Democratic Party Releases First Post-Vote Ad Targeting Wisconsin Senate Republican

WASHINGTON -- Less than two days after Wisconsin Senate Republicans took to seedy if not crafty parliamentary maneuvers to pass an anti-collective bargaining bill, the Democratic party is up with ads targeting individual members.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee released an ad on Friday attacking Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Wis.) for being a doormat in Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to get his budget-related measure passed into law.

“We expect pins to get bowled over,” the spot goes. “Pies to get rolled. But we certainly don’t expect our senators to get flattened. Last month, Senator Olsen said eliminating collective bargaining is, quote, ‘pretty radical.’

“But Olsen voted for Governor Walker’s backroom deal to end collective bargaining. Now Walker is pushing a budget that will devastate public schools and health care. And Senator Olsen refuses to stand up to the Governor.”

The ad, which is the first to be put up on air following Wednesday night’s vote, is as clear an indication as any that the Democratic party is eager to capitalize on the ill-will Walker has engendered. It also seemingly confirms that the recall campaigns being launched against Senate Republicans aren’t merely some quixotic revenge fantasy orchestrated by union groups, but rather an enterprise that will be backed by the party apparatus.

A DLCC aide says that the ad will run in the Green Bay market, which includes Olsen's district, for about two weeks.ap

Comments

[serena1313]

03:05 PM on 03/13/2011

It's encouraging to see Democrats fight back.

When Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC) asked Senator Olsen (R-Wisc) if he was concerned about the recall efforts: Olsen answered yes. he should have stopped there, but didn't. He said the reason is that 'people are angry about being under paid, their pension contribution is going up and their health insurance contribution is going up. So it's up to Republicans to explain that the state has a budget deficit so rather than lay off pubic employees they needed to take a cut in pay.'

O'Donnell quickly corrected him saying that not one single recall petition is going to be filed because of higher contributions given that the union members had already conceded to that anyhow. Olsen replied, "that's rubbish!" O'Donnell interrupted stating, 'Senator, it is because you stripped them of their rights to collectively bargain' which Olsen knew, but suffice to say, still denied it -- despite having been previously quoted criticizing Walker's proposal & voting for it belies his protestations to the contrary.

Although Olsen is not the only politician to go back on his word, he is a prime example of someone who chose vote along party lines rather than follow his conscience. Worse he shows no compunction about saying otherwise. Olsen deserves to be recalled, but not for that reason alone, but because he, along with his colleagues, failed the people who elected him, his constituents.

Democrats will win this hands down as long as they continue to stand with the people.

[Cal3b G]

01:56 PM on 03/13/2011

I love this ad. Now put it on TV lol

[JessWonderin]

11:32 AM on 03/13/2011

Democrats need to fight Republican lies with facts ... The GOP Faux machine is working 24/7 against America with lies and half facts. WI was the Teapublican tactics exposed- lie to get the office then grab all you can before being removed.

[IMSickOfAllOfEm]

11:22 AM on 03/13/2011

The right wing is running their own ad - on Cee-iN-iN paid for by the Cat0Institute(the Kochroachs).

[TruEngineHearing]

10:11 AM on 03/13/2011

When the GOP offers something attractive and possible to replace the evolving New Deal America, then I'll turn down the TV and listen - until then, the only thing a conservative can do for me is send me a link to a progressive.

Michael Moore is saying that this is war! I agree. This is for all the marbles, and "fight without quarter is necessary if the good is to prevail."

[Hoosierbrad]

10:39 PM on 03/12/2011

I have thought for a long time that our Republican brothers and sisters have no shame. Now I am convinced of it.

[GenXer]

09:52 PM on 03/12/2011

The Packers are union:P

[Newsmonger]

09:07 PM on 03/12/2011

Democrats on attack is an oxymoron; more like democrats rolling over....

[madatnewsmedia]

10:35 PM on 03/12/2011

So is your comment.

[Hoosierbrad]

10:40 PM on 03/12/2011

Like an intelligent Republican?

[Susan DeVilder]

08:25 PM on 03/12/2011

Democrats make stupid ads. They are like old man ads. In the town where I live there is a car wash that employs a couple old senior citizen men. They sit around all day and think up what they think are clever little ryhmes that are embarassing.

These ads remind me of that. Someone thinks they are clever but they are like your Dad's jokes, embarrassing to say the least.

Republicans are good at ads, because they put faces to a problem and tell you a story. Don't show me steamrollers or pie dough??????, show me the kids who will lose out because this bill passed. Show me someone who will lose their healthcare. I'm not gonna rush to my phone because you showed me pie crust.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

12:50 PM on 03/13/2011

I agree. Cutting $ 900 million from schools is either catastrophic or it's not. What does catastrophe look like? Dems rarely play hardball.

[Ramseytwo]

04:35 PM on 03/12/2011

The state senators who voted to abolish workers' rights are a bunch of part-time socialists. they take money from the government for their farms, then turn around and try to wreck government.

[JamesAndre]

01:36 PM on 03/12/2011

Sigh. That ad stinks.

[madatnewsmedia]

10:36 PM on 03/12/2011

Really? What would your ad say?

[JamesAndre]

02:46 PM on 03/13/2011

It's not what you say, it's how you present it.

But there are a couple of things in this ad that I wouldn't have said. Does the average really have a full understanding of "collective bargaining?"

Bottom line? Too many metaphors, and an unclear subject; are we supposed to be mad at Walker or Olsen?

[rgilley]

01:19 PM on 03/12/2011

Democrats on the attack? Does these mean they've finally found some "cahoonies."? Grown a pair?
If Dems are finally willing to fight fire with fire Maybey we can stop the Fascist like Walker and the Koch brothers from destroying this Democracy Maybey!

[Jayk4444]

02:16 PM on 03/12/2011

didn't Jimmy C reduce federal employees collective bargaining rights in the 70's? Party of the people, heh?

[rgilley]

03:27 PM on 03/12/2011

NO He didn't.

[buyersremorse2008]

08:06 PM on 03/12/2011

Yes, Carter was known as the biggest union-busting President in the 20th century.
Through deregulation he changed the way Air ,Rail,Trucking and Communications
operated. The Staggers Rail Act and the Motor Carrier Act are just two examples
of laws that he signed while in office. The implementation of these laws effected
the power of the Teamsters. CWA, and IBEW. just to name a few.

[gettingitright]

02:38 PM on 03/12/2011

We need a Karl Rove for the left.

[BlueDog1]

03:14 PM on 03/12/2011

We have one her name is Palin.............................

[lizt]

01:39 AM on 03/13/2011

No, thanks. I'd rather be lead by people than a reptile with no morals.

[Chicos Mom]

01:17 PM on 03/12/2011

When your state is broke, it is kind of hard to take a swing at elected officials that are at least trying to stop the hemorrhaging.

[rgilley]

01:31 PM on 03/12/2011

Yes WHEN your state is actually broke...thats Not the case in WI. And the Gov does Not have to bust the unions to balance the budget! The budget is the "Retchstag fire" for Republicans Now, when they help power for 6 out of 8 years it was:

"Reagan proved deficits don't matter," Vice President Cheney said in 2002 when pushing for a fresh round of tax cuts.

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." ~ George W. Bush

The Republicans would replace this Democracy with a Fascist Oligarchy tommorow if possible as the Gov of Michigan is clearly trying to do:

"Republican Michigan governor Rick Snyder, along with the state's Republican house and senate, have passed a controversial bill that allows the governor to dissolve the elected governments of Michigan's towns and cities, replacing them with unaccountable "emergency financial managers" who can eliminate services, merge or eliminate school boards, and lay off or renegotiate unionized public employees without recourse."
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/11/michigan-republicans.html

Think about it before we vote these Fascist into a power we cannot relinquish from them!

[AmericanManufacturer]

02:04 PM on 03/12/2011

Exactly, think if your opinion is honest.

But if you are one of those paid-to-lie, just remember 2 dates: May 2nd 1933 and June 30th - July 2nd 1934.

[free speech isnt free]

03:22 PM on 03/12/2011

Public Union employees on average make less than private employees for the same set of skills. I know this sound counter-in­tuitive, but this has been true for several years.
http://www­.nirsonlin­e.org/inde­x.php?opti­on=com_con­tent&task=­view&id=39­5&Itemid=4­8
46 states will have budget shortfalls this year. These states include the most unionized (CA, NY, IL) to the least (NC, GA, and LA).
http://www­.infopleas­e.com/ipa/­A0882960.h­tml
Other countries are recovering from the worldwide recession faster, are more unionized and pay higher wages than we do. So what is the problem? I don't know. I do know a full third of the President'­s stimulus last year was money to states. The administra­tion did want to do another stimulus especially payments to the states to keep people employed. But after the last election the Republic ans said, "No more wasteful stimulus spending. Elections do matter and we are already feeling the effects.”

[J.C. Convery]

09:10 PM on 03/12/2011

Yet if that stimulus package came as an unaffordable tax cut those republicans would be all over it like flies on a pile of dog doo.

[Obrand]

12:40 PM on 03/12/2011

I am torn by this whole issue. On the one hand, I was one of those Civil Servants now under attack by the Machine in WI.
I am also an former UAW worker who watched as the Union routinely demanded more and more from GM than was reasonable.
What happened in WI however, was a deliberate attempt to consolidate power. Bargaining is a two way process, of which the Machine has no patience for.
No compromise, no bargaining, no give and take Democratic institutions depend on.

[PARepublican]

01:03 PM on 03/12/2011

F & F for admitting that about the UAW.

[democratsaint]

01:04 PM on 03/12/2011

define reasonable?you start at unreasonable in negotiations because if you start at reasonable than you get less.gm probably did not start at reasonable either.in fact gm when they said they were borke gave the exec bonuses and pay raises. ceo used to make 30 times the avg worker they now make 300-400 times do you think that reasonable?maybe if they are more reasonable workers will be,buts its hard to go to you union memebers and say the company is broke.but hey the ceo got a huge raise how broke can they be.

[whirlybird]

12:12 PM on 03/12/2011

Kind of low impact, but a start...