Election Matters: Wineke in D.C.? Talk of party chair as Obama labor board pick

John Nichols  —  1/28/2009 9:01 am

CALENDAR:

PRIMARY ELECTION: Feb. 17

GENERAL ELECTION: April 7

NEXT EVENT: DOYLE FOR FALK

Gov. Jim Doyle will be the featured guest Thursday at a fundraising party for a former rival, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

Doyle and Falk, along with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, competed for the 2002 Democratic gubernatorial nod. Doyle won. Falk's now seeking a new term as county exec.

The Falk camp says of Thursday'event at Diane Ballweg's Nolen Shores condo: "More than 225 wonderful supporters are sponsoring the event and The Dardanelles Restaurant will be providing the food. Should be a great evening!"

Here are the details.

WINEKE FOR THE NLRB

Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Joe Wineke makes little secret of the fact that he would like to be appointed to the National Labor Relations Board by President-elect Barack Obama.

The former Wisconsin state senator and longtime union ally is certainly not the only Wisconsinite who would like an Obama appointment.

But Wineke's got plenty of friends in the labor movement, and they are making calls to the Obama transition team ndsh as are a number of top Democrats.

Weighing against Wineke: He was an early and enthusiastic supporter of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nod.

Once Edwards stumbled (on the first of many stumbles), however, Wineke was on board the Obama bandwagon and worked hard and smart with the nominee's winning campaign in what was supposed to be a battleground state. Wineke's efforts were duly noted.

So will Joe get the call? This prospect is better than "remote," but short of "probable."

Key question? Wineke has many friends in the building trades unions and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Will the powerful Service Employees International Union make some noise on his behalf? If that happens, the DPW chair could be headed for Washington. And working people who have a genuine ally on the NLRB.

AFTER WINEKE AT THE DPW?

If and when Wineke exits his chairmanship, there will be a contest to replace him.

American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin president Bryan Kennedy, a former Democratic congressional candidate, is essentially running. Here's a press release Kennedy distributed last month:

Bryan Kennedy announced this morning that he is considering a run for Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Speaking on Lee Rayburn's radio program in Madison, Bryan thanked outgoing DPW Chair Joe Wineke for his service and then laid-out his plan for the party. The next chair will be elected by party members at the 2009 convention in Green Bay next June.

With Wineke's announced departure, Kennedy said that he is a good fit for the next stage in the party's growth and activism. Wineke has raised the party's visibility, been very active with the media, and oversaw the Democrats taking back the State Senate and State Assembly in subsequent elections. "Our next leader needs to be the bridge between party operatives and progressive activists. I can work with both activists and party leaders to strengthen the party and to be ready for the 2010 elections," Kennedy said.

Kennedy outlined the priority for the party as re-electing Governor Doyle in 2010, as well as growing the majorities in the Assembly and Senate. He also said that he would pick-up where the current chair left off in terms of fundraising and increased media presence. Most importantly, Kennedy proposed a series of initiatives to keep activists involved in party activities between election cycles. These include a citizen lobbying effort, an expanded state convention that includes workshops in organizing and activism, community service opportunities sponsored by the party, and maintaining party offices in various regions of the state year-round.

Bryan Kennedy is President of AFT-Wisconsin, a labor union that represents 17,000 public employees in Wisconsin. In 2004 and 2006, he was the Democratic nominee for US Congress in the 5th Congressional District. Kennedy raised nearly $700,000 for a seat that is traditionally very Republican. He worked to re-build the Democratic Party and to make the party more of a presence in the most Republican area of the state. Bryan has a PhD and was faculty at UW-Milwaukee from 2001-2008.

Kennedy's potential candidacy has already generated blog talk on sites like Milwaukee Democrat Dan Cody's Left on the Lake.

Another potential contender for the chairmanship is Oshkosh's Jef Hall, a DPW second vice chair.

Former state Rep. Peter Barca, who was boomed as a prospect at one point, seems to have dropped back.

One top Democrat says that, if Wineke actually leaves (if no NLRB nomination comes along, he'll be under some pressure to stay), "My suspicion is that candidate to replace him doesn't know yet that he or she is running."

Translation: Gov. Doyle and U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, both top Democrats, are likely to be running in 2010 and they will take an interest in the question of who is going to lead the party. "If Doyle and Feingold can agree on a name, that's likely to be the chair," says the top Dem.

Wausau Congressman Dave Obey, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee and arguably Wisconsin's most powerful Democrat, might also have something to say about the process, although he is quite busy in Washington right now.

NEW DPW DIGS

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is in the process of moving its offices from West Washington Street to a more Capitol-friendly location, at 110 King St., just steps off the Square.

Also moving into the suite will be offices of the campaigns of Gov. Jim Doyle and Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton and the state Senate and Assembly Democratic campaign committees.

Those who know the internecine politics of the Democratic Party and its various wings understand that one of Wineke's bigger accomplishments has been to keep them all in the same suite.

John Nichols  —  1/28/2009 9:01 am