The word on the street is Kloppenburg pulled off a victory in the Supreme Court race by a mere 233 votes, but this is unofficial.  I will update this with details/changes.  Prosser will undoubtedly ask for a recount (no automatic recounts in WI.; good info about recounts in Wisconsin here) and this is unlikely to be completely resolved for a while, but that’s the news right now.

Update: This is looking more and more legitimate but is officially still “too close to call.” 

Update 2.0: Maybe the number she won by is more like 334 votes. 

Update 3.0: Victory.

I sometimes wish national Democrats would be more like Wisconsin Democrats by showing leadership, making their voices more clearly heard, and actually taking a stand.

Tuesday, April 5th.  Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm.  Get out the vote. 

A March Fit For A King

Saturday, April 2, MLK Dr. to Red Arrow Park, Milwaukee

A march to commemorate Dr. King and join together in the fight for economic justice and basic rights in Wisconsin.

Milwaukeeans will be standing together to take back the city and the state, in the streets and in the ballot box.

9:00AM – Meet up at MLK Drive and North Ave

9:30AM – Begin March down MLK Drive toward downtown

10:30AM – Rally at Red Arrow Park

11:00AM – March to early voting!

Sponsored by: MICAH, NAACP Milwaukee, AFSCME Local 82, and many other coalition partners, students, and community members.

When we arrived, a pile of wood-handled picket signs was gathering near the north entrance to the capitol building at 3 pm. Two security guards, armed and wearing fur hats borrowed from the set of Fargo, flanked the revolving oak door as we, alongside families, small groups of friends and lone protesters, ambled into the building no faster than the snow was falling on that grey Madison afternoon. The officers stared ahead, stopping the occasional man or woman to prevent wooden planks from entering the building. Everyone obliged.

thanks, guillermo-c!

Tomorrow all 14 of us will head to the capitol, where we’re going to thank the people of Wisconsin for stepping up. We’ll be marching to the capitol. It is a homecoming.

Peter Barca, my new hero, brought out a megaphone.  A megaphone is necessary when your Republican colleagues are known for turning off your microphone, ending debate without making a separate motion and closing the roll within seconds, and violating open meeting laws.

With 19 people still waiting to speak, debate was closed.  Wisconsin workers lost their rights in a 53-42 vote. 

Your help is needed this weekend to help recall the Republican 8. 

On both Saturday & Sunday, at 10 am and 2 pm each day, people will be meeting in the following locations to help gather signatures:

Robert Cowles  (Green Bay/De Pere/Ashwaubenon)
1061 W. Mason St., Green Bay AND 132 South Main Street, Shawano

Alberta Darling (Milwaukee/North Shore suburbs)
2510 E Capitol Drive, Shorewood

Sheila Harsdorf (Hudson/River Falls)
800 Carmichael Rd., Hudson AND 321 N 2nd St, River Falls

Luther Olsen (Portage/Waupaca/Ripon)
813 W. Carroll St., Portage AND Waupaca Woods Shopping Mall at 825 W. Fulton St. AND 443 Scott St., Ripon

Randy Hopper (Fond du Lac/Oshkosh)
325 Trowbridge Drive, Fond du Lac, AND 748 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh

Dan Kapanke (La Crosse/Onalaska)
1307 Market Street, La Crosse

You can also check out my post (here) with brief answers to FAQs for more info.  Make your voice heard!

Please note: I do not have any info on organizing for Grothman or Lazich yet, but will update if I find out.

However difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again. How long? Not long. Because no lie can live forever…How long? Not long. Because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

quickhits:

The crowd on King St. in Madison at this very moment. This is the size of the crowd we can turn out at the drop of a hat.

Be afraid, Republicans. Be very afraid of that ballot box.

You can watch what happened here.  The link should take you to essentially the WI. version of CSPAN and you can watch it on that site.  Please, please, please take 5 minutes to watch it.  It is a tragedy you have to see to believe.

This special committee was convened to essentially move the collective bargaining elements of the “budget repair bill” into a separate bill that could be voted on without any Senate Democrats; quorum was not needed because stripping people of collective bargaining rights is apparently not considered “fiscal.”   In the clip posted above, Democratic Rep. Peter Barca tells it like it is.  Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald allowed no discussion, no motions, gave no notice (which would seemingly violate the open meetings law?) and took roll while Barca was still talking.  In less than five munutes, this committee passed the bill, moving it to the Senate, which then passed it, as well.  The Assembly will likely vote on it tomorrow.  I am heartbroken.

In Wisconsin, recalls can be used to hold politicians accountable once they are in office.  If you’re interested in learning more about the effort to recall 8 Republican Senators, check out the website www.recalltherepublican8.com.  Make your voice heard.

“It’s tremendously emotional.  I don’t hold any animosity against the officer…this is Scott Walker’s leadership in Wisconsin, and it’s reprehensible.” -Democratic Assemblyman Nick Milroy, in a great interview with Rachel Maddow

Before the union uprising, Wisconsin voters might not have noticed when Mr. Walker approved business tax cuts earlier this year that made his budget gap worse. But now, with his cries of being “broke,” they should listen more closely. On Tuesday, he unveiled a budget that would cut aid to school districts and local governments by nearly $1 billion over two years, while preventing those jurisdictions from raising property taxes at all to make up for the loss.

While Scotty can’t be recalled until next January, 8 Republican State Senators can be recalled now.  When elected officials legislate against the will and the best interest of their constituents, recalls are a way to hold them accountable.  Today, the initial paperwork was filed to get this process started.  Now, the required signatures must be collected in 60 days.  Keep your eye on this website for important updates if you’re interested!  And spread the word!