Never in the history of Wisconsin has a transition of power been so warped as this one. The damage that is done may not be as severe as the damage Walker, Vos and Fitzgerald did at the start of their shared experiment in winner-take-all governance, but what’s happening in the Capitol this week does further harm not just to the image of Wisconsin but to the fragile faith that Wisconsinites have in the prospect of functional governance.

“Our democracy is founded on having three separate but equal branches of government. The separation of powers between our legislative, executive, and judicial branches are paramount in protecting the promise of a fair and balanced state government. This concept is central to the well-being of our democracy,” explained state Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison.

Yet now that Vos and Fitzgerald will not have a co-conspirator in the governor’s office, they are suddenly seeking to limit the authority of the executive branch. They are even talking about changing election dates in order to limit the vulnerability of their partisan allies.

The bottom line is beyond debate: Walker lost, yet the governor and his cronies are still grabbing at power. Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan, a former state legislator, summed things up succinctly and appropriately when he asked: "How much more (like a) Third World country can you get?"