Paul Ryan steps down as House speaker before midterms
Paul Ryan is stepping down as Speaker of the House just months before the midterm elections, amid controversies rocking the Republican party. [MSNBC]
Earned Media
Records runaround: In Wisconsin, long delays are common for those requesting documents
“Walker had a political problem because of what happened with the open records debacle a couple of years ago,” said Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now. [Capital Times]
MSNBC guest unloads on NRA’s ‘top dog’ Paul Ryan for holding closed door town hall to avoid Parkland teens
“It’s been 915 days since Paul Ryan held a town hall here in the state of Wisconsin,” Ross explained. [RawStory]
Joanna Beilman-Dulin: Gov. Walker’s tweets can’t stop blue wave
An executive whose party suffers historic election losses lashes out with angry tweets. Where have we seen this before? [Capital Times]
NRA’s Top Dog Paul Ryan
A Wisconsin political activist ripped into Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Saturday morning for holding a private town hall that did not include his own constituents. [MSNBC]
The blue wave continues as Dallet smashes Screnock
Wisconsin voters took a sharp turn to the left in Tuesday's election, electing the first non-incumbent liberal to the state Supreme Court in a generation. [Lakeland Times]
Should Walker Be Worried?
“This would be a Category 8 hurricane,” chortled Scot Ross, the liberal leader of One Wisconsin Now, in a story by the Washington Post. [Urban Milwaukee]
Republicans warn of ‘blue wave’ in November after Rebecca Dallet’s win
Democrats, progressives and the largest voting block in the country are energized and realize the power they have to make change with their votes. [Wisconsin State Journal]
Wisconsin Votes a Blue Streak
WMC set a new low, violating the privacy of children who were the victims of sexual abuse ... The voters have spoken, overwhelmingly rejecting these tactics. [The Progressive]
Rebecca Dallet beats Michael Screnock in race for Wisconsin Supreme Court
"Scott Walker, you hear that WAKE UP CALL?" Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now said in a statement. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Democrat wins bitter, costly race for Wisconsin Supreme Court
"Democrats have traditionally lost competitive races in the spring ... But there's been a year and a half of activism, getting people organized." [Washington Post]
UNSPUN: April 04, 2018
[WMTV-TV]
Dallet wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race
Progressive group One Wisconsin Now issued a one-line statement: "Scott Walker, you hear that WAKE UP CALL?" [Associated Press]
Devil’s Advocates Radio: April 3, 2018
It’s Election Day and we look to the tea leaves and Scot Ross to give us an idea of what to expect. [WRRD-AM]
‘Trailblazer’ Peg Lautenschlager, state’s first female attorney general, dies at 62
“When other prosecutors treated the rich and powerful with kid gloves, as U.S. Attorney, Peg’s white collar sentences were the toughest in the nation.” [Wisconsin State Journal]
Former state Rep. and Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager has died
"Her house was always bustling with electric enthusiasm," said Scot Ross, executive director of the political group One Wisconsin Now. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
What’s the deal with this referendum on getting rid of Wisconsin’s state treasurer?
Because the Treasurer is not involved in the state budget process ... it serves as the ideal custodian to protect the integrity of the funds. [Capital Times]
Victim’s family asks WMC to take Supreme Court ad down
Meanwhile, liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, which has worked to discredit Screnock, sent a letter to WMC’s Board of Directors. [Wisconsin State Journal]
Group wants ad criticizing Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate stopped
The criticism of the ad comes from several victims advocates as well as the liberal-leaning, One Wisconsin Now group. [WITI-TV]
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Rebecca Dallet says opponent Michael Screnock has Koch backing
Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now argued that Americans for Prosperity-WI is essentially "the field operation for turning out Republican voters in elections." [PolitiFact]
Wisconsin GOP operative Mark Block details pivotal yacht meeting between Cambridge Analytica and billionaire backers
This raises serious questions about the connections between Scott Walker’s [campaigns]... and this growing international scandal," said Analiese Eicher. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Michael Screnock’s work defending Didion, dairy producers draws fire from liberal, conservation groups
Joanna Beilman-Dulin at One Wisconsin Now said voters should not trust a candidate who has sided with “big corporate polluters and recklessly unsafe employers.” [Wisconsin State Journal]
Milwaukee family says political ad identifies sexual assault victims
A Milwaukee family says it's outraged after seeing a political advertisement on TV that they say identifies child victims of sexual assault. [WTMJ-TV]
Third court rips Scott Walker after he calls elections ‘unnecessary’
“Two thirds of the offices Scott Walker has held came because he won a special election, including one for State Assembly and one held in an even year.” [Shareblue]
Why A Judicial Race In Wisconsin Is A Big Deal For Midterms
The Supreme Court race is “a statewide election and it’s the kind that conservatives have been winning since 1995,” said Scot Ross. [Buzzfeed]
State GOP, business lobby dump money in Supreme Court race
Reports filed with the state show of the roughly $900,000 Screnock has raised for the race, 38 percent, or $345,000, came from the state Republican Party. [Associated Press]
The Strange Race for Supreme Court
Some $1.5 million has been spent by the WMC to support him, including ... $898,430 for the general election, according to figures compiled by One Wisconsin Now. [Urban Milwaukee]
Are Wisconsin GOPers Blocking Elections To Protect Their Gerrymander?
“The elections would create pressure points for people,” Scot Ross, executive director of the progressive group One Wisconsin Now, told TPM. [Talking Points Memo]
Are Wisconsin GOPers Blocking Elections To Protect Their Gerrymander?
“The elections would create pressure points for people,” Scot Ross, executive director of the progressive group One Wisconsin Now, told TPM. [Talking Points Memo]
Michael Screnock wants to continue his public service on the Supreme Court
He has also faced scrutiny for not saying whether he would step away from cases involving the state’s business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. [Wisconsin State Journal]
Advocates call on Green Bay to expand early voting
Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal Madison group One Wisconsin Now, and state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, urged the city to offer early voting at UW-Green Bay. [Green Bay Press-Gazette]
Devil’s Advocates Radio: March 22, 2018
Mike Browne and the Devils connect the dots between The Smoking Man, Mark Block, Scott Walker, Cambridge Analytica and Dark Money. [WRRD-AM]
UNSPUN: March 21, 2018
Today our analysts discuss the legislative session that ended Tuesday night. Other topics discussed include the Supreme Court race. [WMTV-TV]
Walker calls special session on school safety
The liberal group One Wisconsin Now accused Walker of trying to hand the school safety checkbook to a "fellow NRA lackey," Brad Schimel. [Lakeland Times]
Tammy Baldwin’s Tough Reelection Fight in Hyperpolarized Wisconsin
“You couldn’t have two more different people,” Scot Ross, who leads the progressive group One Wisconsin Now, told me. [New York Magazine]
The dark days of open government
As Matt Rothschild and Scot Ross pointed out in a joint column, Walker has generally been a hostile force to transparency for much of his tenure as governor. [Lakeland Times]
Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s fight to win back Wisconsin for Democrats, explained
First thing Walker does in the morning is check the polls, stick his finger in the air, and then figure out how to spend our tax dollars based on the first two. [Vox]
Calendars show former sheriff David Clarke did little business in Milwaukee County in 2015-2016
"It was a complete and total abuse by David Clarke," said Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. [WITI-TV]
Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Michael Screnock ‘vow to uphold’ the NRA platform?
The mailing, revealed by the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, urged NRA members to vote for the "pro-Second Amendment" Screnock. [PolitiFact]
Judge suggests Twitter compromise
A similar lawsuit was filed in October against three Wisconsin state representatives who blocked the Twitter account for One Wisconsin Now. [World]
Devil’s Advocates Radio: March 12, 2018
Scot Ross joins the Devils to criticize Scott Walker for his Open Records Award. [WRRD-AM]
GOP Crusader Walker Reaches to Center in Volatile Wisconsin
"In trying to win a third term, Scott Walker is campaigning as if his first two terms did not exist," said Scot Ross, director of One Wisconsin Now. [Associated Press]
Matt Rothschild and Scot Ross: Open records watchdog FOIC’ed up with Walker award
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council could not have picked a worse recipient for its political openness award than Scott Walker. [Capital Times]
Joanna Beilman-Dulin: Judge Michael Screnock campaigns against himself
If Michael Screnock applies his own rhetorical standard for judges to himself, could he earn his own support? It seems the answer would be no. [Wisconsin State Journal]
GOP partisan hack Brad Schimel makes laughable claim he’s “independent”
According to records obtained by One Wisconsin Now, Schimel invited a lobbyist from the NRA into his office on his second day in office. [Democratic Party of Wisconsin]
Wisconsin Democrats Demand Special Elections
Mike Browne, deputy director of the progressive organization One Wisconsin Now, said the governor is stalling. [Public News Service]
Scott Walker Refusing To Hold Elections GOP Might Lose
The fact that Scott Walker is afraid to hold elections when he’s on the ballot in nine months is not the worst story to have out there. [Talking Points Memo]
Gov. Scott Walker shifts position in reaction to school shootings
“To know where Governor Walker will end up, you need to follow the money and look at what he’s done, not what he’s saying today,” said Scot Ross.. [Associated Press]
Supreme Court candidate Michael Screnock releases email that won NRA backing
An NRA mailing sent to voters in Wisconsin before the primary, obtained by the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, said that Screnock "vowed to protect your firearm freedom." [Associated Press]
Trump’s judicial nominees for Wisconsin spark protests
“He is not qualified for a lifetime judicial appointment and he ought to do the right thing and withdraw himself from consideration for this nomination” [Wisconsin Gazette]