In Wisconsin, tea party conservatives making waves
MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Republicans gather next weekend in Milwaukee for their annual convention amid dissent from some conservative tea party members who have already passed votes of no confidence against two moderate lawmakers and also support a resolution reaffirming the state's right to secede from the union.
The noise from the conservative wing of the party is an unwanted distraction for Republicans who want to use the convention to rally behind Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, two possible 2016 presidential candidates, and prepare for the fall election season as they try to retain and grow their majority control in the state Legislature.
While Republicans may want the convention that begins May 2 to be a pep rally, conservative activists aren't backing down.
Danny Krueger, a Columbia County Republican, said activists like himself are tired of being ignored by party leaders.
"Either the party is going to pay attention to us and work with us or we are no longer going to pay attention to the party or work with them," Krueger said.
Jeff Horn, who runs the Prairie Patriots group in Sun Prairie and is a delegate to the Republican convention, said he doesn't feel like the party is representing his view and that of other like-minded conservatives.
"I think the party is not being true to itself," he said.
Both Krueger and Horn support a nonbinding resolution urging Sen. Luther Olsen and Rep. Steve Kestell to recuse themselves from all matters in which they have a conflict of interest or are acting contrary to the party platform. Olsen and Kestell, leaders of the Senate and Assembly education committees, blocked attempts this year to repeal Common Core academic standards.
The standards, adopted by state superintendent Tony Evers in 2010, cover what public school students should know in the subjects of reading and math. State tests will be geared toward the standards starting next school year.
Conservative state lawmakers tried to repeal the standards, which they said are weak and take away local control, but the bill failed even though Republicans control the Legislature. Walker himself said he wanted to see Wisconsin pass tougher standards, but powerful lawmakers like Olsen and Kestell spearheaded bipartisan coalitions that killed the bill.
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In Wisconsin, tea party conservatives making waves