I dreamed of collecting one million signatures to recall Governor Scott Walker. That thought kept me going strong until the last day of the 60-day signature-gathering period. When I heard the amazing news of our achievement, I had to pinch myself. How often do our wildest dreams come true?

Someone asked me today if I had any other wild dreams. I guess I do have another. It’s this: that Progressivism would be reborn in its birthplace, Wisconsin. Fighting Bob La Follette has been called “arguably the most important and recognized leader of the opposition to the growing dominance of corporations over the government”, and his bust in the Capitol rotunda reminds us daily of that fact. On the day the recall signature count was announced, I thought I saw a smile on his face as he watched us celebrate. His words in 1897 are true again today:

“So multifarious have become corporate affairs, so many concessions and privileges have been accorded them by legislation—so many more are sought by further legislation—that their specially retained representatives are either elected to office, directly in their interests, or maintained in a perpetual lobby to serve them. Hence it is that the corporation does not limit its operations to the legitimate conduct of its business. Human nature everywhere is selfish, and with the vast power which consolidated capital can wield, with the impossibility of fixing any personal or moral responsibility for corporate acts, its commands are heard and obeyed in the capitals of the state and nation.”

When legislatures will boldly repudiate their constituents and violate the pledges of their platforms, then indeed have the servants become the masters, and the people ceased to be sovereign—gone the government of equal rights and equal responsibilities, lost the jewel of constitutional liberty.

Do not look to such lawmakers to restrain corporations within proper limits. Do not look to such lawmakers to equalize the burden of taxation. Do not look to such lawmakers to lift politics out of the ways of darkness.”

Fighting Bob would tell us to keep up the good fight in Wisconsin. He’d tell us to be an example to the nation. Our wildest dreams can come true!

Tagged as: Madison, politics

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Tomorrow Julie Wells, the Janesville grandmother and factory worker who triggered the Walker recall, will be smiling. She and volunteers from Wisconsin’s 72 counties will deliver many boxes of signed petitions to the Government Accountability Board at 212 E. Washington Ave. in Madison. The GAB is expecting to receive a total of almost 2 million signatures for the multiple recalls against Walker, Lt. Gov. Kleefisch, and four Republican state Senators. (Won’t it be fun to watch them unload those boxes from a truck dubbed the “Forward Flyer”?)

Tomorrow night we’ll celebrate what the people of Wisconsin have accomplished by working together with joyful determination and shared purpose. Of course, a lot of labor lies ahead. Our next step is to launch a massive voter registration/education drive so that thousands of voters currently disenfranchised by the GOP photo ID bill will be able to make their voices heard in the recall elections later this year. At the same time we’ll campaign for the Progressive candidates who will step Forward to run in (hopefully) six recall elections. Next we’ll go door to door to talk with our fellow citizens, making sure they get out and vote when the time comes. We’ll fight for the truth, which will be muddied by attack commercials funded by massive amounts of money pouring into our state from rightwing PACs.

We look forward to a really big celebration after the election, because we hope to accomplish something truly historic. We hope to take back our Senate and the Governorship—and our state.

What a ride this has been! And what good friends we have made. Celebrate our achievements so far. And lend a hand in the work ahead as we struggle for the soul of Wisconsin. You won’t be sorry.

January 17 (unless otherwise noted) Celebration Locations:
APPLETON 6 – 9 p.m. 612 West College Avenue, Appleton
ASHLAND 6 – 8 p.m. 316 West Main Street, Ashland
BEAVER DAM 6 – 8 p.m. 116 Monroe Street, Beaver Dam
EAU CLAIRE [Held on Sat., Jan 14 4 - 6 p.m 2233 Birch Street, Eau Claire
FOND DU LAC 6 - 8 p.m. 21 N Portland Street, Fond du Lac
KENOSHA 7 - 9 p.m. 5535 6th Ave, Kenosha
MADISON (EAST) 6 - 8 p.m. 330 East Wilson St, Madison
MADISON (WEST) 6:30 - 8:30pm 6602 Normandy Lane, Madison
MANITOWOC 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 1207 Washington Street, Manitowoc
MILWAUKEE (NORTH) 4 - 7 p.m. 6807 N. Green Bay Ave, Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE (SOUTH)
Time: 6 - 8 p.m. 1027 S. 5th St, Milwaukee
MINERAL POINT [Held on Thu., Jan 12] 4 – 6 p.m. 420 Commerce St, Mineral Point
OSHKOSH 8 – 10 p.m. 480 N Main St, Oshkosh
PLATTEVILLE 5:13 – 7:13 p.m. 255 McGregor Plazza, Platteville
PORTAGE 5 – 7 p.m. 216 W Wisconsin St, Portage
RACINE 5 – 8 p.m. Racine Labor Center, 2100 Layard Avenue, Racine
RHINELANDER [Held on Sat., Jan 14] 10am-2pm 29 W Davenport St, Rhinelander
SHEBOYGAN 6 – 9 p.m. 5425 Superior Ave, Sheboygan
STEVENS POINT [Held on Thu., Jan 12] 5 – 7 p.m. 2220 Division Street, Stevens Point
WAUKESHA 6 – 8 p.m. 312 W Broadway, Waukesha
WAUSAU 5:30 – 7 p.m. 4404 Stewart Ave, Wausau
WEST ALLIS 6 – 8 p.m. 1370 S 74th St., West Allis

Tagged as: Madison, politics

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