-
John Kerry, Secretary of Gaffes
April 25, 2013 | 9 comments
-
Rand Paul and Marco Rubio at CPAC
March 14, 2013 | 0 comments
-
SEQUESTER: The Dumbest Weight-Loss Plan Ever
March 1, 2013 | 0 comments
-
Israel’s Hard-Right Turn That Wasn’t
January 22, 2013 | 1 comment
-
Deep Space Nine, Twenty Years Later
January 3, 2013 | 23 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Tonight six Republican state senators faced recall elections in Wisconsin; Democrats had filed petions for recall in protest of the “Budget Repair Bill” that limited collective bargaining rights for public sector unions. Democrats needed to win three of these races to flip control of the state senate; as you might imagine, the unions threw millions of dollars into these races. They only managed* to flip two seats — one in a Democratic district where the Republican incumbent’s victory had been something of a fluke in the first place, and one where the incumbent had moved out of the district to live with his mistress. (Hat-tip to John McCormack for those tidbits; note that what he calls “AP spin” — the claim that Democrats had scored big in these races — was actually something that had been misattributed to an AP reporter on Twitter and was widely retweeted; this was symptomatic of the delusional desperation on display among liberal election-watchers tonight.)
The kicker: Next week two Democratic state senators are up for recall — Republicans decided two could play at the recall petition game — and I’m told by Sean Hackbarth, a knowledgeable Wisconsin native, that the Republican challenger has a shot in one of them.
*That link goes to the AP, which still hasn’t called one of the races as I write, but other news outlets have called that race and I expect the AP to catch up pretty soon.
beebop| 8.10.11 @ 5:23AM
The comments on the election results in the Milwaukee Journal should serve as a warning to Democrats and the union thugs every where. But if they could learn and change their tactics, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in.
The $30,000,000 spent (most of it from out of state or union coffers) would have been appreciated in Washington, DC to help as a downpayment on repaying the debt.
J Kelley| 8.10.11 @ 7:38AM
This is great news. The Unions and Dems gave this their all. The Republicans had to win big to overcome the Dems efforts to steal the elections. We may be able to do real Hope and Change in 2012.
Hook| 8.10.11 @ 8:02AM
MSNBC, particularly Al Sharpton was calling it like the Union people would win. What a "riot."
I think it is VERY big news that Repubs maintained control. Obama does not have the capacity to lead well. Even some of his own are sniping at him.
L A Stich| 8.10.11 @ 8:14AM
Hopper did not lose ONLY because he found a new honey and kinda/sorta moved to Madison.
He lost ALSO because he secured a nice fat State job for that hot honey. Conservatives sat it out.
MikeBee| 8.10.11 @ 8:34AM
Good to hear that the normally timid Republicans decided to seek some Democrat recalls in retaliation. Maybe the Republicans are finally growing some cojones? Oh, yeah! Bachmann's from a neighboring northern state, too. Something about the Republican women up there?
LarryK| 8.10.11 @ 9:16AM
Kim Simac has more than a shot against Holperin - she's the odds-on favorite at this point. She is a grass roots organizer herself and knows how to get voters to turn out. And don't discount how disillusioned the Dems are - unions aren't going to pour any more new money into these races, and who wants to make the effort to vote when you know the real objective is already lost? Republicans and the Tea Party are very energized right now, and there's a real shot they can take both seats next Tuesday.
J Kelley| 8.10.11 @ 9:42AM
Perhaps the union members will get wise to spending 30 million on elections. When their pension funds are running out. This money could have gone to pension funds, or even to the poor folks.
simon templar| 8.10.11 @ 9:51AM
Sweet news, my friends sweet! You have just witnessed the free exercise and will of the people of a republic despite the manipulative efforts of big moneyed interest groups. Savor it.
Conservative Bob| 8.10.11 @ 10:02AM
Amen! Very sweet news indeed.
Prester John| 8.10.11 @ 10:21AM
I wonder how much of that $30 million the unions spent was laundered stimulus money?
Pete| 8.10.11 @ 10:42AM
Every last penny, I'd wager. That's the sick part that no one wants to call them on. Same concept as ACORN - take public funds and use them for partisan (dem) purposes. There ought to be jail time for both.
Bydand76| 8.10.11 @ 10:43AM
I am so proud of my state today
Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 8.10.11 @ 11:23AM
B76: I was on the verge of writing your State off forever, but now instead, I've moved Wisconsin up into my Top-5 favorite States. I only wish my beloved New York State was on that list, but alas, it's in the Bottom-5 least favorite States. God Bless the Sane Patriotic People of of the Great State of Wisconsin for speaking their minds, and trying to save their State from the destructive policies of the Union enabled Democratic Party.
PolishKnight| 8.12.11 @ 9:33AM
My wife got us on the mailing list for a Democrat fundraising group (her liberal professor got her email). I thought about unsubscribing, but it's nice to get an inside scoop into the mind of the enemy.
They spun the election as a victory. They defeated two Republicans and the email claims that this should be a sign that the requested contributions wouldn't be wasted.