How do you spell bitter little leggie? C-O-L-Ó-N

Many of us have been sleepwalking through the Jim Doyle rout that is the JFC budget hearings. However, someone out here has to call out Pedro Colón for his childish and downright petty motion earlier this week to lay waste to the Circus World Museum.

As best I can tell (and yes, I did check), Colón's never taken much of a legislative interest in the museum, which is located in Baraboo. He may be familiar with the Circus World Parade, which used to be held in Milwaukee and was the only day in the year in which real clowns outnumbered the politicians in Milwaukee County.

At least, he never took interest in it until it became an opportunity to be petty.

A rather innocuous provision came up in JFC that would provide state funding to Circus World for fuel and utility costs. Unlike the other state historical sites, the state currently provides Circus World with no direct financial assistance. That was never a huge issue until Scott Walker and Tom Barrett teamed to let the quality of life go to hell in Milwaukee. Besides, it would have been way too expensive to outfit all those circus wagons with armor so they could get through the streets of Milwaukee without being shot up by gang members.

But I digress.

Colón moved to delete the funding for Circus World, a motion that failed 1-15 and even got him gently chastized by Sen. Lena Taylor, who broke out the "do it for the kids" crap that liberals are constantly peddling like hookers and crack on Milwaukee street corners.

So what's with Colón's newfound fiscal conservatism?

How about revenge?

Let's hearken back to September 2005, when the Legislature was taking up veto overrides for AB 100, the 2005-07 budget recently signed by Governor Doyle. One of those override votes would've restored higher reimbursement rates for nursing homes serving patients under MA. The veto passed 64-32, entirely because Colón couldn't be bothered to be present for the vote like 96 of his other colleagues.

Many tales were floated to explain why this is. One had Colón in the Assembly Parlor, so engrossed in something other than the MA debate that he could not hear the Speaker utter those traditionally unclear phrases "the clerk will open the roll" and "has everyone voted as they wish?" Another pinned the blame on Tom Nelson, who allegedly was supposed to reach over to Colón's desk and...

Colón and Nelson discussing legislative matters in the hallway (not pictured: Pedro's sweet bike)

Long story short, Colón screwed up, Doyle was pissed, and Pedro was in the doghouse.

Who was presiding over the body during that vote? Speaker Pro Tempore Steve Freese.

Who now presides over the Circus World Museum? Oh yeah. Steve Freese.

Quelle coincidence!

So what does Colón do? Wait a year and half for an opportunity to remind the world that he's still pissy about the fact that he couldn't be bothered to do his damn job one September evening.

Grow up, Pedro.