Re: Republicans had better wake up!
Not a bad assessment
The attempt to criminalize abortion was a good example of what you are talking about.
But as far as a "mandate to do anything they wanted after they were elected" is a far more acccurate description of the newly elected Obama administration.
In Wisconsin, state emplyees were asked to pay 12% of healthcare premiums as opposed to the 6% they are currently paying. The US private employee pays 21% on average. Also Wisconsin state workers on average make about $1800 more that private sector workers in the same fields.
I'm still scratching my head with the outcome on that one.