Monday, June 04, 2012

Down to the Wire in Wisconsin

Tomorrow we are going to witness an historic recall election in Wisconsin. Scott Walker’s job as that state’s governor is on the line as well as that of his lieutenant governor. All of this comes as a result to the governor’s attack on public employee unions, a purported first step towards total eradication of the union movement in Wisconsin, a state known for its pro-union inclination.
None of this was an agenda item when the governor was running for that office. Walker just kind of thought all of this up by himself, with perhaps the help of TEA Party billionaires.
And now as we close in on the election polls show that the election is tightening up. In a recent poll by Public Policy Polling, they show that Walker leads his opponent, Milwaukee mayor Tom  Barrett, by 3%. That’s down from a poll conducted by the same group 3 weeks ago, which had Walker leading by 5%. That’s right, millions of dollars of Koch brothers and TEA Party money are being thrown at this election and there is a slip in the polls.
But not enough of one.
Enthusiasm seems to be a factor here. The activism we all witnessed in the winter of 2011 has fallen by the wayside. You don’t hear the drums beating on cold crisp mornings in Madison anymore. A grassroots get out the vote movement is not a sexy as rocking and rolling in the capitol rotunda.
But this is where the rubber meets the road. An election. This is when it counts. Time to drum up some enthusiasm, Wisconsin; time to send the Koch brothers back under the rocks that they crawled out from.

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