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We Owe Donald Trump Nothing But A Job

Posted by Bob Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive
Bob Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive
Bob Kiefert is the Publisher of the Northeast Wisconsin - Green Bay Progressive.
User is currently offline
on Tuesday, 15 November 2016
in Wisconsin

trump-rncIn January, Donald Trump will start his new government job. He can expect no more loyalty or support than President Obama received. It will be his job to win us over using only the dull tools we give to our President in a democracy.


GREEN BAY – On November 8th, we held an election for the job of President of the United States and Donald Trump won. In January, barring anything unforeseen at the Electoral College in December, he will start his new government job.

The current holder of the job, President Barack Obama, has met with Trump and begun the process of showing him the ropes. About half of people with a vote in the selection process are happy with the choice, and the other half are not. We will see how he works out.

Despite all of the talk in the media about electing a world leader and the most powerful man on earth, it is important to remember that it’s just a job and a government job at that. We did not elect a King, and Trump Enterprises did not buy a controlling interest in the U.S. government.

Working in government is quite different than the private sector and often frustrating. In any Executive job, like President or Governor or Mayor, you have a lot of bosses and they are the people you serve. Our founders set it up that way.

Donald Trump will probably get real frustrated in his new job fast. He is used to being his own boss, the king of his domain, who can hire and fire and pretty much do what he likes. That’s the private sector model we still use based on the days of lords and kings.

Most successful businessmen understand the difference, and that’s why most are not interested in running for any government job. They don’t need the hassle, and for what?

Donald Trump has a new job, and being successful in it will require a whole set of skills he has yet to demonstrate. Can he convince bosses he cannot fire that his idea is the one they should follow? Can he rally their loyalty? Can he convince foreign leaders that his word can be trusted? Can he do the job?

President Obama started his new government job with very little support from nearly half of the American people and even less from the opposing political party in Washington. Donald Trump should expect no more.

It will be his job to win us over using only the dull tools we give to our President. Will he appoint people we can trust to his cabinet? Will be propose policies we agree with and can follow? Will he demonstrate he is there to represent us and not promote himself?

If not, we have the power to fire him, and not just by waiting four years and voting him out. That is our right, and responsibility, as our founders envisioned.

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Blue Jean Nation 'What we don’t need to get what we want'

Posted by Mike McCabe, Blue Jean Nation
Mike McCabe, Blue Jean Nation
Mike McCabe is the founder and president of Blue Jean Nation and author of Blue
User is currently offline
on Saturday, 12 November 2016
in Wisconsin

vetmarchMike says we can be better than the bullies, love our country, love thy neighbor. Failure can be a great teacher, and America is never finished.


ALTOONA, WI - We don’t need to leave the country. America is never finished. It is always in the making. We can get to work making our country what we want it to be.

We don’t need hate to fuel us. We can follow the Golden Rule. We can love thy neighbor. We have love of country. We can lean on each other, look out for one another.

We don’t need to tear someone down to build ourselves up. That’s what bullies do. We can be better than bullies.

We don’t need greatness. We do need goodness, now more than ever.

We don’t need any unjust laws repealed in order for us to make change. When we make change, then those unjust laws will be repealed.

We don’t need what all that money buys the politicians. We don’t need pollsters to tell us what to think. We can think for ourselves. We don’t need speechwriters and teleprompters to put words in our mouths. We can speak for ourselves. We don’t need public relations firms and ad agencies to mold our images. We can just be who we are. We don’t need political professionals to do the work for us. We can do the work of citizenship. Not many of us have the time, but we can make the time.

We don’t need to be afraid of the dark. Darkness is no match for millions of people shining light.

We don’t need to fear failure. Failure can be a great teacher. Failure can be the key to success.

We don’t need to leave the country. America is never finished.

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DPW Chair Martha Laning "This Election"

Posted by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Martha Laning
Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Martha Laning
Martha Laning is the Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
User is currently offline
on Wednesday, 09 November 2016
in Wisconsin

votersDemocratic Party Chair Laning disappointed by last night's results, but now it is time to come together to move our state and our nation forward.


MADISON - After last night's elections, I have some thoughts I want to share with you.

Like so many of you, I am disappointed by last night's results. However, while these were not the results we hoped for, the people have spoken, and now it is up to us to come together to move our state and our nation forward.

Despite our disappointment, we must not get discouraged and walk away from the process. We must unite and work for the American dream we all believe in.

As Democrats, we will forge onward and continue to fight for hard-working men and women who want a fair shot to get ahead. We will continue to advocate for future generations of Americans who deserve the opportunity to live the American dream. And, in an election year marked by divisiveness and hate, we will continue to stand up for inclusiveness and respect for all Americans no matter their race, color, or creed.

We will also work to hold President-Elect Trump accountable to the people who elected him. Like many, we are deeply concerned that his policies will be harmful to the millions of hardworking Americans who most need help in these challenging times.

I want to thank all of the fantastic Democratic candidates who had the courage and vision to run for office in this election: From HillaryClinton, to Russ Feingold, to our amazing candidates up and down the ballot. Their passion and dedication was an inspiration to so many around this state. Win or lose, we were proud to stand with each and every one of you. As Secretary Clinton said only moments ago, this loss hurts, but we must all continue to fight for what we believe in. As Democrats, that’s exactly what we intend to do.

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Donald Trump Wins Presidency With Stunning Victory In Wisconsin

Posted by Bob Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive
Bob Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive
Bob Kiefert is the Publisher of the Northeast Wisconsin - Green Bay Progressive.
User is currently offline
on Wednesday, 09 November 2016
in Wisconsin

donald-trumpBusinessman turned politician wins state with 48% of the vote after all the political professionals, pollsters, and national media under estimated an appeal that did not fall into the comfortable patterns of past campaigns. Victory sweeps along GOP politicians down the ballot.


GREEN BAY - Republican Donald Trump won a stunning upset victory Tuesday in Wisconsin, part of a series of Rust Belt victories that propelled him to the White House.

The Associated Press called Wisconsin for Trump just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, immediately triggering a projection that Trump would win the national election after he was already declared the winner in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

With 3615 of 3620 or 99% of Wisconsin's Precincts Reporting, Donald Trump had 1,404,869 or 48% of the vote, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton followed with 1,377,880 or 47% of the vote.

To say that these results are stunning is an understatement. As little as two days ago, the Marquette Law School poll had Clinton holding a six-point lead. Based on polling, most political observers thought she was positioned to win the state's 10 electoral votes despite becoming the first major-party nominee since 1972 not to set foot in the state.

UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said Clinton's decision not to visit or invest heavily in the state proved to be a mistake.

"This is one of the only states where the Trump ads outnumbered the Clinton ads," Burden said. "This may have been the only state where her ads were drowned out by his."

Trump campaigned hard in the state, making five visits over the past three months. In the final month his campaign spent nearly $2 million on advertising in the state. Clinton spent nearly $3 million in the state during the last week, but it was too little too late.

The Trump surge across the state also swept along GOP politicians down the ballot. Incumbent Senator Ron Johnson defeated Russ Feingold in Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, and in NE WI's 8th Congressional District Mike Gallagher easily defeated Tom Nelson with a vote of 227,732 (63%) to 135,648 (37%). Green Bay's Democratic State Senator Dave Hansen was an exception with a win.

It is clear that all the political professionals, pollsters, and the national media under estimated the appeal of the businessman turned politician in Wisconsin and across the nation. Trump managed to grab the mantel of change in the minds of many, and the statistical models used by pollsters were based on trends of the past. Donald Trump surprised many, because he was a new media phenomenon that did not fall into the comfortable patterns of past campaigns.

Democratic Party insider loyalty to Clinton had given her the nomination, but never gave her much grass roots support in Wisconsin, where Independent Bernie Sanders had won 71 of 72 counties in the primary.

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Joining Hands and Respecting Difference

Posted by Kathleen Vinehout, State Senator 31st District
Kathleen Vinehout, State Senator 31st District
Kathleen Vinehout of Alma is an educator, business woman, and farmer who is now
User is currently offline
on Monday, 07 November 2016
in Wisconsin

hands-joinedSen. Kathleen Vinehout writes about the need for a divided state and nation to join hands with people whose beliefs are different from our own to the challenges we face.


ALMA, WI - “We try very hard to not have political discussions at our family gatherings,” my friend told me over dinner.

“How sad,” I replied. This comment – one I’ve heard many times in past months – stood in sharp contrast to the enthusiastic spirit of community I felt the night before.

I joined many neighbors in celebrating the release of a new album of local music. The accomplishment is a collaboration of three local musicians – Yata, Sinz and Orfield - in a delightful compilation entitled Dancing in the Light.

The crowd was enthusiastic, clapping in time with the music. One couple joined hands to dance even among the standing-room-only crowd.

As we left the concert, neighbors reminded each other of the dinner coming up in Alma. Parishioners at St John’s Lutheran Church will join hands to host a fundraiser for the victims of the flood in Buffalo County.

Somehow, we must figure out a way of taking the “joining of hands” from our local neighborhoods and apply it to the big decisions we make at the state and national levels.

By the time you read this, the election will be over. However, I am writing before Election Day. I do not yet know the outcome. What I do know is that we must find way to unite a divided state and nation…to join hands with people whose beliefs are different from our own.

To understand something of how we can join hands while respecting our differences, I turned to the French Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus:

“Yes, the essential thing is to leave room, however limited it may be, for the exchange of views that is still possible; the essential thing is to bring about an easing of the situation, however slight and temporary it may be. And to achieve that, each of us must preach pacification to his people.” … “After all, Gandhi proved that it is possible to fight for one’s people and win without for a moment losing the world’s respect.”

Mr. Camus wrote these words during the struggle for Algerian independence. Colonialism was ending. It was a time of terrorism and difficult Arab-European relations. His words are still relevant.

“Problems must be seen in relation to the future, without endlessly going back over the errors of the past.”

We share much. For example, we share our love of our community; of music that reflects our neighborhood; of our concern for flood victims.

In addition, we share a concern about the future: of economic imbalance, of needs unmet, of public dollars unwisely spent.

“When fighting for your truth, you must take care not to kill it with the very arms you are using to defend it.”

Force will never convince another of the truth. Minds are changed with honest dialogue that respects the opinion of others.

“I shall not try to change anything that I think or anything that you think (insofar as I can judge of it) in order to reach a reconciliation that would be agreeable to all. On the contrary, what I feel like telling you today is that the world needs real dialogue, that falsehood is just as much the opposite of dialogue as is silence, and that the only possible dialogue is the kind between people who remain what they are and speak their minds.”

We join hands to celebrate the music of our neighborhood. We collect needed funds for our neighbors suffering tragedy. Can we move this “real dialogue” to the next level?

Somehow, we must begin.

As Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

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