Bill Lueders

One liberal activist has accused Scott Walker—who’s raised much of his money for a likely recall election from out of state—of “traveling across America selling out Wisconsin to the highest bidder.” A Walker campaign spokeswoman put it differently, saying the Republican governor’s “reforms have resonated with voters all around the country.” Dick Uihlein is in a position to help sort things out—and, happily, is willing to do so. In November, Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth gave $100,000 each to Walker’s campaign, taking advantage of a glitch in state law that suspends the usual contribution limits, which for governor’s race are…

It’s difficult to write about the levels of money now being pumped into Wisconsin’s electoral process without using terms like “jaw-dropping” and “eye-popping.” It’s a wonder we can still recognize ourselves in the mirror, with all these contortions. Take the recent filings from state campaigns preparing for recalls. They show that Gov. Scott Walker raised nearly $4.6 million in campaign cash in just the five-week period between Dec. 11 and Jan. 17, the date recall petitions against him were turned in. This is on top of the $7.6 million Walker previously reported raising between Jan. 3, 2011, the day he…

Any candidate seeking contributions will tell you: No amount is too small to make a difference. But the more you give, individually or collectively, the more of a difference you can make. That’s why it makes sense to study contributions in search of larger patterns. MapLight, a national nonpartisan research organization, recently launched a new feature that tracks campaign contributions by company for the U.S. Congress and two state legislatures, in California and Wisconsin. For the Wisconsin data, go to www.maplight.org/wisconsin and click on the folder for “Companies” — a category broad enough to include interest groups like unions and…

Mark Radcliffe (at left) is an attorney in private practice in Black River Falls. He represents High Country Sand, a Minnesota-based mining company, in a lawsuit filed Jan. 3 against Eau Claire County, challenging its temporary moratorium on non-metallic mining. Radcliffe is also a Democratic member of the state Assembly, which may soon take up a bill to revamp Wisconsin’s rules for metallic mining. While awaiting the final version before deciding what to do, he sees no reason not to vote, because it deals with a different kind of mining. “People can’t throw all sorts of mining in the same…

Bob Ziegelbauer wants to make it clear he’s not placing himself above his fellow state lawmakers: “I don’t want to be judgmental and say, ‘all these other guys, they’re just money grubbers.’” That’s not his point at all. Ziegelbauer, the lone independent among the Wisconsin Legislature’s 132 members, says raising money has never been a big factor in his political career, which spans three decades. The state Assembly representative from Manitowoc, who also serves as Manitowoc County executive, has always run modest campaigns that are largely self-financed. In the 2010 election, his first as an independent, Ziegelbauer raised and spent…

Michael Gableman, the Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, has been drawing flak over revelations that he received free legal help in an ethics case from a law firm representing clients with past and pending cases before the court. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group, has filed ethics complaints against Gableman with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission and state Government Accountability Board. Participants in ongoing redistricting cases involving the law firm, Michael Best & Friedrich, are asking that Gableman recuse himself or be disqualified. And Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne has asked the court to revisit its decision to uphold…

For Wisconsin residents, 2011 was the kind of year that helps explain why the Chinese consider “May you live in interesting times” to be a curse. Amid all of the hubbub and strife, many of us found ourselves hoping that things would get a bit less interesting. As Wisconsin was thrust into the national limelight, the intersection of money and politics became a busy place. Here are a few highlights: • During the first half of 2011, about 700 Wisconsin lobbying groups collectively reported spending $23.9 million trying to influence state law or policy. This included $7.2 million by 25…

Let no one doubt American ingenuity — especially regarding ways to pour special-interest money into the political process. In recent weeks, two conservative groups — the Madison-based John K. MacIver Institute and national Americans for Prosperity Foundation — have run three television ads praising changes in the state’s relationship with its public employees. “Wisconsin is stronger than ever, thanks to our budget reforms,” declares one ad. It says the state cut spending rather than raise taxes, asked government workers “to contribute to their own pensions and benefits … like everyone else,” and reined in “abuses of collective bargaining privileges.” The…

For a state that’s made “Open for Business” its official mantra, Wisconsin sure seems lukewarm about jobs in the highly competitive – and lucrative – field of wind energy. Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature have proposed stricter state rules regarding the siting of wind turbines, prompting several state wind farm projects to be cancelled or put on hold. Renew Wisconsin, a nonprofit group that advocates for sustainable energy, estimates this has cost the state up to 1,000 jobs and at least $1.2 billion in new investment. “Wind energy creates jobs, and Wisconsin needs jobs,” says Assembly Minority…

In line at a downtown Madison coffee shop, Scot Ross is approached by a woman who jokes that he’s becoming “the poster child for the recall.” Ross, the executive director of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, is amused by such comments. He says his group is as neutral as Switzerland on the effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker and other Republicans. “We don’t tell people how to vote,” he insists. “We don’t advocate for the election or defeat of any candidate.” Ross says One Wisconsin Now is merely playing a watchdog role, “to make sure those who want…