Wisconsin Protests

Following reports that Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman received tens of thousands of dollars of free legal services from the law firm that defended Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining bill, the District Attorney who brought the original challenge may ask the Court to hear the case again without the justice's participation. Gableman has faced a series of ethical issues since taking office.

As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's new policies restricting protest in the Wisconsin capitol take effect in advance of the anniversary of 2011's historic labor uprisings, the controversial governor has enlisted a new spokesperson to sell the rules, a 28-year old protégé of Karl Rove and new political appointee of the governor.

Today in Madison, Wisconsin, upwards of 30,000 demonstrators gathered to kick off a petition drive to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and to protest policies that have had direct impacts on workers throughout the state.

"We're Afraid He'll Lose His Job"

Among the tens of thousands gathered were Sue and Tom Roberts from the Waukesha area, Walker's hometown. Sue is disabled, and the health insurance that Tom gets through his job as a custodian for the Waukesha School District covers them both -- for now. Tom has a one-year contract, and Sue says, "We're afraid he's going to lose his job because of my health problems."

The effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker begins today, and organizers and volunteers are readying their clipboards to begin collecting more than half a million signatures throughout the holiday season. But as volunteers celebrated the launch at midnight "recall-themed" pajama parties, the many challenges ahead were underscored by a deliberate, grinch-like cyber-attack on a key recall website.