Wisconsin College Republicans elect new leadership at annual convention

The UW-Eau Claire Chapter of the Wisconsin College Republicans gathered with Representative Warren Petryk (front-center) to host the 2011 Wisconsin College Republicans State Convention

Over 60 Wisconsin College Republicans gathered in Eau Claire this past Friday and Saturday for the 2011 College Republican State Convention, electing new leadership and amending a slew of constitutional articles. The proceedings began at 4 PM Friday afternoon with a social gala and check-in at the Holiday Inn at Craig Road in Eau Claire, followed by a reception at 7 PM that included 5 legislative speakers, mostly from districts around Eau Claire. Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder of Abottsford opened the festivities with an inspiring ten minute speech, telling the youth in the room to not let anybody stop them from "achieving anything they've set out to do". Suder's speech, which set the tone for the convention, was followed by an Asian-themed banquet dinner complete with chicken-fried rice and egg rolls and while the contingent of student relaxed after the meal, the main speakers stepped up to the mike with Warren Petryk, 93rd Assembly representative, headlining first.

Petryk gave his speech about service, tying in his calling to public office and sacrifice as a duty he didn't take lightly.

"Someone asked me what it was like to run for office and many of you with campaigns know how crazy it is and some of the description lack of sleep, etc, are there," he said. "And many of you have worked or will work on campaigns and I read a quote one time that pretty much sums it up. . . 'He who mounts the wild elephant goes where the wild elephant goes.' and that's pretty profound because it takes you on journey. . . I've been told oftentimes we define our dreams and sometimes they define us and that's what happened in the process as I humbly accepted the call and I am so happy to be here. In spite all of the challenges, it is incredible to spend time with these gentlemen and these ladies and to turn this state around."

Tom Larson, 68th District Representative from Dunn County, told the students a little bit about his experience struggles with representing his constituents in the way he believed most accurately reflected the silent majority view on the Budget Repair Bill. Kathy Bernier, 67th Assembly Representative from Chippewa Falls then got up and told the group a little bit about the trying times and the emotional challenges of dealing with the protestors, upset constituents, and the support of her male colleagues during the recent budget repair battle.

"Some of us had people out our doors and down the halls and we were determined to stay in our offices and meet those folks who were angry and upset and speak with them and I had law enforcement in my office from time-to-time, I had other legislators, my male neighbor legislators in my hallway would come and rescue me and they would take me out for a little break and they were wonderful. . .As you know my district is pretty much 50/50 and when the media called and told me that the City of Eau Claire passed a resolution telling me to vote no, I asked them how did Howard Ludwigson (a conservative on the city council) vote and he voted no. On election night when it came to the City of Eau Claire, I had a 1000 vote lead from the surrounding townships and I only won by 93 votes and so my thought was that the City of Eau Claire was not going to tell me how to vote because that is not indicative of what my district really looks like and who got me elected."

Senator Terry Moulton of the 23rd Senate District talked about how his business (Mouldy's Tackle) in Eau Claire gained a boost in revenues from the attention given to it by a union protest at the end of February as people who were on the conservative side flocked to it from surrounding areas during that time to show their support. Lori Forcier, 3rd Vice Chair of the Wisconsin GOP talked about her passion and support for the College Republican groups around the state and how she would throw her weight behind them as "Chair of the 72 County Chairs" of Wisconsin. Forcier was Eau Claire County GOP Chair for several years and was a strong mentor for the College Republicans at UW Eau Claire.

The keynote speaker was Senator Glen Grothman from West Bend, whose speech highlighted the budget hearings being conducted in Superior and Steven's Point over the last few days concerning Scott Walker's 2011 to 2013 budget and how many of the people who show up for the meetings are not representative of all of the people in the state.

"And they're all asking for more money," said Grothman. "Unless you're a grounded person, people get confused and begin to think that people want more money spent because that's what you usually hear as a legislator, that's what you usually hear as a county board member, that's what you usually hear as a city council member. There must have been over 500 people testifying and I'd be surprised if 10 of those were supportive of Scott Walker's budget and the reason is because the average guy is too busy working. If you're somebody who works at the University, K-12 education, at the county board, or what-have-you, your paycheck does not depend on making the public happy, it depends on getting the politicians to get you more money, which is why we had the problem we had yesterday and today."

The convention kicked off at 9 o'clock Saturday morning with 48 amendments to the College Republican State Constitution, several of them major. The changes were made within the first 2 hours. Awards were handed out with Eau Claire winning Chapter of the Year for the second straight year. UW-Milwaukee’s Kate Edwards won individual activist of the year. The last item on the agenda was to nominate new leadership for the coming 2011 year. Charlotte Evans, the UW River Falls student who was elected chair in 2010 is stepping down due to time constraints due from her other commitments. Evans is credited with rebuilding both the image and the operation of the Wisconsin College Republicans after the organization fell into complete turmoil when former chair Lora Rae Anderson completely changed parties the day after the 2010 convention concluded. The shakeup made national headlines and destroyed the credibility of the Wisconsin CRs in the eyes of the State and National GOP, as well as created a PR battle between the Democratic Party and the Democrat College Republicans and the Wisconsin CRs. Evans and the executive board that she appointed fought back and neutralized both the fallout and the war of words against the GOP borne from Anderson's action. Evans, a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, divided time between her Guard duties, her University physics studies, and restoring trust and connections between the Wisconsin CR organization, other state organizations, as well as the individual chapters in the state. Her executive board worked hard to refurbish the reputation of the College Republicans by making them a big part of the State GOP Convention in Milwaukee last May and by sponsoring numerous campaign weekends and Get-Out-the-Vote efforts for GOP candidates all over the State during the 2010 election cycle.

During the convention on Saturday, Matt Rossetto was elected new chair for the 2011 Wisconsin College Republicans. Johanna Conrad was elected Vice Chair, Neil Isono treasurer, and Peter O'Reilly secretary. Conrad took over as chair of the UW Eau Claire College Republicans a year ago when former chair Bobby Hamill graduated. She was instrumental in keeping the CRs operating at a high level in Eau Claire and was responsible for guiding the club to it's second "Chapter of the Year" award. New chair Matt Rossetto will now appoint a new executive committee.

JB Van Hollen Insists Act 10 is in effect

Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen says the recently passed Budget Repair Bill, now referred to as Act 10 by State officials, is in full effect after publication Friday on the Legislative Fiscal Bureau's Web site. The publication of the new law via the LFB was deemed permissable by the Department of Justice because the Legislative Fiscal Bureau was not named in the suit that was filed in Dane County Circuit Court by District Attorney Ismael Ozanne last week. The DOJ believes that the LRB has full power to implement the collective bargaining restrictions in the new law due to State Statute35.095(3(a) that says the Legislative Fiscal Bureau has a ministerial duty to publish laws signed by the Governor within 10 days of passage. As a result, the Department of Justice, and particularly Van Hollen, has issued an appeal with the District 4 Appellate Court in Madison to vacate the temporary injunction issued by Judge Mary Sumi last week that kept the Secretary of State from putting the Act into law.

"These motions argue that the requested relief is appropriate because Act 10 is now in force due to its publication by the Legislative Reference Bureau on March 25, 2011. The Legislative Reference Bureau was not named as a party in the Ozanne case and was not bound by any order issued by the Dane County Circuit Court. Because the law is in force, the appeal, which was based on the harm caused by enjoining the legislative process, is moot. The briefs explain that the Secretary of State made a good faith attempt to comply with the temporary restraining order and did not cause the publication of Act 10," said Bill Cosh in a press release from the Department of Justice.

The appeal was issued yesterday and was not directed to the State Supreme Court as the Supreme Court has not officially accepted the case involving the original injunction and therefore has not yet become a conduit for settling the conflict. The DOJ's insistence on the LRB measure adds even more intrigue to a debate that runs on both sides of the aisle, with the Democrats, including LaFollette himself maintaining that the Secretary of State's Office has the sole authority to publish the law and Republicans maintaining that the Department of Justice is correct in its assessment of Statute 35.095. Legal scholars are divided in their opinions as well.

“It’s now my legal responsibility to begin enactment of the law," said Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch during a Monday afternoon conference call. “It’s clear that for as many attorneys as you wish to ask you are going to get an opinion on this particular law and the status of it,” “We have looked at the statutes and are defining them as clearly as we can as it states in the statute as to the requirements that must be met.”

Meanwhile, Madison Judge Mary Sumi has convened the first hearing this morning on the injunction and has gone ahead with testimony regarding the lawsuit. Ozanne filed papers yesterday to motion Sumi to declare the LRB publication of Act 10 as not being an act of public law and include LRB in the injunction.

Legislative Reference Bureau Chief Stephen Miller today said he believes his agency has a distinct duty to publish new laws within 10 working days of their signature by the governor. But he also does not believe that LRB action alone implements the law.

"I did not think that this act of the LRB made the law effective," Miller said today during testimony in the injunction case.

The Department of Justice argued against Sumi proceeding with the injunction hearing. Assistant Attorney General Maria Lazar argued the court may not assert itself in the legislative process and that since Republican lawmakers in the suit have not been served and are not in the courtroom, their due process rights are being violated.

Huebsch says that all of the changes made the State Payroll program to implement the 5.8% contribution to pensions and 12.6% contribution toward health care insurance premiums and that the first set of checks to be printed with the changes will be on April 21st. However, if a State Court orders otherwise, the changes can be quickly undone.

Budget Repair Battle shifts to the State Supreme Court

As was expected by many, the ruling over the constitutional legality of the CBA restrictions in Scott Walker's Budget Repair Bill has been sent on to the State Supreme Court. A panel of appellate justices made the ruling yesterday, stating prior cases have both ruled equally in favor of the Dane County District Attorney's case against it and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice's position favoring it. At issue is the complaint filed by Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne that the Special Conference Committee called to convene to pass the bill on the evening of March 9 violated the State's Open Meetings Law by now allowing sufficient public notice and by restricting public's access to the Capitol to attend the meeting. Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi issued an injunction on March 18, barring the Budget Repair Bill that had been signed by the Governor on March 11, from being allowed to take effect, citing that Ozanne's complaint had merit and the law needed to be reviewed before being put in place. Wisconsin Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen, had filed the appeal with the 4th District Appellate court in Madison on Monday to lift injunction saying that Judge Sumi had ruled on the conduct of a separate branch of government.

The appeal was conducted before the judges Paul Lundsten, Paul Higginbothum, and Brian Blanchard. In the ruling, the 3-judge panel cited four cases, two that ruled in favor of the judicial branch voiding or interfering with an application of the legislature's violation of it's own procedures and two that ruled that the legislature was not subject to oversight or rulings by the judicial branch. Because the Appellate Justices didn't lift the injunction, it is in effect until it is lifted by another court and, therefore; Secretary of State Doug LaFollette did not publish it today, when it had been originally scheduled to be put into effect. At the heart of the matter is essentially State Constitution Article IV, Section 10 that makes up the backbone of the legislature's Open Meetings Law:

The doors of each house shall remain open, except when the public welfare requires secrecy, it is declared to be the intent of the legislature to comply to the fullest extent with [the open meetings provisions set forth in] this subchapter.

The four cases revolve around the premise as to whether or not certain operations of the Legislature, including procedural rules like the State Open Meetings Law, are subject to the constitutional provision before legislation is published into law. They are:

Goodland v. Zimmerman (1943), Lynch v. Conta (1976); State ex rel. La Follette v. Stitt (1983) and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel v. Wisconsin Dept. of Admin., 2009.

In summation the appellate panel said, "Goodland and Stitt appear to favor the Secretary of State’s (La Follette's1983) position that courts lack authority to invalidate legislation enacted in violation of the Open Meetings Law or, at the least, to do so before publication. In contrast, Lynch and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel support the District Attorney’s (Ozanne in 2011) view."

"It is appropriate to certify to the Supreme Court appeals raising issues which that court might otherwise ultimately consider on a petition for review, in order to reduce the burden and expense of the appellate process on both the parties and the judicial system," said the panel in final summation."

Judge Sumi has scheduled hearings on the injunction on Tuesday March 29 and Friday April 1 but until any ruling is made to the contrary of the original injunction, the Budget Repair Law is on hold and as of this time it is not very clear when the Supreme Court will take up the case.

"I don't know how the court's going to react to that" case, Justice David Prosser told Journal Sentinel editors and writers Thursday. Prosser, for his part, has to weigh the consequences of involving himself in a fight that may make him look to some on both sides as if he has a conflict of interest.

"I know it would not be proper for me to react to that," he said. "To delay the case (past the election) because it might be embarrassing to me politically."

He could also be criticized for taking the case and looking like a Walker backer but he isn't backing down.

"This is my business," he told the Sentinel. "I'm a judge. I hear cases."

Janine Geske, a Marquette law professor and former state Supreme Court justice, told the Sentinel that the high court may not want to address the case at this stage because it is ongoing and another legal challenge to the collective bargaining law has been filed.

"The likelihood that anything is going to be decided before the election is not very great," she said.

Wisconsin after the Union Takeover

"Are you wearing a bulletproof vest?"

Click. Michael Hintze's phone line went dead -- the caller never identified himself. A prominent Wisconsin Tea Party leader, Hintze is the latest recipient of anonymous death threats.

Maybe you thought it was finally over in Wisconsin. Walker overcame the liberal blitzkrieg, elected Republicans decided that there's no moderate stance between bankruptcy and prosperity, the bill was passed and signed, and the fourteen Democrats gave up their life on the run.

But there's more. Though chapter one undeniably ended with a resounding victory for Walker, the next part may easily become a forgotten chapter among thousands in the left's annals of Alinsky-style combat.

Wisconsin has become the latest setting for organized liberal activism. Pro-union forces are setting out to execute the power-plays of leftism: divide, intimidate, and conquer. Community organizers are working tirelessly to increase the opposition through lies and distortion in the hope of building cold-blooded hatred for Walker and his allies.

Traditional Wisconsin symbols have been co-opted to foment anti-Walker sentiment. UW Madison mascot Bucky Badger is portrayed as a victim of Walker's budget cuts, cheese is promoted as union-friendly, and some even claim that Walker has cut state funding for the Green Bay Packers.

Shockingly, the absurdity doesn't end there. The Wisconsin Dog Rescue is joining others in vilifying Walker as a dog-hater, and liberal blogs steadfastly avow that "Governor Scott Walker wants to kill puppies."

Common citizens and private businesses are the next objects of union wrath. Director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association Jim Palmer signed a letter giving businesses who donated to Gov. Walker's campaign one week to publicly denounce Walker or face a union-organized boycott.

Sendik's Food Market has refused to capitulate. Consequently, their doors were super-glued shut at one of their Milwaukee locations.

In Merrill, a group trying to recall Democrat Sen. Jim Holperin set up a table outside the Lincoln County Courthouse. Soon union protestors arrived and surrounded the group's table, waving signs and screaming through megaphones. In a press release, the group reported that even as the pro-union crowd chanted "this is what Democracy looks like," one of the protesters, "pretending to be interested in signing the petition, wrote profanity across a partially collected petition form, then began ripping up the completed petitions that were in close proximity."

Pro-union forces remained around the table and prevented people from reaching the petitions. According to the group, police officers stood by and did nothing.

In another incident, during school hours, a supposed teacher posted this on the Madison Craigslist:

So you Tea Bags want to take away my hard earned blue ribbon bennies. Well guess what you scum sucking Tea Bags, I got your kids all day long in my classroom and with just a few slick questions I know who the little tea bags are! And you think you'll have the last laugh HA-Ha-ha

I, too, a twenty-year-old college student, have been subject to this union onslaught. Nearly two weeks ago, I captured incriminating video of doctors handing out sick passes on the streets of Madison. The video went viral, and I consequently appeared on Fox News and several radio shows to discuss the fraud. The left has yet to forgive me.

I've been stalked, chased, and verbally assaulted by several individuals. One woman drew a crowd around me and proceeded to rattle off my full name, my age, my hometown, and the exact size of my family. She noted that I am the second-oldest of thirteen children. She also recited the very dates I had been on Fox News and the time period of my visit to New York.

Creepy though it was, this woman's knowledge of my personal life was impressive. She knew information that many of my friends were not aware of.

This is the new norm in Wisconsin: an unrivaled, systematic assault is leveled against anyone who refuses to carry the union's water. It's a war zone where the left seems driven by Saul Alinsky's motto: "The end justifies almost any means."

Democrats and their union allies are making their agenda clear: retain power at all costs. If they can raise enough money, silence enough foes, recall enough senators, intimidate the opposition, and strong-arm enough businesses, they believe that they will ultimately win.

If they lose the fight to preserve collective demanding, Democrats fear that Republicans will review every other liberal policy failure. Entitlement reform could be the next target -- or worse yet, America's growing economic quagmire, also known as the national debt.

Gov. Walker is a new kind of Republican -- a leader whose steadfast convictions break from the indecisive muddling that has forever defined the right.

Such fortitude is a dramatic shift from past eras, where Democrats routinely bullied Republican leaders onto their list of tribute-paying victims. Walker's victory changes all that. It sends a simple but clear message to the overpowering bully: "Take my name off your list."

That is something the left can't afford to tolerate.

Originally posted on the American Thinker

Tension Explode Between Wisconsin Governor and Democrats

The impasse in the Wisconsin State Senate led to a firestorm of words Monday between Governor Scott Walker, Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, and Senate Minority leader Mark Miller. The reaction resulted from a letter Miller sent to Governor Walker suggesting they meet to find a compromise solution to the problem. Citing instances of mismanagement on Miller's part, the Governor would have none of it.

“For the last several weeks both Sen. Fitzgerald and my administration have been reaching out to reasonable senators, many of whom are very interested and willing to come back to the state of Wisconsin, and time and time again the person standing in the way of making that possible is Sen. Mark Miller,” Walker shot him down during a press conference on Monday.

The letter, sent by Miller on Monday morning, plainly asks for the two legislative leaders to meet together to end the stalemate created by the disappearance of the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the State on February 17.

"Over the past several weeks we have witnessed an unprecedented public debate in Wisconsin over the value of

Public workers and the importance of collective bargaining rights," the letter begins. "I write today to offer to meet, in-person,

as soon as possible to resume discussions on how we reach a bipartisan solution to our differences on the January

2011 Special Session Senate and Assembly Bill 11."

"It really leads to a question of who's in charge," Walker further said of the Senate Dems in the press conference where he was accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald fired off his own response to Miller in which he also excoriated the absent Senate Minority Leader.

"Thank you for your hand-delivered letter with an offer to meet, in Illinois, about the business and future direction of Wisconsin. Let’s set aside how bizarre that is for a moment," Fitzgerald's letter began. "As you know, this legislation is designed to finally balance the state budget, prevent layoffs and create jobs in the real world. There are hundreds of thousands of unemployed or underemployed Wisconsinites, and at least 1,500 more whose jobs are in the balance because of your media stunt. We all deserve better than this.

In the meantime, members of your caucus have been meeting with the governor’s staff, talking to the media, trying to find a way back to Madison, and contradicting your message in public. In case you don’t remember, you were present yourself at one of those meetings with the governor’s staff. Your grasp of reality, and control of your caucus as minority leader, continues to amaze me. "

Two other Senators involved in recently disclosed negotiations with Senate Republicans, Tim Cullens and Robert Jauch, then took the opportunity to defend their minority leader and express how offended they were by the Republican statements.

"I was furious when he suggested that Tim and I were willing to cut a deal to find a way to go back," Jauch said told theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel.  ". . . There was no agreement. We were just trying to build that staircase"

"Never, never has there been a suggestion that Tim Cullen and I would somehow abandon the other 12 for the sake of cutting a deal," Jauch said. "That's just an outrageous lie."

"Our understanding in our discussions was always that they had to take where the discussions were at back to the governor, the (Senate) majority leader and the (Assembly) speaker and we had to take the discussions back to our caucus," Cullen said.

Both Senators reiterated their viewpoint that the Democratic Senators weren't thinking of holding out forever and would eventually have to return to the State to take up business in their districts; however, it was up to Scott Walker to compromise on the Budget Repair Bill and both said they were involved in talks with Walker’s Chief of Staff Keith Gilkes and Deputy Chief of Staff Eric Schutt as recently as Sunday morning to talk out details about how they could come to an agreement. Walker, himself also said that he has been meeting with the wayward Dems in negotiations. Jauch and Cullen actually met with Fitzgerald last week in Kenosha and Walker said at the press conference that his staff had met with Miller last Wednesday at a McDonald's in Kenosha and also had met with other Democratic Senators in South Beloit on Sunday.

A spate of recent polls, including a Rasmussen report from over the weekend continue to show that a strong majority of Wisconsinites favor the Governor reach a compromise with Democrats over the collective bargaining provisions of the bill. Walker seems to be showing a posture toward compromise but it is hard to tell if he actually means it. Throughout the course of the debate, the Governor has held firm on his stand that the collective bargaining restrictions will remain in place. The Democrats want them stripped out. Walker and Fitzgerald have both signaled that the restrictions are not up for compromise.

Fitzgerald said today that despite calls for compromise from the other side of the aisle, Republicans are "rock-solid" behind Governor Walker's proposal. Jauch, meanwhile, stated this afternoon that he has been in constant talks with various GOP lawmakers behind the scenes and that "6 or 7" of them have reservations about the CBA restrictions and have felt pressured by Governor Walker to support it. He also says that he has talked with a number of Assembly Republicans who supported the bill but would like to see a compromise measure come out of the Senate.

“My view is it’s time to get back,” Cullen told Wispolitics. “Others just as honorably and just as sincerely believe there’s more to be accomplished by staying here. That’s the different views that human beings have about things.”

Senators Order Missing Dems Arrested; Judge opens Capitol to Normal Business

The Republicans in the Wisconsin State Senate acted Thursday to hold the 14 missing Democrats in contempt after having been AWOL from the Chamber for two weeks in their standoff with the GOP and Governor Scott Walker over his proposed Budget Repair Bill. All 19 Republicans passed the resolution soon after calling the Senate to order yesterday morning. The measure called for all of the missing Democrats to return to the Senate body no sooner than 4 PM in the afternoon on March 3 and if they failed to show up, each member would be declared guilty of contempt and disorderly behavior and the Senate Sargent At Arms would be given the legal authority to use any lawful means or measure necessary to bring them back to the Senate Chamber. The Democrats, not having appeared by that 4 PM deadline, may now be subject to the actions of that resolution. The passage came on the advice of Jim Troupis, attorney for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. Troupis, a Madison attorney, was involved in a related lawsuit Wednesday when an Oconto County Judge ruled that missing Wisconsin Senator James Holperin could not be compelled by the State to return to the Capitol. Troupis, however, advised Fitzgerald that such a measure could be passed by the Wisconsin Senate to order the missing Dems back to Madison.

"It's the same as an arrest. It is an arrest," Fitzgerald said about the Senate resolution. "They have pushed us to the edge of a constitutional crisis."

Though the Dem Senators are camped out in Illinois and the Senate ruling does not cross State lines, Fitzgerald has said that he is confident that all of the Senators have been moving back and forth between their homes and Illinois and that anybody who witnesses any of them in the State can report to law enforcement and have them apprehended. The order will be in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the Senators can be compelled to appear in the Capitol Chamber.

"It's a sad day in the Wisconsin state Senate," he elaborated at a press conference after approval. "This wasn't about the bill. This wasn't about politics. This is about protecting the institution."

It remains unclear as to whether there is a true constitutionality to the order. The Wisconsin State Constitution does mandate The Senate and Assembly "to compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide."

However, the same Constitution also explicitly states that legislators can only be arrested for crimes of "treason, felony, or breach of the peace" and it may be impossible to reasonably state what crimes the Senators committed.

The order is not truly an arrest because the Senators are not suspected of committing any crimes, Troupis explained to theWisconsin State Journal. Instead, the resolution seeks to enforce a legislative process.

"The Legislature has its own powers - that's the principle here," Troupis said. "The constitution is quite explicit in providing our Legislature with independent authority."

Democrats believe the Republicans are overreaching.

"The Republicans have gone around the bend," said Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee. "They've just increased their bullying tactics and are producing an even greater divide in our state."

Meanwhile, A Madison Judge on Thursday ruled that there would be no more overnight stays for protestors in the Capitol; however, the Capitol would be reopened to the public for any and all business during normal hours. Department of Administration Executive Mike Huebsh originally began restricting access to the Capitol early in the week and union protestors responded by filing the suit. Judge John Albert ruled on Thursday afternoon that the Capitol would be immediately cleared at the close of business day at 6 PM and Huebsh would have until 8 AM Tuesday morning to comply with the order.

Former Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager represented the union in the lawsuit and said that the result of the ruling indicates that the protestors won the battle.

Huebsh revised the rules for Capitol access this morning. The new rules as they currently stand are:

- Visitors to the Capitol must enter and exit at the North and South Hamilton doors. Employees who display their ID's may enter at the MLK entrance

- Members of the public can enter the Capitol for meetings, committee hearings, tours or other purposes.

- Members of the public participating in a rally or protest must remain in the ground floor rotunda area.

- Carry-ins including sleeping bags, mattresses, musical instruments or noisemakers, cooking appliances and other items prohibited by the administrative code will not be allowed in the building.

- Visitors are prohibited from affixing or removing signs taped inside the Capitol. Retrieval of signs and other materials left behind can be made next week after the building is professionally cleaned.

It's Official: Reince Priebus, new RNC Chairman

The Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman who helped oversee the groundbreaking elections of Sean Duffy and Ron Johnson is taking his skills to the national stage. Wisconsin's own Reince Priebus officially beat out six other candidates to become Republican National Committee Chairman on Friday afternoon. Priebus, who has been Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair for nearly 4 years, now replaces the embattled Michael Steele who withdrew in round 4 of the ballot process after not being able to gain enough votes to win re-election. The 168-person Republican National Committee conducts its balloting in a round-by-round format with each prospective candidate able to remain in the running from the start of the vote until they no longer are able to draw enough votes to mathematically attain a majority win. Once ousted, each candidate then is able to focus on throwing their support behind one of the remaining options. Priebus secured his victory with 97 votes in the 7th round, long after Steele had been retired and had thrown his own weight behind RNC official Maria Cino. The win was the end game in a complicated series of closed door maneuvering that defines the RNC chairmanship election. Reince never trailed in votes throughout the day and had entered round one of balloting with a total of 44 official commitments. Over the next 6 rounds, the series of contenders fell by the wayside, with ever-shifting enclaves and behind-the-scenes deal-making swelling his vote total into the 7th round where he was finally able to break the barrier, leaving his closest competitor, Michigan's Saul Anuzis, with 43 and Cino with 28.

Priebus threw his hat in the ring on December 6 of 2010. Being from Wisconsin and up against several long-entrenched members of the RNC, his victory seemed like a long shot, but his personal skills and organizational prowess including his experience in running Michael Steele's 2009 campaign to become Chairman helped solidify inner connections and though he didn't have a great showing in the debate round of the proceedings on January 3, he was able to secure the commitments to help him win on Friday.

"Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus will make an outstanding chairman for our national party," Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said in a press release when Priebus announced.

"Our success in Wisconsin this year is due in large part to Reince's leadership in joining with the grass-roots movement that swept Wisconsin and our nation, bringing major Republican gains on November 2nd. Reince made our state party all-inclusive, and led the charge to successfully take back the governor's office, a U.S. Senate seat, two U.S. House seats and both chambers of the statehouse.

Reince embraces conservative principles and has an established track record of outstanding communications, fund-raising and grass roots organization. He is exactly what the national GOP needs: a skilled and proven leader who never forgot the roots of the party."

Priebus' leadership style would be a great departure from the former Chairman Steele's, which is exactly what many in the Party have been clamoring for. Steele's out-in-public facade may have been a distraction from the meaningful, in-the-trenches organizational functions that are looked at as being the most vital to the RNC chairmanship. In Wisconsin, Priebus organized a massive grassroots phone and door-to-door ground campaign that led to the State being one of the top get-out-the-vote networks in the country. Aside from helping to result in the elections of the aforementioned Duffy, Johnson, and Reid Ribble for national offices, it also resulted in a complete flip in the Governorship and the State Houses from Democratic majorities to steep Republican. His roll-up-your-sleeves philosophy may be just what the Party needs going forward as the RNC faces daunting challenges with the 2012 Presidential elections looming, the Establishment and Tea Party wings having to Unite behind a common candidate, and the Committee being 20 million in the hole after the 2010 election cycle in combination Steele's fundraising gaffes and fiscal mismanagement. Priebus' first tasks will be to rebuild relationships and coffers.

“Now is the time for the committee to unite,” he said in his victory speech according to the The Daily Caller. “We must come together for the common interest.”

“With that in mind,” he continued, “I want you to know, that I am here to earn the trust and support for each and every one of you.” He added, “And I’m going to start working right now as your chairman.”

“We all recognize that there’s a steep hill here ahead of us. The only way we’ll be able to move forward is if we’re all together.”

"As Reagan said, our nation is that shining city upon a hill and we must work to keep it that way,” Priebus continued, saying that he would do everything possible, with the help of the committee “to be sure that our Republican presidential nominee has the organization in place to beat Barack Obama."

Priebus, a Wisconsin native, was born in Kenosha and received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and English from the UW Whitewater, served as a staffer in the Wisconsin legislature for a year, and then attended the University of Miami where he obtained a law degree in 1998. He interned for the NAACP in Los Angeles and went to work at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee once out of law school. He ran for State Senate in 2004 where he unsuccessfully challenged Democrat Robert Wirch and then ran for Wisconsin Republican Party chair in 2007 and won as the youngest person ever elected. He additionally became general counsel for the RNC in 2009.

JB VAN HOLLEN CHIEF LAW ENFORCER FOR WISCONSIN

Since 2006, Attorney General JB Van Hollen has been a one-man crime-fighting force in the State of Wisconsin and after 2010, he's hoping he will no longer have to fight alone. The long time District and US Attorney is not only running for reelection himself but is also looking forward to the distinct possibility of having a Republican Governor, a Republican Legislature, and a Republican Senate. After all, after having to fight the Doyle administration and the Wisconsin legislature for 4 years, the job can only get easier.

Born John Byron Van Hollen on February 19, 1966 (WIKIPEDIA) in the town of Chetek John C and Rosella Van Hollen. John C., a realtor and Korean War Veteran, also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1966 to 1970. J.B. grew up in Chetek and later in the Town of Delta in Bayfield County. A graduate of St Olaf's University (Northfield, Minnesota) in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in political science, he went on to obtain his law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School 2 years later. According to his Website (biography) although he was courted by several law firms, J.B. actually began his career as an Assistant State Public Defender in Spooner, Wisconsin. In 1991 Van Hollen became a federal prosecutor as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. In 1993 Governor Tommy Thompson appointed Van Hollen to the position of District Attorney in Ashland County. He stepped down 6 years later to pursue other life interests, but a short time later Governor Thompson appointed him to serve as Bayfield County District Attorney. He was reelected with bipartisan support. He became well-known when President George W Bush appointed him US Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin in 2002 and his reputation as a star law enforcement official climbed to new heights. As the US Attorney for 44 counties in Wisconsin, JB coordinated a massive sting operation in Hayward, using 100 members of law enforcement to crack down on gangs, drugs, and guns. Through multiple levels of agencies, dozens of search warrants were executed simultaneously and dozens were arrested with the average federal prosecution resulting in a several-year federal prison sentence. In turn, the evidence collected helped to solve a homicide case. He under-spent his budget during all three of his years as U.S. Attorney. The number of criminal cases filed by his office increased by 15% in 2002, 7% in 2003, and 23% in 2004 totaling a 53% increase during his tenure. He initiated Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal effort to reduce violent gun crime by enforcing the numerous laws already on the books. In its first year, Van Hollen worked in Rock County to prosecute individuals for gun crimes ranging from being a felon in possession of firearms or ammo to use of firearms during violent felonies, resulting in an average prison sentence of more than five years. Van Hollen later expanded the effort to Dane County and several multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement groups in rural Wisconsin. Firearms prosecutions nearly tripled during his tenure.

In 2006, he decided to run for State Attorney General. He overtook Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher and won the nomination. In the worst of circumstances for Republicans, he won the Attorney General election by beating Democrat Kathleen Falk was the only Republican in the nation that year to win a statewide seat held by a Democrat.

When not involved with the rigors of running the Attorney General's office, JB enjoys running, biking, hunting swimming, skiing, basketball and golf. He has run two marathons and completed the 2003 Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon. He is a member of Ducks Unlimited, Grouse Unlimited, National Rifle Association, Wisconsin Sporting Heritage, Inc., and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He also has been involved with the Freemasons for a large part of his life, becoming Master Mason in 1985 and Grand Master of Masons in 2007, serving in this capacity into 2008. JB and his wife, Lynn, live in Waunakee and have two children, Byron and Madelyn.

JB has been campaigning hard around Wisconsin. His Democratic challenger, Democrat Scott Hassett, has yet to be heard from. Determined to be a vital cog in the resurgence of conservative governing in 2011, JB talked to me about his campaign, the state of ObamaCare, and his experiences as Wisconsin Attorney General over the past 4 years.

1. YOU HAVE SERVED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN UNDER DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP FOR 4 YEARS. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAS FRUSTRATED YOU THE MOST OVER THOSE 4 YEARS?

I think basically 2 things: It is very frustrating to me when a liberal Governor like the one we have doesn't prioritize something as fundamental as public safety. Protecting our freedoms and liberties in this country is the most important thing that our government can do and yet overall spending during tough times went up and yet overall spending for public safety, law enforcement, and my Department of Justice budget went down and when we're trying to do so much good to help protect our citizens, having our spending priorities being so off-kilter is frustrating. And the other thing is the lack of respect for the Rule of Law. Politics, has, unfortunately played a role in our ability to do the best we could for the State of Wisconsin, whether it be our ability to join with Arizona to defend against the Federal Government in a lawsuit or to file briefs on the 2nd Amendment with the Supreme Court or a lawsuit on ObamaCare, the reality is that the Governor has let politics stand in the way of our doing our job to defend the state. Those two things are very frustrating.



JB is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Wisconsin!

2. THERE IS ANTICIPATION FOR WISCONSIN TO HAVE THE FIRST REPUBLICAN-LED GOVERNMENT IN MANY YEARS. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THAT SITUATION?

I'm hoping that we can accomplish what Republicans as a whole set out to do and that is to limit the size of Government but when we do limit the size of government, we have to make sure that we maintain our priorities as well. I have a great concern that Republicans may think that reducing the size of government may mean we make across-the-board cuts and reduce the size of every aspect of government. Well, that's not what we as conservatives, believe. We believe that we need to cut spending completely in some areas, considerably in other areas, and sometimes even increase spending in priority areas; areas where the government does need to be involved in our lives and I am hoping that when we get Republican control of the Governor's office, over the legislature, that we are going to be able to focus on government as a whole and make wholesale changes versus across-the-board cuts.

3. IN YOUR TIME AS STATE AG, WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING THING YOU'VE EXPERIENCED?

You know, there have been so many things that have been incredibly rewarding but I think that the most satisfying has been getting rid of the backlog of DNA evidence in our crime labs. Not only had every Attorney General candidate for decades run on the promise of getting rid of the backlog, every Attorney General had promised to get rid of the backlog and when I had inherited it, it was escalating horribly out of control and we needed to address it and we needed to address it promptly. We not only got rid of the backlog of DNA in the crime labs but we did it only partially by putting resources after the problem. A big part of what we did was by putting more efficiencies and technologies in the way we did business in the Department of Justice so that we got more bang for the taxpayer buck and so in the in process of helping law enforcement with perhaps the most significant law enforcement tool that has come along in our lifetimes, we were able to do it very efficiently economically, as well, and it is hard to not consider that to be the greatest success.



JB is out campaigning hard for this fall\'s election turnaround!

4. CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE STATE OF YOUR LEGAL CHALLENGE TO OBAMACARE? WHAT ELSE IS BEING DONE AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW TO COMBAT THIS LEGISLATION?

Well, we're in a holding pattern in Wisconsin right now, as most people I think, are now aware. As Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin, I have considerable power and authority but it is still limited. And as a conservative, I hold myself to those limits and I don't believe that government should grow beyond what the law entitles us to do. And, suing over ObamaCare is simply something that I have limits placed on me to do and it was necessary for me to get approval from either the governor or one of the bodies of the legislature to bring this lawsuit. We submitted an 8-page detailed memorandum of law indicating why we should bring this suit to all three of them. All three of them declined it and so now, as along as the Legislature and the Governor's office is controlled by their current leadership, we are out of luck when it comes to Wisconsin joining a lawsuit or initiating a lawsuit over the Federal Health Care law. However, when we get a new governor and at a time when we are going to have a new make-up in the Senate and a new make-up in the Assembly we are going to renew our requests, as long as I am Attorney General, and I would suspect that we would be able to get that request granted, in which we will be able to join an ongoing lawsuit or file a lawsuit ourselves. Otherwise there is a consortium of states whose Attorney's General have gotten together and brought a single lawsuit on the behalf of a multitude of states in the State of Florida and we actually could actually join that as well. Thus far, neither of these suits have progressed very far and there is certainly more than enough time to get involved.

5. YOU ARE A HUGE 2ND AMENDMENT PROPONENT. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF CONCEALED CARRY AND CLEAR UP ANY MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE MAY HAVE ABOUT IT?

First with regard to the 2nd Amendment, I'm a huge proponent of it for a number of reasons. First of all I believe in the Rule of Law and it's a significant part of our Constitution. Second of all, of course, when people lose the ability to defend themselves, we become subject to the whims of others who want to violate our freedoms and liberties and we become subject to the whims of government if they are going to abuse their power and authority and so the 2nd Amendment is vitally important to me and we've done a lot in my Administration to advance the cause of gun rights and 2nd Amendment rights in Wisconsin. And I am for concealed carry as well. And I think there's a bit of mis-perception out there that people are in greater danger but in the 48 States that permit law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons, there is absolutely no anecdotal evidence to suggest whatsoever that, that is the case. The opponents of concealed carry will be the first one's to tout examples of problems if there were any. The reality is that Government's role is to protect its citizens and if we have a law in the State of Wisconsin prohibiting law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons, if that is not doing anything to protect citizens, if it's not necessary to protect citizens, then by all means Government should get out of our lives. So I'm a big fan of the 2nd Amendment but I'm also a big fan of making sure the Government doesn't interfere in our lives when they can find or show no legitimate reason to do so. With regards to the Concealed Carry law in Wisconsin right now, there is no justification for it existing.

SEAN DUFFY BUILT FOR THE RUGGED 7TH DISTRICT

Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Candidate Sean Duffy has a Christmastime YouTube video that he put on his campaign site in 2009 where he and his family are hunting for the perfect Christmas tree and the chainsaw ran out of gas. Sean broke the tree down with his bare hands, an act of bravado that isn't an anomaly for a family lineage extending back to four generations of pioneers and lumberjacks. He may be running for Congress and for the right to walk the polished, pristine halls of Capitol Hill but his roots have been cemented squarely in rural Wisconsin for longer than he's been alive.

Sean's great-grandfather, Hugh, moved to Hayward in 1883 and was a founding settler of the community as well as a lumberjack. His grandfather, Walter Duffy, was Register of Deeds and county judge for Sawyer County, Wisconsin. His father, Tom Sr, is a lawyer in Hayward and his brother, Tom Jr, also opened his own law practice in Hayward and ran for Sawyer County judge last year. And then there's the logrolling angle: While Sean holds 2 speed-climbing titles, his brother Brian holds 5 logrolling titles, and an even younger Duffy niece Taylor is a multi-logboom running champion who won her first championship at the age of 15.

Born on October 3, 1971, to Thomas and Carol Duffy, (WIKIPEDIA) Sean is one of 11 children born and raised in Hayward. He began log rolling at age 5 and speed climbing (which involves sprinting up 60 and 90 foot poles) at age 13. As a teen, he competed in the National Lumberjack Championships and is a three-time world champion in the 90-foot speed climb. He has a marketing degree from St. Mary's University, and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. In 1997 during his first year at law school, he was cast for and starred in MTV's Real World Boston. He played a Republican on the show. In 1998, the alumni from previous Real World shows, were cast together in Road Rules: All Stars. On the set, he met his future wife, Rachel, (RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY: MOTHER, STAY AT HOME ADVOCATE). They married on April 4, 1999 and the couple now has six kids Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar and MariaVictoria Margarita.

"My kids logroll in the summer," he told the MCLATCHY-TRIBUNE news agency in May of this year. "This is part of my family's tradition. I've traveled all over the country tree climbing and logrolling. You don't get more Wisconsin than me."

Hayward boasts one of the best logrolling training schools in the country and soon as his kids learn to walk, Sean takes them to logrolling school in the summer. They compete in the Youth division of the Lumberjack World Championships each summer. Evita has already placed 3rd in recent competition.

Here's my interview with Sean recently where he told me about his campaign approach and what he planned to do if he were fortunate enough to win the 7th District race and end up in Washington DC.

1. DAVID OBEY GAVE UP HIS BID FOR RE-ELECTION IN APRIL. HOW MUCH OF THIS DO YOU ATTRIBUTE TO PRESSURE FROM YOUR CAMPAIGN?

You know some people have speculated that I had quite a bit to do with Dave leaving. They've said that he would have stayed there but for the fact that he had a serious challenge this year. I don't know what's in Dave's heart, I don't know what the reason is that Dave got out, only he and his family know that so it's pretty tough for me to speculate. I'll leave that to the bloggers and pundits like yourself!

2. HAVING RECENTLY STEPPED DOWN AS ASHLAND DA, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TOUGH THIS DECISION WAS AND HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS MORE ON THE TASK AT HAND?

I loved my job as Ashland DA. I loved to work representing the citizens of Ashland County. I love putting guys behind bars, the best job I've ever had, but I also think it's important that if you are going to take a step like this and run for Congress you have to be able to look at your life and acknowledge what you can and can't do. I was being a full time father, a full time husband, a full time District Attorney, and a full time candidate and I struggled to do everything well so I decided to give that job up and run full time here and I think it's important that with the problems we face in the country, it's imperative that we have a new direction and this seat is part of this new direction and I wanted to make sure I was giving it my all. So I pondered it for a long time and Rachel and I came to the conclusion that, that was probably the best move. I think to leave the citizens of Ashland County with a District Attorney who is fully engaged, especially as I look at how much it is going to take to win this campaign, is the right way to go, and to recognize that on my part I think is important and that's what it's all about. I'm less concerned about my old job and I am more concerned about the hard-working families here in Wisconsin in the 7th Congressional District and that is why I resigned as the Ashland County DA.



Sean campaigning at the Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Cranberry festival

3. IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE ELECTED TO CONGRESS, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN?

The first thing: Any unspent TARP money and unspent stimulus money should be sent back to pay down the deficit. I think this will send a resounding message to Americans and the rest of the World that the days of American bailouts and stimulus are over.

4. WHAT ISSUES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE 7TH DISTRICT AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TACKLE THOSE ISSUES ONCE YOU ARE ELECTED

The economy and jobs, I think, are the most important. I feel that we have seen government try to borrow and spend our way to prosperity and sustainable job growth and the bottom line is that, that doesn't work and it's never worked. I think that economic growth and sustainable job growth comes from the private sector; people who invest in their vision and it is those folks who create jobs and create wealth, I mean the Bill Gates of the world are the ones who create prosperity and growth and not government spending and I think we need to put a focus back on the true job creators in the private sector, not government. Number 2, we have to start to reduce our debt and balance our budget. We have a 13.3 trillion dollar debt. That breaks down to more than $43,000 dollars for every man, woman, and child in this country and when my little Maria Victoria was born about 5 months ago, she came into the world owing about $43,000 in national debt. This is unacceptable. We are mortgaging our children's future and that is just unacceptable.




Sean hopes to be all smiles on November 3rd!

5. YOU'VE BEEN MARRIED TO RACHEL FOR 11 YEARS NOW. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE ROLE THAT FAITH PLAYS IN YOUR MARRIAGE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BOTH OF YOU IN YOUR ROLE AS PARENTS?

Rachel and I are both Catholics and it isn't just a commitment between the 2 of us, it is a commitment between us and God and that is, I think, a pretty powerful statement that you make with someone once you include Him in your vows and I think it's important that we raise our children within a sound Faith and that's what we've done in our home. Our kids go to Church every Sunday and they are very well educated in their Faith and I think that plays a huge part of our life and our parenting and I think that plays a huge part in our relationship.

6. RECENTLY RACHEL GAVE BIRTH TO YOUR SIXTH CHILD, MARIA VICTORIA, A PREGNANCY THAT WAS CONSIDERED "HIGH RISK". WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR'S AND RACHEL'S RESOLVE TO SEE THIS PREGNANCY THROUGH AND YOUR REASONS BEHIND IT?

Those I like to keep personal. We have had 2 of those pregnancies that were considered high risk and we chose life, you know, regardless of what hand we are dealt or our kids are dealt and so that's our belief and so the belief just isn't in words, the belief is in practice.

PAUL RYAN, TAXPAYER'S HERO

You don't have to be a conservative from Wisconsin to appreciate Congressman Paul Ryan. From his well-articulated opposition to the President's Government-run health care plan to his bold statements against both the TARP bailout and debt-inflating American Economic Recovery Act of 2009, Paul has positioned himself as a star-in-the-making in the Republican Party. Now a sixth-term congressman from the Wisconsin 1st District who is up for reelection in 2010, Paul has cemented his position in congress as a passionate advocate for fiscal responsibility. Already a ranking member of the Committee on The Budget, he is also a member the far-reaching House Ways and Means Committee, and belongs to the Subcomittees on Oversight and Health. Born on January 29, 1970. He was raised in Janesville, Wisconsin and graduated from Joseph A Craig high school. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Miami, Ohio in 1992 and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. It was after this that Paul began to hone his political skills, first working as an aide to Senator Bob Kasten in 1992, then as a legislative director for Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas from 1995 to 1997. In between he also contributed as a speechwriter for the late Jack Kemp's vice presidency run in 1996, while writing additional speeches for former drug czar William Bennett. He finally staked his claim in the 1st congressional district in 1998 when he ran for the seat vacated by Republican conservative (now gubernatorial candidate) Mark Neumann when Neumann retired to run for a second time against Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race. Paul beat out Democrat challenger Lydia Spottswood that year for the congressional district seat and the rest has been history. He has beaten challenger Jeffery Thomas in the 4 terms since, Marge Krupp in the 2008 election; and the rest, as they say, is history! Paul currently lives with his wife, Janna, and their 3 children; Liza, Charlie, and Sam, at their residence in Janesville only a few blocks from the neighborhood where he grew up. This week, Paul was willing to give me some time out from his hectic schedule to give me a bit of an insider's perspective on the issues facing him in the House of Representatives through the 2010 election.





1. IF YOU WERE CHARGE OF AUTHORING THE FEDERAL BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WOULD DO TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT AND BEGIN THE PROCESS TOWARD REDUCING AND ELIMINATING OUR NATIONAL DEBT?


Well, I’m currently the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee and one of the responsibilities I have is to offer an alternative budget to that proposed by the President. If the American people have their say, hopefully I will be authoring the federal budget in the next fiscal year as Chairman of the House Budget Committee. As I’ve done in the past, I would put forward a budget that reins in spending, gets our debt and deficits under control, and promotes policies which get companies hiring and the economy growing.

The budget for the federal government, just like for businesses and families, sets priorities and forces difficult – but critical – decisions. This year, for the first time in modern history, the Majority will fail to even propose a budget, which is a total abdication of responsibility and especially troubling given the enormity of our fiscal challenges.

Congress has failed to address the urgent need to control Federal spending, reform our entitlement programs, and spur job creation and economic growth. I’ve put forward a comprehensive reform plan – ROAD MAP FOR AMERICA – focused on tackling our generation’s greatest challenges: fulfill the mission of health and retirement security, lift our crushing burden of debt, and restart the American engine of growth and prosperity.




2. NOW THAT GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE REFORM HAS BEEN PASSED, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE REPUBLICANS DID A SATISFACTORY JOB OF STATING FREE MARKET ALTERNATIVES TO THE PLAN? COULD CERTAIN CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN STATED DIFFERENTLY?


I introduced one of the first comprehensive health care reform proposals this session called the Patients’ Choice Act, a free-market alternative to fix what’s truly broken in health care. The Patients’ Choice Act secures universal access to affordable health coverage, not by expanding government, but by reinforcing the role of consumers – patients – in a truly competitive marketplace.

Democrats control the White House and Congress – and decided early on to shut Republican and the American people out of the legislative process. The entire health care debacle was a missed opportunity for true patient-centered reforms that attacked the root-drivers of health inflation. Alternative reforms were rejected, the government-run overhaul was jammed into law, and the American people are already feeling the costly consequences of this deeply flawed law.

Republicans must not tire in their effort to repeal this costly misstep and advance true reform.




Paul Ryan, "The taxpayer's hero"

3. THE SENATE MAY BE WORKING ON A PLAN TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL ALLOW THE EPA TO IMPOSE CAP-AND-TRADE-STYLE ENERGY TAXES. IF SUCH LEGISLATION IS PROPOSED AND DEBATED IN THE HOUSE, WHAT KIND OF A PLAN DO YOU AND OTHER REPUBLICANS HAVE TO DEFEAT IT?


The cap and trade bill passed the House last year by a seven vote margin after the Speaker successfully twisted the arms of her fellow Democrats to support it. Since then, this national energy tax has stalled in the Senate.

The goal of cap and trade is to lower global temperatures by a fraction of a degree over the course of the century. The bill would kill manufacturing jobs here at home, while our competitors have made clear that they have no intention to unilaterally impose similar harm to their economies. Studies have shown that for every one ton of carbon we reduce in our economy, countries like China and India would increase theirs by about three tons. Economically and scientifically, the cost benefit analysis of cap and trade doesn’t add up. It will put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage and as a result, we will see higher taxes and energy costs, more manufacturing jobs heading overseas, and more emissions in the atmosphere.

The American people have clearly rejected this misguided proposal, and it has thankfully stalled in the Senate. Yet there have been troubling reports that the President may have the Environmental Protection Agency proceed with capping emissions without any Congressional consent. Earlier this month, the Senate voted down a resolution of disapproval from Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to stop the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases without Congress passing legislation by a vote of 47-53. Looking at how the Majority has rammed through the health care overhaul and legislation on financial services, it’s not out of the question.




4. ELENA KAGAN HAS BEEN NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TAKE JOHN PAUL STEVENS' SEAT ON THE SUPREME COURT. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF ELENA KAGAN AND IF THE HOUSE COULD HOLD CONFIRMATION HEARINGS, WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HER?


As a member of the House, I won’t be taking part in the confirmation hearings of Elena Kagan so I don’t want to speculate too much. I am sure that my colleagues in the Senate will ask many of the questions I would. With any Supreme Court Justice, Senators should look at a nominee’s experience, knowledge, and body of work and I am sure that we’ll hear these questions asked in the weeks ahead.


.



Paul's wife Janna and their 3 kids

5. FROM WHAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE UNITED IN THEIR EFFORTS AND COMPREHEND THE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY THEY MAY HAVE TO TURN THIS CONGRESS AROUND IN THE FALL?


Absolutely, I see the next few elections as realignment elections, where we have a clear choice of two futures. We can either choose to reclaim the American idea and restore the founding principles that made our nation the envy of the world, or we can continue down the path of a European style, cradle-to-grave social welfare state – where higher levels of government spending and debt leave future generations an inferior standard of living.

More and more of our leaders are recognizing the critical importance of the next few elections. In the House, you see the ascension of a younger class of reformers in the Republican Party. Individuals like Eric Cantor, Jeb Hensarling, Mike Pence – people who were back-benchers during President Bush’s Administration, who fought the decisions that were being made, but who have now ascended into positions of leadership, and they are going to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes if the American people entrust us with the Majority this fall.

It’s critical that we show people how we will be different from the current leaders in Washington, and that’s why we have to run on specific ideas. My experience with the Roadmap for America’s Future has taught me that the American people are ahead of the political class in Washington. They are ready to be talked to like adults. I feel that Republicans are returning to their core principles of limited government, individual freedom, free enterprise and if we present these ideas to the American people, I believe we can start restoring the American “idea” and get our country on the path to prosperity.





6. GIVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE THIS YEAR, WHAT OTHER KINDS OF BOLD ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE TAKEN IN CONGRESS IF THE REPUBLICANS WIN HANDILY IN NOVEMBER?


There is still a long way to go between now and November, but the first thing we have to do is get a grip on our nation’s debt and deficits, which have been primarily driven by government spending. In this session of Congress, the Majority has approved $1.8 trillion in spending increases and $670 billion in new taxes. They are doing this at exactly the same time we are running record deficits and we are seeing European countries, which followed a similar borrow-and-spend approach, coming undone.

I will continue to advance bold proposals that actually cut government spending, reform our entitlement programs, and modernize our tax code. These three things would go a long way to show the American people, the world and the markets that we are not accelerating our lurch towards a European-style social welfare state.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Delivers Weekly Republican Address June 2010



Rep. Ryan: “Talk about a recipe for disaster: Democrats are offering no budget, no priorities, and no restraints – yet all their taxing, borrowing, and spending continues unchecked.”



WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says Washington Democrats’ unprecedented decision to cancel this year’s budget will wreak havoc on our economy and make it even harder to put people back to work. The House Budget Committee’s top Republican, Ryan says Democrats’ plan to continue their out-of-control ‘stimulus’ spending spree and raise taxes on middle-class families is a “recipe for disaster.” He also challenges President Obama and Washington Democrats to stop running out the clock and “make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.” With economists saying immediate fiscal discipline is needed to create jobs, Ryan notes that Republicans have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts that could be implemented right now. Rep. Ryan is in his sixth term representing the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. President Obama will visit Southeast Wisconsin next week to discuss the economy. Text of the address follows; audio of the address is available here [mp3] and video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted. You can download the Weekly Republican Address here.

“Hello – I’m Paul Ryan – I work for the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District and I serve as the top Republican on the House Budget Committee. Yes, Congress does have a budget committee, but I’m afraid it hasn’t been very busy this year.

“In fact, this week the House Majority Leader announced that Democrats are canceling this year’s budget. Instead of reining in out-of-control spending that has pushed our national debt past $13 trillion, Democrats have made clear their intention to raise taxes on middle-class families to fuel their continued spending spree.

“Talk about a recipe for disaster: Democrats are offering no budget, no priorities, and no restraints – yet all their taxing, borrowing, and spending continues unchecked.

“With this budget failure – a first in the modern era – Democrats are missing a critical opportunity to provide the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create private-sector jobs and boost our economy. This unprecedented budget collapse also sends a clear signal to American families struggling to meet their own budgets that Washington still doesn’t recognize the severity of its spending problem.

“Democrats say their decision is about what’s best for the future of our country. It’s not. With the political season upon us, Democratic leaders believe it’s better to take a pass than to pass a budget. While Americans ask ‘where are the jobs?,’ Democrats seem content to simply run out the clock and let their borrowing binge continue to drain resources from our economy.

“The debt is on track to exceed the size of our entire economy in the next 18 months. We have run out of road to kick the can down. If this is really about the future of our country, then leaders should make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.

“This is a time to make tough choices, not run from them. To that end, Republicans on the Budget Committee have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts we would implement right now to make Washington do more with less and help small businesses put people back to work. These are specific, common-sense ideas, such as canceling unspent TARP bailout funds and ‘stimulus’ money, that would help us focus on creating more jobs, not more debt. We also propose reducing federal employment and freezing government pay. Instead of growing government, we need to restart the engine of economic growth.

“Of course, this is just a starting point. Much more needs to be done to set our nation on a sustainable economic course. We need to start reining in unnecessary spending now so that we can boost the economy and work together to address our nation’s long term fiscal challenges.

“It is our shared responsibility to take on the challenges before us to make sure that our kids and our grandkids have a better life. Let’s begin this important work today. Let’s make certain we do not simply retreat to the same failed policies. Let’s make the tough, forward-looking choices that will restore the promise and prosperity of this exceptional nation - and let’s do it together.

“Thanks for listening.”

More on Paul's campaign:


RYAN FOR CONGRESS

Scott Walker for Governor of Wisconsin

Scott brings his brown bag lunch to the office every day and rolls up his sleeves, except the office is much bigger now and the stakes even higher. The leading Republican Gubernatorial candidate for the State of Wisconsin, he drives his 1998 Saturn from event to event, touting his proven record of fiscal conservatism through 8 years as the Executive of Milwaukee County, one of the bluest and most liberal Democratic strongholds in the State. Starting out in the State legislature as a representative for the 14th Assembly District (Waukesha), the seat currently held by recently featured conservative Leah Vukmir Leah Vukmir, Scott took a message of government reform and reduction to the County of Milwaukee when he ran for executive in 2002 and won. The rest was history:

•Reduced the county workforce by more than 20%
•Lowered the county debt by 10%
•Introduced 8 consecutive budgets without an increase to the property tax levy from the previous year.
•Improved the county's bond rating
•Milwaukee County Parks won the prestigious 2009 National Gold Medal for Excellence in the Park and Recreation Management Program
•Eliminated the waiting list for long-term care for older adults through the Family Care program.
•Milwaukee County's Mitchell International Airport received the Transportation Safety Administration's Partnership Award.
•Invested over $199 million dollars in renovations and improvements to General Mitchell International Airport without increasing the property tax levy
•Airport improvements helped attract nearly 1,000 jobs from Southwest, Air Tran and Republic airlines.
•Implemented a pension obligation plan to save Milwaukee County taxpayers $ 237 million.

Scott Walker grew up in the town of Delavan, Wisconsin just north of the Wisconsin border outside of Milwaukee. He comes from a financially modest background. His father is a retired preacher. As he makes his way around the State of Wisconsin, Scott brings a powerful campaign built largely on the social networking and grassroots efforts. He has an amazing Internet presence and uses the power of Facebook, Twitter, and bloggers to spread his message.




According to his campaign site:
Scott Walker

Scott's Brown Bag Guide to Government applies the same kind of small town values and common sense ideas he follows in his personal life:

1. Don't spend more than you have.
2. Smaller government is better government.
3. People create jobs, not government.

When it comes to serving the public, Scott Walker puts his money where his mouth is there too. From 2002 through 2010, Scott and Tonette Walker have given back over $370,000 of his salary to the county.

Scott Walker's government reform campaign helped sweep him into the Milwaukee County executive's office in 2002, after serving nearly nine years in the Wisconsin State Legislature. At the time, Milwaukee County was on the precipice of an organizational and financial meltdown; rocked by greedy politicians who had voted to allow themselves and hundreds of career bureaucrats to retire as millionaires at the taxpayers' expense

.

Sound familiar?

Here is my interview with Scott as he explains his philosophies and the direction of his campaign fresh off of his endorsement for Governor by the Republican Party of the State of Wisconsin:

1. NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN, WHAT IS THE NEW FOCUS AND DIRECTION OF YOUR CAMPAIGN?




Well, its really about taking that support from literally thousands of conservative activists and applying it to getting our message out for the fall elections and our focus is really on 2 parts:

1) Being in the position to take that government back and put it in hands of the people.

2) In doing so enacting strategies to get government out of the way so that the people of this State can create more jobs.




2. WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR DIFFER, IF ANY, FROM YOUR CAMPAIGNS FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE:




In this case we have a larger audience and so from that standpoint, there is a lot more travel and I’ve been doing it for some time but I believe that’s important because I believe that people in one part of the state are not the same as others. There certainly are common themes, common values, common concerns of the economy but the Chippewa Valley is different than the Fox Valley and the Fox Valley is different from Delavan, down in Walworth County where I grew up, a town of 8,000; The Coulee Region down by La Crosse and you go down the line. Different parts of the State have very different issues and as the candidate for Governor, and ultimately as the Governor, I’ve tried to symbolize through my actions, not just my words, that I understand those differences and I am going to be here to work with people once I’m the governor.


THE WALKER FAMILY


3. THE OBAMA/DOYLE/BARRETT MACHINE IS ALREADY CRANKING UP ITS ASSAULT AGAINST YOU. WHAT KINDS OF STRATEGIES WILL YOU DEPLOY AGAINST THEIR WELL-FUNDED RHETORIC?




We are going to 1) And I being elected in Milwaukee County, which is, you’re right under the gun all of the time; I like to say that used to coming to work with body armor on and a 2x4, so we’re used to being under attack and we don’t let anything sit long. We come out and we whack at it, we pile on it, and we beat back any mistruths, and so with a TV ad or a press release or anything else like that we’re going to come out and set the record straight immediately and we’ve done that already in a couple of episodes and we are going to be continuing to do that. 2) The other key thing is that we are going to, in the end, not let the Democrats to get us off of our message, which is the other 2 things I’ve previously mentioned:

Making it clear that we have a track record and we’ve got a strategy to take the government back and put it back on the side of the people again, combined with the fact that our strategy in getting government out of the way is ultimately what we need to get this State’s economy back going again. They are going to try to take us off message, they are going to try bring up other issues, but we’re going to answer them, bring up to the media and the public the errors of their attacks, and get to work on our election strategy which is really about making the State work again.




4. WHAT VITAL COMPONENTS OF YOUR UPBRINGING DO YOU BELIEVE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR LIFE AND VALUES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOUR LEADERSHIP?




Certainly, it starts with my faith and my family and I think my faith in Christ certainly has had a tremendous impact on where I am not just personally but professionally as well; how I treat people and how I like to be treated all comes out of that. Certainly a good chunk of what brought me into my faith are my parents. My dad is a now a long-since-retired minister and my mother, worked part-time, and she had a tremendous impact on who I am, a great role model. Along the way I was involved with a lot of things from school and sports and Scouts. I also am an Eagle Scout. Twenty-five years ago, in 1985 I went to the American Legion, Badger Boy’s State, and the Boy’s Nation programs and that had a great influence, not just from learning about government politics but ultimately learning from those veterans who put on a program called, “The Power of Public Service” and I found that be very impactful. And I think the good people I’ve worked with along the way and the constituents I’ve had in the Assembly, now as County Executive, and the people I’ve met around the State all have had a powerful influence on who I am and the ideas I have and how I choose to govern.




5. YOUR REPUBLICAN OPPONENT MARK NEUMANN HAS MADE REPEATED E-MAIL ATTACKS AGAINST YOUR CAMPAIGN. NOW THAT YOU ARE ENDORSED, DO YOU FEEL, IT AT ALL NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO THOSE ACCUSATIONS?




In the end these are the same distortions that the State Democrats are putting out, which is kind of unusual to have a Republican doing that and saying that, but the reality is if you look at the issues out there, there is just no basis to them. You look at the Harley rides (motorcycle rides around the region) and the fact that we’ve done 7 consecutive years of doing this and that everybody down the line has acknowledged that in each of these years the intent was to get out and promote tourism, not to do anything else out there, the fact that we go to 5 states and not just Wisconsin, we think everybody can see through that and it’s bad enough that the Democrats distort the facts on that and they are proven wrong every time but it is an unusual to have a Republican putting out those sorts of mistruths. It’s just unfortunate that they’ve decided to go to the State Democrats Web sites and the pick up the same false attacks but like I said, in the end we are going to keep on track, we are going to point out the errors in any attacks on us, and we are going to get back on a positive message to get the State working again.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2010
Contact: Jill Bader (414) 453-2010
Email: Jillb@scottwalker.org
Twitter: @JillBader

ICYMI: Rasmussen Poll Shows Walker 50%, Barrett 43%
Walker over 50% for first time, still the only candidate who can beat Tom Barrett in November

Wauwatosa – Keith Gilkes, campaign manager for Scott Walker, released the following statement on polling showing Scott Walker over 50% gaining ground on Tom Barrett.

“Wisconsin voters continue to move away from the Tom Barrett-Jim Doyle agenda of big taxes and big spending and towards Scott Walker and his plan to create 250,000 jobs in his first term.”

Included in today’s poll:

• “Walker has consistently proven to be the slightly stronger GOP candidate against Barrett.”

• Among independents Walker leads Barrett 50% to 34%; does 5 points better than Neumann with this group.

• Walker has, by far, the highest favorable ratings and lowest unfavorable ratings of any candidate. His favorable ratings are 55 favorable to 36% unfavorable (32% very favorable) to Barrett’s 50-43% (23% very favorable). Meanwhile, Neumann is viewed favorably by 47% to 42% unfavorable (13% very favorable).

• Walker has the highest favorable ratings of any candidate with his own party. Walker is viewed favorably by 90% of GOP voters (65% very favorably), Neumann is viewed favorably by 73% of GOP voters (26% very favorably) and Barrett is viewed favorably by 84% of Democrat voters (41% very favorably).

Election 2010: Wisconsin Governor
Wisconsin Governor: Walker (R) 50%, Barrett (D) 43%

Republican Scott Walker for the first time earns 50% of the vote in the race to be the next governor of Wisconsin. It's his best showing to date.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the likely Democratic gubernatorial contender, gets 43% support against Walker, the country executive of Milwaukee County. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.

Two weeks ago, Walker led Barrett 48% to 44%.

Barrett is now in a virtual tie - 45% to 44% - with the other top GOP hopeful, former Congressman Mark Neumann. Five percent (5%) favor another candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

The Democrat posted a narrow 45% to 43% lead over Neumann in the previous survey.

Walker has consistently proven to be the slightly stronger GOP candidate against Barrett, with support back to early February in the narrow range of 46% to 49%. In those same surveys, support for Barrett has ranged from 40% to 44%.

Neumann has picked up 43% to 47% of the vote against Barrett, who has earned 39% to 46% in those matchups.

Barrett has no strong opposition for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Voters in both parties will pick their nominees in September 14 primaries.

The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on July 27, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The Wisconsin Senate race is still a toss-up, with Republican Ron Johnson and incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in a near tie.

Male voters in the state favor the Republican candidate in both gubernatorial match-ups. Women favor Barrett if Neumann is the Republican in the race but break even in a contest between Barrett and Walker. Among voters not affiliated with either political party, both GOP candidates hold double-digit leads over the Democrat.

Neumann is viewed Very Favorably by 13% of all Wisconsin voters and Very Unfavorably by 20%.

Thirty-two percent (32%) of voters in the state share a Very Favorable opinion of Walker, while 23% view him Very Unfavorably. For Barrett, Very Favorables total 23% and Very Unfavorables 27%.

All three candidates are well-known in the state. At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

Forty-six percent (46%) of Wisconsin voters rate their personal finances as good or excellent, well above the national average. Just 15% give their finances a poor grade. Yet only 16% say their personal finances are getting better these days, while 51% feel they are getting worse.

Democratic Governor Jim Doyle is not standing for reelection. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Wisconsin voters now approve of the job he is doing as governor. Sixty percent (60%) disapprove.

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