Barrett wins Democratic primary, to face Walker in June

[OneAngryDemocrat]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Shrugging off millions of dollars spent by labor groups to defeat him, Tom Barrett walked to victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary and set up a more taxing sprint toward June 5 - a historic recall that will be a rematch of his unsuccessful 2010 race against Gov. Scott Walker.

In the recall primary, The Associated Press called the race for the Milwaukee mayor over former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, showing that more than $4 million doesn't necessarily buy a close race.

Even as Barrett was campaigning to the primary win Tuesday, Walker was barnstorming the state, showing the fight he will bring to what is expected to be a tight, brutal month of campaigning for one of the most important elections to state office in Wisconsin history. A poll last week showed Walker and Barrett in a dead heat.

Walker has been preparing for months for the election that is just four weeks away, raising a record $25 million, while Barrett must now pivot toward this race with far fewer resources.

"We cannot fix Wisconsin with Walker as governor," Barrett said in a statement. "This election is not about fighting past battles, it is about moving forward together to create jobs and get our economy moving again. Wisconsin cannot afford to continue to suffer through Walker's ideological civil war."


Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/democrats-wrapping-up-primary-with-eye-toward-june-5-i85ag1d-150687815.html

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Barrett may not be the progressive choice, but Wisconsin isn't a progressive state.

The fact that Scott Walker ever won office in the first place should make that very clear.

It's time now to circle the wagons, get behind this man, and kick Scott Walker's ASS, in June.

[INdemo]

1. So will labor get behind Barrett now..

...And how does any candidate fight against the Koch bros bottomless pit full of $$$$$$

[nanabugg]

2. They really don't have a choice, do they. They MUST defeat Walker. nt

[OneAngryDemocrat]

4. Exactly.

If the Koch brothers money was the only deciding factor in the election, then the America of our youth is dead, and I'd say let's all move to Canada.

But it isn't.

Democrats in Wisconsin now have their candidate, and a lot of work to do over the next 4 weeks.

I live just south of the Wisconsin/Illinois stateline. An anti-Tea Party group we've got out here is planning to send folks north to help out however we can on Election Day, i.e., drive out folks to polling places, et cetera.

Other folks who can't simply drive over the border to lend a hand can do what they can by helping out with a couple of bucks donated for campaign ads, or something.

Out of Scott Walker's top 10 campaign contributers, only 3 are actually Wisconsin residents.

We're all in this together. We sink, or swim, together. Never forget it.

[AllyCat]

12. We have a lot of angry voters, and I think that is our ace in the hole against Walker

But we have a very long battle. My local Dem/Progressive group is already at it today making signs (they were all made except the candidate's name). Not a moment to lose. I'm union and everyone I talk to says they are behind him no matter what.

[SunSeeker]

3. Sounds like an awesome candidate against Walker.

As much as Falk sounded great to us, the Independents would see her as labor's hand-picked candidate. Barrett is in a much better position to argue against all the ideological craziness that has gone on in this purple state. I think his line, "Wisconsin cannot afford to continue to suffer through Walker's ideological civil war" will resonate with most people in Wisconsin.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. I know one of the leaders of the Ironworkers was campaigning hard for Barrett. n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Do you have a link so I can donate to Barrett?

I want to help.

[SunSeeker]

7. Here's the link I used to donate $25 to Barrett tonight.

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/28daysdefeatwalker?refcode=TomBarrett0508

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thank you so much!

[AllyCat]

13. Thank you CalPeg!

[milwaukeelib33]

9. Barrett.

Sorry, can't do it. I think we've screwn the pooch on this one. Your right Barrett isn't the Progressive choice. He's god-damned Ben Nelson on healthcare reform. A total blue dog. What has gone down in WI is a travesty. All the work, only to be left with a union buster with a (D) next to his name.

[Flatpicker]

14. What is the option

Realistically? Keep Walker or go with Barrett for now and slowly move left in the future?

[WestWisconsinDem]

15. for my very first post...

Really? Barrett the union buster? He's to the right of Falk on somethings but to call him a union buster makes me suspect you might have some motives other than removing Scutt Wanker.

[milwaukeelib33]

17. Falk was endorsed heavily by workers

The unions got behind her early. The movement in WI, while admittedly has numerous grievances, centers on workers rights. Union busting may have been too harsh a label to use, but not by much. His hard-balling of the unions in Milwaukee speak for themselves, and proves he's no friend of workers. Here's a bargaining correspondence between him and AFSCME Local 48(whom my sister is a member, FWIW). From just last year I might add(for this contract year):

http://media.jsonline.com/documents/city+response.PDF

I will vote for Barrett in the general, make no mistake. But, he will be no friend of workers. It's just that he'll be better than Walker on other issues important to me. Like environmental protection and his position on mass transit. I just find it sad to see the grassroots efforts centered around progressive values get tossed aside for the sake of settling for the "best we can win with", which isn't guaranteed either. There was an opportunity lost here. I personally felt Peter Barca would have been a phenomenal candidate.

[Suji to Seoul]

10. Yahoo news is already saying it is a horse race and the Democrat is about to lose

Forgot the link, but I read that this morning.

[Scuba]

11. Typical Urinal / Sentinel garbage....

"Shrugging off millions of dollars spent by labor groups to defeat him..."


Actually, no. The unions spent their money trying to elect Falk, not defeat Barrett. We will unite behind Tom Barrett, despite what some newbies may try to suggest.

[Lions_fan]

16. Too many people have their heads in the sand

The numbers don't paint a pretty picture. This whole recall movement has been led by the unions yet the union backed candidate lost. This was basically an uncontested primary for Walker and he got 43,000 less votes than the whole Democratic field, which included a Republican plant. And he got more votes this time around, basically running unopposed, than he did in the contested 2010 Republican primary. Walker had a good turnout and didn't have to spend much money. The election is less than a month away, if Walker had this type of turnout without even trying it's going to be a landslide victory for him in June.

[IamK]

18. win or lose Wisconsin has cost Union Members millions and millions of dollars... sad

and it could be for nothing.... tons of $$$ and energy and no change...

[Myrina]

19. Basically a "do over" of the last election ...

... except that now WI has evidence of what Scotty REALLY MEANT by all of his campaign bs to weigh against whether or not they should vote for him again.

Let's just hope Diebold and that dippy elections chick in Waukesha don't get to fuck with the databases.