Battleground Wisconsin

The panel diggs into the repercussions of the Super Tuesday primaries, and the dramatic thinning of the Democratic primary field down to two major candidates. What are the implications? We also discuss yet another right-wing threat to health care coverage for millions, the implication of Covid-19 for caregivers, two Wisconsin State Supreme Court scandals, and media stories indicating that a “cultu...

We discuss the implications of the coronavirus in America and the role of the pharmaceutical industry and Trump Administration in making the threat worse. We review the South Carolina Democratic presidential candidate debate and look at the latest Wisconsin polling. Is Bernie pulling away? The panel closes by talking about a new report from the Center for American Progress which blamed gerrymander...

We review the amazing boxing match that broke out during the Nevada Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas. The panel debriefs this week’s Spring Primary Election in Wisconsin that saw Jill Karofsky easily advance to the general election against conservative Dan Kelly in the state Supreme Court race. We close with a discussion of the Republican legislature’s rejection of Tony Evers’ p...

We discuss the shameful legislative week for Wisconsin Republicans that included ignoring Gov. Evers’ call for a special session on education in favor of bills locking up more people at great cost and politicizing sexual assault kit testing. Our panel reviews the state of the Democratic presidential primary contest after the New Hampshire primary and looks forward to the spring primary election ne...

We discuss this historic week that included the anticlimactic conclusion of the Trump impeachment trial, the State of the Union reality TV show, and the epic data problem at the Iowa Caucus. We also review Trump’s new plan to gut Medicaid through a block grant program and Vos’ possible softening on a GOP redistricting fight in 2021. We welcome state representative Jonathon Brostoff to discuss his...

We discuss the historic tentative agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks 1000 workers that will set new wage standards for the for the sector with Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers (MASH) president Peter Rickman. We announce Citizen Action’s endorsement of Ed Fallone and Jill Karofsky for state Supreme Court and Chris Larson for Milwaukee County Executive. The panel previews the Iowa Cauc...

We discuss Governor Evers’ State of the State speech. Claire and Robert tell us about the Families USA healthcare conference they are attending this week and we dive into a deeper discussion of Trump’s failure to deliver on lowering prescription drug prices. We talk about the 2 new open state Senate seats following the announced retirements of Democratic Senators, Dave Hansen and Mark Miller. We c...

Following a discussion of the latest impeachment news, we discuss Trump’s visit to Milwaukee and his continued strength with white evangelicals, the Warren/Sanders dispute, and the latest developments in the vote purging scandal in Wisconsin. The panel closes with a discussion of the Assembly’s failure to override a Governor Evers veto of legistion to de-skill nursing home care. What does it mean...

We welcome back panelist Rebecca Lynch to the show and dive into a discussion of Trump’s assisination of a top Iranian general and his failure to establish any imminent threat. We review a new Kaiser Family Foundation report that finds the Affordable Care Act is remaining stable despite Trump's many efforts to sabotage it. The panel talks about new developments in the Republican voter purge effort...

We discuss the latest news surrounding the organized conservative effort to hold state election commission officials in contempt for keeping voters on the rolls following the Election Commission’s deadlocking on whether to purge people from the voter registration roles. Illinois’ legalization of marijuana started on January 1st and saw huge lines across the state, particularly at locations near th...

What a 24 hours! We review the potential implications of a terrible court ruling endangering the future of the Affordable Care Act. Citizen Action’s national network, People’s Action, endorses Bernie Sanders for President. Ryan Greenwood, People’s Action’s Movement Politics Director, joins to tell us why. We discuss the third impeachment of a president in American history, and the latest GOP effor...

We discuss the new House Democratic prescription drug plan that passed the House on Thursday. We review a new study that found for the first time in history, U.S. billionaires pay a lower tax rate than the working class. Also, Senator Tammy Baldwin joins only 26 other U.S. Senators telling Donald Trump to fire white nationalist advisor Stephen Miller. We close with a discussion of defrauded loan s...

We discuss a series of violent incidents and threats of violence in Wisconsin high school this week and the reaction of elected leaders. We review a new study finding that a higher percentage of medical care in Wisconsin is wasteful and low quality. The study also concluds that if every primary care physician in Wisconsin provided the same quality of care the cost would be 30% lower. Claire educat...

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! After discussing a new study finding Foxconn will likely depress economic activity in the state by tens of billions of dollars, we welcome Kevin Kane and Rafael Smith to discuss their organizing efforts to fight climate change, and improve economic equity, in rural and urban Wisconsin. Contact Rafael. Smith@citizenactionwi.org to get involved in the campaign to support...

After an impeachment discussion and analysis of the new MU law Poll, we are joined by Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore-Omokunde to discuss Milwaukee’s new joint County/City task force to address climate change and economic equity. The task force starts the process of developing a concrete plan to use the leverage of local government to restructure the local fossil fuel-based economy and r...

We welcome the return of State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski to the show. Sarah talks about the importance of paid family leave policies and the new state task force she is leading on retirement security. Our panel discusses the implications of the entrance of Deval Patrick in the presidential election. We review the do-nothing legislature which is adjourning for 2 months with little to show. Sean Duf...

We discuss this week’s election results from around the country, and what they portend for 2020. We look at the significance of high profile victories in the Kentucky and Virginia and highlight some amazing members of the Working Families Party and People’s Action affiliates who won elections. We analyze the latest escalation of the Legislature’s partisan war against Governor Tony Evers: the State...

We lead off with Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos' dangerously ignorant statements about climate change this week. Is the right-wing of the Republican Party the greatest threat to the survival of humanity? Next we are joined by Citizen Action’s Healthcare Director Claire Zautke to discuss a new Georgetown study finding that Trump's sabotage of the ACA is forcing many children off health care...

We discuss this week’s impeachment news, including the storming of a closed hearing by right-wing Members of Congressmen. Foxconn announced this week that their highly touted “innovation centers” in Wisconsin cities will not happen any time soon. Gov. Evers’ special session on guns is immediately rejected by Sen. Fitzgerald and other Republicans, who plan not to hold any debate or hearings. Also C...

We discuss this week’s surprising House of Representatives vote where 129 House Republican members voted to rebuke Trump on Syria and will it lead to more movement for the impeachment of Trump. Robert and Karen Kirsch dive into a deeper discussion of impeachment. We also talk about the new state GOP effort to restrict Governor Evers’ veto power and to remove as many as 234,000 voters from Wisconsi...

We discuss the latest power grab by Speaker Vos which would allow an unlimited number of veto override votes in the Assembly. Even more shameful is Vos’ petty maneuver to pair the motion with an unrelated disability accommodation that will allow Rep. Jimmy Anderson to participate in Assembly business. In a positive development, Governor Evers signed an Executive Order this week declaring Indigenou...

We discuss President Trump’s new “Protecting Medicare from Socialist Destruction” health plan announced Thursday. We dig into Trump’s health care record, and what to expect in the impeachment debate. We also discuss Congressman Ron Kind’s impeachment position, Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s shocking attack on small dairy farmers during a visit Wisconsin, and the latest developments in...

After discussing our national emergency with President Trump, we welcome Wisconsin Examiner journalist, Isiah Holmes, to discuss his investigation into local police department’s cooperation with ICE, including Wauwatosa and Milwaukee. New Citizen Action Driftless Co-op Organizer Ben Wilson joins us to talk about next week’s launch event of the new driftless organizing co-op.

Working Families Party’s Rebecca Lynch leads our discussion on the controversial Working Families Party endorsement of Elizabeth Warren. Then we welcome UAW Local 722’s Steve Frisque, live from a Wisconsin picket line to talk about the GM strike. We weigh-in on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bold new prescription drug plan. Will Trump follow-through on his campaign promises and support it, or will h...

We talk about the continued lame duck session fallout, including Wisconsin not being among the two dozen states reaching a tentative settlement agreement against opioid seller Purdue Pharma. We also discuss the party of Trump’s alignment behind right-winger Tom Tiffany in the CD 7 special election, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel slamming Speaker Vos and Rep. Nygren for charging open records reques...