BigRoadie - first, no Pabst here. Second, you don't get it. What is the role of the union president? It is not a 5:48-3:48 position. Also, a state assembly position is not a 9-5 job. You don't have to be "THERE" (in the plant) to continue to function as the president of the union, and you don't have to be "THERE" (at the capitol) to function as a state assemblyman. You could also argue that he was first as president of the union, taking the job in assembly to keep the best interest of his union protected. Therefore, he was always conducting union business as a assemblyman. BTW, he never promised a new plant. He often spoke of that was his mission was to secure one, but I never read he thought it was a slam dunk. I also am a Republican so I really don't care if Mike is elected again or not, I just believe you are bitter you lost your job, and want to blame somebody when you can't pin the plant closing on one person. You claim you are not a "cop caller", but you sure don't mind calling him out in a Gazette blog. He didn't do anything illegal, and you know it.

BigRoadie - what was the purpose of a V.P of the Union? What was Brad doing when Mike was there taking care of Union business? BTW, if you have been laid off from GM in the last 30 years, you were getting paid for not being there.....

BigRoadie - I don't think you answered localboys question. What you stated is you THINK it is wrong. That only means you disagree with what he was doing. I think it is wrong for GM employees to collect 95% of their pay while not working, but they do. I don't think an employee can skip 3 days of work without a phone call or no show and still keep their job, but they do. I don't think an employee should go drink on their lunch hour, and come back to work and still keep their job, but they do. I am safe to think that you also went periods of time without doing any work there and still collected your pay. Again, Localboy asked you what did he do that was illegal? If you have a beef with Mike, that is understandable, but what he did was not illegal and was allowed, and that is why he did it.

I agree but they didn't mention " the affair" until this AM with the last sentence of Divorce. True the divorce is your business but AFFAIR with a lobbyist seems to be our business and something that is unethical.

Maybe he will have some more time now for another Dances with the Stars.

Nothing wrong with getting a divorce, but sleeping with a lobbiest is a big no no, for someone in his position.

BigRoadie - what was illegal about what Mike did while he was still employed by GM? Your acusations imply what he did was just that (illegal). My opinion was it was perfectly legal, and he did it because he could. Did you and your Union change the rules that would not allow this to happen again? My guess is no.

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire....the divorce could be relevant, if the reason for the aforementioned divorce involves a female lobbyist. What tangled webs we weave...

Gosh why is it everytime I log in on here the comments always start off about GM. This article has nothing to do with GM. Read it, it says "Democratic Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan of Janesville says he does not intend to resign his position and there was no vote taken by his caucus to remove him." It also talks about the pay day loans bill. If you are going to make comments at least make them about the article. I have never worked at GM and I am sorry many are without jobs, but give it a rest and who cares. Everyone needs to stop whining and make a change if it is so bad or you are so unhappy with our laws or the economy. We are the people who decide who is stays in office or not.

If this is true...I don't like it.

http://dekerivers.wordpress.com/2010/01/...

It brings a new meaning to being in bed with the lobbyists.

oldvet,
It is the Republicans who are the thieves. They steal from the poor and give to the rich. Just remember they were the party that created this mess in their eight years of failed leadership.
Keep up the hard work Mike.

Does this mean GM is not coming back to Janesville?

they are the same thing when the affair was with the lobbyist that is AGAINST the payday loans. The same bill he is working/voting on. Its called UNETHICAL!

This was on wclo last night and again this am. They talk about things and TOSS in at the end that he filed for Divorce. SO WHAT! They also added to the news story in the AM something about an affair with a lobbyist. I guess that is why the "divorce" things was tossed in there but not at the same time.

This is a sad, sad blog. I knew there were a lot of ornery, finger-pointing, disgruntled, clueless, self-entertaining, people in our wonderful city. At least I HOPE they are just entertaining themselves by posting exaggerated rants and raves based on small incidents and then checking back later to see how far they have gotten things stirred up. Some of you are the types of people who will end up sitting on your front porches in your golden years, yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off of your lawn when all the kids are trying to do is retrieve a Frisbee. These same people will have a huge cardboard box in their basements full of kids' Frisbees, baseballs, footballs, and other toys that have made their way onto their property. I had a problem with the state and contacted Mike for help. After a couple of days I had a hearing and the state retracted everything and paid me the money I was due. It was a simple misunderstanding on their part and Mike set up the process enabling the state see where they went wrong. It is a tough job, and I know most of you (along with myself) would fail miserably regardless of efforts or intent, but I do know that Mike does help the little people who need his assistance whenever he can. Why don't we all stop making ourselves and others angry by looking at the hole instead of the donut?

Read the headlines you idiots "Sheridan won't resign or give up his post" that's the Gazettes way of saying but not saying that someone asked him to resign, I'm afraid Mike has forgotten who he is or was, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Mike obviously got caught doing something with a lobbyist which is unethical maybe illegal, I don't know but it looks like he isn't going down without a fight. He's very powerful now and won't be easy to take down, but the winds of change are blowing and if so many people have already heard about it it will be hard to cover-up.

When you are in public office you don't have a private life MissNancy. It is relevant to this story in my opinion.

It is rare when I agree with a lib but I do agree that the payday loan industry need some restraints. They are thieves just like democrats. The world will be a better place if we got Get rid of all of the bleeding heart liberals.
Adios obammammammamma, sheridan, robson, reid, pelosi...your days are numbered

BigRoadie - "His answer was there wasn't much to ether job and he could do both". Do you know the meaning of libel? He was quoted in writing as stating he could do both as he had good people around him to assist him in both jobs. Mike was so close to retirement, it didn't make sense for him to leave. You would have done the same, but you were not smart enough to put yourself in that position. Live with it, and we hope to see your name on the ballet in the next election....

What does his divorce have to do with this? It's not like he's the first person to ever get divorced! Keep his private life out of this!!

Looks like ole Mike is living the good life as a politician. Top cuisine dinners with lobbyists and campaign donors, rounds of golf at the best private clubs course, and OF COURSE throw in a few concubines to service him!! All the while he screws over the people who put their misguided trust in him!! The only difference between guys like him, and Bernie Madoff is......Well, there really isn't any, other then one is behind bars!
BTW; does he still plan on putting that "hurting on Woodmans?" I mean the area could really use higher unemployment now that GM is gone.

You're either a part of the solution, or part of the problem. Quit trying to tear Mike down, and get involved to make things better! If you think you can do a better job, then run for his position. Otherwise, throw life preservers, not anchors.

Didn't Sheridan file for divorce recently? Just asking.

huntfish,
Well said, although I think the definition of insane is the same as your definition for idiot.

Yes, much better off. Why you are better off or not has little to do with politicians and more to do with your employer and their managers who more often than not side with Republicans.

Al Franken was not seated right away, so the super-majority comments are false. And we are a nation of individuals and districts not parties. Parties are more important in parliamentary governments.

That being said, Dems should stop being pansies and make the Republicans actually filibuster or simply go with a majority vote as they did.

huntnfish,
what you are saying is disingenuous - or down right ignorant.
1. during his first year in office, democrats had a super-majority -- they could've passed anything and everything. republicans had ZERO say.
2. despite offering many alternatives, those plans never received the light of day because SEE #1 and dems simply shut their plans out
3. as it has been, the mainstream press decides a story line and runs with it. rubes believe the headlines and never delve any further. to wit, you saying republicans are the party of no.
4. go to http://AmericanRoadMap.org -- the site has been up for over a year.
*****
we've had democrats leading wisconsin for some time now - are you better off than you were 7 years ago when Jimmy Doyle took office?

Eight years of screwing this country up. Unemployment, Wall Street, Banking, Two wars, Corruption, and then there's Dick Cheney. These same people whine because the Democrats don't clean up their mess overnight and just say NO to any new proposal. Saying we were better off the way we were. The definition of an idiot is somebody that does the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Stay the course Mike, I'm glad we have somebody local in a leadership role.

Yeah Mr. All for Me keep up the fight and stay in your comfortable government job! What a joke he is as Speaker.

There is no one to run against him because no one with enough smarts even to fill out the paperwork would want to self-identify as a democ(rat).

Hmm, sounds like another scandal being thrown under the rug or dismissed as if it were nothing. People are talking about it because he's doing a crappy job, it's not just because of one thing he's done, it's because of the hundreds of things he HASN'T done...look at his track record...the guy is a joke! Kick him and the rest of his cronies out of office and get someone in there that at least have a purpose. This getting paid to take up space and agree with the higher ups to save face routine is getting old!

Hank, you need to give specifics. You are being too general which is just as easy as horoscope writing.....

I've got a good idea! Let's put the hurt on lobbyists!!

Yet...

Mike: Don't give up a good fight. We need more people like you representing us!

This is very interesting considering Doyle says he wont run, Robison is finally quitting, maybe sheridan should just offer him self up as the scapegoat for the multiple failures of the democrats.

Sounds as if we have some bitter jealous people on here. I don't remember that many running against Mike when he ran. Apparently there are a lot of others who think they can do better. Stay the course Mike, and don't pay attention to the dissents......

Sarah's right, he wasn't even in the country the day that GM announced the closing.

woodsman: GM'ers should stop blaming Sheridan for the company's exit from Janesville. No one person is that powerful.

Too bad

Let's see how many people i can back stab in my life time,G.M. bro. & sisters,everyone in wis.,nice legacy young man!! Some day you might catch up to your leader doyle!!

Rumors are there is more to this story than Sheridan eluded to in this article. We'll have to wait for the truth...