Quick Question

By Jeff Simpson

If Rick Gudex, as a full time brand new State Senator, has the time to home school his kids, aren't we downsizing the wrong governmental body?

25 Post Election Thoughts!

#1 First and Foremost - Mike Tate has to go, today is NOT soon enough.  In a night of a pretty successful national democratic national night, and one where we delivered two national victories, we once again took a statewide beating. 

I get that the republicans have a huge funding advantage, but we have a strong committed membership and some great candidates.   I get that the republicans were so unethical in the redistricting process(but not sure the rest of the electorate does - hint hint), but still if we can not beat such people as Andres Jacque or Robin Vos then there is a problem. 

We can not as a state afford to keep losing, and Tate's record speaks for itself.  It is time for a change in leadership.

2.  The biggest loser of the night was Public Education in Wisconsin.

3.  Democrats need better messaging, its plain and simple.  What do the republicans truly stand for?  Who knows?  It is no coincidence that the republicans started winning more elections when they hired Frank Luntz.  

4.  Can we as a democratic party please stand up for Collective Bargaining rights?   When no democrat mentioned restoring collective bargaining rights as a major issue, that put us behind the eight ball.  When having a discussion about this with a solid democrat who I respect immensely, she asked me what I would call someone who obviously supports collective bargaining rights, but does not push them as a major issue because it should be assumed.

My answer to that was (and is) I would call them the minority party.  

5.  It is time for the elected representative to become leaders. Have a plan of attack and draw a line.  Pick some issues that they all stand behind, and stand like a rock.   Sometimes, it appears, that some of the democrats in the "safe seats" are very comfortable in the minority. 

6.  I would personally like to thank Paul Ryan for helping deliver Wisconsin to President Obama.  I would also like to thank Rob Zerban for running a great campaign and putting himself out there.   He pulled a very large percentage of the votes considering that Ryan spent $4 million dollars with silly ads and redistricted to make his district much more friendly.   FYI to the democratic party, Ryan is beatable.  There is a reason Ryan ducked debates and hid from his district.    

7.  Paul Ryan 2016??  Please God! 

8. Once upon a time, Morals and Ethics mattered.  Once upon a time, the Republican party ran as the party of values.  

 The republican voters of Racine showed us that this is all a distant memory, by re-electing Robin Vos.

9.  Be prepared for the next fight - Wisconsin becoming a forced-to-work-for-less state.  Its coming.  

10.   I do respect the service that Tommy Thompson has given to Wisconsin.  However he ran such a bad campaign and has taken such a hard right turn to win the primary that he deserved to lose.  Not only did he deserve to lose, but he deserved to lose to an openly gay woman!   

11.  Anti Gay Marriage amendments lost all over the country, we were a couple years to early in putting ours to a vote(still a black mark on Wisconsin).   In the next election cycle, can we have a referendum declaring Julainne Appling illegal?  

12.  What does Mitt do, since he planned his whole life to be president, now that the country has rejected him twice?   Hint:  See Todd Marinovich.

13.  It was great to see democratic women(statewide and nationally) make a huge inroads.  

14.  Every republican who shared their crazy views on abortion, was punished for it at the ballot box.  All except 1 - Paul Ryan! That is why many republicans will not discuss their views on abortion.  

15.  Education won in many districts, in terms of passing referendums throughout the state to increase funding, yet we keep electing anti education representatives.   It should not be that hard for the democrats to make that connection and put that message out.

16.   I am very proud to have voted for President Obama twice.   Everyone on my ballot, who I voted for, won!

17.  Everyone on the left needs to accept that money makes a huge difference in politics and work from there.  It is important to work to change that, but its even more important to embrace it!

18.  We need to find a way that incumbents are not automatically elected.  People say they hat career politicians, yet continually vote for the same person over and over.

19.  Shame on the Fox valley for not re-electing Jessica King.   Jessica is a true American success story and someone who "raised herself up by the bootstraps" and is a true public servant!   She is what America is all about!   I hope she runs again!

20   My son had a "mock election" in his school.   President Obama won handily and Tommy Thompson also won.   It seems the kids did not like tammy because she said the D-word.  My son tried to make the case how that was ridiculous reason to vote against her, to no avail.   It shows that the same ads that appeal to the republican base are also making a difference in the perception of 2nd - 4th graders.     Must be on the same intellectual level. 

21.   I used to make fun of the "tea party" but now I realize how important they are to the democratic party!   They helped deliver numerous seats to the democrats!   So Thank you and please stay around! 

22. Mitt Romney & Paul Ryan, both lost every ward, state, etc.... voting area where they originate from.   Romney lost Michigan & Massachusetts, and lost.  Paul Ryan lost not only Wisconsin, but also Rock County and his home ward!

What does that say about you, when the people who know you the best, solidly reject you:???

23.  Congrats to Heidi Heitkamp, Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Warren, Jon Tester, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders. Claire McCaskill and Tim Kaine on your solid wins!

24.  Let's hope the blatant racism that the national republicans and Reince Priebus ran on will never happen again! 

25.   Capper delivered the perfect line summing up last night! 

 Enjoy the victory for a few days. You've earned it. Then come back and we'll get back to work. We helped save the country, now we gotta save the state.

The work now has to come, not fighting the republican party, but in changing the party from within!

On to the next election!  

Your thoughts???

WMC Shows Their True Colors

They are UGLY!  

H/T Jessie Opoien!


Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce(WMC) recently put out an anti-Jessica King TV ad.   The problem is the person who they used against her, supports her!  

If you’ve seen an ad attacking State Sen. Jessica King, D-Oshkosh, for voting against the northern Wisconsin mining bill, you probably think a man named Lyle Balistreri is very angry with the senator. You might even think he wants her out of office.

It’s a reasonable assumption. Balistreri, the president of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Council, is seen on screen, in old interview footage. His face is juxtaposed with a picture of King, her phone number and the words, “Tell her to stop playing politics with our jobs.”

There’s just one problem. Lyle Balistreri supports King.

Balistreri says his comments were taken out of context by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the group behind the ad.

“It is unfortunate that these comments were taken out of context,” Balistreri said in a statement. “Politicians need to put aside partisan politics and do what voters elected them to do — create jobs. Few industries have been hit harder by the Great Recession than the building and construction trades and as President of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, I fight every day in every way for the working men and women of this state. I support Jessica King and know she will put working Wisconsinites first. Wisconsinites are tired of the same old partisan politics, we need to put our differences aside and create jobs.”

The question you have to ask is, if WMC is that dishonest and unethical, why would anyone want to do business with them?  


Contact WMC President Kurt Bauer and ask him to be honest in his ads!  

Phone: (608) 258-3400
@Kurt_R_Bauer


Finally support Jessica King if you can, to help her fight off this ridiculous attacks!  

Gudex Is No Damn Good

Check out this ad about the misogynistic Rick Gudex, who has already sold out to the AFP and WMC in his attempt to unseat Senator Jessica King:



As you can imagine, No-Good Gudex mewled about the ad, saying how unfair it is. I wonder if he ever stopped to think how unfair his position against women's rights are.

H/T Wisconsin Soap Box

Jessica King: "My Story"

What an excellent ad!



She opens herself up and tells it like it is, something which is so very sparse in politics today. She deserves another term more than almost anyone else in the legislature.

You can learn more about Senator King and how to help at her website.

Three Emerge Wisconsin Alumnae Running For State Senate This Fall

From Emerge Wisconsin:

Emerge Wisconsin has trained 100 Democratic women to run for office.
Twenty-seven Alumnae are running this fall including three who are running for State
Senate: Senator Jessica King, Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Nikiya Harris and
Tanya Lohr.

“When Senator Jessica King won her election last year, we were very proud to have
her as our highest ranking alumna. Senator King has led the way for two more of her
Emerge sisters to follow in her footsteps.” Wendy Strout, Emerge Wisconsin
Executive Director.

Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Nikiya Harris, Class of 2011, is running for the
State Senate seat being vacated by Senator Spencer Coggs (SD 6).

Senator Jessica King (SD 18), Class of 2007, is running for re-election this fall. She
won her State Senate seat last year against one of the recalled GOP State Senators.
Tanya Lohr, Class of 2012, is running against the notorious Senator Glenn Grothman
(SD 20).

“Emerge Wisconsin is proud that our program has produced strong women who are
not afraid to take on the tough fights. Emerge women are proving that they are ready
to run, whatever the climate, whatever the seat.” Bethany Ordaz, Emerge Wisconsin
Board chair.

Launched in 2007, Emerge is the only organization in Wisconsin that provides
Democratic women with the comprehensive training they need to achieve their
political aspirations. Emerge Wisconsin is part of Emerge America, a national
movement and premier training program that addresses the under-representation of
women in office at the local, state, and federal level. There are Emerge affiliates in
ten states: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New
Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Emerge was founded to create a legion of
Democratic women leaders for generations to come.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I do some volunteer work for Emerge Wisonsin, a fact of which I am very proud.

Randy Hopper The Sequel

Randy Hopper Stories never get old.

A quick recap Of Randy Hopper Randy Hopper was a spoiled rich child from the Fox Valley who bought himself a Senate seat as a solid family man. The problem was during the recalls when someone unwittingly knocked on his door, his wife(who signed the recall petition) told them that they were searching the wrong place. The "man of the house"(term used loosely) Randy Hopper was no longer living there, he was now residing in Madison with is 25 year old lobbyist girlfriend Valerie Cass! Luckily for all of us in the State of WIsconsin Randy Hopper was successfully recalled and the true public servant Jessica King was elected to replace him!!

Fast forward a few months of unemployment later and Randy Hopper and his very young mistress were partying on a Sunday! The problem was Randy Hopper decided to hop behind the wheel after having a few too many. Randy Hopper was then arrested for Drunk Driving. Hopper, did as most all republicans do when they get caught red handed(1. Claim to be the victim, and 2. Hire a trial lawyer). Unfortunately his whiny claim of victimhood, and his excellent trial lawyer was able to get him off all charges of drunken driving. Seems republicans can skip out on any laws they feel like not adhering too.

The problem for Randy Hopper though, and the great thing for the rest of us, is that the special prosecutor Frank Endejan, has decided to appeal a judge's decision to dismiss a case against the former state senator.

Special prosecutor Frank Endejan, who handled the previous cases for the county, signed the notice of appeal. Numerous attempts to contact Endejan were unsuccessful. District Attorney Dan Kaminsky said the "decision to appeal is one made by the special prosecutor who by law performs all duties of the district attorney on the case for which he is assigned." Kaminsky said he consulted with Endejan regarding the appellate issues and procedure and put him in touch with assistant attorney generals who are experienced in the appeal process. "My understanding is that the appeal is intended to address the standard a judge should use in deciding whether an officer may request a suspect submit to a blood alcohol test," Kaminsky wrote in an email.

Let's hope justice prevails this time! Here is Randy testifying during his first trial.


 Here is some advice that Mr. Hopper and his paramour had better follow in the future!

Senator Jessica King To Hold Corrections Listening Sessions

State Senator Jessica King has announced  that will be hosting a legislative listening sessions focusing on the impact of workplace changes in our correctional institutions.

The gentle reader will remember that I informed them about the ongoing problems going on in our state correctional institutions. These problems are stemming directly from Act 10 and Act 38, which are putting our correction officers directly in harm's way.  Despite informational rallies aimed at raising awareness of the situation, these problems are continuing.

The information about Senator King's listening sessions are as follows:

May 14:

WHAT: Listening Session on Corrections Issues 

WHO: Senator Jessica King
Minority Leader Senator Mark Miller
Senator Jon Erpenbach 

WHEN: Monday, May 14
12:00 to 5:00 PM 

WHERE: UW Fond du Lac, Large Group Instruction Room
400 University Drive, Fond du Lac

May 15:

WHAT: Listening Session on Corrections Issues 

WHO: Senator Jessica King
Minority Leader Senator Mark Miller
Senator Jon Erpenbach
Senator Jennifer Shilling 

WHEN: Tuesday, May 15
12:00 to 5:00 PM 

WHERE: Waupun Public Library
123 South Forest Street, Waupun

May 23:

WHAT:     Listening Session on Corrections Issues

WHO:       Senator Jessica King

                 Representative Gordon Hintz

                 Minority Leader Senator Mark Miller

                 Senator Dave Hansen

                 Senator Lena Taylor

WHEN:    Wednesday, May 23

                 12:00 to 5:00 PM

WHERE:  Reeve Union, UW Oshkosh

                 Room 213

                 748 Algoma Blvd

We Haven't Hit Rock Bottom Yet?!

When I was but a lad of nine years old, I got a President for my birthday.  On August 9, 1974, my ninth birthday, Gerald Ford was sworn in as President of the United States.  Ford had the formidable task of trying to heal the nation after it was rocked by the scandalous Richard Nixon.

Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace, because he and his scandalous behaviors had taken the nation to rock bottom - the point at which the people wouldn't and couldn't stand it any more and demanded  change to the situation.

Fast forward too many years and I again find myself receiving two politicians, Jessica King and Jennifer Shilling, for my birthday.  And as with Ford, these two were elected because of their predecessors' scandalous and amoral behaviors.

The two Republicans they defeated were scoundrels through and through.  Dan Kapanke, defeated by Shilling, had a long history of violating campaign finance laws and the Freedom of Information Act.  Randy Randy "Bed" Hopper was having an adulterous affair with a lobbyist and not even living in the district he represented or voted in.

But what really got the citizens of the state riled up was how they unquestioningly went along with Scott Walker's assault on the working class, the poor, women and even kids.

Having hit rock bottom for many people, they demanded that these attacks stop. When the Republicans willfully failed to heed the people, the people took up their legal rights and initiated recalls.

Six Republicans were at risk of losing their seats in recalls.  But after the dust settled, only the two seats were claimed back by the people.  Two of the surviving Republicans, Robert Cowles and Sheila Harsdorf, were in districts so red that, as one tweeter quipped, they'd vote for a goat if it had an "R" after its name.  Another Republican, Luther Olson, won by a narrow margin, even though he hails from the birthplace of the GOP.

The last race, which was awarded to incumbent Alberta Darling, is shrouded in yet another scandalous cloud of incompetence and election tampering in Waukesha County.

Now two of the Democrats did themselves no favors by shooting themselves in the foot with some really stupid mistakes.  Shelly Moore, running against Harsdorf, fumbled out of the starting gate by using public school email for her campaign.  Sandy Pasch failed to make a clear divide between her campaign and an action committee she is part of, including using the committee's treasurer as her campaign treasurer.

While the Republicans are crowing that this is some sort of mandate, like Darling is foolishly doing, it is anything but that.  First of all, they lost two seats and the Democrats have lost none.  Secondly, while millions of Wisconsinites are seeing what's happening, and are righteously outraged by it, there are still millions more that haven't hit that rock bottom point yet.

I can't say when it will happen, but they too will reach the point that the rest of us are at.  It could be when they realize their schools aren't in the great shape that Walker and the Republicans claim, and their kids are piled into overly-filled classrooms.  It could be when the fee hikes kick in and they're paying much, much more than they've ever had to pay before.  It could be when a loved one, a friend or a neighbor loses or is unable to gain the assistance they need due to severe budget cuts to the programs they need.  It could be when they lose their job when their employer has to close because money is being taken out of the hands of the people and into the coffers of wealthy bankers and businessmen.  It could be when they lose a friend who was shot by a "responsible citizen" exercising their right to carry a gun, even if they aren't properly trained or even fit to be armed.  It could be when they realize they aren't able to make enough money to keep their house, because the unions which kept their wages at a sustainable level are no longer there to protect them, even if they never belonged to the union.

It could be any one of hundreds of different things.

But the one thing that is guaranteed is that eventually the majority of people will finally hit rock bottom and come to realize what a toxic miasma the Republicans are making of our state.

And then we can take the next step in reclaiming our state and continuing the healing process. I only hope it's before too many people get irreparably hurt by the Republicans' maleficence.

Until then, I would just like to thank my fellow Wisconsinites for the lovely birthday gift of two more senators who will do right for the people of this once and future great State of Wisconsin.

Let The Endorsements Begin - First One Goes To King

Via The Chief, we have learned, to the best of my knowledge, the first endorsement of Recall - Phase I.

That endorsement is from The Northwestern and goes to Jessica King

Let's hope that carries some weight and helps carry Jessica to win the election. Both she and Wisconsin deserve it.

The Koch Brother Sock Puppet Show Hits The Road Again

In the spring, with the help of a reader, I was able to show you how the Koch brothers used their heavy hands and poured money into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race through their various front groups.  The Koch-purchased David Prosser paid off in spades almost immediately by ignoring the laws of the land and rubber stamping Scott Walker's union-busting bill without hesitation or thought.

With the help of several friends and allies, we now find that the Koch Brothers Sock Puppet Show is on the road again, this time interfering with the recall elections.

Greg Sargent tripped the whole thing with this article showing that John Buckstaff, the fake Democrat in the race is actually a Republican backer and has donated money to Randy Randy "Bed" Hopper.  Furthermore, Sargent tells us that a flyer that they've been distributing telling people to vote for Buckstaff is aimed at getting Republican voters to cross over in the primary and shut the real Democrat, Jessica King, out of the race immediately.

Also remarkable about Sargent's findings is that the flyer is paid for by a group called "Patriot Advisors."

And this is where we go into the same sordid incestuous intermingling that the Koch Brothers are known for.

Patriot Advisors is headed up by Tim Dunn and Denis Calabrese.

Calabrese, the former Chief of Staff for Dick Armey, is also on the director of the Sam Adams Alliance, yet another Koch Brother front group and money chute. This Sam Adams Alliance also funnels the Koch dollars to other groups like Americans For Prosperity and the Franklin Center for Public and Government Integrity*.

The sharp-eyed reader might have already noticed, but it was the Franklin Center which is quoted in the anti-King flyer.

Just to be clear, the Sam Adams Alliance, Patriot Advisors and Franklin Center are all Koch-funded groups with incestuous ties to each other. One of them is using the other to justify voting for the fake Democrat instead of trying to defend the Republican and his boorish behavior or facing the consequences for his actions.

Or in other words, the sock puppet on the Kochs' right and hand makes some statement, regardless of the whether it's true, half-true or a bold faced lie, and then they have the sock puppet on the left hand repeat the lie in order to reinforce it and give it false credibility.

And I'm sure this scenario is being played out in the other races as well.

And this is exactly why the "get out to vote" over the next few days is so important. We can't let the Koch Brothers continue to screw with our elections. And despite their money and their deceitful practices, we have three things they will never have.  We have the boots on the ground of true Wisconsinites. we have the truth and we have the strong desire to defend our homes from the corporate overlords and their malevolent ways.

As a reminder, here is the list of who's who in the primaries, including the Koch funded phonies.

*To show you the irony of the name of Franklin Center for Public and Government Integrity, look at their most recent hire, Kevin Binversie, who likes to slander people, even the disabled, and makes decisions based on the whims of twenty-something year olds.  Perhaps they should look up the definition of integrity before they start demanding it of others.