Bice: Dems play bingo during state of state

If the smattering of Democrats in the Assembly chambers seemed a little distracted during Gov. Scott Walker's state of the state address last week, there's good reason.

Some of them were playing bingo during the 39-minute talk.

And it was not just any game of bingo. It was Scott Walker Bingo, a game card designed by Rep. Gordon Hintz.

In the game, Democrats were to mark off on their bingo cards when the second-term Republican governor said any of a number of his catch-phrases, such as "thanks to our reforms," "the state of the state is great," "big bold," "ham and cheese sandwich" or "toime" (his unique way of pronouncing "time").

"The governor has become so predictable," said Hintz, an Oshkosh Democrat.

Republicans were not happy that Democrats weren't focused on the governor's largely ceremonial talk to the joint session of the Legislature.

"When the voters have rejected you at every level, the only thing left for Wisconsin Democrats to do is highlight the positive things that Governor Walker is doing each day for Wisconsin families," said Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the state Republican Party. "The sad thing is the Democrats are literally playing games instead of working to get results.”

In the speech, Walker offered a preview of his likely 2018 re-election spiel by promising to cut University of Wisconsin tuition for state residents and touting the state's low tax and unemployment rates.

Hintz said this isn't the first time he has passed out bingo cards to other Assembly Dems before the state of the state. He said he has done it several times before.

This year, the cards gave the Democratic lawmakers something to do during the speech because the Walker administration did not give them a transcript of the governor's talk, the first time Hintz said this has happened. Instead, they were given highlights of Walker's remarks.

In the end, Hintz said he was able to fill in seven squares on his card.

No Democrat, he said, was able to complete a row on the bingo card to win the game. "I don't think so," Hintz said.

Just what you'd expect from the hapless Democrats in Wisconsin. They can't even win a game that they created.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.