Pocan on the GOP Convention

Today, Republicans are voting on their party platform.

By Mark Pocan

Their top priorities for 2012?

• Eliminating a woman’s right to choose, even in cases of rape or incest
• Ending Medicare as we know it, replacing it with a voucher system
• Rejecting any legal recognition for same-sex couples
• Opposing federal funding for stem cell research
• Ending affirmative action policies

The bottom line? It is just too extreme.

  

I’m running for Congress because we need our strongest progressive advocates standing up to these extreme Tea Partiers in Congress.

When Republicans are talking about “legitimate rape” and privatizing social security, you know that they have taken it too far.

Help me stand up to these extreme ideas and pitch in $5 or more to my campaign to help Democrats win big in November.

I’ve spent years in the Wisconsin legislature fighting for victims of rape and sexual assault by authoring and passing the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act. This is the kind of legislation we need in Congress, not a “Human Life Amendment” that would ban emergency contraception.

The extreme right-wing has taken it too far this year, and we need to send a message loud and clear that their ideas are not what Americans want.

Mark Pocan's Win Is Nod to Progressive and Positive Politics

Mark Pocan

In the face of relentless, baseless attacks in this campaign, Mark Pocan stood his ground and spoke to the issues, allowing you cannot serve in the U.S. Congress unless you can at least talk to the opposition for whom some 45 percent of our country will cast their vote.

Pocan's win in Wisconsin's second congressional Democratic primary serves as needed proof that class, effectiveness and progressive representation in the tradition of La Follette, Kastenmeier and Baldwin are alive and well.

And importantly, Karl Rove-attack politics appear to becoming increasingly suspect for an electorate looking for results over negative slurs and misrepresentations.

Pocan won by some 50 points over his opponent who seemed oblivious to what one hopes and has good cause to believe is a healthier, results-focused political terrain in Wisconsin leading to the November general elections.

Mark Pocan for Congress

Mark Pocan

Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential announcement this weekend was a wake up call.

By Mark Pocan

The Republican Party isn't interested in finding common ground. They want to pursue an extreme, far-right agenda that would set our nation back decades.

Paul Ryan's budget would end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher program that would increase seniors’ health costs. Ryan also supports privatizing Social Security, subjecting seniors’ retirement security to the whims of the stock market.

I'm running for Congress because it's times like these that we need Democrats who aren't afraid to stand up for progressive values and take on out-of-touch Tea Party ideas.

As a state legislator, I fought for affordable prescription drug coverage for Wisconsin’s seniors, co-sponsoring legislation to bring costs down and voting for SeniorCare. I will continue this fight in Washington, so we can work to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for its 48 million beneficiaries.

Studies show giving Medicare the power to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies could save more than $90 billion – savings that would be passed on to seniors.

Now is not a time to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires while we pass on higher health care costs to seniors.

WisPolitics: Poll has Pocan with 29-point lead over Roys‏

Mark Pocan - Candidate in the Democratic primary
for Wisconsin's second congressional campaign

A late July Poll (conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Inc.) has Mark Pocan up almost 30 points over Kelda Roys in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin's second congressional district, reports WisPolitics.

Roys has faced intense criticism for her relentlessly negative campaign against the popular 12-year state rep. and community activist, Pocan,

The primary election day is August 14.

Mean Politicians Suck

Zach at Blogging Blue, quoting John Nichols: If Kelda Roys' campaign were a vehicle after an accident, it would be considered “totaled” (AUDIO).

Pocan Was Early Whistleblower on Walker's Big Lie

Worth noting as Kelda Roys (Kelda Roys-Madison) covets the second district's congressional seat for Kelda Roys is her opponent—whom she ludicrously paints as a Scott Walker ally—is in reality land arguably the most effective opponent of Walker's big lie on the budget and Walker's infamous budget repair bill.

See Walker’s Trojan Horse from February 2011 by Mark Pocan.

One thing Roys has learned from Walker and Karl Rove is the big lie.

One thing Wisconsin has learned from Walker and Karl Rove is we can't let big lies go unchallenged.

Politics for some means jumping in the sewer. I really think we are better than that.

ALEC Exposed, an Index on Neo Fascism

FitzWalkerStan - Resistance needed now

Update II: Think Wisconsin Tea Party and GOP, then apply to the national corporatist party: This is what America is facing, an underground movement fronted by rightwing radicals.

"Please send ALL ALEC material to the Representative's PERSONAL email . . . from now on," says a June email to ALEC sent from (state rep.) Jeremy Thiesfeldt's (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) state account.

In flushing out how rightwingers have come to dominate the Wisconsin GOP, note also the exclusive piece revealing Monana, Wisconsin native, writer Stacey Singer, in February said here in her exclusive interview with David Koch that Koch boasted of the GOP's keeping State Senate control in the 2011 Summer Recall Elections, as well as keeping Scott Walker safe from Wisconsin voters. Democrats have subsequently (June 2012) won control of the Wisconsin state senate, heading into the 2012 general election.

Update: See Wisc. Rep. Mark Pocan: ALEC is feeling the heat (Raw Story) and Meet Mark Pocan, the Original ALEC Spy (Redden. The New Republic; July 25, 2012)

Combine a group of GOP-Tea Party activists for sale with the Koch brothers and other billionaires; the product is public policy crafted in secret and bigotry planned in "quiet rooms," as Mitt Romney said.

All aided by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Madison institutions are responsible for outing this neo-fascist, underground movement operating in a media world of make-believe.

Note the just-posted Index of PRWatch Articles about ALEC, and The Progressive's Magazine's August 2011 piece on ALEC by Mark Pocan.

Wisconsin and Scott Walker are warning signs of what ALEC is working for nationally. Mitt Romney will happily front for this most extreme rightwing movement of America targeting voting, women, gays and other minorities.

Scott Walker and his allies spent some $70-million in a relatively small state and had air wave supremacy for months. Given those financial circumstances, we could market the Ebola virus as a blood-thinning drug.

Popular resistance is strong. And that huge financial advantage and political power of the forces of rapacious bigotry are only temporary, as Pocan writes in The Progressive.

[R]emember, an occupation is only temporary. One day soon we definitely will be living in the state we love, Wisconsin. Until then, we are only temporarily occupied by Fitzwalkerstan.

Desperate Kelda Helen Roys Goes Even-More-Negative

Kelda Roys - Man, you stink. Wrong party, Kelda!

Update II: Cap Times: A negative ad backfires. "Roys ad was so absurd -- suggesting that Pocan, the Legislature's most consistent critic of corporate abuses, had somehow turned into a corporate stooge -- that it provoked an immediate response from one of her most prominent supporters."

Update: State Rep rescinds endorsement of Roys over her  negative and false ad.

"What do we really know about politician Mark Pocan? ... He could have stood up to Walker. But instead Mark Pocan caved in," warns the dire voice in Roys' new spot. 

Ms. Roys, this is not the Republican primary.

Look, I think Pocan is going win this primary anyway. But this type of Rovian politics, 'what do we really know about whomever,' should be knocked down and thrown back in the cess pool.

Does it matter to you, honestly Mr. Roys, that your ad is complete hog wash, with no respect to pigs intended?

Mark Pocan, not the Madison progressive we thought, but rather a "failed" democrat allied with perhaps the most despised Republican officeholder in the country.

C'mon. Pocan's "Scott Walker’s Top Ten Lies," is my personal favorite among many hits and his constant battle against Walker. And Roys' "what do we really know about Mark Pocan" is pure bull shit.

Pocan is endorsed by virtually every progressive activist and officeholder, endorsing in this race.

You lie, defame, smear and cheat when you run for office on the Republican ticket, Ms. Roys. It will win you points there for innovation.

Not in the Democratic primary.

Roys is now intoning on Facebook [apprentally deleted now] and her campaign site about her intention to run her "hard-hitting" ad "that talks about Rep. Mark Pocan's votes in favor of Gov. Scott Walker's corporate tax giveaways."

Continues Roys:
My pledge to you has always been honesty, fairness, and a campaign focused on issues. I will never hide behind sleazy surrogates to smear my opponents - when I want to draw a contrast, I will do it myself.

Right. I would like to hear your own voice reading the script of your latest ad.

No one is really buying Roys' effort to paint Scott Walker's most effective and certainly polar-opposite ideological opponent as a corporate lackey.

Roys has served two terms in the assembly and wants that second congressional seat. So, truth and Pocan's commitment to progressive and grassroots politics mean little.

Roys will not let Pocan's lifetime of progressive political action get in her way.

So, we watch the political suicide of a young attorney whose election to the state assembly in 2008 went to her head.

And Roys does not exactly have clean hands in her two assembly terms. She voted with only three democrats for a tax break that benefited prominent Republican developer, Terrence Wall.

Here's the real poop on Mark Pocan standing up to Walker

As the budget chair, Pocan

• Closed the Las Vegas loophole so Wisconsin companies pay taxes in Wisconsin.
• Raised capital gains taxes and taxes on the 1%.
• Passed the American Jobs Act so that State tax dollars don’t go to companies that ship jobs overseas.
• And is lead author of The Democratic bill to restore collective bargaining because, as a small union print shop owner, Pocan says he's "not done fighting that fight"

Background on this Roys attack

2011 January Special Session AB 4: Expanded Business Development in Wisconsin Tax Credit - Expanded a tax credit program that gives tax credits to companies that can retain or add jobs that must be above minimum wage (150 percent of minimum wage). This expansion was valued at $25 million.

Some facts

• In 2009 this program was created with a total value of $103.2 million
• It was a Democratic initiative, it was voted for by 48-2 among the Democrats
• Kelda Roys voted to create the tax credit program
• According to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation it added 6,000 jobs and helped over 70 businesses by the time of the 2011 vote to expand it, which Mark voted for and Kelda voted against
• The vote to expand the program was widely bipartisan, it was voted for 82-11 in the assembly, 25-13 among Democrats

Here's the ad, running here at Mal Contends because it reflects on Roys' Rovian approach to politics and her craven pursuit of office.

Truth about Pocan-Roys Race for Congress

Update: John Nichols: If Kelda Roys' campaign were a vehicle after an accident, it would be considered “totaled” (AUDIO).

"Roys ad was so absurd -- suggesting that Pocan, the Legislature's most consistent critic of corporate abuses, had somehow turned into a corporate stooge -- that it provoked an immediate response from one of her most prominent supporters." (Capital Times editorial. July 26, 2012)

State Rep rescinds endorsement of Kelda Roys over her negative and false ad. (Captial Times column. July 25, 2012)
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A brief preface: Doing a short state assembly race profile can be a tough proposition for a writer in a daily newspaper. Did such a piece for the Cap Times (Nov. 1, 1990) (Dave Travis-Donald E. Damon) and crafting a balanced summary in this perceived blow-out (which ended up being a close race that the GOP could have won) was much more difficult, no matter the piece in question is decidedly mediocre.
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Wisconsin's congressional districts

Mention the work involved because a good journalist, Clay Barbour, wrote a front-page, Wisconsin State Journal piece yesterday profiling the Mark Pocan-Kelda Roys democratic primary for the second congressional district (forgot the other two minor candidates) in his 1,100-word treatment.

I have a quarrel with Barbour's profile, and the copy editor's hard copy headline reading "Candidates differ in approach, experience," and the Net's head reading, "Dem primary to replace Rep. Baldwin gets nasty."

Roys' Attacks

The race has been relentlessly negative because it has been waged so by Roys; and no global-level, neutral-to-facts view of the race accurately describes the getting-nasty nature or any other major aspects of the race.

Roys has been and is on the attack against Pocan.

As an analogy, one does not describe a violent assault by one person against another as a "nasty" situation. No, it is truthfully and accurately described as an attack.

But in the conventions of journalism, truth loses out to the strange, almost nihilistic manner of reporting phenomena—the subject(s), topic of a story.

Roys' continuous attacks should be the story line repeated in accurate, thorough coverage of this race.

And her star is not "rising" as the front page picture's cut line asserts. Democratic politicos to whom I have spoken most often describe Roys as "strange," and if a trajectory can be discerned, Roys' star is falling.

That's the story of the horse race, but Barbour buried this in the last three paragraphs and even this text is vague.

Writes Barbour, "But some party advocates say (Roys) must tread lightly. It's one thing to fight hard during a campaign. The problem comes when the jabs cross the line."

Some party advocates? Roys is roundly condemned in the colorful lexicon of
politics.

Barbour's attempt at balance conflicts with offering readers a truthful and accurate report of what is happening in this race.

Party advocates, speaking off the record, see a candidate in Roys who foolishly just blew a political career by an ego-driven spasm of self reverence.

Roys' TV Spots

Roys's first-person TV spots border on the incoherent and bizarre. That's another story of this race. Who writes these scripts?

Almost messianic in tone, take a listen: "Leader ... who helped build a movement."

---
"This is my fight, too," intones Roys in another spot.

Yes, I don't believe the viewer requires being disabused of the notion that Roys is above being hurt by the governor. Even you, Ms. Roys.

I think Roys misses the lesson of 2011: The people led, and the elected servants followed.

Kelda Helen Roys' Approach to Campaigning: Lie and Mislead Rovian Style

Kelda Helen Rove - Disgrace

Update: Roys tried to present her self as a woman with a "partner: as she trolls for votes among our state's LGBT community and allies, among other cynical machinations. (Schneider. MJS; July 14, 2012) Roys' pursuit of office has taken on a weird cast already, but her recent attacks are ego-driven and desperate.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison), candidate for the second congressional district seat, is arguably the most effective and progressive democrat in the Wisconsin legislature.

A lifelong champion of civil rights, workers' rights, and working families, Pocan not surprisingly emerged as a recognizable foe against Scott Walker, ALEC, and the Koch brothers' attempted take-over of Wisconsin after 2010, coining the apt "FitzWalkerStan" last year.

For 13 years, Pocan has represented assembly district 78 in Madison that is without a doubt the most progressive district in Wisconsin, which includes most of the Isthmus wards where Pocan served as Dane County supervisor preceding his election to the assembly.

The second congressional democratic primary includes four candidates, and one of these candidates is smearing (let's call the attacks what they are: LYING) Mark Pocan—yes, Mark Pocan—as a Scott Walker supporter and to listen to one Kelda Helen Roys ... some sort of corporate lackey.

Kelda Helen Roys has decided that the only way she can win the Democratic primary is to attack her leading opponent's strength—his unassailable progressive record, hence yet another negative attack on Pocan, an attack with no basis in fact as Roys well knows.

Roys does not have the decency to say, 'this what I stand for' and let voters decide in this primary election on August 14.

No, Roys' only shot, in her mind, is to go negative in a primary that should be focused on the nightmare of what the GOP has in mind after 2012.

This sucks.

Personally, I have no use for democrats who feel they can only win by adapting the defamations of Karl Rove, Club for Growth and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity.

Lies, smears and the rapacious pursuit of political power are as much on political trial in 2012 as is the complete take-over of Washington by rightwing Tea Partiers. The stakes are as high as ever.

But who would have guessed lies and smears would play so prominent a role in the democratic primary from the likes of Roys who should know better, and in any case has despoiled her name in her pursuit of political power.

Mark Pocan, Zamarripa Stand with Striking Workers of Palermo Pizza

Mark Pocan and a united front keep up the fight for workers, dedicated to the idea that work is dignity and an extension of our fellows' humanity.

Said Pocan, "My fellow Assembly Democrats and I led the charge to restore collective bargaining to public employees - I firmly support the rights of workers to form a union wherever they may work."

Pocan gets supplies for striking Palermo workers
Photo: Susan Cohen

Pocan and 100s across the state helped collect supplies this week, including non-perishables, water, sunscreen and cash donations, in support of the Workers striking at Palermo’s Pizza on Milwaukee south side, where workers are organizing unfazed by Scott Walker, the Koch brothers and the $10s of millions poured into the state to stop this most elemental human right—the right to belong to a free trade union.”

Mark Pocan, state rep for the 79th assembly district, is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the second congressional district.

"One of the most elemental human rights—the right to belong to a free trade union," said Ronald Reagan in his Christmas address to the nation on December 23, 1981.

That's right.

Wisconsin State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa
(D-8th Assembly District, Milwaukee)

"Pocan solicited donations for non-perishable food items and household needs from supporters via Facebook and then personally drove and delivered them to the workers Wednesday afternoon," noted Madison writer, Emily Mills.

Added JoCasta Zamarripa (D-8th assembly district, Milwaukee) who represent a district on the south side of Milwaukee: "I attended an event to benefit the striking workers of Palermo's Pizza. I am in full support of the workers and believe that they have the right to vote to organize a union."

It is my hope that they will be free to cast this vote without fear of reprisals or any anti-union tactics."

"I believe that the management of Palermo's should meet with the workers and allow them this vote. It is their federal and constitutional right to assemble and to vote to form a union. I stand fully, behind that effort."

Kelda Helen Roys Breaks Promise Early in 2nd Dist Cong Race

Here you go, Kelda Helen Roys
- Don't worry, it's clean :)

Kelda Helen Roys is making a mockery of her pledge to avoid corporate money

Typically, it takes a politician some time in D.C. or in the Republican Party before she learns to obfuscate and mislead—what most of us call lying.

But Kelda Helen Roys, candidate for the second congressional district of Wisconsin, is evidently a quick study.

Roys said she has a unique approach to politics and campaigns, toting a pledge not to take corporate money.

"I made the commitment that I am not going to take any corporate money in this race," said Roys in a December 2011 interview with WISN, a promise repeated often by Roys.

But a review of Roys' contributors reveals some $9,700 in corporate money received in late 2011- early 2012, money from corporate CEOs, presidents, and board chairs with the means and history of contributing repeatedly - with an individual limit of $2,500 for 2011-12.

Nothing wrong with running a corporation in itself.

Money for nothing, assures candidate,
Kelda Helen Roys

But rank hypocrisy has a particular odor coming from democrats like Roys.

Roys is making a mockery of her pledge to avoid corporate money because of her concern that she run a "clean campaign" vis a vis her opponents. Right.

Yesterday, Roys—who was against corporate money before she was for it—put up a new piece on her website, Clean Campaigns Mean No Corporate PAC Money. Translated, this means corporate money from corporate CEOs, presidents, and Board chairs, and lobbyists are just fine with Kelda Helen Roys, just not corporate PACs.

Exactly, how insulated does Roys believe corporate CEOs and board chairs are from their PACs?

Partial Listing of Corporate Money to Kelda Helen Roys

LIEGEL, GEORGE WAUKAKEE WI 53597 9/26/2011 $250
PEPSI BOTTLING DISTRIBUTOR/CEO

DEGAND, MICHAEL GREEN BAY, WI 54311 9/30/2011 $500
HARBOR CREDIT UNION/PRESIDENT

GREEN, JOSH NEW YORK, NY 10011 11/2/2011 $500
PANJIVA, INC/CEO

BAXT, LEONARD WASHINGTON 9/30/2011 $1,000
DOW LOHNES/CHAIRMAN DC
20016

BRAIN, CHARLES M. MC LEAN 9/29/2011 $1,000
CAPITOL HILL STRATEGIES/LOBBYIST
VA 22101

JOFFE, RICHARD THOMAS NEW YORK 9/19/2011 $200
LABATON SUCHAROW LLP/ATTORNEY
NY 10280

RASIN, RUDOLPH CHICAGO 9/29/2011 $1,000
THE RASIN CORPORATION/PRESIDENT
IL 60611

WEISS, MICHAEL MCCALL 9/19/2011 $500
GENERAL CAPITAL GROUP/PRESIDENT
ID 83638

RASIN, RUDOLPH CHICAGO IL 60611 12/24/2011 $1,000
ALLIANCE BRANDS, LLC/BUSINESS EXEC

GREEN, JOSH NEW YORK, NY 10011 12/31/2011 $ 500
PANJIVA, INC/CEO

DOVERE, RICHARD NEW YORK, NY 10021 3/6/2012 $1,000
ADAMAS ENERGY INVESTMENTS/MANAGING PARTNER

RASIN, RUDOLPH CHICAGO, IL 60611 3/5/2012 $500
ALLIANCE BRANDS, LLC/BUSINESS EXECUTIVE

SALZWEDEL, JACK MIDDLETON, WI 53562 2/22/2012 $500
AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE/CEO

WEISS, MICHAEL McCALL, ID 83638 1/23/2012 $ 200
GENERAL CAPITAL GROUP/PRESIDENT

WEISS, MICHAEL McCALL, ID 83638 3/16/2012 $300
GENERAL CAPITAL GROUP/PRESIDENT

INGOLDSBY, TOM Mc LEAN, VA 22101 3/3/2012 $2,000
CORPORATE D.C. ATTORNEY SPECIALIZING IN ENERGY PROJECTS

Corporate Money from late 2011-2012:  $9,700

Pocan Cruises—1,300 Contributors Raise Over $150,000 this Quarter

Mark Pocan

Mark Pocan has established himself as the frontrunner to represent the 2nd congressional district being vacated by Tammy Baldwin, his campaign report shows.

Madison - Mark Pocan's campaign released it's fundraising numbers for the end of year 2011 federal filing deadline. Throughout the campaign Pocan has raised contributions from 1,310 individuals and organizations.

"It's been a very encouraging quarter." Pocan said. "From the start, this campaign has been driven by the hundreds of grassroots supporters who believe in it. We based this campaign on the idea that we need to do more than just talk about our progressive values, we need to get things done for working people. It means a lot to me that that message is resonating at a grassroots level."

Over 80% of the donations recieved this quarter came in increments $100 or less. More impressively 97% of Pocan's donors are individuals.

From the Pocan for Congress website:

Mark Pocan has spent the last 13 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing one of the strongest progressive districts in the state. Yet his political roots took hold in blue-collar Kenosha, Wisconsin where he got his start at age eight delivering campaign lit door-to-door for his father, a long-time city alderman