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Vos kisses Trump’s ring
In a disgusting display of cowardice and obsequiousness, Speaker Robin Vos felt it necessary to bow down to Donald Trump and to kiss his ring (or somewhere south of that). This is the same Robin Vos whom Trump had slammed back in June as a liar and a fake leader who was “working hard to […]
Dems seek public hearing on Fair Maps bills
The Democratic co-authors of the bills to ban gerrymandering in Wisconsin have requested a public hearing on them. Sen. Jeff Smith and Rep. Deb Andraca introduced their bills ( Senate Bill 389 and Assembly Bill 395) back on May 17. On August 5, they sent a letter to the chair of the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Sen. […]
GOP accepts four times more in corporate contributions than Dems
Two Republican legislative campaign committees and the state GOP accepted nearly four times more in corporate contributions than their Democratic counterparts during the first half of 2021.The state Republican Party, Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, and Committee to Elect a Republican Senate accepted a total of $471,550 in corporate contributions between January and June, according to recently […]
Overcoming authoritarianism
Our democracy is in real trouble. And I’m not even talking about some of the usual things I discuss, like big and dark money in our politics, or like gerrymandering or like economic inequality. Teddy Roosevelt said 100 years ago, “We cannot have real political democracy unless we have something approaching economic democracy.” But we’re […]
Wisconsin’s high court shouldn’t let Vos and LeMahieu cut in line
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is once again on the receiving end of an extraordinary request from the leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature. This time, the plea is for the high court to circumvent the normal judicial process and dive headlong into a redistricting-related legal challenge. But the case isn’t about new maps: with the Census […]
Vos isn’t rightwing enough?
Here’s the news flash: Robin Vos isn’t rightwing enough for some in his own caucus. At the recent state Republican Party convention, a few delegates offered a resolution to strip Vos of his Speakership.The motion didn’t pass, but it echoed the grumbling from far right legislators that Vos hasn’t hyped the Big Lie at sufficient […]
Robin Vos plays with slimy GOP chew toy
When Wisconsin Speaker Robin Vos announced on Wednesday that he was hiring three retired police officers and an attorney to look further into allegations of improprieties during the last election, he brought further disgrace upon himself. He just cannot let go of that slimy GOP chew toy. “A sizable chunk of people believe the election […]
Don’t interfere with the freedom to vote
Testimony by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Matthew Rothschild to the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Elections, Elections Process Reform, and Ethics on April 8, 2021. Chair Bernier, and other distinguished members of the Committee. I’m Matt Rothschild, the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Now in our 26th year, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign tracks […]
Virginia based GOP electioneering group spends big in Appeals Court race
A Virginia-based electioneering group that supports conservative judicial candidates throughout the country has spent about $56,200 in a Wisconsin court of appeals race.The spending by the Republican State Leadership Committee – Judicial Fairness Initiative was for television ads to support Shelley Grogan, who is challenging incumbent Judge Jeffrey Davis for his seat on the three-member […]
Ron Johnson, resign!
Ron Johnson is an embarrassment to Wisconsin. He made that clear after Nov. 3 when he kept parroting Trump’s propaganda about the election. He made that clear after Jan. 6, when he blamed Nancy Pelosi for the violent mob and tried to claim that the ultra-rightwingers who trashed the Capitol were actually from the left. […]
Boycott Uline
I’m calling for a boycott of the Uline Corporation, the giant packaging company based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Spurring me on for this call is an alum of Northwestern, who heard a report on WBEZ radio that the owners of Uline, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, had funded a group that was involved in the Jan. […]
Con Con is back: Wisconsin GOP’s move to amend the Constitution
The testimony below was given by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Matthew Rothschild before the Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics on Wednesday in opposition to Joint Resolution 9 calling for an Article V convention of the states. Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) chairs the committee. Chair Wichgers and members of the committee, My name is […]