Marge Krupp found!

After wondering about the whereabouts of Marge Krupp the other day, I can report the Democratic challenger has been located. She'll be stuffing envelopes and stapling yard signs on Saturday in Downtown Kenosha. Apparently, the revolution will be stapled. Here's the announcement:

Come Join Us For A Staple and Stuff Party!

We are hosting a party for volunteers to staple yard signs and stuff envelopes at our downtown Kenosha headquarters. Help out two or more hours and get a free Krupp For Congress t-shirt!

When: 9 am - Noon on Saturday, October 11th

Where: Our new Downtown Kenosha headquarters:

920 61st St.

(Parking is in the back of the building, just off Sheridan Rd.)

Call (262)-909-9279 for directions, or visit www.kruppforcongress.org for details.

Paul Ryan takes heat for supporting $700 billion bailout

Rep. Paul Ryan is taking heat for supporting the $700 billion bailout of the U.S. banking industry. Ryan said the plan "sucks," but he voted for it to help the economy. That principled response is causing some grief for the Janesville/Kenosha/Racine/Milwaukee Republican.

The J-S carries the flag on this one in today's paper. The article is kindly headlined: "Ryan's vote for bailout went against his principles." That's a nice way of saying he's trying to have it both ways.

“This bill offends my principles,” the Janesville Republican said in an impassioned speech Sept. 29, before Congress’ first attempt to pass the measure. “But I am going to vote for this bill in order to preserve my principles, in order to preserve this free-enterprise system.”

Here's the local reaction from the J-S:

George Meyers, a member of the Racine Taxpayers Association: “It’s not going to help the people it’s purported to help,” he said, adding that he was disappointed by Ryan’s position. “It’s basically a bailout of some wealthy bankers who made some mistakes. . . . We’re going to get shorted on our money.”

County Executive Bill McReynolds: "I probably had the natural reaction the constituents in this area had from a layman’s sense," he said. Now, "I can understand why Congressman Ryan probably had to vote for it. This shows what type of courage he has."

Robin Vos, a Republican who represents Racine County in the state Assembly, also gave Ryan credit for trying to shape the rescue package, then taking a vote that could hurt his standing among some of his constituents.

"The easy answer would have been to say ‘That’s too hot a potato,’" he said.

BTW, anyone seen Marge Krupp lately? Rumor has it she's running for Congress ...

Krupp wins right to challenge Ryan in 1st District

Late results give Marge Krupp of Pleasant Prairie the victory in the Democrats' 1st Congressional District race, winning the right to oppose Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan in November.

We've updated these results through Tuesday evening. The county totals come from the various county clerks, and the overall total from WTMJ. The state won't canvass the partial totals and officially declare a winner until Sept. 20. The county totals below don't equal WTMJ's totals because precincts in Milwaukee County and Waukesha County haven't yet posted their results online.

WTMJ reports 100% of the votes tallied:

Marge Krupp 5,832
Paulette Garin 5,015
Mike Hebert 4,315
John Mogk 655

Racine County reports:

Mike Hebert 941
Paulette Garin 1,259
John Mogk 133
Marge Krupp 1,492

Complete Racine County results -- all parties, precincts and local races -- are here. The summary is here.

Rock County reports:

Paulette Garin 606
John Mogk 51
Marge Krupp 686
Mike Hebert 238

Kenosha County reports:

Mike Hebert 2,289
Marge Krupp 2,126
Paulette Garin 2,191
John Mogk 287

Walworth County reports:

Marge Krupp 329
Mike Hebert 197
Paulette Garin 262
John Mogk 25

Garin announces her own endorsements

Shortly after Marge Krupp won the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's endorsement in the Democratic primary to challenge Paul Ryan, Paulette Garin announced her own endorsements. They're not as strong as the largest paper in the state, but they're something ...

Here's the press release:

KENOSHA – First District U.S. Congress candidate Paulette Garin has announced a series of major labor endorsements unprecedented for a primary:

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 430
• Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 4611
• Racine Labor Coalition
• Racine Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

“I am humbled by this recognition from my fellow union brothers and sisters from right here in the First Congressional District,” said Garin, who is a member in good standing of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

“My family has long ties to unions and solidarity,” Garin added. “My grandfather was a UAW Local 72 member from the union’s founding in 1935 until his retirement after 50 years of service. My father served as UAW Local 960 Treasurer for 35 years, and is still active in the UAW-CAP and the UAW Retirees Council. Growing up in a union household has shown me the importance of organized labor as a force for the well-being of all working families.”

Garin has prepared for her run for the 1st District seat now held by Paul Ryan by passing the certified public accountant exam on the first try.

“We need fiscal responsibility in Washington to counter the irresponsible borrow-and-spend policies of the Bush administration and Paul Ryan,” Garin said. “My CPA training puts me in a unique position among the Democratic candidates to scrutinize federal spending in the interest of taxpayers.”

The congressional primary will be held September 9.

Journal Sentinel endorses Krupp of 1st District Dems

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has endorsed Marge Krupp in the 1st Congressional District's Democratic primary, over Paulette Garin and Mike Hebert. Winner of the Sept. 9 runoff gets to take on Republican incumbent Paul Ryan, who many believe is unbeatable regardless how low President Bush falls in the polls.

The Journal Sentinel said: "Krupp brings the strongest combination of relevant experience, knowledge of the issues and enthusiasm to the race... (she) has done an impressive job of raising money and garnering endorsements... Garin and Hebert have good ideas and enthusiasm, but Krupp's broader experience and grasp of the issues make her the best of three good candidates."

The latest campaign finance reports show Krupp has raised $100,846; Garin has raised $15,473; Hebert reports nothing -- on par with his efforts two years ago (when he came in second in the primary to Dr. Jeff Thomas). Ryan reports $1,281,587. (Does the term "lambs to slaughter" come to mind? Yes.)

Krupp said she was "elated" by the endorsement, and it "means that the winds of change really are blowing in the First District."

New endorsements she reports include: The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, The International Longshoremen's Association, American Postal Workers Union, The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers and National Women's Political Caucus.

Meanwhile, Garin today announced some endorsements as well: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 430, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 4611, Racine Labor Coalition and Racine Central Labor Council AFL-CIO.

It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, the Journal Times endorses in the race. Under previous publisher Dick Johnston, the JT stopped endorsing any candidates. I'm sure there was some high-falutin' explanation that said something about letting readers make their own decisions, but basically it came down to the theory that coming out for one candidate might cause the other guy's adherents to quit subscribing to the paper, or stop advertising.

And then there were three: Mogk drops out

John Mogk, the last candidate to enter the Democrats' once-crowded 1st District Congressional race, is now the second to withdraw. His announcement was a surprise, since he had been an active campaigner here in Racine; he worked the crowds during the July 4 parade and was doing so again a couple of Saturdays ago during the MicroCar show on Monument Square.

The winner of the now three-candidate primary on Sept. 9 gets to take on established Republican incumbent Paul Ryan, and his $1.8 million or so campaign warchest. At first, it appeared there would be five candidates, but perennial hopeful (and loser) Jeff Thomas, although having insisted he would run, did not submit the signatures or file papers necessary to get on the ballot when the filing period closed on July 8. With Mogk's withdrawal, the Democrats must choose among first-timers Paulette Garin and Marge Krupp, and 2006's second-place finisher Mike Hebert.

Mogk, who only announced his entrance into the race on June 8, posted the following announcement on his website:

I, John Mogk, a candidate for U.S. Congress representing the 1st Congressional District, am announcing today my decision to withdraw from the Democratic primary scheduled for September 9. I entered the race in late May of this year at the urging of many supporters, and am proud of the campaign we've run, bringing up important issues like the environment, renewable energies, and creating jobs in Southeast Wisconsin.

From the beginning of the campaign, we held to my message that the election was bigger than any one candidate. It has been a long standing goal of the Democratic Party in the 1st CD to defeat Paul Ryan in the November election, and I will not stand in the way of achieving that. For the good of the Party I feel this is the time to step aside. The election was never about me, but about making a positive change for the people.

I do plan to stay involved with the local and presidential races, and the reasons I entered the race still need to be addressed. This district is facing the growing problems of a failing health care system, lost jobs, and a national debt that will drown the country, and deeply impact Southeast Wisconsin. Paul Ryan continues to be part of the problem and offers no solutions for the people, just sweeter deals for his special interests in Washington. I will continue working to help Sen. Barack Obama be elected President, and will fully support the Democratic nominee of the 1st district against Rep. Ryan.

I thank you all for your support, and urge every single one of you to stay active in the local, state, and national races this Fall. This is too important an election to dismiss. We all need to come together to ensure a better, brighter future for everyone.

John Mogk

More about Mogk HERE and HERE.

Iron Workers endorse Krupp

Marge Krupp, the Democratic candidate for Congress, earned another endorsement, this time from the Iron Workers union. It's a good sign for Krupp's campaign, which is trying to win a Democratic primary to challenge Paul Ryan in the fall. Krupp has also received endorsements from the National Organization of Women, the Women's Campaign Forum and Women's Action for a New Direction.

Here's her statement on the Iron Workers:

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wisconsin - As her campaign to unseat incumbent Congressman Paul Ryan continues to gain momentum, Marge Krupp, the Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin's First Congressional District, today earned the endorsement of another labor union. The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, an AFL-CIO associate, and their 140,000+ members have endorsed Marge Krupp in her run for U.S. Congress.

Krupp said of the endorsement, "We are absolutely thrilled over the Iron Workers decision to endorse us. The coalition of labor, which now includes the Iron Workers, behind my campaign is a testament to the efforts of organized labor to help turn the 1st District from Red to Blue." The Iron Workers are the fourth labor union to endorse Krupp before the primary election on September 9th. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Longshoremen's Association, and the American Postal Workers Union are the other three to pledge support to Krupp's campaign. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have also contributed generously to Krupp's campaign.

Krupp has also earned the endorsement of three national women's political groups: the National Organization for Women, the Women's Campaign Forum, and Women's Action for a New Direction. No Democratic primary opponent challenging Krupp has earned any endorsements.

Kissing babies is so passé

We linked earlier this week to a blogger's report about Marge Krupp, one of four Democrats running for Congress here, who took on Rep. Paul Ryan at the County Fair.

And whupped him. In goat-milking.

Well, it turns out, that was just a partial report. This, as Paul Harvey would say, is the rest of the story:

The goat milking contest is an annual event for all politicians at the Racine County Fair. Because there are only two goat milking stations, Fair officials pair off two politicians at a time. Everyone has to wait his or her turn, but all are given the same amount of time to milk the goat, by aiming into a smalll bottle with an even smaller opening.

In addition to Krupp and Ryan, milkers included Democrats Paulette Garin (pictured at right), John Lehman, Lisa Van Koningsveld, Linda Flashinski. I assume there were more Republicans as well, but to tell the truth I wasn't there (and am planning to miss it next year as well.)

In any case, I hear that Garin got almost three ounces of milk from her goat, while Krupp and Ryan managed only a little over an ounce apiece.

Sad to say, the "official" record, logged on a yellow legal pad, is somewhere in the goat barn, beyond reach. We're considering filing an FOI request to get to the bottom of all this.

In any case, the pols say it was all in good fun. Not at all sure the goats would agree.

Mason raises $64K for re-election; Krupp breaks $100K

State Rep. Cory Mason, 62nd Assembly District, D-Racine, is doing his best to scare away Republican challengers. The first-term incumbent announced Wednesday he's raised $64,000 for re-election. Here's the full release (and an update on Marge Krupp, below):

Racine- State Representative Cory Mason (D-Racine) announced today that he has raised over $64,000 for his re-election campaign. In addition, Rep. Mason has built a broad coalition of financial support from over 600 Racine County residents.

In making this announcement Rep. Mason said, "It is important to me to not only raise the resources I will need to run a vigorous campaign, but to do it the right way. The majority of my donors are from Racine County, and my average donation is less than $55. I want my campaign to reflect the interests of those that I serve, so it is very important to me that I continue to build grassroots support from around the community."

Rep. Mason is in his first term as a state Representative. He serves on the following committees: Natural Resources, Education, and Jobs and the Economy. Mason is a graduate of Case High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an active member of the River Alliance of Wisconsin and serves as a commissioner to the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Racine.

Mason filed his campaign finance report with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board today.

Filing period for candidates ends on July 8. So far, Mason has one opponent: Keith Deschler, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2002 and 2004.

Marge Krupp, one of five Democrats vying for the nomination to run against Congressman Paul Ryan, R-1st District, announced today that she broke the $100,000 barrier of credibility. It's looking like she has a shot at winning the Democratic nomination. That'd be a major accomplishment for First Congressional Dems who haven't been able to overcome the cross-dressing Republicans who nominate Doc Thomas every two years.

p.s. (pre-emptive strike): Yes, dear commenters, we'll post Vos' totals as soon as they're available.

Mogk serves up wine and politics

Congressional candidate as sommelier

John Mogk was keeping two conversational threads going last night.

One revolved around the four wines he was pouring at the Sommelier Wine Shop in Kenosha. "It's got a crisp taste, a little pucker on the tongue, some sweetness," he said, of one of the four bottles in front of him. The wines came from Trento, Italy, and Bad Wildungen, Germany -- the places his mother's, and father's families came from.

(Hey, as a political fund-raiser, meet-n-greet topic, it sure beat a stiff in a suit delivering a speech!)

The other conversation had more political substance: what he would do if elected to Congress in the 1st Congressional District in November.

Mogk is the latest Democrat seeking the opportunity to oppose Republican Paul Ryan, who has held the Congressional seat for 10 years. Ryan has incumbency, a huge war chest and a string of five easy victories behind him.

Despite all that, Democrats are eager to take him on in this presidential election year, a year in which all the recent Wisconsin polls show Democrat Barack Obama with a substantial lead over Republican John McCain. Marge Krupp announced her candidacy last June; Paulette Garin in January. By February, there were four: Dr. Jeffrey Thomas, Ryan's victim in each of the past four elections, is running yet again; and so is the man Thomas edged out in the 2006 Democratic primary, Mike Hebert.

And since earlier this month there are five: Call John Mogk Johnny-come-lately or accept his analysis that "there's still not a front-runner" among the earlier-announced candidates. "I started talking to people and getting encouraged to run. I'm really not being a spoiler. I think I've caught up with the other candidates already, in terms of people who are approaching me. Now, if we can just catch up on the money side."

Krupp has said she expects the race against Ryan to cost $2 million. Mogk thinks it will be about $750,000. Garin was somewhere in the high six figures. The other two Democratic wannabees -- Thomas and Hebert -- are famous for spending ... um, nothing. (They've never been elected, either.)

Mogk, 41, who was Kenosha Field Organizer for Kerry/Edwards in 2004, says he decided to run this year because "you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. You can say 'I won't run' because of Dr. Thomas, you can say 'I won't run' because Ryan has won before. Well, he's never had a challenge. And yet, he's not bringing more jobs into the district, there are things we could do with environmental issues..."

"I'm here to represent the people of the 1st District. Not the oil companies, not the party."

It's the people of the district who should set a Congressman's agenda, says Mogk (the "g" is silent). He ticks off issues in the order people mention them to him:

1. Universal health care.
2. Energy and gas prices
3. The economy and jobs.
4. Education.

"Everyone's going to pay $500 more a year for food," he says, just because of the extra costs in transportation and packaging. "And in Janesville, 2,400 people will be out of work" because GM's reliance on big cars has run into those high gas prices too.

Interestingly, Mogk says Iraq hardly comes up in discussions with potential voters. "I would like to see us get out as soon as possible, while protecting the troops," he says. But he also thinks the Iraqi people "want us to stay and help them create Democracy."

Most surprisingly (to me, anyway), Mogk says he agrees with Ryan's lone stand against earmarks. "If everybody in Congress keeps saying yes, we're going to be playing the same game. Eventually, the people will get behind me on this, even if I'm the only one."

Mogk says he has collected about 1,500 signatures; candidates need 1,000 "nominators' signatures" to get on the Democratic Primary ballot, and are permitted to submit up to 2,000. They usually opt for the larger number because anyone who signs more than one candidate's petitions is disqualified if there is a challenge. Deadline for submission is July 8.

More on Mogk HERE. His website is HERE.

More on Krupp and Garin HERE.

More on Thomas and Hebert HERE.

The first four appeared at the 1st District's annual convention in February. Read about it HERE.

Here are the four wines John Mogk was serving

Mogk joins Democratic field to oppose Ryan

And then there were five!

John Mogk of Kenosha has announced his entrance in the Democratic primary in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, for the right to oppose Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican incumbent. He joins Paulette Garin, Marge Krupp, Jeff Thomas and Mike Hebert. Democrats began collecting signatures on June 1; the necessary papers to gain inclusion in the September primary must be filed by July 8.

Currently active in the Kenosha County Democratic Party, Mogk started in 1994 as a member of the Racine County Democrats, serving as a local party officer and a brief stint as a vice-chair of the 1st CD.

He served as a volunteer in Racine on the 1996 Clinton/Gore campaign, and actively supported the special election that moved Kim Plache from the State Assembly to the State Senate.

In 2004 Mogk worked as the Kenosha Field Organizer for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. About his prior campaign work Mogk said, “My favorite memory is the incredible work by hundreds of dedicated volunteers that helped John Kerry win Kenosha County and the 1st CD.”

Mogk said he is running because Congress has been out of control and out of touch for too long. “Representatives in Congress are supposed to represent the interests of the people in their district, not the special interests as they do now.”


He said, “People in the 1st CD are paying record prices for gas, while the oil companies make record profits and continue receiving our tax dollars in subsidies. Whose interest is being served? Where is the common sense in that?”

A personal peeve of Mogk’s is the fight for affordable and available health care for everyone: “The health care system is killing this country,” he said, “costs are rising double the rate of inflation and people are being left with nothing.”

Mogk feels some of the proposals offering tax credits would help those working or who already have insurance, but they do not go far enough. He says the problem needs to be attacked on a number of fronts including insurance and medical costs, industry greed, duplication of work, and insurance companies who deny and limit care.

“700,000 declared bankruptcy last year over a health care crisis. About 500,000 of them had insurance when the crisis began. Common sense should tell us the system is not working. It will take bigger measures to handle this crisis,” he said.

Discussing the war in Iraq, Mogk’s focus is the troops. He believes lack of budget oversight and no-bid contracts are still leaving the troops without necessary equipment such as body armor and fortified vehicles. He says billions of tax dollars have been lost and mismanaged through privatizing the war. “World War II gave us the Marshal Plan. The war in Iraq has given us the Halliburton Plan. And the results have been deadly.”

Mogk believes more needs to be done to protect the troops, and fulfill the requests of generals, not the fanciful ideas of the Administration who lost America’s respect around the world. “If the 1st CD makes the right change in Congress this election, we won’t need another 5 years before the mission really is accomplished.”

Other issues Mogk discusses are improving education, the student loan crisis, alternative energies and jobs for Wisconsin, the pettiness in Congress, eliminating government waste, and the housing crisis. Mogk says the common theme through many of these issues is a lack of common sense approach.

“If you do the right thing for the right reasons, the solutions will benefit everyone. Perhaps if GM had done the right thing and looked beyond one fiscal quarter at a time, 2,400 residents of the 1st CD would not be losing their jobs.”

Mogk feels the 1st CD and Wisconsin are losing out in the development of alternative energies. “There is not a single solution. Common sense should tell us what works in the southwest might not work in the midwest.”

“But we have to do more now. Oil is a finite resource. We got lazy after the last oil crisis and are still unprepared. The 1st CD and Wisconsin are great places to develop and test ideas such as the fusion project at UW-Madison, and the KRM that could have been running already, saving residents from $4 gas.”

Mogk says that as a Representative in Congress he would pursue these ideas for the environment and jobs. “Southeast Wisconsin has the best workers, top universities, great communities with sun and wind. Bringing the research, testing and development to our backyard will have long-term economic, education, and health impacts for a better quality of life for all of us. Common sense says it’s the right thing to do. Why hasn’t Paul Ryan done it?”

Mogk has a B.A. in Business Administration. He worked at Carthage College in Kenosha in the student affairs and development departments. Currently he is call center manager at Lake Forest College.

Ryan promises 'bold plan' to transform federal government;also sets listening sessions in 35 communities

Update 3: Dem candidate Paulette Garin has something to say about Ryan's plan. Here it is:

Healthcare: Basically, Ryan is still promoting his Health Savings Account plan. His proposal segregates the high-risk, chronically ill, and those with pre-existing conditions to be subsidized by the individual states. So the burden of cost shifts, but is not diminished. You may derive some benefit from this plan provided nothing serious ever happens to you. It does not appear that his plan does anything to reign in the disproportionate influence of the insurance industry. Why would it? Take a look at his list of campaign PAC donors – BIG Pharma and the insurance industry.

Medicare: On the surface, this appears to be a "privatization" of Medicare, which we are already experiencing with Medicare Advantage. It appears to be another plan where the insurance industry will get to "cherry pick" amongst the healthiest. His proposal limits your choice of providers to a pre-determined list. ou really are not free to choose. Better check out which companies are on that list, what relationships they have with our congressman, and who really stands to benefit.

Social Security: Another move toward "privatization." If this is the same type of plan that he has been advocating for years, you would be limited in your choices as to where you could invest your personal retirement funds. Once again, who stands to benefit – the investment managers on Wall Street? What relationship do they have with our congressman? Better check out his PAC contributions and personal assets. Always be suspicious of "privatization" until you carefully examine what constraints are put upon the program and who will actually gain.

Taxes: Ryan is pushing a "Taxpayer's Choice Act," which would basically create a flat tax system. he highest tax rate would be 25% as compared to the current 35%. While paying lower taxes appears attractive, how does the government make-up for the $840 billion revenue shortfall created by this proposal? We already have a staggering deficit, driven by defense spending, AND that does not even include the cost of the Iraq War. We have placed an overwhelming financial burden on our children and grandchildren.

If Ryan were truly a fiscal conservative, what has he done to balance the budget, to eliminate the government’s ‘no bid’ contracts, and to end expensive sub-contracting to private companies? Better check out his PAC donors once again.

Ryan claims government is wasteful and inefficient, yet he continues to promote layers of bureaucracy that would now get intermingled with private enterprise. My overall impression of Rep. Ryan’s plan is that it is just more GOP spin to complicate matters and mislead people into actually believing that he is working for his constituents and not for the special interest groups who are funding him.

Update 2: Here's Ryan's plan in his own words, written as a Wall Street Journal editorial page column. Basically, he's trying to reform every major government (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, tax code, health insurance) program at once. Could it be a play for the vice presidency? It'll be interesting to see if McCain responds/embraces this. Here's a link to the full plan.

Update: Marge Krupp, who is running as a Democrat in the First District, responded to Ryan's proposal Wednesday morning. Here's here statement:

Later today, Congressman Paul Ryan is planning on announcing an 88 page proposal on Healthcare and Social Security, and his Democratic challenger, Marge Krupp issued a key question in regards to his plan, "Why does Paul Ryan want to hurt the senior citizens of Wisconsin?" Krupp, Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin's First Congressional District, challenged Ryan's proposal was working against the financial security of those that she wants to represent, "The seniors of this district count on a monthly Social Security check as part of their income and Paul Ryan is trying to undermine that." Ryan's plan calls for a privatization of Social Security services that some say could lead to a destabilization of the program.

Also proposed in Ryan's plan is a health insurance tax credit that would allow Americans to purchase a healthcare plan of their choice. Krupp again asked why Paul Ryan would issue such a plan, "This is the same kind of proposition that the Bush Administration has been giving the American people the past eight years, why is Paul Ryan trying to punish our working families and seniors?"

Krupp also noted that Ryan receives tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from private insurance companies and is at the will of these individuals when it comes to issues of Healthcare or Social Security.

Original post:

Give U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, 1st District, credit: He sure knows how to keep us in suspense.

On Tuesday he sent out a media advisory promising "to unveil a plan to transform federal government."

But we have to wait until tomorrow to learn what it is!

The press release, with details of the Washington event, and a teleconference we Wisconsin media types can dial into, says Ryan "plans to introduce his bold new initiative to solve America’s looming fiscal and economic crisis. Ryan’s plan, titled A Roadmap for America’s Future, takes a comprehensive approach to fixing the current health care crisis, restoring the promise of Medicare and Social Security, and simplifying the outdated tax code."

The event will take place at 10 a.m. our time; no doubt we'll have news about it later Wednesday.

Ryan also announced an extensive schedule of district listening sessions from May 27 – June 16. Ryan will visit 35 communities. Go to any one of them, and ask him about his new initiative that "seeks to transform our domestic priorities to strengthen American society for future generations."

His full schedule is after the break:

Tuesday, May 27

WALWORTH: 11:30am – 12:30pm, Village Hall, 227 North Main Street
CLINTON: 1:30 – 2:15pm, Village Hall, 301 Cross Street
JANESVILLE: 4:15 – 5:30pm, City Hall, Council Chambers, Room #417, 18 N. Jackson St.

Wednesday, May 28

RACINE: 4:00 – 5:00pm, Gateway Technical College, Racine Building, Great Lakes Room
#110, 901 Pershing Drive, use parking lot D
OAK CREEK: 5:45 – 6:45pm, Police Department, Courtroom, 301 West Ryan Rd.

Thursday, May 29

DELAVAN: 8:00 – 9:00am, City Hall, 123 S. 2nd Street
FONTANA: 9:30 – 10:15am, Village Hall, 175 Valley View Drive
WILLIAMS BAY: 10:30 – 11:15am, Village Hall, 250 Williams Street
LAKE GENEVA: 12:15 – 1:00pm, Public Library, 918 West Main Street
GREENDALE: 2:00 – 2:45pm, Safety Building, 5911 West Grange Ave,
GREENFIELD: 3:00 – 3:45pm, City Hall, Council Chambers 7325 W. Forest Home Ave

Friday, May 30

DARIEN: 8:00 – 9:00am, Village Hall, 24 North Wisconsin Street
EAST TROY: 9:30 – 10:30am, Village Hall, 2106 Church Street
NEW BERLIN: 11:00am – 12:00pm, Citizens Bank of Mukwonago - New Berlin Branch, 5450 S. Moorland Road
HALES CORNERS: 1:00 – 2:00pm, Village Hall, Meadows Room, 5635 S. New Berlin Rd
MUSKEGO: 2:30 – 3:30pm, City Hall, Muskego Room, W182S8200 Racine Ave.

Monday, June 2

SHARON: 8:00 – 8:45am, Community Center, 125 Plain Street
GENOA CITY: 9:30 – 10:30am, Village Hall, 715 Walworth Street
TWIN LAKES: 11:00am – 12:00pm, Village Hall, 108 East Main Street
SILVER LAKE: 1:00 – 2:00pm, Village Hall, 113 South 1st Street
PADDOCK LAKE: 2:30 – 3:15pm, Village Hall, 6969 236th Avenue
PLEASANT PRAIRIE: 4:00 – 5:00pm, Village Hall, Auditorium, 9915 39th Avenue
KENOSHA: 5:30 – 6:30pm, Gateway Technical College, Science Building, Room S137,
3520 30th Avenue

Friday, June 13

MILTON: 8:00 – 9:00am, The Gathering Place, upstairs dining room, 715 Campus Street
EAGLE: 10:00 – 10:45am, Village Hall, 820 East Main Street
NORTH PRAIRIE: 11:00am – 12:00pm, Village Hall, 130 North Harrison
MUKWONAGO: 1:00 – 2:00pm, Village Hall, 440 Rivercrest Court
BIG BEND: 2:30 – 3:15pm, Village Hall, W230S9185 Nevins Street
FRANKLIN: 3:45 – 4:45pm, Police Department, Courtroom, 9455 West Loomis Road

Monday, June 16

ELKHORN: 8:00 – 9:00am, People’s Bank, Community Room, 837 N. Wisconsin St.
BURLINGTON: 9:45 – 10:45am, Gateway Technical College, Rm 100, 496 McCanna Pkwy
WATERFORD: 11:15am – 12:00pm, Village Hall, Council Chambers, 123 N. River St
ROCHESTER: 12:45 – 1:30pm, Municipal Hall, 203 West Main Street
UNION GROVE: 2:00 – 2:45pm, Community State Bank, 1500 Main Street
STURTEVANT: 3:15 – 4:00pm, Village Hall, 2801 89th Street

Dem primary candidate wades into foreign policy

Marge Krupp, one of four Dems running to challenge Paul Ryan in the fall, issued a statement calling for more U.S. aid to Myanmar following the tragic cyclone in the southeast Asian country. Krupp has reportedly raised $85,000 in her bid to challenge Ryan in the fall. She's running the First Congressional District primary against perennial nominee Jeff Thomas, plus Paulette Garin and Mike Hebert.

Here's Krupp's statement on Myanmar:

Krupp Calls For More U.S. Help in Myanmar
The world wants to see the United States lead again, it is now time for the United States to act and to provide that leadership

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wisconsin -- With a reported death toll of more than 34,000 and as many as 100,000 suspected to have perished as a result of Saturday's deadly cyclone, Marge Krupp is calling on more pressure from the U.S. government to allow relief workers to enter the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar. Myanmar's military regime has barred large-scale relief efforts, and at press, the United Nations is reporting that less than a quarter of the nation's affected are having their issues met. Without proper attention from experts trained in responding to natural disasters of this kind, the death toll is expected to climb rapidly.

Krupp, Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin's First Congressional District criticized the sluggish relief response by the U.S., "The lessons learned from the tragically slow response to Hurricane Katrina in our own nation should be applied to what could amount to a regional refugee crisis in Southeast Asia." Krupp also called on more pressure to be applied by Washington on Myanmar's military dictatorship, "The time to act is now."

Joint communication and aid in the form of relief workers and supplies between the U.S. and Myanmar could avert the possibility of more deaths and a flood of refugees to surrounding nations.

Marge Krupp is a highly qualified Democratic candidate for Congress who will fight to end the war in Iraq, strongly support working families and work hard to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous world. For more information, please visit her web site at www.KruppforCongress.com