Battleground Wisconsin

By Brian Wooldridge

News & Politics Education Health Government & Organizations Non-Profit

What's Battleground Wisconsin about?

Battleground Wisconsin is Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s weekly podcast that features the latest political news from the front lines in the embattled state of Wisconsin.

The show features:

· Robert Kraig, Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin

· Matt Brusky, Deputy Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin

. Claire Zautke, Health Care for All Director

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Battleground Wisconsin episodes:

04.18.2024
Staring at our electoral future
In a potential preview of November, MAGAite Steven Campbell refuses to step down following losing his Green Bay City Council election, even after losing the recount he paid for. Trump has been encouraging his acolytes to seek fraud claims everywhere,...
04.12.2024
Workers, unions, and the public interest
We discuss the WIsconsin Voters approval of 60% of Spring 2024 Election school referendums and the analysis done by the Wisconsin Policy Forum of referendum performance over the last couple of decades. Robert reviews the latest MAGA efforts to recall...
04.05.2024
Spring Election, Sarah Godlewski, free home weatherizations, and flowers
We debrief this week’s Spring General Election. We look at the implications of the high ‘Uninstructed Vote” in the Democratic Presidential primary. Will it put additional pressure on President Biden to change course on the unfolding humanitarian travesty in Gaza?...
03.27.2024
The Terror Blueprint for Trump's 2nd Term
On this special edition of the podcast, Robert Kraig interviews Anne Nelson, the author of the critically-acclaimed Shadow Network and one of the top experts on the right-wing movement to end democracy. During the conversation, Nelson explains the origins...
03.21.2024
Getting up stream to win
We preview our 40th Anniversary celebration in Green Bay this Thursday evening at the Greater Green Bay Labor Council. If you live in the Northeast, our Battleground Wisconsin panel will be there. We would love to see you. We next dig...
03.14.2024
Taxing the wealthy and corporations
We review Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s 40th anniversary events in Milwaukee and La Crosse this week and preview the third event in Green Bay next Thursday evening. President Biden’s new budget was released and includes increased taxes on the wealthy...
03.08.2024
40 years of Citizen Action Wisconsin
We reflect on the 13 year history of the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast and how it is an important piece of Citizen Action’s history that is at the heart of our 40th Anniversary events that start next week. We are celebrating...
03.01.2024
Immunity Blues
On a special edition of Battleground Wisconsin, Matt is away on a field trip to North Carolina, and our producer, Brian, has a speaking role for the first time in our 13 year history. Robert and Brian dig into...
02.23.2024
Generational opportunity for progressives
New polling from a very trusted source finds the top public economic concern is the high cost of health care and crippling medical bills. What does this mean for the 2024 elections? We also urge the Governor to call a...
02.15.2024
Making the gerrymander disappear
We do a deep dive on the redistricting drama, where Robin Vos has adopted Governor Evers’ position and Democrats are divided. Is Governor Evers falling into a trap that could provide a pretext for intervention by Trump appointed Federal Judges,...
02.08.2024
Purplesconsin
We debrief the new MU Law Poll which has Biden and Trump locked in a statistical dead heat in the battle for Wisconsin's all important Presidential Electors. What does the poll's finding that there are very few undecided voters 10...
02.02.2024
Reviving our sick democracy will improve our health
The national media is touting a Child Care Tax Credit that passed the House of Representatives Wednesday, but long time child poverty advocate Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan voted no. Why were the champions of President Biden’s Child Tax Credit...
01.26.2024
Gerrymandering is bad for your health
We discuss the end of the traditional Republican Party and the reality of the new Party of Trump. Exhibit one is that every Wisconsin Republican House of Representative member voted to shut down the federal government rather than full their...
01.18.2024
Standing up to bigots
We discuss the latest state Senate Republicans power grab, their firing of Evers appointee and solar power advocate Tyler Huebner from the Public Service Commission, the state agency that regulates utilities. Was the sacking of Huebner motivated by his support...
01.11.2024
Fighting for public schools
We discuss a new report finding lower-income Wisconsinites pay a much higher proportion of their incomes in taxes than the wealthy. What does it say about the current priorities of Republicans and Democrats, and the latest state budget? We urge...
01.04.2024
Organizing Our Future in 2024
Welcome to 2024 where our pivotal battleground state elections will again take center stage. We jump in and dissect this week’s news the GOP Legislative leadership asks the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider their redistricting decision; a new court ruling...
12.21.2023
Biden v Trump II in 2024
Following President Biden’s visit to Milwaukee this week we discuss if he can turn around his 2024 chances? We talk about the politics and the stakes, how the President’s reelection prospects are impacted by the war in Gaza, a possible...
12.14.2023
Secretary of State Godlewski calls for Robert Spindell to go!
We welcome Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski to discuss her call for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to remove Wisconsin Election Commissioner and disgraced Trump fake elector Robert Spindell from his position of authority over our election process. She encourages...
12.08.2023
Looking to 2024, while 2020 still looms
We debrief a new judicial ruling this week finding abortion legal again in Wisconsin. To the surprise of few, Wisconsin GOP Legislative leaders propose another scheme to abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission, giving election administration oversight to Republican Legislative leaders...
12.02.2023
A Supreme Interview with Representative Moore Omokunde
We welcome State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde to discuss his co-sponsorship of the BadgerCare Public Option and groundbreaking new climate legislation he is working on that will help set the agenda for the 2024 state legislative elections. With the prospect...
11.17.2023
Special interview with Transformational Justice Campaign Coordinator Mark Rice
We welcome Mark Rice, Wisconsin Transformational Justice Campaign Coordinator at WISDOM, to discuss WISDOM’s organizing and legislative agenda on criminal justice reform in Wisconsin. Wisconsin continues to trail the nation and surrounding states in lowering our incarceration rates while...
11.17.2023
Special Reports feat: U.S. Congressman Mark Pocan & State Senator Chris Larson
This week we have a special report where Robert interviews two Wisconsin elected officials who are demonstrating the courage to lead. First, we have an interview with Congressman Mark Pocan to discuss his thoughtful and nuanced stance on the Gaza...
11.09.2023
“The Wisconsin we need” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
Robert gives us the latest on the BadgerCare Public Option bill, the only comprehensive bill this session to address the health care cost and access crisis. Priscilla discuses the importance of calling state legislators and urging them to co-sponsor. Listeners...
11.03.2023
Be like Ady Barkans
We discuss the passing of healthcare activist Ady Barkan, who turned his fight against ALS into a crusade to break the monopoly power of the corporate insurance giants that are failing millions of Americans. We explain the importance of the...
10.26.2023
Fighting in the public interest
We open with a somber discussion of yet another mass shooting in America where 18 people died and over 13 were wounded, bringing America’s mass shooting total to a staggering 558 this year. Robert updates us on this week’s state...
10.19.2023
Power concedes nothing
We unpack the bipartisan Assembly vote to rubber stamp a $565 million giveaway to the ultrarich owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Given the unpopularity of the massive private subsidy, what does this say about the state of democracy in Wisconsin....
10.13.2023
Understanding History
After reflecting on the tragic and horrifying war in Gaza and Israel, we dig into the latest news on the GOP threat to impeach Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz before she rules on a single case. Will the opposition of...
10.06.2023
House in Chaos
We dive into how the Speaker McCarthy crash and burn this week was part of a 50 year road built by corporate America and the Republican Party. We also turn our attention to Wisconsin and the public hearing on the...
09.29.2023
Special Interview with Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski
We welcome Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski to discuss the functions of the SOS office and the MAGA Republican attacks on her appointment and the office. Are their smears another example of the fraying of democratic norms? We review Boss...
09.22.2023
3 card monte democracy
The gerrymandered GOP Legislature continued to force its extreme and unpopular agenda down the throats of Wisconsinites. This week the groundless impeachment drive continued with a cynical embrace of a fake nonpartisan redistricting plan, yet another refusal to address the...
09.15.2023
Who will fight for the public interest, instead of a billionaire
Huge news from Planned Parenthood on Thursday morning, they are announcing the resumption of abortions in the state. We welcome national baseball stadium expert Neil deMause, from Field of Schemes, to discuss the on-going conspiracy of billionaire baseball owners to grab...
09.07.2023
It's all about power
We start with the GOP threat to lawlessly impeach Justice Janet Protasiewicz in a desperate attempt to hold on to gerrymandered maps. Will the latest Republican attack on democracy succeed? We dig into the latest GOP attempt to secure massive...
09.07.2023
Special Interview with Dave Zirin on public money for billionaire’s stadium.
Dave Zirin, the sports editor of The Nation Magazine and an award winning journalist, joins the show to discuss the current effort by the owner of the Brewers to get half a billion dollars in public money for stadium repairs...
09.01.2023
ReThink Brewers Ownership: A push for public equity
We welcome economist Dr. Michael Rosen to discuss ReThinking Brewers ownership and demanding public equity in the team in exchange for public tax revenue. Another climate change-induced category 4 hurricane hits Florida and yet another week of tragic shootings on college...
08.25.2023
Bad week for public education
We welcome Milwaukee Teachers Education Association President Amy Mizialko back to the show to talk about the devastating news about a huge expansion of a private religious voucher school the former Cardinal Stritch University campus. The school’s owner said the...
08.17.2023
A free & independent media in Wausau & Wisconsin
We start with a major threat to the 1st Amendment in the Northwoods that has made national news. Shereen Siewert, the editor and publisher of the Wausau Pilot and Review, joins us to discuss how her newspaper is being bullied...
08.10.2023
In These Times of movement building
In this week’s episode we welcome new In These Times magazine executive director Alex Han to discuss the vital role of independent progressive media, and the cutting edge journalism the historic magazine provides. We encourage our listeners to read and...
08.03.2023
Historic Indictment & investiture
We discuss the Wisconsin flavor to the historic Trump indictment this week where the role of fake electors is central. We talk about the decades-long work that military sexual trauma survivors have done and what it all means in terms...
07.28.2023
Hot Union Summer
The hot union summer continued this week with the historic and game changing Teamsters victory over UPS (and their Wall Street backers). The breakthrough is part of an upsurge in labor activism across the nation. What does it mean and...
07.20.2023
Public Schools Unite Us: Special guest WI Public Education Network’s Heather DuBois Bourenane
We welcome Wisconsin Public Education Network’s Heather DuBois Bourenan to discuss public education in Wisconsin following a state budget that saw the largest expansion of private voucher schools as part of a “deal” that blindsided supporters of public education. Former President...
07.14.2023
From Budget to Culture Wars
This week we discuss the ongoing fallout of the disastrous State Budget and the GOP immediate shift to a renewed culture war offensive. We are joined by State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde for the entire show and in the...
07.07.2023
Budget Autopsy & Model for a New Progressive Politics
In this week’s episode we assess the budget debacle and offer an inspiring model for a brighter political future. In the first half of the show, we assess the damages from the GOP State Budget, signed into law Wednesday by...
06.29.2023
Standing up to Wisconsin’s billionaire bullies
The Canadian Wildfires have wafted back into Wisconsin this week making climate change up close and personal. It also reinforces our recent success in helping the Milwaukee Common Council to pass the groundbreaking Milwaukee Climate and Economic plan to fight...
06.23.2023
Radical Solidarity
We are joined by State Representative Kristina Shelton to discuss the state budget battle in Madison and why she voted in “radical solidarity” against the structurally racist Shared Revenue-Education deal. In more positive news, we look beyond the state budget...
06.15.2023
Fake Compromise
We discuss the Shared Revenue “compromise” between Governor Evers and the leaders of the Gerrymandered Legislature and dissect how it is more of a capitulation than an agreement between co-equal branches of government. We are joined by Sen. Chris Larson...
06.08.2023
Fight for our lights, lives, and our planet
We comment on the wildfires choking skies across Canada and America and their direct connection to climate change. The dangerous air should teach us all about what it really feels like every day for billions on the planet. We update...
06.02.2023
Minority Rule in MAGA America
We discuss the federal “debt deal” that passed the House on Wednesday, setting up its passage by the Senate just ahead of the June 5th default deadline. Did President Biden effectively diffuse a figurative terrorist bomb, or did he get...
05.26.2023
Fighting Outsourcing
We dive into the precarious “Debt Crisis” drama in Washington. How did the GOP and the media turn it into a debate on “spending,”when Republican Presidents are the ones that ran up the national debt with tax breaks for the...
05.18.2023
Speaker Vos takes Milwaukee hostage
We discuss the shared revenue plan rammed through the State Assembly late on Wednesday by Speaker Vos. The plan harms Milwaukee by providing less shared revenue than other cities and towns, and contains poison pills opposed by Milwaukee voters and...
05.11.2023
Organizing BLOC by BLOC
We discuss our state budget veto campaign that went on a statewide media tour this week in La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, and Green Bay to support Gov. Evers using his strongest in the nation veto pen to drag the...

What's Battleground Wisconsin about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Battleground Wisconsin episodes:

Staring at our electoral future

Workers, unions, and the public interest

Spring Election, Sarah Godlewski, free home weatherizations, and flowers

The Terror Blueprint for Trump's 2nd Term

Getting up stream to win

Taxing the wealthy and corporations

40 years of Citizen Action Wisconsin

Immunity Blues

Generational opportunity for progressives

Making the gerrymander disappear

Purplesconsin

Reviving our sick democracy will improve our health

Gerrymandering is bad for your health

Standing up to bigots

Fighting for public schools

Organizing Our Future in 2024

Biden v Trump II in 2024

Secretary of State Godlewski calls for Robert Spindell to go!

Looking to 2024, while 2020 still looms

A Supreme Interview with Representative Moore Omokunde

Special interview with Transformational Justice Campaign Coordinator Mark Rice

Special Reports feat: U.S. Congressman Mark Pocan & State Senator Chris Larson

“The Wisconsin we need” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast

Be like Ady Barkans

Fighting in the public interest

Power concedes nothing

Understanding History

House in Chaos

Special Interview with Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski

3 card monte democracy

Who will fight for the public interest, instead of a billionaire

It's all about power

Special Interview with Dave Zirin on public money for billionaire’s stadium.

ReThink Brewers Ownership: A push for public equity

Bad week for public education

A free & independent media in Wausau & Wisconsin

In These Times of movement building

Historic Indictment & investiture

Hot Union Summer

Public Schools Unite Us: Special guest WI Public Education Network’s Heather DuBois Bourenane

From Budget to Culture Wars

Budget Autopsy & Model for a New Progressive Politics

Standing up to Wisconsin’s billionaire bullies

Radical Solidarity

Fake Compromise

Fight for our lights, lives, and our planet

Minority Rule in MAGA America

Fighting Outsourcing

Speaker Vos takes Milwaukee hostage

Organizing BLOC by BLOC