers that went straight to voicemail. I raised an eyebrow about the following ad where they claim they are not affiliated with any political candidate, candidate's agent or candidate's committee:
Really? Falk had nothing to do with this?
Wisconsin for Falk is asking those seeking real reform to be hypocrites, and I won't do it. This type of ad campaign funded by anonymous strangers destroys one of the few advantages our side has - the ability to point to Scott Walker and proclaim righteously and correctly that he is controlled by out-of-state special interests. Sorry, Wisconsin for Falk. It's not OK just because our side is doing it. It's not OK "just this once." We don't get an exception just because of the intensity of the evil we're facing. This is about more than just beating Walker and restoring collective bargaining until the next Walker gets voted in. This is about taking our state back and making permanent changes to protect working families for generations.
I knew when I first saw the Falk ad that people would raise questions about her prominent appearance in it, including a close up at the end. I was right. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a piece today written by their most credible journalist, Daniel Bice, titled Pro-Falk group being led by out-of-state operatives. The subheading reads Union cash behind Wisconsin for Falk TV ad blitz. Writes Bice...
In short, Wisconsin for Falk is a union front group that - despite its name - is being led by many out-of-state operatives intent on defeating Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Harsh, but it's accurate. I'm not going to defend the ad, or the group that paid for the ad, and I'm not going to start trash-talking Daniel Bice. Just pass the damn ball, unions!
Bice continues...
But two ads for Wisconsin for Falk include video of Falk in a government building staring directly into the camera. That has left many Republicans and Democrats wondering just how separate the two groups are.
"If it's an independent expenditure ad, how are they shooting that footage of Kathleen?" asked an ally of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat who may challenge Falk. "Especially that last shot."
Exactly. Falk is the candidate who was endorsed very early by the state's largest teacher's union and the largest state employee union. The endorsements came so early, in fact, that many of the members of those unions expressed shock and anger that their input was not even sought. Many of the grass roots organizations and newly engaged activists that have grown out of the Wisconsin uprising from last year were surprised as well, accusing the union leadership of cutting off any opportunity for consensus-building before the debate on who would best challenge Walker had even begun.
It is significant that the Tom Barrett camp raised the issue about the Wisconsin for Falk ads. Barrett was discouraged from running by union leadership almost immediately after recall petitions were turned in. The unions don't trust him and they don't like him. Barrett has the backing of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, and many people believe that the support extends all the way back to the White House. Emanuel is scheduled to attend a Barrett fundraiser later this week. Some unions have pledged to picket that event to highlight what they perceive as union-busting tactics being used by Emanuel against Chicago's public school teachers unions.
One ball hog on a team is bad enough. Two is a disaster. Barrett has not officially declared himself a candidate. If he runs he will announce after winning reelection as Milwaukee mayor next week. He is certain to win that race, so his super-sized fundraising efforts make most observers believe he will run for Governor, backed by the DNC and certain to run the same milque-toast, austerity-lite campaign that saw him lose to Walker in 2010.
Pass the damn ball, Democratic Party!
So what about those grass roots, the new progressives who want more out of this election than just a left-leaning version of Scott Walker, or a benign dictator? They're being told to shut up and watch from the bench. Worse, they're being told they will need to be "team players" after the primary is over if they don't want to be swirlied in the locker room toilet after practice.
Permanent changes in how elections are funded? Cute idea, but get real. People-powered legislation? Next time. Structural changes in state government to make sure another Scott Walker can never happen again? Yeah, sure. We'll talk about that after the election. Trust us. We know how to win.
Well, fuck you, ball hogs. We're open. Pass the damn ball. PASS THE DAMN BALL!