Dane Dems Love Peg Lautenschlager!

I was at the Dane Dems meeting last night where Peg spoke, and the support for her was amazing! Here's the Cap Times article in today's paper about it:


A Lautenschlager lovefest: Dems rue split in party

By Samara Kalk Derby
November 10, 2005

While Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk's primary challenge to Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager is dividing local Democrats, the Dane County Democratic Party blew Lautenschlager a kiss Wednesday night.

The party approved a resolution recognizing her as an "outstanding" attorney general at its monthly meeting at the Concourse Hotel. The resolution thanked Lautenschlager for her "unceasing, outstanding and courageous work for the people of Wisconsin." The motion passed overwhelmingly on a voice vote.

Lautenschlager was the event's scheduled speaker, and shortly before the vote she gave a talk, "Taking Back Our Government From Special Interests."

The attorney general drew a standing-room-only crowd of about 150 - the largest the group has had all year. She got a standing ovation before uttering a word and many in the audience wore pins emblazoned with her face.

"I'm a huge fan of Kathleen Falk. She was a wonderful public intervenor, an articulate spokesperson for the environment," party member Richard Russell told Lautenschlager from the audience.

Falk is an excellent county executive, Russell said, adding that he supported her when she ran in a three-way Democratic primary for governor in 2002.

"I gave money to her campaign, worked for her, voted for her, did everything I could to try to get her in that office. And I can't imagine why in hell's name, if she wanted to run for statewide office, she picked an office that as far as I can tell, you can't improve upon the incumbent."

Russell's statement was met with loud applause and cheers.

In response, Lautenschlager said, "Kathleen has been a good Democrat. She certainly did a wonderful run for governor, is a respected county executive. Primaries are something we should support if and when they happen and I am certainly not going to shy away from this one."

The party's constitution prevents it from endorsing either candidate, Russell said afterward. Had there been a motion to praise Falk's performance as county executive it would have passed by the same margin, he said.

Jeff Erlanger, another party member who is active in local politics, agreed the party had a right to take the vote but said he didn't agree with it.

"It's disappointing that two days after the primary was announced that the Dane County Dems decided to essentially take a position," said Erlanger, who is leaning toward Falk.

"I just think that Lautenschlager is in some political trouble and it might be smart for the party to get a fresh candidate in there," he said.

Wanda Williamson, a retired university employee, said she is "distressed" by the situation.

"I would support Kathleen for almost anything - except this. When you have so few good people in play on our side," she said, it's unfortunate "to have two of them run against each other in the primary."

Liz Sanger, a UW senior who is active in both the College Democrats and the Dane County Democrats, said she is "incredibly torn."

"I guess you could say that the good news is that we have two incredibly qualified women running for this position. People in Wisconsin will benefit either way," she said.

Don Jones, who was executive director of the state Democratic Party in the 1980s, said primaries are important for political parties when the candidates are not well known or when there's an open seat.

"The concern that I have about this particular primary is that we have two extremely qualified attorneys who both have statewide name recognition," Jones said.

"It's going to be extremely expensive."

The winner of the Falk-Lautenschlager match-up will take on one of two Republicans vying for their party's nomination: Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher and former U.S. Attorney J.B. Van Hollen. The general election is a year away and formal nomination paper filings are not due until July.

After the event, Lautenschlager - who has had to contend with a drunken driving conviction and breast cancer during her first term, acknowledged that it is going to be a difficult race but said she looks forward to the challenge.

It's additionally tough because "I've always considered Kathleen a friend," Lautenschlager said.

"I am running on my record," she added. "I feel good about my service as attorney general."

E-mail: skalk@madison.com

Published: 10:04 AM 11/10/05

It's good to know how this is being greeted around the state and especially in Madison and Milwaukee, where most of the elections are won anyway.