Thursday, May 31, 2012

Drama in WI as Barrett, Walker are neck and neck

There are lots of developments in the Wisconsin recall election even as our brothers and sisters work their butts off to get out the vote on Tuesday.

Gov. Scott Walker is revealing secrets, dirty tricks are being played and polls are showing Democratic candidate Tom Barrett gaining momentum among voters.

Teamsters in Milwaukee are visiting work sites and handing out fliers that urge members to vote on Tuesday. They're phone banking, holding signs on bridge overpasses and sending out mail to members. They're attending rallies to support their candidates. The final big push comes over the next five days.

The latest from this week:
Walker mistakenly admitted he would use the criminal defense fund to defend himself or his campaign for being charged for violations of Wisconsin campaign finance laws. We already knew that many of Walker's aides were under investigation for misusing taxpayer dollars to illegally fund his campaign, but now we know for sure that Walker himself is under investigation.
At a GOTV rally: Teamster retiree Pete Cefllau and LU 200 President Tom Bennett.
Walker supporters are illegally sending voter suppression spam via text message to Wisconsin residents. This is a modern form of a push poll and hits voters in the wallet as people often pay for text messages they receive. 
Pollster Celinda Lake shows Walker and Barrett are neck and neck with 49% of the vote each.
Former President Bill Clinton will attend a rally for Barrett in Wisconsin tomorrow.
LU 200 Sec.-Treas. Tom Millonzi explains DRIVE to member Mark Rudd.
Things are looking up for next week, but Wisconsinites still need your help! Here are some simple ways you can get involved in the fight to get out the vote in Wisconsin.
  • Sign Revolution Messaging’s petition to the FCC urging them to put an end to voter suppression text spam. Visit http://www.pocketspammers.com to learn more.
  • Remind family and friends in Wisconsin to be sure to vote on Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm.
  • If you live in Wisconsin, sign up to get out the vote. Head to Madison this Friday for a get out the vote rally and a free concert featuring Tom Morello from “Rage Against the Machine,” Jackson Browne, Tim McIlrath of “Rise Against,” Brother Ali, Mike McColgan of the “Dropkick Murphys” and “Street Dogs,” and more.