The head “Badger 14” fleebagging Wisconsin senator, Democrat minority leader Sen. Mark Miller, made a “ridiculous” offer to have what might be termed a “Border Summit” with Governor Scott Walker, report Jason Stein and Don Walker in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel update this afternoon. An excerpt:
The leader of Senate Democrats hiding out in Illinois Monday sought a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Scott Walker but Republicans responded with a barrage of criticism, saying the Democratic leader was holding up a compromise on Walker’s union bargaining bill.
In a Capitol news conference, Walker said the offer to meet by Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) was “ridiculous” because Miller was either unable or unwilling to deliver a deal with Republicans.
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“Sen. Miller is misleading the public, just like he misled us,” Walker said at a news conference at which he was flanked by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and his brother, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon).
Miller said in a letter sent out Monday that he wants to meet with Walker and Scott Fitzgerald “near the Wisconsin-Illinois border to formally resume serious discussions” on Walker’s budget repair bill.
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When 620 WTMJ’s Charlie Sykes asked Walker on his morning show if he would take Miller up on his offer to meet, the governor said “no.”
Early coverage of this development is available on CNN, USA Today, and ABC’s The Note.
Update (8:20 p.m.): A complete audio clip of Charlie Sykes’s interview of Gov. Scott Walker is posted on the website of 620 WTMJ Newsradio, here (main podcast page here). Here are two snippets of Gov. Walker’s remarks:
Video clips from Gov. Walker’s press conference this afternoon, intermixed with other material, are available on the MacIver Institute YouTube channel:
Further video is available on the Wisconsin State Journal website here. Sen. Miller’s letter to Gov. Walker and a helpful article by Bill Lueders are available on the Isthmus Daily Page here.
Update (3/8, 7:25 a.m.) — CNN video of Governor Walker yesterday available on TheBlogProf.
From Fox news, Milwaukee:
If you thought the budget stalemate was going to end anytime soon, the new developments may change your mind. Wisconsin politicians are beginning to take shots at each other during news conferences. The state’s top three Republicans all took aim at Democratic State Senator Mark Miller. Scott Walker says Miller is the one person blocking a compromise.
Governor Walker said, “It would be nice if we could announce if we had an agreement for these 14 state senators to come back. Instead we’ve got a letter from Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller.”
That letter from Senator Miller was hand delivered. Miller said, “I write today to offer to meet in person as soon as possible.” He said he wanted to do it near the Wisconsin Illinois border. He asked Republicans to compromise saying, “public workers have come forward to offer economic concessions.”
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said, “The problem is Senator Miller is not in charge of his caucus.”
Also, text of Sen. Mark Miller’s statement regarding Gov. Walker’s remarks yesterday, from Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, here.
“War of worlds escalates,” by Walker and Jason Stein in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, here.
News analysis from Jessica VanEgeren of the Capital Times, here. And a Capital Times editorial,”How Dems are winning: Mark Miller keeps his cool, Scott Fitzgerald blows up,” here.
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