February 23, 2012

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La Follette ponders governorship

February 23, 2012 By

Secretary of State Doug La Follette in his office on the Capitol Square (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)

Longtime Secretary of State Doug La Follette is filing paperwork with the state’s elections agency. He wants to determine whether there is enough interest for him to campaign as a Democrat against Governor Scott Walker if there’s a recall election. “It’s quite important that we replace the current governor. He’s been very negative for Wisconsin … We need to make a change and if I’m the strongest candidate to do that then I would take it very seriously.”

La Follette says he doesn’t “need to be governor to make (his) life complete;” he’s running for the good of the state.

One Democratic Candidate, Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, is already endorsed by AFSCME, the state’s largest public employee union; and WEAC, the state’s largest teachers union. La Follette says he doesn’t need big money to win the race as long as people are excited for his candidacy. “I would run a typical Bill Proxmire-Doug La Follette, low-budget campaign.”

Falk had indicated she would not sign a budget that didn’t fully restore collective bargaining for public employees. La Follette says candidates should not make campaign promises they can’t keep.

The 71-year-old would like to see some polling that includes his name so he can gauge whether voters perceive him as electable. He’s been elected to statewide office during both Republican and Democratic governorships, which he says is a good indicator.

La Follette, who was first elected to his current office in 1974, is the only Democrat in a statewide office; he says that gives him at least some name recognition. “But I’ve been around a long time,” so he says people could find things to criticize. “I’m sure one of the first things will be how I spell my name,” he laughs, “I’ve got my birth certificate all ready to get out if I have to.”

In addition to Falk, current Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) is seeking the Democratic nomination in a possible Democratic Primary Election. Senator Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) opted out of the race before he really got in, due to lack of funds.

The GAB is currently reviewing recall signatures to determine whether enough are valid to force a recall election against the governor.

La Follette said he’s going to stop by the Government Accountability Board (GAB) on his way to work Thursday morning to file the paperwork.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 2:00

Filed Under: Elections, Featured Story, News, Politics & Government

Judge denies deadline extension for Walker (AUDIO)

February 17, 2012 By

A Dane County judge has denied a request from Governor Walker’s campaign for more time to review recall petitions. Walker’s campaign wanted an extra two weeks, but Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess says there’s no just cause to show more time is warranted.

During a hearing on the request Friday afternoon, attorneys with Walker’s campaign argued that they have only been about to review about 330,000 of the nearly one million signatures recall organizer say they turned in. Of those, the campaign says it has seen an error rate of about 15 to 20-percent that could result in valid challenges.

Judge Niess says that kind of rate shows that, statistically, more time for a review is unlikely to have an impact on the outcome.

Niess said “If we are up to 300,000 signatures that have been vetted, and 10 to 20-percent are arguably invalid based upon Governor Walker’s review, we are, when we get to a million, going to have a boatload of extra signatures.”

AUDIO: Judge Niess’ ruling (7:28)

Joe Olsen, an attorney with the law firm representing the governor’s campaign, called the decision disappointing. However, he says they will continue to work toward the February 27th deadline for turning in petition challenges.

Recall committee attorney Jeremy Levinson says the judge’s decision backs up their belief that there are more than enough valid signatures on the petitions. Levinson says he was gratified to see there will not be additional delays in the process.

Judge Niess had previously granted Walker 30 days to review the petitions, which is 20 days more than the law requires.

The Government Accountability Board has until March 19th to rule on whether there are enough valid petition signatures to call for an election.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:08)

Filed Under: Elections, Featured Story, News

Judges order emails released

February 16, 2012 By

Calling it a “shameful attempt to hide the redistricting process from public scrutiny,” a panel of three federal judges on Thursday ordered Republicans to release a series of emails and memos as part of a lawsuit over how the new maps were drawn.

Republicans argued the documents were protected by attorney-client privilege. However, judges said the discussions were more about political strategy and are therefore not covered.

In the opinion, judges wrote “the Legislature made a conscious choice to involve private lawyers in what gives every appearance of an attempt — albeit poorly disguised — to cloak the private machinations of Wisconsin’s Republican legislators in the shroud of attorney-client privilege. What could have — indeed should have — been accomplished publicly instead took place in private.”

The documents detail a series of communications between the law firm hired to draw the maps and legislative staff working on the project. They largely discuss efforts to build support for the proposal, including discussions with community leaders in districts that have large Hispanic populations.

The release of the emails comes just days before a federal trial on the maps is set to begin. Democrats claim the new district lines, which the state is required to redraw after the Census every 10 years, treat minorities unfairly and relocate too many voters to new districts.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News, Politics & Government

Obama touts insourcing (AUDIO)

February 15, 2012 By

President Barack Obama encourages manufacturers to bring jobs home from overseas, just like Master Lock did. Appearing at the Milwaukee company, Obama praises Master Lock and the firm’s President and CEO John Heppner for bringing 100 jobs from China back to Milwaukee. “Today for the first time in 15 years this plant is running at full capacity, and that’s an example of what happens when unions and employers work together to create good jobs.”

Obama says being out of work “wears on you.” He tells the crowd everybody benefits when manufacturing is going strong. “You all have heard enough about outsourcing. More and more companies like Master Lock are now insourcing.”

AUDIO: Full speech 27 minutes

The crowd cheers and chants “right now,” as Obama says he wants Congress to immediately reform the tax code so companies that export jobs won’t get a tax break, and instead, companies that create jobs in the United States should be rewarded with tax incentives. “It is time to stop rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas and start rewarding companies that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America.”

The president also wants community colleges to become community career centers, helping to train 2 million American workers with good job skills.

Republican Governor Scott Walker greeted the president at the airport and presented him with a Milwaukee Brewers jersey, but his office says the governor was too sick to join Obama at the Master Lock factory speaking to the union workers.

Obama also mentions Diamond Precision in Milwaukee, a machine manufacturer adding new jobs; and Collaborative Consulting, an IT company opening a new call center in Wausau. In a statement, Governor Walker takes some credit for helping those companies to grow, “I’m glad that the President highlighted two companies we worked with during the past year to create jobs in Wisconsin.”

Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brad Courtney says in a statement, Obama’s appearance in Milwaukee is “nothing more than a taxpayer-funded campaign stop in his quest for re-election. Sadly, the President’s remarks were simply more of the same empty promises we’ve come to expect from the campaigner-in-chief.”

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 2:00

Audio WUWM, Milwaukee

Filed Under: Featured Story, News

Priebus denies knowledge of John Doe probe

February 15, 2012 By

The head of the Republican National Committee says he has not been asked to talk with prosecutors about a John Doe investigation that’s tied to Governor Walker’s time as Milwaukee County Executive.

Reince Priebus currently serves as chair of the RNC, but was the head of the state Republican Party during the time period the ongoing probe is focused on. In a call with reporters Tuesday, he denied having any knowledge of the investigation beyond what he has seen reported by the media.

The probe has resulted in charges against two of Walker’s former staff in the county executive’s office for doing campaign work on the job, in addition to charges against three others.

The complaint against one of Walker’s former aides, Darlene Wink, includes an e-mail to Priebus, which talks about setting up a fundraiser for Walker. Priebus says he was not aware Wink may have been contacting him while she was working for the county. He says the “first I heard or saw of it was when that e-mail was in the complaint.”

Priebus says he’s not concerned about what impact the ongoing John Doe investigation could have on a possible recall election targeting Walker, since it’s something “he can’t control.”

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (:53)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured Story, News
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