Mike Tate, Destroyer of Democracy

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate had a typically 1-percenter response recently when asked why the party committee did not recommend Aldous Tyler for inclusion on the state's primary election ballot. Check out first 58 seconds of this video.

Filmed the day state party officials presented their slates of primary candidates to Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board, the clip shows Tate, cornered by Jeremy Ryan, director of Defending Wisconsin, responding to Ryan's questions.

RYAN: So why wasn't it decided to advance Aldous Tyler, even though he's on the New Hampshire ballot?

TATE: I uh - I'd never heard of August [sic] Tyler before.

RYAN: You haven't? Well he's going to be on some of the ballots, you should do your research before making people not able to actually run.

TATE: (grinning smarmily) The Democrat we're supporting for president is President Obama. (tries to walk away)

RYAN: Well, he's on the New Hampshire ballot, so you'd think you would have known your research and known of him. Otherwise it's your fault for not doing your research.

TATE: I guess, you can, you know, sue me. (another smarmy smile)

RYAN: I'm not assuming, I know -

TATE: No, no, no - you guys can sue me. (and yet another, as Tate presses into a small group in an effort to disappear)

RYAN: Well, I'm not suing you, I'm not running for president, I didn't get discluded. But it's not very nice to democracy when you disclude candidates that are actually running legitimate campaigns at the time. It's the destruction of democracy. Democrats like to do that, don't they? Both parties do.

(Hat tip to Aldous Tyler for the video link.)

At 5:30 in, you can hear the WI dems putting forward only one name - can you guess whose?

Are you in Wisconsin? Do you think all Democrats who seek to challenge Barack Obama should have that opportunity? Aldous Tyler has now thrown his support to Darcy Richardson, and is taking the lead in collecting signatures to get Richardson on the primary ballot.

We have until January 31 to collect 1,000 signatures in EACH of the state's congressional districts, and we need your help. If you are in any of these districts/cites and would like to volunteer, please email info_at_newprogs_dot_org - and be sure to include "Petition" in the subject line:

district 1: Kenosha and Racine
district 2: Madison
district 3: Lacrosse and Eau Claire
district 4: Milwaukee
district 5: Northwestern Milwaukee area
district 6: Fond Du Lac and Sheboygan
district 7: Wausau and Chippewa Falls
district 8: Green Bay

Please recommend and tweet this information as widely as possible. Wisconsin is, as Aldous puts it, in "high petition burnout" after the Scott Walker recall effort, so we must act quickly!

THANK YOU!

Anthony Noel
Facilitator
New Progressive Alliance