Uppity Wisconsin
Making Wisconsin Progressive Again
Veterans Blasting Dave Obey
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:10am | mal contends
Suffice to say that many activist veterans are not too happy with Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wausau).
Though generally regarded as a progressive, the words I most often hear from folks across the political spectrum (from small business owners to anti-war activists) describing Obey are swearwords directed at Obey's personality and several parts of his anatomy.
From a veteran's e-mail emblematic of dismay of Obey's apparent shafting of our veterans on health care:
Though generally regarded as a progressive, the words I most often hear from folks across the political spectrum (from small business owners to anti-war activists) describing Obey are swearwords directed at Obey's personality and several parts of his anatomy.
From a veteran's e-mail emblematic of dismay of Obey's apparent shafting of our veterans on health care:
Obey is the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, One of his priorities is health care.
Obey has been a driving force behind doubling federal investments in medical research and in expanding access to affordable health care. He believes every American should be covered by affordable health insurance,that managed care patients need a Bill of Rights, and that Medicare should provide affordable prescription drug coverage for seniors.
And yet this individual has led the charge against mandatory funding for veterans health care.
'Ballot Security' in Wisconsin Has Civil Rights Workers Wary
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 9:37am | mal contends
It has brought to our attention that "(s)enior Justice Department officials told civil-rights organizations they plan to deploy hundreds of poll monitors in November to prevent voting-rights violations and deter fraud (Perez, Wall Street Journal, September 9. 2008).
In light of the Wisconsin DOJ/GOP's efforts at voter suppression (that now looks to fail) and the McCain Campaign project sending misleading absentee ballots to voters, the presence of U.S. DOJ officials at polling places has civil rights groups nervous, though it's not confirmed that the DOJ officials will be in Wisconsin at this point.
As Evan Perez writes in the Wall Street Journal:
In light of the Wisconsin DOJ/GOP's efforts at voter suppression (that now looks to fail) and the McCain Campaign project sending misleading absentee ballots to voters, the presence of U.S. DOJ officials at polling places has civil rights groups nervous, though it's not confirmed that the DOJ officials will be in Wisconsin at this point.
As Evan Perez writes in the Wall Street Journal:
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Tags: Civil Rights, 2008 election, ACLU, Barack Obama, Breaking Wisconsin Politics, civil rights, Evan Perez, GOP dirty tricks, J.B. Van Hollen, John McCain, NAACP, Reince Priebus, Steven Biskupic, US Department of Justice, voter caging, voter suppression, voting rights
866 Our Vote Fights Vote Suppression
Fri, 09/26/2008 - 5:12pm | mal contends
Though Attorney General Van Hollen's voter suppression effort looks to fail, few doubt that the GOP has more tricks up its sleeve.
The nonpartisan Election protection coalition (http://www.866ourvote.org/) is fighting voter suppression and is a great resource. Look them up.
Any problems or concerns: Call 1 866 OUR VOTE (1 866 687 8683).
Van Hollen's Vote Suppression Set to Fail
Thu, 09/25/2008 - 9:23am | mal contends
In this day and age we're still fighting off voter suppression?
Yes, it's the age of the ahistorical GOP.
But Wisconsin citizens can take solace in the fact that Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's scheme that forgets that the civil rights movement ever happened (and fails to appreciate the immorality of suppressing voters) looks doomed to fail.
Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi will not rule on a dismissal motion until a couple of weeks out from the election.
Van Hollen and Wisconsin GOP will play Chickenlittle running around telling everyone that an implied conspiracy of fraudulent voters will corrupt the election, but the GOP's proposed remedy to this election conspiracy fantasy, voter suppression, would not be implemented in time to impact the November 4 election. That's the take-away of Judge Sumi's hearing yesterday.
GOP/DOJ Lies on Voter Suppression Revealed
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 12:17pm | mal contends
Update: Van Hollen as panelist at the rightwing Federalist Society last year
As the Republican Party continues its lies about its voter suppression program, the Democratic Party is setting the record straight.
Just released is a fact sheet and timeline demonstrating the ever-changing stories of the duplicitous JB Van Hollen, McCain co-chair and Wisconsin Attorney General, and his GOP as they attempt to prevent as many (wrong-voting) people as possible from voting this November.
The fact-sheet is worth reproducing in its entirety.
Fact Sheet: Van Hollen’s Web of Deceit, Cover Ups
and Collusion with Republicans on GAB Lawsuit
(Wednesday, September 24, 2008)
GOP Chair Met Van Hollen at Convention, Talked 'Follow-law' Shop
Tue, 09/23/2008 - 7:33am | mal contends
Interesting piece in the State Journal by Mark Pitsch this morning.
Reince Priebus, the Wisconsin GOP party chairman, confirms that he
No strategizing, just following the law?
The problem is the GOP's view of following the law led to its voter suppression efforts. Must have been a fun party though.
Reince Priebus, the Wisconsin GOP party chairman, confirms that he
had multiple conversations with Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's top aide before Van Hollen filed a lawsuit against the state election agency to compel expanded voter registration checks.
But Reince Priebus, the party chairman, defended his contacts with Deputy Attorney General Ray Taffora, his comments in Van Hollen's presence this month at the Republican National Convention criticizing the election agency, and meetings between GOP lawyers and the Justice Department lawyers handling the lawsuit. ... 'It's important that in my comments to the delegation and even standing around in the breakfast room or the staff room with J.B., there was nothing more I said than the continuation of my general feeling that the Government Accountability Board needs to follow the HAVA law,' Priebus said. 'There was no strategizing.'
No strategizing, just following the law?
The problem is the GOP's view of following the law led to its voter suppression efforts. Must have been a fun party though.
Anti-Catholic Pol's Slate of Candidates Revealed
Fri, 07/25/2008 - 11:12am | mal contends
Update II: Clean Sweep WI's PAC report.
Tom Reynolds' Clean Sweep Wisconsin (CSW) slate of candidates running in the Milwaukee area are revealed in CSW's July campaign finance report.
The report indicates seven Assembly candidates (one since disqualified) and one State Senate candidate, Nicholas E. Cosey, (since disqualified) as recipients of CSW's PAC money.
The former Wisconsin state senator, Reynolds, has been disavowed by establishment Republicans and Democrats, and criticized for the dealings of his PAC in running rightwingers in Democratic primaries while denying that he is doing so.
Updated - Anti-Catholic Reynolds' Candidates Avoiding Press
Wed, 07/09/2008 - 9:19am | mal contends
Update: Daniel Bice has the audio of a Tom Reynolds phone call to state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee, 20), “a veteran Milwaukee Democrat, (who) has a direct and personal interest in what Reynolds was doing, so she signed up - using a fake name - with Clean Sweep Wisconsin.”
This is the link is to the audio of the Reynolds phone call, and the URL is: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=770314
Transcription of the Reynolds call, in part, follows:
Anti-Catholic Man's First Salvo at Assembly Dems
Mon, 07/07/2008 - 11:41am | mal contends
The first candidates for Tom Reynolds' (R-Outer Reaches) Clean Sweep Wisconsin's project to run some 12 candidates against Milwuakee-area Democratic incumbents in the Democratic primary are now public.
The Reynolds' folks are: Phil Landowski (running against state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)) and Josh Hoisington (running against Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), West Allis being Reynolds' home turf), reports Daniel Bice in yesterday's Journal-Sentinel.
Reynolds, almost universally blasted during his tenure in the state senate (see Waxing America's profile on Reynolds from 2005 for Reynolds' weird anti-Catholic cavorting and the Milwaukee Shepherd-Express piece on Reynolds), has reportedly convinced several candidates to run against incumbent Assembly Democrats for reasons not entirely clear.
The Reynolds' folks are: Phil Landowski (running against state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)) and Josh Hoisington (running against Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), West Allis being Reynolds' home turf), reports Daniel Bice in yesterday's Journal-Sentinel.
Reynolds, almost universally blasted during his tenure in the state senate (see Waxing America's profile on Reynolds from 2005 for Reynolds' weird anti-Catholic cavorting and the Milwaukee Shepherd-Express piece on Reynolds), has reportedly convinced several candidates to run against incumbent Assembly Democrats for reasons not entirely clear.
Anti-Catholic Nut Tom Reynolds' Guys to Be Revealed Next Week
Wed, 07/02/2008 - 8:47am | mal contends
Clean Sweep Wisconsin's foray into the state Assembly races is being fronted by former state senator Tom Reynolds (R-Outer Reaches).
Reynolds has created Clean Sweep Wisconsin's PAC and is recruiting numerous rightwing candidates to run in the Democratic primaries of Milwaukee state representatives.
Wonder if that means all Catholics and non-virgins will be swept away this election cycle.
The Wisconsin State Journal's Mark Pitsch politely describes Reynolds as "eccentric".
But with Reynolds, politeness obscures reality.
The Milwaukee Shepherd-Express' Lisa Kaiser leads her piece from June thusly:
Pressure Building on Lone Wisc Clinton-declared Superdelegate Officeholder
Wed, 04/30/2008 - 11:03am | mal contends
Update: John Nichols: A Baldwin shift to Obama could send crucial message
So, why is Wisconsin's most progressive elected official and superdelegate still declared, alone among elected state officeholders, for Hillary Clinton?
Good question for Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison).
What does it take from Clinton for Baldwin to jump ship?
House Judiciary Comm Demands Action on Political Prosecutions, Including US Atty Biskupic's
Fri, 04/18/2008 - 7:40am | mal contends
via MAL Contends
The House Judiciary Committee is proceeding in investigating the Bush administration's political prosecutions.
Press Release from April 17
(Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Committee Members Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced three critical actions in the Committee's investigation into allegations of selective or poltiically-motivated prosecution in the Justice Department.
The Members today invited Karl Rove to testify before the committee; urged the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate those allegations; and demanded that Attorney General Michael Mukasey provide additional documents on this subject.
Today's actions result from the Committee's majority staff report, also released today, which details the cases, interviews and documents they have reviewed since the Committee began its investigation last year.
The House Judiciary Committee is proceeding in investigating the Bush administration's political prosecutions.
Press Release from April 17
(Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Committee Members Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Artur Davis (D-AL), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced three critical actions in the Committee's investigation into allegations of selective or poltiically-motivated prosecution in the Justice Department.
The Members today invited Karl Rove to testify before the committee; urged the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate those allegations; and demanded that Attorney General Michael Mukasey provide additional documents on this subject.
Today's actions result from the Committee's majority staff report, also released today, which details the cases, interviews and documents they have reviewed since the Committee began its investigation last year.
Recusal Standards: A Partial Solution to Judicial Mess
Tue, 04/15/2008 - 10:12pm | mal contends
by mal contends
Public financing, education, and aggressive journalism point the way out of the unholy mess the election of Wisconsin Supreme Court justices has become.
So bad is Wisconsin that we are now a poster child for a nationwide problem with electing judges.
Another part of the solution proposed is more aggressive recusal rules, negating the rationale behind buying a Supreme Court seat.
From the Brennan Center for Justice's Justice Under Seige:
Public financing, education, and aggressive journalism point the way out of the unholy mess the election of Wisconsin Supreme Court justices has become.
So bad is Wisconsin that we are now a poster child for a nationwide problem with electing judges.
Another part of the solution proposed is more aggressive recusal rules, negating the rationale behind buying a Supreme Court seat.
From the Brennan Center for Justice's Justice Under Seige:
Wisc SC Candidate Gableman Revealed as GOP Partisan; Judge Appointment Irregular
Thu, 02/21/2008 - 11:50am | mal contends
One Wisconsin Now has a press release out on Judge Michael Gableman's history, calling into question Gableman's judicial impartiality, and revealing a history resembling that of a GOP Crony.
See Wisc SC Candidate Gableman Revealed as GOP Partisan; Judge Appointment Irregular (follow link, and click text once of PR).
Harper's Magazine: How Can US Atty Biskupic Continue in His Job?
Sat, 02/02/2008 - 9:20pm | mal contends
Harper's magazine remains the best watchdog of the U.S. Dept of Justice corruption.
From Scott Horton's column today blasting U.S. Atty Biskupic:
Compensating the Victims
The Bush Justice Department has engaged in a number of blatantly political prosecutions. One was already ascertained in an internal probe. My understanding is that a pending Inspector General investigation has reached the same conclusion in another case in which it confirmed Karl Rove’s intervention and involvement, and that it is looking at several more. And one of them was ascertained by a Court of Appeals decision, by a unanimous, all-Republican panel of the Seventh Circuit, which in fact labeled a prosecution, which produced a conviction and was before them on appeal, with a stinging one-word rebuke. They called it “preposterous.”
Compensating the Victims
The Bush Justice Department has engaged in a number of blatantly political prosecutions. One was already ascertained in an internal probe. My understanding is that a pending Inspector General investigation has reached the same conclusion in another case in which it confirmed Karl Rove’s intervention and involvement, and that it is looking at several more. And one of them was ascertained by a Court of Appeals decision, by a unanimous, all-Republican panel of the Seventh Circuit, which in fact labeled a prosecution, which produced a conviction and was before them on appeal, with a stinging one-word rebuke. They called it “preposterous.”
The Appeals judges ordered the immediate release of the prisoner after hearing the case, not even waiting for the issuance of an opinion. This was the case of Georgia Thompson, a Wisconsin civil servant, who was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney in Milwaukee with the evident purpose of helping the Republican candidate for governor get a leg up during the election. Moreover, the U.S. Attorney had previously been on Karl Rove’s list of prosecutors to fire, and after this and some other highly suspect cases, his name disappeared off the list. The facts speak for themselves, a lawyer might say.