Bride of TABOR left standing at altar

All of the elements were there to turn out a rabid, rip-snorting Republican crowd for Wednesday's public hearing on the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, which we prefer to call Bride of TABOR.

They moved it to Waukesha County, one of the most conservative parts of the state. Republican radio talked it up and encouraged turnout. WTMJ's Charlie Sykes even did an automated phone call, paid for by corporate interests through Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.

If Mark Pocan's numbers are right, opponents outnumbered supporters of the amendment something like 7 to 1.

How embarrassing.

It's not quite as easy to turn out a crowd for some gimmicky, hard-to-understand, unnecessary constitutional amendment as it is for Citizens for Republican Responsible Government to get a lynch mob together in Oak Creek to complain about Tom Ament.

This Bride of TABOR idea may not be ready for public consumption, and there are enough doubters in the State Senate GOP caucus to jeopardize its passage. If the hearing was meant to show overwhelming support and put some pressure on fence-sitters, it probably did just the opposite.

If you can't crank 'em up at the Country Springs, you can't do it anywhere.

WEAC website has more.