November 26, 2013

"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke is trying to make the case that Wisconsin voters should trust her..."

"... in part, because of the nearly 1,000 jobs created in the state by Trek Bicycle Corp., a firm founded and run by her family."
But now Burke is coming under criticism from some within her own party following a decision last week by the U.S. Department of Labor. The federal agency found that up to 20 former Trek Bicycle employees are eligible for special federal aid via the Trade Adjustment Assistance program because they lost their jobs due to foreign trade.
Actually, this is evidence that the Democratic Party does not exploit its power within government to affect electoral politics.
Some labor officials and liberal activists have been slow to throw their support behind Burke — who is aiming to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker — because Trek is a nonunion company that has moved much of its production to China.
She's not the nominee yet, but she's not being challenged. I suspect that she's filling a spot so it won't look like the Democrats are declining to challenge Walker. She has her own money to spend.
"That's a tough pill to swallow for Democrats that spent last year bashing Romney for sending jobs to China," said a liberal activist. "Totally ridiculous — I'm ashamed to have Burke as our only candidate."

Liberal talk show host John "Sly" Sylvester... [said] "It's always a sad day for this state and America when companies that claim to be job creators turn to slave wage countries like China for their workforce"....
Why did Burke step up? Presumably to burnish Trek's reputation. Now, Wisconsinites want us to hate Trek? Nice way to treat a Wisconsin company!

39 comments:

PB said...

Her father started the firm and created the jobs. She's basically an heiress that played at business.

SteveR said...

But wait, Scott Walker had sex in college.

Wince said...

Nominate a Democrat who does manufacturing in the US.

"Bueller?"

Original Mike said...

"Actually, this is evidence that the Democratic Party does not exploit its power within government to affect electoral politics."

I think this conclusion is a little strong. How long has this issue been grinding through the Labor Department? I'd guess a lot longer than Mary Burke has been on the radar screen.

bbkingfish said...

Hey! There's nothing about sex in this post!

Abdul Abulbul Amir said...



"Actually, this is evidence that the Democratic Party does not exploit its power within government to affect electoral politics."

Huh? Showing that her firm had to face unfair foreign competition is supposed to hurt her?

kjbe said...

Sly and his ilk are putzes.

Comparing the Romney/Trek situations, I'd challenge them to look at the details and goals of both and try and be realistic about how you best balance different business objectives in the current economic climate. I'm clear on what I understand to be Trek's goals, but not as certain of Romney's.

Curious George said...

"I suspect that she's filling a spot so it won't look like the Democrats are declining to challenge Walker."

No, she wants to be governor and getting out front eliminaters, or reduces, comptition to be the nominee challenger.

Anonymous said...

Trek's goal is to make money.
Mary's goal is to grab a govt. job before Trek folds.

My goal at this moment is to figure out why Burke's displaced workers qualified for special aid, other displaced workers are not? So they wouldn't sue or picket Trek and embarrass little Mary?

garage mahal said...

Mary Burke has worked in the private sector. Scott Walker is a career government worker. The choice is clear.

Haha. Going to be a fun year.

SteveR said...

Mary Burke has worked in the private sector. Scott Walker is a career government worker. The choice is clear.

The only real consideration for you is D vs R. You voted for Obama.

MadisonMan said...

What will she do in the future? That is what I want to hear.

lemondog said...

My goal at this moment is to figure out why Burke's displaced workers qualified for special aid, other displaced workers are not?

Key words foreign trade:

Under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, workers who lost their jobs due to foreign trade are eligible for job training, relocation allowances, and income maintenance while they attempt to shift into new occupations.

Curious George said...

garage mahal said...
Mary Burke has worked in the private sector. Scott Walker is a career government worker. The choice is clear.

Haha. Going to be a fun year.

1: Walker also worked in the private sector.

2: Walker has never been a government worker.

Doing the math 1+2 = you are an idiot.

Curious George said...

"MadisonMan said...
What will she do in the future? That is what I want to hear."

Seriously? Tax, spend. Rinse. Repeat.

Sorun said...

If she promises to outsource state employee jobs to China, then I'll vote for her.

trumpetdaddy said...

Garage is going to need more medication after his fellow "progressive" Wisconsinites elect Scott Walker their governor for the third time in four years.

Burke is a place-holder and will be abandoned by the Democrat party just as Mary Buono was in NJ. The fact that she is blowing her own money to lose to Walker instead of blowing DNC money to lose to Walker is a plus for the DNC.

The DNC has other fish to fry in 2014 in the Senate races. They will be struggling to hold onto Harry Reid's job as majority leader, not worrying about just one of several governor's races that they are going to lose.

Same with Davis in TX. She can't win any more than Buono could or than Burke can. The only woman the "woman-friendly" DNC cares to support going forward will be HRC.

garage mahal said...

1: Walker also worked in the private sector

For like 5 minutes.

2: Walker has never been a government worker

Walker has drawn a government check virtually his entire life. Taxpayers pay Walker's salary, health insurance, and housing.

Anyways, where are the jobs he promised? Wisconsin lost manufacturing jobs last year. It ain't working.

Illuninati said...

Althouse said:
"Actually, this is evidence that the Democratic Party does not exploit its power within government to affect electoral politics"

Evidence for a proposition does not make the proposition true. Many false beliefs are supported by evidence ie. alien invasion theories. Because of direct testimony from the IRS, we already know that the Democrat party has abused government power for political ends. The remaining question is how extensive is the corruption? Your evidence would raise the possibility that there are still some sectors of the government which haven't been corrupted yet.

Anonymous said...

lemondog: the question is: Why there is a special federal assist program?

What is not affected by foreign trade?

When countries trade, each country trades with foreign countries, each trade is a foreign trade.

Curious George said...

garage mahal said...
1: Walker also worked in the private sector

For like 5 minutes.

2: Walker has never been a government worker

Walker has drawn a government check virtually his entire life. Taxpayers pay Walker's salary, health insurance, and housing.

Anyways, where are the jobs he promised? Wisconsin lost manufacturing jobs last year. It ain't working.

He worked in the private sector for more than six years.

And as governor the taxpayers pay for his housing, but they didd not before that. In any event, he is not a government worker, he is an elected official.

Curious George said...

Mary Burke on Obamacare: No answer

Mary Burke on repealing Act 10: no answer

Why?

mccullough said...

"Founded by her family." You didn't build that, Mary.

TosaGuy said...

Mary Burke on the Kenosha Casino: Nothing yet. Has to wait for Walker's decision so she can take the opposite side.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Where are the jobs Obama promised? The United States lost manufacturing jobs last year. It ain't working.

Ann Althouse said...

"For like 5 minutes."

Wikipedia: "Walker enrolled at Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1986. He attended college for four years but never graduated. During college he worked part-time for IBM selling warranties. His IBM job led to a full-time position in marketing and fundraising at the American Red Cross from 1990 to 1994."

Seems more like 5 years (or more).

Do you really want your lies to be so easily shown to be lies?

Ann Althouse said...

Can we get a better class of liars?

Ann Althouse said...

"Evidence for a proposition does not make the proposition true."

Evidence is whatever makes the matter in issue more likely to be true or less likely to be true. It is relevant, that's all.

cubanbob said...

Ann Althouse said...
Can we get a better class of liars?

11/26/13, 11:34 AM

No. Quality work isn't free.

damikesc said...

Her father started the firm and created the jobs. She's basically an heiress that played at business.

She has the same qualifications as one of the Walton kids. You know, the ones who didn't do shit except be born to a man who founded a retail behemoth.

Burke is a place-holder and will be abandoned by the Democrat party just as Mary Buono was in NJ. The fact that she is blowing her own money to lose to Walker instead of blowing DNC money to lose to Walker is a plus for the DNC.

She's probably more comparable to Linda McMahon.

Except McMahon actually has helped with negotiating WWE TV rights and the like, making them quite profitable.

Walker worshipers are so easy to tweak.

Ironically, so are Obama supporters...and lies aren't remotely needed to do so.

Original Mike said...

"Walker worshipers are so easy to tweak."

Thus suggesting that your original claim was a put-on. Can't you get a new schtick?

Gahrie said...

She has the same qualifications as one of the Walton kids. You know, the ones who didn't do shit except be born to a man who founded a retail behemoth.

I can't let this one go.

First of all, Sam divided the company up among his kids long before it became the giant it is today. They became billionaires, they didn't inherit billions.

Secondly one of the kids, John, volunteered to serve in the Special Forces in Vietnam as an enlisted man.

You weaken your argument by attempting to smear honorable people.

lgv said...

Trek Bikes makes a great bike and they are a great story. It just not Mary Burke's story.

She did not start the company. Her tenure with the business was fairly short. Now she's catching heat for a decision that had nothing to do with her. Now she has to own it.

Maybe she should start back pedaling on her business claims.

garage mahal said...

Original Mike
I replied to you, but it was deleted.

Original Mike said...

I saw it. I didn't intend to respond.

Anonymous said...

"garage mahal said...

Mary Burke has worked in the private sector. Scott Walker is a career government worker. The choice is clear. "

Has she actually worked int eh private sector? What have been her jobs? how did she get them? What did she do with them?

Mitt Romney built the business that made him rich. What did Mary Burke do?

garage mahal said...

I saw it. I didn't intend to respond.

It's okay.

Sigivald said...

Huh? Showing that her firm had to face unfair foreign competition is supposed to hurt her?

'cept it's not "unfair foreign competition", it's just foreign competition.

That program doesn't seem to require that the competition in question be deemed "unfair", just that it exist.

(And if it hurts her, it's because it undermines the idea of Creating Local Jobs - if they're gone, they're not there anymore, no matter how plausible the reason is that they're gone.

Well, and also "because Trek [...] moved much of its production to China".

That part tends to undercut the Democrat Message of nativism, these days, no?)

David said...

Trek makes its high end bikes in the USA. Very high end. Thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars each.

They market these products to highly affluent white males who have time to devote to serious biking.

The perfect Madison demographic.

While at the company, Burke's main initiative was developing foreign licensing. In other words to earn money from the name Trek from companies employing foreign workers, which displaced US jobs.

Oh well. She is cute, and she lives in Madison.