Both national and Wisconsin-based Republican operatives tell the Huffington Post the party is being dramatically outworked and out-organized by Democrats in the recall campaigns being launched against state Senators.In related news, I have credible reports that the recall efforts against Republican State Senators Dan Kapanke and Randy Hopper have gathered no less than 60% of the total number of signatures needed to trigger recall elections, while the effort to recall Sen. Alberta Darling has gathered no less than 50% of the total number of signatures need to trigger a recall against Darling.
The operatives, who raised their concerns out of hope it would jar the GOP into assertiveness, argue complacency has taken over after Governor Scott Walker successfully shepherded his anti-collective bargaining bill into law. While the Wisconsin Democratic Party, with major assists from progressive groups and unions, has harnessed resentment towards the governor into a full-throttled effort to recall eight GOP Senators, neither the enthusiasm nor organizational acumen exists on the Republican side of the aisle.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Conservatives: we are being outworked and out-organized in recall efforts
I have to admit this brings a smile to my face:
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
"Miracle on the Hudson" co-pilot withdraws hundreds of thousands of dollars from M&I Bank
Yesterday the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Jeff Skiles, the co-pilot in the "Miracle on the Hudson" crash landing in January 2009, has withdrawn hundreds of thousands of dollars from his accounts at M&I Bank and has deposited those funds in other financial institutions. Explaining his decision, Skiles said, "They have supported Gov. Walker and I wanted to send a message to them."
Skiles is a pilot for US Airways and is a member of the US Airways Pilots Association.
If you'd like to learn more about the effort to boycott businesses that supported Scott Walker's gubernatorial campaign in 2010, here's the Facebook group promoting the boycott effort.
Skiles is a pilot for US Airways and is a member of the US Airways Pilots Association.
If you'd like to learn more about the effort to boycott businesses that supported Scott Walker's gubernatorial campaign in 2010, here's the Facebook group promoting the boycott effort.
This is getting Biblical...
Watch as hundreds of protesters fill up an entire city block in Washington, D.C. to protest the presence of Republican legislators from Wisconsin who happened to be in Washington to raise money on the backs of public employees:
As a friend said, this is getting biblical...
As a friend said, this is getting biblical...
Next Generation PAC to hold meet & greet/fundraiser
From my email inbox comes news of an event next week to meet some great progressive candidates for local office:
NEXT GENERATION MILWAUKEE PAC and Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic invite you to meet Milwaukee’s Progressive Future:
Meagan Holman
candidate for MPS Board District 8
Eyon Biddle
candidate for Milwaukee County Supervisor, District 10
Jason Haas
candidate for Milwaukee County Supervisor, District 14
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
6:30PM – 8:30PM
La Perla Restaurant
734 S. 5th St (Corner of 5th and National) Milwaukee, WI 53204
Come meet three rising stars in Milwaukee’s progressive universe. Meagan, Eyon and Jason are all on the April 5 ballot and endorsed by the NEXT GENERATION MILWAUKEE PAC. They will be available to discuss issues and answer questions in a relaxed, social atmosphere.
Suggested donation: $20.11
Checks payable to "Next Generation Milwaukee PAC"
RSVP:
nextgenmke@gmail.com
or call 414-604-NEXT (6398)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Hypocrisy, thy name is Randy Hopper
I don't know about you, but Republican State Senator Randy Hopper sure doesn't look too upset about putting on an AFSCME shirt to show his support for some of his constituents on lobby day last year:
This is just yet more proof that Randy Hopper clearly can't be trusted, considering his vote in support of Gov. Walker's attack on Wisconsin's public employee unions.
This is just yet more proof that Randy Hopper clearly can't be trusted, considering his vote in support of Gov. Walker's attack on Wisconsin's public employee unions.
Fitz behaving badly
Boy, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald sure is a petty and spiteful man.
Fresh off the heels of the "Wisconsin 14" returning to Wisconsin after their three week stand against Republican efforts led by Fitzgerald and Gov. Scott Walker to cripple Wisconsin's public employee unions, Fitzgerald fired off an email to his Republican colleagues in the State Senate advising them the 14 Democratic State Senators were still in contempt of the Senate, despite the fact that those Senators had returned to Wisconsin. Fitzgerald went on to note the votes cast by all 14 Democratic State Senators in committees would not count, a fact that's dripping with hypocrisy, given that during the time the Wisconsin 14 were out of state, Fitzgerald urged them to return and "do the jobs they were elected to do." Apparently Fitzgerald was only interested in having the 14 Democratic State Senators do their jobs when he was trying to ram through drastic changes to collective bargaining and union organizing for public employees, but once he didn't need those 14 Democrats to ram through his union-busting legislation, Fitzgerald wanted to prevent Democratic State Senators from doing their jobs.
Sen. Fitzgerald later lifted the voting block on the 14 Democratic State Senators, with Senate President Mike Ellis saying, "The name of the game is moving this state forward, putting this stuff behind us." While Sen. Ellis' statement about putting "this stuff" behind us sounds great, I'm betting it won't be easy for the 14 Democrats in the State Senate - or the hundreds of thousands of public employees - to put the loss of their collective bargaining rights and the weakening of their unions behind them.
As if Sen. Fitzgerald's stated intention to deny Democratic State Senators the right to vote wasn't arrogant and spiteful enough, Fitzgerald also released a statement shortly after the 14 Democratic State Senators returned in which he called them "the most shameful 14 people in Wisconsin." That statement earned Fitzgerald a "pants, undershorts, and legs on fire" designation from Jim Stingl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, no small feat to be sure (emphasis mine):
Fresh off the heels of the "Wisconsin 14" returning to Wisconsin after their three week stand against Republican efforts led by Fitzgerald and Gov. Scott Walker to cripple Wisconsin's public employee unions, Fitzgerald fired off an email to his Republican colleagues in the State Senate advising them the 14 Democratic State Senators were still in contempt of the Senate, despite the fact that those Senators had returned to Wisconsin. Fitzgerald went on to note the votes cast by all 14 Democratic State Senators in committees would not count, a fact that's dripping with hypocrisy, given that during the time the Wisconsin 14 were out of state, Fitzgerald urged them to return and "do the jobs they were elected to do." Apparently Fitzgerald was only interested in having the 14 Democratic State Senators do their jobs when he was trying to ram through drastic changes to collective bargaining and union organizing for public employees, but once he didn't need those 14 Democrats to ram through his union-busting legislation, Fitzgerald wanted to prevent Democratic State Senators from doing their jobs.
Sen. Fitzgerald later lifted the voting block on the 14 Democratic State Senators, with Senate President Mike Ellis saying, "The name of the game is moving this state forward, putting this stuff behind us." While Sen. Ellis' statement about putting "this stuff" behind us sounds great, I'm betting it won't be easy for the 14 Democrats in the State Senate - or the hundreds of thousands of public employees - to put the loss of their collective bargaining rights and the weakening of their unions behind them.
As if Sen. Fitzgerald's stated intention to deny Democratic State Senators the right to vote wasn't arrogant and spiteful enough, Fitzgerald also released a statement shortly after the 14 Democratic State Senators returned in which he called them "the most shameful 14 people in Wisconsin." That statement earned Fitzgerald a "pants, undershorts, and legs on fire" designation from Jim Stingl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, no small feat to be sure (emphasis mine):
Let's review. Fitzgerald is a sore winner who went way overboard in defining his colleagues from across the aisle as "most shameful." That put 'em up there with sexting blackmailers. And thieves who steal brass cemetery vases from the dead. And child care cheaters who live in mansions. And pedophile priests.
We rate this one pants, undershorts and legs on fire.
Oh, and by the way....
...welcome to our new temporary home, if in fact anyone out there is reading.
Seriously....where does Randy Hopper live?
Before the untimely (though hopefully temporary) crash of Blogging Blue 1.0, I had written about the extramarital affair of Republican State Senator Randy Hopper, as mentioned HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. In response to the news about Sen. Hopper's extramarital affair, Rebecca Hogan, Hopper's chief of staff, called the accounts "shameful and disgusting," but I think that given the fact that Sen. Hopper ran in 2008 as a "family values" Republican, I think his extramarital affair is what's really shameful and disgusting.
However, while Randy Hopper's extramarital affair is certainly newsworthy (at least in my humble opinion), what might be even more newsworthy are accounts that Hopper doesn't live in the district he represents. Hopper's wife recently told pro-union protesters outside the home she once shared with Hopper that he lived in Madison with his girlfriend, and according to Tony Galli of WKOW, the address Sen. Hopper's office provided as his temporary in-district residence is a Town of Empire home co-owned by a campaign contributor who is also an employee of a radio station owned by Hopper, begging the question: where does State Senator Randy Hopper really live?
However, while Randy Hopper's extramarital affair is certainly newsworthy (at least in my humble opinion), what might be even more newsworthy are accounts that Hopper doesn't live in the district he represents. Hopper's wife recently told pro-union protesters outside the home she once shared with Hopper that he lived in Madison with his girlfriend, and according to Tony Galli of WKOW, the address Sen. Hopper's office provided as his temporary in-district residence is a Town of Empire home co-owned by a campaign contributor who is also an employee of a radio station owned by Hopper, begging the question: where does State Senator Randy Hopper really live?
Drinking Liberally - March 21, 2011
Here's the information for next week's Drinking Liberally...
Greetings one and all!
Though I sent you all an email last month announcing our new meeting date and location, I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you all that Drinking Liberally will be held next week Monday, March 21, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Transfer Pizzeria & Cafe on 1st and Mitchell.
With the attack on public employees by Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican followers in the legislature, now's the time to get together to discuss what we as liberals can do to fight back, and so I'd invite each of you to join us.
Here in Milwaukee County, we have a unique opportunity to rebuke Scott Walker's agenda, as Rep. Jeff Stone, a Scott Walker clone, is running for County Executive. With the election for County Executive only weeks away, we all can send Scott Walker and his clone Jeff Stone a message! As our very special guest at next week's gathering, Jeff Stone's opponent, Chris Abele, will join us to talk about his candidacy and to let us know how we can help get him elected. I hope you'll join us!
Where: Transfer Pizzeria & Cafe
101 W. Mitchell Street
Milwaukee, WI, 53204
When: Monday, March 21, 2011 @ 7:00 p.m.
Regards!
Zach & the Drinking Liberally crew
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)