Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce - Repackaging the Outfit

Despite denials and protestations, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) spent the better part of the year wracked with internal strife and dissent. First, the loss of the membership of Foley and Lardner as well as TDS Telecommunications was followed by the highly publicized withdrawal of Cullen Construction. Then came retiring UW Chancellor Wiley's article in Madison Magazine, which characterized WMC as the biggest impediment to economic growth in our state.

As the summer wore on and the fall elections approached, WMC leadership came to the following conclusions:

• A significant portion of the membership was deeply concerned about WMC's image and was threatening to leave if reforms did not take place.
• The reformers, mostly retailers with a presence in food, financial services, and health care, were a critical base of the organization and had to be taken seriously if WMC was to remain a potent political force.
• It was not possible to save a Republican majority in the Assembly.
• Given WMC's horrid public image, it was best not to do the Willie Horton style ads of previous elections, thus avoiding  more bad will and saving resources for the spring Supreme Court race.

As a result WMC adopted a strategy for this fall:

• Stay out of most of the legislative races
• Through a 'lend lease' program of money and talent, let surrogates like All Children Matter do the hatchet job on Democrats like Trish O'Neil in the November elections.
• Save resources and goodwill for the Shirley Abrahamson race, when the outcome really mattered and the rewards were greater.

There was more. The election strategy for 2008-09 needed a compliment of goodwill. The WMC image was tarnished and needed rehabilitation. WMC is now involved in a series of 'listening sessions' and discussions which are designed to further its goal of being a team player and softening its image.

As the winter goes on we will review WMC's plan to ratify its agenda, as WMC goes through the motions of 'gathering input' and "listening" to focus groups.

 

Comments

[Anon]

Are we still waiting for the post that you tell us who is paying you to do the hatchet job on WMC or did I miss it?

SHow us a WMC Willie Horton ad. It doesnt exist. You cant produce one because it doesnt exist.

[Jack Lohman]

WMC needs what GM needs: Chapter 7

[Alderman Steve]

"Are we still waiting for the post that you tell us who is paying you to do the hatchet job on WMC or did I miss it?"

Soglin has been pretty up front about doing business with local labor groups. It would be nice if WMC would show a similar degree of transparency about **their** funders.

"SHow us a WMC Willie Horton ad. It doesnt exist. You cant produce one because it doesnt exist."

How about the entire Michael Gabelman campaign, from start to finish? And please...don't waste our time by pretending that it was a substantive or informative campaign.