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[Wisconsin] Fake Democratic primary contenders ahoy!

DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
edited June 2011 in Debate and/or Discourse
Governor Scott Walker ally Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) is up for recall.
Efforts to recall Republican State Senator Randy Hopper from Fon du Lac have reached another milestone, as organizers issue a call for volunteers to turn in any remaining petitions to be counted. Organizer Scott Dillman says he's sure they have enough signatures to trigger the recall, but he can't give exact figures yet. He says, processing all the information they've collected so far will take a week. They need 15,000 signatures to trigger the recall and he had originally set a goal of 20,000 by April first. He says he should have set that goal higher. Once Dillman tallies and submits his petition, a candidate will have to step up to run against hopper in the recall, which could happen by this summer.

Hopper is the class act whose 25-year-old aide was given a state job in the Department of Regulation & Licencing with over $11,000 of a pay hike from the last person to held the position. It's possible that she needed the pay increase, because her boyfriend, State Senator Randy Hopper, is now mooching off of her in Madison (casting doubt on whether he's serving his constituency in Fond du Lac). Also, with all the strict cuts that public employees are going to recieve under Governor Scott Walker, you can't blame a guy's mistress for needing a bit of extra cash.

Hopper's wife signed the recall petition, and is probably the reason Hopper's recall popped first. Considering that he only won election by 0.19% of the vote in 2008, there seems like a good chance that he's fucked, and not just by his mistress.

There is some contention on the facts in this case.
JSOnline wrote:
Scott Dillman, a former Department of Corrections employee who is one of the campaign's coordinators, wouldn't say directly Tuesday that volunteers had collected the 15,269 signatures required to force the election. But he said that volunteers were planning a last push for signatures on election day next Tuesday, and that he's hoping that the total collected will be "closer to 30,000 than 15,000."

Graeme Zielinski, communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, took exception to the suggestion the recall had reached its goal. He reacted to a Journal Sentinel blog post about it by e-mailing that "your numbers are not accurate," but he wouldn't elaborate. The party has been unwilling to be specific about the number of signatures collected so far in the recall campaigns.

It appears that they're going for overkill. No kill like overkill, I suppose, but I just don't want the Democrats to get cocky here.

Sheila Hasdorf (R-New Richmond) is also a recall target.

Some are speculating that "only about half" of the state senators up for recall will end up with enough signatures to actually go to a recall election. Interestingly, and possibly related, half of the senators up for recall are Republicans, and half are Democrats. To all accounts, while the Republicans are raising as much or more money than the Democrats, it's largely out-of-state money, and they have little in the way of community organizers [snerk] to come and oversee efforts to gather signatures.

If you've been only subjected to national media and have no idea why Wisconsin would start throwing out Republicans that they just put into power, see the now-locked [Wisconsin Protests] thread.

Dracomicron on
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Posts

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    go go Wisconsin!

    Xaquin on
  • OctoparrotOctoparrot Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    So does Mr. Hopper just love Wisconsin so much he can't contain himself?

    Octoparrot on
  • Orochi_RockmanOrochi_Rockman __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2011
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Orochi_Rockman on
  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Duh....

    Governor Walker is going to cancel the recall elections citing a lack of money!

    Kipling217 on
    The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    OptimusZed on
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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Hopper was also the one that voted against extending the statute of limitations to allow the prosecution of child-molesting Catholic priests.

    KalTorak on
  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They violated court orders to begin enacting the collective bargaining law, possibly pilling on more law violations in doing so.

    I wouldn't put anything past them at this point.

    Tomanta on
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They're openly disregarding a court order now, with the reason being that courts can't tell them what to do due to separation of powers.

    He would absolutely try that.

    SyphonBlue on
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  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They're openly disregarding a court order now, with the reason being that courts can't tell them what to do due to separation of powers.

    He would absolutely try that.

    I couldn't believe they actually said that. So I went ahead and looked up it:
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”

    Tomanta on
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They're openly disregarding a court order now, with the reason being that courts can't tell them what to do due to separation of powers.

    He would absolutely try that.

    Walker will do anything he thinks he can get away with and, failing that, anything and everything that will benefit his corporate overlords until he gets tossed out. He knows that he'll have at least a year of selling off the state infrastructure before he can be recalled. It will take years to fix the damage Walker will have done. Look at the damage the Bush Administration did to the American government: we're still rooting out Liberty University graduate appointees and dealing with judges who are bought & paid for by the Republicans, despite Obama being a sane steward of the government.

    Dracomicron on
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Tomanta wrote: »
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They're openly disregarding a court order now, with the reason being that courts can't tell them what to do due to separation of powers.

    He would absolutely try that.

    I couldn't believe they actually said that. So I went ahead and looked up it:
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”

    Now, do they actually not know what separation or powers is, or is this just more willful disregard for the law?

    SyphonBlue on
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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Tomanta wrote: »
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I really hope this works but I half expect the governor to just say that the recalls don't actually apply because of some bullshit made up reason. I mean I wouldn't put anything past this guy. What's going to happen to him now that he's just blatantly ignored that judges ruling twice now?

    Denying the legitimacy of the recall process (which I believe is enshrined in the state constitution) turns this from a recall election situation in to a torches and pitchforks situation.

    I doubt even Walker would be so callously stupid to try that.

    They're openly disregarding a court order now, with the reason being that courts can't tell them what to do due to separation of powers.

    He would absolutely try that.

    I couldn't believe they actually said that. So I went ahead and looked up it:
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”

    Now, do they actually not know what separation or powers is, or is this just more willful disregard for the law?
    I would be willing to put down that these people don't actually know what the term means, and are applying their childish understanding of it when they make these statements.

    It's kind of like how Palin thinks her First Amendment rights are being violated when someone calls her out for saying something stupid. She has a 6 year old's concept of what "the right to freedom of speech" means.

    The same thing is in play here, with separation of powers and the whole bill publishing thing. Being an elected official comes with no requirement to actually understand the laws in play, as the Wisconsin Republicans are ably demonstrating.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I was kinda curious about how enshrined in the Wisconsin constitution it is or if they are just assuming it says what they think the US one does.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
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  • Orochi_RockmanOrochi_Rockman __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2011
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”


    I'd like to believe that an elected official, even a blatantly corrupt one knows why we have three branches of government and that he's just saying that to try and get idiots that actually don't know any better on their side but in this case, I just don't know. Fitzgerald just might be this stupid.

    Orochi_Rockman on
  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”


    I'd like to believe that an elected official, even a blatantly corrupt one knows why we have three branches of government and that he's just saying that to try and get idiots that actually don't know any better on their side but in this case, I just don't know. Fitzgerald just might be this stupid.

    I'd like to believe that as well, which is why I couldn't believe anyone actually said that.

    At the moment, it looks like any legal immigrant who has become/hopes to become a citizen knows more about how our government works than he does.

    Tomanta on
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Tomanta wrote: »
    “It’s disappointing that a Dane County judge wants to keep interjecting herself into the legislative process with no regard to the state constitution,” Fitzgerald said in a written statement. “Her action today (Tuesday) again flies in the face of the separation of powers between the three branches of government.”


    I'd like to believe that an elected official, even a blatantly corrupt one knows why we have three branches of government and that he's just saying that to try and get idiots that actually don't know any better on their side but in this case, I just don't know. Fitzgerald just might be this stupid.

    I'd like to believe that as well, which is why I couldn't believe anyone actually said that.

    At the moment, it looks like any legal immigrant who has become/hopes to become a citizen knows more about how our government works than he does.

    I don't think Fitz is an idiot. He's just learning from the big dogs like Boehner or McConnell how to change the narrative by simply insisting that one's opponents are wrong without bothering to back it up with facts (because if you have to cite facts, you're conceding that the issue isn't just completely open-and-shut with them in the wrong). If you sound like you're sure of yourself, it goes a long way in convincing idiots that you're "right."

    Dracomicron on
  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Schrodinger on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Separation of powers is when I separate power from all the other branches of government.

    KalTorak on
  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Apparently, the GOP now thinks that college professors who criticize them qualify as government officials under the Freedom of Information Act, and are now demanding that the professors turn over all their personal e-mails.

    So how long until college students start using the FOIA to demand that professors give them access to test answers?

    Schrodinger on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Look, they just want to know if they are or have ever been a member of the Communist Party.

    KalTorak on
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Apparently, the GOP now thinks that college professors who criticize them qualify as government officials under the Freedom of Information Act, and are now demanding that the professors turn over all their personal e-mails.

    So how long until college students start using the FOIA to demand that professors give them access to test answers?

    Rachel Maddow had a great segment last night about how Republicans keep saying that they're all about small government until it's time to read a professor's e-mail after he points out the flaws in your tyrannical regime. Apparently they're doing this in Michigan; they want to search the college e-mail for words like "Madison" or "Maddow."

    Dracomicron on
  • GoslingGosling Looking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, Probably Watertown, WIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    I must once again note that Scott Fitgerald is my own personal state senator.

    Yeah. He's that dumb. At this point I think I might be smarter than him. He might not go down when it's his turn to face the recall petitions, but damned if I'm not gonna try.

    But hey. As it looks, they might just knock off early after Tuesday and start reallocating resources. Leave any additional signature-gathering to the people who can't make it to some other district, everyone else chips in some place where they need the extra bodies. One down, seven to go.

    Meanwhile, from what I'm seeing, the competing (!) efforts against Democrat Dave Hansen are basically cannibalizing each other. That's just slapstick. A house signs one recall effort, then the other one shows up, they say 'I've already signed, sorry', enough houses where that happens and they just take out each other with Hansen just standing there clutching his gut laughing.

    Gosling on
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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Was he the one you were trying to figure what question to ask in the '08 campaign or was that your federal Representative?

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • GoslingGosling Looking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, Probably Watertown, WIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    That was Tom Petri. My House guy.

    Gosling on
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  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Mmm. Pre-emptive ejection of educators from Walker press conferences. Now we're talking.

    Anyway, the Walker administration finally suspended implementation of the collective bargaining law in deference to the judge who ordered it (twice). "We thought you meant you just wanted it done faster so you wouldn't have to hear about it anymore, Your Honor. Our bad."

    Dracomicron on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Mmm. Pre-emptive ejection of educators from Walker press conferences. Now we're talking.

    Anyway, the Walker administration finally suspended implementation of the collective bargaining law in deference to the judge who ordered it (twice). "We thought you meant you just wanted it done faster so you wouldn't have to hear about it anymore, Your Honor. Our bad."
    "DOA will continue to abide by the court orders, like the department has done all throughout this process," he said.

    ...
    Huebsch again said he believes the act was legally published and is law, but is pulling back given Judge Sumi's order this morning.

    I think that even Steve Perry would agree that, sometimes, you should just stop believing.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    If I believe hard enough in something and clap my hands a lot, it'll come true! I personally saved Tinkerbell's life at least 4 times!

    KalTorak on
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Speaking of Never-Never Land, and the escapism and denial that it represents:

    The 'Republican Party of Dane County' was quoted on Colbert tonight regarding their press release about the third court order. (Spoiler: they don't agree)
    Governor Walker’s bill is unquestionably constitutional, increases worker’s rights and helps local government balance budgets without having to fire public workers. The Wisconsin state legislature consulted with their non-partisan parliamentarian to make sure that the passage of the bill followed the rules of the Senate and Assembly. But this isn’t about the law, is it?

    http://www.danegop.org/latestnews.aspx?ID=234

    The ticker on the side is advertising a lecture on "Establishing legal personhood for pre-born children"

    Which brings me to my question: Have our Wisconsinite forumers been showing up, speaking at, and covertly trolling these people at 'Pints and Politics' every month; gradually twisting their rhetoric into something truly insane?

    If no: They still need a guest speaker for June.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • GoslingGosling Looking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, Probably Watertown, WIRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    I have better things to do. For example, my scrotum won't stuff itself into that garlic press.

    Gosling on
    I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Press while you can, murderer. You won't be able to deny the personhood of those pre-conception children forever.

    ArbitraryDescriptor on
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    If corporations are people I guess anything can be. Collections of tissue, bananas, vomit.

    override367 on
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    So we need to get rid of 3 more, 4 if we want majority, correct?

    Assuming those recalled get replaced by Democrats

    override367 on
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    “I love campaigns. I just didn’t think I’d do one every year,” Kapanke said Saturday at the opening of a La Crosse County GOP headquarters.

    Snerk.
    The filing comes just before the halfway point in the 60-day window the recall committee had to gather signatures in the district.

    The state Democratic Party provided infrastructure support but “not a single paid canvasser was needed to trigger the recall versus Dan Kapanke,” said party spokesman Graeme Zielinski, who credited volunteers for collecting more than 20,000 signatures in less than 30 days.

    “It took on a life of its own,” said Scheller, who filed the original paperwork to launch the recall effort.

    I think that this is the best news. If they're pulling off 20K signatures in less than a month in these singular districts, it brings some hope that they may be able to get the half a million necessary to recall Walker next year.
    Today’s filing will trigger a 31-day review period during which the GAB determines that all signatures are sufficient. Kapanke can challenge signatures during the first 10 days.

    Either party can petition a judge for an extension.

    Spokesman Reid Magney said the GAB may ask for more time in order to minimize the number of special elections.

    “We’re hoping for maybe a couple instead of 16,” he said.

    Huh. I'm not sure what "ask for more time to minimize the number of special elections" means. "A couple" recall elections, as in two, has no chance of un-fucking the state. We need three, and not just three recall elections, three changes of power... so, depending on how nuts the various districts are, three to eight are needed.

    Dracomicron on
  • Pi-r8Pi-r8 Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Huh. I'm not sure what "ask for more time to minimize the number of special elections" means. "A couple" recall elections, as in two, has no chance of un-fucking the state. We need three, and not just three recall elections, three changes of power... so, depending on how nuts the various districts are, three to eight are needed.
    It sounds like they're saying that they want to put all the recall elections together in one or two big elections, rather than having a separate election for every single senator.

    Pi-r8 on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    We need three, and not just three recall elections, three changes of power... so, depending on how nuts the various districts are, three to eight are needed.

    I would think that since they have enough support to get the sigs it would mean they can count on those same people getting out and voting for the opposition

    I hope anyway

    Xaquin on
  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Pi-r8 wrote: »
    Huh. I'm not sure what "ask for more time to minimize the number of special elections" means. "A couple" recall elections, as in two, has no chance of un-fucking the state. We need three, and not just three recall elections, three changes of power... so, depending on how nuts the various districts are, three to eight are needed.
    It sounds like they're saying that they want to put all the recall elections together in one or two big elections, rather than having a separate election for every single senator.

    Oh yeah, that makes sense. Since there's some rules on specifically how long between the filing, certification, and election it is, they might need to fudge it a little if they get the signatures in and counted at different times.
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I would think that since they have enough support to get the sigs it would mean they can count on those same people getting out and voting for the opposition

    I hope anyway

    It seems plausible, but I don't want to assume success. Overestimating the amount of work needed to take out Republicans is basically the only way the Democrats have succeeded in the past few years.

    Dracomicron on
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    One of Prosser's campaign co-chairs just stepped down a week out from the Supreme Court election.

    This seems like very good news for the judicial challenge against the budget repair bill.

    OptimusZed on
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    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • GoslingGosling Looking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, Probably Watertown, WIRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Hopper and Kapanke are two of the three that have been getting the big targeting. Look for Alberta Darling's name to be next (and we can pretty safely assume there will be a 'next').

    And that official filing means the workload for Kapanke's district can be moved into other districts where the extra bodies are needed, the fourth- or fifth-choice districts.

    Gosling on
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  • DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Gosling wrote: »
    Hopper and Kapanke are two of the three that have been getting the big targeting. Look for Alberta Darling's name to be next (and we can pretty safely assume there will be a 'next').

    And that official filing means the workload for Kapanke's district can be moved into other districts where the extra bodies are needed, the fourth- or fifth-choice districts.

    I can safely assume they've gone over the sig lists a couple times before filing to make sure they're not Mickey Mouse'd, right?

    Dracomicron on
This discussion has been closed.