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07 Apr 2011 14:19

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U.S.: Wisconsin Democrats to file for recall against Randy Hopper

  • Another Wisconsin GOP senator to face recall: In the wake of JoAnne Kloppenburg’s possible State Supreme Court win (pending a mandated recount, as she leads by the narrowest of margins), an unthinkable upset absent Gov. Scott Walker and his union-busting ways, it seems clear that Wisconsin Republicans have a tough road ahead. GOP State Senator Randy Hopper is the latest victim of this, as he’ll be forced to face a recall election; Democratic activists have more than enough signatures to file against him. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2011 00:20

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Politics: More bad news for Walker: Judicial election shows major shift in county-level support

  • 19 counties in WI switched from Republican to Democrat source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2011 00:09

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Politics: In theory, Democrats have enough signatures to recall Scott Walker

  • 541,000 signatures needed to initiate a recall election for Scott Walker, once he’s eligible in 2012
  • 738,000 votes cast for the Democrat in Wisconsin’s judicial election last Tuesday source
  • » A few caveats: First, a lot can change in a year; who knows if Wisconsonites will even be thinking about Walker’s 2011 assault on unions in 2012? Second of all, an obscure judicial election isn’t really comparable to a signature-gathering recall campaign; they’re apples and oranges. Still, this is reason for Democrats to be cautiously optimistic about the feasibility of recalling Walker in a year. JoAnne Kloppenburg, the Democratic candidate in question, has claimed victory in the judicial election, although there will assuredly be a recount.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 09:42

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World: Hotly-contested Wisconsin judicial election faces recount

  • vote A vote for a State Supreme Court seat between incumbent David Prosser and Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg ended with fewer than 600 votes separating Prosser and the progressive Kloppenburg.
  • importance The vote is a key one — and a proxy battle — for Scott Walker, whose contentious anti-collective-bargaining act will likely face the State Supreme Court. The court currently favors conservatives to liberals, 4 to 3. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Apr 2011 22:51

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Politics: Scott Walker: Wisconsin is broke, but if your dad supports my campaign, you won’t be!

  • who Meet Brian Deschane, a 27 year-old from Wisconsin with no college degree, little political experience, and two drunk-driving convictions.
  • what Deschane earns $81,000 a year working a plum job for controversial Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, overseeing various regulatory and environmental matters.
  • why Deschane’s father is a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Builder’s Association, which gave over $120,000 to Walker’s election campaign. source
  • » After just two months on the job, Deschane received a raise of 25%, or $16,500 a year. This wasn’t too long ago; it was around the time Walker said that Wisconsin was “broke,” and has “been broke for years.” If that’s what it’s like to be broke, we don’t wanna be rich!
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 14:24

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World: Recall push against Wisconsin GOPers heating up

  • impetus The Wisconsin Democratic Party has been running at high intensity since Gov. Walker’s anti-union bill passed (a court order has since halted it). Remember, this plan is demonstrably not about fiscal issues, it’s about crushing unions.
  • blowback GOP state Senator Dan Kapanke is feeling the heat, as the Democrats will file 15,588 signatures, enough to force a recall election against him. The biggest fish here is clearly Gov. Walker, but he’s immune from recall for his first year in office. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 20:25

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U.S.: Wisconsin: Judge blocks collective bargaining law once again

  • then Wisconsin-based Judge Maryann Sumi ruled a couple of weeks ago that the just-passed anti-collective bargaining law couldn’t be implemented for procedural reasons. Scott Walker continued to implement it anyway.
  • now Judge Maryann Sumi has ruled again, saying that Secretary of State Doug La Follette can’t do anything to allow the law to take effect. Walker’s folks tried to get around him. With the latest order, they pretty much failed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Mar 2011 22:33

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Politics: Indiana GOP concedes, ending Wisconsin-style standoff

  • wisconsin As you may remember, Wisconsin Democrats fled the state back in February to block the passage of a harsh anti-union bill. Ultimately, their gambit didn’t work, as Republicans were able to pass the bill in the Democrats’ absence using a simple (yet revealing and disingenuous) parliamentary procedure.
  • indiana Five weeks ago, Indiana Democrats tried the same tactic to prevent the state GOP from passing a similar bill that would have severely curtailed worker’s rights. This time, though, it worked, with Republicans agreeing to scrap the most controversial parts of the bill and the Democrats returning to the state. source
  • » What concessions did the GOP make? Several. Most significantly, they removed a provision that would have made Indiana a “right-to-work” state (that is, a state with fewer restrictions on the hiring of non-unionized employees), and pledged not to pass a law banning collective bargaining (it’s already banned in the state via executive order, but that hasn’t been made law). There were a few education-based changes as well, including the elimination of a plan that would have allowed private companies to assume control of fledgling public schools. All in all, both sides are happy to see the end of this stand-of (especially Governor Mitch Daniels, who can now continue half-heartedly mulling a bid for the presidency).
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 10:47

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Politics: VIDEO: Scott Walker pranker Ian Murphy’s crazy campaign ad

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Mar 2011 11:35

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Politics: Oh boy: Wisconsin’s Secretary of State sits on his hands

  • It’s still an act of the Legislature that has not yet become law because I have not yet designated a publication date.
  • Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette • Saying that the Wisconsin collective bargaining thing isn’t law because he hasn’t yet published the law in the official state newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal. Scott Walker and his boys disagree, and the Department of Administration plans to work as if La Follette’s words and actions didn’t really mean anything, but we have to admit it’s fun watching yet another twist in this freaking mess. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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