Newsroom

Soglin: GOP Destroying World-Class Wisconsin University System

Contact Speaker Michael Huebsch and his co-hort Representative Stephen Nass, and let them know that you object to their destroying Wisconsin’s world-class educational institution. Wisconsin used to take pride in its university system supported by a bipartisan consensus to create a world-class educational facility. Now, under the leadership of the GOP-led state Assembly, the University of […]

Tax Day Blues? Not for Corporate Wisconsin

You’ve paid your Wisconsin income tax. Wouldn’t it be nice if Corporate Wisconsin did, too? Take a look at this list of corporate giants. Chances are you paid more in state income tax than did any one of them:MicrosoftMcDonald’sMerckPepsiCoGeneral ElectricSears.Budget Rent a CarKimberly-ClarkAppleBoston MarketDeereFrito-LayKmartStokeley-Van CampVictoria’s Secret In fact, chances are you paid more in state […]

Tax Day Rally in Milwaukee

True Majority and Citizen Action of Wisconsin are having a Tax Day rally to tell Congress to stop spending endlessly on the Iraq War. Rather, they are demanding that our elected officials should be investing in America’€™s future. The details for the rally are as follows: What: Milwaukee Tax Day! Invest in America When: April […]

Who Supports Wisconsin’s Iraq Tax?

While people are rushing to file their income taxes all across the state, it seems appropriate to focus on the tax that we are paying for the war in Iraq. The Bush administration and its facilitators in Congress bemoan taxes but continue to spend those dollars in Iraq. Senator John McCain is essentially promising more […]

Books for prisoners; Can you help?

The non-profit Wisconsin Books to Prisoners (WBTP), in conjunction with Rainbow Bookstore (Madison), sends books, free of charge, to prisoners in Wisconsin and other states who request them. They need your help. Many prisons have antiquated, non-accessible, and, in some cases, non-existent library facilities. As a result, prisoners have little or no reading or educational […]

Vets Disenfranchised by VA

Of all the people in the world to NOT advocate for veterans, in a million years, would anyone had guessed it would be those fine folks at the Veterans Administration? Well yeah, but not a decade ago. This is just another prime example of how this administration has their oppressive thumb on every facet of […]

J.B. Van Hollen Should Get Sirius

Is J.B. Van Hollen running out of work or something? Yesterday it was reported that the Wisconsin Attorney General sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, asking them to block a proposed merger of Sirius and XM satellite radio. Is this really an issue that should get such prominent treatment from the Wisconsin AG? […]

Straight Talk Express Can’t Get McCain to DC for the People’s Work

While he’s out on the road glad-handing lobbyists and raising millions of dollars from corporate donors, John McCain seems to be forgetting one thing – his duty to his constituents. According to the Washington Post, McCain missed 304 votes in the 110th Congress—that’s 56.8% of the total votes by the Senate for the session. In […]

Some Make Mistakes while Others Commit Fraud

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Laurel Walker reported this week that between 65 and 100 people in Oconomowoc voted at the wrong place last week. Actually it seems that this has been going on for several years. The voters in question live in two 24-unit condo buildings and have been voting in one district while actually […]

Pausing the Draw Down and Muting the Prime Minister

Gen. David Petraeus told Congress this week that he is recommending that President Bush ‘€œpause’€ the draw down of troops in Iraq this July. Bush has accepted that recommendation ‘€œleaving open the possibility that about 140,000 U.S. servicemen and women will still be in the war zone when the next president takes office.’€ Not only […]

Call Obama’s & Clinton’s bluff on the war

Military Families Speak Out is challenging U.S. Senators —starting with two named Obama and Clinton — to filibuster and stop President Bush’s request for more money for the Iraq war and occupation, another $102-billion. The Senate Democrats’ excuse for inaction has been that it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster, so they have held […]

Lobbyist Fundraiser Near Keating Five Anniversary Shows McCain Out of Touch

Twenty-one years to the day after he attended the second meeting to put pressure on federal regulators which became known as the Keating Five scandal, John McCain is showing how out of touch he is by continuing to cozy up to lobbyists. A new report from Public Campaign Action, shows a real mixed record on […]

Compact Deal Finally Reached

In 2005 Great Lakes Governors signed off on an agreement to protect our region’€™s most important asset, the Great Lakes. To be implemented the compact had to be approved by all of the Great Lakes state legislatures. Earlier this year the Wisconsin State Senate finally approved the compact by an overwhelming 26-6 vote. Unfortunately the Assembly […]

Wisconsins Growing Income Inequality

The Center on Wisconsin Strategy and the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families released an analysis showing that the gap between the rich and poor is growing in Wisconsin. While Wisconsin still fares much better than the national average and most other states, it has been moving in the wrong direction over the last number […]

All Contributions Matter

On Monday we drew attention to All Children Matter, the pro-private school vouchers group founded by a Michigan Republican billionaire. Specifically we pointed to a recent unanimous ruling by the Ohio Elections Commission that the right wing group illegally funneled $870,000 into the state. The body also fined All Children Matter $5.2 million for their […]

Disenfranchising 40,000 People is a Crime

Yesterday a coalition of groups, including the One Wisconsin Institute, formally launched an effort to restore voting rights to felons that have served their time in prison. Under current law, convicted felons can’€™t vote until after they are off probation. In some cases this disenfranchises people for decades even after they have already served their […]

All Election Laws Matter

All Children Matter, a pro-private school vouchers group founded by a Michigan Republican billionaire was fined $5.2 million for illegally funneling money into Ohio campaigns. This is the same group that is under investigation in Wisconsin after the State Elections Board determined in 2006 that it violated election rules here. In a 5-0 decision, the […]

80,000 More Jobs Lost: Bush-McCainomics Remains Awesome!

The Bush-McCain economic blueprint of tax cuts for the rich and corporate bailouts continues to cost American jobs with the latest news that over 80,000 were lost last month alone. That’s on top of 152,000 more since the beginning of the year. And McCain wants to stay the course.  “So my friends, we can fix this economy. […]

AFL-CIO’s Newby on McCain Invitation No-Show

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President David Newby has it spot-on regarding John McCain’s unwillingness to join a roundtable to talk with working people about the incredible challenges facing families under the current economic disaster of George Bush and his cheerleader John McCain.  Read what Newby had to say, after the jump. “On Tuesday, workers in Annapolis Maryland held a workers roundtable to […]

McCain’s Memphis Malarky

John McCain is going to Memphis tomorrow to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. Nice change of pace for a man who in 1989 voted against the establishment of the birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national holiday. Thankfully, McCain failed and the holiday honoring Dr. King was eventually […]

Trend in voting rights legislation to follow

The Kentucky House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to automatically restore the voting rights of certain felons. (See http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=8105451&nav=menu203_2) Rep. Parisi of Madison is currently sponsoring legislation in the Wisconsin Assembly to the same effect. “Felon voting” was a huge issue in the 2004 Milwaukee elections fiasco. Legislation like this would allow felons […]

The One Good Result

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) successfully bought a corporate majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week. They accomplished their goal in the most dishonest and deceptive of ways, churning out a nonstop flow of deceptive ads. They were successful at kicking out one of the most brilliant minds and first ever African American on […]

Now he tells us: Sykes agrees Gableman ’embarrassing’ candidate

Even Charlie Sykes, who has no shame, is embarrassed — not by the kind of campaign that WMC and Mike Gableman ran, but by the candidate. He posts this comment from someone he calls a “savvy listener”: Shame on conservatives from letting 2006 hangover result in putting up such a completely lame slate of candidates. […]

Mental illness is a health problem, too

Over the years I have heard hundreds of heart-wrenching stories about individuals and families who suffer as a result of health insurers failing to provide the same coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments. One Wisconsin woman shared with me an especially poignant story that illustrates the imbalance of the current system. […]

Have you no sense of decency, Charlie?

“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Said more than 50 years ago by Joseph Welch in the famed Army-McCarthy hearing, the phrase should be directed this Wednesday morning to Charlie Sykes, the WTMJ radio talk nut. Justice Louis Butler was unseated by a narrow margin from the State Supreme Court in voting yesterday and […]

Vulture Fund’ Kingpin Gets $40,000 in Late Cash to Gableman

Paul Singer has come to Wisconsin in the form of $40,000 in late contributions to Judge Mike Gableman from himself, an executive at his company and couple of people with Singer’€™s same last name. Singer is the slug who’€™s made his money by operating so-called ‘€œvulture’€ funds, where he purchased government bonds from poor counties […]

Where’s the Outrage Journal Sentinel?

Exactly one year ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thundered with rage at Linda Clifford. The Supreme Court candidate had the temerity to use the name of the might Journal Communications newspaper’s name in an autocall going to potential supporters that referenced, well, the Journal Sentinel’s endorsement of her. In virtually the last seconds of the […]

Justice Appointments Better Left to the Pros

Direct democracy is a necessity in this country. Being able to vote in open, free elections is important and everyone should have a voice to decide who works in their government. However sometimes appointments should be left to the governor and not to the voice of the Wisconsin voter.Such is the case in the current […]

Rightwing Radio Takes off on Pedro Coln

You can tell a lot about a political candidate by the enemies he or she makes. In Pedro Coln’s (D-Milwaukee) run for the Milwaukee City Attorney’s race, Coln has gained the enmity of the usual suspects on rightwing radio. Both Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling ripped into Coln Monday though not offering any argument against […]

Welcome to Fantasy Island: 501 E Washington

Over the weekend the Associated Press ran a story pointing out the striking similarities of the current fight for Wisconsin’€™s Supreme Court and a new John Grisham novel, The Appeal. I have not read the book but just hearing some of the details, it seems like someone at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) got an […]

Murder Case Went Nowhere with Tough Talking Gableman

Honestly, is this some kind of a sick joke? The guy that has been running around the state claiming to be tough on crime sat on a murder case for two years or more? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dan Bice has revealed the details of a homicide case while Michael Gableman was Ashland County District […]

Gableman Company: Man on Dog Macaca?

Mike Gableman’s largest donors come from Colorado it turns out. John & Carolyn Saeman of Denver wrote $20,000 in checks to Wisconsin’s Gableman a couple of weeks ago. The Saeman’s, who run an investment company in the Rocky Mountain State, are also big fans of George “Macaca” Allen and Rick “Man on Dog/Savage Love Noun” […]

Forget Sunshine Week Already?

It was just last week that the state media did blanket coverage on issues of open records and open government. It is part of a tradition that they call Sunshine Week. Apparently after only a week they are already burnt out from open records issues. Yesterday the Burnett County District Attorney began looking for a […]

Pedro Coln Sweeping Away the Cynics and Naysayers

What can bring together the Milwaukee mayor, the DA, and virtually the entire City legislative caucus in a divisive election season? Pedro Cola³n running for City Attorney. Reads the Shepard-Express endorsement: (Mu)ltiple conversations with Colon, and really listening to his plans for the office, have won us over. We enthusiastically support state Rep. Pedro Colon […]

Scott Walker Knows Better than the Women Folk

Hey Scott, Thanks so much for explaining to me what’€™s wrong with Milwaukee County in your latest mailer. You know the one I’€™m talking about, with the little blond girl on the front, in a police uniform with a badge that reads ‘€œCity of Toyland.’€ Now, it all makes sense to me’€”you’€™re not playing around’€”the […]

Davis’s Home Town Paper Calls for Health Care Action

Citing this week’s comprehensive FamiliesUSA report showing five uninsured adults between ages 25 and 64 die each week due to no health care insurance, The Monroe Times editorialized on the importance the state legislature act on real health care reform. The Times, the home town newspaper of Rep. Brett Davis an opponent of the $2 billion health care cost […]

Two Milestones Too Many

Two terrible milestones in March: The five-year anniversary of the Bush attack on Iraq, making our adventure there longer than any in the U. S. history of wars; The 4,000th death of a U. S. soldier, sailor or Marine during the occupation.Two Milestones Too Many Two terrible milestones in March: The five-year anniversary of the […]

My Debate with Michael Gableman

Several newspapers have noted Michael Gableman’€™s inability to let go of his constantly repeated talking points. Even when a conservative paper tried to ask him about a case that he has used to criticize his opponent, he remained evasive. We can now see with less than a week to go, that Gableman simply refuses to […]

Talkative Walker Hits the Mute Button

There is less than a week before Milwaukee County chooses a County Executive and the incumbent has been all over the place with his campaign talking points. He has been shoving his way to nearly every camera and open mic that he can find, to ‘€œput lipstick on the pig‘€ that is his administration. Although […]

McCain on Housing Crisis, Its a Short Discussion

Earlier this week John McCain finally decided to address the housing crisis that has been devastating for so many people and to the entire economy. Unfortunately his speech offered no actual solutions for the many families feeling the full weight of the crisis. The great plan offered by the man that ‘€œdoesn’€™t really understand economics?’€ […]

Wal-Mart ISO Corporate Rubber Stamps

Heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune have given at least $6,000 to Mike Gableman’€™s campaign for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Who knows how many countless dollars they may have given to the right wing front groups like WMC to churn out sleazy ads? So why would out of state fat cats from the world’€™s largest corporation […]

For us or against us? Lobbyitis

Wisconsin, the People’s community Re: lobbyist’s and special interest’s contrary to Wisconsin Interests We people of Wisconsin have the responsibility and the authority to make the rules and decisions of our Wisconsin Community. Our Government is the infrastructure which is to carry out our demands. The Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce represent only business and business […]

COME TO RISE UP MILWAUKEE: RHYTHM FOR A REASON

For Release On: March 25, 2008 For more information contact: Jennifer Epps 414-443-0682 Fed up with Injustice, Milwaukee Residents “Rise Up” More than 1,000 city residents unite to solve Milwaukee’s economic crisis Milwaukee is facing harsh economic times. In response, residents are “Rising Up.” At 5 pm on Saturday, March 29th, just 3 days before […]

Can the Real Gableman Please Stand Up?

Supreme Court candidate Michael Gableman has traveled around the state complaining about specific cases in which incumbent Justice Louis Butler rendered a decision. Although Gableman repeatedly fails to offer a legal argument that Butler applied the law incorrectly, he and his allies continue to use these selected cases as a basis for removing Butler from […]

Walker campaign caught lying to reporter

You won’t find it in the newspaper, but Scott Walker’s campaign for Milwaukee County executive was just caught lying to the Journal Sentinel about the use of actors in a new television commercial. Only political junkies who read the “All Politics” blog on the paper’s website will get the story, and even then it will […]

Milwaukee to mark 4,000th death

It’s happened. The American death toll in Iraq has reached 4,000. Across the country, antiwar activists will mark that grim milestone with vigils, marches, and other actions. In Milwaukee, Peace Action Wisconsin and Veterans for Peace will hold a vigil and procession of caskets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at the VA […]