UPDATE: According to Demcratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate, he’s been assured all good Democrats are on board and are opposed to the Republican mining legislation.
I’m hearing from reliable sources that Democratic State Sen. Tim Carpenter will break from the Democratic State Senate caucus and vote IN FAVOR of the mining legislation that’s being pushed heavily by Gov. Scott Walker and his rubber-stamp Republican allies in the legislature. That legislation has been essentially dead in the State Senate thanks to Republican State Sen. Dale Schultz, who has been steadfast in his opposition to the legislation as it is currently written.
If this is true, Sen. Carpenter’s defection would be a huge victory for Gov. Walker and Republicans in the legislature, and from what I’ve heard Sen. Carpenter’s decision is based solely on some calculation on his part that breaking from his fellow Democrats in the State Senate will help his chances in the Milwaukee City Treasurer election, where he’s running against fellow Democratic State Sen. Spencer Coggs.
If you’d like to contact Sen. Carpenter to share your opinion on the Republican mining legislation, here’s his contact information:
Telephone
(608) 266-8535
(800) 249-8173
(414) 383-7223
Can you confirm this somehow, or do we need to wait until tomorrows vote? Carpenter is willing to jeopardize the fortunes of fellow Dems in upcoming recall elections for the sake of getting elected in Milwaukee? How does this work? I’m from up north and don’t understand Milwaukee politics.
If this is true, and I guess we’ll find out tomorrow for sure, there’s going to be a backlash against Democrats statewide.
Somebody better talk some sense into that guy quick. This could have repercussions well beyond the mining bill.
Steve, I’m working on getting confirmation.
I am in Milwaukee and certainly wont vote for Carpenter for any Treasurer position should he vote for this mining bill, that’s for sure. While I love the Wisconsin 14 I would consider backing this bill a major problem in terms of future support.
Here’s a tweet from Lena Taylor. There certainly seems to be a rush to get this to the senate floor.
http://twitter.com/#!/sentaylor/status/176844856214306816
Lets hope it’s true and get some good paying union jobs up north and get this economy going. This will be great for that area and also the mining eqiupment companys in Milwaukee.
i AM GOING TO CALL ALL 3 NUMBERS. i DO NOT CARE WHAT TIME IT IS. i WILL LEAVE A MESSAGE
JAM HIS MESSAGE BOX!!
Two Milwaukee Democratic state senators want to LEAVE THE SENATE by being elected to a relatively powerless BUT HIGHER PAYING administrative position. (There were newspaper reports that a third wanted to go for a different administrative post.) Analyzed as a career move, it’s UTTERLY cynical!
I know I’m probably parsing words, but it’s interesting that Mike Tate wrote “all good Democrats” instead of “all Democrats.”
that’s what I thought
That’s all Mike Tate has to say? He can’t tell us this information is false?
Russ Decker kills the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Mark Pocan reportedly tells Assembly Dem candidates in 2008 to not speak of Healthy Wisconsin on the campaign trail, Mike Sheridan sleeps with a Payday Loan lobbyist, Decker and Plale sell out the public unions, and now Carpenter does this?
This is what happens when the party tells its progressives to shut the F up and sit down. This is what happens when party regulars never hold their elected Dems to account. This is what happens when primaries are squashed by orders from above.
This is a goddamned disaster in the making.
I’ve just gotten word that Carpenters phone is ringing off the hook.
Don’t let up now. Keep him up all night.
And let’s not let Sally R try to knock this off the comments column with ten posts about the ridiculous efforts of her ridiculous ” Muddy Up the Recall” group.
You need a better source. No way Tim Carpenter would vote for the mining bill in its current form.
Are you Tim Carpenter? Which bill will he vote for? The Jauch/Schultz compromise bill?
The Tim Carpenter that was a sponsor of the Arizona style immigration bill would.
I’d never put anything past any elected official, but ultimately it’s a moot point since Carpenter made the right decision.
This is sick. Look at you all trying to work your butts off to try and prevent good paying union jobs for the unemployeed in Northern Wisconsin. The only argument you could make is that you are so passionately against this right now because you all care about the environment but even that we all know isn’t true. So why are you guys really against this? Admit the reason we all know what it is. I mean staying up all night calling a senator because you want to screw over Walker? Ewww
You’re odd, Pete.
Sen will not vote for Assembly bill..would vote for Jauch/Schultz bill..
I hope this is true..but if he does vote for this horrible bill, it will be disastrous for the state. It is not about Penoke hills, it is about the Baraboo Hills..and they are trying to get mining in that area. Iron sulfite is the same as in Penoke hills, but we do not have the Native Americans to stand up for us there..
Maybe Carpenter decided to put aside petty politics and vote with what he thinks is right? You can disagree with him all you want, but if he does this you have to give him credit for being his own man.
Not so much, Kim. The public doesn’t want the assembly bill.
http://political-capital.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-poll-shows-most-oppose-changes-to.html
If Carpenter votes for this it’s hard to tell whose man he is.
Thanks to everyone who called Senator Carpenters office to encourage him to vote no on this bill.
Keep his number handy.
If they created a way to magically extract coal from that mine via oompa loompas, you idiots would be against this job creator just the same. Your motto is, “No job is really a job unless it’s a government job”.