Posted on 08/16/2011 8:35:00 PM PDT by quantim
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Two Democratic Wisconsin state senators targeted by Republicans survived their elections Tuesday, ending a tumultuous summer of recalls spurred by anger over how lawmakers reacted to Gov. Scott Walker's proposal curbing collective bargaining rights of public workers.
Democrats picked up two seats through the nine recalls but were unable to wrest majority Senate control away from the GOP, which now holds a narrow 17-16 majority. Before the recalls, Republicans had a 19-14 edge in the chamber.
The two senators facing recall Tuesday were among the 14 senators who fled the state in February in opposition to Walker's proposal which passed despite their absence and has been held up by the state Supreme Court.
Democratic Sen. Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie defeated Kenosha attorney Jonathan Steitz, and Sen. Jim Holperin of Conover beat tea party Republican Kim Simac of Eagle River.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Bummer.
Who’s the pubbie that’s gonna flip now?
Ah dang, was hoping they’d at least take one down.
I bet MSLSD is doing porn now as they orgasm over this “victory”.
I dare not watch.
Serves as a reminder of how many voters in the country are happy to see the US fall, as long as it doesn’t inconvenience them. But the pain is spreading, may be a different tune after another year of this free fall.
Why. This is very upsetting. Oh well, it’s only a matter of time before the “on the teat” sheeple vote for the European disaster. Remember Alexander Tyler.
Well they have many more elections on the block in WI in only 448 days.
And they threw Feingold out in the same stroke as ushering in Scott Walker.
Things are a’ changing in the upper Midwest.
Exactly why the Kenyan is wasting his time on a bus tour through the region.
The lesson from tonight is that the GOP here needs to run good candidates that are squeaky clean and can appeal to a middle of the road voter. This doesn’t mean RINO’s but it does mean people who don’t scare off a portion of the independents.
In our district up north we nominated a Sharon Angle/Christine O’Donnell type in Kim Simac. I give Kim credit for running and putting up a fight. But at the end of the day, Simac was involved in a bizzare spouse swapping situation years ago and didn’t pay her taxes. Nor could she articulate anything in hostile environments outside her one talking point. The GOP and Tea Party are not going to win running candidates like that.
The other district was a pretty solid Dem working class district. The GOP candidate Steitz was a pretty good guy. But he’s from Illinois, works in Illinois and is a corporate attorney who has an office in London. That type of guy is not going to win in a democratic/Archie Bunker type traditional Dem district. Just not going to happen.
This is why it is so crucial we get the Presidential nominee right in 2012. That’s why I’m agnostic on Rick Perry at the moment. Can he win the middle of the road voter in Ohio, PA, WI, MI, MN, Iowa, Colorado? Maybe he can. Not sure yet.
Scot Walker for President!
I am really disappointed, too. However I did manage to get 5 relatives to vote today. As I’ve mentioned, those of you in WI who could vote today represented all of us who could NOT vote. Read on another thread of a Grafton, WI fellow who offered to carpool down to Steitz districk to help last weekend.
The trouble with the GOP is that we have jobs, families, etc. Those Dems / union thugs care about nothing but themselves. Did you see the Verizon jerk who placed his daughter in front of a “scab” truck trying to pass through a picket line? Now THAT’s what we’re up against. Low life scum with wild eyed and tantrums fighting against hard working Americans. Then as a Tea Party person, I get called a terrorist. That Rhodes guy in Iowa (?) - more power to you for questioning the fake president.
Dont’ give up - keep up the good fight. Keep the faith, folks. We can’t win them all, but this is still the beginning of the 2012 election. It won’t come easy, but good things come with hard work.
Shame, shame, shame.
A sour note to go to sleep on for sure.
Yes, getting rid of Russ Feingold was very satisfying for us in WI.
His replacement Ron Johnson is the epitome of a grassroots TEA Party conservative too.
The look on Feingold’s face that night when he lost, was priceless. He couldn’t believe he lost! It was sweet.
That’s liberal BS...he isn’t going to flip.
Cheating and lying their way to power.
rats!
Blah!
“Spouse swap” for Kim Simac sounds far more kinky that the story describes...
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/123267843.html
It shows the power of the headine.
At least they married and waited two years...:^)
Great job, WI!
What a waste of time. GOP should just ignore WI, because they obviously aren’t ready to make the hard decisions.
Pathetic!
If these rural precincts on our northern borde show an unexplainable spike in votes compared to the 2008, 2010, and 2011 elections, then we'll know that irregularities are occuring here, and if here, then likely elsewhere too.
-PJ
Here are the numbers - unfortunately they were not close.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/127831843.html
I bet this wont be the last we hear of Kim Simac. She’s an amazing lady.
Here’s hoping she runs for Herb Kohl’s U.S. Senate seat.
What the HELL is wrong with these STUPID voters that theystill want someone who FLEES the state rather than vote on something?????
The Republic CAN survive Barack.
Can the Republic survive the people that thought he’d be good with the power of President?
No....most people are too dumb anymore....and 51%pay NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX.....they will always vote for the Dem.
I don`t know about that district up north, but I know the Kenosha area, having lived there in the `90s. Generally, they`re nice people, but they live, breathe and eat for the three things they hold precious: 1. The Union; 2. The Democrat Party; and 3. The Packers. Everything else is mere details.
Everything I`ve read about Kohl`s seat is that it`s Feingold`s for the taking, and the few polls taken reflect that sentiment. Much of Wisconsin (not all) apparently longs for the “good old days” of being pinned by the neck to the floor under the union thugs` jackboot.
I think once people realized that control of the Senate was no longer in play, a lot of people stayed home. Probably tired of the crap. Not saying it’s right but maybe what happened.
The episode about Simac and her taxes could have been dismissed by drawing a comparison with Isenstat the CEO of GE and his taxes..
In fact both campaigns should have been natioalized because it was an executive decision by Obama to pour money into these recalls in the first place and he should have been tied to the union activity. Particularly with his poll numbers dropping
Also the behavior of the “paid protesters”, the cost to the state for repairs to the capitol. All of this should have been brought up and made an integral part of their presentatons but wasn’t.
The state legislature had already reduced the cost of car insurance by knocking half off that high premium coverage that Doyle gave to his trial lawyer buddies and the opportuinity to re-establish that connection to Doyle could have been used.
Then there is the smoking ban in taverns. You have voters pissed off because they completely inconvienienced with another useless feel good behavior modification that won’t save any lives and reduces tax support for Badgercare. But in Simac’s case she supported.
As far as I’m concerned the whole Wisconsin GOP senate recall campaign lacked direction and was a missed opportunity
http://www.theusmat.com/home.htm
“The trouble with the GOP is that we have jobs, families, etc.”
I know, I know I am sounding like a bitch. But this goes for everyone who uses that phrase, which is all the time.
There was plenty of time to make arrangements for someone else to take of the children (if you have small ones) in one’s absence if one couldn’t be home.
Also, voting is scheduled to accommodate those who work.
The only excuses for not voting are a sick person within the household, car problems at the last minute, a car wreck (the gods forbid) along the way. I am sure there are other good reasons, but I can’t think of any
to take of the children = to take care of the children
(My thoughts are working faster than my fingers. Sorry.)
WI GOP is quite centrist. They have routinely sandbagged conservatives. The highlight of their political year is the annual Tommy Thompson Nostalgia Tour.
The RNC phonebanked us all to death, this time. The money, of course, was for the RNC, not the candidates. All the R candidates simply kept trying to get more $$ out of former contributors. The callers were actually shocked into silence when told by us that we have been hurt badly in this economy and while we will vote, we simply have no more money for political donations at this time. One actually apologized for asking for a donation.
Our problem is the myriads of unionistas/government workers with a high prey drive and killer instincts. The rest of us are the prey, of course. In our case, my husband has a bloody tongue from having to bite it to keep silent when his mostly liberal clients tout their beliefs.
If you abandon every state with high numbers of D voters, you might as well just proclaim zerO and the donks as perpetual rulers. Which may just happen, regardless.
Great stuff at your link. Forwarded to some active TP members.
eh, I’m angry that a supposed “R” leaning district, swung in favour for the Dims.
We need the people of Wisconsin to wake up, but given their repudiation of the Rs, show me why I should believe that Wisconsin “gets it”. I’m sure not seeing it.
Every election I always see Wisconsin does “just enough” to support the Dim. Every. Single. One.
The unions/government employees were motivated by the donks to go after recalls when they lost 1) a major election and 2)their thuggish attempts to stop major legislation.
I'd say Wisconsin voters got it in 2010. They also defeated the attempt to overturn the SSCOTUS election and affirmed Prosser.
The difference this time was that the state GOP and the RNC didn't fight on the same turf as the donks. Despite the progressive propaganda, the donks had the advantage of union thugs and union money from out of state. The unionistas were riled up about bogus payroll losses (having to pay a pittance towards their benefits).
Because of the last election, we have Voter ID, Concealed Carry takes effect in a few months, we have a property tax cap for 2 years, unemployment is down.
We do not have the organization the progressives have, nor the vast amounts of money from the administration, the unions, the Soros NGOs. Still, given all the strength of the opposition and all the weaknesses we have to contend with, we have changed the administration and the laws to our benefit.
So, cut the people of Wisconsin some slack. It may even get better as the unions need to fight the same fights in other states and their dues are not being collected by several states, costing them not only the money itself, but the administrative costs of collection.
FWIW, just a month ago we overheard a progressive activist for Ron Kind admitting to other donks that the recall of Walker was going to be next to impossible. They are having major trouble getting the petitions signed with enough names, even with using every trick they can can.
By all means please do so.
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