Democratic Party of Wisconsin - 5th Congressional District

Note: When Republicans had claimed that there were "thousands" of illegal voters in Milwaukee in the last major election, the voter database was reviewed and it was found that the Republicans were using an OUTDATED database which didn't have the new addresses which voters had moved to. Their claims of "thousands" was whittled down to 9 which were "questionable" as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. One of those belonged to an acquaintance of mine, who lived at a house which had converted part of the house to an apartment, and hadn't posted the address on the house, so Republicans claimed that the address "didn't exist".

This scam is very much like what they tried during the 2008 elections when they challenged voters rights to vote because they had recently lost their homes to foreclosure and were living on the street. This was commonly referred to as the "Lose Your Home, Lose Your Vote" scam.

Those individuals can provide a new home address of a shelter where they live, or sleep, if the shelter attests that the voters are living/sleeping there (on their letterhead), and voters provide that information to election officials.

Remember Florida in 2000? Or Ohio 2004? Will Wisconsin 2010 be a repeat?

Not if we can help it.

One Wisconsin Now has uncovered a massive voter caging plot allegedly planned by the Tea Party, the Republican Party of Wisconsin and Americans for Prosperity. Their goal? Throw registered voters off the voter rolls and create long lines on Election Day in student and inner-city voting wards.

We’ve seen this type of voter suppression before -- but this time, with your help, we will stop it.

Send a message to Attorney General JB Van Hollen and the Government Accountability Board demanding a full investigation into the voter caging plot.

http://onewisconsinnow.pnstate.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=463

Usually, voter caging occurs when an official-looking, non-forwardable piece of mail is sent to a group of registered voters, often targeted at minorities and students. The caging operation then compiles a list of voters whose mail was returned as undeliverable. On Election Day, the caging operation will use the undeliverable mail to try to invalidate voter’s registration and create long lines and massive confusion on Election Day.

Of course, the Tea Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin and Americans for Prosperity have denied they are targeting students or minorities¹. But we uncovered documents distributed by the Tea Party showing the first targets for caging were Milwaukee districts 39, 60, and 62. Ward 39 is the campus of UW-Milwaukee and in 2008, 1,891 of the 1966 votes cast, or 95%, came from the Sandburg Residence Hall on the UW-Milwaukee campus. Wards 60 and 62 both cover the Marquette University campus².

We must get to the bottom of this.

Demand that Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen and the Government Accountability Board fully investigate the alleged voter caging plot and put an end to this scheme to disenfranchise tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Wisconsin voters.

https://secure3.convio.net/pn/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=463

The right to vote is our most sacred right, and those forces or organizations that attempt to undermine that right must be stopped. Please take action today, demand an investigation and ensure that all eligible voters in Wisconsin have a chance to cast their vote and have it count.

https://secure3.convio.net/pn/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=463

Thanks for all you do,
Scot

P.S.--We're not going to stand idly by while the Tea Party tries to steal our right to vote. Please help us keep up the pressure for an investigation into their voter suppression scheme and contact the Attorney General and the Government Accountability Board today! Thanks.

________

¹ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/20/2010

² One Wisconsin Now press release, 9/22/2010

Message

I demand an investigation into voter caging plot

Dear [Attorney General Van Hollen, WI Govn't Accountability Board],

One Wisconsin Now recently uncovered audio tapes and previously unreleased documents outlining an alleged voter caging operation planned by the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Americans for Prosperity of Wisconsin and the Tea Party coalition in Wisconsin.

I am writing today to demand you fully investigate this voter caging plot and help put an end to this nefarious practice in Wisconsin.

The right to vote is our most sacred right, and those forces or organizations that attempt to undermine that right must be stopped.

We've seen this type of voter suppression before in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. Please don't let Wisconsin become the next state infamous for voter suppression.

Please fully investigate this plot and put an end to any attempts to suppress the right to vote in Wisconsin.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]

In 2004, I volunteered as a poll observer in one of the inner city locations, and saw that long time residents and voters in the wards had been "redistricted" out of that polling location, to another location much further away. The information hadn't been made available to even the elections officials until just prior to the election, and few had had an opportunity to actually review the information to comprehend the impact. Hundreds of people had been forced to stand in line for several hours, only to find out that their polling location had been changed. There was so much confusion that people had been bounced around between several polling locations before they were able to identify the correct location. Even people who lived across the street and voted at that location for decades, found that their polling location had changed.

This chaos was created by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, whom you may recall had also deliberately reduced the number of ballots which had been printed, even though there had been a record turnout for the primaries. The turnout for that election was so high that the optical scanner which counted the votes and collected the ballots, had become jammed by the ballots, and voters had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get their ballots scanned, as poll workers worked to clear the jam.

It took three hours and repeated calls to election headquarters to get additional ballots because the phone lines were tied up. And the poll workers were short staffed, because half of the workers, all Republicans, never showed up and never bothered to call in to say that they wouldn't be there.

One of the poll workers told me that dozens of long time resident voters, as well as dozens of voters who had been registered there at the polls during the Primaries found that their names had been inexplicably removed from the official voter database, all people she knew from the neighborhood, and had registered herself. She was a long time poll worker and said she had never seen anything like it before.

This was the work of Scott Walker, the person whom Republicans want to be our next Governor.

In 2008, College students from Wisconsin, attending Universities in Illinois were finding out that they were not allowed to vote in Illinois if they hadn't registered in advance, in Illinois, even if they were registered to vote in Wisconsin. The reason was that Illinois does not have same day registration, as Wisconsin does. If they wanted to vote, they had to drive back to their parent's home in Wisconsin where they lived, outside of the school year. (Republicans are using those cases as "evidence" of voter fraud, claiming that Illinois residents were voting in Wisconsin. Students are legally allowed to vote in EITHER their home state of residency, OR the state where they are going to school. There WAS NO FRAUD. In Illinois, the last day to register to vote for the November 2010 election is Oct. 5. Grace period voter registration runs from Oct. 6 to Oct. 26, but you also must vote at that time. In another option to vote, early voting begins Oct. 11 and ends Oct. 28.)

You can avoid these problems by REGISTERING EARLY, and voting absentee, instead of waiting until the last minute.

If you want to vote ABSENTEE, the request has to be made by mail in the office of the Municipal Clerk, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceeding the election. Any ballots received by the clerk's office after the polls close will not be counted. If you vote Absentee, in person, the request can be made up to 5:00 p.m. on the day preceeding the election at the clerk's office for your community. Make sure that there is an accurate date and time stamp on your absentee ballot, and witness in the clerk's office to sign your ballot.

Under existing state law, absentee ballots are available from October 2, but will be made available to overseas military from October 1st on. (Illinois started their absentee balloting on September 23.)

http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/vagWI.pdf provides information on voting requirements and deadlines for citizens who are overseas or in the military.

http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/faq_wisconsin_voting_elections.html has answers to questions and information on the elections process.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2010/sep/11/jim-sensenbrenner/jim-sensenbrenner-says-scott-walker-opposed-massiv/

The Truth-O-Meter Says:

Like me, Scott Walker opposed the 1998 transportation bill and the $9 billion of wasteful spending.

Jim Sensenbrenner on Friday, September 10th, 2010 in a radio ad for the Scott Walker gubernatorial campaign

Jim Sensenbrenner says Scott Walker opposed the massive 1998 transportation bill

Share this story:

If a Mark Neumann TV ad in response to a Scott Walker TV ad is the political equivalent of tit-for-tat, what do you call a response to the response?

In this case, more confusion for voters.

The ad in question is a radio spot by Walker that features U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, talking about a 1998 transportation spending bill that has become a central issue in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

Neumann, in Congress at the time, voted for it. Sensenbrenner opposed it -- and says Walker, then a state lawmaker, opposed it, too.

"Let me set the record straight," Sensenbrenner says in the 60-second spot."I served with Mark Neumann. Mark Neumann voted for $9 billion in pork projects when he was in Congress. He voted yes for wasteful transportation spending. I voted against that bill because it was full of waste and payoffs to special interests. Like me, Scott Walker opposed the bill and the $9 billion of wasteful spending."

So does the blunt-talking Sensenbrenner set the record straight? Hardly.

Neumann did vote for the bill but argues Walker was way off base to link him to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi based on that vote. PolitiFact Wisconsin rated the connection False. In his counter-ad, Neumann says Walker supported the bill at the time. We rated that Barely True -- Walker publicly supported a provision of the measure relating to how some $241 million in federal money for the area could be spent, not the whole bill.

We turned to the Sensenbrenner to ask for support for his statement. His longtime chief of staff, Tom Schreibel, referred us to Walker, saying they got the information from him. Jill Bader, Walker’s campaign spokeswoman, said the basis was Walker’s own recollection this week.

"We had a conversation with Scott in which Scott recalled opposing the bill," Bader said.

Neither Bader nor Schreibel could identify any public statements from the time indicating Walker’s opposition to the bill.

In fact, the only public statements that have surfaced are the ones related to a provision in the bill authored by U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac. That change allowed money set aside mainly for a proposed light rail system to go to freeway reconstruction projects. Walker joined five other state lawmakers representing Milwaukee County in applauding that piece of it.

Any other evidence?

Schreibel said it’s common in Washington for lawmakers to support an amendment to a bill, but vote against the final product: "The pig's ears might be cute, but do you want to buy the whole pig?"

And Bader suggested that because Sensenbrenner was Walker’s congressman, he would have supported Sensenbrenner’s position.

That’s all as much of a reach as the original move by Walker to tie Neumann to Pelosi.

So far the only information on the record from the time shows Walker supported at least a portion the bill. It’s possible that more evidence will surface to back up Sensenbrenner’s claim that Walker joined him in opposing the bill. But for now we rate it False.

About this statement:
Published: Saturday, September 11th, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.
Subjects: Federal Budget, Message Machine, Taxes
Sources:
Scott Walker campaign, radio ad, Sept. 9, 2010

Interview with Tom Schreibel, chief of staff to Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Sept. 10, 2010

Interview with Jill Bader, Walker for Governor spokeswoman, Sept. 10, 2010

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, Governor Defended, May 30, 1998

Scott Walker letter to Journal Sentinel,Transit projects a good use of funds, June 15, 1998
Written by: Dave Umhoefer
Researched by: Dave Umhoefer
Edited by: Greg Borowski
How to contact us:
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Wisconsin Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
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Wisconsin and 5^th Congressional Democratic Party Ticket based on Primary Results of September 14, 2010

http://www.barrettforwisconsin.com/join?gclid=CIP6kNzRiqQCFSVL5wodH2y0JA

Tom Barrett - Democrat, Mayor of Milwaukee, former Wisconsin Congressman, former State Sen., former State Rep. and '02 Candidate, Democratic Primary winner for Governor of Wisconsin, in 2010. He has the strong support of President Barack Obama, and Governor Doyle.

Tom is a graduate of Marquette University High School. He earned a B.A. in economics from U.W. in 1976, and a Doctorate from U.W. Law School in 1980.
Tom served in the state assembly from 1984 - 1988, and the state senate from 1988 - 1992. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in
1992. During his 8 years in the U.S. House, he served on many key committees and sponsored many important bills. In 2000, census redistricting combined Barrett's district with fellow Democrat Jerry Kleczka's district. Rather than run against a colleague, Barrett decided to run for Governor in 2002. He narrowly lost to Jim Doyle. In 2004, he ran successfully for mayor of Milwaukee.
In 2009, returning to his car from the Wisconsin State Fair with his family, he stepped in to intercede on behalf of a woman who was being beaten in a domestic battery incident, ignoring his own personal safety to do the right thing, and having his right hand crushed and head beaten with a tire iron for his efforts. I don't know about you, but for my money Tom Barrett is the guy in this race that is showing the integrity and character I want running this State. The other guy? Not so much.

Go to www.BarrettforWisconsin.com for more details. Phone 414-271-8050 Fax: 414-271-9440 Email: info@BarrettforWisconsin.com

Campaign Donations should be sent to: Tom Barrett for Governor P.O. Box 510796 Milwaukee, WI 53203

(Contrary to Scott Walker's claims, Mayor Barrett has actually created jobs in Milwaukee, which has been repeatedly reported by news media. Scott Walker, on the other hand, has created ZERO jobs in Milwaukee County, choosing instead to hire out of town and out of state workers to take the place of the 20% of county workers whom he laid off. And Scott Walker had outsourced the financial decisions for Milwaukee County to Bear Stearns, a firm which out of their own incompetence as of November 30, 2007, was holding $13.4 TRILLION in DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, and a leverage ratio of 35.5 to 1. In March of 2008, J.P. Morgan offered to buy Bear Stears for $2 per share. A week later J.P. Morgan upped the offer to $10 per share to placate angry stockholders; and the U.S. Federal Reserve ended up bailing out Bear Stearns to the tune of $29 BILLION worth of toxic assets. In an April 2005 edition of, Institutional Investor magazine Bear Stearns was ranked the seventh largest securities firm in terms of total assets. In May 2008, shareholders agreed to the $10 per share sale price, which totaled $1.2 Billion dollars. After buying up Bear Stearns, J.P. Morgan stopped using their name, putting the final nail in their coffin.)

http://www.wisdems.org/news/press/view/2010-08-fbi-files-nick-hurtgen-and-scott-walker-81910

FBI Files, Nick Hurtgen and Scott Walker (8/19/10)

Unanswered Questions About Sweetheart Bond Deal

MADISON - An early Scott Walker supporter who benefited from Walker's largesse was back in the news this week after it was reported that Nick Hurtgen was withdrawing his guilty plea in a federal corruption case in Chicago with ties to the trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Hurtgen, an old friend of Scott Walker's dating to his days with Tommy Thompson's administration, underwrote a bond deal questioned at the time by Milwaukee County supervisors, and later scrutinized by federal investigators.

Scott Walker awarded the $389,000 contract to Bear Stearns, which was locally managed by the later-indicted P. Nicholas Hurtgen. Soon after awarding the contract, Hurtgen helped to arrange two fundraisers for Walker worth $25,000. A 2004 investigation found that the Bear Stearns contract had been awarded improperly. They won the contract from Walker even though their bid cost $90,000 more than a competing company. When public records were sought during that investigation, it was found that most were either “lost” or destroyed. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Bond deal bid was too vague,” 7/23/04; “Bond deal records missing, Choice explanations murky,” 7/15/04)

And Scott Walker is the guy that Republicans want you to support to run the State of Wisconsin as Governor?

Thomas Nelson (D), the Current Majority Speaker in the Wisconsin State Assembly won the Democratic Primary race for Lt. Governor. He is opposing Rebecca Kleefisch ( R ) on the November 2, Ballot. Tony Zielinski, Milwaukee Alderman, bowed out of the race and threw his support behind Thomas Nelson.

Thomas Nelson fought against the Bush Administration attempts to eliminate Wisconsin’s prescription drug assistance for Seniors and won, benefitting over 100,000 Wisconsin Seniors.

Thomas Nelson can be contacted at 1510 Orchard Drive, Kaukauna, WI 54130 http://www.tomnelsonforwi.com/

http://www.russfeingold.org/index_old.html P.O. Box 620062 Middleton, WI 53562
phone: 608/831-7877 | fax: 608/831-3192 | email: campaign@russfeingold.org

Russ Feingold: Standing up for Wisconsin

”That’s just like Russ. Principled, dogged and committed to doing the right thing.” - Abbotsford Tribune-Phonograph, March

17, 2005

Russ Feingold is an independent voice in the United States Senate. He is known as an effective, bipartisan legislator

who is well respected in both domestic and foreign policy. Throughout his service, Russ has always done what he

thought was right for Wisconsin – even when it meant going against the status quo in Washington.

Upholding Wisconsin’s Traditions

“[I]n an age in which most of us feel more disconnected than ever from our leaders – an age in which we feel our

voices drowned out by the volume of lobbyists and their money, we still get unfiltered access to Feingold’s ear.” -

Wausau Daily Herald January 7, 2008

Russ is also a recognized leader in the bipartisan fight to cut wasteful spending and reduce the nation's growing deficit. A multi-year winner of the Concord Coalition's deficit hawk award, he leads efforts to reinstitute the Pay-As-You-Go budget rule that enforces anti-deficit limits on federal budgeting in Congress. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, he has worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reform budget rules and restore fiscal sanity to the congressional budgeting process.

Reforming the System

“But when it comes to bucking the go-along-to-get-along culture of Congress, it takes characters like…Feingold to

put a thumb in the eye of the old-boys club.” - Beloit Daily News, January 8, 2009

Best known for leading the fight for campaign finance reform in the Senate with Republican Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Russ has been a tireless leader in a number of bipartisan reform efforts - including his key role in the successful effort in 2007 to pass historic congressional gift ban and lobbying disclosure legislation. Russ and Senator McCain have teamed up yet again to cut wasteful spending by eliminating earmarks that send billions of taxpayer dollars to unauthorized projects across the country every year.

He has worked with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on efforts to reform our health care system and give states the power and resources to ensure that all of their citizens have affordable health care coverage. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has teamed up with Russ on issues ranging from providing good dental care and life-saving defibrillators to people around Wisconsin and across the nation, to efforts aimed at ensuring that our first responders – those on the front lines every day – have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.

Strengthening America

“…Feingold is right. This country’s war is with al Qaida, its outlaw network around the world and state sponsors of

terrorism. That war is not being prosecuted with the vigor and relentlessness it deserves, because U.S. boots are

stuck in the Iraqi sands.” - Beloit Daily News, September 13, 2007

As a member of the Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, and as Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, Russ brings a critical focus to the fight against terrorism. He strongly supported going after al Qaeda in Afghanistan following the attacks of September 11, 2001. He opposed the decision to go to war in Iraq, which took our focus away from finishing the job in Afghanistan, where the Taliban and al Qaeda forces have reconstituted themselves. Russ advocates targeting al Qaeda aggressively, so that Afghanistan will not be used again as a launching pad for attacks on America. However, it is far from clear after years of warfare that a larger military presence there would advance this goal. Russ believes we must heed the lessons of Iraq and recognize that in the long run, regional diplomacy, government reforms, and infrastructure development may be more important to Afghanistan 's success – and to our own national security – than committing additional troops.

Protecting Our Rights

“He showed a willingness to stand up for the rule of law and for the American people.” - The Monroe Times, July 10, 2008

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Feingold has brought critical attention to the need to combat terrorism without undermining our rights and freedoms. He has been a leader in the fight to fix the USA PATRIOT Act, as well as wiretapping legislation. As Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, he’s consistently fought against various types of discrimination so that all Americans are equal under the law.

Background

In 1917, Feingold's family settled in Janesville, Wisconsin, where he was born to parents Leon and Sylvia on March 2, 1953. Feingold graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975, received a degree from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 1977, and then went on to Harvard Law School, where he earned his degree in 1979.

In 1982, in his first try for elective office, Feingold defeated a longtime incumbent and was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate for the 27th District. Feingold was reelected in 1986 and 1990. When Feingold first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992, he won a tough three-way primary, and went on to defeat a two-term incumbent. Feingold was reelected to the Senate in 1998 and 2004.

Senator Feingold has two daughters, Jessica and Ellen. Feingold is a member of Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He lives in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Senate Committees

-- Committee on the Judiciary
-- Constitution Subcommittee, Chairman
-- Committee on Foreign Relations
-- Africa Subcommittee, Chairman
-- Committee on the Budget
-- Committee on Intelligence

Biographical Highlights

- Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992; Re-elected in 1998 and 2004.
- Elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1982; Re-elected 1986 and 1990
- Practicing Attorney, Madison, Wisconsin, 1979 to 1985, at Foley & Lardner and La Follette & Sinykin

Education

- Harvard University Law School, Juris Doctor with Honors, 1979
- Rhodes Scholar, Final Honours School of Jurisprudence, Magdalen College, Oxford University, Bachelor of Arts with Honours, 1977
- University of Wisconsin - Madison, Phi Beta Kappa, Bachelor of Arts with Honors, 1975
- Janesville Craig High School, Janesville, Wisconsin, 1971

Todd Kolosso running against Jim Sensenbrenner for the 5^th CD Congressional seat.

Todd is running to unseat Jim Sensenbrenner in the 5th CD. Todd is the owner of a Menomonee Falls based small business. He is a husband, father, and lifelong resident of Wisconsin. He is a graduate of Marquette University High School. He attended Marquette University for 2 years, but graduated from American University's School of International Service. He also attended universities in Mainz, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. Todd has created and operates a commercial real estate company, and owns a small retail apparel company in Phoenix, Arizona, with over 40 employees.

Leah Horn
Campaign Manager
Kolosso for Congress
262-255-2750 KolossoforCongress.com

Mill Building N88 W16447 Main Street, Suite 100 Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 www.KolossoForCongress.com

Democratic Candidate for Attorney General Scott Hassett (D)

Former State Natural Resources Secretary & Attorney, is running for Attorney General against incumbent Republican J.B. Van Hollen.

As a trial attorney, Scott handled civil and criminal litigation in state and federal courts for 22 years. He has done extensive work representing law enforcement personnel at every level of government. At Lawton and Cates, he was involved in many of the environmental cases - including those involving groundwater pollution and toxic waste. Scott has always been an advocate for environmental concerns. He was appointed by Jim Doyle as Secretary of the DNR in 2003, and served for 5 years. As DNR Secretary he led an agency of 2700 employees with a budget of $500 million. The DNR's enforcement division alone represents one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state - comparable in size to the Department of Justice.

Note: The incumbent Attorney General - Van Hollen - has shown hard right partisanship. He received $3 million in support from WMC. (He also has refused to get involved in Consumer Protection issues, a complete reversal of his predecessor’s policies. (Democrat - Peg Lautenschlager fought for consumer protection – particularly in the area of predatory lending.))

SECRETARY OF STATE: Doug LaFollette (D)

STATE TREASURER: Dawn Marie Sass (D) being challenged in the Primary by Dan Bohrod (D) DAN BOHROD For STATE TREASURER

3634 Hovde Rd., Madison, WI 53704 Tel. 608.217.8461 Email: BohrodforTreas@gmail.com Website: www.bohrodforstatetreasurer.com

For donors or volunteers for Waukesha County candidates contact: Jeff Christensen
(262) 352-0027 chairman@waukeshadems.org

Senate District Boundary Map also available at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ltsb/redistricting/senate_districts.htm

Jim Sullivan (D) a moderate, is running for re-election in Wauwatosa, and represents the 5th Senate District.

(He's being opposed by Tea Party favorite Leah Vukmir ( R ) currently the 14th Assembly District Rep. (Scott Walker's old job.) Apparently she thinks she deserves a promotion after being named one of Wisconsin's 10 Worst Legislators by Milwaukee Magazine. She's running on the fraudulent claim that Governor Doyle and Democrats in the State Legislature raised taxes by $5 Billion. Rebecca Kleefisch is running on a similarly fraudulent claim, but she uses a smaller number. Even Politifact, which has been recently fudging the facts to favor Scott Walker, has rated her claims to be false. Question: Why would the Journal Sentinel be so lax in their investigations of Scott Walker? Would it have anything to do with the fact that Politifact / Journal Sentinel Senior Editor Greg Borowski went to college with Scott Walker? (Greg Borowski graduated from Marquette University in 1989, Scott Walker attended Marquette University but dropped out in 1990. His records are sealed, so even though investigations revealed that he had been disciplined for activities he engaged in while running for student body President, while a Sophomore and he dropped out in 1990, no reason was given, nor details provided. Even his grades were sealed.) Even members of her own party in the State Legislature consider her positions to be extreme.)

L.D. “Red” Rockwell of Elkhorn for the 11th Senate District

Contact: L.D. “Red” Rockwell (262) 742-4306 ld.jarockwell@elknet.net

Elkhorn – L.D. “Red” Rockwell announced that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 11^th District in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Rockwell will be running on a platform of strengthening the State of Wisconsin via stronger education and a cleaner environment. “I want to see our Senate representation start to focus on the things that are important to the residents of the 11^th Senate District”, stated Rockwell. “Let’s achieve via two of our greatest resources: education and the environment.”

Rockwell sees education restructuring of classroom size, additional teacher aides and lessened state government involvement in administration as a means to improvement. “We have got to allow our teachers to get back to the business of teaching while giving them the resources they need to get the job done”, stated Rockwell.

“In Wisconsin we are so lucky to have some of the most pristine lakes and rivers that highlight our natural scenic grandeur. It is incumbent upon our government to work at ensuring this gift in a sustainable way” said Rockwell. “We need to clean our waterways, foster the usage of renewable energy , and reduce with the goal of removing coal fired plants, especially those on our University campuses. “

This will mark the second consecutive election that Rockwell will challenge Neal Kedzie for the 11^th Senate District. The district includes parts of Waukesha, Jefferson, Walworth and Kenosha counties.

Rockwell, an Elkhorn resident, grew up and attended high school in Madison. He joined the Air Force and was awarded the Bronze Star with 'V' Device. Mr. Rockwell retired from the Air Force after 20 years. Mr. Rockwell resides in Elkhorn with his wife, and is the proud parent of three children. (The "V" Device is for Valor, so you know he didn't get his Bronze Star for pushing paper.)

Dwayne Block (D) 637 Daisy Lane, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 for the State Senate, District No 13, www.blocksenatecampaign.com opposing incumbent Scott L. Fitzgerald ( R )

State Assembly District Maps available at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ltsb/redistricting/assembly_districts.htm

David Hucke (D) of Wauwatosa running for the 14th Assembly District (vacated by Leah Vuckmir ( R ) who is running for State Senate against Jim Sullivan)

Sandy Pasch (D) 22^nd Assembly District Representative running for re-election. http://www.sandrapasch.com/

Dustin James Klein Announced his Candidacy for Assembly District 24 vs. incumbent Dan Knodl ( R ) Assembly District 24 contains Germantown, Menomonee Falls and Butler. 5071 N 126^th St. Butler, WI 53007

Dick Pas (D) State Assembly District 38, is also running against incumbent Joel Kleefisch ( R )

Aaron Robertson of Muskego for the 83rd Assembly District

Don Vanpool of Waukesha for the 84th Assembly District

Dawn M. Caruss (D) 215 N. Greenfield Avenue, Waukesha, WI 53186 for the State Assembly, District No. 97 opposing incumbent Bill Kramer ( R )

Victor Weers of Brookfield for the 98th Assembly District, opposing Rich Zipperer ( R )

Tom Hibbard (D) N48 W31390 St. Hwy 83, Hartland, WI 53029 for the State Assembly, District No. 99, opposing incumbent Don Pridemore ( R )

“Republican incumbents in Waukesha County should be on alert. We’ve seen a new level of interest in people who are interested in replacing their traditional representation in Madison,” stated Christensen. “It’s becoming obvious to all of us that it is time for us to clean house here in Waukesha County.”

Christensen concluded, “We have a wildly talented group of candidates who each would serve the people of Waukesha County proudly in Madison. We will do everything we can as a party to help them demonstrate the strength of their message.”

Perry (P.J.) Duman (D) running again against incumbent Mark Gottlieb ( R ) State Assembly District 60 (Ozaukee County)

Other candidates for Milwaukee County Sheriff, Lt. Moews, who has the endorsement of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party and the DPW Administrative Committee, State Senate Candidates (including 5th District State Senator Jim Sullivan) and Assembly Representatives will have signs available through the local county party organizations, and the Coordinated Campaign offices for Mayor Barrett and Senator Feingold in Waukesha (251 W. Broadway Street, Suite 100 262-446-0697), Milwaukee (207 E. Buffalo St., Ste 302 414-727-5682) and Sheboygan (812 Erie Avenue 920-208-4553) Other locations are available on the web at www.russfeingold.org The Coordinated Campaign Office for Barrett and Feingold in Waukesha is also the center for all local campaigns in the Waukesha area.

Thank you for your support!

The Truth About How Ron Johnson Became A Millionaire Businessman

August 16, 2010

Ron Johnson's Real Accomplishment: Marrying the Shrink-Wrap Princess

So it turns out that Senate wannabe Ron Johnson isn't really a self-made man who built a business; but you can't say he wasn't entrepreneurial - he married one of the daughters of a man who did.

When Johnson married Jane Curler, his University of Minnesota sweetheart, he became the son-in-law of Howard Curler, a member of the Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame for innovations in plastic packaging. Curler and a partner, Robert Woods, started a company, Curwood, that soon "revolutionized cheese packaging" with their shrink-wrap and made Curler and his family very very rich.

In addition to cheese and meat, Curwood and its Group Companies produce packaging films for coffee, candy, sweet and salted snacks, liquid products, personal care and medical products and the list continues to grow. Manufacturing plants and sales offices are now located across the United States and Canada and in Europe and South America.

In 1977, Howard Curler set up his son Patrick in a business, named PACUR (for PAtrick CURler), with Curwood as his only customer for many years. Ron Johnson joined the company in 1979 and worked for Patrick. Jud Lounsbury details how Johnson succeeded:

The reality is that Ron Johnson lucked-out by marrying Howard Curler's daughter, but that doesn't make him an entrepreneur and a business-dynamo, that makes him lucky.

And in Wisconsin you need more than luck to replace Russ Feingold.

- Barry Orton

August 16, 2010 at 04:38 AM in Business, Campaign Finance Reform, Elections, Feingold, Politics | Permalink

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U.S. Senate hopeful Ron Johnson's business received $4 million in low-interest loans

By Dinesh Ramde • Associated Press writer • August 27, 2010

MILWAUKEE — U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson regularly criticizes government subsidies to businesses, saying the financial help interferes with the free market.

But a plastics company co-founded by the Republican received its own form of aid decades ago, county documents show Pacur LLC received $4 million in low-interest loans in the 1980s to buy equipment and expand its plant, according to Winnebago County documents obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The loans were part of a state-run program in which tax-free bonds are sold to investors and the proceeds lent to a company at low-interest rates.

(Editor's Notes: So, in other words, rather than going directly to a bank or rich investors to get financing, which would have resulted in higher interest rates to the borrower, and a taxable income for investors; the same rich investors could buy tax-free GOVERNMENT bonds to finance the private business loans which provide lower interest payments from the borrower. Both sides of the transaction make more money, and the investors pay no taxes.)

Pacur benefited from the program twice. The company, which makes plastic packaging materials, won approval in 1983 to receive $1.5 million through the sale of the special bonds. About two years later, the Oshkosh company was approved to receive another $2.5 million.

On the campaign trail, Johnson criticizes subsidies, saying it should be up to customers — not the government — to pick winners and losers in the business world. He also told WKOW-TV he never asked for government aid for his business.

"I have never lobbied for some special treatment or for a government payout," Johnson said.

(Editor's Note: So, Johnson claims he never asked for government aid, but SOMEONE had to APPLY for the loans. That would be "asking for it". When was the last time you received Government loans without applying for it? Johnson is arguing semantics. He claims he never lobbied for special treatment (but he did APPLY, and got a lower interest rate on the loan - thereby receiving "special treatment"); and claims that he never got a government payout, but he received money from investors through a Government program which provided tax-free returns for the investors. When was the last time YOU received $4 MILLION in low interest loans? Actually $4,075,000 in loans and grants over six years. Wouldn't your bank require you to pay back the first loan before giving you the second loan? And, isn't there a limit on how much "special treatment" someone gets from Government programs? Couldn't that money have been used to assist OTHER businesses, instead of repeatedly helping his business? Of course, Ron Johnson pays back to his Republican Party benefactors, by regularly giving them large donations, for their making him a multi-millionaire virtually overnight. But who created the jobs then; Ron Johnson, who received the special treatment; or the Government for creating the program; or the taxpayers who had to PAY MORE IN TAXES, because rich investors DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON INCOME FROM THIS INVESTMENT?)

Johnson is considered the leading Senate candidate in the upcoming GOP primary, which will determine who challenges Sen. Russ Feingold, the Democratic incumbent, in November.

Feingold's campaign said the bond documents call into question the integrity of Johnson's campaign, especially after Johnson opposed extending unemployment benefits and spoke out against the stimulus bill.

"What we learn through all this is, government assistance is great when it's for him and not for anybody else," said John Kraus, a spokesman for Feingold's campaign.

That's an inaccurate spin, Johnson's campaign countered. The $4 million isn't government assistance because it came from investors who bought the bonds, not from a federal handout, spokeswoman Sara Sendek said.

"This is a loan, not a government subsidy. Pacur received a loan and they paid it back," Sendek said. "I can't understand why Sen. Feingold is spending all his time criticizing when Ron Johnson is the candidate creating jobs in the state." (Editor's Note: The automobile companies also got LOANS in order to survive, which for the most part have been paid back with interest, and the U.S. Government - TAXPAYERS, now own 60% of GM stock. The Canadian Government now owns 10% of GM stock for their assistance. Pacur has about 120 employees from 30 years in business, in one plant. The U.S. Government Stimulus Program, passed by Congress, created over 16,000 jobs throughout Wisconsin alone, in one year. Who's creating jobs in the state?)

The bonds in question are industrial-development revenue bonds, or IRBs. Most state and local governments offer them as a way to help local businesses grow and thrive.

When investors make money on corporate bonds they have to pay taxes on their gains. But IRBs, like municipal bonds, are tax-free. So investors are willing to accept a lower interest rate because they're saving money by not paying taxes.

That means the company receiving the revenue from an IRB is paying a lower interest rate — typically 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent less, according to the state Department of Commerce — than if it sought a loan from a commercial bank.

So if Pacur received $4 million in low-interest loans through this program, is it fair to call that money a government subsidy? Several academics said it is a subsidy, although indirectly.

"Tax-free bonds allow a borrower to borrow at a lower rate," said Andrew Reschovsky, a professor of applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "That's a subsidy from normal borrowing."

There's less uncertainty about a separate $75,000 federal grant that went to the company that was the precursor to Pacur.

Wisconsin Industrial Shipping Supplies Inc. received the money in 1979 to build a railroad line to the company, which was renamed Pacur several months later. (Editor's note: Hmmm. Shipping Supplies received a $75,000 federal grant (doesn't have to be repaid), based on someone believing that the company is in the SHIPPING business, and then the company is renamed and operates as a plastics fabricator? What were the requirements of the grant? Did Ron Johnson apply for and receive a federal grant under false pretenses?)

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/19/ron-johnson/ron-johnson-campaign-ad-blasts-russ-feingold-recor/

Ron Johnson on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 in a campaign commercial

Ron Johnson campaign ad blasts Russ Feingold for record on Great Lakes oil drilling

Republican Ron Johnson attacked his opponent, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., over oil drilling in the Great Lakes

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is at the top of the news, but the political ripples are being felt far and wide. In Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold and Republican challenger Ron Johnson have gotten into a bit of mudslinging over who would be better at protecting the Great Lakes from drilling.

Feingold started the war of words by charging in a 30-second ad that Johnson "is willing to hand over the Great Lakes to the oil companies, threatening Wisconsin’s economy, and a way of life for generations of Wisconsin families."

Johnson quickly shot back with a statement saying in part, "I would not support any efforts to overturn the provision which outlaws drilling in the Great Lakes as Wisconsin’s next U.S. Senator. Let me repeat: I would reject any and all efforts to drill in the Great Lakes."

Johnson drove home that theme in a 30-second television ad. In the ad, viewers see a car spinning its wheels in the mud.

"Twenty-eight years in politics and Russ Feingold’s stuck in the mud," the narrator says. "Feingold started his campaign slinging mud at Ron Johnson. Ron Johnson opposes drilling in the Great Lakes, and Russ Feingold knows it. Drilling is already illegal in the Great Lakes, and Feingold knows that too. Because he voted against the law that protected our lakes. That’s right. Feingold was the only Great Lakes senator to vote no. Feingold played politics. Partisan politician Russ Feingold. Stuck in the mud."

In this item, we won't get into the question of whether Johnson opposes drilling in the Great Lakes. But we thought we'd sort out whether Feingold had indeed voted against a bill to ban Great Lakes drilling.

The bill that Johnson's ad refers to is the Energy Policy Act of 2005. A provision of that law -- Section 386 -- reads, "No Federal or State permit or lease shall be issued for new oil and gas slant, directional, or offshore drilling in or under one or more of the Great Lakes." A check of the Senate roll call vote on the final version of that bill confirms that Feingold voted "nay."

Case closed? Not quite. The claim requires several caveats.

Feingold wasn't voting against the bill because of the drilling ban. The bill in question was championed by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, most congressional Republicans and some Democrats. Nineteen Democrats, six Republicans and one independent voted against the bill, which passed, 74-26.

At the time, Feingold cited several reasons for voting against the bill.

"This bill digs us deeper into a budget black hole," Feingold said, according to his home state newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "It fails to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. It rolls back important consumer protections. And finally, it undermines some of the fundamental environmental laws that our citizens rely upon." He also cited the bill's repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act, its changes to the Clean Water Act and its exemption of hydraulic fracking -- a controversial technique for retrieving underground natural gas -- from the Safe Drinking Water Act.

He most certainly didn't vote against it because it included a Great Lakes drilling ban. Quite the contrary: Feingold's camp points out that in 2001, the senator was an original co-sponsor of the Great Lakes Water Protection Act, which directed the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to conduct a study on known and potential environmental effects of oil and gas drilling on land beneath the water in the Great Lakes. (The bill did not advance.) Feingold also sponsored or supported numerous other bills to protect the Great Lakes specifically and clean water generally.

The Johnson camp told PolitiFact that "our ad never insinuates Sen. Feingold did not support a 2001 bill regarding Great Lakes or make any other statement about whether or not he supports drilling in the Great Lakes." But we think a reasonable person could come away with the ad wondering whether Feingold is somehow opposed to a ban on Great Lakes drilling. And that would be incorrect.

That said, congressional bills often have hundreds or thousands of provisions. Most of the time, lawmakers who vote yes on a bill don't agree with everything in it, and when they vote for it because of the many things they do agree with, they must be prepared for critics to point out the discrepancies. So we think Johnson deserves some leeway for legitimately catching Feingold voting against something he says he supports.

• There wasn't just one law that curbed drilling in the Great Lakes. The ad says that Russ Feingold "voted against the law that protected our lakes." That makes it sound like there was one law that accomplished that purpose, and that Feingold missed his chance to support it. That's incorrect. There were actually four, one of which was permanent -- the one cited in the ad -- and three of which were temporary. All did essentially the same thing.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, "Congress had enacted a temporary ban on any new federal and state permits for drilling under the Great Lakes in 2001 (P.L. 107-66; Title V, §503) and extended it to 2007. This temporary ban was in addition to several state bans on drilling in or under the Great Lakes."

So we looked up the 2001 law to see whether Feingold voted for it. He did. (The bill passed overwhelmingly, 96-2.) Specifically, it was the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2002, which included a provision that said that "during the fiscal years 2002 and 2003, no federal or state permit or lease shall be issued for new oil and gas slant, directional, or offshore drilling in or under one or more of the Great Lakes."

We also looked up the extension for 2004 and 2005, which passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution of 2003 -- a massive federal spending bill. In this case, Feingold voted no.

Finally, we looked up the law that extended the ban through 2006 and 2007. It was the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005. Feingold voted no on that one too.

So Feingold actually voted for one temporary ban and voted against three (two of them temporary, one permanent). All were buried in much broader bills, and his camp says he opposed those bills despite the drilling ban provision, not because of it. At the same time, even though he only batted one for four, Feingold has a right to say that in one case, he voted for a "law that protected our lakes."

• Feingold was not the only Great Lakes senator to vote no on the 2005 bill. Johnson cited yes votes by senators from Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But he excluded New York state, which borders Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Both New York senators at the time -- Democrats Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer -- joined Feingold in voting no.

The Johnson campaign told PolitiFact that "including or excluding two New York City senators as Great Lakes senators is subjective, and many government and academic sources do not group New York in the Great Lakes region." They cited the Great Lakes Regional Water Program University of Wisconsin Extension (which defines the Great Lakes Region as "Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin"), the Bureau of Economic Analysis (which defines the Great Lakes Region as "Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin"), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (which defines the Great Lakes Region as "Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin").

But we think the implication that Clinton and Schumer somehow forfeit their right to represent residents on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is ridiculous. In addition, if the campaign was going to use these three alternate groupings as gospel, they should have also eliminated Pennsylvania, which does not appear in any of the three they cite. But they didn't: The Johnson campaign's backup sheet for the ad cites Pennsylvania, but not New York.

This strikes us as cherry picking. We find no good rationale for excluding New York, so on this count, we find Johnson's ad clearly inaccurate.

So let's sum up. Feingold did vote against a bill that included the permanent ban on Great Lakes drilling, and also voted against two of the bills with temporary bans, though for reasons unrelated to the drilling ban provision. As a result, Johnson has some justification for saying that Feingold "voted against the law that protected our lakes." But the ad ignores that Feingold supported one of the temporary bans, and that he has a long record of protecting the environmental quality of the Great Lakes, including championing at least one bill that dealt directly with drilling. Meanwhile, we don't buy the campaign's rationale for excluding New York from the list of Great Lakes states. That fundamentally undercuts the ad's claim that Feingold was the only Great Lakes senator to vote against the 2005 bill. On balance, we rate the ad Barely True.

The bill protecting the Great Lakes from oil drilling was a temporary ban, WHICH EXPIRED in 2007. So, Ron Johnson's claim that oil drilling is illegal in the Great Lakes, and somehow shouldn't need anyone standing up to oppose drilling IS ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE, particularly given that a REPUBLICAN politician in Michigan, has once again PROPOSED that OIL DRILLING in Lake Michigan BE ALLOWED!

(Republican Party Candidate for Senator of Wisconsin, opposing incumbent Senator Russ Feingold (D)),

Ron Johnson Announces Support For Oil Drilling in the Great Lakes

Big Oil’s BFF Supports Global Warming, Defends Big Oil Again and Endorses “Drill Baby Drill” Plan in Great Lakes

MADISON — Even as the worst oil spill in U.S. history has grown large enough to threaten an area the size of the Great Lakes, multimillionaire U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson continues to show how out of touch he is with Wisconsin values, telling WisPolitics.com that “we have to get the oil where it is,” including drilling in the Great Lakes.

“Everyday Ron Johnson makes it even more clear that he will be a tool of Big Oil in Washington,” said Mike Tate, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “Ron Johnson is out of touch with Wisconsin values and our tradition of protecting the environment. We deserve someone far better than a tool of Big Oil.”

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the worst oil spill in history had put at risk 78,264 square miles of fishing area, an area nearly exactly the same size as the Great Lakes. Nevertheless, Ron Johnson announced his support to drill for oil in the Great Lakes, which are estimated to hold oil and natural gas.

On Monday, WisPolitics asked Johnson:

“Would you support drilling, like in the Great Lakes for example?”

Johnson replied:

“You know, the bottom line is we are an oil-based economy. There's nothing we're going to do to get off of that for many years. I think we have to be realistic and recognize that fact and, you know, I, I think we have to, get the oil where it is, but we have to do it where it is.”

Ron Johnson’s Record Supporting Big Oil:

Ron Johnson told Green Bay radio talk show host Jerry Bader earlier this month, “I’m glad there is global warming.”

Johnson also told Bader that he “totally disagreed” that climate change was proven and that it was “absurd” that anything be done to try to fix the problem.

The AP reported: “When asked whether the Gulf spill should prompt more caution before undertaking new oil-drilling projects, Johnson said no.”

Johnson also defended Big Oil telling national right-wing talk radio host Ed Morrissey: “This is not the time to be beating up on those guys, quite honestly.”

Johnson also told Morrissey that, “[T]he first thing that came to my mind” when he heard about the BP oil spill was to double down on his support for drilling in the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) because a spill there would be easier to deal with, saying: “Wouldn’t it be far better if we were drilling in ANWR?”

Ron Johnson is too extreme for anyone who values clean air, clean water, and wants to be able to sail and fish on our Great Lakes. He wants to turn them into a corporate sewer!

No wonder he got the endorsement of Terrance Wall, the multi-millionaire developer who dropped out of the Senate race, and who hasn't paid ANY TAXES to Wisconsin for them, for most of the last ten years, because he incorporated them in Delaware! Who's Your DADDY/Kenny Boy, just itching to pull the strings, Terrance?

If anyone was wondering if Republicans were just ACTING NUTS, or REALLY WERE NUTS, you just got your answer.

Care for a dash of tarballs in your drinking water, anyone?

Scott Walker Tax Increases and Increased County Debt

June 18, 2010

Scramblin’ Scott Walker Rushes Release of ‘Plan’ to Keep Pace with Tom Barrett

“’We're not going to scramble or run out just to match Tom Barrett just because he put something out,’ Walker said (Associated Press, 6/17/10).
“He (Walker) made the announcement five days after Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democrat in the race, said there was a "substance gap" in the race because he had offered detailed plans to trim the budget while the Republicans hadn't.” (MJS, 6/17/10).

MADISON —Facing mounting criticism and a steady loss of credibility for failing to offer any specific ideas to solve Wisconsin’s challenges, Scott Walker yesterday hastily released a plan on state employee pensions that fails to match his own record – and raises more questions than it answers.

“It’s clear Walker is feeling the pressure of Tom Barrett’s straight talk and honest plans,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate. “With Walker’s absence of ideas fully exposed for all of Wisconsin to see, Walker now has hurriedly released a plan to shake the growing impression he is nothing more than an empty suit. Walker has always suffered from a substance gap, now his believability gap is in plain view.”
DPW Chair Mike Tate challenged Walker to square his record of failure and shattered promises with the campaign boasts he now spews on the campaign trail by answering ten basic questions:

1) You’ve essentially been running for governor since 2005. If it wasn’t Tom Barrett’s substantive, specific plans to create jobs and reduce spending that finally spurred you to propose anything beyond hackneyed platitudes, can you tell us why it took you so long to share with the people of Wisconsin any ideas about solving our state’s problems?

2) At Milwaukee County the vast majority of employees pay nothing for their pensions – unlike the City of Milwaukee where every single employee hired makes a contribution. Since you never sought this as County Executive, why should voters of Wisconsin believe you can get this done at the state level?

3) If you really believed this was a good idea, why didn’t you propose this during any of your 10 years as a member of the State Assembly?

4) Since state taxpayers funded your full state pension when you were a state legislator, can Wisconsin taxpayers expect a refund of the money we have invested to fund your pension?

5) When Tom Barrett unveiled his Plan to Put Madison on a Diet that will save Wisconsin taxpayers more than $1 billion in spending reductions every year while reforming the way state government works, you attacked him for not proposing a plan to balance the state’s entire structural deficit. (WTMJ-TV, 6/7/10). Your plan claims to save $180 million per year. The state’s structural deficit is at least $2.3 billion. Does your hypocrisy on this issue match the enormous disparity between your ‘plan’ and the state’s structural deficit?

6) You were elected County Executive to reform Milwaukee County’s pension system. Yet under your watch, there have been NEW pension scandals, no fix to the county's structural pension deficits and hundreds of millions in new borrowing. Since your record of actually delivering reform is one of failure and cronyism, how can Wisconsin trust you to really get anything done?

(“Pension twist costs county millions,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/29/07)

(“2 aides in line for big pension payouts,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/18/04)

("Report: County must deal with pension, health care costs to fix finances," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/26/10)

7) The national economic recession blew unexpected holes in the pension budgets of both the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. Tom Barrett showed real leadership and balanced this shortfall by cutting $32 million in spending. Yet instead of making hard choices you chose to saddle future generations of Milwaukee County taxpayers by borrowing $400 million to meet County pension obligations. Why doesn’t this lack of judgment, leadership and courage call into your question your credibility on all pension-related issues?

"Milwaukee County issued $400 million in pension obligations bonds" Pensions & Investments,3/27/09 http://www.pionline.com/article/20090327/DAILYREG/903279989

8) Since this gimmick will require agreement through collective bargaining, you can’t guarantee any of these savings, can you? Or are you proposing the elimination of collective bargaining and wouldn't that prompt costly lawsuits?

9) Once upon a time you pledged to return significant portions of your pay. Then without warning or explanation you broke this promise and gave yourself a $50,000 per year pay raise – in the midst of a County deficit crisis and a national recession wreaking havoc onWisconsin’s working and middle class families. How can the people of Wisconsin believe you won’t go back on your word yet again?

"Walker Would Lower Salary Givebacks," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/18/08 http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29505169.html

10) Since you still haven’t shared, how will you close the state’s $2.3 billion deficit, especially since you’re going to blow it up to $4.1 billion by giving $1.8 billion in massive tax giveaways to the wealthiest 1% and big business – with no relief to working and middle class families? How will your giveaways not result in massive layoffs of police, firefighters and teachers, and subsequent spikes in property taxes?

Lisa Kaiser of the Shepherd Express did a nice expose' of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's claims versus reality, on his "accomplishments" on the job. (Scott Walker never graduated from college, so budgets and reality aren't exactly something within his ability to comprehend. Like when Dubya was shown a document and asked if he knew what it was, and he answered "It's a Balance sheet, 'cuz it's got a bunch of numbers on it." And we all know how well THAT turned out, don't we!)

Rachel Maddow August 5, 2010

Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra gave up his Congressional Seat to run for Governor of Michigan, which he lost in the recent Republican Primary to Rick Snyder.

He, along with Republican Senator Rick Santorum, had falsely claimed that they “had found WMD in Iraq” even though it never happened.

As the top Republican Congressman on the Intelligence Committee, he was called “The Human Sieve” by the Washington Monthly, because he regularly leaked Top Secret Information, even while he complained about security leaks.

When he traveled to Iraq, he regularly posted REAL TIME REPORTS OF HIS WHEREABOUTS (and those who were traveling with him) ONLINE. This is a rather obvious security violation, when you are trying to avoid being a target. He also gave details about where things were in the Green Zone, giving the insurgents a way to “zero in” with their mortar attacks.

But his worst offense was probably when he collected seized Iraqi Government Documents and POSTED THEM ONLINE, including a document which explained HOW TO MAKE A NUCLEAR BOMB.

If this was the Republican Party’s top representative on the INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, you’ve just got to know that the rest of them aren’t very bright either.

Poll: American public fed up with Washington

70% say government isn't working well; Obama approval back at 50%

By Mark Murray

Deputy political director

NBC News

updated 5:32 p.m. CT, Tues., Jan. 26, 2010

WASHINGTON - As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address Wednesday night, he will be speaking to an American public that’s fed up with Congress, the country’s two main political parties, and the federal government, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Only 28 percent believe the federal government is “working well” or even works “okay,” versus seven in 10 who think it’s “unhealthy,” “stagnant” or needs large reforms.

By comparison, in December of 2000 — during the height of the disputed Bush-Gore presidential election — 55 percent said the government was working well or okay.

What’s more, a whopping 93 percent believe there’s too much partisan infighting; 84 percent think the special interests have too much influence over legislation; nearly three-quarters say that not enough has been done to regulate Wall Street and the banking industry; and an equal 61 percent complain that both Democrats and Republicans in Congress aren’t willing to compromise.

And the percentage who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction now stands at 58 percent, the highest level of Obama’s presidency.

“The message is a big one,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “The message is, ‘We hate what’s going in Washington.’”

Public’s anger isn’t directed at Obama
Indeed, the NBC/Journal survey finds that nearly half of the country (48 percent) said last week’s stunning election in Massachusetts, in which Republican candidate Scott Brown won a Senate contest in one of the nation’s most Democratic-leaning states, was aimed at sending a message to Washington. Only 15 percent disagreed.

But if the public is fed up with Washington, its anger isn’t necessarily directed at President Obama.

Only 27 percent say they blame him for not being able to find solutions to the country’s problems. By contrast, 48 percent blame Republicans in Congress and 41 percent blame congressional Democrats.

“The president has problems,” Hart adds, “but the Congress has much bigger problems.”

Obama’s numbers, in fact, are virtually unchanged from last week’s poll, which was released on the day of the Massachusetts election.

Click for related content

See a pdf of the NBC/WSJ poll

The president’s approval rating inched up two points to 50 percent, while the number believing his health care plan is a good idea declined two points to 31 percent.

“This data set reminds us that the Scott Brown election has been a huge event in Washington, D.C.,” said McInturff, the Republican pollster. “But around the country, I think this polling would suggest that it had a modest effect.”

Click for related content

Vote: What should Obama say in speech?

Focus more on the economy, less on health care
However, the poll also suggests the public wants Obama to refocus his priorities: 44 percent say he has given too much attention to health care, 16 percent say he’s given it too little attention and 38 percent say he’s given it the right amount.

On the other hand, 51 percent maintain he’s given the economy too little attention, compared with only 5 percent who say he’s given it too much attention and 42 percent who say he’s given it the right amount of attention.

Still, a majority of Americans continue to have high hopes for Obama. A combined 54 percent either say that he’s facing a short-term setback from which he’ll rebound or that he’s not facing a setback at all.

That’s compared with 42 percent who say he’s facing a long-term setback from which he’ll unlikely recover.

GOP’s enthusiasm edge
Looking ahead to this year’s midterm elections, 44 percent of registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 42 percent who want a GOP-controlled one. Last week’s survey showed a 41-41 percent tie on this question.

But Republicans continue to enjoy a significant enthusiasm advantage. Voters who are most interested in November’s midterms prefer a Republican-controlled Congress by a 49-41 percent margin.

Yet the poll also provides evidence that Obama might be more of an asset than a liability in November. Thirty-seven percent say their vote will be a signal of support for the president, while 27 percent say it will be a signal of opposition; 35 percent said it won’t signal anything about Obama.

The poll was conducted of 800 adults from Jan. 23-25, and it has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

Mark Murray covers politics for NBC News.

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Democratic Party of Wisconsin - 5th Congressional District

The Key to Democracy is Putting People First

Contribution Summary for a Specific Candidate or Leadership Committee

Contribution Summary for a Specific Candidate or Leadership Committee

Ron Johnson's PACUR LLC Pays Zero State Income Taxes, But Makes $5,000 Contribution to Republican Governors Association

Huge voter suppression plot exposed in Wisconsin

by xofferson

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/9/20/903538/-Huge-voter-suppression-plot-exposed-in-Wisconsin

Mon Sep 20, 2010 at 10:06:48 AM PDT

Message

The Truth-O-Meter Says:

Like me, Scott Walker opposed the 1998 transportation bill and the $9 billion of wasteful spending.

Jim Sensenbrenner says Scott Walker opposed the massive 1998 transportation bill

http://www.wisdems.org/news/press/view/2010-08-fbi-files-nick-hurtgen-and-scott-walker-81910

FBI Files, Nick Hurtgen and Scott Walker (8/19/10)

Russ Feingold: Standing up for Wisconsin

Upholding Wisconsin’s Traditions

Reforming the System

Strengthening America

Protecting Our Rights

Read more on Russ's accomplishments

Background

Senate Committees

Biographical Highlights

Education

August 16, 2010

Ron Johnson's Real Accomplishment: Marrying the Shrink-Wrap Princess

TrackBack

U.S. Senate hopeful Ron Johnson's business received $4 million in low-interest loans

By Dinesh Ramde • Associated Press writer • August 27, 2010

MILWAUKEE — U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson regularly criticizes government subsidies to businesses, saying the financial help interferes with the free market.

Read more: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100827/APC0101/8270481/Johnson-s-business-received-4M-in-aid#ixzz0xpRHm8lW

Pacur benefited from the program twice. The company, which makes plastic packaging materials, won approval in 1983 to receive $1.5 million through the sale of the special bonds. About two years later, the Oshkosh company was approved to receive another $2.5 million.

On the campaign trail, Johnson criticizes subsidies, saying it should be up to customers — not the government — to pick winners and losers in the business world. He also told WKOW-TV he never asked for government aid for his business.

"I have never lobbied for some special treatment or for a government payout," Johnson said.

Johnson is considered the leading Senate candidate in the upcoming GOP primary, which will determine who challenges Sen. Russ Feingold, the Democratic incumbent, in November.

Feingold's campaign said the bond documents call into question the integrity of Johnson's campaign, especially after Johnson opposed extending unemployment benefits and spoke out against the stimulus bill.

"What we learn through all this is, government assistance is great when it's for him and not for anybody else," said John Kraus, a spokesman for Feingold's campaign.

That's an inaccurate spin, Johnson's campaign countered. The $4 million isn't government assistance because it came from investors who bought the bonds, not from a federal handout, spokeswoman Sara Sendek said.

The bonds in question are industrial-development revenue bonds, or IRBs. Most state and local governments offer them as a way to help local businesses grow and thrive.

When investors make money on corporate bonds they have to pay taxes on their gains. But IRBs, like municipal bonds, are tax-free. So investors are willing to accept a lower interest rate because they're saving money by not paying taxes.

That means the company receiving the revenue from an IRB is paying a lower interest rate — typically 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent less, according to the state Department of Commerce — than if it sought a loan from a commercial bank.

So if Pacur received $4 million in low-interest loans through this program, is it fair to call that money a government subsidy? Several academics said it is a subsidy, although indirectly.

"Tax-free bonds allow a borrower to borrow at a lower rate," said Andrew Reschovsky, a professor of applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "That's a subsidy from normal borrowing."

There's less uncertainty about a separate $75,000 federal grant that went to the company that was the precursor to Pacur.

Read more: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100827/APC0101/8270481/Johnson-s-business-received-4M-in-aid#ixzz0xpRHm8lW

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jul/19/ron-johnson/ron-johnson-campaign-ad-blasts-russ-feingold-recor/

Ron Johnson on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 in a campaign commercial

Ron Johnson campaign ad blasts Russ Feingold for record on Great Lakes oil drilling

June 18, 2010

Scramblin’ Scott Walker Rushes Release of ‘Plan’ to Keep Pace with Tom Barrett

“He (Walker) made the announcement five days after Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democrat in the race, said there was a "substance gap" in the race because he had offered detailed plans to trim the budget while the Republicans hadn't.” (MJS, 6/17/10).

DPW Chair Mike Tate challenged Walker to square his record of failure and shattered promises with the campaign boasts he now spews on the campaign trail by answering ten basic questions:

3) If you really believed this was a good idea, why didn’t you propose this during any of your 10 years as a member of the State Assembly?

4) Since state taxpayers funded your full state pension when you were a state legislator, can Wisconsin taxpayers expect a refund of the money we have invested to fund your pension?

(“Pension twist costs county millions,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/29/07)

(“2 aides in line for big pension payouts,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/18/04)

("Report: County must deal with pension, health care costs to fix finances," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/26/10)

"Milwaukee County issued $400 million in pension obligations bonds" Pensions & Investments,3/27/09 http://www.pionline.com/article/20090327/DAILYREG/903279989

8) Since this gimmick will require agreement through collective bargaining, you can’t guarantee any of these savings, can you? Or are you proposing the elimination of collective bargaining and wouldn't that prompt costly lawsuits?

"Walker Would Lower Salary Givebacks," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/18/08 http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29505169.html

Rachel Maddow August 5, 2010

Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra gave up his Congressional Seat to run for Governor of Michigan, which he lost in the recent Republican Primary to Rick Snyder.

He, along with Republican Senator Rick Santorum, had falsely claimed that they “had found WMD in Iraq” even though it never happened.

As the top Republican Congressman on the Intelligence Committee, he was called “The Human Sieve” by the Washington Monthly, because he regularly leaked Top Secret Information, even while he complained about security leaks.

But his worst offense was probably when he collected seized Iraqi Government Documents and POSTED THEM ONLINE, including a document which explained HOW TO MAKE A NUCLEAR BOMB.

If this was the Republican Party’s top representative on the INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, you’ve just got to know that the rest of them aren’t very bright either.

Poll: American public fed up with Washington

70% say government isn't working well; Obama approval back at 50%