A Wisconsin Political Fix
not just another blog
July 6, 2010
By Bill KrausAs far as the mass media knows--or says--there are three candidates for governor of Wisconsin this year.
There are actually many more of them. All are invisible. This is due in part to the diminished press corps. There is a kind of coverage triage in journalism these days. There are many more stories than there are reporters to cover them. Some of them might have been about the invisibles. Since none are, the invisibles stay invisible.
A longtime observer of politics once said about a government hearing, about any political event for that matter, that “if the press isn’t there, it didn’t happen.”
It did, of course, but only those few who were there knew about it.
The invisible gubernatorial candidates do exist of course, but they are not “happening” because nobody is watching them and reporting what they are doing or saying.
At least one of the invisibles who I know about, has made a strenuous effort to become visible by calling on newspapers, offering himself up to TV and radio station interviewers. He is giving speeches to groups where there might be a reporter in the room. No dice.
Another thing the invisibles have in common is that they are unpolitical. This seems to be a virtue this year. The GOP candidate for the US Senate is spending a lot of money to tell voters what he is not. Other “un” candidates are springing up in hopes that elections this year will turn on something as incongruous as “no experience.”
They could.
Another one of the invisibles says that his greatest virtue is that he is not a demonizing partisan. He reports that people can’t sign his nomination papers fast enough once they learn that he is not “one of them.”
The three invisables I know, and who I have chosen not to name, are not capable of or interested in stooping to the meanness, to politics by character assassination, that is in favor these days.
Good for him and for them. It is high time those who have been trashing everyone who doesn’t agree wholeheartedly with them get trashed themselves.
Another invisible has a well thought out way to pay for K-12 education. He believes that education is the central responsibility of the state government and points out that the state constitution writers said so. Can a one-trick pony campaign prevail in these complex times even when the pony is as consequential as providing and paying for this essential service and responsibility? Could be.
The third invisible I know about is still on the fence. His campaign, if there is one, would be built around the idea that it is high time for the state government to quit playing games and dissembling and come clean with the people. He wants the governor and the government to grow up, to tell the truth and to face up to the things it can and should be doing and isn’t. If he does take the plunge, he would be a latter day Adlai Stevenson whose admirable 1952 blunt truth campaign did this. Unfortunately Adlai was up against the iconic and worthy Ike. No chance. So this idea was not widely copied.
None of the invisibles may go anywhere, which is too bad. That seems to be the conclusion of a feature article in the State Journal which lumps all 18 of them as fringe candidates.
What is worse is that there is a shortcut to visibility to notoriety to legitimacy. All they would have to do is make it clear to what remains of the political media that they have a way to fund a multi-million dollar campaign.
Bought and paid for notoriety might not convert into votes, but we would know who they are and why they think we should elect them.
Is this what selecting our political leaders has come to?
Follow Bill Kraus on:
Read More...
Intro only...
Press Release
June 17, 2010
CONTACT:
Jay Heck – 608/256-2686 BETTER DISCLOSURE OF OUTSIDE MONEY
AND OVERHAUL OF WISCONSIN'S DISGRACEFUL REDISTRICTING PROCESS ARE TOP REFORM PRIORITIES
Recent "Reform Forum" in Middleton Underscores the Need to Move Quickly in 2010 - Even With Legislature Adjourned for the Year
It has been almost eight weeks since the Wisconsin Legislature adjourned for the year to begin to stockpile campaign cash for the election season-- which is well underway and earlier than ever before. One of the monumental shortcomings of the 2009-2010 legislative session was the failure to pass and enact into law an effective disclosure measure in the wake of the horrendous
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission handed down on January 21st by a narrow majority of a bitterly divided U.S. Supreme Court which overturned 100 years of settled law and opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate and union general treasury money to be used to directly influence the outcome of federal -- and by extension -- state elections. The
Citizens United decision allows -- and indeed invites much better disclosure of the money influencing elections but the Wisconsin legislative leadership in the closing days of the session this past April failed to come to an agreement on needed legislation (
Senate Bill 43) to require outside special interest groups who make widely-disseminated communications intended to influence the outcome of an election, reveal who their donors are.
Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI) immediately called on Governor Jim Doyle to call the Legislature into Special Session or for Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan and State Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker to call the Legislature into Extraordinary Session to pass the revised disclosure legislation so that it would be in place for the upcoming 2010 elections: Special or Extraordinary State Legislative Session Needed for Campaign Finance Disclosure Reform. The call was widely supported by a number of state newspaper editorials and by other reformers.
The need for disclosure was a primary topic of interest and discussion last week in Middleton, Wisconsin where about 75 citizens joined CC/WI Co-Chair Bill Kraus, CC/WI executive director Jay Heck, League of Women Voters of Wisconsin executive director Andrea Kaminski, long-time reformer, Common Cause member, elections board official and the founder of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Gail Shea, and leading legislative reformer, State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee)in a CC/WI-organized reform forum. This was one in a series of such forums held over the state since 2007 entitled "What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin?"
Another "hot" topic at the Middleton forum was the dire need to reform the disgraceful redistricting process in Wisconsin in which congressional and state legislative seats are redrawn by congressional and legislative leaders behind closed doors, utilizing millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fashion safe and uncompetitive districts for the vast majority of Wisconsin's U.S. House Members and Members of the Wisconsin Assembly and State Senate. This ugly and undemocratic process will begin in earnest in early 2011 after the completion and tabulation of this years Census. There has to be a better way to redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts to create more competition and choice for voters, not less as the politicians currently in control of the process would like.
You can view and/or listen to the Middleton reform forum in its entirety by going to the WisconsinEye link here.
Also last week, the U.S. Supreme Court further undermined the ability of citizens to counter the influence of special interest money and the wealthy when it temporarily blocked the state of Arizona from distributing "matching funds" to those candidates whose opponents are spending large sums of private money: Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich. The provision in that state’s 12-year-old campaign finance law is also part of Wisconsin’s Impartial Justice law, which was enacted into law on December 1, 2009. It is an important tool designed to reduce the influence of moneyed interests in elections and an important element of Impartial Justice.
The Roberts Court may decide to take up the case and, if so, may not render a decision on the constitutionality of matching funds for up to a year -- which would interfere in the early 2011 supreme court election in Wisconsin in which Justice David Prosser is expected to run for re-election. It may be that the Wisconsin Legislature may have to amend and "fix" the Impartial Justice law as a result of yet another horrible decision by the Roberts Court -- which is quickly earning the reputation as one of the most activist and destructive high courts in American history. Stay tuned..............
__________________________________________
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Stay informed - Follow CC/WI on Twitter!
Read More...
Intro only...
A Wisconsin Political Fix
not just another blog
June 22, 2010
By Bill KrausA recent WisPolitics luncheon featuring the chairs of the state’s two main political parties quickly sank into yet another juvenile, schoolyard shouting contest:
“My candidates are better.”
“Are not.”
“Are too.”
Your candidates are liars.”
“Are not.”
“Are too.”
After an hour or more of this, the audience was most likely to conclude that these candidates should not be running for important political offices; they should be run out of town on a rail instead.
I was probably the only one in the room who came hoping to learn about the state of the parties. How many members? How much money? What affect is the Tea Party movement having on either of the above? Are they worried that California’s anti-party proposition could spread to Wisconsin?
None of these subjects came up.
It’s possible that some members of this politically sophisticated, browbeaten audience were inspired or pleased by this exercise in mutual self destruction, but the comments that I overheard were more along the lines of, “If this is what we get in June, what will be hearing in October?”
The audience was, in a word, mostly disgusted.
Is there any hope that these campaigns will turn away from personality attacks, from demonization, and toward new ideas and positive proposals to save our sinking ship of state?
Not if party leaders Mike Tate and Reince Prebius have anything to say about them.
For shame.
Follow Bill Kraus on:
Read More...
Intro only...
A Wisconsin Political Fix
not just another blog
June 13, 2010
By Bill KrausBefore BP came along I used to refer to our campaign system as a train wreck. The analogy to the oil spill is imperfect but more current and more dramatic as well.
What BP is doing to the Gulf of Mexico and the planet our flawed campaign system is doing to our democracy.
And like the BP disaster, the fixes for the campaign system are not available or not working very well.
The reading I get from the reform pros and that small segment of our population that attends presentations by the reform pros is that there are seven things that are screwing up campaigning in this country.
Campaigns are too long. Actually they are more like endless. What we seem to want is the British system. Unfortunately the British system only works when no one knows when the next election will be.
Campaigns are too costly. Millions of dollars are poured into short, often superficial appeals for votes through whatever are the media of the moment. This is probably per se bad. Worse yet it adds a new criterion for candidacy. “How much money have you got?” is the first question asked by the mercenaries who run campaigns and the reporters who cover them. Attempts to limit campaign spending are routinely overturned by the free-market minded Supreme Court.
Campaigns are rigged. Because the need for campaign money is so great even in a state like Wisconsin, the legislative leaders have gerrymandered the legislative districts to reduce the number of places where races are competitive and expensive. The result is that candidates pick their voters rather than vice versa in an overwhelming number of legislative races.
Campaigns are too easily hijacked. In the few districts where there are competitive races and where those races determine which party will have a legislative majority, the flow of money from rich outsiders will usually overwhelm the campaign treasuries of the candidates themselves. Too often the campaign for a legislative seat turns out to be a battle between the business organization and the teachers’ union at which the candidates’ spending and agendas are only a sideshow.
Campaigns are too negative. The reigning wisdom is that a soporific public can only be motivated to get out and vote if they are given reasons to vote against instead of for candidates. The money backs up the reigning wisdom. The voters too often confirm it.
Campaigns offer too few ideas. Outside money from interest groups mostly goes to keep the status quo intact. Attack campaigns are about personality shortcomings and dirt. Ideas get pushed aside or belittled at best, attacked at worst. Campaigns are weighted toward bland generalities which sound good and are attack proof. Specific ideas are too dangerous.
Campaigns are unfair. Candidates must make regular filings which tell the public who, specifically, is supporting their campaigns with contributions. The outside interest groups that are active in campaigns are not required to make these kinds of disclosures.
And in the end... The prospects of BP cleaning up the Gulf don’t look very good at this writing. The prospects of cleaning up the election system look worse.
Follow Bill Kraus on:
Read More...
Intro only...
Press Release
June 3, 2010
CONTACT:
Jay Heck – 608/256-2686 CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND OTHER REFORMS MADE PROGRESS IN 2009-2010 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
BUT FURTHER ACTION NEEDED THIS YEAR
Find Out Why at Middleton Reform Forum on June 7th
Campaign finance and political reform was a major focus in the Wisconsin Legislature and in the media during 2009-2010 and while some significant progress was achieved -- further action is needed this year.
On December 1st, the most significant, substantive campaign finance reform in Wisconsin in 30 years
became law when the Governor signed the “Impartial Justice” Bill after the Wisconsin Legislature passed it in November. This new law will provide full public financing to qualifying candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court who voluntarily agree to abide by a spending limit of $400,000. Within weeks of its enactment, opponents of campaign finance reform launched counterattacks in the form of two separate
lawsuits against the “Impartial Justice” Law.
But momentum remained on the side of continued, meaningful campaign finance reform in Wisconsin. On January 19th, the State Senate passed a bill that would require the disclosure of the donors and regulation of the money utilized by outside special interest groups running widely-disseminated campaign communications masquerading as issue advocacy 60 days or less prior to an election.
Senate Bill 43 (SB43) was passed by an overwhelming, bipartisan 26 to 7 margin.
An identical Assembly version of this legislation -- Assembly Bill 63 (AB63) -- passed 6 to 1 in the Assembly Committee on Campaign Reform and Elections in June of 2009, and was well on the way to passage in a full Assembly vote. Further, Governor Jim Doyle indicated that, once passed, he would sign SB43/AB63 into law.
But then, on January 21st -- just two days after SB43 passed in the State Senate -- the U.S. Supreme Court issued a shocking, bitterly divided 5-4 decision in the landmark case: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The Court's decision -- reversing over 100 years of settled law -- equated corporations and outside interest groups with real individuals, and in doing so, gave these entities the ability to influence the outcome of elections through unlimited, unregulated campaign spending.
On April 23rd, the Wisconsin Legislature adjourned for the year without passing needed legislation (Senate Bill 43) to require outside special interest groups who make widely-disseminated communications intended to influence the outcome of an election, reveal who their donors are.
That same day, Common Cause in Wisconsin called on Governor Jim Doyle to call the Legislature into Special Session or for Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan and State Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker to call the Legislature into Extraordinary Session to pass disclosure legislation so that it will be in place for the upcoming 2010 elections.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted our call the very next day: Legislative job left undone. Then, on April 29th, the Janesville Gazette - in Speaker Sheridan's hometown - endorsed our call for a Special/Extraordinary Session on disclosure: Legislators must return and expose phony issue ads followed by the Sheboygan Press and Oshkosh Northwestern.
But thus far, there has been nothing but deafening silence from Doyle, Sheridan and Decker on this matter -- which requires their leadership in order for it to be accomplished.
How will the Citizens United decision affect Wisconsin? What is the future of the now revised versions of SB43/AB63 - disclosure legislation and why is it needed this year? Can the "Impartial Justice" Law withstand the lawsuits filed against it? What happened to a major, comprehensive election reform measure that failed to get consideration in the Legislature this year? Will there be reform for the current, disgraceful redistricting process before it begins in 2011?
These major reform developments and others will be the focus of discussion in Middleton this coming Monday during a "Reform Forum" organized by CC/WI entitled:
What Ever Happened to Good Government in Wisconsin?
**And How Can We Fix It?**
Panelists will include:
State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee)
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Executive Director Andrea Kaminski
Republican Strategist and CC/WI Co-Chair Bill Kraus
Executive Director Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin
Gail Shea, a former State Elections Board Official and the Founder of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign will serve as Moderator.
Please join us for what we anticipate will be a lively discussion.
Full details can be found here.
__________________________________________
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Stay informed - Follow CC/WI on Twitter!
Read More...
Intro only...
By Bill Kraus
