The Badger Politic

2023 began with a new Congress where Republicans in the House of Representatives selected Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker after 15 votes. Elections to fill vacancies on the state Supreme Court and State Senate in Wisconsin are taking shape. Gov. Tony Evers was inaugurated to his second term. Uncle Rick stop by to add his 2 cents to the latest news.

The midterms have come and gone leaving an underwhelming result for Republicans across the country. In Wisconsin, Democrats Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul both won re-election while Sen. Ron Johnson managed to win a third term. State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-WI) has announced her retirement and the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court is right around the corner. Uncle Rick pays us a visit to offer his conservative take.

Marquette is out with a new poll showing the races for Wisconsin governor and US Senate tightening. We delve into the numbers to assess the likely outcomes along with what Democrats need to do to pull out a victory. 

Labor Day has passed and the fall campaign is on. President Biden has introduced his student loan forgiveness plan. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) wants to solve the labor shortage by sending seniors back to payrolls. Tim Michels tries to toe the line between MAGA and independent voters.

Voters in Kansas voted overwhelmingly to uphold abortion rights in the traditionally Republican state. Tim Michels looks to secure the nomination for governor as the Trump endorsed candidate. Mandela Barnes has cleared the field and all but secured the Democratic nomination to run against Sen. Ron Johnson in the November election.

Roe vs. Wade has been overturned by the US Supreme Court in the recent Dobbs decision. The approval of the president appears to be decreasingly relevant when looking at the generic ballot leading into the midterms. The primaries are around the corner in Wisconsin. Uncle Rick returns to offer his take on the issues of the day.

America experienced its latest horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas this past week. It has reignited the debate over gun laws in the country though the changes for any major changes are slim. Inflation remains a drag on the Biden administration leading into the fall midterms which are less than six months away.

We review the primaries that took place May 17th, most notably in Pennsylvania for US Senate and Governor. Crime and inflation are top tier issues heading into the summer months. This episode was recorded prior to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas which is now the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook Elementary a decade ago.

We discuss the ongoing dire situation in Ukraine. Then we move on to the latest with Wisconsin's redistricting saga. The governor's race in Wisconsin is ramping up with some candidates in and others out.

Recorded a couple weeks back, we discussed the war in Ukraine. The situation continues to unfold, and the complexities are growing along with it. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of new congressional and state legislative maps supported by Gov. Tony Evers (since recording, the US Supreme Court sided with state Republicans and sent the congressional maps back to the state Supreme Court for review).

The race to be Milwaukee's next mayor is now down to two candidates. Cavalier Johnson and Bob Donovan will go head to head in the April 5th general election. In other election news, there's another candidate in the Republican primary for governor who has fully embraced 2020 election conspiracy theories.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced he will retire at the end of the current term. The move allows President Biden the opportunity to nominate a new justice to the court while the Democrats control the US Senate.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has determined that maps will be drawn that will make minimal changes to the existing gerrymandered maps. At the federal level, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on the Mississippi case that could upend abortion rights in the country. The discovery of the coronavirus omicron variant has added another layer to the ongoing pandemic.

The recent election results have provided Democrats with some warning signs leading into the midterms. It did result in the end of Infrastructure week. Aaron Rodgers got caught up in a controversy around his vaccination status, and Uncle Rick visits the show after a long hiatus to give his take.

The infrastructure deal hangs in the balance as progressive and moderate forces continue negotiations. The race for governor in Virginia has taken on added significance as the Biden administration faces ongoing challenges on a final deal.

Gov. Gavin Newsom easily battles back the recall effort in California. The infrastructure legislation is flailing in Congress, and President Biden's poll numbers have taken a hit after the Afghanistan pullout, and the continuing pandemic in the country. Redistricting is ramping up now that the census is completed.

Infrastructure passes the Senate at long last on a bipartisan vote. Rep. Ron Kind announces his retirement from the House. Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns in New York. We preview the new Marquette poll that was released today. Gov. Tony Evers vetoed several measures restricting voting in Wisconsin. Summerfest announces COVID-related requirements for attending this year's festival.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship this past week, and downtown and the Fiserv Forum became the center of attention. Should the Democrats consider having their next convention there to make up for 2020? The House kicks off its select committee investigating the January 6th attack on the US Capitol building.

COVID-19 variants are threatening the success of the country's reopening. Details continue to emerge around the final days of the Trump presidency, and just how fragile democracy in America is.

An agreement was struck this past week on an infrastructure bill, but it's off to a rocky start with its ties to companion legislation. The For the People Act is filibustered in the Senate. We recorded this episode after the Bucks loss in game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals (they have since taken a 2-1 lead).

The Wisconsin State Legislature was called into special session by Gov. Tony Evers to consider expansion of BadgerCare. However, the Republican led Senate and Assembly quickly gaveled in and out without even taking up the matter. Meanwhile, voting suppression efforts continue across the country as legislatures implement restrictions in an effort to help Republicans squeak out victories in the midterm elections. More candidates are announcing their intention to run against Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) in next year's election.

We're back in person doing the podcast, and thankful for vaccines. Republican politicians around the country are continuing their fight against voting rights and democratic institutions. We discuss the potential impact it has for next year's elections and beyond.

The Biden administration pushes forward with it's stimulus plan though moderates in the Senate are pushing back on some of its content. CPAC gathers in Florida anointing Trump as their idol. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) continues to tie himself to the far right on pushing election conspiracies, and has yet to announce whether he will run in 2022.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were inaugurated this week, but not before there was violence at the Capitol two weeks prior. The Democrats won both Senate seats in Georgia just one day before that, and this week the party formally took over as the majority party in the Senate. A second impeachment trial awaits Trump as a result of the violence, and some Republicans are supportive this time around.

Joe Biden was elected as the next president. However, since the November election, the Trump campaign and the GOP continue to be in denial of the result. We break down the results as they exist in reality. Also, two runoff elections take place next month in Georgia, and will decide control of the Senate.

It's less than a week until Election Day. Who will win the White House, the Senate, and the Wisconsin State Assembly? We throw out some predictions, and look ahead to November 3rd.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away. With just over a month away from the election, Republicans twist themselves in knots to justify a Supreme Court justice to replace her. We delve into Trump's recent comments casting doubt on the upcoming election results, and what the impact is before and after it takes place.

Joe Biden has named Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate. Meanwhile, Trump continues to wreak havoc on the US Postal Service through his new postmaster general. What should have been a major event in Milwaukee kicks off this week. Unfortunately, the state of things has morphed the Democratic National Convention into a virtual event leaving us to ponder what could have been during better times.

Hey listeners, it has been a while. We check in for a brief conversation about where things stand given the events of the past few months. The latest polling holds good news for Democrats. In the meantime, COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the country including a scaled back Democratic National Convention here in Milwaukee.

More primaries took place this week in Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Idaho, and Washington. The races took place against the backdrop of the coronavirus epidemic escalating within the United States which will disrupt the campaign, and people's lives in the weeks and months ahead.

Lots of developments since our last pod. The South Carolina, and Super Tuesday primaries took place. Some candidates moved ahead while others bowed out of the race. We'll discuss where things stand, and the primaries taking place in the weeks ahead.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wins the Nevada Caucus. The Democratic field prepares for another debate tonight. The South Carolina primary is on Saturday, and several states prepare to vote March 3rd.

New Hampshire voted this week in the presidential primary, and unlike Iowa there were actual results to analyze. Also, Wisconsin prepares to vote in the spring non-presidential primary February 18th.

We had planned a recording around the results of the Iowa caucus. The news gods had other ideas.

The impeachment trial is underway in the Senate, and the we're less than two weeks away from the Iowa caucus. We'll assess the state of the current polls nationally, and in Iowa to paint a picture of the state of the race.

We're back from our winter break, and there's much to catch up on. The House passed articles of impeachment. Trump ordered an attack against an Iranian target in Iraq. In Wisconsin, the purging of voters from the rolls continues to work its way through the courts. The Iowa caucus is less than a month away.

Updates on the impeachment process in the House as it moves to the Judiciary Committee this week. New Marquette poll numbers are cause for concern for Democrats. Uncle Rick stops by for Thanksgiving.

This past week, the impeachment inquiry kicked off in the House of Representatives. Trump's tax returns may yet see the light of day. The latest Democratic primary debate occurs this next week.

Big races last night in several states. Democrats won the governorship in Kentucky, and the state legislature in Virginia. There could be lessons here for Wisconsin voters looking ahead to 2020.

The new Marquette poll came out last week. We discuss the numbers around impeachment, the Democratic primary, and why so many candidates are still in the race.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has surged to the front of the pack in the Democratic primary, but South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is showing some signs of strength as primary elections draw near. Chris Abele has decided not to run again for Milwaukee County Executive. We'll take a look at who's potentially interested in succeeding him.

The House impeachment inquiry kicked off after our last recording. Uncle Rick stops by to add his take.

The Democrats debated last week, and the latest poll numbers from Marquette were released. Will Wisconsin have much of a say in next year's primaries?

More dropouts in the Democratic primary, and more candidates on the GOP side.

A quick update on some developments in the Democratic primary.

We spend our 100th episode discussing the ongoing feud between Trump and the four House freshman he's targeting. Former Gov. Scott Walker has a new job. Current Gov. Tony Evers signed the state budget. Uncle Rick stops by to add his take.

The Democrats kicked off two nights of debates with 20 candidates. The Supreme Court issues rulings on gerrymandering and the proposed citizenship question for the next census.

Trump fires campaign pollsters after internal polls give him bad news. The Democratic presidential candidates head to Miami for next week's debates.

When it comes to foreign assistance in US elections, Trump says take it. Elizabeth Warren shows momentum in the Democratic primary. The Wisconsin Supreme Court reverses lower court decisions overturning the lame-duck laws signed by Scott Walker on his way out of office.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has a meet and greet with the press to summarize his findings. Gov. Tony Evers and the GOP legislature wrestle over education funding.