Winning the 2020 Democratic National Convention is a coup for Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett and a host of allies.And for a downtown river revival rooted in former Mayor John Norquist’s New Urbanism which correctly predicted that people wanted to live and work near water and to get where they needed to go on a bike, by rail, or on their own two feet.
Via The Political Environment: Democrats’ 2020 convention will make Milwaukee glow.
The new Democratic governor, Tony Evers, has put together a two-year budget proposal that virtually every newspaper article declares DOA (dead on arrival) because of opposition in the Republican controlled legislature. There is even talk that the GOP will try to supplant his budget by amending the old one.
That’s not the word you hear on the street. What may have been true for eight years under GOP’s departed governor Scott Walker is undergoing the crashing sounds of change. Many in both parties now realize that Evers is not the extreme partisan the GOP tried to paint (in fact, several Democrats don’t find him extreme enough). Several of his proposals have considerable majority clout behind them, given past actions from all sides of the electorate.
Via DOM’S DOMAIN POLITICS: EVERS AND GOP FIGHTING FOR WISCONSIN’S POLITICAL SOUL.
WisEye Morning Minute: Newsmakers – Exit Interview with Martha Laning
On March 6th, WisconsinEye interviewed Martha Laning, the outgoing chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. With 12 Democrats announcing their presidential candidacy and 12 more considering it, Laning was asked if it is a good thing that there are so many Democrats running.
The Republican takeover of Wisconsin government has been devastating to progressive values. But while the GOP is in a national meltdown, the state party is still strong. Meanwhile, the Dems still don’t have a state ground game.
Via What hope is there for Wisconsin Dems? @ Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin.
But now Walker seems to be gearing up to run for a third term. The “remember the times before I moved to Iowa” focus of his State of the State address and his invitation-only listening tour around the state make him look like a governor in rebuilding mode, not just somebody waiting out the clock.
Now, he could change his mind. Former Gov. Jim Doyle was getting ready to run again in 2010 until he saw the writing on the wall and decided to retire rather than be crushed. But, for the moment, Walker is the candidate….
Via Six Democrats who could challenge Walker in 2018 @ Isthmus.
65% of Democratic voters think Clinton will win nomination, 27% think Sanders will. @mulawpoll
— MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) January 28, 2016
Via WisEye YouTube.
Both voter drop-off and drop-down from presidential election totals are a serious problem for Democratic candidates. If we want to return to clean government, to progressive policies, and to a robust state economy, this issue must be alleviated. Democrats need to implement strong GOTV policies in every corner of the state. The party organization must publicize its entire slate of candidates, not just those at the top of the ticket.
Yeah, that’ll make the difference –
Obey endorses Kloppenburg in Supreme Court race @ JS Proof and Hearsay Blog.
Yesterday, the Wisconsin Senate Democrats unveiled a new progressive and forward-looking vision. After listening to citizens around the state, our fourteen State Senators outlined a pragmatic and growth-oriented agenda that will restore Wisconsin to national economic, educational, and environmental leadership.
Called The Badger Blueprint, the 14 page plan plan is divided into three general sections- Growth,Innovation, and Opportunity. Under these headers, there are thirty specific actions that show the direction that state Democratic leaders want to take us.
Because he was so successful in his prior work –
“Mike Tate said he is providing campaign advice in advance of the Milwaukee County executive’s 2016 re-election campaign.”
Via Chris Abele hires former Democratic Party boss to aid campaign @ JS No Quarter Blog.
Among WI Democrats, Hillary Clinton leads for president at 44%. Bernie Sanders 32%, Joe Biden 12%, others less than 1%. # mulawpoll
— MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) August 20, 2015
“I can share with you Russ’ campaign (and) what they’ve told us so far,” Laning said in the videotaped segment, first reported by the The Washington Free Beacon.
“Never call him ‘Senator Feingold.’ We are to call him ‘Russ,'” she said. “They want us to say ‘Russ’ because the last campaign — it was all about ’16 years, 16 years, 16 years, he’s there too long.’ And so they want to say, ‘He’s just one of us.’
We want to go back to Russ being Russ.”
Via Democratic Party chair says it’s ‘Russ,’ not Senator Feingold @ JS No Quarter Blog
“Six Democrats in the Wisconsin state Senate voted late Wednesday to give millions in taxpayer dollars to a couple of billionaires. After they cast their votes in favor of SB 209, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin issued a statement praising the corporate giveaway to a powerful Milwaukee special interest….”
Via Wis. Dems Support Massive Corporate Giveaway to Billionaires @ Media Trackers.
I have no doubt that God has a wonderful plan for Walker, but it involves getting rich on the lecture circuit, not leading the free world. The more interesting question is if the Democrats can find a way to win his office back and start rebuilding the state he has all but destroyed.
Via After Scott Walker loses, then what? @ Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin.
Under outgoing, current Chair Mike Tate, the DPW went from supporting, at least to some extent, all its candidates for legislative office in Wisconsin, to hitting up all its legislative candidates for cash for the DPW itself. They spoke of a 72 county plan but instead they concentrated on the heavily populated counties of Dane…
Via How the Democratic Party Chair candidates want to move the party forward @ Blogging Blue.
Former state Rep. Jeff Smith of Eau Claire sent out a letter to Democratic delegates saying he would seek to hire one of his opponents, Martha Laning, as his top staffer if he wins on Saturday. Five candidates are vying to run the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “So I’m pleased to tell all of you…