Charles Sykes: “The Wisconsin GOP’s lame-duck power play was not the death of democracy. But it was bad enough: petty, vindictive, and self-destructive. It was, as the saying goes, worse than a crime. It was a blunder. And for what?”

“In its arrogant insularity, the Wisconsin GOP became a national symbol of win-at-all-costs, norms-be-damned politics. Cut through the overwrought rhetoric and what did the Republican legislators actually accomplish? Not really a whole lot; certainly not enough to justify the political damage they’ve inflicted on themselves. They have managed to energize the progressive base, expose themselves as sore losers, and undermine crucial democratic norms. And in return … they got extraordinarily little.”

Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate rushed to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) appointees, a month after voters chose not to reelect the Republican, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

“Just before the sun rose Wednesday, Republicans in the state Senate by a one-vote margin approved legislation to limit early voting and diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

“The Assembly continued to debate it and was expected to pass it soon. Republicans — who spent most of their overnight lame-duck session behind closed doors negotiating among themselves — also hoped to pass a bill to protect coverage of pre-existing conditions after Democrats won every statewide office last month after campaigning on the issue.”

“Wisconsin lawmakers are set to take up plans Tuesday to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general that brought opponents to the state Capitol this week to protest on its steps and pound on hearing room doors,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

“To Democrats, the plan is a repudiation of the Nov. 6 election that felled Gov. Scott Walker (R) and swept Democrats into state offices. To Republicans, it’s the only way to ensure major changes enacted over the past eight years won’t evaporate overnight.”

“Walker signaled Monday he largely supports it and would be willing to sign it before he leaves office Jan. 7. But there are a few GOP senators who aren’t talking, making the legislation’s fate unclear. Republicans control the Senate 18-15 and cannot afford more than one defection.”

“Wisconsin Republicans moved quickly Monday with a rare lame-duck session that would change the 2020 presidential primary date to benefit a conservative Supreme Court justice and weaken the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general,” the AP reports.

“The changes being sought would shift power to the GOP-controlled Legislature and allow outgoing Republican Gov. Scott Walker to make one last major mark on the state’s political landscape after he lost re-election in November.”

New York Times: “It was the latest effort by leaders of a state to try to shift authority in the face of an election loss, and it set off furious protests from Wisconsin Democrats, who said they would not stand for the moves and called on residents to raise loud objections.”

“Rushing to cancel a pair of court-ordered special elections, Gov. Scott Walker (R) has asked a judge to give him a week to approve legislation giving him broader powers to determine when to allow voters to fill vacancies in the Legislature,” the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

“The late-night filing was the latest move by Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature to overturn a court order that he call special elections to fill the seats of two lawmakers who stepped down in December to join his administration.”