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Former Dane Co. Executive Announces She's Running Against WI Governor

Kathleen Falk wants to remove Gov. Scott Walker from office if a special recall election is held.

Kathleen Falk, a former Dane County executive, is planning a run against Gov. Scott Walker if a special recall election moves forward against the embattled Republican.

Falk made the announcement in an e-mail to supporters where she told them “The people of Wisconsin have done a brave thing: demanded change. And together we will continue to make history,” according to WisPolitics.com.

Democrats on Tuesday – that still have to be verified by the Government Accountability Board – in their attempts to force a special recall election against Walker. Walker’s been under fire since February 2011 when he introduced legislation that would limit collective bargaining for public employee unions.

“My choices as your governor will be different than Scott Walker's,” Falk’s campaign website states. “I know Wisconsin is a place where we can have good paying jobs, a clean environment, successful schools and affordable health care. We can have workers and management talking and working together to solve tough problems.”

Falk was the first Democrat to formally announce her campaign against Walker, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.  

The Friends of Scott Walker communications director, Ciara Matthews, issued the following statement about Falk’s announcement in a news release:

"Kathleen Falk's announcement today comes as no surprise, as we have long anticipated she would be the nominee hand-picked by big-government, public employee union bosses. Falk has already lost two statewide elections, failing to earn the trust of Wisconsin voters. Governor Walker's record of success and progress will stand in stark contrast to Falk’s intent to take Wisconsin back to the days of record job loss, massive deficits, and double digit tax increases. Falk's record as Dane County executive falls in lockstep with a Madison liberal ideology that is far outside the mainstream of the majority of Wisconsinites." 

Keith Schmitz January 18, 2012 at 09:54 pm
The money from the swift boating cracker from Texas will be here.
Bob McBride January 18, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Compared to the trash you goofballs have been tossing around (and will no doubt continue to), it'll seem like puppy dogs and unicorns. But bring it on from both sides. Never has there been or will there be as much money spent preaching to the respective choirs.
Bren January 18, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Randy, I absolutely agree with you about Mr. Risser. He is a passionate advocate for his district and Wisconsin.
Young Mr. Hoffa, you know I present valid sources for my facts. Sometimes facts are hard to accept, but that acceptance brings maturity. Terry, I'll play too. How much did the unions "flood" into the state, and lets compare it to the amount that has and will be spent by right wing PACs. I believe we will find that the right is spending more. I'm sure you didn't honestly believe that I didn't know that Democrats have funding sources? And thank you for the additional helping of sour grapes--I will add them to the stock I have already received. I'm planning to open a new "whinery," and I'm calling my new label, "Wisconsin Spring." Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Craig January 18, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Keith: Like the Unions calling retired membership urging them to help with the recall. That is intimidation, people are afraid to crap where they eat.
In the polls, no one will watch them!
Bob McBride January 18, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Well you better get on it quick, Keith. Playing coy thinking you've got a valuable commodity to shop around could put you on the receiving end of some union persuasion.
Bren January 18, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Right-wing talking point inventory: "union money" - check. "Lefty liberal" - check.
What ever would we do without Fox News Network and Rush Limbaugh?
Bren January 18, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Since when do we hold people accountable for exercising their Constitutionally-protected rights?
Otherwise, what would stop the government for taking the jobs of Republicans who voted for George W. Bush and Scott Walker and giving them to unemployed Democrats and independents? Hm.
Bob McBride January 18, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Otherwise, what would stop the government for taking the jobs of Republicans who voted for George W. Bush and Scott Walker and giving them to unemployed Democrats and independents?
***************** Probably a marked increase in incompetency.
the 'sha guy January 19, 2012 at 12:24 am
I'm crossing my fingers that Falk will win the primary and face Walker. Good luck with her. I know she'll have the millions in union money and some paid for union guns running her campaign, but really? She couldn't even beat JBV in an election year that went democrat. Out state people love the Madison elite :)
Keith Best January 19, 2012 at 02:34 am
Falk is the union's chosen one, for Barrett used Gov. Walkers reforms to balance Milwaukee's budget. I'm so happy it's Falk LOL!!!
Bob McBride January 19, 2012 at 02:45 am
Sounds like she's the union pick. If so, she'll win the primary. One way or the other.
Tuco January 19, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Falk? Didn't she quit for no apparent reason as Madison County Exec?
Dirk January 19, 2012 at 02:55 pm
Let the peanut gallery begin for more responsible middle-class taxpayer waste. Perhaps the Sheboygan high school student can enter too since he didn't make the cut for Sheboygan's mayoral election. He's probably the most qualified.........
Lyle Ruble January 19, 2012 at 08:27 pm
MS Falk may be a fine person, but she doesn't have the horsepower to get the job done. For many of us, it's not a union issue, it's about bringing back a balance of power and stopping the Republican overreach. I would have just as soon that Walker wasn't up for recall at this point and that they were concentrating on picking up another seat in the Senate and have the Democrats regain the majority in one chamber, effectively putting a stopper in the bottle. If the Democrats are going to run a credible candidate and Russ Fiengold is unwilling to run, then they need to look to Barrett, Kind or Obey. In addition, they need to come up with a credible platform that doesn't represent anyone but Walker.
CowDung January 19, 2012 at 08:42 pm
I think that the unions will end up working in Walker's favor here. They are putting their money behind the person that will do their bidding--probably Falk. Those that aren't going to be beholden to the union interests (like Barrett) are going to have to survive the union attacks just to get through the primaries. By that time, they will likely have sustained too much damage to run an effective campaign against Walker in the general election.
Randy1949 January 19, 2012 at 08:46 pm
You're right -- it's about so much more than the unions. I saw Ms. Falk on Rachel Maddow's show last night, and she's an improvement on Walker, but I'd like to see a platform.
Chris Larsen January 19, 2012 at 08:56 pm
Falk is a classic 20%'er.
GearHead January 19, 2012 at 08:57 pm
Lyle, for the unions, IT IS A UNION ISSUE. And they will thank "the many of us" (your words) for being useful idiots in helping out. Please don't take ubrage with that characterization, Lyle, but you will end up with the candidate that best serves the union. For they have never been concerned about "balance of power and stopping the Republican overreach," when they themselves have overreached for decades regarding one-sided "collective bargaining." With all due respect,sir, please smell the coffee. And they won't come up with a platform beyond bashing Walker. Like a platform of more taxes, more spending, more union goodies is gonna fly?
Bob McBride January 19, 2012 at 08:57 pm
This has been the union's stand from the get-go. They got the people out, they essentially spearheaded the recalls. They expect to be served as a result. Falk's apparently willing to play the part. She was front and center on the day the recall started and she's been visible at gatherings ever since. Barrett's already been sat down by the union leadership. Apparently the others have heard from them as well.
it's not a bad choice on their part. They need someone as different from Walker as possible, even on the most superficial of levels. Kind and Barrett have solid gigs. Obey's an unattractive candidate and has the potential of becoming a gaffe machine. This will be a test of whether or not the Democratic party is going to allow the will of "the people" to prevail, should that will back another candidate, or if they truly are the servants of the unions as many have suspected all along.
Lyle Ruble January 19, 2012 at 09:43 pm
@GearHead...Then they'll lose.
Gregory Kluck January 19, 2012 at 10:14 pm
A lot of these corporations already do give to cancer research and other causes. It's all public record. You can look it up. Just for grins; google Koch Brothers charitable contributions.
country boy January 20, 2012 at 01:14 am
Lyle, Running Kind or Obey is just asking for the same representation we get/got in Washington from these 2 sparkling gems. Kind = ineffective partisan hack. Obey = my way or the highway pork barrel partisan hack. Falk fits in right cozy with the unionistas. She is being bought and paid for with inside/outside state union members' dues. Just another proven Madison lib. Anyways, it won't matter...Walker will win against anyone of these 3 putzes.
mau January 20, 2012 at 01:27 am
He's going to have to get his arm back in a sling for press conferences. And State Fair won't be until after the recall election, if it happens.
mau January 20, 2012 at 01:48 am
The out-of-state corporate gas machine (AFL-CIO, American's for Prosperity, Soros, NEA, Acorn, Buffett, ActBlue.....) is about to descend like an odiferous flatulent cloud, clogging up every type of media available.
mau January 20, 2012 at 01:51 am
Now it's NOT a union issue? Where was your concern about bringing back a balance of power and stopping the democrat overreach? I guess that's different.
Keith Schmitz January 20, 2012 at 02:05 am
The Shorewood Patch is kind of become a lint catcher for wingers.
James R Hoffa January 20, 2012 at 03:33 am
@Bren -
You're one to talk - you're constantly talking about the Koch Brothers and other lefty concepts in a vast majority of your original postings, coming straight from the left-wing talking points inventory, so you get a big check mark yourself! Then you complain about Fox News and conservative talk radio, despite the FACT that the left has far more television outlets such as ABC, CBS, NBC, MS-NBC, CNN, HLN, Comedy Central, Current TV, RT, etc. Yet you never once complain about the accuracy of the information being reported by any of those networks, do you Bren? Ah yes, Bren the big time leftist DEMOCRAT, what would we here on Patch do without your massive hypocrisy?
Bob McBride January 20, 2012 at 03:58 am
Pouting becomes you.
country boy January 20, 2012 at 11:35 am
KS, Left wingers lint, sticky, icky. and has an odor of the "Union Made" label about its' presence. As GH stated the liberal overreach had come to a head and the silent majority put Walker in to stop the greedy union bosses from sucking us dry. Your side has been sniffling since Feb. for the status of "I had and I want back what the unions got for me" syndrome. Go Walker!
mau January 20, 2012 at 05:23 pm
@Bren, look who's calling the kettle black. @JRH, well said. Difference is what Bren says is much more hateful than what cb says.

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