Wis. Republicans' Emails Show Plans to Punish Dems

Wisconsin Republicans spent a lot of time dreaming up ways to make Senate Democrats miserable while they were holed up out of state. In a series of emails obtained by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Republicans bat around a slew of ideas, including taking away their computers, their per diem payments, and a year of retirement benefits, the AP reports. "I say we not only make it hurt for them, we have to make it hurt for their staff as well," one aide to Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald wrote.

Another Fitzgerald aide even suggested making each Democrat lay off a staff member, "since one person from each of their office[s] is failing to show up for work (the Senator)." Most of the ideas weren't pursued, due to legal or, more often, public relations concerns. "I would just be somewhat cautious in whatever we do so that it doesn't end up creating sympathy for the Dems," one aide wrote. (More Wisconsin stories.)