Silent Julie Also Obstructs

Progressive Majority has expanded on some of the post's I have made with this:

Jef Hall, a Progressive Majority Wisconsin-endorsed blogger (and Winnebago County Board Supervisor), asks if Julie Pung Leschke’s silence on ethics and campaign finance reform is part of a bigger pattern. Short answer: yes.

What's Left alerted us to a ghost in Pung Leschke's past.

...she voted against putting a campaign finance reform referendum on the ballot
when she was on the Winnebago County Board in 2000....

That was July 25, 2000. Winnebago County Resolution 54-72000 sailed through 23-10 despite Leschke's best efforts. But that's only part of the story.

The referendum ultimately passed when only (cough) 92.3% of Winnebago County voted in favor of campaign finance reform.

92.3% !!!!!!!!!!!

And Julie Pung Leschke didn't even want voters to have a say.

What is it with conservatives who refuse to answer simple questions? Are they afraid of voters or just their own records?

More to come... The entire post is here.

More on Silent Julie: OshNW does not get its wish for the 54th race:

Back in May, the OshNW wrote this:

Underheim's decision not to seek re-election leaves the 54th Assembly seat, which represents the 65,000-resident city of Oshkosh, up for grabs at a time when political parties are jockeying for power in the State Capitol.

It also leaves the candidates without an incumbent's record to jab at. It will be open season on some key issues.

Controversial campaign reform and government spending bills ground their way through the state legislative session. A legislative ethics measure died in the Republican Assembly. There may be continuing interest in restricting local and state government taxation. All are likely to remain lightning-rod campaign issues.

I hope that the Oshkosh Northwestern will continue to ask these questions about the candidates, and point out when answers are not given.

Gordon Hintz has stated his positions on these items, Julie Pung Leschke has not, and continues her silence.

Is Julie Pung Leschke's Silence Part of a Bigger Pattern?

I (as well as the OshNW) have been trying to get Julie Pung Leschke (click on each of her names for a different post) to answer simple questions about where she stands on issues.

So far, these efforts have been for nothing.

It seems that I am not alone. It is part of a bigger pattern of Republicans ducking from voters and accountability.

Xoff has the details:

New GOP debate strategy: Duck and cover

Endangered Republican State Senators must be getting some advice from their caucus staffs campaign advisors along the lines of, "We can reduce the chances that you'll l say something stupid if you don't say anything at all."

First it was Tom Reynolds, backing out of a debate with Dem challenger Jim Sullivan for fear that someone would tape him and use his own words against him.

Now it's another GOP crackpot, Dave Zien, who was a no-show for a public radio debate with his primary opponent, Karen Anderson, even though he had agreed to be there. Pat Kreitlow, the Dem candidate, chided Zien, who was reportedly cutting a TV commercial instead of debating.

Zien's no-show was reminiscent of Mark Green campaign manager Mark Graul's failure to show up for a half hour on public radio awhile back.

Is there something about public radio that makes these guys shy, or is it just disdain for the public in general?

Which Side Are You On?

This was from last months Winnebago Dems newsletter, I came across it working on this months. I'm not sure if I posted it previously, but in case I didn't, here it is:

Message From the Chair: Which Side Are You On?

There is a great old union song, one of my favorites called “Which Side Are You On”. It was written in response to a coal strike Harlan County, KY. The powerful, simple point of the song is that if you do not take a stand, you will be rolled over and left behind in this world. Whether it is in the labor battles, or the political arena, if we do not demand our rights and fairness, we will be lost.

The 3rd verse of the song is: “They say in Harlan County / There are no neutrals there. / You'll either be a union man / Or a thug for J. H. Blair (the local sheriff that was attempting to break the strike).”

This translates perfectly into today’s political battles. Which side are you on? Do you stand with Sen. Kohl for America’s elderly and workers, or the Republican opponent pushing yet more expensive healthcare. Do you stand with Sen. Feingold and defend our freedom, or with the irresponsible policies of the Bush administration?

Which side are you on? Will you stand with our Assembly Candidates who want to go to Madison and fight for campaign reform and a return to funding local services? Or by doing nothing, will you stand with the Republicans that are starving our schools, courts, counties and municipal services?

Are you with Democrats statewide that are fighting for equal rights for all Wisconsin families, or with the Winnebago Republican politicians: all of whom voted to write two sentences into our constitution making many of our friends and neighbors second-class citizens?

Will you stand with our Democratic candidates for Coroner and District Attorney, both of whom are fighting to restore dignity to tarnished offices?

We need your help now, the fall’s fighting has begun, and there is less than 100 days to go. As the song finishes: “Don't scab for the bosses, / Don't listen to their lies. / Us poor folks haven't got a chance / Unless we organize.”

Which side are you on? Call 920.230.6432 to volunteer.

Olbermann: Bush is Manipulating America "Have you no sense of decency, sir?"

Rising Tide...

From the Center for American Progress

Quote of the Day - Working Families Edition

From today's Oshkosh Northwestern Opinion:

It's hard to find a minivan or truck these days without a "Support Our Troops" ribbon slapped on the tailgate or bumper.

Maybe it's time we made some "Support Our Working Families" for the car, too.

Here is the full story.

What's missing: It isn't just Wisconsin, it is nation-wide.