There has been a lot of talk in recent months among Democratic Party strategists about "buyer's remorse" pertaining as it pertains to the folks who handed Republicans majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives" in the 2010 mid-term election. Next Tuesday (August 9th) is a special election in several state Senate districts in Wisconsin. According to several political pundits, the Republican "pre-spin" on this recall (and substitute) election is that "oh, it really doesn't matter" (or words to that effect from the Chairman of the Republican National Committee). What's at stake in this special election is taking control of the Wisconsin Senate from the rubber-stamp "do anything you want" Republicans and potentially putting the brakes on several union-busting issues that seem to be test cases for other union-busting that the national Republicans would like to float through the rest of the country.
While I am obviously not a Wisconsin resident, I am tuned into a great national effort called "BoldProgressives.org" and they are organizing a "Call out the Vote" campaign in these final six days before this special election. I have signed up to use some of my "free" cell time on this coming Saturday and Sunday (August 6-7) and call voters to get them to the polls (or send in their absentee ballots if they haven't already).
I've participated in political "call out the vote" operations before--starting with the 2006 mid-term that got Democrats in the majority of the House of Representative and our first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Also, for candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election and (to a lesser degree) the 2010 mid-term. As many of your may know, Hawaii is fortunate to have two Senators and two Representatives and all are long-time Democratic Party folks.
This Wisconsin special election is about stopping the union-busting effort that has been going on since Republican Scott Walker became governor and found himself with both houses of the Wisconsin state legislature under Republican control and set out to give millions in tax breaks to his big business cronies and pay for it by busting unions in Wisconsin and take away years of fair negotiation in contract and compensation matters. It's time to take back Wisconsin where many of our unions got their initial start. (Side note: There are at least FIVE towns or cities in Wisconsin named "Union"!)
