Cheers, concern greet recall candidate in visit with local Dems
Photo
Lieutenant Governor candidate Mahlon Mitchell puts an arm around 93-year-old Jan Hunt as her daughter Susan Hunt-Wulkowicz looks on during a visit to the Democratic Party of Rock County office in downtown Janesville.
JANESVILLE — Lieutenant governor candidate Mahlon Mitchell inspired rousing cheers from about 40 supporters when he visited the Democrats' campaign office in Janesville on Wednesday.
He also heard concern about whether he and Tom Barrett have the resources to defeat a sitting governor and lieutenant governor in the June 5 recall elections.
Susan Hunt-Wulkowicz spoke for her mother, Jan Hunt, who accompanied her to the meet-and-greet.
Hunt-Wulkowicz said her mother wanted to know if the Democratic National Committee would come through with funding.
Gov. Scott Walker's campaign has out-raised the Barrett forces 25 to 1, and the national Republican Party has vowed to back Walker. But funding from the DNC remains in doubt, according to reporting on the Politico website.
Mitchell hugged Jan, apparently moved by the fact that she will soon be 93, and then said the Democratic Governors Association has donated to the recall effort.
As for a DNC contribution, "I think it'll be forthcoming," he said.
"It'd better be fast," Hunt-Wulkowicz replied, referring to the fact that TV commercials for Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefish are everywhere with less than three weeks to go.
A man in the crowd also seemed worried, asking where the enthusiasm has gone since the demonstrations and recall petition drive.
Mitchell said demonstrations are exciting, and now the movement is in a different phase in which people should knock on doors, make phone calls and talk to neighbors.
Asked about this in an interview, Mitchell said he would tell supporters: "Get out there. This affects everybody. The future of our state is at stake. In all honesty, no matter what side you're on, people should make their voices heard. …
"I think this will be a telltale sign as to where people want to see our state and what direction they want to go in."
Mitchell grew up in Delavan and graduated from Delavan-Darien High School, as did Walker.
"We obviously took some different classes," he joked.
Mitchell said opponents try to portray him as a Dane County liberal, but he said he's from Walworth County.
"Small-town values—Gov. Walker talks about that all the time—so I have the same," he said.
Mitchell was scheduled later Wednesday to greet supporters in Elkhorn and then attend a fundraiser in Delavan put on by local teachers.
May 18, 2012 at 10:49 p.m.
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Very well done, why think!
May 18, 2012 at 10:44 p.m.
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There is some truth to the equivocation you draw between unions and corporations, Why_think. I can think of 3 notable exceptions, though.
Firstly, corporations contribute and try to influence officials of both parties. Union influence is concentrated almost exclusively towards Democrats.
Secondly, corporations, especially the large, well funded ones, don't try to influence local politics much as there isn't really much incentive for them to do so, and even when there is an incentive, they certainly don't to the extent that public unions do.
Thirdly, corporations are prohibited by anti-trust laws from collaborating with each other as public unions do.
From a national political perspective, corporations can be a dangerous, corrupting influence. But at the local level, public unions are much worse. And local politics affects people much more closely and personally than national or even state politics does.
May 18, 2012 at 5:51 p.m.
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why think, well done.
May 18, 2012 at 3:16 p.m.
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billnewbie
So some folks don't get why there is fear of the political power of unions (CORPORATIONS)?
Here's why. When public worker unions (CORPORATIONS) get politically powerful, they are able to pick, support, promote and install officials with whom they later will be engaging with at the collective bargaining table (legislative table). From a union member's (CEO's) perspective, that's great, but from a taxpayer's perspective (MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICANS), that's a horrible situation to be in. Now why is that so hard for the left (RIGHT) to understand?
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So when individuals (corporations) like Diane Hendricks donate money and see kickbacks in the from of lower taxes, reduced regulation and right-to-work legislation (to name a few) there isn't a problem?
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Bill, we agree there is a problem with $$$ and politics... my problem is the republicans somehow defend citizens united - THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS!
May 18, 2012 at 2:29 p.m.
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F.D.R. Warned Us
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/201...
May 18, 2012 at 2:16 p.m.
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So some folks don't get why there is fear of the political power of unions?
Here's why. When public worker unions get politically powerful, they are able to pick, support, promote and install officials with whom they later will be engaging with at the collective bargaining table. From a union member's perspective, that's great, but from a taxpayer's perspective, that's a horrible situation to be in. Our elected officials, owned and controlled by the people who work for them and with whom they negotiate labor contracts may be a slice of heaven for the unions and their members, but it's tax hell for taxpayers. Now why is that so hard for the left to understand?
Keep in mind too that the unions will never say they are being paid enough, or that taxpayers need a break. Their interests are all that matter to them. How many time have we heard them say tax-to-the-max is what should be done? The proof of that is in Janesville's teacher's union refusing to help the school board reduce its deficit, insisting that the school board look to the taxpayer for the solution. The fact that we here in Wisconsin have nearly the highest property tax rate there is means nothing to our public unions. They want more and they don't care how high the taxes get. In fact, the higher the better seems to be their motto.
Letting public unions have too much political power is economic suicide for cities like Janesville. The left would know this if they could see past their own lust for power and how the unions can help them achieve it.
May 18, 2012 at 1:36 p.m.
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SB1
It shows Mitchell in a LIE.
May 18, 2012 at 1:18 p.m.
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I'm really not sure what kind of an upside-down world we live in where the right is so frightened of the political power of unions they will do anything they can to dismantle them, but then insist that people still buy products and shop at stores who use their profits to support those efforts against workers. You guys gotta be taking drugs if you think we're going to do that.
May 18, 2012 at 11:39 a.m.
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This string shows both that Democrats can lie and be hypocrites and never have to say they're sorry AND they can deny reality when it is staring them in the face.
It is scary that they vote.
May 17, 2012 at 9:26 p.m.
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http://www.wisn.com/politics/upfront/Lt-...
May 17, 2012 at 9:21 p.m.
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Mahlon Mitchell Called For Boycott in 2011
"On WISN’s Sunday program UpFront, host Mike Gousha hosted a debate between Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and her opponent Mahlon Mitchell. The rather tame debate did turn heated when Lt. Governor Kleefisch accused Mitchell of signing his name to a letter threatening boycotts of “over 100 businesses.” The exchange went:
Kleefisch: Sir, when you send out a letter encourage folks to boycott over 100 companies as the head of the firefighters union, I don’t know how that helps job creation. When we’re talking about thousands of jobs dependent on these companies.
Mitchell: I didn’t- (laughter). That is just not true. I didn’t send out a letter boycotting 100 companies. You show me that letter because that is just not true.
Kleefisch: Sure."
http://mediatrackers.org/2012/05/16/mahl...
May 17, 2012 at 8:36 p.m.
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40 whole supporters???????? Theses guys are in trouble.
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