Scott Walker’s New Political Opponents

Sure, he survived a tough recall election with better numbers than 2010, but Scott Walker has a new political opponent that’s so tough and determined, they once got a federal Constitutional amendment passed. They are now speaking out against his actions, and I’m sure he’s cowering in fear. It’s the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. No, I’m not kidding.

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, which successfully lobbied for Prohibition in the 1920s and whose 5,000 members continue to spread its antidrinking message nationwide, criticized the serving of alcohol at the event.

“I don’t think it’s cool at all,” said Rita Wert, president of the group. “It sets a very poor example.”

Actually, the really sad news isn’t the fact that there are still a group of 5,000 women pushing for prohibition again. It’s the fact that Gov. Walker hosted a bi-partisan beer and brats event to promote the idea that lawmakers can, in fact, have a civil discussion about issues, even if they disagree. The event drew protesters who won’t settle for anything less than having their political opponents (Walker & the GOP) indicted.

12 thoughts on “Scott Walker’s New Political Opponents”

  1. I’m actually surprised its that though. Maybe MADD co-opted most of them.

  2. I don’t think Walker has much to worry about from the WCTU.

    Some years back, there was still a U.S. Prohibition Party. Now there is the U.S. Marijuana Party. (I kid you not.)

  3. I’ve always wondered…. Why did it take a constitutional amendment to outlaw Alcohol, but simply a law to outlaw certain drugs that were in general use at the time they were outlawed.

    1. I’m not entirely sure, but I read a book about this once. It basically made the case that Federal anti-drug laws are unconstitutional, and that the power to ban drugs rests solely on the States.

      The book went on to explain that, if we were to go to that model, then drug gangs would have a more difficult time getting established: currently, since drug laws are uniform across the country, it’s relatively easy to just machine-gun the local gangs, establish shop, and know what the Law is going to do about things.

      That, and by returning things to a State level, it will be the perogative of each State to decided what’s the best compromise between loss of rights and enforcements against laws.

      (For the record, after Prohibition, there were a handful of States that outlawed alcohol, and there are still counties that outlaw alcohol to this day.)

      1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

        Technically, the consumption of alcohol was still legal, you just couldn’t make it, import or export it, or transport it.

  4. If the WTCU joined its membership to the MMM they’d probably break the 6,000 total member mark. =)

    Seriously, the WTCU appears at first glance to be better organized, probably larger, and more on message than the Brady Bunch right now.

  5. This was entirely a publicity stunt for the WCTU. Sure, they believe what they believe, and their protest is perfectly in keeping with the organization’s goals. But as a lot of the blogworld commentary says, most people figured the group had simply folded or everybody had died — of sheer crotchetyness, if nothing else.

    But now — thanks to this event and gigabytes of (free) media coverage of it — you know, and I know, and many others also know, that the WCTU is still very much alive.

    They remain completely laughable in their program, but give credit where it’s due: this was clever marketing on their part — and a textbook example of “awareness raising.”

    I’ll drink to that!

  6. Interesting. According to Wikipedia, they had 20,000 members just three years ago. Ouch. They are falling on harder times than the gun control movement.

    1. If that membership table is to be believed — how good are the numbers? — then this publicity stunt was the desperate act of an organization on the verge of extinction. In a country of 350 million, they have no more than 5,000 members?!? (All the worse, of course, if those 5,000 are the worldwide membership.)

      Would the last person to leave please turn off the lights…?

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