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[marfa]

Ah, but if Walker can raise funds, he can also plaster the media with ads.  I always hit the "mute" button on the remote when he appears, but I'm not sure how many others do the same, or how many others just gag at his stupid-looking expression when his image appears on the screen.

We're getting these weird commercials in our part of the state--We see maybe 2-3 seconds of an ad with Nelson Mandela before it's interrupted with a Scott Walker ad.  The juxtaposition is jarring.

[larryc]

I was delighted to see the million recall petitions. But now I am afraid that Walker will win the recall with huge amounts of out-of-state money and a divided Democratic opposition. Wisconsin forumites, please tell me that it won't go down like that.

[proftowanda]

Ah, but if Walker can raise funds, he can also plaster the media with ads.  I always hit the "mute" button on the remote when he appears, but I'm not sure how many others do the same, or how many others just gag at his stupid-looking expression when his image appears on the screen.

I'd be happy if our local state senator would run, but I haven't heard anything to suggest that he will.  The senator is not among those you've mentioned, proftowanda, if it matters.  It might matter that he's not from Dane County, though.  Likewise, there is a state rep who got some attention during the height of the protest season last spring who could make a decent contender, but I don't think he's thrown his hat in the ring yet.

Just learned that Walker turned down double-digit federal money (about $37M, if I remember correctly) to be put toward health care because he didn't want to accept federal money under "Obamacare" until the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the proposal otherwise known by that moniker.  Pure Tea Party politicking all the way.  Yep--that's a good plan.  Make health care unavailable or unaffordable for a lot of people until someone comes up with a plan you can agree with--which will still make health care unavailable or unaffordable for many.

Oh, I know Walker's big bucks may make this all moot, in a way -- but the important thing is to stop even more of his agenda, and those many newbie legislators who acted like lemmings may like their jobs and look at all this and wonder whether they ought to read the bills next time, not to mention read the rules, the laws, and the like.

As for Walker turning down yet more federal money, what's with his flip-flopping on this, huh?  He was going to take the funds.  Let's look forward to the first story about the sad death of a child due to Walker's refusal to ensure health care.  (That does put in context many of my reasons for being so angry at his destruction of the great traditions of our state.)

Who is your legislator?  Vinehout?  That's another name that I've seen, and I find her admirable, but see above re what happens to women in Wisconsin politics who want the big boyz jobs as well as that she's part of the Fab Fourteen, and the dissing already of some of them as candidates.  (I disagree with that reasoning, but it seems to have momentum in the last couple of days on the local blogs, so I have to pay attention to it.) 

I would like to see Anyone But Someone From Dane County, Again, too.  (Doyle, after all, did a lot of destruction, too.)  And aren't you Up North?  I'm partial to Up Northerners, more like Populists than Dems.  If I had my druthers, I'd make Bob Jauch the governor for life.

[barred_owl]

We love Bob Jauch around these parts, proftowanda!

[proftowanda]

We love Bob Jauch around these parts, proftowanda!

I come from Superior people, as the family liked to joke, and he reminds me of my father, ever since I saw Jauch at a legislative hearing here years ago.  He is so courtly toward the public, even if not "his" (district) constituents.  However, having watched him ever since, especially this year in memorable videos on Wisconsin Eye and Youtube, I saw that he also can rain down holy terror on anyone who is dismissive of the public and our great state traditions.  Exactly like my dad.  He lost his temper rarely, but you did not want to be nearby.

My father really was a Populist, raised in the Farmer-Labor Party (still extant across the river in Minnesota, of course, where we also had family).  He often had to vote Democratic, of course, but many a time could not stomach how centrist were Democratic Party candidates.  He was fine with FDR and Truman, who also could rain down holy terror, of course.  But I well recall that in later presidential elections, my father drove my party-line mother to distraction, when he voted for the likes of Jesse Jackson and Godfrey Cambridge.

[history_grrrl]

Like others, I desperately want Walker out of office. But I'm concerned that there's a strong "anyone but Walker" sentiment out there, and that some truly terrible Democrats are going to reap what others have sown. Many people in Wisconsin are suffering due to the policies not only of Walker but also of his Democrat predecessor, Doyle (as someone else pointed out earlier), and those folks stuck their necks out to instigate change. I can't stand the thought of someone like Kathleen Falk slithering into power on the backs of those folks. I have a similar impression of Tom Barrett, who ran a non-campaign against Walker for governor and couldn't bring himself to take a public stand in support of unions when they were (and are) under attack. Indeed, he offered to act as a negotiator between the GOP and the opposition at a time when, frankly, what was called for was taking a side. Most of these Democrats are pro-worker in rhetoric only, if that, and I do not trust them to defend workers' rights and union rights.

[proftowanda]

Ah, historygrrl, is that the issue of the union leaders with Barrett?  How did I miss that?  Do you remember when that was, so I can track it down?

I share your concerns about the Democratic field in general.  I just was out for a fish fry with others who worked for the recall, and they are so sanguine that Walker will be out.  I think that's incredibly naive; there is a big difference between signing a petition to want Walker out vs. marking a ballot between Walker and Unknown Quantity Who Also Comes with Baggage, as they all do. 

Plus, add in the worst voter ID law in the land, more layers of voter suppression with new laws, and the history of other Republican voter suppression tactics and outright illegalities in crucial Waukesha County, and I am not at all sanguine about recall election results in terms of turning out Walker and Kleefisch -- barring yet more perp walks of Walker workers and more fun from the John Doe investigations.  (But what is it with indictments only of gays and lesbians?  I have to wonder if Walker decided to throw some of his workers to the wolves to keep investigators away from the larger lair, so he figured he'd give them the gays and lesbians?)

However, I hold hope for winning a seat in the Senate, flipping the balance of power, and the Walker recall and others still are important steps to slow down Walker, Fitzgerald, et al., in furthering the rest of their agenda.

[marfa]

...barring yet more perp walks of Walker workers and more fun from the John Doe investigations.  (But what is it with indictments only of gays and lesbians?  I have to wonder if Walker decided to throw some of his workers to the wolves to keep investigators away from the larger lair, so he figured he'd give them the gays and lesbians?)

I've been trying to follow the John Doe stuff, but can't figure out what's going on.  What's this you're saying... the people taking the fall are gays or lesbians? Is this common knowledge??

[history_grrrl]

Proftowanda: I'm not sure I can find specific links, but I had numerous conversations with friends in Madison (nearly all of whom are state employees) during the "uprising" and heard their concerns about which Democrats were nowhere to be seen. Barrett was certainly one of those. ("Where's Tom Barrett in all this?" was a frequent refrain.) I did come across this item, in which Barrett proposed a "compromise" that would have imposed the health and pension cuts to public employees (and would have extended them to the public safety folks):

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116873358.html

Of course, the fact that Barrett already lost to Walker (having run a lousy campaign) gives one pause; it seems to me it was another one of those "Democrats snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" scenarios. Maybe Walker would have won anyway, but it helps if the opponent cares enough to put up a fight.

However, I gather that some of these union leaders are pushing Falk, which is an equally terrible idea, in my opinion. Marty Beil is the sleaziest, most undemocratic labor "leader" I've ever encountered (yes, I confess I'm biased; he "represented" me, and most of the unionized state employees I know well have been trying to oust him for well over twenty years). He would (and did, and will) sacrifice the membership on a dime to serve his own corrupt interests. And I've heard that the president of the firefighters union has been floating the possibility of his own run for governor. So I'm not sure either of them is in the best position to represent the rank-and-file's views on who should and shouldn't run.

I admit I have a soft spot for Doug LaFollette, even though everyone I know agrees he's kooky and doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Peter Barca is someone I trust on labor issues, given his own background. Maybe Feingold could win, but he probably doesn't want to take a chance. Mostly I hope the new governor isn't someone who just wants to be governor. This is how I think of Barrett and Falk. Neither of them is a "people's" candidate, if that makes sense. Neither is driven by a profound commitment to promoting democracy or challenging economic inequality. My sense is that these are the issues people were championing last year; it would be a sin and a shame if the candidates aren't doing the same.

And isn't there still a GOP majority in the legislature? Even a kick-ass Democrat will have trouble with that. An icky Democrat? Forget about it.

[marfa]

I couldn't bring myself to watch the State of the State address last night.  But, I did read some headlines this morning:
More on the John Doe investigations
and
Wisconsin's open for business!

[proftowanda]

I couldn't bring myself to watch the State of the State address last night.  But, I did read some headlines this morning:
More on the John Doe investigations
and
Wisconsin's open for business!

The perp walks are coming closer to Walker with every story, every indictment, it seems.

The story is unclear about "what did he know, and when did he know it?" but the answer between the lines is intriguing.  So is the mention, again, of immunity from prosecution for his mouthpiece to keep talking, isn't it?  Now we'll see whether any of those indicted also want to plea-bargain for less than, say, four felonies.  Ouch.

[mountainguy]

Not Wisconsin, but relevant:

A major public employer in my parents' right-to-work state is proposing the phased elimination of health care coverage for future retirees, including many current employees already vested in the system. Someone please tell me again why labor unions are evil?

[gsawpenny]

Uhh...my union backed this very idea.

I don't dislike unions, just union leaders who line their pockets with our dues, ensure they and their cronies get the largest and biggest first, and who in reality really don't care about the workers.

[kaysixteen]

Yes, but that's a problem with the union membership electing such clowns.

[gsawpenny]

Fair enough, but I have never seen a name on a ballot that I liked.  It seems to me like a rotation of the same set of crooks.

But I have to agree, my fellow members put them in there.