Blogging Blue » Barb Lawton

In Brief: Bader suspended, Walker lays off county employees

Zach W — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:18:56 +0000

Green Bay radio talk show host Jerry Bader, who got himself into a bit of hot water over comments he made about Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton, has been suspended for two weeks by WTAQ-AM (1360). The station also said a decision on Bader’s future would be made after his suspension, and it’s worth noting no formal apology has been issued to Lt. Gov. Lawton for Bader’s remarks.
In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s 2009 budget fell apart with 2 months left in the year, just as it’s done in years past. This year, however, Walker has chosen to fix his budget hole on the backs of one hundred eighty middle class county workers, announcing “temporary” layoffs of county employees just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Here in Cudahy, the city is partnering with a non-profit organization in hopes of acquiring and renovating 10 homes in need of repair. The homes will be acquired by Milwaukee Community Service Corps, a non-profit, vocational training organization that will do the renovations, and once the renovations are completed, the homes will be sold to people who agree to live in them. The hope is that the program will increase home ownership and property values in Cudahy, which has a high percentage of renters to owners.
Over at CudahyNOW, Randy Hollenbeck is opining Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik could face a recall if she votes in favor of a Milwaukee County sales tax increase, but if I were Supervisor Jursik, I wouldn’t be worried, given how successful recall efforts against Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue and State Sen. Jim Sullivan were.

Good luck in court, Jerry Bader!

Zach W — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:59:06 +0000

Jerry Bader is a class act.

No really, he is!

After all, it would take someone as classy as Jerry Bader to propagate a slanderous rumor about Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton without any type of fact-checking or verification*, opening up the possibility of legal action against WTAQ, as well as Bader himself, by Lt. Gov. Lawton.

Here’s the text of Bader’s comments (emphasis mine):

Good afternoon, this is Jerry Bader with a “Bonus Listen.” This is a follow up to a story breaking in Wisconsin today, Lieutenant governor Barabra Lawton announcing that she will not be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor: This bombshell dropped about 11:00 this morning. She said for very personal reasons.

I’ve been working the phones all day Here’s what I can tell you: I am reporting this factually.

It has been a somewhat open secret in Madison for years that Barbara Lawton has an open marriage and that those relationships she has within the marriage are with other women. This has not been a tightly kept secret, it has been known more than in her inner circle.

I have learned that somebody was about to expose at least one of those relationships. What I am told from sources is a scorned lover — and the phrase that I heard is “attatched to the building,” in their words, a member of the Doyle administration or a staffer of the Doyle administration, a woman, had a relationship with Lawton, she is scorned, and she was going to expose that relationship.

I have been told that she had visual evidence of that relationship. Again, this comes from a number of sources in Madison and I am reporting factually that it is a lover scorned.

Again, I am reporting factually that these are the reasons that Barbara Lawton is not running for Governor, that she has had a gay relationship with a woman who is described as attatched to the building that would mean a staffer.

Obviously this would raise sexual harrassment issues.

Again, this coming at 11:00 this morning — shocking both sides of the political aisle Barbara Lawton’s announcement, nobody saw it coming, she described it as for very personal reasons. Again this comes from multiple sources in Madison. More to come on the show and throughout the day on FaceBook and Twitter and at WTAQ.com.

What I’m at a loss to explain is how Jerry Bader’s comments made it on the air. Wouldn’t he have to vet something as potentially explosive as the accusations he made with someone else at WTAQ, possibly including their legal counsel? What’s more, why would he make a point to say he was reporting “factually” when in fact he was reporting nothing more than a rumor that now appears to have been fabricated? After all, I don’t presume to be a legal expert, but it would sure seem to me that Bader opened himself – and WTAQ – up for a slander lawsuit. Not surprisingly, shortly after he “reported factually” the rumor about Lt. Gov. Lawton, Bader retracted his statement, but in doing so blamed his sources rather than taking any blame himself and apologizing for the remarks. Again, I don’t presume to be a legal expert, but I can’t help but think Jerry Bader won’t be able to blame “bad sources” if he finds himself on the receiving end of a slander lawsuit. Reached for a statement regarding the allegations made by Bader, Lt. Gov. Lawton was understandably outraged, calling the allegations a “slur” and an “outrageous lie.”

Yeah, good luck in court, Jerry, because something tells me that’s exactly where you’re headed, unless WTAQ fires you and begs forgiveness from Lt. Gov. Lawton before this mess ends up in court.

* The lack of fact checking seems to be a common thing among conservative squawkers.

Lawton bows out of gubernatorial race…

Zach W — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:50:04 +0000

While I know some Democrats (including yours truly) have been less than enthused about the possibility of Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton being the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2010, but I have to admit that I didn’t think Lawton would bow out of the race completely. In an email to supporters, Lt. Gov. Lawton issued the following statement:

“My good friends. You know better than any my confidence in Wisconsin people, and in our resilience in a time of crisis, and in our capacity to innovate new ways to shape a better future for our state.

“My deep commitment to our state is second only to my commitment to my family. For very personal reasons, I will not pursue the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010.

“I look forward to providing active leadership to shape smart decisions for Wisconsin in the fourteen months that remain in my term in office. I will stand with you, as always.”

What’s most interesting to me is the timing of Lawton’s decision not to run for governor, especially on the heels of at least one report that the White House is putting the full-court press on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to enter the 2010 gubernatorial race, as well as reports Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel may be considering a run. Could Lawton’s decision to drop out be a prelude to Tom Barrett entering the race?

Governor Leinenkugel?

Zach W — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:32:43 +0000

As Tony Galli of the Inside Scoop blog notes, current Wisconsin Department of Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel has been approached about becoming a gubernatorial candidate:

Sources tell Inside Scoop Leinenkugel has increasingly been approached to consider the upcoming governor’s race. They say Leinenkugel’s intial, polite deflection of the flattering prospect has transformed into subtle consideration of the idea.

The Leinenkugel name is a statewide brand, thanks to the beer of the same name’s history and growth in popularity. Supporters say Leinenkugel has other campaign prerequisites: the ability to raise campaign cash; slightly older children and a family potentially receptive to such a career decision; distinction not only as a businessman, but as a former officer in the Marine Corps; and people skills easily transferable to the stump.

I think it’s clear I’m not a huge fan of Lt. Governor Barb Lawton, and barring entry into the gubernatorial race by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, I’ll certainly be hoping another candidate jumps into the race.

Early polling shows Walker, Barrett leading gov. race

Zach W — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:51:48 +0000

As I’ve said of similar polling, it’s obviously very early, but a new poll shows Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett were the leading gubernatorial candidates for the respective parties:

In the poll’s Democratic primary matchup, Barrett, who is only considering a bid at this point, held a 38%-16% advantage over Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, the lone declared candidate. On the Republican side, Walker was running ahead of former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, 39% to 14%. Both are in the race. A possible candidate, business owner Tim Michels, was at 4%.

According to the poll of 700 residents, more than 57% approved of President Barack Obama’s job performance and 41% disapproved.

EDIT: The same polling also shows U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, a Democrat who is up for re-election in 2010, was viewed favorably by 54% of those polled.

In Brief: Shebby mayor’s “sex tape,” Kind not running for Gov.

Zach W — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:57:54 +0000

Sheboygan mayor Bob Ryan apologized today for sexual remarks he made about a relative that ended up on YouTube*. The video appears to have been shot using a cell phone camera, unbeknown to Ryan.
*WARNING!! The video I’ve linked to is very graphic!
Rep. Ron Kind won’t be running for governor in 2010, citing his work in the U.S. House on health care reform. Rep. Kind’s decision not to run for governor could pave the way for a run by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and I sure hope Mayor Barrett considers running, because I’d hate to see a Democratic gubernatorial field consisting of Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton and no one else.
Though I don’t proclaim to be an expert on the Milwaukee County Budget, I’m more than a little disturbed that the budget proposed by Milwaukee County Executive Scott “Fiscally Responsible” Walker would greatly increase borrowing for capital projects, while also relying on an expected influx of federal stimulus aid to balance the county’s budget. What’s more, Walker wants to more than triple annual borrowing in 2010 to create his own “local economic stimulus plan.”
More disturbing than the fact that Scott Walker’s proposed 2010 budget relies on an expected influx of federal stimulus aid, despite Walker’s previous public statements in opposition to such aid, is his
proposal to balance this year’s budget at the expense of future budgets. In borrowing heavily in 2010, Scott Walker’s “credit card” budget would only push the county’s debt obligation into the future, passing the burden onto future residents of Milwaukee County. That’s not only irresponsible, it’s downright shameful, especially given the fact that Scott Walker’s supposed to be a fiscal conservative who spends within his means.
And finally, the Lawton for Governor campaign announced >Milwaukee County Democratic Party Chair Martha Love has endorsed Lt. Gov. Lawton for governor. Lt. Gov. Lawton has been busy locking up endorsements from elected officials across the state, and while endorsements obviously don’t guarantee a win on election day, it stands to reason if she continues to line up Democrats behind her candidacy, she could position herself as the inevitable Democratic gubernatorial nominee.

The curious case of Barb Lawton

Zach W — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:07:02 +0000

As Xoff over at Uppity Wisconsin noted, Lt. Governor Barb Lawton got her gubernatorial campaign off to an odd start yesterday, calling the day “Governor Doyle’s day” before filing her paperwork to become a gubernatorial candidate and then announcing her candidacy for Gov. Doyle’s office. If Lt. Gov. Lawton and her staff really felt yesterday truly was “Governor Doyle’s day,” then why couldn’t they have waited a day to announce her candidacy and file her paperwork?

What’s more, as Harris Kane over at the heartland hollar pointed out, why was Lt. Gov. Lawton was just about the only significant Wisconsin Democrat who didn’t issue a statement regarding Gov. Doyle’s decision not to seek reelection?

The candidates’ cash flow

Zach W — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:13:39 +0000

On Sunday I outlined the likeliest possible contenders to be the next Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and I while each candidate has strengths and weaknesses, virtually all the likeliest Democratic gubernatorial candidates suffer from a serious lack of cash, with the exception of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

At the end of the most recent reporting period, Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton had $50,904 cash on hand.
Rep. Ron Kind had $955,152 cash on hand, but under state law he can only use $43,128 of that if he chose to run for governor.
Mayor Barrett is flush with cash, with $840,257 in his campaign account, giving him a big cash advantage should be choose to run for governor.
State Sen. Jon Erpenbach has more than $21,000 cash on hand.
And finally, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk only has about $15,000 in the bank.

While money alone can’t win an election, the healthy war chest Tom Barrett has at his disposal would certainly allow him start a potential gubernatorial campaign with a very distinct advantage over his Democratic rivals, who’d be forced to spend more time raising money than Barrett.

The Contenders

Zach W — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:43:06 +0000

All signs seem to point to Gov. Jim Doyle not seeking reelection in 2010, so I thought I’d take a look at a few of the possible Democratic contenders to succeed Gov. Doyle:

Lieutenant Governor Barb Lawton – There’s absolutely no doubt Lt. Gov. Lawton will run to succeed Gov. Doyle. According to campaign finance documents, Lt. Gov. Lawton ended the last reporting period with $50,904.18 case on hand, and once Gov. Doyle formally announces he’s not running, you can expect to see Lt. Gov. Lawton’s fundraising kick into overdrive. Lawton’s weaknesses – as I see them – are the fact that she can be tied to the Doyle administration, and as such she’ll likely face criticism for some of Gov. Doyle’s more unpopular moves as Governor. What’s more, Lawton hasn’t proven she can shine running a campaign of her own, so it will be interesting to see how she does when her campaign isn’t tied to Gov. Doyle’s.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett – Mayor Barrett ran for governor in 2002, finishing second to then-Attorney General Jim Doyle in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see Barrett throw his name into the ring for 2010. Barrett was reelected Mayor of Milwaukee in 2008 by the largest margin in 40+ years, and during his time as Milwaukee’s Mayor he’s shown he’s a capable administrator/”chief executive.”
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk – Falk ran for governor in 2002, finishing third to Doyle and Barrett, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her jump into the race again. However, Falk did lose a race (2006 Attorney General) that was very winnable, especially given the Democratic wave during the 2006 election cycle.
Representative Ron Kind – Though not a full-fledged “Blue Dog” Democrat, Rep. Kind is definitely a centrist Democrat, a fact that could aid him in the parts of Wisconsin that aren’t Milwaukee or Madison. However, I’m not sure how well known Rep. Kind is in the parts of the state that don’t include his Congressional district, and so he’d have to overcome that lack of name recognition in comparison to the other Democratic challengers.

One name not on my list, but who I’d love to see run for governor, is Sen. Herb Kohl. Kohl enjoys wide name recognition, fundraising wouldn’t be a problem (he could likely self-fund a gubernatorial run), and Sen. Kohl doesn’t face reelection until 2012. Besides, how fun would it be to see Sen. Kohl run against Scott Walker or Mark Neumann?

Breaking News: Doyle won’t seek reelection

Zach W — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:27:07 +0000

Politico.com is reporting Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle won’t seek reelection in 2010. According to Politico, Gov. Doyle has told associates he will announce this week that he won’t seek a third term in 2010.

Given the difficulties Doyle has faced recently, this decision isn’t terribly surprising, but it does set up an interesting Democratic gubernatorial primary. Obviously Lieutenant Governor Barb Lawton will be a contender, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Rep. Ron Kind jump into the race as well.

I’ll have more on this story as it continues to develop.

EDIT: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting Gov. Doyle will make an announcement regarding his future on Monday.