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    Posted April 24, 2012 by
    mediaman
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    Barrett Calls For Halt to WI Civil War

     

    CNN PRODUCER NOTE     mediaman went to see Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett speak about his campaign for governor. Barrett talked about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 'civil war' in Wisconsin during his speech at the Bodega Brew Club in La Crosse. 'Local residents, politically interested people, people who wanted to see what Tom Barrett is like in person. People were energetic, even after more than a year of drama, and potential voter fatigue,' he said. mediaman has been covering Wisconsin politics and the recall for a year.
    - zdan, CNN iReport producer

    La Crosse, WI The recall governor election involving Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker continues to heat up. Democratic candidate, Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee, made an appearance in La Crosse to talk about his campaign, and what he describes as Governor Walker’s “civil war” in Wisconsin.

    The state’s primary recall election is slated for May 8th with 4 main Democratic Governor candidates running including, Tom Barrett, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, Secretary of State Doug LaFollette and Alma State Senator Kathleen Vinehout.

    In Barrett’s speech in La Crosse, local residents gathered to hear about Governor Walker “dropping the bomb” of eliminating collective bargaining for public employees, and the status of jobs in the state. Barrett noted that that the first casualties of Governor Walker’s ideological civil war were jobs. He noted that Governor Walker, while on the campaign trail, promised 250,000 private sector jobs in the state. Barrett continued by charging that “under Governor Walker’s leadership the state of Wisconsin lost more jobs than in any other state in this country….and that is nothing to clap about.”

    On April 23rd, absentee voting in Wisconsin for the governor primary began, setting the stage for what will be a closely watched process, both in the state and throughout the nation, leading up to the general election.

    The Wisconsin Republican Party is currently running six fake Democrats in hopes of to push back the primary date, providing more time to prepare for the general election. According to the Huffington Post, state Representative Robin Vos was quoted as saying, “We are encouraging Republicans to vote in the Democratic primaries.” Some speculate the move may be an attempt to vote for “perceived weaker Democratic candidates” for the upcoming general election on June 5th.

    The modest crowd in La Crosse presented a good snapshot of Main Street USA, a group trying to decide who will be the state’s Governor heading into the Fall, in a very polarized environment. In his appearance, Barrett was passionate, funny, and articulate. He vowed to end Scott Walker’s “ideological civil war.” Afterward he shook hands and spent several hours talking to the crowd. Later you could see Barrett walking the downtown streets greeting people that he passed. Barrett is approaching his campaign as a grass roots effort, and is expecting to be outspent 100:1. Political advertising and appearances will likely increase as the campaign heads in to May. Stay tuned for more political fireworks Wisconsin, likely before July 4th.

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