Battleground Wisconsin

This week the panel digs in to the latest Wisconsin election news and right wing shouts of indignation over ObamaCare rates. We sort through Ron Johnson's bizarre statement about "lasering out" people with pre-existing conditions, Alberta Darling's strange defense of Donald Trump's policies on women, and the early voting scandal in Green Bay. If that wasn't fun enough, we find out a political secret during in our weekly Paul Ryan Watch, and much more.

This week the panel starts with the news that Donald Trump will not commit to accepting the election results in November. Is he really threatening a coup, or is this just more slight of hand? After discussing the third presidential and the second U.S. Senate debates, the panel looks at the latest polling (such that it is). We then dive into some contentious issues in the Feingold-Johnson race, especially TPP and Obamacare, and into the anthropological question of why the Republican base continues to support Trump no matter what he says and does. We also get an update on the Citizen Action voting right lawsuit, the rigging of the health care system, and more.

We review a surreal week for the presidential campaign and its impact on Paul Ryan and the GOP. The new MU poll reveals the potential impact of Trump’s weekend on the tight the U.S. Senate race. Robert updates us on the latest in the photo ID lawsuit in court this week and why health insurance premiums on the Wisconsin exchange will increase next year. Anna Dvorak from the Citizen Action Organizing Cooperative joins us to discuss the co-op’s new Radio-Active campaign and the current membership drives in Milwaukee, Western Wisconsin, and in Northeast Wisconsin. Anna also discusses the cooperative’s deep canvass project in Milwaukee's South Shore suburbs and Eau Claire area which is discussing economic issues and building support for co-op member Jack Redmond, Howard White, Russ Feingold and Hillary Clinton.

We lead with the new wave of corruption that will inundate Wisconsin because of the SCOTUS's John Doe duck with Matthew Rothschild of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign The panel next talks about the surprise departure of Charlie Sykes from right-wing hate radio. (Podcast listeners will not believe what Charlie has to say about our own Robert Kraig). We dig into the latest Walker photo ID scandal, and the possibility that his voter disenfranchisement law will be enjoined by a federal judge next week. Finally, Assembly Republicans push for another expansion of private school vouchers and Jorna has the latest installment of Paul Ryan Watch.

Sly features our Radio-Active campaign's video exposing Jay Weber's racism and bigotry toward thousands of Native Americans protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Let us know you support our Organizing Cooperative's grassroots campaign to demand media accountability here http://www.citizenactionwi.org/radio-active and follow our efforts on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/radiorevolutionmke/

We welcome the Center for Media and Democracy's Mary Bottari to discuss new revelations they have brought to light in the recently leaked John Doe files. Jorna reviews Scott Walker’s threat to John Chisholm and other DA’s who dare consider investigating him. Robert reveals the Walker Administration is deliberately rigging the health insurance system to raise rates on consumers. He also educates us about new “low out of pocket health plans” with $0 deductibles in Wisconsin that were announced this week. Jorna has the latest installment of Paul Ryan Watch where Ryan suggests he is still considering running for president and Milwaukee County leaders are moving forward with a $15/hour living wage.

We welcome Matthew Rothschild to discuss the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's formal complaint with the Internal Revenue Service alleging that Wisconsin Club for Growth violated its tax-exempt status in John Doe case. Jeff Smith from the Citizen Action Western Wisconsin Organizing Cooperative joins us to talk about a 7,000 cow mega-farm proposed in rural Dunn County. Jorna educates us on the Walker Administration’s plan to make free state ID’s only for voting. Robert updates us on the Outsourced Wisconsin tour that visited Plexus this week and the Wisconsin Attorney General’s move to block pay raise for Wisconsin workers. Jorna also scrutinizes Paul Ryan’s new tax plan.

We discuss the Guardian's sensational leaked court documents from the John Doe investigation that reveal the influence of corporate pay to play in Scott Walker’s campaign. We focus especially on the sleazy deal with paint manufactures where Walker sold out kids who have been poisoned by lead for $750,000 to political groups that helped Walker survive his recall election. Documents also show Republican operatives discussed ginning up "voter fraud" reports in 2011 Supreme Court Election. We also talk about Sen. Ron Johnson’s Senate hearing Thursday to undermine access to affordable health care.

We welcome Nicole Safar, from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin to discuss their $1.6 million settlement victory from the state and how the issue of women’s health will impact the 2016 elections. Jorna reveals Paul Ryan is shamelessly holding Zika virus funding hostage by tying it to cutting funding for Planned Parenthood. We review new job creation numbers ranking Wisconsin 33rd. Wisconsin continues to trail the national rate of job creation, as it has since July 2011. Russ Feingold launches his jobs tour blasting bad trade deals as the Irish-based Johnson Controls International celebrated its $150 tax avoidance merger completion this week that will make company Chairman, Alex Molinaroli eligible for $74 million in “golden parachute” payments. We conclude talking about our “Outsourced Wisconsin” tour launch at Rexnord Thursday and the Assembly Republicans release their 2017 agenda.

We welcome Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Organizing Director, Kevin Kane to discuss the role of the Wisconsin Legislature in helping drug corporation, Mylan, price gouge for EpiPen. Mylan spent thousands on political contributions and tens of thousands on lobbying to use Wisconsin school and recreation programs to expand market for EpiPens. As we head into Labor Day weekend, we also discuss Kevin Kane’s new research showing a significant decrease in manufacturing wages in Wisconsin between 2010 and 2015 and the role of rigged trade deals and outsourcing in the wage decline. We look at the latest Wisconsin election polling and discuss Trump’s immigration speech Wednesday. Robert reviews a new op/ed from Paul Ryan and Ron Johnson on poverty and Anita Johnson joins us to discuss how you can enter our contest to win (2) tickets to the Daily Show’s Trevor Noah performance in Milwaukee, Friday, September 9th.