VIDEO: Union-Organized Protest Outside of Waukesha County Courthouse
The AFL-CIO organized the rally in response to Thursday's discovery of 7,500 votes in Waukesha County for David Prosser in the State Supreme Court race. The votes gave Prosser a solid lead over JoAnne Kloppenburg.
The familiar chants of “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Scott Walker’s got to go” were traded in for “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Prosser’s got to go” Friday afternoon at the Waukesha County Courthouse.
Protesters rallied at the Waukesha County Courthouse with calls for a federal investigation on Friday, expressing their displeasure with the county clerk’s election snafu that excluded all votes from the city of Brookfield in the counts that were given to the media on Tuesday.
“I guess I am just a little bit appalled that the votes from Waukesha County were not counted with the rest of the votes that came in,” said Diane Palmer, a Brookfield resident. “There are certain things we rely upon in Waukesha County and that is good, efficient government.”
The AFL-CIO held a rally for "open and honest elections" where thousands of uncounted votes were discovered the day after polls closed.
Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus announced the omission, which undercounted incumbent David Prosser's vote total and created the impression that JoAnne Kloppenburg had a narrow lead in the hotly contested state Supreme Court race.
Instead, with the found votes, Prosser has about a 7,000-vote lead.
Following the roller-coaster of results, Kloppenburg supporters are calling for further investigation into what happened. Labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, backed Kloppenburg over Prosser, who is considered aligned with Gov. Scott Walker.
A rally was also held in Madison at the State Capitol. The Waukesha protest had a heated but non-violent moment when a man carrying a sign that said “Thank you, Brookfield” asked the protesters to show their ID to prove their residency.
A Brookfield man who was protesting with the union members walked over to the “Thank you, Brookfield” man and they were standing within inches of each other as the protester showed the first man his Wisconsin driver’s license.
It wasn’t just the union member, though. A few people stood up for the county clerk, saying that the snafu was a mistake that was caught in the process.
“This is democracy in action. There is a process in place,” said Waukesha resident Chris Bauman. “This is just about the wrong numbers going to … (the) Associated Press. This isn’t about the number of ballots. Those ballots are there and they were counted. It was a clerical error.
“We have a process in place, and it has been followed. I support the process – that is democracy in action.”
C T
5:00 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Really? You have GOT to be kidding! Quick question...why weren't these people at WORK, or does the AFL-CIO pay for them to protest?
rick
5:00 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Give me a break. Get a life people.
Elaine Blonigen
5:15 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Oh, Please! Is that all they got? I agree....GET A LIFE!
Paul S
5:45 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
What could be an even more appealing twist of fate would be that the conspiracy theorists are correct... only the operative was a Dem-Lib that tried to hide the ballots so that Madame commissar would win...
If I declare myself the winner of tonights Mega-millions drawing will someone please investigate where my winning ticket went tomorrow?
C T
5:50 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Now, that's funny right there! (Said like the Cableguy)
Diane
8:07 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Love it!
KKP
7:48 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
I love this!!!
C T
5:51 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
What do we want? Free stuff! What do we want? Free stuff! Who do we work for? Commies! Who do we work for? Commies!
Louise
8:00 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
So much hate. Sickening.
Mr. Conservative
8:22 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
"HEY HEY, HO HO, THAT KLOPPY GAL HAS GOT TO GO, HEY HEY, HO HO, THAT KLOPPY GAL HAS GOT TO GO"
Old Hand
8:55 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
It's obvious that the union puppets don't understand the words "unofficial" and believe that the press (AP) is the official arbiter of elections.
NO ONE gets elected without being certified. Kloppenberg was perhaps a week away from certification when she declared herself the winner.
Laws are in place for a purpose, except, perhaps, when the unions are involved.
KKP
7:52 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
This is ONE (just one) of the reasons I don't want Kloppy in the Supreme Court. We don't need someone with knee-jerk reactions sitting on the bench!
Mobywan
11:25 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
The votes were counted. The first time. Just because the AP did not "get them" with the other votes doesn't mean a thing. These are legitimate votes. Go back to work and DEAL WITH IT.
This is not the end of the world. There are many states out there were the state workers have NO union. The state workers there are doing just fine. TEACHERS included.
Let's all step back, take a deep breath and relax. Let the canvassing finish. Then determine whether a recount is worth it. And let the process play out....
The one who screams the loudest is USUALLY in the wrong.
Don Pridemore
3:38 am on Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I think the AP should take part of the blame for not recognizing that the City of Brookfield was missing from the reported votes!
Brett Hyde
11:42 pm on Friday, April 8, 2011
Hey hey, Ho ho, can't they come up with a different chant??
The difference between this and other contested elections in the past is that you can point to exactly what happened and who was responsible. It's not like a box was suddenly found tucked in a corner that no one knew about. The best way to verify this is to match up the email time stamp, and make sure the numbers sent by Brookfield were the numbers Nickolaus was supposed to report.
The prosser-cuter
12:32 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
These protestors just continue to hurt their cause. Let them continue to march around like spoiled little children whose parents won't give them candy. The larger their protests get, the more resolved conservatives get to shut them up by turning out at the polls.
KKP
7:47 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Amen...they're making themselves look ridiculous and they continue to turn people off, so...more power to 'em. They're hurting themselves and their cause more than they know. Some people just need to grow up. (Man alive...what a throw-back to the 60's!!!)
Keith Best
7:57 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Did these protestors follow their leaders blindly? Did they not hear the Vice-Chair of the Waukesha County Democratic, Ramona Kitzinger say that she was involved in the process from the beginning and that everything was on the up and up? That "the numbers jibed and they were satisfied with the results."
These union people are like sheep being led by those that do not want to lose their money. It's all about the union leaders keeping their money folks. The rest of us are onto their game plan.
Stella
8:21 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Go ahead, thugs--continue to show us your TRUE SELFISH and GREEDY COLORS. Instead of applauding the fact that the entire city of Brookfield's votes will now have a voice, you become selfish political hacks forcing YOUR WILL against the will of the people. Why aren't unions protesting in Milwaukee County--where the extra 10,000 SMELLY votes are?
The prosser-cuter
8:57 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
I'm not so sure the liberals will really want to go ward to ward and start counting actual votes. How many votes will the Klopper lose when they start reconciling ballots cast to verified voter registation lists. How many students cast provisional ballots on UW campuses and also voted absentee in their home district? An actual Florida style ballot by ballot recount most likely will expose the democratic tricks of the trade, furthering the conservtive agenda of requiring identification at the polls. Do the democrats really want to go there???
The prosser-cuter
8:52 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Klopp on................Klopp off...........................The Klopper!
KKP
10:00 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
OMG I love this!!!!
JonDoe
9:49 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hey Hey Ho Ho USELESS UNIONS HAVE TO GO
KKP
10:00 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Yep...from your lips to God's ears!!! With a hearty AMEN!!
Taxpayer too!
11:35 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011
This protest occurred at 4:30 p.m. Long after work hours ended. The total count is recorded. What is not clear is how those totals were manipulated while Nickolas had them. It is the distribution of the votes that is in question. Any way you look at it for over 24 hours those "votes" were not public and someone had the opportunity to play with them. Whichever way this went that should make you uncomfortable. The next time it could go the other way and then how would you feel. This is not about the outcome it is about the process. Way too much opportunity for intentional human error. That is NOT what democracy looks like.
Stella
1:00 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
GET A GRIP! This will all be looked at-- I only wish the results of Milwaukee County would be held to the same high standards you place on Waukesha County. I still don't understand how you can cry fowl when a Republican County Clerk forgets to put in the votes for an entire city? This would only harm her candidate--since he won that county overwhelmingly. If she were going to manipulate data, she would have done so QUIETLY--without this huge public spotlight placed on her. If you are REALLY serious about the process, you should be concerned about the abuses due to a lack of voter ID requirements in Wisconsin.
She has apologized on more than one occasion. As far as her competence, that is for the citizens of Waukesha County to decide.
Mobywan
2:00 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
These "votes" were logged in and registered BEFORE the clerk got them. Whether she forgot to "hit save" or whatever she could not have manipulated them. ALL she was doing was logging the votes in. She did not nor does not have access to these votes. The reporting of the votes to the AP is just a courtesy, nothing more. NO WHERE in the law does it state thaat she is supposed to report votes to the AP. I admit this was unfortunate and should be looked into. BUT, in no way was this criminal. Now we have Liberal representatives asking for a federal investigation. THIS IS NOT A FEDERAL ISSUE!!! Let the process of counting the votes go through. Look at the results and if the Kloppenburg camp sants to spend money (or the States money) to do a recount, let it proceed. In the end the result will be the same...SHE LOST.
Brett Hyde
12:32 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
4:30 is not LONG after work hours ended.
It sounds like you have it set in your mind that the totals were manipulated. That fact is there was a reporting error to the press. The only real way to prevent this is to a refuse to release ANY numbers until the governing entity (in this race it would be the state) has received all the numbers, canvassing has been completed, any recounts finished, and a winner certified. Since this would take a couple of days this would not be a popular approach.
Reporting errors do occur. We do need to work through our due diligence and be absolutely certain that this was the case and that no improprieties occurred. But to have your mind made up that fraud is the only explanation is very narrow minded.
Stella
12:51 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
You are TOTALLY correct, Brett.
Taxpayer too!
1:06 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Given the tenor of some of the comments on this site I find it difficult to believe my relatively emotionless post received a capital letter get a grip rating. I think you might want to read some of the other postings and sent that message to them. I was merely pointing out that the process needs to be addressed and that these kinds of things should concern everyone who believes in our democracy. Remember the whole idea behind this government is that you have the right to protest and question your government. I assume you would like that piece of the Constitution to stay in place or do you want to amend it so that only those who agree with you can protest.
Mr. Conservative
1:42 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
<<Any way you look at it for over 24 hours those "votes" were not public and someone had the opportunity to play with them.>>
I think this line and the fact you put the word Votes in quotation marks, which would seem to be an insinuation that you feel these are phony votes, may have something to do with the response you received. This would not really be "merely pointing out that the process needs to be addressed". Typical liberal tactic though, poke the bear and then feign innocense and accuse of overreaction. Good work today, your union bosses will be proud.
The prosser-cuter
3:17 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
I'm sure these will be the same people protesting Voter ID
The prosser-cuter
3:19 pm on Saturday, April 9, 2011
Taxpayer too - You might want to go read the Brookfield Patch article from election night, when they published the Brookfield results. Now go back to the fever swamp and look for some more conspiracies.
LuvtheOC
6:48 pm on Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ok, do they have any idea how ridiculous they look and sound? Do they know that this is just a part of what made people look and laugh at them in the first place? And, was the one woman aware she was carrying her sign upside down or did that have some type of relevance? Have they started protesting Brookfield Square yet or sending death threats to Ramona Kitzinger?
KKP
7:15 pm on Sunday, April 10, 2011
You know, this subject has been kicked to death. Can we all just put on our big girl panties and get on with it? There were X number of people who voted in Brookfield. There are X number of ballots. Count 'em. Compare the number of ballots to the number of people who voted. Period.
IT AIN'T BRAIN SURGERY!!!!
And there WAS no conspiracy. There as a fallible official who didn't do her job very well. She may be guilty of many things, but manipulating votes is NOT one of them. Brookfield's votes were not reported when the rest of the county's numbers were reported. There was not a magical appearance of ADDITIONAL votes the next day or the day after. What there WAS was a discovery that the votes that were made WERE NOT COUNTED. And they NEED to be added to the county's totals. Period.
Yes, Brookfield had a higher than normal percentage of voters that turned out. Nothing unusual about that in a hotly contested election. I can tell you that in the years that we have lived in Brookfield (and we vote at the same time in every election), our usual number of voter was more than doubled, and for the very first time, there was a line and we had to wait to vote. NO CONSPIRACY THERE EITHER. Just a higher number of people who took their responsibilities seriously. PERIOD.
Focus on something useful, like getting Nickolaus OUT of the job she apparently cannot handle.
Diane
7:17 pm on Sunday, April 10, 2011
@ Karen
AMEN!
C T
11:49 am on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
PIERCE COUNTY HERALD:
Published April 13, 2011, 07:03 AM
State election officials verify vote count from Brookfield in Supreme Court race
Wisconsin News
-- State election officials say they have verified last Tuesday’s Supreme Court results from Brookfield. That’s where 14,000 votes were not disclosed on Election Night, giving court challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg only a 204-vote statewide lead. But once a canvass added Brookfield’s numbers, incumbent Justice David Prosser jumped out to about a 7,500 vote lead.
Diane
11:52 am on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
YEAH!
what about Milwaukee?
KKP
12:04 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oh no! It's a fraud! It's a conspiracy! Now the state election board is in on the conspiracy too! Oh no!!
Heh..kidding, of course, just saying it before a Lib does....heh....
Now to see if Kloppy will do the HONORABLE thing....which I'm sure she will not, as she has already displayed the fact that she has no class - or good judgment.
C T
12:02 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@Diane
Trying to find out updates on Milwaukee & Madison...I think the "recall" idea may be a bad suggestion, from what I am hearing, there are little towns updating across the state (they still have 2 days to finish their canvass) and there is just short of a couple hundred up for Ms. Koppenberg and several hundred for Justice Prossor.
Diane
12:11 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@ Karen
I am not holding my breath......
C T
12:12 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@ Diane
Funny, but true! I'm wondering what Soro funded groups like MoveOn and the unions are going to do now...they put out so many fundraising letters because of her narrow "win" in the beginning, to fund recalls for Wisconsin (Republican & Conservative) Senators and Congressmen and now what? Fundraising letters to stop the truth and boycott the state because of the Officials with their FACTS?
Diane
12:24 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@ C T
I am sure we have not heard the end of Kloppenburg or the union thugs. Maybe she would like a senator seat?
C T
12:35 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@ Diane
The donations will start pouring in again!
We need to figure out the reason that people from Mississippi (or Texas, now), have so much at stake in a Wisconsin election! If you ain't a GREEN BAY PACKER, BREWER, BUCK, WAVE, BADGER LOVIN', BRAT EATIN', WATER SLIDIN', Wisconsiner, butt out!
Diane
12:39 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
@ C T
agree! LOL
KKP
12:54 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Hear hear!!!!! Jesse Jackson included!!!
Diane
1:29 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
anyone want to join us?
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_bd1bd96a-655a-11e0-9c71-001cc4c002e0.html
Diane
2:59 pm on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
from another blog:
"I went to the store and the meat case was Johnsonville free...had to ask the Butcher if there were anymore. He went and got some from the freezer and told me that they can't keep the case stocked...they were selling like hotcakes!"
I am going to buy Johnsonville when I see them and stock my freezer!