Synopses & Reviews
Review
andquot;For better and worse, divided Wisconsin has been at the forefront of American politics recently, and to understand what happened and why, Jason Stein and Patrick Marley's deeply reported and illuminating book is an invaluable resource.andquot;andmdash;David Maraniss, Madison native and author of Barack Obama: The Story
Review
andquot;A timely report on one of the most tumultuous periods in Wisconsin's history. Stein and Marley cover the substance of the story without bias and include details not previously known to the public.andquot;andmdash;Joe Heim, political analyst, Wisconsin Public Radio
Review
andquot;An important work that offers behind-the-scenes details on the institutional players most involved in the events leading up to and following Governor Scott Walker's introduction of his explosive collective bargaining bill. It will be of great interest to those who have followed the drama closely as well as to lay readers.andquot;andmdash;Judith Davidoff, news editor, Isthmus
Review
andldquo;Stein and Marley deliver an impressively objective account of the struggle, ably describing the objectives and tactics of each side in a confident and engaging style.andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Review
andldquo;Stein and Marley deliver a swashbuckling tale of Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker's election and tumultuous first year in office...instead of an expected dry read, the authors' lively, economical prose, supplemented by snippets of social media reporting in real time, place readers in the crowded Capitol building stairwells, or in the midst of Wisconsin's largest sustained demonstration since Vietnam protests rocked the University of Wisconsin campus.andrdquo;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
Review
andldquo;This book is a political thriller, an activistsandrsquo; handbook (for the Left on how to organize mass protests, and for the Right on how to effectively fight public employee unions), and a work of investigative journalism all rolled into one. Social scientists, political junkies, and anyone interested in public affairs will devour it.andrdquo;andmdash;Library Journal
Review
andldquo;Not only have Stein and Marley organized this mass of material into a coherent whole, but they also write well, ensuring that even the drier parts of their narrative are clear as well as fair. Their book provides plenty of ammunition for both sides. But it also offers something far better: the basis for an adult conversation about what actually happened.andrdquo;andmdash;Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Review
andldquo;Veteran statehouse reporters, Stein and Marley had better access to the players, and better insight into the process, than all but a handful of observers. And they bring to the reporting a keen eye for nuance that reveals more than any press conference or official vote.andrdquo;andmdash;The Capital Times
Review
andldquo;A fascinating look at the voting behavior of Wisconsinites, providing unique historical insight into how a relatively small, midwestern state became a presidential campaign target, how Jim Doyle has presided over a Democratic resurgence at the statehouse, how the underestimated Tommy Thompson came to dominate the state political scene, how the Progressives fell from power, and how the slavery issue impacted early voting in a new state. This very readable book manages to bring alive a myriad of statistics, weaving them into a narrative that dares to analyze without hyperbole or bias the impact that key racial and demographic groups, and their geographic bases, have at the ballot box. A must read for anybody interested in Wisconsin politics.andrdquo;andmdash;Jeff Mayers, WisPolitics.com
Review
andldquo;This work is certain to be a mainstay . . . in Wisconsinandrsquo;s political history.andrdquo;andmdash;Edward Miller, University of Wisconsinandndash;Stevens Point
Synopsis
When Wisconsin became the first state in the nation in 1959 to let public employees bargain with their employers, the legislation catalyzed changes to labor laws across the country. In March 2011, when newly elected governor Scott Walker repealed most of that labor law and subsequent onesandmdash;and then became the first governor in the nation to survive a recall election fifteen months laterandmdash;it sent a different message. Both times, Wisconsin took the lead, first empowering public unions and then weakening them. This book recounts the battle between the Republican governor and the unions.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The struggle drew the attention of the country and the notice of the world, launching Walker as a national star for the Republican Party and simultaneously energizing and damaging the American labor movement. Madison was the site of one unprecedented spectacle after another: 1:00 a.m. parliamentary maneuvers, a camel slipping on icy Madison streets as union firefighters rushed to assist, massive nonviolent street protests, and a weeks-long occupation that blocked the marble halls of the Capitol and made its rotunda ring.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Jason Stein and Patrick Marley, award-winning journalists for the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covered the fight firsthand. They center their account on the frantic efforts of state officials meeting openly and in the Capitol's elegant backrooms as protesters demonstrated outside. Conducting new in-depth interviews with elected officials, labor leaders, police officers, protestors, and other key figures, and drawing on new documents and their own years of experience as statehouse reporters, Stein and Marley have written a gripping account of the wildest sixteen months in Wisconsin politics since the era of Joe McCarthy. They offer new insights on the origins of Walker's wide-ranging budget-repair bill, which included the provision to end public-sector collective bargaining; the Senate Democrats' decision to leave the state to try to block the bill; Democrats' talks with both union leaders and Republicans while in Illinois; and the reasons why compromise has become, as one Republican dissenter put it, a andquot;dirty wordandquot; in politics today.
Synopsis
This is the first full history of voting in Wisconsin from statehood in 1848 to the present. Fowler both tells the story of voting in key elections across the years and investigates electoral trends and patterns over the course of Wisconsinandrsquo;s history. He explores the ways that ethnic and religious groups in the state have voted historically and how they vote today, and he looks at the successes and failures of the two major parties over the years. Highlighting important historical movements, Fowler discusses the great struggle for womenandrsquo;s suffrage and the rich tales of many Wisconsin third partiesandmdash;the Socialists, Progressives, the Prohibition Party, and others. Here, too, are the famous politicians in Wisconsin history, such as the La Follettes, William Proxmire, and Tommy Thompson.and#160;Winner, Award of Merit for Leadership in History, American Association for State and Local History
About the Author
Jason Stein and Patrick Marley both cover the Capitol for Wisconsin's largest newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Stein previously covered politics and business for the Wisconsin State Journal and has received national recognition for his reporting. He is a past president of the Wisconsin Capitol Correspondents Association. Marley previously covered local government for the Kenosha News. His work has been recognized by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
Table of Contents
List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsActors in the EventsChronologyand#160;1 andquot;Put Up or Shut Upandquot;2 A Preacher's Son3 andquot;Open for Businessandquot;4 andquot;The First Stepandquot;5 andquot;Dropping the Bombandquot;6 Laboratory of Democracy7 First Protests8 The Interstate to Illinois9 First Assembly Vote10 A Camel on the Ice11 Beast Calling12 Lost Sleep and andquot;Hallucinazationsandquot;13 The Capitol in Lockdown14 andquot;Seven Thousand People in the Statehouseandquot;15 No Deal16 The Nuclear Option17 Recount18 A Court Divided19 RecallsConclusionand#160;NotesIndex