WisPolitics.com

Walker’s campaign event offers differing opinions on guv’s cooperation pledge

When Gov. Scott Walker made his victory speech Tuesday night, he mentioned his desire to move forward and put the rancorous election behind him.
“I’m committed to it whether you voted for me or not,” said Walker, suggesting meetings with Dems over beers and brats. Some Walker supporters at his victory party agreed that Walker should try to heal the rift. But many others — along with some GOP politicians who were present — defiantly rejected the idea of reaching out to the other side.

article-wis-politics-photo-Tom-Barrett-wearing-a-blue-shirt-with-his-sleeves-rolled-up

Scott Walker Political Controversy

Barrett primes supporters for ‘biggest day in Wisconsin history’

An animated Tom Barrett, wearing a blue shirt with his sleeves rolled up, told his supporters that “the biggest day in Wisconsin history” is tomorrow.
“We saw the largest grass-roots movement that has ever been part of Wisconsin,” Barrett said to wildly cheering volunteers at a campaign office on Milwaukee’s near south side.

Walker rallies supporters, says suggestion he’s target of John Doe probe ‘100 percent wrong’

Gov. Scott Walker rallied supporters Saturday, telling them every voter contact will make a difference come Election Day, and said any suggestion he’s become a target of the John Doe probe are “100 percent wrong.” After several stops across the state Saturday, Walker hit a campaign office in Wauwatosa. He told reporters he has not heard anything further from the Milwaukee County DA’s office about the John Doe probe that has ensnared his former aides from his days at Milwaukee County executive. He brushed off a report from Current TV’s David Shuster that the guv has been told he’s a target of the probe as “spin from those on the left.”

Clinton advocates ‘shared responsibilities and shared sacrifice’

Former President Bill Clinton today told hundreds of cheering supporters of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett that Wisconsin needs “a government with shared responsibilities and shared sacrifice, not ‘winner take all.'” Clinton said, “People look at Wisconsin and see America’s battleground.” He said Gov. Scott Walker has created “constant conflict.”

Barrett, Walker fight over John Doe, crime and jobs in final debate

With a historic recall election only days away, underdog Tom Barrett accused Scott Walker of using “Willie Horton stuff” while the Republican governor fended off Barrett’s charges he couldn’t be trusted. “My integrity has always been high,” Walker said at the final of two debates before Tuesday’s recall election. The statewide televised debate was co-sponsored by WisPolitics.com.

Final recall debate gets international attention

Thursday’s debate between Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett drew news media not only from Wisconsin but also the national and international press. Among media outlets that sent reporters and photographers to cover the event at Marquette University Law School in downtown Milwaukee were the PBS Newshour, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, NHK Japan Broadcast Radio — which was broadcasting live in Japan, The Irish Times, The Sunday Times, NPR News, Reuters, and CBS Evening News.

article-wis-politics-photo-Dem-primary-candidates-publicly-threw-their-support-behind-Milwaukee-Mayor-Tom-Barrett-

News Reporting

Dem primary candidates join forces behind Barrett

All three unsuccessful Dem primary candidates publicly threw their support behind Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a joint appearance today outside Barrett’s Milwaukee home. Kathleen Falk, Kathleen Vinehout and Doug La Follette all said they’d actively campaign on Barrett’s behalf over the next 27 days.

Barrett to supporters: Need you like never before

Tom Barrett told hundreds of cheering supporters in his victory speech that “I need you like I’ve never needed you before and more important, this state needs you like it’s never needed you before.” “We have a lot of work to do in the next 27 days,” he said, warning that Scott Walker’s campaign would unleash a barrage of attack ads. Blaming Walker for dividing Wisconsin as he has never seen it, Barrett said, “That division is the exact opposite from the way I will govern.”

Barrett pledges special session on collective bargaining, Falk says not enough

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vowed Thursday to call a special session of the Legislature to restore collective rights for public employees if he’s elected guv. But former Dane County Exec Kathleen Falk countered at a forum hosted by unions and progressive groups that such a move was not enough and again pledged to use the budget to restore those powers.

Mitt Romney wins Wisconsin GOP primary

I posted quotes from Romney’s acceptance speech within moments of his win, along with updates, before and after, for WisPolitics Election Blog, including remarks by national GOP strategist Stuart Stevens. The crowd at Mitt Romney’s Election Night party cheered and supporters snapped photos of a TV screen after FoxNews projected the former Massachusetts guv would win Wisconsin.

Kay Nolan