Leo Gerard - Canadian Federal Elections

United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard, a native Canadian, comments on the Canadian federal elections and the great pro-labor candidate Jack Layton. Gerard also comments on the cronie-capitalism on both sides of the border.

Marie AnnTONETTE

Scott Walker's wife Tonette was recently interviewed by WISC. In the interview, Tonette said it was unfair for one of her son's teachers to hold a sign at the protests saying she "teaches, protects, and inspires" one of the Walker boys.

Scott Walker has vilified teachers and other public employees but always in the abstract. The reason why Marie AnnTONETTE was so uncomfortable is because her son's teacher got humanized. Even Republican children are educated by a living, breathing person that deserve respect, a say in their working conditions, and a living wage.

John Nichols - The Latest From Fitzwalkerstan

John Nichols is on the program to talk about some rumors that Walker & the Fitz Bros. will strip public workers of their collective bargaining rights by attaching the legislation to the bi-annual budget (that is if they lose in court). Nichols also comments on the importance of holding Democrats just as accountable for making sure labor has a place at the bargaining table.

Ed Sadlowski - The Importance Of May Day

Sunday is May Day, a day where we commemorate the fight for the eight hour workday and honor those that lost their lives securing a better future for us all. AFSCME Council 40's Ed Sadlowski explains the historic Haymarket Disaster which still shapes labor history in Chicago and the nation.

Ed encourages everyone to take to the streets this week in honor of May Day. There is the big Thunda Around The Rotunda rally on the Capitol Square this Saturday and lots of events on Sunday to celebrate labor's triumphs and heroes.

Andy Heidt - Candidate For Assembly

Community leader Andy Heidt is in the studio to announce his candidacy for Joe Parisi's seat in the State legislature. Andy has been politically active in Dane County for awhile now and has some choice words for Governor Walker. Andy is also a dedicated public employee who helps citizens navigate the state bureaucracy and get the core services they deserve.

Walker Wants To Say Thank You To State Employees

Getty Images

A state worker sent me a memo that he received from the governor's office that talks about Walker's plan to show appreciation for state workers next week. Walker wants agency managers to plan something special for their employees to thank them for their hard work and as a way to boost morale. This is coming from a man who vilified state employees during the campaign and then tore the state apart with his union-busting budget repair bill. This is like Hitler proclaiming a Jewish Appreciation week during the Third Reich.

I want every state employee to send Mr. Walker a message (not a threat) about what they think of his "appreciation" week.

Send them to his home address:
Scott Walker
520 N. 68th St
Wauwatosa, WI
53213

Rob Zerban - The Man Who Will Beat Paul Ryan

Kenosha County Supervisor Rob Zerban joins me to talk about why he has decided to take on Paul Ryan in 2012. Zerban is a small business owner, an outspoken advocate for better government oversight and transparency, and strongly opposes Ryan's plan to corporatize Medicare.

John Nichols - Voter Id Bill

If the proposed Voter ID bill passes as is, Wisconsin will have one of the most regressive voter registration laws in the country. John Nichols gives details on the bill and tells me why'd it would disenfranchise students, seniors, and renters.

Mark Pocan - Steve Doyle Needs Your Help

Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch is Governor Walker's right-hand man when it comes to cracking down on demonstrators at the Capitol and has turned a once public building into a fortified castle. You may not know, but Huebsch represented Wisconsin's 94th Assembly District (La Crosse area) before he was appointed to lead the DOA under Governor Walker. Democrats have a good chance of capturing the seat in a special election but we need your help.

Luckily, we have a great candidate running in the district 94 election. Mark Pocan joins me to talk about why Steve Doyle would be a great ally in the state legislature.

Help Steve Doyle here:
secure.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/26645

Birtherpalooza

Now that President Obama has released the long-form version of his birth certificate, you'd think this conspiracy would finally die. Quite the contrary, Trump is bragging about being the impetus of the release and the right wing media is blaming Obama and liberals for putting this in the national spotlight.

The fact that 45% of Republicans have doubts that President Obama is a natural born citizen is appalling and an embarrassment to our nation. This whole birther movement is just another avenue for Obama's critics to cast him as an outsider.

Salih Erschen - Proposed Islamic Center Rejected By Sun Prairie Planning Commission

Salih Erschen, with the Muslims of the Madison Dawa Circle, is on the live line to give his take on the Sun Prairie planning commission's unanimously rejection of a proposed mosque in the Nature's Preserve Office Park. The city council still has to vote on the proposed Islamic Center but they are expected to go along with the planning commission's recommendation (in other words, no mosque).

George Dreckman - Plastic Bags & Bottled Water

Mike Nichols complained in the State Journal about how he couldn't get a bottle of water at St. Mary's Hospital because of an initiative to curb litter. The city of Evanston, IL is thinking about banning plastic bags outright. I ask Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann whether Madison has plans to ban bottled water and/or plastic bags.

Convincing Your Mother-In-Law

Listener Rob has a wife and a sister-in-law who are both dedicated teachers in Racine. They have shown their solidarity during protests at the Capitol but Rob's mother-in-law is a staunch Walker supporter and hates unions. She even calls her own daughters, "communists".

Rob asked me for advice on how to convince his mother-in-law that preserving collective bargaining and investing in our teachers is not a Marxist plot to end freedom. What would you say to Rob's (or perhaps your own) union-hating mother-in-law?

Paul Ryan In Kenosha

Hundreds showed up in Kenosha yesterday to attend one of Republican Paul Ryan's town hall meetings. Many of the citizens that addressed Rep. Ryan very astutely pointed out the huge failings in Ryan's plan to corporatize Medicare & Medicaid. John Nichols gives a first hand report of what happened in Kenosha and we talk about what birthers will do now that the long-form birth certificate has been publicly released.

Thunda Around The Rotunda This Saturday

There is a big rally on Saturday and it will feature thousands of bikers from across the state. Eric Hartz, a teacher from James Madison Memorial, is helping organize the rally which will feature speakers and of course pro-union motorcycle enthusiasts.

We need both bikers and well wisher there on Saturday!
Bikers: Meet at Goodman Park (off Olin Ave) at 1pm
Protesters: State Capitol - Riders roll in at 2pm, rally to follow

Speakers:
Sen. John Erpenbach
Sen. Mark Miller
Rep. Cory Mason
Sheila Cochran, AFL-CIO
Defending Wisconsin

For more info visit:
thundaaroundtherotunda.com

Tyson Slocum - End Oil Subsidies

Speaker John Boehner briefly supported efforts to end oil subsidies but almost immediately caved to the huge oil lobby that has politicians bought on both sides of aisle. Tyson Slocum, from Public Citizen, explains why speculators are driving up the price of oil when we have a surplus and demand is down.

Obama's New Pastor

The White House released President Obama's long-form birth certificate this morning but like I've been saying for years now, this birther craze is just another way for Republicans to paint Obama as an outsider.

Now that every conceivable document regarding Obama's birth has been released, the right wingers are going after another black pastor. President Obama attended Easter service at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington D.C, where the Senior Minister is Dr. Wallace Smith. Smith has made comments about how he doesn't want children to be disenfranchised because of their race. You don't have to drop the n-bomb or wear white robes to prey on people's irrational and racially charged fears.

Marty Beil - Day 72

AFSCME Council 24's Marty Beil joins me to talk about the multiple recounts moving forward against Senate Republicans. We also talk about legislation that Walker is hinting at that would strip law enforcement & firefighters of collective bargaining. Marty also responds to Vicki McKenna's vicious attacks against Madison police officers & firefighters.

Bethany Ordaz - Candidate For Assembly

Bethany Ordaz is running for Parisi's seat in the State Assembly and she's live in the studio to talk about her background in the legislature and organizing health care workers. Ordaz also speaks out against the plan to split UW-Madison from the system and how Walker's budget "repair" bill undercuts nurses and other health care workers.

A Stain On Sun Prairie

The Sun Prairie Planning Commission voted 6-0 against a plan to let area Muslims open a mosque at Nature’s Preserve Office Park citing "traffic & parking concerns". This still has to go through the city council but it's clear that Sun Prairie does not want Muslims to be part of their community.

Little Mosque On The Prairie

Proposed Location For The Islamic Center of Sun Prairie- 701 Lois Drive | Photo Courtesy of DOUG ERICKSON – State Journal

The City of Sun Prairie is hesitate to approve a Madison Mosque's proposed move to a Sun Prairie office condo because of "parking & traffic concerns". Do you buy that?

John Nichols - Paul Ryan's Budget Good For State Democrats

Paul Ryan's audacious budget proposal, that basically ends medicare and other social services, is not getting a warm reception during Ryan's town hall tour. Even Rep. Sean Duffy (R- Hayward) is getting some grief from his constituents for backing Ryan's draconian plan. John Nichols joins me to talk about why Paul Ryan may be helping Democrats in the State.

Franklin Graham - Spreading Lies

Preacher Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, epitomizes what's wrong with the religious right in America. During an interview with ABC, Graham was perplexed why President Obama hasn't produce his birth certificate and has some doubts about Obama's professed Christianity. He still says Obama is, "a nice man". Graham is enabling fanatics, who know nothing about politics, to go on believing that President Obama is overseeing a socialist, Islamic takeover of the world.

Interstate Shootings

These shootings along the interstate are scary but I can't figure out why this happening? We are one of the last states in the nation that doesn't have concealed carry. You are not allowed to have a loaded weapon in a vehicle, so how could this possibly be happening?

Madison Memorial's Tom Jones - Retiring After 37 Years

James Madison Memorial's Tom Jones, my former English teacher, is retiring after 37 years of dedicated service to this community. Retirement is up 67% this year, mainly because educators are worried about what will come next under Governor Walker and sick of being portrayed as greedy, lazy "unionistas". As Mr. Jones explains, they have been sacrificing pay increases for years to maintain their benefits and it's not their fault poverty has exploded in recent years.

Monarchy Worship in the USA

I was ambivalent about Prince William & Katie Middleton's wedding but all this news coverage is starting to disgust me. This reminds me of southerners celebrating the Confederacy. Didn't we fight a war so we didn't have to care about the British elite?