June 4, 2012

Huge turnout at the Racine Tea Party rally yesterday.

And James Norton took some great photographs, including this one of Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. And this one of Paul Ryan. (I don't know... I seem to enjoy pictures of right-wingers flinging their hands in the air.)

Here's an article about that rally (which drew about 4,000 people).
Noting the national prominence of the recall election, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan said: “You know what? On Tuesday we save Wisconsin, and on Nov. 6, Wisconsin saves America.... This recall, it doesn’t make any sense ... what governor or legislator will ever take on these reforms if the recall succeeds?”

Ryan also said of Democratic recall challengers Tom Barrett, Mahlon Mitchell and John Lehman: “They’re not even offering another solution. They’re not saying how they would fix our problems a different way.”

67 comments:

X said...

“They’re not even offering another solution. They’re not saying how they would fix our problems a different way.”

they don't have to. their supporters and their opponents both know the Dem Party is always the party of more government and tax hikes.

MadisonMan said...

I'm voting for Mahlon Mitchell. I don't think the Lt. Governor does anything in this state. Let's face it, it's only in the Constitution because when the Constitution was being drafter, someone said Wait -- I have a drunkard brother-in-law who needs a job...let's have a Lt. Governorship! Same thing with Secy of State and State Treasurer. So why should someone have the job for more than a year? Kick them out and let them find real work in this fabulous econony.

John henry said...

Whose picture is that on Dana Loesch's tshirt?

I first though it was (dou)Che but on closer look it is not. The slogan says "Our revolutionaries are not murderers"

Anyone know?

John Henry

David A. Carlson said...

meanwhile WPR this morning is all anti Walker all the time. Why is that?

traditionalguy said...

How shameful, seeking the votes of a whole town of Racineists.

Anonymous said...

That's funny Tradguy:)

Matt Sablan said...

“That’s right. We have millions of Americans retiring every day, and that will drive substantially the rate of growth of healthcare costs. You are right to say we’re not coming before you today to say we have a definitive solution to that long-term problem. What we do know is, we don’t like yours,” Geithner said.

Feb. 16, 2012, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives.

Why offer solutions when they know that they don't like yours?

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be interesting to have a Democratic Lt. Governor with a Rebublican Governor? Shake it up a little.

TosaGuy said...

"I'm voting for Mahlon Mitchell. I don't think the Lt. Governor does anything in this state"

A Walker - Mitchell victory will ensure an all-consuming witch hunt of Walker by the Dane County DA.

Michael The Magnificent said...

I'm voting for Mahlon Mitchell. I don't think the Lt. Governor does anything in this state.

Put a leftist into the number two spot, and you just give the radicals more incentive to make good on the death threats.

Brian Brown said...

John Henry,

Loesch had Breitbart on her shirt.

James said...

Whose picture is that on Dana Loesch's tshirt?

I first though it was (dou)Che but on closer look it is not. The slogan says "Our revolutionaries are not murderers"


Its a caricature of Andrew Breitbart wearing a beret.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Rebub=what one does after consuming too many beers and brats at a Tea Part rally.

Scott M said...

Rebub=what one does after consuming too many beers and brats at a Tea Part rally.

No, that would be "clean up before we leave".

kcom said...

Can anybody from Wisconsin give a quick rundown on how Rebecca Kleefisch came to be lt. governor and the relationship between her and Walker? Was she all in on his plans from the beginning or were there any rumors of behind-the-scenes disagreements? Did she need convincing? Her political future seems inextricably tied up with his now, for good or ill.

Beta Rube said...

And wait til we get home to potty.

Anonymous said...

Yes Scott, of course!

Ron said...

I seem to enjoy pictures of right-wingers flinging their hands in the air.

Careful -- all the lefties around here will think that that is your review of Triumph of The Will.

Michael Haz said...

Allie - Beer and brats were not served at the Racine Tea Party rally. They never are.

There was bottled water for those who became thirsty.

The Tea Party rally was a lot of fun! Great speakers, lots of cheering, happy and enthusiastic crowd. Plus, the weather was perfect!

TosaGuy said...

kcom,

From what I remember, there was a moderate republican named Brett Davis who ran for the seat, but was upset in the primary by Kleefisch who captured the Tea Party wave at its peak because regular voters don't pay attention to LG primaries.

Like Barb Lawton (Doyle's LG), she is good at the pleasantries assigned to the LG. Doyle and Lawton could not stand each other. I don't know how Walker and Kleefisch get along.

Anonymous said...

Joel Kleefisch, a Republican State Representative, is Rebecca's husband. Both are neck deep.

Anonymous said...

Haz, oh bummer! Good thing I didn't go.

James said...

Rebecca Kleefisch won a five-way Republican primary to become the candidate for the Lieutenant Governor and subsequently won the election.

She had high name recognition in south-east Wisconsin because she's a former tv reporter for WISN Channel 12. Also, her husband Joel Kleefisch is a Republican state representative. He too is a former WISN-TV reporter.

Kleefisch and Walker certainly did not run as a team in 2010.

eelpout said...

Polls have definitely tightened. If Democrats show up like they did in 2008, Walker is gone.

Do you believe in miracles???

Ann Althouse said...

"I'm voting for Mahlon Mitchell. I don't think the Lt. Governor does anything in this state."

Why would you vote to throw out someone who was elected and hasn't done anything wrong?

Examine you motives on this one and be very honest. Tell us the reason.

Michael Haz said...

Mahlon Mitchell is a tool. In a debate with Lt Governor Kleefisch 10 days ago he was asked what Wisconsin's top state income tax rate is. He didn't know.

Allie, what does this Both are neck deep. mean?

Jason said...

Polls have definitely tightened. If Democrats show up like they did in 2008, Walker is gone.

You mean the Daily Kos poll that shows Walker with an approval rating higher than the actual voting support he gets?

Yeah, thats believable.

Walker won by 5 in 2010. I will be suprised if it is less than that tomorrow.

James said...

Ann, thanks for the link. It was a great event and the turnout was very encouraging.

There usually are counter-protestors and after the arrest of the Walker supporter on Friday I was on the lookout to see how they would be treated, but oddly there were no protestors.

Brian Brown said...

Bailey said...

Polls have definitely tightened. If Democrats show up like they did in 2008, Walker is gone


The polls have not in any way "tightened" and the turnout won't be at the 2008 level.

So, this is going to be a rough week for you.

Mark Nielsen said...

Not being from WI, I can't really say I've followed anything but the Walker recall. So I have no idea why they also went after Kleefisch. After seeing that photo I think I know: she reminds them too much of Palin.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Oh no - evil tea party people. Regular folks who pay taxes. Democrat vilification fodder.

Anonymous said...

Haz, it means they are Walker insiders. I am bothered by the John Doe investigation, and it seems that now there are rumors that Walker himself is a target of the investigation. That's not OK with me.

Matt Sablan said...

Allie: Those rumors have existed for months, as I hear it. They coincided with the recall. It's nothing new. Remember how Bachmann was accused of wrong doing, only to turn out, woops, not really? Whoever keeps leaking needs to be found out and slapped with the appropriate fine, because it's getting stupid.

eelpout said...

"The polls have not in any way "tightened" and the turnout won't be at the 2008 level."

They sure have tightened. TPM poll tracker has Walker by only 3 pts. The less people who show up to vote, the better chance Walker has. USA! USA! PATRIOT.

Matt Sablan said...

"The less people who show up to vote, the better chance Walker has."

-- That's... the opposite of true, since he is leading. If you are leading, you want to up turn out, as you statistically gain more for the more people who vote. If, out of every 10 votes, I get 6 and you get 4, on average, I want as many votes as possible, since I will gain more net votes over you, assuming a random distribution and that we have accurate numbers.

It is when you are -behind- that you want lower turn out, so that you can manipulate it better (high energy, knocking on doors, providing transportation for people to the polls).

edutcher said...

It always feels good to follow polls that make your side look like it's winning.

As for the vote, anybody see the last Rasmussen?

Michael Haz said...

Rumors, Allie, not actual facts. Big difference.

The Milwaukee County is on video tape as a strong support of Tom Barrett. The chief prosecutor in the John Doe inquiry has a union fist in the window of his home, and a Barret sign in his front yard. The judge overseeing the John Doe is a Barrett supporter.

If there was a case to bring against Barrett, it would have been brought by now.

Jason said...

"Walker insiders"

WTF does that mean?

If Walker was the investigation Target, it would have been leaked already by the people who are illegally leaking the details of the investigation to Dan Bice of the MJS.

I find it ridiculous to believe Walker is the Target of an investigation his office requested be done.

kcom said...

"That's not OK with me."

Yeah, I'd be wary of "rumors", too. That's what you meant, right?

Brian Brown said...

Bailey said...


They sure have tightened. TPM poll tracker has Walker by only 3 pts


And ANGUS-REID: WALKER 53% BARRETT 47%

You have no point.

Brian Brown said...

PPP 50-47 WALKER
Rupe/Reason 50-42 WALKER
ANGUS/REID 53-47 WALKER
WPR/STNORB 50-45 WALKER
MARQUETTE 52-45 WALKER
RASMUSSEN 50-45 WALKER
WAA 54-42 WALKER

=================

If that is "tightening" then you've been drinking since 7Am.

What it does instruct us is that Barrett's ceiling is 47%.

Again, you're going to have a bad day on Wednesday.

FedkaTheConvict said...

One of the latest rumors is that Walker is the target of a FEDERAL probe. The lefties are unhinged over on the Isthmus Forum.

edutcher said...

Thanks, Jay. Went to his site, but couldn't find a new one.

PS You've been listening to Morris, haven't you?

He's a great one for ceilings.

Anonymous said...

Walker on pathway to indictment?

I'm not asking you to believe it. But what if it's true? We will look way more like Illinois, whoopie.

FedkaTheConvict said...

Anybody seen Garage Mahal recently? I'm concerned about the puppy.

edutcher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MadisonMan said...

Examine your motives on this one and be very honest. Tell us the reason.

Sure, she's done nothing wrong. In fact she's done nothing. Why support or vote for someone or pay the salary of someone who does nothing in her office? Replace her with someone else who does nothing. Spread the wealth around. Mr. Mitchell can then sit on his rear and earn a govt salary.

My motives are that, as a youngest child, I am the instigator who watches and watches and then at the most opportune time says or does something to stir up a hornet's nest of a reaction amongst my older siblings while I remain seated nearby, seeminly angelic. You can't fight your nature.

If I were running for Lt. Governor, my sole platform would be to eliminate the office, and the office of Secy of State, and State Treasurer. Let's change the Constitution to get rid of these artifacts of a quainter time. If the governor dies now, just have another election. It takes, what, 6 weeks to put that together? There's not much that has to be done in 6 weeks as far as state governance is concerned.

Brian Brown said...

PS You've been listening to Morris, haven't you?

Oh yeah.

It is exciting stuff!

eelpout said...

"If Walker was the investigation Target, it would have been leaked already by the people who are illegally leaking the details of the investigation to Dan Bice of the MJS."

If Walker wasn't the target he would have produced evidence from either the MKE DA or the Feds stating he wasn't a target. And word is, they tried.

Matt Sablan said...

"It takes, what, 6 weeks to put that together? There's not much that has to be done in 6 weeks as far as state governance is concerned."

-- You say that now. But when the zombie apocalypse starts, those six weeks will seem like an eternity.

Not that the state can save you when the dead start to walk. Nothing can.

Matt Sablan said...

"If Walker wasn't the target he would have produced evidence from either the MKE DA or the Feds stating he wasn't a target. And word is, they tried."

-- You do know how a gag order works, right? They can't talk about the case. Period. At all. Even the judge can't tell you what's going on. It is a whisper campaign, something we wouldn't stand for if the crime were say, murder, and we kept wondering why a person of interest was refusing to talk to the press or the papers because the police told them not to. Would we be hounding the not-even-accused as clearly guilty? For all you know, Walker can't talk because he is a witness to someone else's malfeasance. We don't know, and he can't tell us. Because the court won't let him.

Brian Brown said...

Bailey said...



If Walker wasn't the target he would have produced evidence from either the MKE DA or the Feds stating he wasn't a target


Hilarious.

Let's just say your knowledge of how criminal investigations work is um....lacking.

MadisonMan said...

And let me add: I still honestly don't know who I'll vote for tomorrow for Governor. Yes, there are undecided people in this state.

I did vote for Barrett, rather unenthusiastically, last time. I thought Walker's plan to bring 250K jobs to the state -- an increase normally associated with any economic recovery (in other words, what you'd expect to happen) -- was ridiculous. It meant he planned to sit back and do nothing as far as job growth goes, wait for the (I hope) inevitable recovery, and then take credit for what normally happens. And I supported the High Speed Rail, and more importantly, the shot of economic development that would inevitably accompany it. Well, Barrett didn't win, in part because he was kind of a blah campaigner and he didn't really want to be elected, as far as I could tell.

So now he's running again, and it's rather like the Democratic Party is serving up a meal of re-warmed leftovers that weren't particularly palatable the first time around. I am unconcerned (even though I am an Union Member) with the so-called "right" of public employees to organize and bargain, because it seems so corrupt (and Matthews and MTI and WEA are the main cause of me thinking that). And that hideous mailing we got last week about our neighbor's voting patterns -- do I really want a Governor who is associated with that kind of person?

The Democratic Party in Wisconsin has been dreadful in cultivating compelling candidates from outside Dane and Milwaukee County. Surely they must exist?

edutcher said...

PS Ann, you really think Ryan's a right-winger?

If so, I'd love to see your idea of a reactionary.

PPS Sorry about all the misspells lately. The neurons are flaking off like paint on an old garage.

Revenant said...

They’re not even offering another solution. They’re not saying how they would fix our problems a different way.

While Ryan's plan is better than Obama's in that it increases government spending and national debt *less*, it is not a "fix" for "our problems".

It is a terrible plan. Just less terrible than anything the Democrats are offering.

hombre said...

Re mad man @ 10:40 & 10:50: Excuses and doubletalk. The heart of a true partisan beats beneath the veneer of civility after all. Bummer!

Revenant said...

I'm not asking you to believe it. But what if it's true?

Ah, the sweet smell of left-wing desperation...

MadisonMan said...

Why the assumption that a partisan cannot be civil?

MadisonMan said...

I think an election of Walker (well, re-election, kind of) and then indictment of Walker would be very very bloggable.

I'm sure that's what althouse is hoping for :)

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

AllieOop,

Wouldn't it be interesting to have a Democratic Lt. Governor with a Republican Governor? Shake it up a little.

It happened in CA when I was there, but there was no noticeable shaking that didn't have tectonic causes.

Roger J. said...

Dont much care about tomorrow, but that Ms Kleefish is a major babe--why do republicans have hot women, and the dems are stuck with hillary and crazy debbie with the wild hair.

Dems neet to work on the hotness factor.

Roger J. said...

Damn--forgot to add the Kloppenberg person to the list--now THERE was a looker

leslyn said...

"Ryan also said of Democratic recall challengers Tom Barrett, Mahlon Mitchell and John Lehman: 'They’re not even offering another solution. They’re not saying how they would fix our problems a different way.'"

Just following the Walker Way--don't tell them what you're really planning to do until after you're elected. It worked for him. It's apprently the new norm.

leslyn said...

Roger J. said...
"Dont much care about tomorrow, but that Ms Kleefish is a major babe--why do republicans have hot women, and the dems are stuck with hillary and crazy debbie with the wild hair.

"Dems neet to work on the hotness factor."

Hey, when a television reporter becomes Lt. Gov, what do you expect? Brains too?

leslyn said...

It was a huge turnout in Racine! HUGE!!! And Kleefisch was looking "gorgeous."

Curious George said...

MadisonMan said...
I'm voting for Mahlon Mitchell. I don't think the Lt. Governor does anything in this state. Let's face it, it's only in the Constitution because when the Constitution was being drafter, someone said Wait -- I have a drunkard brother-in-law who needs a job...let's have a Lt. Governorship! Same thing with Secy of State and State Treasurer. So why should someone have the job for more than a year? Kick them out and let them find real work in this fabulous econony."

"MadisonMan said...
Examine your motives on this one and be very honest. Tell us the reason.

Sure, she's done nothing wrong. In fact she's done nothing. Why support or vote for someone or pay the salary of someone who does nothing in her office? Replace her with someone else who does nothing. Spread the wealth around. Mr. Mitchell can then sit on his rear and earn a govt salary.

My motives are that, as a youngest child, I am the instigator who watches and watches and then at the most opportune time says or does something to stir up a hornet's nest of a reaction amongst my older siblings while I remain seated nearby, seeminly angelic. You can't fight your nature.

If I were running for Lt. Governor, my sole platform would be to eliminate the office, and the office of Secy of State, and State Treasurer. Let's change the Constitution to get rid of these artifacts of a quainter time. If the governor dies now, just have another election. It takes, what, 6 weeks to put that together? There's not much that has to be done in 6 weeks as far as state governance is concerned."

6/4/12 8:48 AM

"MadisonMan said...
And let me add: I still honestly don't know who I'll vote for tomorrow for Governor. Yes, there are undecided people in this state.

I did vote for Barrett, rather unenthusiastically, last time. I thought Walker's plan to bring 250K jobs to the state -- an increase normally associated with any economic recovery (in other words, what you'd expect to happen) -- was ridiculous. It meant he planned to sit back and do nothing as far as job growth goes, wait for the (I hope) inevitable recovery, and then take credit for what normally happens. And I supported the High Speed Rail, and more importantly, the shot of economic development that would inevitably accompany it. Well, Barrett didn't win, in part because he was kind of a blah campaigner and he didn't really want to be elected, as far as I could tell.

So now he's running again, and it's rather like the Democratic Party is serving up a meal of re-warmed leftovers that weren't particularly palatable the first time around. I am unconcerned (even though I am an Union Member) with the so-called "right" of public employees to organize and bargain, because it seems so corrupt (and Matthews and MTI and WEA are the main cause of me thinking that). And that hideous mailing we got last week about our neighbor's voting patterns -- do I really want a Governor who is associated with that kind of person?

The Democratic Party in Wisconsin has been dreadful in cultivating compelling candidates from outside Dane and Milwaukee County. Surely they must exist?"

Wow, I think I lost 20 IQ points reading this inanity. Hope it's temporary. You are now in Allie Oop land.

And who you crappin', you're voting for Barrett.