Expresses support for conservative Sen. Leah Vukmir instead.
JUNEAU, WI – Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R–Juneau) released the following statement Monday regarding the 2018 U.S. Senate race:
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided that I will not enter the race for U.S. Senate and will remain dedicated to serving the 13th Senate District.
“I would like to express my complete support for Sen. Leah Vukmir, an actual conservative. She is an exceptional leader, one of the best Wisconsin has to offer, so I am choosing not to run for the U.S. Senate knowing we are in great hands. Leah will listen to the grassroots and will provide Wisconsinites the leadership they deserve in Washington.
“Leah is a dedicated public servant and her commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin is reflected in her record. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Leah in the State Senate and have complete confidence that she has the strength and determination to unseat Tammy Baldwin.
“It’s time to turn Wisconsin entirely red, and Leah is the candidate that will help us achieve that goal. I support Leah Vukmir, and I strongly encourage others to join me.”
Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 September 2017 09:38
New Republican proposed budget continues the same old out-of-touch Madison political games at the expense of Wisconsinites.
MADISON – Last week, after two months of infighting by Governor Walker and legislative Republicans, the Joint Finance Committee convened to finish their review of Gov. Walker’s 2017-19 state budget.
Notable last-minute provisions railroaded through the budget process on the last day by a party-line vote include: more tax breaks for the rich, hefty handouts to big corporations, doubling the school voucher program for students with special needs, auditing family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood, and instituting overreaching surveillance of UW System faculty workload.
Tony Evers, Democratic candidate for Governor, released the following statement:
“Can you say out-of-touch? Instead of working to invest and build Wisconsin’s middle class – which has been impacted by significant manufacturing job and wage losses over the last year – legislative Republicans doubled-down on tax breaks for those who do not need it and, to pay for it, they eliminated tax breaks for those who need it most. It’s no surprise Wisconsin’s middle class is shrinking faster than any other state in the country. Look no further than Kansas to see the devastating impact that these careless and ballooned tax breaks to big corporations will have.
“The politicians are at it again. For example, they are taking cheap shots at Planned Parenthood, which provides life-saving preventive health services like cancer screenings to over 60,000 Wisconsinites every year and trying to tell UW faculty how to do their jobs. Scott Walker and legislative Republicans should instead focus on creating jobs, improving our schools, and growing Wisconsin’s economy.”
Tony Evers has been elected three times to serve as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, winning 70 of 72 counties in his last election, with 70 percent of the vote statewide. Evers has spent his entire career educating our kids, previously working as a science teacher, a high school principal and as school district superintendent. As State Superintendent, Evers runs one of the largest agencies in the state, with responsibility over 70,000 educators and 860,000 students. Evers is the father of 3 children and 6 grandchildren, raising his family in communities throughout Wisconsin, including Plymouth, Baraboo, Tomah, Oakfield, Omro, Oshkosh and Verona.
MADISON - The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is launching a new, sharply targeted digital ad campaign to communicate directly to Wisconsin voters about Leah Vukmir's real record of Tea Party extremism. Thousands of dollars of ads will be run statewide, beginning Friday, September 8, targeting women, parents and middle class voters, highlighting her record of weakening protections for people with pre-existing conditions, tax giveaways for millionaires and billionaires, and her extreme views on women's access to healthcare.
Using demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and geographic information, Wisconsin voters will be shown information about Leah's long history of being out of the mainstream. This ad buy is a sophisticated approach to get the most relevant information to persuadable voting populations earlier than ever before in the cycle.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning commented, "The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is dedicated to helping share information about all candidates, especially when their views are too extreme for Wisconsin voters. Leah Vukmir's record is just too extreme to go ignored: she supports tax breaks for the wealthy, eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions and limiting a woman's access to healthcare options. Leah Vukmir is too extreme for Wisconsin."
Written by Commoners for Mike McCabe, Christine Welcher
Monday, 11 September 2017 10:31
Outsider campaign will barnstorm the state, first rally stop will be in Wausau on Sept 13th.
WAUSAU, WI - After his official kick-off in Curtiss, WI on Sept 12, 2017, McCabe’s Principle Over Party campaign will barnstorm the state with a message about getting government working for all of us and not just a few, a living wage for every worker, health care for all, debt-free education and job training, and high-speed Internet to every doorstep.
The first rally stop will be in Wausau on Sept 13th. Several stops will be made that day culminating with a larger event from 4:30-7pm at the Chatterbox Bar. (102 2nd Avenue South, Wausau) The event is free and all are welcome.
“Wisconsin is up to its eyeballs in problems. Same goes for our country as a whole. The problems grow out of political and economic inequality. Our society has been made more and more elitist, both politically and economically. It has been divided into royals and commoners,” McCabe said. “I am running for one reason and one reason only – to re-establish the ideal that our government should work as well for the commoners as it does for the royals.”
For 15 years, McCabe led the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks the money in elections, exposes corruption and works to make people matter more than money in politics. (wisdc.org/wdcaccomplishments.php) He went on to start up the grassroots group Blue Jean Nation, which works to empower regular people to challenge the political establishment.
McCabe does not belong to any political party, but is entering the Democratic primary. The campaign’s website is GovernorBlueJeans.com.
We’ve set this goal for two reasons. First, we want to do everything we can to get Mike’s campaign off to a fast start. Second, we want to send a message to the political establishment that it’s possible to take a principled stand against the legal bribery of our elected officials and still have the means to mount a vigorous statewide campaign.
Candidates for governor can legally accept donations as large as $20,000 from individuals and $86,000 from political action committees. Mike sees these huge donations for what they are. Legal bribes. He won’t take them. In fact, he’s not accepting any single donation over $200. For decades as an independent watchdog Mike shined light on the legal bribes and exposed what these transactions do to corrupt our government and rob you of your voice.
He’s had our backs all these years. An army of us need to have his back now. The cynical insiders are busy telling each other Mike’s campaign shouldn’t be taken seriously. Raising $100,000 in a single day would blow a mammoth hole in that theory.
To do it, we need 500 people to pledge to give $200 on 9/12.
Will you be one of them? Email me at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to join #500Strong
Various Milwaukee and Madison commentators recount what they think about conservative Senate candidate Leah Vukmir.
MILWAUKEE, WI - “Leah Vukmir probably doesn’t need much of an introduction if you pay attention to politics at all… Leah Vukmir has been the one who has always been trying to push the envelope and keep the Republican Party conservative, and move it more conservative… In terms of a track record on the issues, you can’t beat Leah Vukmir’s record. She has been there and backed conservative causes as long as she’s been in the Legislature. She’s been staunch on Act 10, she’s one of those who has never buckled… I think it comes down to this: Kevin Nicholson has to convince people that he’d be better than Leah Vukmir. I don’t think Leah has to convince anybody that she’d be good, because any Republican in Wisconsin who has been paying attention knows that she’d be a great United States Senator because she’s been a great Wisconsin State Senator." – Mark Belling, WISN
"If the Shepherd Express hates you and Milwaukee Magazine hates you and Bruce Murphy hates you and some of the Republicans that are fighting to increase road taxes and gas taxes and usage fees and import tollways… I’m struggling to find how that’s a negative here…" – Dan O’Donnell, WISN
“Vowing to bring the "Wisconsin Way" to the U.S. Senate, state Sen. Leah Vukmir of Brookfield entered the race for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin next year.” – Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Leah Vukmir. Very well known to voters in southeastern Wisconsin. A proven conservative who certainly adds a very important voice to this campaign. I am thrilled to see her getting in the race. — Jeff Wagner, WTMJ
“Republican state Sen. Leah Vukmir made it official Thursday that she’s running for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, casting herself as the only true conservative in a primary contest that includes a former Democrat.” – Scott Bauer, Associated Press
“You know, I’m somebody that tweeted back at you probably about six weeks ago, ‘Run Leah Run!’ And I’m glad you’re making this decision today to go forward and get into that race. You are a conservative, and a woman. That’s kind of a rare thing on the national level, so I’m excited about that. But the fact that you’re going to take that Wisconsin story to Washington, I think that is significant.” — Steve Scaffidi, WTMJ
“The best primary is where you have a clear choice that is conservative because they have 16 years worth of a resume to prove it, not just because they claim to be…[Leah’s] a conservative we can trust.” – Ed Willing, The Resurgent
“Among Vukmir's legislative victories is a full repeal of the state's prevailing wage law, set to be approved in the state budget later this month. Vukmir has also championed the expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools throughout her tenure in the Legislature. She became politically active as an education advocate when her daughter was in kindergarten.” – Jessie Opoien, The Cap Times
“Vukmir is a policy wonk. She led the fight against Obamacare expansion in the state, proposed reforms to national common core standards, supported concealed carry, castle doctrine (defending your home), veteran benefit reforms, statewide school choice, right-to-work, prevailing wage reform (mandated pricing for public works), holding the line on property taxes, freezing state tuition at state colleges, and dozens of other first-time conservative changes. As Wisconsin has slowly replaced the aging progressive legacy of our state with conservative policies that work, Vukmir has usually been on the front line.” – Ed Willing, The Resurgent
Democrats comment on announcement by Tea Party, billionaire-backed, Koch brothers disciple candidate.
MADISON - Thursday, a Tea Party, billionaire-backed, Koch brothers disciple announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate. State Senator Leah Vukmir has a long history in Madison of putting her extreme, Tea Party agenda ahead of the needs of Wisconsin families. Leah joins former College Democrats of America Chair Kevin Nicholson in the Republican primary.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning commented, “For over a decade, Leah Vukmir has been in Madison putting her extreme agenda ahead of the needs of Wisconsin families. Billionaires back her because she’s served as a national leader of a billionaires special interest group, introducing their legislation in Wisconsin and hurting Wisconsin families. She prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires and corporations over working people. She cuts education and healthcare to pay for massive tax breaks for the super wealthy. And what's worse, Leah Vukmir's extreme policies haven't done anything to address rising costs for Wisconsin families.”
“I first got into politics because of my kids," Leah said. "I challenged the school system so my children could have the education they deserved, and that’s why I’m running today. If you want to change things, you need to stand up and lead.
“As a nurse, it is in my nature to take action when things need to get done. I stood with Gov. Walker and real conservatives to enact successful reforms that keep jobs here in Wisconsin, keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket, and make our communities better places to raise a family.
“And, in the face of liberal intimidation tactics, I’ve kept up that fight to make our state a better, safer, and more prosperous place for my children and yours.
“The people I’ve spoken to from across our state believe Tammy Baldwin would rather stand with liberal Democrats and Washington elites than listen to what is important to hard-working Wisconsinites.
“The Senate desperately needs someone who will never back down — a proven, consistent conservative who understands the type of determination it takes to finish the job. I intend to bring the Wisconsin way of working hard and never giving up straight to Washington.”
MADISON - As Milwaukee County begins to recover from over a decade of having a fraud for Sheriff, it was reported today that David Clarke's loyalty to President Trump has finally paid off with an insider job at a shady pro-Trump super PAC.
"From decorating his uniform with fake military badges to lavishing in the Tea Party speaking circuit while inmates died in his jail, David Clarke's entire taxpayer-funded political career was only made possible by defrauding the very people he failed to serve," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning. "Milwaukee County taxpayers will finally be relieved of footing the bill for David Clarke's real job: a mouthpiece for Donald Trump."
MADISON - There’s no more important investment than investing in people.
It starts by fully funding Wisconsin’s K-12 education and making sure each kid has every opportunity to succeed.
Investing in education creates a ripple effect. When students and their families succeed, businesses want to invest in Wisconsin. Our middle class grows. Our state economy thrives.
That’s why I’m running for governor.
Scott Walker is not investing in our schools. His failed leadership with the state budget is hamstringing school districts. As a result, more than 1 million Wisconsinites have voted to raise their own taxes to make up for Governor Walker's failure to provide school districts with adequate resources.
Wisconsin’s kids are taking the brunt of Scott Walker’s failure to lead.
As State Superintendent, I see firsthand what it means to give our kids the education, tools, and life-skills so they can succeed in our 21st century economy.
Scott Walker’s actions, whether it’s failing to fully fund our schools, refusing to accept Medicaid, or turning down dollars for rural broadband, show he has no interest in lifting people up.
I’m running for governor to lift hardworking Wisconsin families up. I’m running to make investing in K-12 education and our kids a priority. I’m running to make Wisconsin a state where businesses can hire good, educated workers – and grow our economy.
Expresses support for conservative Sen. Leah Vukmir instead.
“I would like to express my complete support for Sen. Leah Vukmir, an actual conservative. She is an exceptional leader, one of the best Wisconsin has to offer, so I am choosing not to run for the U.S. Senate knowing we are in great hands. Leah will listen to the grassroots and will provide Wisconsinites the leadership they deserve in Washington.
New Republican proposed budget continues the same old out-of-touch Madison political games at the expense of Wisconsinites.
“Can you say out-of-touch? Instead of working to invest and build Wisconsin’s middle class – which has been impacted by significant manufacturing job and wage losses over the last year – legislative Republicans doubled-down on tax breaks for those who do not need it and, to pay for it, they eliminated tax breaks for those who need it most. It’s no surprise Wisconsin’s middle class is shrinking faster than any other state in the country. Look no further than Kansas to see the devastating impact that these careless and ballooned tax breaks to big corporations will have.
Outsider campaign will barnstorm the state, first rally stop will be in Wausau on Sept 13th.
“Wisconsin is up to its eyeballs in problems. Same goes for our country as a whole. The problems grow out of political and economic inequality. Our society has been made more and more elitist, both politically and economically. It has been divided into royals and commoners,” McCabe said. “I am running for one reason and one reason only – to re-establish the ideal that our government should work as well for the commoners as it does for the royals.”
That’s the goal of the statewide committee of his supporters, 
Democrats comment on announcement by Tea Party, billionaire-backed, Koch brothers disciple candidate.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning commented, “For over a decade, Leah Vukmir has been in Madison putting her extreme agenda ahead of the needs of Wisconsin families. Billionaires back her because she’s served as a national leader of a billionaires special interest group, introducing their legislation in Wisconsin and hurting Wisconsin families. She prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires and corporations over working people. She cuts education and healthcare to pay for massive tax breaks for the super wealthy. And what's worse, Leah Vukmir's extreme policies haven't done anything to address rising costs for Wisconsin families.”
MADISON - As Milwaukee County begins to recover from over a decade of having a fraud for Sheriff, it was reported today that David Clarke's loyalty to President Trump has finally paid off with an insider job at a shady pro-Trump super PAC.
"From decorating his uniform with fake military badges to lavishing in the Tea Party speaking circuit while inmates died in his jail, David Clarke's entire taxpayer-funded political career was only made possible by defrauding the very people he failed to serve," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning. "Milwaukee County taxpayers will finally be relieved of footing the bill for David Clarke's real job: a mouthpiece for Donald Trump."
MADISON - There’s no more important investment than investing in people. 