Friday, September 14, 2012
A Dane County judge has declared Act 10 — the budget repair bill — as unconstitutional at both the state and federal levels.
The law that ended most collective bargaining rights for public employees was struck down Friday by Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas. According to our media partners at Fox 6 News, Colas ruled Act 10 — the budget repair bill — as null and void because the law violates both the state and US Constitutions. Specifically, the law violates the guarantee of freedom of speech and citizens' freedom of association. Colas' 27-page decision is summarized in The Capital Times, quoting the judge's primary reason for his decision as " (Act 10) single(s) out and encumber(s) the rights of those employees who choose union membership and representation solely because of that association and therefore infringe upon the rights of free speech and …
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Party leaders and delegates offer up some advice for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan on what will be the biggest speech of his life.
TAMPA, FL -- All eyes will be on U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan on Wednesday night as the Wisconsin congressman formally accepts his vice presidential nomination in a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention here. Patch chatted with Wisconsin delegates and other party leaders in Tampa about Ryan's acceptance speech and asked them what they thought he needs to do to introduce himself to America. __________________________________ Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch: "Paul Ryan just needs to go and be himself. Paul Ryan is loved in Wisconsin. Paul Ryan is a hero not just to the GOP in Wisconsin, but to all of us who share his values, who share his love of the outdoors, his love of family and his Midwestern virtues that he is going to bring to …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson and businessman Eric Hovde appear to be frontrunners, but many voters still undecided - which could help candidates Mark Neumann and Jeff Fitzgerald.
When conservative voters went to the polls in Wisconsin’s recent recall elections, their choice for candidates was pretty clear. Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Republican primary, however, poses a difficult decision for voters — and a clear favorite is far from evident. Hedge fund manager and businessman Eric Hovde; former Gov. Tommy Thompson; state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald; and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann will face each other in the statewide primary. The winner will advance to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin in the Nov. 6 election for the seat left vacant by the retirement of Democrat Herb Kohl. Gov. Scott Walker, who has said he will remain neutral in the primary, said the quartet of candidates have combined to offer voters …
Saturday, August 11, 2012
A Patch survey of Wisconsin Republican "insiders" say they see Ryan as a strong conservative.
A Patch poll conducted Saturday found that Wisconsin Republican insiders are enthusiastic about Mitt Romney’s decision to tap Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. The overwhelming majority of respondents — 96 percent — to the "Red Wisconsin" Survey agreed that the selection of Ryan will "galvanize" support for Romney in the Badger State. "I absolutely love Romney making a bold decision like this," said one GOP influencer. "I believe I speak for the majority of conservatives when I say we have been waiting for Romney to make this sort of decision — a very specific one — for months... I am excited, and I believe Romney just showed he is all in. Game. Set. Match. " Added another respondent: "Paul Ryan is a great pick for …
Friday, July 6, 2012
With no limits on contributions, Gov. Scott Walker raised $37 million over the course of the recall — roughly the same amount both his opposition and independent groups spent.
Gov. Scott Walker raised $6.7 million in the final days before and weeks immediately after the June 5 recall election, according to his campaign. That brings Walker's total fundraising during the recall to $37 million and his total cash on hand, accumulated since he took office in January 2011, to $1.6 million. Meanwhile, other candidates and independent groups raised $37.4 million during the recall, bringing total spending to more than $70 million. In May, $62 million had been pumped into Wisconsin recalls. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat who lost to Walker in both the 2010 race and the recall, raised about $2.5 million during the recall's home stretch; $6.3 million from March 30 to June 30. He spent $6.6 million and had $250,000 …
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Also, Ryan deflects any talk about vice presidential nod, but Walker hints that he wouldn't mind seeing a home-grown executive-in-waiting.
Wauwatosa – Introduced by state Sen. Alberta Darling as Wisconsin's Republican "superstars" of national politics, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday blasted away at President Barack Obama's fiscal policies in a joint press conference in Wauwatosa. The occasion: The fourth anniversary of a speech by then-candidate Obama in Fargo, ND, in which he branded President George W. Bush's $4 trillion increase in the national debt "irresponsible" and "unpatriotic." There was no question, though, that despite his name being mentioned only sparingly at first, the event was all about promoting Mitt Romney, Obama's Republican opponent in November. Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, went on the warpath first, saying that after…
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Experts, exit polls point to numerous reasons why Republican governor defeated Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett: money, turnout and displeasure over the recall process.
Tuesday’s recall election was the ultimate course of action that Wisconsin residents could have taken to unseat Republican Gov. Scott Walker. However, the nature of the recall process itself might have been a big reason why Walker became the first U.S. governor to survive a recall attempt when he defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Just 49 minutes after polls closed, major news outlets across the country called the race for Walker as vote tallies trickled in. Ultimately, Walker posted a 7-point victory — garnering 53 percent of the vote to Barrett’s 46 percent. In 2010, Walker won by an almost identical margin — 52 percent to 47 percent. “Unlike a normal election, a recall puts the burden on the challenger to explain why the incumbent …
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Revisit Patch's real-time coverage of Tuesday's historic recall election in this replay of our Election Night blog.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Wisconsin voters headed to the polls in huge numbers Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state's historic recall election — and keep Gov. Scott Walker in office. Patch's live blog provided updates from polling places throughout the Milwaukee area and well as reports from the Walker and Tom Barrett campaign parties, and plenty of comments from readers.
State elections officials predict turnout of 60 percent, but some local election officials say the number could go higher.
State election officials were estimating turnout for Tuesday's election at 60-65 percent, but it appears suburban Milwaukee communities could smash that mark. Patch is compiling anecdotes and voter counts from throughout the area. If you have news to share of high turnout or your experience at the polls today, Tweet us @SEWisconsnPatch or email milwaukee@patch.com. Shortly after noon at McKinley Elementary School in Wauwatosa, 600 of 1,340 registered residents in Ward 17 had voted, or 45 percent, the highest figure in a sampling of voting sites. Shorewood Village Clerk Sherry Grant said turnout was close to 50 percent in the entire village before 2 p.m. "I think we are going to exceed what the state has been predicting (for voter turnout…
Sunday, June 3, 2012
New Orleans news anchor with a familiar name wants his many new followers from the north to know he isn't their governor.
There are many Scott Walkers in the world, and quite a lot of Tom Barretts as well, only two of whom are running for governor of Wisconsin. In fact, there are at least three more of each in Milwaukee alone, according to online directories, and no doubt they take some ribbing from friends and likely get some unusual comments from strangers for their names' sake alone. But it's unlikely even these homegrown soundalikes are as often mistaken for a certain candidate in the upcoming election as is a Louisiana man well known in his own right – Scott Walker, news anchor at WDSU TV in New Orleans. "The other Scott Walker," as he has taken to calling himself lately, has been hearing about his Wisconsin doppelganger for years, and more and more in …
The Anti-Alinsky
3:27 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Bewildered, Half the fun is proving Johnny wrong. The other half is as you pointed out, seeing him shoot himself in the foot. Johnny's posts are the written equivalent of watching Jack-Ass. more ›