February 5, 2015

Dear CMD supporter,

I wanted to draw your attention to two stories that our writers broke recently that originate in our own state of Wisconsin, but have national implications.

Yesterday, the Center for Media and Democracy was the first to report that buried in Governor Scott Walker's 1800 page budget bill were edits to the mission of the University of Wisconsin system. Walker took an ax to the public service mission of the university system, called the "Wisconsin Idea," and even -- believe it or not -- crossed out "the search for truth" from the mission of the university.

Our story sparked an uproar, dozens of news articles and tweets were penned and the President of the college system declared that the Wisconsin Idea "was part of our DNA." Governor Walker, after first standing by his edits, backed down by the afternoon. "Drafting error" was the explanation, but really, does this look like a drafting error to you? (See below).

Unfortunately the $300 million in cuts Walker proposed for the UW system still threaten to dismantle a treasured institution. Walker's failed economic policies have our state facing a $2.2 billion budget deficit at a time when neighboring states enjoy surpluses and are ticking up their investments in higher education.

I also wanted to point out that last week we broke the story that notorious media-for-hire hatchet man James O'Keefe (remember ACORN?) appeared to be working hand in hand with Wisconsin Club for Growth's Eric O'Keefe in attacking Wisconsin Republicans who were not working in lockstep with Governor Walker. Last year, James released a video of an inebriated Wisconsin Senate President Mike Ellis, which forced him out of office. CMDexclusively revealed that the Koch-tied dark money guru Eric O'Keefe gave James O'Keefe $50,000, presumably for the hit on Ellis who was a quiet critic of the extreme Walker agenda.

As a UW-La Crosse grad, I am appalled by Walker's efforts to destroy the Wisconsin Idea and I am appalled when big money interests come into our state to promote an extreme ideological agenda.

Will you help us tell the truth and expose this extreme agenda?

With gratitude,

Lisa Graves
Executive Director 
Center for Media and Democracy