Wisconsin Votes Back: Take THAT Governor Walker!

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Justice David Prosser will no longer be your proxy on the state supreme court. Guess you won't be stripping unions of their bargaining rights after all.
   
   With historically high turnout -- 1.5 million people for an April election -- Wisconsin voters on Tuesday voted to send Gov. Scott Walker’s staunchest ally on the Wisconsin Supreme Court packing.
   
   Justice David Prosser was a very right-wing state legislator before becoming a very right-wing, pro-corporate judge on the state’s high court. He had made statements indicating that he would be little more than Walker’s proxy on the court, especially when hearing the inevitable legal challenges against Walker’s legislative assault on workers and the middle class.
   
   Of course, corporate cash poured in by the boatload to help Prosser hold his seat -- via expenditures by groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the so-called Citizens for a Strong America (CSA), Wisconsin Club for Growth and the State Tea Party Express.
   
   
   Prosser’s opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg’s victory was a close one -- only a few hundred votes -- and Prosser will likely request a recount. But just a month ago, Prosser was polling way ahead of Kloppenburg.
   
   And if this victory stands, it will be only the fifth time a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice has been unseated since the court's establishment in 1852.
   
   
   
   Source: PFAW.org

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      tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/0 … 46431.html

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         Mighty Momposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Wow!
         Thanks Tony!
         I stand corrected.
         Although, I must say, that is pretty sketchy.
         
         I feel bad for that poor woman who is taking the blame for this.
         She is probably one of those hated government employees....

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            Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Don't you wish you had a delete button?
            
            "Take THAT Governor Walker!"
            
            Democrats.

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               dingdondingdonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Yeah, stupid Democrats not being able to see into the future and predict a mistake! Those idiots, eh?

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                  Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  You should consult your Obamagod more often.
                  
                  Ameeeeeeeeeen

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      eileeneleanorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for this news.  I have my fingers crossed.

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   Ralph Deedsposted 13 years ago

   I predicted something like this would result because Wisconsin is historically a strong labor union state. The current State-Federal unemployment compensation system is patterned after a program developed in Wisconsin. Wisconsin also passed the first workers' compensation statute. In the 1950s or 60s the UAW struck Kohler Co. for five years or thereabouts.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Well according to the huffingtonpost.com article Tony posted, the exclamations of victory were premature.
   Apparently several ballots were not counted last night and -- surprise, surprise -- these ballots decidedly swing the vote back in Prosser's favor.
   
   Jim -- Who needs a recount when you can conveniently find thousands of votes? No, I don't wish for a delete button.
   Publicizing the battle for this position and the rally behind the challenger is still important.

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      tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      MM a Democratic representative has already verified they were legit.

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      Jim Hunterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      "Jim -- Who needs a recount when you can conveniently find thousands of votes? No, I don't wish for a delete button.
      Publicizing the battle for this position and the rally behind the challenger is still important."
      
      Maybe you can wing on down to Florida and find some votes there?
      
      "Take THAT Governor Walker!"
      
      Thats classic.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   April 8th
   I find it quite odd that this change of events isn't getting more media play. Not only did I NOT receive an update in my inbox (from the usual sources). But a repeated Google search of "Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Results" comes up surprisingly empty --even when I qualified search with "April 8, 2011!
   
   I DID find this interesting piece of information about Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus:
   
   Kathy Nickolaus demonstrated a lack of professionalism that is expected of an official with her responsibilities.  She has also failed to be professional over time, and in so doing helped create the chaos that now engulfs Wisconsin. 
   
   Kathy Nickolaus is also very suspect in this vote fiasco in light of the fact she was granted immunity after a caucus scandal when she worked as an Assembly Republican Caucus Employee while David Prosser was both Minority Leader and later as Speaker of the State Assembly.
   
   Simply put, what took place in Waukesha County reeks to the heavens!  Kathy Nickolaus must own up to the massive problem, and resign.
   
   Late Thursday the Waukesha County clerk announced that the vote total in Tuesday’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race had been mistaken, and that the corrected numbers changed the outcome of the entire election.
   
   This error seems more than fishy given the past working relationship Kathy Nickolaus has had with David Prosser.  For thirteen years Nickolaus worked for the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Caucus as a data analyst and computer specialist.  During that time Prosser served in powerful elected positions in the State Assembly.
   
   Before Kathy Nicklous resigned in 2002 from her partisan job she  was granted immunity to testify about her role in the caucus.  The Republican Caucus was under investigation for using state resources (tax dollars) to secretly run campaigns.
   
   There is no way that I buy into Kathy Nickolaus’ near-tearful explanation of how Brookfield was misplaced when counting and adding the numbers.  There is no degree of plausibility given all we know about her.  Kathy Nicklous’ partisan dealings that landed her in the legal arena makes this latest, and most unbelievable turn of events, not rising to the smell test.
   
   ... but wait, it gets better!
   
   Kathy Nickolaus’ lack of professionalism is underscored by the fact Waukesha County has what can only be described as an outdated and rickety means of keeping  tabs of votes cast.  She has insisted the county results be kept on an antiquated personal computer, rather than upgrade to a new data system being utilized statewide. 
   
   When confronted about the problems in the past she smiled in face of the facts that were presented to her.
   
   The Waukesha County Board also heavily criticized the clerk after she brushed aside their recommendations for improving election security. At one point during a hearing in January, board chairman Jim Dwyer grew exasperated with Nickolaus and said, “There really is nothing funny about this, Kathy. Don’t sit there and grin when I’m explaining what this is about.”
   
   Again, what has occurred in Waukesha County regarding the court election does not meet the smell test.
   
   Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Barca gave voice late Thursday for voters all over Wisconsin in a blunt statement. 
   
   It is especially troubling that she waited more than 24 hours to report the startling discovery and then did so at a press conference and only after she verified the results. This makes it all the harder to challenge and audit the integrity of the vote. 
   
   The partisan, political history of Ms. Nickolaus and the serious concerns about the quality of her performance found in an audit raises the question of whether an investigation is warranted. The public deserves to know that the votes were counted properly.
   
   ...the damage that Kathy Nickolaus has done to our election process in Wisconsin is no small thing.  The people’s faith in casting a ballot has been damaged by the actions undertaken in the last 48 hours from the Waukesha County Clerk.
   
   It is time that Kathy Nickolaus resign her office.
   
   The people of Waukesha County and all of Wisconsin deserve no less.

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   logic,commonsenseposted 13 years ago

   Democrats can never admit they lost.  They run to another state or they say the vote was rigged or they blame some right wing commentator.
   The truth is, the people that pay the bills are tired of the self righteous elitists spending our money on buying off the unions, as well as handing it out to every little special interest group to make them feel better about themselves.  Handing it out to corporations that donated to their campaigns, and then denigrating corporations for their greed.
   Not that the Republicans are much different, just a different set of special interest groups.
   At least they don't run like babies from a fight.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   hi logic,commonsense
   I agree. I'm not thrilled with how the Wisconsin Dems handled that vote situation. It sets a bad precedent for other legislators.
   
   But this election -- I don't know what to think.
   It's just really puzzling that there is so LITTLE media coverage about the election results. Considering how MUCH media attentio/scrutiny was focused on WI for so long.
   
   Then again, in the bigger context of the federal budget impasse/looming govt shutdown and events in the Middle East, Wisconsin's Supreme Court Justice doesn't cut it as front-page news....

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