Electoral Breakdown so predictable.

The partisan divide in Wisconsin is so extreme now, that Republicans who may or may not be qualified, are pretty much a sure thing. Conservative voters have their own identities so closely tied in with the Republicans, that any election failure is a personal insult to them:

WSJ: Democratic strategist Paul Maslin said another explanation for Walker’s big win was his continued success in courting voters outside Dane, Rock, Milwaukee and the five other counties that make up southeastern Wisconsin. In Milwaukee County, Burke received almost 20,000 fewer votes than Barrett (Walker’s total dipped by nearly 11,000 votes). “Republicans are better at holding onto their voters and keeping them active in a midterm election,” UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said.

David Wegge, director of the St. Norbert College poll said part of the explanation for the break toward Walker is there are no undecided voters in the final election results.

Here's the proof in graphs. Thank you so much Milwaukee for letting us all down. And you guys in Racine...I hope vouchers continue to destroy and defund your public schools. Enjoy your empty lives:

WISGOP caught in outrageous lie about Mary Burke. Walker Campaign must be Desperate.

Imagine how Scott Walker would campaign for president, if this is the best he and his party can do.

Yes, it's another phony Walker/WISGOP ad campaign lie by WISGOP!! Doesn't there have to be some tie to reality? Guess not.

And it appears WISGOP’s Joe fadness got caught in another lie. Like a side show circus act, Fadness bends facts into lies, awing the crowd of "stand with Walker" voters. Fearless Fadness has no moral or ethical boundaries:

WSJ: The Wisconsin Republican Party's latest attack ad against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke uses misleading video to suggest Burke didn't attend Wednesday's School Board meeting. In fact, Burke participated in the closed meeting by telephone, Madison School District spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson said.

But technically she physically wasn't there. Modern use of telephones doesn't count in this backward Bizarro World of GOP politics. Was Fadness embarrassed? Are you kidding:

In an emailed response, Wisconsin GOP executive director Joe Fadness stood behind the ad. "Give me a break. The video and accompanying press release accurately depict that Burke chose to attend a campaign event over attending the official meeting in person. To suggest otherwise is nothing more than a desperate attempt to distract from Burke's abysmal record …

…blah, blah, blah. And why would conservative voters allow the use of deceptive comments and ridiculous lies to win elections?

Even the video's interviewer had his agenda figured out:

Burke spokesman Joe Zepecki said, "Scott Walker and his Republican Party make up an awful lot of stupid things to say about Mary Burke, but this one is right up there for among the stupidest."

The on screen statements are even wrong:

Burke was physically absent, she did participate in the meeting by conference call, board member Dean Loumos said. Board member Ed Hughes said the members' name placards shown in the video were not used at Wednesday's meeting, nor did did board president Arlene Silveira sit in the spot the photo shows her in. Loumos said an unidentified man attempted to take pictures of the Wednesday meeting before being told to leave. "And he came back, trying to sneak taking pictures from outside the window," said Loumos. "This is really low-level type of stuff."

Marquette Poll shows Burke Pulling away ever so slightly.

Here are the numbers, from jsonline:

Gov. Scott Walker leads 46%-45% among registered voters, according to the latest Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.

Among likely voters, Burke led Walker, 47%-46%.

Walker's job approval slipped from 49% in May to 47% in July … Walker slipping among coveted independent voters, from 49% to 45%, and Burke from 40% to 44%.

Walker's likability, 45% favorable view, compared to 47% unfavorable views. Burke, 26% favorable and 24% unfavorable.

75% heard something about the John Doe investigation, while 24% had not. Among those who knew, 54% said the John Doe probe was just more politics, while 42% said it was serious.

45% of the voters said the state budget was in a better shape, 28% the same and 22% said it was in worse shape.

On jobs, 9% said the state was creating jobs faster than other states, 42% the same as others, 43% said the state was lagging others.

Only 37% would now vote to retain, and 56% would vote to repeal, the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. 

Walker wants to focus on the horrors of Out Sourcing Overseas? Look in the mirror.

There's something fishing about Scott Walker's Hail Mary attack over offshoring jobs. He must know he's got a record a mile long supporting out sourcing and backing businesses that do. And yet, he seems confident none of that will stick to him.

It's also a case of "Swift boating" Mary Burke for her greatest strength, actual business experience at a very successful global company known for it's philanthropy and community involvement. It's a world most career politicians are completely unfamiliar with, like you know who, Scott Walker.

Just as surprisingly, the media is actually pointing out Walker's hypocrisy. Like WKOW's Greg Neumann:

WKOW: Gov. Scott Walker's most recent campaign finance report shows he received money, a total of $68,500 to Gov. Walker over the last six months, from at least 11 corporations that have outsourced jobs to other countries.

Here's a list of outsourcing companies Walker should be attacking next...yea, right:

WellPoint, one of the nation's largest health insurance companies, gave $15,000 to Gov. Walker's campaign.  Three other corporations gave $10,000 each, including Caterpillar, 3M - a multifaceted manufacturing company based in Minnesota, and Deloitte - a national tax consulting firm. Other corporations that donated to Gov. Walker through their PACs were Coca-Cola ($2,500), Pfizer ($5,000), PepsiCo ($2,000), J.P. Morgan Chase ($1,000), Hewlett-Packard ($3,000), General Motors ($6,000) and CenturyLink ($4,000).

U.S. Department of Labor records show those companies have had successful claims filed against them for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) … awarded to workers who can prove they are unemployed because their jobs were outsourced overseas.

No Company Outsourcers from PAC's supporting Mary Burke: Really, not one?

The campaign finance report for Democratic Challenger Mary Burke shows she raked in over $351,000 in PAC donations, but none from corporations that outsourced jobs.  The majority of PAC donations to Burke came from national and state unions.

The Burke campaign has criticized Walker, because his Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has awarded tax credits to at least two companies that have shipped Wisconsin jobs overseas.

Scott Walker, the out-of-state Governor? Outside Special Interests say yes, want Walker!!!

Isn't it time Wisconsin had it's own in-state governor? It seems our state elections and interests are now in the control of out-of-state big money donors. jsonline:

Gov. Scott Walker raised more than half his sizable haul of campaign cash from outside Wisconsin this year, while his challenger Mary Burke raised two-thirds of her donations inside the state.

Breaking it down:

Of the $8.3 million raised by the Republican governor in the first half of 2014, $4.6 million, or 55.4%, came from out of state donors while $3.7 million, or 44.7%, came from within the state, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis.

Wisconsinites have a different candidate in mind: Mary Burke:

Of the $3.6 million brought in by Burke, a Democrat and former Trek bicycle executive, donors living outside Wisconsin gave $1.2 million, or 34%, and in-state donors gave $2.4 million, or 66%, the newspaper's analysis of state campaign filings found Tuesday.

WISGOP attacks Trek Bike's free speech rights to defend itself against Walker's political Smear Campaign

Warning to out-of-state businesses, don't get on the bad side of Gov. Scott Walker. 

For a party that hates frivolous lawsuits, using courts, and supports Citizens United, they sure hate it when the tables are turned.

Trek CEO John Burke featured a full page ad in local newspapers defending his company from political attacks by Mr. “Open for Business” Scott Walker. Apparently, free speech and the money that pays for newspaper ads is now illegal for businesses that have a blood tie to a political candidate.

WISGOP’s Joe Fadness continues to highlight the party’s hypocrisy and willingness to flip flop at a moments notice to maintain power. The ends do justify the means for these pirates, even if it means bashing successful state businesses. LaCrosse Tribune:

The Wisconsin Republican Party has filed a complaint with the state elections board over a full-page newspaper ad by Trek Bicycle Corp., saying it amounts to an illegal contribution to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. She is the sister of Trek president John Burke. 

That wasn't all:

The company had broken the law by responding to criticism from the Walker campaign about outsourcing by Trek. "Trek's advertisement uses corporate funds to aid the campaign of Mary Burke and uses language mirroring Mary Burke's talking points," the complaint reads.

Trek spokeswoman Marina Marich said in a statement: "The governor's television ad clearly attacked Trek, and Trek is entitled to defend itself under the First Amendment by running its own advertisements containing the true facts. We are confident that our letter published in newspaper advertisements is constitutionally protected free speech that fully complies with Wisconsin law."  

For those who don't check the comments, here one that nailed it:

Anonymous said...Sounds like the Republican Party is alleging coordination between Trek and Mary Burke's campaign. Haven't they been claiming (incorrectly) that coordination is allowed under Wisconsin law -- or at least should be following the latest US Supreme Court rulings favoring "corporate free speech"? So what's their position? That collaboration is legal for Scott Walker, but illegal for Mary Burke's campaign?

Democrat Mary Burke goes after Big Government Republican policies. Wants a return to Local Government Control.

What is rarely debated is now getting traction by the Mary Burke campaign, and couldn't be more surprised.

Republicans are often heard talking about downsizing government. What they intentionally left out, before the word government, is "liberal." They're all about BIG government conservatism.

Under Scott Walker, local control went out the window. It could have been worse too, had it not been for the overreach written into some bills that even a few Republicans couldn't sign on to. WSJ:

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke pushed back Friday against state laws that strip away local decision-making, suggesting such provisions should be eliminated from future state budgets … in a 27-page document laying out her position on rural issues.

“We have laws on the books that prevent local governments from providing needed services to their citizens, in order to protect the interests of big business … one potential solution may be to prohibit use of the state budget as a vehicle for new laws that would strip existing authority from local governments.”

Since 2011, Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers have wrested from local governments control of cellphone tower siting, shoreland zoning restrictions, landlord-tenant regulations, public employee residency requirements, family medical leave rules for private companies and large soft drink bans, among other things. Other proposals, such as limiting a local government’s ability to regulate frac sand mining, didn’t pass.

The Republican response made my list of Humpty Dumptyisms:

Republican leaders have defended the measures as striking the right balance between protecting local control and taxpayers…

…by taking it away? The frightening thing is, they really don’t see a problem, as exemplified by this Walker campaign statement:

Walker campaign spokeswoman Alleigh Marre responded that the governor “has taken significant action over the last three-and-a-half years to support and strengthen Wisconsin’s rural communities.”

Then what about the Burke list of proposed changes giving control back to local governments? Did she just make it up? Yikes. I also like Burke's push for community internet services:

Burke also laid out proposals for expanding broadband Internet access, such as repealing a 2003 law that restricts municipalities from providing high-speed Internet service.

Walker Trashes Successful Wisconsin Company to get Reelected. Not Open for just any Business it seems!

Our incidental governor seemed surprised his recent campaign ad was being criticized for attacking a successful Wisconsin company that employs over 1000 people. Scott Walker would never do that:

Gov. Scott Walker told reporters on Thursday that he's not using his campaign to attack the Trek Bicycle Corporation, even though it began airing a 30-second commercial this week that blasts Democrat Mary Burke and her family business for outsourcing jobs. “I'm not attacking anything,” he said … “…she's taking credit for building that company into what it is today.”

So this is how Scott Walker talks up successful companies in Wisconsin, from his campaign site (NOTE to Out-of-State Businesses, just stay on Walker’s good side, if you know what I mean):

1. Burke fails to mention they have 800 employees overseas.

2. Officials at Millionaire Mary Burke's family company say that more than 99% of their bicycles are manufactured in other countries.

3. In 1995, the Department of Commerce awarded $875,000 in taxpayer money to Trek Bicycle to construct a facility in Walworth County. In 2000, the State of Wisconsin forgave a portion of that money ($392,300), and subsequently, while Trek still owed taxpayer dollars, Trek filed a plant closing and mass layoff notice with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 

4. The Trek CEO was well aware of low wages, dismal working conditions and poor environmental standards in China, yet the company shipped Wisconsin jobs there anyway, their concern being high taxes - not worker conditions. 

This isn't the first time Walker trashed a company or industry not on his list of favorites. The irony of course is that everything they bash Trek for supposedly doing, are much touted major policy positions of the GOP. In fact they would love to loosen environmental standards, safety regulations and get rid of the minimum wage. Walker also chairs the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, that gave out taxpayer money to companies who've off shored jobs as well. But he forgot to mention that.

Here's Trek CEO John Burke's response:

WPR: Mary Burke's brother John Burke, who is Trek's current CEO, blasted the Walker for making what he said were false statements about the Wisconsin company. John Burke shot back accusing Walker of making false claims “to try to harm the company” that his family had worked hard to build. “Mary Burke did not make any manufacturing decisions; I did,” said Burke. “If I had not made the decision to source product globally, including from the United States, Germany, Holland and China, there would be no Trek and no 1,000 Wisconsin Trek jobs today.”

So does Scott Walker love Trek? You be the judge with your vote on election day.

Walker bashes Burke for Land Purchase, despite defending that same Purchase to HUD.

One small detail absolutely trashes Scott Walker’s attempt to deceive voters about a $12 million Mary Burke land deal that never resulted in job creation. The ad states:

"As Jim Doyle's commerce secretary, Mary Burke spent $12.5 million dollars to buy a vacant lot for a company that said it had no plans to create jobs in Wisconsin." 

But look who defended that same deal:

jsonline: The Walker administrations own housing official, Lisa J. Marks, has questioned HUD's findings, according to the documents released Tuesday. Marks argued to HUD that while the Abbott jobs didn't materialize, the purchase that blocked the truck stop opened the door to major spinoff development, including Uline's new corporate headquarters and distribution facility that already employ more than 850. And Pleasant Prairie officials talk up the 2006 deal, saying the plan was part of a long-term strategy involving Abbott.

Strike before the Truth is Known: This is Walker’s MO. In fact, all Republicans do this without retraction.

As for Burke’s feelings on this:

A Burke spokeswoman said Tuesday that the candidate strongly disagrees with HUD's finding and would challenge it if elected governor. 

Scott Walker helping companies Offshore Labor with WEDC taxpayer money.

In an exclusive report by WKOW 27 News (video to come), this Scott Walker WEDC bombshell:

At least two companies that received financial awards from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) later outsourced jobs to foreign countries, with one of those companies receiving a second WEDC award after the fact.

A 27 News investigation has uncovered that both the Eaton Corporation and Plexus Corporation received millions of dollars only to later lay off workers whose jobs were taken by employees at the companies' foreign facilities. In April of 2013, Eaton laid off 163 employees at its Cooper Power Systems plant in Pewaukee and announced it was moving those jobs to Mexico  … WEDC awarded Plexus Corp. with tax credits of up to $2 million in 2011 and up to $15 million in 2012.  Plexus has received $4.7 million in tax credits to this point. In July of 2012, Plexus announced it was laying off 116 workers from its facility in Neenah.  The U.S. Department of Labor has since ruled those employees are eligible to receive federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits … employees who were laid off because their jobs were outsourced to foreign countries.

But offshoring won’t stop the corporate welfare:

WEDC Spokesperson Mark Maley says "If a company makes a business decision to move some of its jobs out of the state - despite our best efforts - we will continue to work with that company to ensure that as many jobs as possible remain in Wisconsin."

Burke was quick to response thank god:

Mary Burke: "It is appalling to me that at a time when we rank dead last, 10th out of 10 in the Midwest in private sector job growth, Governor Walker's WEDC is giving taxpayer money to companies that lay off Wisconsin workers and then ship jobs overseas. As Governor, I will insist that every WEDC award protects against the outsourcing of Wisconsin jobs and companies that don't live up to their end of the deal give back every tax dollar they received."

Oh yeah, hello to WISGOP...a big oops:

The Republican Party of Wisconsin has criticized Burke for outsourcing jobs to China as an executive Trek Bicycle.

Bottom line: 

The leader of one Wisconsin business group calls the news disturbing. "What's troubling to me about this is that these companies were given tax dollars explicitly to keep jobs here in Wisconsin," said Lori Compas, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Business Alliance.  "To take taxpayers' money and then turn around and fire hundreds of Wisconsin workers is a real slap in the face."

Here's WKOW's Greg Neumann with the report:

Walker campaign desperate, resorts to lying in ads. So little to brag about?

It looks like Mr. "Unintimidated,"  Scott Walker, needs to lie about his opponent? Could it be those soaring CEO approval ratings aren't impressing the average middle class voter? 

Our rating: In a campaign ad, Walker says that "when Jim Doyle was governor and Mary Burke was commerce secretary," Wisconsin saw "billions in middle-class tax hikes on nursing home beds, gas, phones and garbage."

As a cabinet secretary, Burke would have had some impact on one of Doyle’s budgets. And it did contain increases on those four items. But the ad misfires badly on the math and the blame game.

Proposed new taxes and fees in that one budget totalled $366 million on nursing homes, gas, garbage and phones, not "billions." And the tally was far less in the final version of the budget Doyle signed.

Beyond that, Burke was gone when Doyle’s subsequent budget sought up to $1.35 billion more for those items in 2009.

We rate Walker’s claim False.

Walker's wage deficit another big Campaign issue.

Mary Burke has another big issue:

Here's the devastating conclusion. This time, Walker can't blame on anyone but himself since he opposes a minimum wage hike:

Burke told delegates at the state Democratic convention that "the typical Wisconsin worker makes $5,000 less each year than our neighbors in Minnesota" under Walker’s policies.

The gap is real and Burke hit the mark with her description of it. The gap has grown or held steady in Walker’s time depending on the measuring stick used. Burke didn’t say Walker created the gap, but the disparity is a longstanding one, and one that existed and grew under governors of both political stripes. We rate her claim Mostly True.

Mary Burke's Economic Sanity or Scott Walker's high CEO approval ratings?

Check out the great article in the Wisconsin State Journal showing the impact of Scott Walker's scattershot tax cut policy and tax shift to the middleclass. That's not an editorial opinion, it's shown in the graphs below. But more surprising is the measured and common sense approach finally articulated by candidate Mary Burke. 

Gov. Scott Walker floated a radical and controversial idea for Wisconsin; eliminate the state income tax. So far Walker has cut taxes by nearly $2 billion over his first term, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Walker’s 48 tax cuts; income tax rate reductions, additional aid to K-12 schools and technical colleges that drives down property taxes, and deductions, exemptions and credits targeted at boosting businesses. Walker … says he will lower the tax burden each year in office … but rejected the possibility of raising the sales tax to make up the lost revenue.

If actual math, business and economic experience replaces Scott Walker’s failed pure ideological theory:

Democratic challenger Mary Burke says major tax reform isn't needed … Walker’s cuts have been based on a premise; lower taxes across the board will attract businesses, create jobs and facilitate further tax rate reductions, that some economists, researchers and Burke dispute.

Best line of the article (first highlight) and best criticism of Walker’s mess:

“Walker does believe in this trickle down. I don’t, and that comes from a business perspective,” Burke said. “I haven’t seen a lot in his plan that indicates how he’s going to grow the economy other than thinking it grows because you reduce taxes.” Burke said she favors more targeted cuts for the middle class and business startups over broad cuts that benefit the wealthy and companies that aren't adding new jobs.

She has called for raising the college tuition income tax deduction from $6,943 to $10,424, pledged to repeal a new private school tuition deduction expected to cost $30 million a year, and said she’s skeptical that the manufacturing and agricultural credit, which will soon cost $128.7 million a year, will create jobs. “Gov. Walker has created loopholes that carve out special deals, which means while some people are paying their fair share, others are not,” Burke said. “I will look at these loopholes and eliminate those that benefit only special interests.”

Click the chart (to enlarge), with 4 different tax change possibilities, and the impact (in red) on the state’s budget. Keep in mind, Walker admitted above that his “no tax” pledge to lobbyist Grover Norquist prevents him from ever raising the sales tax (but he did break that promise on the EITC & Homestead Credit):

Do cuts create jobs? Mike Leachman, director of state research at the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said past studies showing states that enacted large income tax cuts in the 1990s and 2000s had a mixed record on economic growth. Several tax-cutting states performed worse than those with higher taxes, and those that performed better were oil producers … cutting income taxes doesn’t spur major economic growth because they’re usually accompanied by reductions in government services. “You’re taking money from the pockets of teachers and other public employees and companies that contract with the government,” he said. “That money also gets out into the economy. On balance, it’s more or less a wash.”

Homestead Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit have eroded. Walker reduced the EITC for families with two or more children and repealed indexing provisions for the Homestead Credit, saving the state $169.6 million during his first term.

Burke tied with Walker again!!!

It's a dead heat:

jsonline: Democrat Mary Burke (is) drawing closer to Republican incumbent Scott Walker in the latest Marquette University Law School Poll.

Among all registered voters, including those currently seen as less likely to vote in November, the two candidates were tied at 46%. In the last poll, on March 26, Walker held a 48% to 41% lead over Burke among registered voters. Charles Franklin, director of the poll, said the results were a "noticeable shift" in favor of Burke. Among likely voters — an important measure in a lower-turnout midterm election — Walker leads 48-45.

Sure Walker benefiting from the national recovery, and using it to get reelected, that's the irony. But the "jobless" message is getting traction finally, and voters we hope are suspicious. Maybe this career politician really doesn't know how to attract business and jump start consumer demand after all:

Burke is seen by those polled as more likely to care about people like themselves and also has an edge in that more people feel Wisconsin is lagging other states in job creation rather than leading them. She has experience in a private business, something that voters in the poll said was important to them. 

Burke's gain was largely influenced by women and younger voters moving in her direction, according to Franklin.

The strong right wing repetitive messaging has made the truth a thing of the past when it comes to voter fraud:

(Of) those surveyed 20% said that fraud, in the form of people claiming to be someone else at a polling site, happens a "few thousand times" or more each election statewide, while 23% said it happens a "few hundred times" for each election. 21% said it happened a "few dozen times" and 26% said that it happens "less than a dozen times" in each election. Nonpartisan election officials say that voter fraud is more isolated.

Fraud is basically non-existent if you don't count felon voting. And when you have Republican politicians running things, our faith in government falls. Big surprise:

There is considerable distrust of government: Among voters, 67% agree or strongly agree that "you really can't trust the government to do the right thing." Twenty-nine percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Walker and the GOP majority have taken pledges never to raise taxes, so naturally that means they can't deal with the lack of transportation department funding:

There is public reluctance to pay more for highway improvements: 40% are willing to raise gas taxes and vehicle registration fees for highway projects, but 58% are unwilling to raise fees from those sources.

And finally, from the numbers here, Wisconsinites don't like the idea of either Paul Ryan or Walker running for president. Take hint nation:

More people would rather see Rep. Paul Ryan run for the president in 2016 than Walker: Ryan: 38% want to see him run; 51% don't. Walker: 27% favor a run; 67% don't.

Incidental Governor Walker not interested, hasn't noticed John Doe 2 Fiasco.

Scott Walker pretended to look surprised at all the attention around his "lucky" turn in the John Doe 2 investigation. It didn't hurt his campaign lawyer's wife is an assistant to Judge Randa, who took the extraordinary step of ordering the immediate destruction of evidence accumulated in John Doe 2.

Sure that looked suspicious to everyone, but what the heck. Walker's just too busy creating one job in November to notice...

Walker: "For me, I don't get distracted by that, um whether it's good, whether it's bad, whether it's somewhere in between...."

See, nothing to worry about. After all, in the end it all seemed to go as planned. WISC Channel3000:



Democratic challenger Mary Burke came out swinging:

"I just think the people of Wisconsin are concerned about all this special interest money that floods into politics, we don't know where it's coming from, ah we don't know whose behind it, and that's it's having too much of an influence on our elections. So I think that it's important that these issues are looked into,and that our laws are being upheld." 

Walker Pleased with the Poisoned Political Climate in Wisconsin, jokes; "There's like two people in the state that don't have a strong opinion of me."

“DIVIDING LINES | SPECIAL REPORT” by Journal Sentinel’s Craig Gilbert highlights the festering sore consuming Wisconsin; the politics of hate.

And the Burke campaign won't make this a campaign issue? 

The glee Scott Walker gets seeing the state retch from the growing political tension is unnerving:

"I don't think having a division amongst the electorate is a bad thing,"

Gilbert’s report offers a few insights:

"Elections are ultimately about reminding people why they like their side and why they hate the other side." says Ken Goldstein, political scientist with the University of San Francisco. Goldstein says Wisconsin features a "perfect brew" for the polarized and party-line voting patterns … it has been subject to the kind of sustained, saturation-level advertising and organizing found only in perennial battleground states.

"People are stable in their (support) of their own party, but increasingly dislike the other party. That's the divide," says Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz.  

"A very large percentage of people in Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties have roots in Milwaukee County and particularly in the city," says John Gurda, who writes about the history of Milwaukee. "What fascinates me is that a lot of them come from blue-collar households that voted Democratic."

Burke acknowledged the problem, but that's it; "I would not have gotten into it if I didn't think people want to see a candidate who wasn't so divisive:"

As the lightning-rod governor of a divided state, Walker personifies the costs and benefits of competing for office in polarized times.

The negatives for the governor? His … more polarizing approach to governing has made him a hero to conservatives, given him a national fundraising network and made him a credible 2016 presidential candidate. The governor makes no apologies for the fact that "there's like two people in this state that don't have a strong opinion of me."

This sick twisted bastard likes it:

"I don't think having a division amongst the electorate is a bad thing," Walker says. "I think having a healthy debate about which ideas work is good."

This is what Walker thinks is healthy for the state?  

Democratic Party Devoid of Imagination and Powerful Populist Message!

My eyes glaze over when I hear Democrats talk about the issues. Why? They seem to be caught in 1990's loop of tired old talking points that honestly don't mean anything any more.

When Mary Burke appeared on WKOW's Capitol City Sunday at 9 am, everybody in our local broadcast area hit the snooze button. My god that campaign needs some help. "As I travel around the state"..."...stand behind their words"...and a grocery list of the same old, same old; the need for an educated public, skills needed for our workforce...blah, blah, blah. That's an exciting fresh attention getting message?

UPDATE: 4/15: Burke noticed business start rating.

Burke didn't even bring up Wisconsin's near last place position nationwide in business creation for gods sake. Has the campaign even picked up a newspaper since the recall? This is a boring rehash of the Barrett "challenge."

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Mike Tate lacks the creative juices to even hold a brainstorming session like so many marketing firms. Democrats already have the populist agenda sewn up, but just don't know how to frame it in a way that excites voters. And Democrats need to attack the failed Republican agenda fearlessly, confidently.

Start with our Wallets: Walker is getting incredible mileage out of his empty property tax cuts. That screams "target" to me. What's the benefit of a tax cut when communities everywhere are approving referendums that not only wipe out Walker's cuts but spends more overall? Imagine what would happen if the entire state pitched in to support our schools, a funding reformulation like the one State Sup. Tony Evers came up with, freeing up local community budgets for other things.  

Hold Walker and Business to their Jobs promise: Businesses were gung ho about Walker's right wing small government, no tax agenda. They even promised job creation. Where are the jobs? And if there's a skills shortage, where's the higher wages? Until we see "supply side" job creation work, we need to hold the line on further cuts. 

Regional Business Hubs: A collaborative effort to work with Illinois in the creation of a Midwest regional business hub, tying Chicago to Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee. Walker's petty pilfering of other state businesses not only pours taxpayer cash into corporate welfare, but ignores the benefits of working together for the benefit of both states and job creation.

Oddly, Kelly Westlund's campaign positions against Rep. Sean Duffy are powerful, fresh and devoid of the meaningless cliches mentioned above. She should be getting more media attention just for her fearless fighting style and clearly framed political positions. See her here on Upfront with Mike Gousha.