It’s amazing what can be found in campaign finance reports.
Abele also shelled out more than $28,000 to Thomas Keeley, a media consultant with a roster of Republican clients, including U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. Keeley handled social media during Johnson’s successful defeat of Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold.
Scared money, he’s trying to discourage other Dems from “primarying” him.
Interesting since he is gearing up for a challenge to Ron Johnson.
I guess I thought Russ Feingold would be running against RoJo.
Confirmed or speculation? The money seemed to be going to a lot of Dem’s too which suggests an effort to build goodwill. Also interesting that someone as outspoken as GZ on poverty and the greed of the 1 percent has linked up with Abele.
Emma, I don’t have a link, but afaik, most of Abele’s money to Dems goes to corporate Dems who will further wreck any attempts at collective bargaining. Pro-choice, pro-LGBT, Republicans are the new face of the Democratic party.
“….And that’s exactly how things are working out. On matters of direct interest to the oligarchy, they win. You can have your silly laws about marriage or abortion as long as they get their way on money. It’s a lousy bargain, and it doesn’t have to be that way.”
http://my.firedoglake.com/masaccio/2013/03/29/oligarchy-exists-inside-our-democracy/
I’m a fair trade guy and even I’m against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I haven’t heard a peep out of Burke or Abele on “free-trade” legislation that people I trust say will decimate what’s left of Wisconsin manufacturing. AFAIK, T-PP in its latest form would make it illegal to stamp something “Made in America.” That’s one of the reasons it’s called NAFTA on steroids.
IMHO, what the oligarchs are really after in Wisconsin is Lake Michigan water. Clean, fresh water is the new gold. I’m afraid Abele is just part of a long-con that’s really about fresh water. It’s a lot easier to get that if you’ve crushed the middle class.
“GRAPH: As Union Membership Has Declined, Income Inequality Has Skyrocketed In The United States”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/03/03/147994/unions-income-inequality/#
If you’re buying any of that it’s entirely possible imho that Abele doesn’t really understand how he’s being used. He doesn’t appear to be the sharpest tool in the drawer.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/new-concerns-arise-in-milwaukee-county-courthouse-fire-inquiry-b99170243z1-237258701.html
Hope I’m wrong.
Should have included this,
“Wisconsin waters on track for perilous de-regulation, giveaway
“…The Wisconsin Legislature, in room-service mode to big commercial water users at your expense, is just a few steps from giving away waters held in trust by the state for all the people.
And making it darned near impossible to do anything about it if your well level plummets, a favorite trout stream dries up, or your lake pier becomes a mud-flat relic.
In a state where drought has been a problem, and commercial water demands by big agriculture and sand mining interests are rising, a horrible special-interest attack on supplies of our most basic natural resource is just a few steps away from final approval in the GOP-led Legislature and Gov. Walker’s signature….”
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/purple-wisconsin/245749081.html?viewAll=1#comment-174436005
Where are Burke and Abele on this?
TPP is something, alright. Gifts for everything from big pharma to Hollywood entertainment. It should be instead named “No special interest left behind”. So will this be another marriage of convenience between Progressives (who hate TPP) and Tea Partiers (who hate Obama) joining forces to defeat fast track?
Agree that the water issue is critical and both Burke and Abele should be discussing broadly. For Burke a lack of leadership here will be seen as being out of touch with Wisconsin property owners. Here’s a high-profile Green Bay-area case – I would assume any nearby properties are worthless now: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/disputed-dairy-farm-expansion-eyed-for-statewide-impact-b99201473z1-244569731.html
Abele may not be commenting on water nor TPP but he’s got his big veto coming up of the living wage ordinance and here’s the link Zach pulled from (I think) describing his campaign funding priorities: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/two-years-from-re-election-chris-abele-plows-money-into-campaign-fund-b99205011z1-245765411.html
Thanks. Appreciate the links.