“Walker Your Pink Slip is Coming!” Mark Pocan

Pocan gained national attention for his work on ALEC when he was featured in the Bill Moyers' documentary “United States of ALEC” in October 2012. Pocan dubbed ALEC as a “dating service” for lonely legislators and corporate lobbyists and the term has stuck.


"Fighting Bob" La Follette
Pocan will go to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the same district represented by Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette a century ago. La Follette was famous for passing measures instituting direct primary elections, breaking up monopolies, preserving the state's forests, protecting workers' rights, defending small farmers, and regulating lobbying to end patronage politics. At the federal level he pushed for direct election of Senators, for women’s rights and civil rights, to build labor unions to act as a counterweight to corporate power, and opposed America's entrance into World War I. He later served many years as a U.S. Senator and ran for U.S. president in 1924 on the Progressive Party line.

Pocan frequently references La Follette as a major influence in his life and career. He is an avid campaign pin collector and has a collection of La Follette campaign pins, that is the envy of the state historical society.

Like U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Pocan is expected to be an independent voice in the House and a media savvy supporter of progressive candidates and causes. Yet, like Sanders, Pocan works hard to reach across party lines to get things done. He was supported in the election by both local conservatives and some liberal newspapers. He has already cut his teeth on many federal issues, for instance by opposing job-killing trade deals and the outsourcing of U.S. jobs. He has proposed a state bill urging congress to overturn Citizen’s United and has pledged to work with Sanders on that issue when in Congress."

Any updates on the pink slip?