Today’s New York Times front-page story about the special election for a Congressional seat in suburban Buffalo left out the most interesting candidate on the ballot: Green Party candidate Ian Murphy.read more

“This year is a historic year in the alliance between organized labor and the immigrants rights movement,” Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the Milwaukee-based Voces de la Frontera.read more

In 1886, workers in Chicago engaged in a general strike as they fought for an eight-hour workday. Immigrants were at the forefront of that movement.
In 2011, immigrants are again at the forefront of labor’s biggest battle. Here in Wisconsin, immigrant rights groups are calling for mass rallies in Milwaukee and Madison on May Day.read more

In Wisconsin’s closely watched supreme court race, unofficial results have JoAnne Kloppenburg beating incumbent David Prosser by 200 votes. But one of Wisconsin’s top election officials said there would be changes to the final tally. “Expect mistakes,” said Kevin Kennedy of the Government Accountability Board. “It’s a human-driven process.read more

In Wisconsin’s closely watched supreme court race, unofficial results have JoAnne Kloppenburg beating incumbent Davis Prosser. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Kloppenburg had 740,090 votes, or 50.01 percent. Prosser had 739,886 votes, or 49.99 percent.
 
But one of Wisconsin’s top election officials said at a press conference today that “There will be changes” to the tally.
 
Kevin Kennedy, director of the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, stressed the current numbers are unofficial results.
 read more

Thousands of protesters marched against CAFTA while President Obama was in El Salvador. The free trade agreement is big news there, as corporations are suing the Salvadoran government for daring to have environmental laws.read more

President Obama and Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes discussed immigration, drug trafficking, and the economy during Obama’s trip to El Salvador. But missing was mention of the controversial Central America Free Trade Act (CAFTA).read more

“I was honored to visit the cathedral this evening and pay my respects to Archbishop Romero, who remains an inspiration to people all around the world,” said President Obama. If Obama really wants to pay his respects to Archbishop Romero, he should close the military training facility at Fort Benning. Or better yet, stop conducting a covert war in Yemen.read more

President Barack Obama took the extraordinary step of stopping by Archbishop Oscar Romero’s tomb at the end of his Latin America tour.
"Stop the Repression in Honduras"read more

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker held the bill signing ceremony in his office at the Capitol this afternoon. Protesters outside could be heard clearly as they shouted “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
Walker signed the bill with confidence. He wore a red tie and dutifully gave out the pens he used to his political pals.
He began by thanking Majority Leader Fitzgerald for his leadership and singled out GOP representatives Suder, Ellis, Vos, and Darling. He touted the “courageous leadership” of the Republicans and said the bill was “good for the middle class for years to come.”read more

The voting happened so fast. Decades of labor law was undermined in ten quick seconds, as the Wisconsin Assembly voted 53-42 to strip workers of their right to collectively bargain.
Throughout the hearing, Democrat after Democrat got up and made impassioned pleas against the bill. (See my colleague Ruth Conniff’s piece about the day in the assembly.)read more

Prank caller Ian Murphy, who pretended to be rightwing billionaire (and Scott Walker supporter) David Koch, visited Madison this weekend and took in the protests. Murphy is a folk hero around here. His punking of the governor gave huge momentum to the burgeoning pro-democracy movement.read more

Prank caller Ian Murphy, who pretended to be rightwing billionaire (and Scott Walker supporter) David Koch, visited Madison this weekend and took in the protests. Murphy was invited to Wisconsin by a schoolteacher from Fond du Lac who flew him out to the Badger state.read more

Another frigid Saturday, another huge rally at the Capitol in Madison.

Michael Moore showed up and addressed the crowd. He said that to make change we need “a little bit of Egypt, a little bit of Madison.”

Your message has aroused people in all 50 states, Moore said. That message is “We have had it!”

He also said “We are all Wisconsinites now,” which, coming from a Michigander, is pretty high praise.read more

Right now, the courts are deciding whether or not to continue the lockdown of the Wisconsin Capitol building. The current restrictions, put into the place earlier this week, have hindered the ability of protesters to enter the building.read more