Two weeks from tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 13, is a big day for Wisconsin progressives.
That's when the 13th annual Fighting Bob Fest takes place back at where it was founded at the Sauk County Fairgrounds just east of Baraboo and all good progressives need to be there.
Bob Fest has become a huge annual gathering, attracting some of the country's best-known progressive speakers and featuring breakout sessions on everything from poverty to public education plus lots of music and just plain old fun in between.
It's modeled after the old-fashioned political chautauquas that were popular throughout the country back in the early 20th century when Wisconsin's Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette was campaigning for office. Sponsored by The Capital Times and the Progressive Magazine, which was founded by La Follette, the annual festival is aimed at keeping the Wisconsin progressive spirit alive.
Local favorite Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont senator who has been at the forefront of reforming the VA hospital system and calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's "Citizen's United" decision, will again be the keynote speaker at this year's fest.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke is scheduled to address the gathering in the late morning. Other speakers include Rep. Mark Pocan, Kevin Alexander Gray, Lisa Graves, Chris Hedges, Will Durst, Ruth Conniff, Anne Feeney, Mike McCabe and Bad River Indian Chief Mike Wiggins.
Professor Nancy Unger, the author of "Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer," will once again lead a breakout session on La Follette family history, this year focusing on Fighting Bob's wife, Belle La Follette.
Nino Amato will lead a breakout on poverty and racial disparities; Michael Copps, Professor Bob McChesney and John Nichols will talk about media reform; the Center for Media and Democracy's Lisa Graves will lead a discussion about ALEC and the Koch brothers; Roger Bybee will lead a panel on getting your message across; and Progressive Editor Ruth Conniff, along with One Wisconsin Now's Scot Ross and Madison teachers' union John Matthews, will talk about defending public education.
As always, Bob Fest and the parking at the fairgrounds are free, but donations are accepted to help defray the cost of speakers' travel, rental fees and other costs. It all begins at 9 and ends around 5.
As in other years, a Friday evening, Sept. 12, bash in Madison will take place at the Barrymore Theater on Atwood Avenue, starting at 6:30. Sanders will make an appearance, as will Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, and state Reps. Mandela Barnes, Dianne Hesselbein, Melissa Sargent and Chris Taylor. The evening will conclude with Progressive columnist Will Durst's comedy act. The fee for that event is $10 at the door.
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Plain Talk: Mark Sept. 13 on the calendar it's Bob Fest time