Be Part of History - Elect Tammy Baldwin Wisconsin's First Woman Senator and First Openly Gay Senator

If you need motivation to get out and vote, help convincing a friend to vote, or something to help you choose, think of the history that can be made. Not only by electing the first black President to a second term, but you can do something even more historic by electing U.S Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin Wisconsin's first woman senator and the first openly gay U.S. Senator. You can help Wisconsin add to its long progressive record.

Wisconsin doesn't need another Tea Party Senator like Ron Johnson (remember the joke of a senator who hasn't done anything since his election), and that's exactly what Tea Party Tommy will be. Tammy Baldwin is a proven hard worker for the middle class. Be part of history and keep Wisconsin purple.

Tammy Baldwin has a 77.2% chance of winning, but only if you vote, because the election will be incredibly close. She's got some hefty endorsements even from conservative newspapers like the Green Bay Press Gazette. Take a little time out of your day and be part of history. Your vote will matter today.

Vote for Tammy Baldwin!

Tea Party Tommy Won't Offset Ron Johnson for Purple Wisconsin

Our old, and often embarrassingly drunk, Governor Tommy Thompson is a shell of the person he used to be. He served under the George W. Bush Administration and clearly drank too much of the spiked kool-aid. Now he's become "Tea Party Tommy."

During his time with Bush, Tea Party Tommy helped give drug companies a blank check. Instead of negotiating the price of drugs, Tommy forced Medicare to pay drug companies whatever they want for the drugs you need. That means our tax money is at the mercy of drug companies, and Tea Party Tommy helped make that happen. Why should we believe Tea Party Tommy cares about us and our tax money now?

Tea Party Tommy fought against providing healthcare to 9/11 responders. Then, during this election Tea Party Tommy ran an attack ad against Tammy Baldwin which was fact-checked "false and vicious," trying to say she didn't support 9/11 victims.

Tea Party Tommy loves Paul Ryan's Medicare-voucherizing, wealthy tax decreasing and middle-class tax increasing budget. "I will pass Paul Ryan's budget plan in the Senate. It is the right plan at the right time for America," Thompson said at the Wisconsin GOP convention.

But that's not enough for Tea Party Tommy. He promised he would repeal ObamaCare, with no plans for replacing the savings and protections the legislation provides. ObamaCare saves Wisconsinites more than $14.5 million in insurance premiums this year alone. Tea Party Tommy doesn't care about how much it might save you, Obama can't have the historical legislation. I can understand how difficult it can be to contemplate the effects of healthcare cost increases that aren't offset by wage increases when you own 4 homes, but we need a Senator who can.

Like the rest of the Tea Partiers, Tea Party Tommy signed a pledge to Grover Norquist that says he won't raise taxes, even if hell freezes over. The only pledge Tea Party Tommy should be signing is the pledge to uphold the Constitution and serve his constituents. Norquist's pledge is toxic to a legislator's ability to keep his promise to his constituents, because at times such as war, taxes need to be increased to keep from growing the deficit. The pledge forces us into debt if we start a war.

And just like the rest of the Tea Partiers, Tea Party Tommy will obstruct everything that Obama and the Democrats try to do. Tea Party Tommy will hold us back rather than help move us Forward.

Tea Party Tommy can't even remember how many homes he has. How is he supposed to keep track and make sense of thousands of facts and statistics as Senator? Oh forgot, facts don't matter to Tea Partiers.

Most of Wisconsin's newspapers including the conservative Green Bay Press Gazette, which endorsed all of Tea Party Tommy's runs for governor, have endorsed his opponent, Tammy Baldwin.

We already have one Tea Party Senator in Ron Johnson. This "purple" state can't have two Tea Party Senators. We need to elect a Senator who stands for middle-class families and workers not the Tea Party line.

Vote for Tammy Baldwin today!

Want motivation? Tammy Baldwin's election will mark a historical election. Tammy would be Wisconsin's first woman senator and the first openly gay U.S. Senator. You can be a part of history!

Now, get out there and vote for Tammy Baldwin!

Republican Sources: Ron Johnson Can't Do Anything But Gab

According to multiple Republican sources, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, the joke on Wisconsin, can't get anything done and he's about to fire nearly his entire staff in a "temper tantrum." Johnson has spent too much time talking and not enough listening and working, and so he hasn't made any friends in the Senate and can't move any of his policies. Thank God.

“He’s an interesting case study of someone who has talked more than he has listened, lectured more than he has developed relationships with his colleagues, and now he’s having a tough time because of that behavior in advancing his policy goals. It’s kind of like watching a temper tantrum by a 2-year-old in the middle of the grocery store.”

Apparently, Johnson's troubles with his staff are no secret in Washington D.C. I can't say I didn't see this coming.

So, what's Ron Johnson's plan to turn things around for himself? Focus more on messaging!

Give me a minute to scrape myself off the floor.

Ron Johnson Thinks The Budget Deficit Is Your Problem, Not His (Part II)

Last week, Senator from Wisconsin Ron Johnson voted against even considering raising taxes on himself and other millionaires in the future, not even a cent. Mr. Johnson would rather kill Medicare than even consider raising taxes on himself. Fortunately, a majority of Republicans voted with the Democrats to consider a non-binding resolution that says those who make $1 million or more "make a more meaningful contribution."

Today, the resolution was considered, but Mr. Johnson and the rest of the Republicans voted against bringing the resolution to a vote. Mr. Johnson and the Republicans didn't want to have to vote against the actual bill, because it's such a ridiculous stance, but most of them have signed onto Rover Norquist's no-tax pledge and can't raise revenue in any way.

Why would Ron Johnson vote against even considering the bill when so many Wisconsin families are struggling and all Johnson can talk about is holding up the Senate in order to reduce the deficit?

Here's the content of the very short bill (S. 1323):

(a) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

1. The Wall Street Journal reports that median pay for chief financial officers of S&P 500 companies increased 19 percent to $2,900,000 last year.
2. Over the past 10 years, the median family income has declined by more than $2,500.
3. Twenty percent of all income earned in the United States is earned by the top 1 percent of individuals.
4. Over the past quarter century, four-fifths of the income gains accrued to the top 1 percent of individuals.

(b) Sense of the Senate- It is the sense of the Senate that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should require that those earning $1,000,000 or more per year make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort.

One may remember that Mr. Johnson received ten million dollars in compensation from his company, Pacur, earlier this year. If Mr. Johnson voted for this bill, later he would have to vote to increase his own taxes (unless he flip-flops) since the bill says those making at least a million dollars should pay more taxes.

Ron Johnson is perfectly happy to vote to eliminate Medicare, but he won't even vote to agree on a motion to consider a non-binding resolution that says at some later time he'll vote to increase his own taxes. Mr. Johnson thinks the budget deficit is a big enough problem to halt all other Senate business, but he doesn't think it's a big enough problem to require a little bit more of his $10,000,000.00. He'd rather take money from the poor, elderly, disabled and from the programs every middle-class American pays for and counts on.

It's your big problem, not his.

Ron Johnson Thinks The Budget Deficit Is Your Problem, Not His

Today, the U.S. Senate voted to consider a non-binding resolution (a bill that says something but does nothing) to say that the budget deficit should be fixed through shared sacrifice, not just on the backs of the poor and middle-class. The motion was agreed to with 74 yes votes, but Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin voted no.

Why would Ron Johnson vote against even considering the bill when so many Wisconsin families are struggling and all Johnson can talk about is holding up the Senate in order to reduce the deficit*? Even a majority of Republicans voted to consider the resolution. So why not Mr. Johnson?

A read of the very short bill (S. 1323) may provide some insight.

(a) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

1. The Wall Street Journal reports that median pay for chief financial officers of S&P 500 companies increased 19 percent to $2,900,000 last year.
2. Over the past 10 years, the median family income has declined by more than $2,500.
3. Twenty percent of all income earned in the United States is earned by the top 1 percent of individuals.
4. Over the past quarter century, four-fifths of the income gains accrued to the top 1 percent of individuals.

(b) Sense of the Senate- It is the sense of the Senate that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should require that those earning $1,000,000 or more per year make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort.

This appears to be the critical sentence - "It is the sense of the Senate that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should require that those earning $1,000,000 or more per year make a more meaningful contribution to the deficit reduction effort."

One may remember that Mr. Johnson received ten million dollars in compensation from his company, Pacur, earlier this year. If Mr. Johnson voted for this bill, later he would have to vote to increase his own taxes (unless he flip-flops) since the bill says those making at least a million dollars should pay more taxes.

Ron Johnson is perfectly happy to vote to eliminate Medicare, but he won't even vote to agree on a motion to consider a non-binding resolution that says at some later time he'll vote to increase his own taxes. Mr. Johnson thinks the budget deficit is a big enough problem to halt all other Senate business, but he doesn't think it's a big enough problem to require a little bit more of his $10,000,000.00. He'd rather take money from the poor, elderly, disabled and from the programs every middle-class American pays for and counts on.

It's your big problem, not his.

*The first effort Johnson's put forth is to further slow a Senate which is on track to be one of the least productive Senates in decades.

Ron Johnson Votes To Kill Medicare for Wisconsinites Age 55 and Under

Ron Johnson, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, voted today for the Republican/Paul Ryan budget which kills Medicare for citizens who are 55 and under in favor of a voucher program which will cover less than half the costs of health insurance.

Even though Republicans are quietly and swiftly walking back from the plan that nearly all House Republicans voted for, Johnson just had to vote against us. Five Senate Republicans voted against the budget and for us. So there was cover for Johnson to vote against his party's wishes. Instead, he simply toed the party line, but did we really expect anything less from Johnson?

Actually, we should expect more from Ron Johnson in this case. Johnson's own Senate campaign website has a blog post, Keeping Promises to Our Seniors by Preserving Medicare and Social Security Benefits, that rips on the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare") for cuts to Medicare. Johnson promises to repeal the Act in order to eliminate the cuts. Now he voted to cut Medicare even further than the Act he wishes to repeal does, to the point of near extinction.

However, not only is Johnson flip-flopping from his earlier position, he's lying about the Act's cuts to Medicare. They're cuts to Medicare spending by increasing efficiency, not by reducing benefits. The Republican budget would cut Medicare spending by reducing benefits, which Johnson says in his post he's against. The title says it all, "Keeping Promises to Our Seniors by Preserving Medicare and Social Security Benefits."

Thanks a lot, Ron Johnson! Could you get off my Medicare and please start creating some jobs, that is what you told us you would do!

I believe we can recall Ron Johnson, but at this point his power is much more benign than Governor Scott Walker. Something to think about after a successful Walker recall. From now on, we must think carefully when placing our vote. There was no doubt that Johnson was a dud from the start, and many people were stunned by his win. So, unless that election was stolen (doubtful), we weren't doing our work when we elected Ron Johnson.

Ron Johnson Doesn't Think Paul Ryan's Plan Does Enough To Hurt Us

I don't want you to miss this!

Friday, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Ron Johnson had his first news conference since taking office, but the only report I can find is from the Journal Sentinel which provides very little direct quotes (probably because he had very little new to say). The main takeaway, Johnson thinks the budget the Republicans passed in the House, Paul Ryan's, doesn't go far enough. Big surprise!

Still, it's important that we remember these things, we have to wait five and a half years to get this joke on Wisconsin out of office. (I'm usually not so irreverent, but this guy hasn't shown any value for Wisconsin or the U.S. Senate.)

Other statements of note

• More oil drilling in the Gulf and Alaska will fix gas prices - False.
• More tax cuts for the profit record-breaking oil companies are good.

There is a 3-part YouTube video though


FYI, I haven't combed through the videos yet.

!! Republican politicians don't care about you. Recall the Republican 8 !!

!! Last Weekend !!

Republican Senator Ron Johnson Opposes Collective Bargaining

I just want to make sure this isn't overlooked, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin opposes Wisconsin's public workers. Ron Johnson claims that collective bargaining is "bankrupting states," even though we know Wisconsin is not broke.