Madison mayor, Soglin vs. Cieslewicz
Paul Soglin, who's 66, will always be known as "Hizzoner da Mare" to several generations of Madisonians, and a good case can be made that he and the mayor's office were a perfect Zen pairing. Like the bow and the arrow, "Soglin" and "mayor" were oneness in action for 14 years.
Cieslewicz, who wears the sobriquet "Mayor Dave" as comfortably as Soglin did "Hizzoner," has his own claim to the city's zeitgeist. He's playful, philosophical, progressive and politically pushy in a way that perfectly captures Madison's bourgie-hip liberal style.
But after eight years in office, Cieslewicz, 52, has suffered the usual dings and dents of a long incumbency, having angered some early supporters to the point that they see the old guy Soglin as a fresh opportunity.
- Marc Eisen, "Hizzoner vs. Mayor Dave," 3/25/11
Read more coverage:
- "People's" forum highlights differences in style, substance between Madison mayor, Dane County executive candidates, 3/22/11
- In debate, Soglin once again criticizes Cieslewiciz's management style, 3/8/11
- At Rotary mayoral debate, Cieslewicz hails Madison, Soglin rues its decline, 3/2/11
- The Sconz: Forget about the county executive race, it's all about the mayor
- Don't call it a comeback: Soglin claims first in Madison mayoral primary, 2/16/11
- "The preseason is over": Cieslewicz comes in second, but advances
- The Sconz: Soglin has raised some money, but Mayor Dave still the favorite
- Soglin: The debt ceiling is rising!, 2/3/11
- The Sconz: Who won the first Madison mayoral debate?, 1/21/11
- Madison mayoral contenders blow chance to steal show from Soglin, Cieslewicz
- Soglin blasts Cieslewicz's management style, 1/13/11
Dane County executive, Bruskewitz vs. Parisi
Eileen Bruskewitz, 62, a conservative County Board member, doesn't agree with everything that Gov. Scott Walker is doing, but she believes the "dialogue" he's started needs to happen. "There are many people who are very concerned about government spending and borrowing and their taxes," she says.
Joe Parisi, 50, a liberal state representative, believes gutting collective bargaining is a huge mistake. "There's absolutely no merit in it," he says. "It's a bad idea any way you look at it. The only way you can solve problems is by working with the people who work for you, who deliver the services."
- Joe Tarr, "Pick One," 3/17/11
Read more coverage:
- "People's" forum highlights differences in style, substance between Madison mayor, Dane County executive candidates, 3/22/11
- The Sconz: Parisi prances through the Dane County exec primary, 2/16/11
- Executive decision: The contenders for Dane County Executive are easy to tell apart, 1/27/11
- Dane County executive 2011 candidate introduction: Eileen Bruskewitz, 1/14/11
- Dane County executive 2011 candidate introduction: Joe Parisi, 1/7/11
Wisconsin Supreme Court, Prosser vs. Kloppenburg
It's no mystery why the crisis in the Capitol has added urgency to the high court race. David Prosser, 68, came up through the political ranks as a Republican district attorney, congressional aide and member of the state Assembly. Should he lose the election, the court's conservative majority could be eroded at a critical time.
JoAnne Kloppenburg, 57, a longtime assistant attorney general, wants to capitalize on this moment without claiming partisan ground.
"I'm running to restore people's confidence," she says. "I will preserve the role of the court as a coequal and independent branch of government that serves as a check and balance on overreaching by the executive and legislative branches."
- Bill Lueders, "Supremely Relevant," 3/11/11
Read more coverage:
- Supreme Court rivals Prosser, Kloppenburg clash at Wisconsin State Bar debate, 3/28/11
- Emily's Post: David Prosser's poor temperament, Scott Walker's blatant hypocrisy, 3/22/11
- Wisconsin Supreme Court contenders enjoy unusually level playing field in 2011 race, 2/10/11
Madison and Dane County referendum
The local movement, spearheaded by South Central Wisconsin Move to Amend, is part of a national one that aims to amend the U.S. Constitution, to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Jan. 21, 2010, decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. That controversial ruling, passed 5-4, found that the government could not restrict corporate spending on independent political advertisements, saying this violated the First Amendment.
While organizing on this issue is being done nationwide, Dane County is one of the first to hold a referendum on it. "People are watching what's going on here," says proponent Kaja Rebane. "Across the country, we're being leaders here."
- Joe Tarr, "Is Money Speech?", 3/25/11
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