Emily’s List Endorses Mary Burke For Governor!

from my email in box:

Today, we are proud to announce that we are endorsing Mary Burke for the next governor of Wisconsin — the woman who will finally put a stop to Republican Governor Scott Walker.

Wisconsin is long overdue for a breath of fresh air in the governor’s mansion — someone who’ll dedicate themselves to getting things done for the state instead of raising their national conservative profile on the backs of working families.

That’s why we’re proud to endorse Mary Burke for governor. And we want you to join us in supporting her. Contribute to her campaign right now.

Mary has the kind of candidate resume Scott Walker could only dream of. From playing a vital role with the Boys and Girls Club, to creating jobs, to serving as Wisconsin’s Commerce Secretary, Mary’s dedicated a lifetime to ensuring strong economic development for her home.

But when she announced her campaign to keep helping Wisconsin, she immediately came under radical Republican attack for — get this — her hair. It’s only a taste of what’s to come — especially with Scott Walker as Mary’s opposition.

There’s no denying that Scott Walker has been horrible for Wisconsin — always has been and always will be. Wisconsin needs a governor who can create jobs and protect workers’ rights but Walker has done the exact opposite: repealing equal pay protection for women, eliminating collective bargaining rights for public workers, and slashing funds for education and health care. Rather than protecting the people of Wisconsin, Walker put them at risk. You can bet he’ll make things even worse if reelected.

So when we have a strong candidate like Mary Burke who will stand up for workers’ rights, and stand up for the middle-class, we can’t just let that pass us by.

We know Mary Burke will fight for Wisconsin, we know she’ll fight for the middle class, and we’re confident she can win. Contribute today to make sure that Mary has everything she needs to win the fight against Scott Walker and his extremist pals.

Take care,

Stephanie Schriock

So the powers that be are lining up behind Mary Burke. If other candidates are still considering getting in the race, I suggest they announce NOW!

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18 thoughts on “Emily’s List Endorses Mary Burke For Governor!

  1. Good idea to post on this Ed. All the anti-Burke chatter has forced me to listen and learn about her more closely than I probably would have. For that I’m grateful. I like what I’m seeing so far and I’m glad to see her campaign steadily improving. Refreshing to see a candidate not fall over themselves to promise the stars and moon. Tells me her word might mean something. And I like how Walker’s people can’t seem to get a read. As you say, if anyone else is going to campaign versus trifle with the hopes and emotions of the party faithful, they may wish to do so soon and in an organized, thoughtful, and professional manner.

    1. Should they have endorsed someone else? Is there another candidate out there committed and prepared to beat Walker?

      1. By now we know that’s a reflexive response from you, EmmaR. You and we know very well that Kathleen Vinehout is seriously considering a race. Since she does not have the DPW or a personal fortune behind her, she needs to accurately assess people power, and is doing that actively.

        Why shouldn’t Emily’s List have waited until Kathleen made her decision? Maybe I don’t know enough about the psychology of political contributing, but wouldn’t people prefer to give money to a NOVEMBER 2014 race in 2014?

        1. I would think the opposite response would be considered reflexive given Vinehout’s consideration is about getting people to ask her to run. In my world you plan for a major decision on an important role thoughtfully, prudently and of course you play to win. She seems fundamentally unserious about becoming Wisconsin’s next governor.

      2. The deadline to file for the race is how many months away? The rush to endorsement for Mary Burke, the candidate with NO positions at all, is either utterly ridiculous or totally calculated by the power brokers in order to avoid having an actual progressive running Wisconsin. Of course you can take that with a grain of salt because that is pretty much how I felt about the entirely flat issue free Barrett candidacy in the recalls as well.

      3. They should STAY THE F*CK OUT. The primary isn’t for more than 9 months , and the general election is over a year away. What’s the hurry here? It’s not like EMILY’S list will be supporting Scott Walker and his approval of trans-vaginal ultrasounds.

        The behind-the- scenes BS is really rubbing a lot of us the wrong way.

  2. Emily’s List should at least wait until Burke actually states some of her positions before endorsing her.

    To EmmaR: Not interested in empty promises either, but stating clearly one’s personal take on a subject is not making promises.

    IMO, there is nothing from the Walker era that should not be repealed.

    1. They probably did DanN.

      Organizations don’t really go willynilly endorsing people without talking to them about their positions. In their meetings iwth her, I’m certain she convinced them of her qualifications and promoted positions that allign with their mission.

      1. DJ, not all politicians keep all their campaign promises. For example, Scott Walker claimed that he campaigned on curtailing collective bargaining. Even the right leaning Politicact rated that a FALSE.

        http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/22/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-he-campaigned-his-/

        Below is from the forced birthers:

        “The leading pro-abortion political group in the nation is getting behind pro-abortion Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Emily’s List, which only endorses pro-abortion Democratic women who support late-term abortions and taxpayer financing of abortions, will throw its financial and political muscle behind Burke’s campaign.

        Burke, if she becomes the Democratic nominee, would take on pro-life Governor Scott Walker….”

        http://www.lifenews.com/2013/10/24/pro-abortion-group-backs-mary-burke-for-governor-in-wisconsin/

        Emily’s List and Ms. Burke know that she’s their best/only hope. Emily’s List and Ms. Burke both know that Ms. Burke will tack back towards the middle on choice. Late terms abortions are where the forced birthers have the most support. If, or how much she will tack back is anyone’s guess. AFAIK, the Madison School Board didn’t face these kind of issues. Ms. Burke’s people, Mike Tate,…. can tell Emily’s List whatever they want. When you’re the Governor of Wisconsin, with a line item veto, you’ve got everyone in the state screaming at you. If Ms. Burke’s elected Governor, it’s doubtful anyone will know with any certainty what her priorities are until after she signs her first budget.

        IMHO this endorsement means very little outside the abortion rights community. Within that community it puts pressure on Wisconsin NARAL, Wisconsin Planned Parenthood, Wisconsin (NOW), and others. You can bet Ms. Burke and her team will remember the “early adopters” of her campaign. Who endorsed first, who raised the most cash,….

        1. John,

          It appears in the link you furnished, Ms. Burke has been defined as “Pro-abortion” rather than “Pro-choice.” There is a great difference between the two.

          What say you?

          1. D12, thanks for the question and the opportunity to explain myself a little. As a public relations move, I and a lot of others have always referred to it as “choice.” No one that I knew, wanted to be thought of as “pro-abortion.”

            I’ve recently been very influenced by younger feminists who are understandably angry about the losses women have endured in the last twenty? years. They are loudly and militantly pro-abortion through nine-months. I doubt any of them is actually happy about the surgery. I think it’s become a separator of sorts, a symbol?, about their commitment to the rights of women.

            If the forced birthers were smart/savvy enough to “adopt” a fetus after 20 weeks (they think it’s reached a stage of viability), raise s/he in a neonatal unit and then find caring parents, that strikes me as a reasonable strategy.

            However, I’ve seen zero inclination from anyone in the forced birth movement to actually work that hard or make that kind of sacrifice for the “unborn,” they claim to care about. Neonatal units are incredibly expensive, who will pay for that high level of care? IMHO, the ethnicity of the fetus plays a large role in the ability to find qualified foster parents.

            My strong supposition is that the damage the forced birthers have inflicted is most prolific before conception and inside 20 weeks. Restricting access to birth control and pre-natal care is insane. As this excellent piece makes clear, http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/pregnant-woman-fights-wisconsins-fetal-protection-law-b99127289z1-229077121.html the forced birthers are scaring women from seeking early pre-natal care.

            I’m not ignoring the serious medical issues that force women to seek late-term abortions, but I think it’s not as frequent a problem.

            I’ve been extremely impressed by the courage of women in my Twitter timeline to disclose that they had an abortion. Some of the best thinking I’ve read on this issue is that GLBT rights have increased in the last ten-years, because more and more people have “come out.” As more women have the incredible courage to disclose their abortions, I think it will loosen the grip the forced birthers have on so many voters. Too many, who hate big, intrusive government when it asks for the incredibly reasonable and sensible universal background checks on gun owners, want that same government to use force to compel a woman to give birth.

            1. D12, I don’t agree 100% with everything the passionate and smart @laurenarankin tweets, but I’ve learned a lot from her. She’s also willing to name men in her timeline who she considers feminists.

              IMHO @melissagira is also excellent, but she’s more on the rights of sex workers. Again, I think she and a lot of others are exploiting serious problems with the government jailing non-related adults who contract to have sex. I think it’s important to “zone” that kind of behavior, and there are legitimate public health issues, but putting adults in jail for it doesn’t make much sense.

              http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/county-board-dumps-lawyer-ticketed-for-soliciting-prostitute-b9975373z1-219510511.html

              @voraciousbrain is amazing. She’s brilliant, married, has a child and wrote this NSFW http://m.vice.com/read/watching-your-baseball-team-get-slaughtered-is-like-anal

      2. D.J. – is it supposed to be reassuring to the rest of us that elect groups of small business owners and well funded PACs can get answers about Mary Burke’s positions when the voting public can not? I check her website and search on a daily basis for some small reason to support Burke and to be reassured about my future as a public employee in the state of Wisconsin and as a parent who can’t afford private schools. I haven’t found that yet but apparently somebody somewhere is hearing a lot more than I.

        1. Paul

          Let’s be serious here.

          Groups send survey’s and have interviews to see who they will endorse. These endorsement groups are partially how people pre-internet found out about what peoples positions were.

          The campaign has barely started, you shouldn’t expect any candidate who is getting into this to put every possible position on an internet website.

          That’s just an unrealistic expectation at best, and an unachievable goal at worst.

          Let’s say tomorrow she puts out position papers on, oh 10 topics. Where do you move the goalpost then?

          I get it, that a lot of people on here are in love with the idea of Kathleen Vinehout.

          The truth of the matter is, Kathleen Vinehout ran in the recall campaign and got what, 8% of the vote?

          She lost HER OWN SENATE DISTRICT in a landslide.

          It’s also important to know, that for every one of you who loves them some kathleen vinehout. There’s another person who think she’s dishonest, or a nut, or dislike her for some reason or another. If you expect her to be some savior of the liberal elite, then quite frankly Wisconsin will turn redder every year.

          1. This DJ,

            You wrote, “The campaign has barely started,…”

            Do you know when the quarterly filing deadline is for her campaign’s fund raising?

            Those numbers will be compared against whatever Gov. Walker raised. If Gov. Walker raised more, he’ll be seen as the more electable.

            More discerning voters will care about where the money came from. The ratio of big deposits from “special interests,” to small amounts from ordinary citizens is extremely newsworthy. Smaller amounts from ordinary citizens are a sign she’s resonating with voters.

            I’ve given substantially to President Obama, Sen. Feingold, Sen. Baldwin, and Ed Fallone. I’ve given substantially to efforts to support the “Wisconsin 14.” That means my email address and physical address are on Democratic donor lists, which Mike Tate has.

            FWIW, Ms. Burke hasn’t sent me an email or direct mail asking for my support.

            IIRC, DPW sent me at least one email announcing that she was running.

            Your comment omitted that Ms. Burke’s only previous experience as an elected official was with the Madison School Board. All the news reports I’ve seen say she “bought” her seat with $129,000????

            This DJ, you then wrote this:

            “you shouldn’t expect any candidate who is getting into this to put every possible position on an internet website.
            That’s just an unrealistic expectation at best, and an unachievable goal at worst.

            Way to crush your own candidate. Is this “training wheels” for Ms. Burke? If she can’t manage her campaign, how is she going to manage a big state like Wisconsin? She’s running for Governor. The expectations are very high. Campaigning and asking for money are grueling, but they’re not as tough as having to actually be Governor. That’s a whole order of magnitude tougher.

            You wrote: “Let’s say tomorrow she puts out position papers on, oh 10 topics.”

            There are thousands of position papers out there on the critical minutiae of running something as complex as Wisconsin State government. What she has to be able to do is issue soundbytes, that confirm she’s got a working knowledge of what’s in the position papers, and the political landscape around them.

            DPW has polling on what issues matter most to Wisconsin voters. Those are the “topics” she needs to address first, but she needs to be demonstrate awareness of the supply chain of complex issue behind every soundbyte. If the MSM doesn’t publish video and sound that her campaign likes, Eric Brandt can publish it here at BB. She can have “scripted events,” where teachers, other public sector workers talk about how much they contribute to their pensions and their health care. Then her campaign can publish the best soundbytes/video from that, showing a quiet, composed, Ms. Burke LISTENING to her constituents, learning about the issues. That sounds like the real narrative and it works great for her. Steve Carlson has made the dynamite point that her media team has to put her in groups. Her “likeability” factor matters. Is she someone you would want to share a coffee with at Starbucks or an adult beverage with at the local tavern? The answer to that has to be YES.

            Dan Bice wrote this in his latest chat, which I’m confident her campaign read with great interest.

            “…The Burke campaign is loaded with experienced hands…”

            http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/228670141.html

            That suggests that either Ms. Burke isn’t yet skilled enough to campaign and they’re still “teaching” her all the tricks actors/politicians have to know about communicating through the media, or she is being a diva, or a little of both.

            The Madison school board doesn’t count as a “big stage.” If she doesn’t like the bright lights, she should just get out of the race. As Bice noted in his chat, the attack ads against her will be brutal.

            Rather than tearing down one of the “Wisconsin 14,” I would encourage you to consider that Wisconsin needs to take back the Senate to help Gov. Burke put the state on the path back to prosperity. I don’t think re-gaining control of the Assembly is realistic in 2014, but who knows, maybe Son of Doe, will force me to re-appraise. If you want to encourage a “big tent,”
            approach that includes Ms. Burke, you have to extend that same tolerance to Sen. Vinehout.

            State Senators and Assembly members can help her understand what issues drive voters in their districts.

            If she wants Sen. Vinehout out of the race, all she has to do is mend fences with public and private sector unions. http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/03/147994/unions-income-inequality/

  3. Morning This DJ,

    It cannot be known how Vinehout would have faired in the primary had Barrett not entered the race after winning re-election in Milwaukee, so I don’t know how much credence can be applied this time around based on what happened then.

    I am thus far encouraging people to ask Vinehout to run, because s primary will help shape and strengthen the eventual platform against Walker. I don’t expect perfection but I do see her as honestly populist in her frequently published positions submitted to a WI blog site on a regular basis. That is accessibility, that is informing of the electorate, that is what I don’t get from my R WI Senator nor my R WI Assembly rep. That background of stated positions gives me a huge comfort factor in knowing the person’s (potential candidate and sitting Senator who deserves support either way) intentions and likely policy actions that would follow.

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