Scott Fitzgerald admitting his agenda on Fox News, March 2011

While Governor Scott Walker got the lion's share of attention over the assault on public unions in Wisconsin, the truth is that his right hand man in the whole agenda was Senate Leader Scott Fitzgerald, member of the Fitzgerald dynasty in Wisconsin. Wisconsinites knew, though, and Scott Fitzgerald was the subject of a recall as well. Within a fairly short period of time, more than 20,600 of his constituents—roughly 12 percent—signed the petition to recall Fitzgerald.

But given how little respect Wisconsinites have gotten from Scott Fitzgerald, is it any wonder that he expresses disdain for his challenger in the most dismissive and sexist of terms?

In comments to the Wisconsin State Journal, Fitzgerald argued that his opposition wasn't really being driven by his challenger, Lori Compas, but by unions, protest groups and her husband. From the paper's report:

For the record, Fitzgerald said he doesn't buy Compas' Pollyanna image. He knows some people are painting the race as a David-vs.-Goliath contest. But Fitzgerald said he thinks her husband is one of the main forces behind her campaign, as well as unions and protest groups.

"I don't for one minute believe she is the organizing force behind this whole thing," he said.

While Wisconsin Republicans have been arguing for months that unions exert undue influence in the political process in the state, Compas was reportedly "audibly stunned" when told of the state leader's remarks about her husband.

"That is pretty insulting, but it does seem in keeping with his general views on women," she told the paper. "He doesn't seem to have a lot of respect for them. That's OK; he can keep underestimating me."

For the record, Compas' husband is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. However, to belittle Compas as a puppet of her husband ignores her long-standing and very prominent role in the We Are Wisconsin movement and the recall of Scott Fitzgerald.

Lori Compas has already survived fake Democrats placed on the ballot by Republican strategists to foil the recall. Unfortunately, she's behind Fitzgerald right now with little party support. If you'd like to show your support for Compas against the misogyny and anti-unionism of Scott Fitzgerald, there's an ActBlue page set up for her campaign here.