There’s so much on the line today, so much at stake, that I have everything crossed.
Polls close in Chicago at 7 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern.
Polls close in Wisconsin at 8 pm Central, 9 pm Eastern.
*if you are in line by closing time, you are still allowed to vote. No idea of whether that will be at play here, or how quickly we can expect election results for Wisconsin.
Remember.
Winning by one vote is called… winning.
Winning outside the recount margin is fireworks.
Winning by more than 1% is a Wisconsin landslide.
Anything beyond that is icing.
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) April 5, 2023
For Chicago, I just saw this:
City officials are expected to begin releasing results by ward after midnight, Central time, into Wednesday morning.
boo!
edit: but they are posting results for Chicago mayor already!
⭐️
Music Playlist created by brendancalling especially for this occasion, in honor of Wisconsin and Chicago and the NY indictments.
Quick note from Brendan:
Hi everyone,
Short blurb today. I tried to grab songs that are relevant to Chicago, Wisconsin, and TFG’s arrest—all while trying to find a decent place to eat here in State College, PA—where despite having a college the size of a small city, the sidewalks seem to roll up around 8:00.
Today’s playlist is all over the map but as I mention focuses primarily on Wisconsin and Chicago. There’s some blues, some folk, some rock, including some louder bands you might not have heard of like Naked Raygun. I couldn’t help but throw on “Breakin’ the Law” by Judas Priest. It’s a twofer—not only does the song fit our National Embarrassment’s current situation, JP’s singer, Rob Halford, is famously the first star of heavy metal to proudly come out as gay.
I also included the complete Winnebago Man outtakes. Those of you with virgin ears (HAHAHAHA) may want to skip past, but for me… well, I’m imagining TFG (and a lot of of others in his orbit) the whole time.
Anyway, I gotta get out of here if I expect to eat tonight. Good luck to us in Wisconsin and Chicago! And from this Philly boy, fuck Paul Vallas.
I haven’t watched more than 5 minutes of *MSNBC or any of those shows in years, but I have watched a lot today. Luckily, I have Tivo so I recorded several hours, and I just fast forwarded through all the fucking street scenes and the hallway scenes – our media is complicit in crating creating Trump. Autocorrect gave me crating at first, and now that you mention it, I hope the media will finally be complicit in his cratering, as well.
*Now I understand why a few of you want to smack there former-Republican now-MSNBC anchor who sees red when the rest of us see Merrick Garland. I hope she has to eat crow before this whole thing is over.
Anyway, let’s gab about today’s events in NY, and the elections. Hoping election results come quickly and all in the right direction!
In the first few comments, I’m including some great information that one of you sent me today, but I can’t recall who. So out yourself, please, if it was you!
Open thread.
WaterGirl
WaterGirl
WaterGirl
WaterGirl
WaterGirl
Baud
Good luck, 🦡
Mousebumples
@WaterGirl: Wisconsin referendums were largely GOP attempts to gin up conservative turnout, in my opinion. Voted against all 3. (2 were referendums, and 1 was a non binding resolution, I think)
If you click through there’s video of students at UW Eau Claire waiting in line to vote.
WaterGirl
@Baud: Is that a badger?
Baud
@WaterGirl:
I hope so.
Mousebumples
@Baud: I think so?
🦡
japa21
@WaterGirl:
It is. Baud is always correct and accurate.
ETA: However, it is not Bucky Badger.
schrodingers_cat
Someone on Twitter painstakingly assembled A. R. Rahman (You know from Slum Dog Millionaire) Hindi brackets
You can vote if you are on Twitter. He has links to the numbers on YouTube.
WaterGirl
Is anyone listening to the playlist? There are some fun songs on there
The first one I am listening to is in honor of the Dumpster in NY. I fought the law and the law won.
Brachiator
Wisconsin Election Notes.
Election Day
Polls close at 9 p.m. ET.
How Wisconsin votes
Voting is open to all voters, who can register on election day.
The AP will declare a winner in the race for Supreme Court justice and in five additional races, including three ballot measures, a special election for state Senate and a Court of Appeals seat. In the February primary election, the AP first reported results in Wisconsin at 9:06 p.m. ET. The final election night vote update came just after midnight, at which point more than 99% of votes had been counted.
eldorado
@Brachiator: midnight ET?
TaMara
That’s a fun playlist.
Can’t wait for WI results. Feeling positive.
WaterGirl
The NYT doesn’t even show the Supreme Court race on their election results page. WTF?
edit: I just found it on a separate page from Spring Elections. Totally illogical.
UncleEbeneezer
The Fruit Bats are one of my favorite Chicago-based bands that I have discovered and learned to really love in recent years. Good old, roots-rock with a bit of a country and even folk vibe at times. Here’s my Spotify playlist of some their best tunes.
WaterGirl
@TaMara: Did you see that the cretin who is running against Jodi for the state senate seat talked about impeaching Judge Janet if he wins?
(Because if he wins, the Rs will have 2/3 majorities in both state houses, and as I understand it , they will be able to impeach any elected official they please.
UncleEbeneezer
And my favorite Fruit Bats song: Born In the 70’s, (YouTube link) which I think gives you a pretty good taste of their style.
Alison Rose
@Baud: On desktop, the emoji is so small, I thought it was a mouse, and I was like…that doesn’t seem like a compliment.
Another Scott
Re the playlist: I was going to suggest #28, but I figured brendancalling would have already picked it. Good thing I checked!
Fingers crossed for the good people of Chicago and Wisconsin tonight.
Cheers,
Scott.
UncleEbeneezer
Another Chicago-band song that seems especially apt for today’s events: Hummer by Smashing Pumpkins
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: That is a classic.
raven
Fuck em Bucky!
UncleEbeneezer
One more: Misunderstood (live) by Wilco (another great Chicago band)
japa21
Chicago race is going to be a nail-biter from the looks of it.
WaterGirl
Is everyone all talked out about the arraignment today? I was watch MSNBC (I don’t think I’ve watched a political show in well over a decade) so after the action started in NY, I missed most of the threads today.
WaterGirl
@japa21: Is that for real? 73% of the votes in already?
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
we had a good time in those threads :)
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
It’s only the Mayoral Race and a handful of Aldermanic races.
Mail ballots collected before today were prepped and have been scanning since yesterday.
Early votes were downloaded and the electronic data uploaded today while the election was going on.
Now, they’re just waiting for the precincts to transmit to their central server.
After the precincts report, the only thing left will be whatever mail ballots come in that were postmarked by today. They have until the 18th to arrive into the Chicago Board of Elections in order to be counted.
Another Scott
Rupert has another sad. France24.com:
I would think religious views would come up pretty early in a courtship. Hmm…
Cheers,
Scott.
Princess
Let’s go Brandon!
Johnson, that is.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: I’m catching up on them now.
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: Especially while sitting around waiting for the Sun to rise and for elections to be called!
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
Jim, Foolish Literalist
No word how the cemeteries are voting
(sorry, couldn’t resist)
Soprano2
We have an election here too. If the two wing nutty school board candidates win, the school board will be a shit show for a couple of years at least. Crossing my fingers the sane candidates win.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: Where’s the best place to get the Chicago results as they come in?
Another Scott
It looks like the Chicago and Wisconsin thunderstorms are going to hold off until the polling stations close. I hope that’s a good omen.
(I hope FYWP doesn’t think that huge URL is spam…)
Cheers,
Scott.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Meanwhile, Tom Nichols is live-tweeting trump’s meltdown
that populism the economically anxious white working class of the rust belt loves so much
UncleEbeneezer
THIS!!!
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
Chicago Board of Elections
https://chicagoelections.gov/
raven
The MSNBC crew are killin it talking about Pecker and vaginas!!!
Delk
238,454 to 238,084. Vallas in the lead
marcopolo
FYI–here is a link for Josh Marshall’s curated twitter list for election results tonight
Includes pretty much all of the election numbers folks you’d expect.
Chicago’s a nail biter at present, which is good for Johnson since it is believed he’ll win the late mail in ballots which will be counted last
Edited to add with 78% (476,538) counted in Chicago Vallas has a 370!!! vote lead over Johnson.
raven
Live chat
WaterGirl
@UncleEbeneezer: Yeah, I thought the way she treated Harry Litman on the show tonight was bullshit.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@UncleEbeneezer: I caught this exchange in the car. Littman has been getting increasingly frustrated with Wallace’s Garland Derangement. She really thinks a trial can and should look just like the J6 Committee.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: Thanks! How much do the alderperson races matter/
MagdaInBlack
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m listening to him and they must have really sedated him for the court appearance. He’s low energy whining all his greatest hits
Eta: also lots of sniffling.
WaterGirl
@raven: Who all is participating in that conversation? I’m sure any guys there are keeping their mouths shut?
jackmac
50-50 deadlock in Chicago with 87 percent counted. Vallas with 370 vote lead out of 476,000 cast.
raven
@WaterGirl: I didn’t want to stroke everyone out by saying who and where the live chat was accompanying shoot heads speech.
UncleEbeneezer
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: So glad I don’t watch her. She sounds like she would drive me absolutely bonkers. Mehdi Hassan and Elie Mystal being on these shows, is already enough to keep me away.
raven
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I like her.
WaterGirl
@jackmac: Where are you getting your info? You seem to be a little ahead of the NYT and the board of elections sites.
Barbara
@WaterGirl: Like many Republicans she wants someone, anyone to save them from Trump, but at least she has the integrity to say so out loud.
marcopolo
@WaterGirl: check out Josh Marshall’s curated twitter list
Johnson just took a small lead…list includes DKos elections, Wasserman, Taniel amongst others
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
they matter only in terms of the integrity of the Alderman. We’re supposed to have a strong council/weak Mayor system. But, too many Aldermen give the Mayor too much power and influence.
WaterGirl
Brandon just took the lead.
rikyrah
Johnson just took the lead
BRANDON JOHNSON
242,970
50.11%
PAUL VALLAS
241,859
49.89%
Total Votes
484,829
Princess
@WaterGirl: I’ll look forward to rikyrah’s thoughts but I think they matter a LOT. We’ve had councils that are rubber stamps and ones that are less so.
WaterGirl
@marcopolo: Thank you!
japa21
Johnson has pulled ahead by just over 1,000 votes.
different-church-lady
This just in: Donald Trump still indicted.
MagdaInBlack
@rikyrah: Oh please please please let Johnson win. I despise Paul Vallas.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: Are most of those races for alderperson dem-on-dem?
japa21
This is where I am getting my results.
https://elections.suntimes.com/live-election-results-runoff/
WaterGirl
@different-church-lady: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you said. Would you mind repeating that?
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
All Aldermanic races are Dem on Dem.
WaterGirl
@japa21: Thank you.
It’s 9:03, maybe we will start hearing from Wisconsin soon.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: Does Chicago have ranked voting now? Or do we just not let the Rs run for office? :-)
different-church-lady
@WaterGirl:
And now, news for the hard of hearing…
WaterGirl
I hadn’t noticed Treason on the playlist, that was a nice touch.
WaterGirl
@different-church-lady: Ha! I just wanted to see it again. :-)
Steeplejack
@Baud:
Yeah, it is. In Windows you can search for an emoji, and this 🦡 comes up for “badger.”
([Windows key] + [period key] to access emojis.)
Delk
I’m in the 47th ward. The 46th and 48th have a lot of real estate developments happening. The alderman has a lot of say about what gets built.
WaterGirl
Wisconsin results starting. Slowly.
Jeffro
@rikyrah: LET’S GO BRANDON!
(apologies if this has already been said)
lol
raven
Badger badger . . .mushroom.
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
Chicago DOES NOT have ranked voting.
Lord, no.
rikyrah
@Delk:
Tis true. If the Alderman wants to use that power for good and empowering the constituents, they can do it through development.
Don’t get me started on TIFF districts, and the scam that turned into
japa21
Johnson’s lead is expanding.
Sure Lurkalot
Hoping BJ good will in terms of WaterGirl’s organizing, posting and zooming (and baking!), the benjamins contributed and postcards written put our good candidates over the top.
rikyrah
90.24% reporting
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
250,231
50.38%
PAUL VALLAS
246,415
49.62%
Total Votes
496,646
WaterGirl
@Jeffro: I laughed.
Citizen Alan
@Another Scott: I’m genuinely curious as to what evangelical views were the deal breaker considering she was happy to marry a thrice divorced man who was 30 years. Her senior and had one foot in the grave.
Sister Golden Bear
@WaterGirl: If you thought I was celebratory yesterday, I was gonna drink to each indictment count today — but then I realized I don’t have a Wisconsin liver and I’d die of alcohol poisoning.
WaterGirl
Did anyone else notice that Trump’s eyes looked like the eyes of a snake in that photo they keep running of him in court?
Sister Golden Bear
@raven: I prefer my badgers without mushroom Trump.
Josie
@Citizen Alan: My mother, who had southernisms to rival Bill Clinton’s, used to say “One foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.”
WaterGirl
@Sister Golden Bear: It’s the thought that counts!
Omnes Omnibus
@Mousebumples: My niece is at UWEC. She sent me a picture of her “I voted” sticker. My nephew merely said that he voted. They are 20 and 21 respectively.
Barbara
@Citizen Alan: Maybe she waited until the last minute to pour them on heavy.
Omnes Omnibus
WI results.
Manyakitty
@raven: I usually do, too. She underwent a true conversion away from the dark side. That gives her some latitude for her residual winger views. She’s shed a bunch of them and I expect her to lose more apace.
CaseyL
@Citizen Alan: Maybe she was nattering at him to become Born Again Before He Died. A couple things in there he might have found objectionable.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I hadn’t realized they were that close in age.
marcopolo
@Omnes Omnibus: There was a video out of voter lines (long long lines) at UW EC earlier today. So many freaking kids standing in line to vote. Made me very happy!
Starting to get a good feeling about WI, fingers crossed
Here a link to a tweet with the vid
eclare
@Steeplejack: Looks like an anteater to me
WaterGirl
@TaMara: did you have a preference for Denver mayor? Did your person end up in the top 2?
Omnes Omnibus
@Manyakitty:
A convert’s zeal.
japa21
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks. Perhaps you can expand on the referendums. Also, so far SD 8 is looking good.
eclare
@WaterGirl: Whoever sprayed his face did a horrible job. He should have gotten a sprayer from DWTS, they are pros. They go through gallons of the stuff.
WaterGirl
Kelly appears to be underperforming in Wisconsin. What a shame.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Wasserman has turned his attention to the WI court race
WaterGirl
@eclare: I thought his hair looked frizzy and dried out, like they had washed it with dial soap in the shower.
of course, if I didn’t despise him, I wouldn’t care about that.
Omnes Omnibus
@japa21: The referenda were wingnut bait. Meant to harsh-up pretrial confinement, etc. All decent people voted no. Except possibly my s-i-l.
WaterGirl
@japa21: glad to hear that. Her opponent is dangerous.
rikyrah
Precincts Reported: 1,194 of 1,291 (92.49%)
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
258,594
50.70%
PAUL VALLAS
251,415
49.30%
Total Votes
510,009
different-church-lady
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Half your age, plus 7. She’s 66, he’s 118. The math checks out.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: is your sister-in- law decent?
eclare
@WaterGirl: It’s all just so weird, even for a combover.
MazeDancer
Lakshya Jain runs a newish numbers org called Split-Ticket. He’s full of good news Hope he’s right. Calling Chicago for Brandon. And:
japa21
@Omnes Omnibus: Does Wisconsin have enough decent people?
Alison Rose
@rikyrah: Would there be any kind of “automatic recount” situation here, depending on the margin?
rikyrah
@japa21:
Sure they do. They re-elected their Democratic Governor
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: SD-8 looks neck and neck. I do not want that 2/3 majority.
rikyrah
@Alison Rose:
Honestly, I don’t know the recount rules.
different-church-lady
@eclare:
Years before he ran, I read someone saying it wasn’t a comb over, it was a comb forward.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: I have been waiting for b random to hit 1%!
rikyrah
I really want to see the Mayoral Election breakdown by Ward.
Barbara
@WaterGirl: Habush seems to have jumped ahead for now. Fingers crossed.
Manyakitty
@Omnes Omnibus: fair enough.
UncleEbeneezer
WaterGirl
@Barbara: it changes so fast. Especially hard if you don’t know counties and precincts.
edit: forgot to say yay!
Eduardo
The lady with the impossible name is winning in Wisconsin. If she does, this will mark the defeat of a serious and for a while triumphant attempt to end democracy in varios states of the Midwest: PA, MI, WI and partially MN. Maybe I am leaving some state out.
The American experiment goes on. 🇺🇸
marcopolo
Wasserman just called it for Janet Protasiewicz in WI. That’s 99.9% of the way for me…
Now, let’s see if the D’s can win SD 8
Sister Golden Bear
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Watched bits of it. Very low energy. Sad.
Seriously, Indicted Yam looked and sounded drugged and sick. What a shame. A damn shame. Did I mention, I’m having lamb tikka marsala for dinner.
planetjanet
@Eduardo: Dave Wasserman just called the race for Janet Protasiewicz in Wisconsin.
Another Scott
@different-church-lady: Don’t be mean. It’s an homage to his mother.
HTH!!
Cheers,
Scott.
TaMara
Hope this prediction holds:
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Yes, she is. She is just very pro-cop and pro-prosecution. Works as a victims’ advocate for battered women.
NickM
Another Scott
Yay Team Janet!
Cheers,
Scott.
rikyrah
@TaMara:
If true, I just wanna cry.
Cry for democracy (little d)
Amen…thank goodness.
MazeDancer
@TaMara: He’s not alone in calling it for Janet.
Wonderful news!
Steeplejack
Tom Nichols live-tweeted Trump’s speech tonight at Mar-a-Lago. Apparently Nichols has not mastered threading technology, so you have to scroll down in his timeline to this tweet and then read back upward from there. Interesting stuff and links to other observers.
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl:
@rikyrah: All municipal elections here are officially nompartisan, right? But Chicago Republicans have been a joke for at least 80 years or so.
Need some Koko Taylor: “Wang Dang Doodle”
different-church-lady
@Another Scott:
Oh my freak all this time he’s been trying to be his mother!!!
Sister Golden Bear
@UncleEbeneezer: Thanks for sharing. It’s the latest study to confirm that trans women don’t retain any advantages after hormone treatment. I’d also note that we’ve been running a world-wide experiment for two decades and trans women aren’t taking over women’s sports.
Steeplejack
@raven:
Not just vaginas but Lawrence O’Donnell’s vagina!
marcopolo
Btw, shout out to Ben Wikler and all the WI Dem Party staff and volunteers for all the hard work they’ve put in over the past several years. First, getting Evers re-elected Gov and now flipping the WI SC. Amazing work!!!
WaterGirl
@prostratedragon: I hate the non partisan bullshit! Everyone is partisan now. I think they did that to give the Rs a better chance.
rikyrah
@marcopolo:
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP
Sister Golden Bear
@different-church-lady: A boy’s best friend is his mother.
Mousebumples
@Omnes Omnibus: Yay, voting for young people!
mvr
Shout out to WaterGirl for organizing a bunch of jackals to write cards, etc.
Mousebumples as well!
Still a bit nervous, but if we’re doing shout outs that one is deserved.
kalakal
@TaMara:
Still looking good for Janet at 50% of the votes counted😀
Gin & Tonic
@Steeplejack: Sometimes when I come in late I read threads from the bottom up, and this was the second from the bottom. Makes me want to just abandon the thread and get a drink.
schrodingers_cat
Judge Janet is projected to win!
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl: Agree on all counts. Pretty sure it’s why Vallas made it to the final ballot.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: 200 million is petty cash to a banking industry worth 3.6 Trillion dollars. (roughly 0.00055555555%)
Dump has always been small time
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: just pretend you didn’t see that.
rikyrah
Precincts Reported: 1,231 of 1,291 (95.35%)
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
274,517
51.18%
PAUL VALLAS
261,845
48.82%
Total Votes
536,362
Mousebumples
eclare
Cheers for Janet! And Mousebumples! And WaterGirl! for getting people out.
kalakal
A song for TFG on this happy day
Little Feat – On Your Way Down
Steeplejack
@Citizen Alan:
Down in the Vanity Fair article it sort of indicated that she had a gold-digger-y background with a former millionaire husband before she found Jesus.
ETA: Speaking of which, Gold Diggers of 1933 is starting on TCM in a few minutes. The best of the big Busby Berkeley musicals, IMO. Great songs and also a well-written comedy.
different-church-lady
@Steeplejack: ANATOMY IS JUST A CONCEPT, MAN!
japa21
SD 8 just changed and Jodi is back in the lead. Over 90% counted.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
So far the cemetery wards haven’t reported in Chicago
japa21
Meanwhile, Johnson has expanded his lead even further. Almost 13 K advantage 95% in
ETA: I’ll just let Rikyrah handle it.
But between WI and Chicago, could be a good, good night.
TS
@rikyrah:
So hard to believe it could be this close. So many people want RW autocratic rule – because they think it will be better for themselves and worse for those others.
The hatred that this engenders is mind boggling – and sadly not just in the US.
jackmac
Love the playlist but “Lake Shore Drive” — a great Chicago song by Alioto, Haynes and Jerimiah — is conspicuously absent.
bbleh
@schrodingers_cat: just saw on NYT. woohoo!
Eduardo
@planetjanet: yes!!!!
UncleEbeneezer
@Sister Golden Bear: You’re very welcome. It just popped up on my Twitter feed and since a commenter here was asking about the Trans athlete myth, just the other day, I figured it was worth sharing asap.
I was surprised that other studies arguing that there is an advantage, compared elite Trans women athletes to mostly-sedentary Cis women. I mean, wtf? That’s a pretty major flaw for a study, that more people should be aware of.
rikyrah
@TS:
It’s the crime issue. When crime was just in the Black and Brown communities, it was ‘manageable’. But, now that crime is taking place in White areas too, that gave Vallas his opening.
NotMax
NBC projecting the D as winner of WI Supreme Court election today.
japa21
@TS:
Vallas would not qualify as RW authoritarian rule. Definitely a centrist Dem, but nor RW.
zzyzx
Washington Post called!
Steeplejack
Rachel Maddow announcing on MSNBC that Janet Protasiewicz is the projected winner in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by 57% to 43%. That’s a pretty big margin.
rikyrah
@TS:
The truth is..
In Chicago, you can piss one major union off and stay in power:
Police or Teachers
Lori Lightfoot made enemies in BOTH unions and they went after her.
The Vallas/Johnson match is basically both unions going after one another.
Vallas – Police
Johnson – Teachers
Johnson racked up a number of Union endorsements, outside of the Teachers Union. and, in Chicago, those endorsements came with door knockers and walkers for him.
Vallas only had the Police Union.
The Unions that Johnson had sent boots all over the city, because they were from all over the city. The Police Union, while required to live in Chicago, are completely concentrated in two different sections of the city, both at the city’s edge – one on the North Side, one on the South Side. Of course, I mean the White cops. Black and Hispanic cops live in neighborhood all across the city.
SuzieC
AP calls race for Judge Protasiewicz.
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples:
Turns out women don’t like losing their right to self determination. Who knew?
NaijaGal
Holy shit – she won!!!!!!!!! Janet Protasiewicz won (warning, NYT link)!
different-church-lady
Nature is healing.
eclare
@Steeplejack: Wow! So, taking away rights is not a popular position? Who knew!
Steeplejack
@Gin & Tonic:
Back-story: On the MSNBC all-star panel a couple of hours ago O’Donnell said that he went down into the crowd this morning to get the vibe. He said that very few people recognized him, but there was one guy who kept following him around and yelling something incoherent about his vagina.
ETA: Rachel Maddow did point out that that could just be an ordinary day in lower Manhattan.
Mousebumples
Thank you to everyone here – whether it’s WaterGirl for coordinating with Voces to get us addresses for postcards, or all of you who wrote postcards, joined us for the music threads, donated to Voces or WisDems, or just posted encouragement. I feel like there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel to turn my state into a representative democracy.🎉🙌
Mousebumples
@WaterGirl: 💯
sralloway
@WaterGirl: Try this.
https://www.wisn.com/article/wisconsin-general-elections-results-2023/43421021#
TS
@rikyrah:
Thanks for the detail – my knowledge comes mainly from reading BJ.
RaflW
Just looked up from a rousing game of Ransom Notes with friends to see the good WI news. Phew!!
different-church-lady
@Steeplejack:
It would have been even weirder if he had been yelling something coherent about it.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!🐔
bbleh
Oops NM
prostratedragon
@rikyrah: Dare we hope?
“We Go Back,” Buddy Guy with Mavis Staples
H.E.Wolf
We had great leadership from the tenacious trio of Mousebumples , WaterGirl and MazeDancer! Thank you!
Another Scott
@sralloway: Thanks for the pointer.
Here’s hoping that Jodi Sinykin can make it a sweep for the good people in SD8.
Cheers,
Scott.
eclare
@different-church-lady:
Hahaha…..seriously LOL
WaterGirl
The news about Janet hasn’t quite sunk in yet. Deep breaths.
different-church-lady
@prostratedragon:
Everyone talks about Buddy’s guitar playing, but damn, that man can sing.
japa21
Just a biased side point, another plus for WI is the the Brewers just shellacked the Mets for the second day in a row, outscoring them 19-0 over that span.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: no kidding.
japa21
SD 8 is going to take a while. The jerk is back in the lead, though by only 700 votes.
HumboldtBlue
Congrats to the Wisconsinites and to you fine people who continue to do yeoman’s work on elections, absolutely fantastic, youse are amazing.
Alison Rose
Ah, the NYT does something useful and provides a phonetic pronunciation: pro-tuh-SAY-witz. I had most of the sounds right but was putting the emphasis on the second syllable and making it more like “tass”.
rikyrah
Precincts Reported: 1,248 of 1,291 (96.67%)
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
277,388
51.20%
PAUL VALLAS
264,395
48.80%
Total Votes
541,783
C Stars
@NaijaGal: Waaahhoooo!
jackmac
So pleased to hear the Supreme Court results from Wisconsin.
Sanity may now be on the way back in the Badger State!
hueyplong
Heartfelt congrats and thanks to everyone here who helped out in Wisconsin.
eclare
@japa21: Great night for Wisconsin!
topclimber
Any Wisconsin jackals know what’s up with school board races? The ones I look at from here show them real close. I don’t know if there are book banners in the picture, and whether they are winning or losing.
WaterGirl
Did the state referendums go the right way? All 3 are yes.
Another Scott
@rikyrah: Excellent!
Thanks for the updates.
Cheers,
Scott.
jackmac
@WaterGirl: Apologies for late reply. Results from Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ.
WaterGirl
@jackmac: that will help a ton! But if Jodi loses in sad-8, then they have 2/3 majority in both houses and can impeach Janet, the governor, etc.
Mousebumples
@topclimber: I’m not in Milwaukee, so I can’t offer much, but my NE Wisconsin school district races are going in favor of my 3 preferred candidates so far.
@WaterGirl: I voted no on all 3, so I don’t think so. Mostly because the legislature came up with the questions, and I don’t trust them.
Omnes Omnibus
I would just like to shout out to all the people who were writing off WI over the past few years.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl:
No.
Another Scott
Woot!
DeVos loses again!!
Cheers,
Scott.
zhena gogolia
@Steeplejack: “Peabody, you’re disgusting!”
Princess Leia
@WaterGirl:
Oh, that is so scary. So no reason to celebrate yet? Seems like no one is paying attention to this!
japa21
@Omnes Omnibus:
On the referendums, where they done the usual GOP way of being worded as though they sound almost sensible and able to hide the inherent cruelty behind them?
Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride
Speaking of MSNBC, I had to turn off their indictment coverage, featuring all five of their top female anchors, after Joy Ann Reid (a non-lawyer, so far as I know) asked why it was that the Black state prosecutors were carrying the ball on all the prosecutions while DOJ sat back and did nothing, and Rachel Maddow (also a non-lawyer) seconded her, and Nicolle Wallace (also, etc.) cheered them both on. Of course, they had no actual lawyers on with them to harsh their mellow.
zhena gogolia
@japa21: Yeah, I thought that was a little off.
eclare
@Omnes Omnibus: Is the party for your dad tonight?
Omnes Omnibus
@japa21:
Exactly.
kalakal
@Another Scott: Excellent!
jackmac
In my little corner of far west suburban Chicago sanity prevails as four right-wing stealth candidates were overwhelmingly rejected in school board elections!
Juju
I guess it’s icing as far as the margin goes.
Omnes Omnibus
@eclare:
Saturday night.
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples: @Omnes Omnibus: well, poop.
but we got Janet.
Another Scott
@jackmac: More excellent news!
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
Princess
@rikyrah: My neighbourhood was literally crawling with SEIU workers for Johnson this weekend. They were knocking on doors, hanging out at the strip malls, everywhere you looked.
eclare
@Omnes Omnibus: Ah. Much to celebrate.
rikyrah
Precincts Reported: 1,273 of 1,291 (98.61%)
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
284,108
51.45%
PAUL VALLAS
268,115
48.55%
Total Votes
552,223
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: that’s a relief. Assuming it’s true.
Eduardo
The Republican cope and crying on Twitter regarding the Wisconsin SC election is beyond delicious.
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: hallelujah!
Mousebumples
Oh, look, the lawyer who helped with some January 6 insurrection nonsense is a sore loser. 😒
Alison Rose
LOL Seth Meyers talking about the scene outside the courthouse: “throngs of Trump supporters, numbering in the tens, or perhaps even the twelves, showed up to just sort of mill around, I guess, support the indicted former president, where they were outnumbered by both reporters and pigeons”
prostratedragon
@different-church-lady: I think as a singer he still gets better and better.
I’m not at all sentimental about my native city, but among the things I’ll give it, every kind of great singing is on offer here.
“Ecce Gratum” from Carmina Burana, Carl Orff.
I had the pleasure of hearing the present-day edition (recording is from the 80s) live a couple of weeks ago. Stupendous! If you’re around at the right time, give yourself a treat.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: maybe those of us who didn’t write off Wisconsin should get a shout out, too?
Alison Rose
@Mousebumples: wow, what a prick
ETA the gif in this reply cracked me up
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples: what a fucking whiner and sore loser. I’m sure he doesn’t think this race was legitimate, either. These people are sad excuses for human beings.
prostratedragon
@jackmac: Whew! What a relief!
dnfree
The playlist looks good but I don’t see Steve Goodman’s Lincoln Park Pirates (because that was and maybe still is a real towing company) or his Cubs song?
WaterGirl
@jackmac: yay!
eclare
@Mousebumples: Whoa! The snowflake butthurt never ends. KTHXBAI.
prostratedragon
@Another Scott: All right! Hope it holds up, what with late mail-ins and all.
Stuart Frasier
@WaterGirl: Republicans have 64/99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly. That’s short of a 2/3 majority, so they can’t impeach without Dem votes.
WaterGirl
@dnfree: they were on last week’s singer songwriter playlist so I bet Brandon didn’t want to repeat.
Major Major Major Major
Looking like Denver voters may be deciding that no housing shall be built on the privately-held, unused golf course… but you know what, now that I’m a homeowner, I can at least benefit from NIMBYism! Too bad, though, for everybody else.
eclare
@prostratedragon: I just listened, great song. Thank you.
Eduardo
@WaterGirl: I know it is WI Republicans we are talking about but it seems difficult to pull after this mauling https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/1643440045062250497?s=20
A truly historic day.
tobie
@Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride: This is exactly why I gave up on MSNBC. Sometimes I’ll listen to a bit of Lawrence O’Donnell or Stephanie Ruhl, but since April 2021–i.e., a month after Garland was appointed–Maddow and Wallace have been calling for Garland’s head. Reid’s “Merrick, the Meek” with its hints of the antisemitic taunt Feigling was a step too far for me.
Don’t they get that this case was small fry and the DOJ really did have to devote all its resources to Jan 6, Russian influence, and the documents scandal?
WaterGirl
@Stuart Frasier: that’s 0.646 which is more than 2/3, right?
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl:
I’ve got some footballs to spike. I got very annoyed by people explaining my state to me from the east and west coasts. FIBs like you are okay in my book. :D
Narya
@rikyrah: YES!!!!!
dnfree
@WaterGirl: Thanks! I can see his lists are comprehensive. (But there can never be too much Steve Goodman when talking about Chicago.)
Ksmiami
@WaterGirl: I think they’d need 66.
Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride
of course, by Reid’s logic, since only one of those Black state prosecutors has yet filed charges, and we haven’t heard a peep out of Fani Willis since her special grand jury wrapped up its work weeks ago, we ought to conclude that the other Black state prosecutors are also doing nothing and will probably never do anything.
Jackie
If this wonderful news has already been posted, I apologize, but good news is always worth repeating!
“Wisconsin voters on Tuesday chose to upend the political direction of their state by electing a liberal candidate to the State Supreme Court, flipping majority control from conservatives, according to The Associated Press. The result means that in the next year, the court is likely to reverse the state’s abortion ban and end the use of gerrymandered legislative maps drawn by Republicans,” the New York Times reports.
“Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal Milwaukee County judge, defeated Daniel Kelly, a conservative former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who sought a return to the bench. With more than 60 percent of votes counted, Judge Protasiewicz led by about 14 percentage points. The contest, which featured over $40 million in spending, was the most expensive judicial election in American history.”
ETA: I’m the 257th post? We need a new thread!
Ksmiami
@Mousebumples: never change Republicans. Fucking asshats and sore losers
rikyrah
Precincts Reported: 1,281 of 1,291 (99.23%)
Candidate
Total
BRANDON JOHNSON
285,773
51.42%
PAUL VALLAS
269,951
48.58%
Total Votes
555,724
Steeplejack
@zhena gogolia:
So many great lines. “I’ve been playing juveniles for 18 years. Nobody tells me how to put over a song!”
prostratedragon
“We’re a Winner,” The Impressions
japa21
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes even we FIBs have a better understanding of WI, even if we haven’t lived there for 50 years.
ETA: And you have plenty of reason to spike the football for more than just this. Despite whatever Steve in WTF says, you’re a pretty astute lawyer.
Alison Rose
@Jackie: 257 :P We’re only at half a Tbogg, I’d say we’re still good.
Stuart Frasier
@WaterGirl: Nope, 2/3 is 0.666.
WaterGirl
@dnfree: completely agree about Steve Goodman!
RaflW
@topclimber: Menomonee Falls all went bad. And last year’s staggered term election also sucked, so that school district is going down the right wing shitter.
Elizabelle
@Another Scott: Oh my gosh! Did not even dare to hope for that outcome.
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson??
eclare
@japa21: I think I have asked before, so apologies, FIB’s?
WaterGirl
@Stuart Frasier: you’re right. Too tired. But I definitely read that about the 2/3.
cain
@Ksmiami: It amazes me that that these people see themselves as noble.
Looking for good news for the Senate district ! Go Dems !
Eta woot ! 270! Omg 😳😱
Omnes Omnibus
@eclare:
Fucking Illinois Bastards.
Elizabelle
WaPost announcing it. Brandon Johnson won in Chicago. Wow.
japa21
@eclare:
The I stands for Illinois. You can figure out the F and B when you realize it isn’t a way of flattering somebody.
eclare
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks! I will try to put that on my mental hard drive.
H.E.Wolf
@Omnes Omnibus:”I got very annoyed by people explaining my state to me from the east and west coasts. FIBs like you are okay in my book. :D”
If you in-staters would have me, I’d be honored to be a FOB. (O for out of state)
Omnes Omnibus
I don’t think the Sen8 race will be called tonight.
japa21
@RaflW:
My old home town. Damn, I hate to see that.
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major:
I’ve been a homeowner for close to 17 years now. I’m supposed to be thrilled that values are through the roof, but instead I’m disgusted by sheer greedy vulgarity of it all.
japa21
@Omnes Omnibus:
Doesn’t look like it. Whoever wins, likely recount. I think.
Major Major Major Major
@WaterGirl: cuz it’s true, or at least I consider Michael a very credible source on the topic, also republicans are saying they might do it
Soprano2
Latest returns for our school board are good, the two sane candidates are ahead with 7 of 12 precincts in.
Mousebumples
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major: I keep seeing this. But what happens if they impeach? I would assume they’d just have another election?
Major Major Major Major
@different-church-lady: if only there were some way to increase the supply of housing to address the issue… I’m sure somebody will come up with one eventually.
(Denver’s actually done a very good job in the last ten years, at least by the standards of American cities.)
Stuart Frasier
@Major Major Major Major: They can’t, they need a supermajority in both houses.
Another Scott
Madison.com (from January):
So it sounds like it was an uphill race for her. I hope she pulls it out.
Google (and the above) tells me that the State Assembly has 64 GQPers of 99, so they don’t have a 2/3 majority there. But it’s uncomfortably close to one…
Dunno if just the monsters in the Senate can remove officials with a 2/3 vote… :-(
Cheers,
Scott.
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major:
This ain’t a popular opinion, but just increasing the stock will do nothing for affordability. There are too many factors distorting the market. If we don’t do something about all the flippers and investors, more stock just means more unaffordable housing.
Major Major Major Major
@Stuart Frasier: assembly vote is bare majority. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lc/information_memos/2014/im_2014_03
WaterGirl
@Major Major Major Major: at least one guy is now predicting a loss for Jodi.
topclimber
@RaflW: I this suburban or in the boonies?
eclare
@different-church-lady: It’s about the punishment, at least that is what I see in TN. Republicans already have a supermajority, why expel these reps for not being decorous, whatever the fuck that means. They are doing it because they can.
James E Powell
@Omnes Omnibus:
I don’t recall anyone writing Wisconsin off. After all, they came through in 2020.
Delk
@Omnes Omnibus: my husband and I are overjoyed with the results. Haven’t been to Madison since Covid. Also I miss flipping off Uline.
Soprano2
@prostratedragon: That’s hands down my favorite choral work. I’ve performed it 4 times and would do it again in a heartbeat. The men definitely have the harder part – “In Taberna” is a beast!
Gin & Tonic
@Mousebumples:
Fucking asshole. Should be “to whom I can concede.”
WaterGirl
@WaterGirl: now a bunch of them are predicting a loss for Jodi.
fucking authoritarian Pricks are unamerican.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I was thinking today what I used to think often from 17 on, the worst thing about trump is he taught Republicans, especially in red states, what they can get away with. If he drops dead tomorrow, that will still be true.
Omnes Omnibus
@James E Powell:
I do.
Major Major Major Major
@different-church-lady: it’s actually a very popular opinion, probably the most widely-held one I encounter regarding housing.
However, the vast, vast majority of new construction is occupied, so it just doesn’t make sense that “flippers and investors” could be overpowering well-understood market mechanisms. There was a ‘scandal’ the last few years as Blackstreet started buying up a bunch of houses, and people were all too happy to blame exploding prices on them, but if you looked at what they actually said, it was that the headwinds faced by developers meant that housing was a really safe investment compared to the stock market.
Stuart Frasier
@Major Major Major Major: From your link:
Removal of: Justices and Judges
Initiated by: The Legislature
Removal by address is a procedure that allows the Legislature to remove justices and judges from office based on a supermajority vote in each house. Before removing a justice or judge, the Legislature must serve the individual with a copy of the charges forming the grounds for address and provide an opportunity for the justice or judge to be heard and to present a defense. The Legislature may then vote on removing the justice or judge by a 2/3rds vote of all the elected members of the Assembly, as well as a 2/3rds vote by all elected members of the Senate. [Wis. Const. art. VII, s. 13, and s. 17.06, Stats.]
japa21
@Major Major Major Major:
Except for judges, it may take supermajority in each house. Rather confusing language.
billcinsd
@Stuart Frasier: The State Senate is 21 of 33 with 1 vacant election today. A Repub win in Waukesha makes the Senate 2/3rds Repub
Another Scott
@Stuart Frasier: Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
billcinsd
@Gin & Tonic: Not when you don’t consider women to be humans
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major: All I know is in my neighborhood I see far more knockovers and flips than private sales. We’ve been building condo developments like crazy and the prices just keep going up regardless of the increase in stock.
patrick II
I know we are talking – mostly about women’s rights in the Wisconsin, but right this have any Wisconsin state gerrymandering cases coming before the court? That would make a huge adifference in highly gerrymandered Wisconsin.
Alison Rose
Go to Brandon Johnson’s website and scroll down a bit on the home page to see the absolutely lovely family photo!
eclare
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Yep. Before TFG R’s were on the field, but unorganized. Who’s playing left field? Fuck, who forgot the gloves?
They are now organized.
Ladyraxterinok
@rikyrah:
Is that a low vote total for Chicago?
Eduardo
@japa21: supermajority in the sum of both houses and supermajority in the senate. So if you dont get 2/3 in the house you still can get the judge revoked if you have enough senate votes beyond 2/3
because what they have is exactly 2/3 in the senate they need 2/3 in the house too
not happening anyway I don’t think
different-church-lady
@Stuart Frasier:
So I don’t understand what “assembly” means in WI, but I’m seeing folks at LGM say that the Uggs don’t have 2/3rds there, so they can’t impeach.
Mousebumples
@patrick II: not officially but the Democratic Election lawyer had indicated that new lawsuits may be filed. Elias, I think, was his name?
Major Major Major Major
@Stuart Frasier: that’s “removal by address”. The thing the GOP would be hoping to lean on is the fact that the law does not actually define who is subject to impeachment.
Mousebumples
@different-church-lady: Assembly is like the “House” to use a US govt equivalent.
I’m not 100% sure on the impeachment rules, but I don’t trust the WI GOP to try whatever shenanigans they can to grasp onto power.
Omnes Omnibus
@different-church-lady:
The General Assembly is the lower house.
Another Scott
Popehat in RollingStone says Bragg needs to explain the indictment more. Probably a good take – the legal wrangling is just starting.
(IANAL.)
Cheers,
Scott.
prostratedragon
@Soprano2: How, uh, fortunate! Sounds about right to my ear that the lower voices have it tougher, though there are a couple of beautiful parts for the sopranos, chorus and soloists. Reginald Mobley sang a dignified Swan while the baritone was quite hammy, both appropriately imo.
And the orchestra is much more than stooges for the voices here. One of the real treats of being in the room where it happens is feeling those big drums at the beginning, and seeing the bass drummers (2) whamming those things like Serena crushing a forehand.
sdhays
@billcinsd: But the state assembly is only 64/99 Republican, so they can’t successfully impeach and remove judges even if they win SD-8 (without Democratic help, which isn’t impossible – though hopefully very unlikely – if what they’re saying about North Carolina is true). If the rules are different for executive branch offices, Evers could be in for a rough(er) ride, though.
sdhays
@Major Major Major Major: …Wouldn’t the State Supreme Court be the “decider” on that question?
Major Major Major Major
@sdhays: and the Republican judges would have the majority, unless the new Dem refused to recuse herself on the matter of her own impeachment. (I’m not saying it’ll happen but that’s the calculus.)
Anyway
@Alison Rose:
Yes, great photo. Cute kids!
Soprano2
@prostratedragon: That high note in “In Trutina” is a high D. Not many sopranos can hit that note. Hammy is the right way to sing the baritone solos. The whole work is like singing joy to me. It’s too bad that most people only know “O Fortuna”. My choir conductor says she wants to play that bass drum part.
Mousebumples
More good news out of Green Bay!
sdhays
@Major Major Major Major: Right. Seems farfetched to assume that the targeted justice would recuse herself, but I don’t doubt these guys are gaming out ways to try to make it happen.
WaterGirl
@Mousebumples: Oh, yay! I was just wondering about that one.
Ladyraxterinok
@Alison Rose:
Thsnk you for this link.
prostratedragon
@Soprano2: I forgot my opera glasses, but could swear that the audience-side drummer had a big grin on during that part. Like discovering you really like board break exhibitions.
Cute kid from the children choir I saw leaving with his mother was absolutely flying over cloud 9. I wonder if he realized they had 3 more performances.
Mousebumples
@WaterGirl: I think I might need to go to bed and not wait on SD-8 results. I’m guessing the absentee/central count results are the main thing left. Hope the margin is enough to put Jodi over the top!
Soprano2
Looks like sanity has prevailed here in the school board race! Plus, shockingly, the former police officer (big MAGA) running for one of our city council seats lost. That’s shocking here, I was sure he would win.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@Another Scott: I was watching Ari Melber and he had on the former head of SDNY and the former general counsel of the liberal F.B.I. and they both said Bragg was masterful today.
UncleEbeneezer
@Dr. Jakyll and Miss Deride: You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into. The Garland-haters swallowed whole the presumption that DOJ/Garland must’ve failed us somehow, long ago and now it’s too late to go back so they just keep doubling down. The vast majority of them that I have witnessed seem to have made the initial plunge based on emotions of fear and anxiety not a well-reasoned evaluation of existing evidence or legal expertise from people with experience in complex, Federal investigations. It’s been a real eye-opener into how otherwise smart people can put critical thinking on hold in favor of doom/gloom speculation. The NY and GA cases are both minuscule in scope, complexity and magnitude than what DOJ/Garland/Jack Smith are managing. They are gonna bring out the BIG charges/penalties, but they also have the much tougher challenges to bring them. Manhattan and Fulton are just opening acts. Federal Indictments will be the HEADLINER!
danielx
In other news (nyuck nyuck), Rupert Murdoch’s fifth wedding is off. Must have been a religious conflict….
danielx
@Mousebumples:
Class and grace to the very end.
Jojo
@topclimber: All around SE Wisconsin, there has been an organized push for book -banners/wingnuts/anti-LGBTQ school board candidates, led by the odious Moms For (not actually) Liberty, Awake (basically M4L in disguise), and the vile Scarlet Johnson (Scarlet is a fake name -her real name is Katy) and Rebecca Kleefisch’s 1848 project. Depending on the district, they’re either open about it-like in Oconomowoc, which is very right wing-or they try to play coy about it and pretend they’re not partisan hacks, like in Wauwatosa, which is much more left-wing than it was even 10 years ago. In Wauwatosa it looks like it flopped pretty badly, but there are still absentee ballots to count. Unfortunately, in a lot of districts I think they’ll have more success, like in Menomonee Falls.
Mousebumples
Okay, I’m off to bed. Thanks again to everyone – and thank you Ben Wikler for chairing my state party! 💙
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I think with most Garland-bashers, it’s the opposite of gloom and doom, it’s the wrong-headed conviction that prosecuting trump is a slam-dunk, whatever the charges, whatever the evidence.
I heard (Garland-basher) Elie Honig say on a podcast that former Senator and prosecutor Doug Jones has been very skeptical of the Georgia case. I did some googling looking for where or when Jones said that, but I couldn’t find it.
Jojo
Another loss for Scarlet Johnson and Moms For “Liberty”.
danielx
Sweet.
cain
@Mousebumples:
I suspect that we are now at the stage where the Trump supporters are a minority but very large and still forcing unpopular candidates and 24/7 culture wars.
I think as a party this showing means they are in deep shit. I think a lot of people are alarmed with what the fuck is being passed across the nation – and I think women are showing up. Which of course means that women are enemy #1 – too bad they can’t gerrymander districts to filter out women now can they?
mrmoshpotato
@Princess:
Yes! And I think it’s safe to chant “Fuck off, Paul Vallas!” now.
Alison Rose
@Jojo: At first glance, I was like, wait wtf did Scarlett Johansson do
dww44
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m no lawyer either, but I don’t have good feelings about the case here in Georgia. I can’t speak to DA Willis’ abilities one way or the other, although there were misgivings floated early on that maybe she wasn’t up to the task.
She will have to be very strong to take this case to trial as there are some huge powerful forces aligned against her and doing everything they can to thwart her ability to move forward. No levers of state power are in Democratic hands and the GOP legislature is trying mightily to weaken her hand and intimidate her.
RaflW
@sdhays: The MKE Journal Sentinel said it’s a simple majority vote of the lower house, and a 2/3rds in the WI senate to convict.
So the GOP can certainly try, and I’m thinking they will. They’re totally contemptuous of democracy, of voter intent, and wholly in service to power by any means.
Doesn’t mean we don’t fight like hell. And an impeachment, if successful, will mean a 3-3 Court until a new election can again be won by even more furious Dems. But the GOP is both desperate and deranged, so they’ll go for it, I believe.
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah:
We might get that in the coming days.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@dww44: there’s a former GA prosecutor named Michael Moore who has been a frequent commentator on MSNBC. I like him because he’s wry and a bit cynical. He said at one point, discussing this case, that his biggest concern was the jury: “It may be Fulton County, but it’s still Georgia”– I believe trump and Herschel Walker each got about 25% there, and trump only needs one figurative MAGA hat on that jury.
When that special grand juror was doing her Full Ginsberg media tour, somebody asked Moore what he thought of it and he just sighed and shook his head and said, “Well, there’s your jury pool”
HumboldtBlue
May we get a new thread please?
Omnes Omnibus
@RaflW:
I would argue that the impeachment rules do not apply to judges as there is a separate procedure delineated for removal of judges. But what do I know…
RaflW
If you’re as old as I am, you might well know who Steve Albini is (record producer who has worked with Nirvana, Breeders, Pixies, and many others). I love this:
RaflW
@Omnes Omnibus: As WI-based esquire, you know plenty. I’m just sayin’ what (possibly wrong) journalamalists are sayin.
And editorializing that the GOP will, at this decrepit stage in their spiral, try anything and everything to fuck people over.
Wombat Probability Cloud
@Omnes Omnibus: It’s going to be an interesting week–or so–as this all sorts out. The NYT tracker shows Knodl up by 533 (>95%), desafortunadamente.
Jinchi
@RaflW: If they can impeach a newly elected judge, they can impeach all the Dems on the bench.
Personally, I don’t think they’ll do it. But if they were headed down that path there’d be no need to keep the court at 3-3.
Omnes Omnibus
@RaflW:
No doubt, but trying and succeeding are not the same thing. The People of WI just won a huge victory tonight, and I am not really in the mood for people to “well actually” it this quickly.
James E Powell
@HumboldtBlue:
When we get this close, why not go for TBogg?
NaijaGal
@Omnes Omnibus: Thank you! I was just going to ask this. Is a judge a “civil officer?” Because it looks like the rules for removing judges by address specifically require a 2/3 majority in both the WI house and senate, but the rules for impeaching a “civil officer” require a bare majority in the house and 2/3 majority in the senate. There also has to be a valid reason for impeachment (corrupt conduct in office, commission of a crime or misdemeanor). I hope there would be demonstrations all over WI if winning an election for a judgeship suddenly becomes a “crime” or “misdemeanor” since the judge hasn’t been in office (for a corrupt conduct in office charge to stick).
Major Major Major Major
@HumboldtBlue: sbluhh… took an edible and might not be up for it… nothing else in the pipeline though…
Ithink
@RaflW: OMG that is awesome! I’m on my early thirties and am of course aware of this fella and am a HUGE fan of his production work and collaborators. These two (hopeful!) back-toback victories for democracy give me a grandeur of optimism for the Presidential Election of 2024 though nothing is gauranteed until that last singular vote (electoral and otherwise) is tallied.
StringOnAStick
So relieved when I got the text from Wisdems that Judge Janet had won, and then seeing the pro teacher candidate win in Chicago. I hope for more good news on election results tomorrow. A pretty damned good day!
RaflW
@Omnes Omnibus: Fair enough! WI & Dems pulled off an impressive win. I am deeply relieved at the outcome.
Ithink
Pharniel
@Omnes Omnibus:
I keep shouting it from the rooftops, but no political junkie, pundit, advisor, consultant, or what have you – professional or amateur – of any party is ready for the consequences of regular 80%+ turnout elections.
mrmoshpotato
@Alison Rose: That’s a great photo.
Major Major Major Major
@RaflW: it’s great!
El Muneco
@NaijaGal: The original phrasing of “high crimes and misdemeanors” was “maladministration”. Impeachment for incompetence, abuse of power, etc. – even drunkenness – has a long legal history.
The danger is that any such fig leaf that there is no (valid) source of appeal for is on solid enough legal ground to make stick.
RaflW
Dan Shafer (Recombobulation Area writer):
Looks like we might hit 1.8 million voters in the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is WILD.
rikyrah
@Ladyraxterinok:
About 30%
SectionH
We went out to the fishing pier today, To the little craft beer bar there. Yeah, we knew already – did love the conspiracy charge as lagniappe. Anyway it was sunny but windy and coldfreezing, so there was almost nobody there, fishing or eating/drinking. So when we walked in, our wonderful guy who works there broke into a giant grin – because yeah he knows we share the same politics – and came out into the center of the floor and had a srsly Righteous rant. Every other word was Fucker, or some variation on that, yes about TFG, and what a relief it was to have the fucker that far in court anyway.
It was a thing of beauty.
edited
mrmoshpotato
@SectionH: Nice. I’m sure his rant was good for you and him.
SectionH
@mrmoshpotato: Absolutely.
brantl
@Another Scott: Every time she mentioned them, his hearing aid was turned off.
Matt McIrvin
@Jinchi:
Heck, why stop there? They could impeach the governor and every Democrat in the legislature at the same time! Do they have the balls? Absolute power!!!!!
I’ve wondered for a while what Americans would do in a situation like that, their representatives in government just going flat-out Skeletor with the justification that technically they can. A bunch of these Republican state legislatures are clearly moving in that direction.
But in this case, it sounds like they’d need complete unanimity and Janet Protasiewicz carried a bunch of these Republican members’ districts, so it’s not a case where they’d be following the will of their gerrymandered constitutents. And they have to know that.
Kay
The failure of the anti-woke warriors in the upper midwest is also interesting, IMO, but I don’t think we get so much analysis on that because so many members of media jumped on the anti woke bandwagon.