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The results are now in on the impact of Andy Dillon's gamble on his surrender agreement with Senate Obstructionist Leader Mike Bishop (R-Hair Gel).
Gongwer, in an article entitled "FY '10 Plus 28: Senate Appears to Kill Dillon's Revenue Strategy," details the failure of Dillon's fling with Bishop:
A controversial tax on physicians failed overwhelmingly Wednesday in the Senate, scuttling not only the plan to use the tax as a way of triggering hundreds of millions in federal Medicaid money but also House Democrats' hope of passing revenue increases to restore some of the budget cuts they just approved.
. . .
Further, Wednesday's vote signals the apparent end of Mr. Dillon's strategy to pass budget bills based on cuts and then try to pass revenues as a way of restoring some of those reductions, Mr. Switalski said.
Gongwer describes Dillon's embrace of Mike Bishop, Dillon's flawed strategy on the Dillon-Bishop agreement, which Dillon has never made public or shared with other Democrats, and notes that Dillon is "at a loss" on what to do next:
House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) whose surprise decision to embrace the Senate Republican concept of closing a $1.2 billion deficit in the 2009-10 budget with only spending cuts and federal stimulus money, and no tax increases until after the Legislature had passed budget bills was at a loss as to what House Democrats would do now. He had sold House Democrats on the idea of passing new revenues and a supplemental to restore some of the cuts.
Suckers.
The Skubick has more. Check out how the Capitol's senior correspondent describes the Dillon-Bishop relationship:
For months House Democratic Speaker Andy Dillon and Sen. GOP leader Mike Bishop have walked pretty much arm and arm through a budget writing minefield and for a moment it looked as though they would emerge with their trusting relationship intact.
Forget that.
Apparently Andy's man-crush is waning. Gongwer again:
Mr. Dillon said he's "not happy" with Mr. Bishop's actions and added "it doesn't help" their relationship
Mike Bishop took Andy Dillon and his House Democratic Caucus to the cleaners. Mike Bishop wins. Andy Dillon and Michigan citizens lose.
Hey, House Democrats, how's Andy Dillon's "leadership" working out for school children in your districts, vulnerable senior nursing home residents in your districts, college students in your district, and police officers and firefighters in your district.
Even Dillon now recognizes the problems resulting from his failed agreement, as quoted by Gongwer, Dillon says:
"And now we have a serious problem with the (Department of Community Health) budget ... nursing homes closing, a lot of kids are going to get thrown off Medicaid."
Andy Dillon has led House Democrats over a cliff like lemmings. They should have listed to Granholm, who has consistently helped Democrats win elections in Michigan since 1998, Back to Gongwer, one last time:
Ms. Granholm had viewed Mr. Dillon's strategy with skepticism, questioning why majority Republicans in the Senate would support revenues once budgets based on spending cuts had cleared the Legislature.
Skubick also agrees that Dillon got this one wrong and Granholm called it right:
And who is that over there whispering, "I told ya so?" Why it's governor Jennifer Granholm who somewhere along the line probably warned Dillon not to trust Big Mike.
In 2010, remember the Dillon-Bishop surrender agreement and those Democrats who supported capitulation and Andy Dillon's epic failure.
More broken promises from Andy Dillon and House Democrats.
Heckuva job, Andy.
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