Rau 15 xyoo, Mike McCabe tau coj Wisconsin Kev Sib Tw Zawv Zawg, lub xeev qhov tseem ceeb tshaj plaws - thiab feistiest - sentinel ntawm lub luag haujlwm ntawm cov nyiaj hauv kev nom kev tswv. Nws coj qhov sib npaug ntawm kev npau taws thiab kev cia siab rau pawg neeg lub luag haujlwm tsis koom nrog, skewering Democrats thiab Republicans ib yam nkaus thiab ua suab nrov nrov hu rau kev hloov kho.
"Kuv nyiam txoj hauj lwm ntawd," McCabe hais wistfully. "Kuv tuaj yeem ua tau yooj yim heev rau lwm 15 xyoo."
Tab sis McCabe txiav txim siab tias nws yuav tsum tau sim txoj hauv kev tshiab. Nws phau ntawv 2014, "Blue Jeans in High Places," hu rau tsim kom muaj kev nom kev tswv tshiab rau cov tib neeg zoo li nws tus kheej uas xav tias "tsis muaj tsev nyob," cais tawm ntawm ob tog loj.
McCabe hais tias, "Kuv tau sau phau ntawv ntawd los ua daim phiaj xwm," McCabe hais. "Blueprints tsis muaj nqi tshwj tsis yog tias koj siv lawv los tsim ib yam dab tsi."
Dab tsi McCabe xav tsim tsis yog ib tus neeg thib peb, uas nws tso dag yog qhov xauv los rau hauv peb. Nws lub tswv yim, zoo ib yam li kev txav mus los yav dhau los thiab cov tshuaj yej tog kev txav ntawm xyoo tsis ntev los no, yog los tsim "thawj tog" - ib qho uas xav tau hloov pauv ntawm cov qauv kev nom kev tswv uas twb muaj lawm.
McCabe tau hais tias "Peb tsis yog ntxhw lossis lub nroog Yeiuxalees," tab sis peb lees paub tias Tebchaws Asmeskas muaj ob tog thiab peb npaj yuav ua haujlwm hauv qhov system kom tau txais cov tog neeg ua haujlwm tiag tiag rau peb txhua tus thiab tsis yog ob peb tus neeg nyiam xwb. ”
Kev kos duab ntawm nws cov lus piv txwv txog cov xov ntawm cov pej xeem zoo tib yam, McCabe hu lub koom haum tshiab no Blue Jean Nation - ib qho kev sau ntawm "cov pej xeem" koom nrog qhov kev xav tias cov tog loj xav tau lub taub hau.
Txog tam sim no, nws tab tom khiav tawm ntawm nws lub tsev sab qaum teb Madison, nrog McCabe ua haujlwm pab dawb. Nws vam tias nws yuav muaj ib hnub nws them nws cov nqi, thiab npau suav tias nws yuav ua rau muaj kev hloov pauv tiag tiag, tej zaum txawm mus rau lub tebchaws, zoo li Kev Txhim Kho Kev Txhim Kho ntawm ib puas xyoo dhau los.
Cov pab pawg tau nyuam qhuav pib lub vev xaib, bluejeannation.com, thiab twb muaj cov koom haum nyob rau hauv tag nrho yim lub xeev Wisconsin lub rooj sab laj thiab ntau tshaj li ib feem peb ntawm nws lub nroog. McCabe muaj cov npe xa ntawv ntawm 6,000 lub npe - thiab lub tswv yim rau yuav ua li cas cov npe tuaj yeem sib ntxiv.
McCabe hais tias "Qhov no yog hais txog kev koom nrog cov neeg hauv zej zog," McCabe hais. "Nws yog hais txog kev txais cov neeg uas txaus siab rau cov tswv yim no thiab qhov ua rau rov tshawb pom lawv lub peev xwm los cuam tshuam lwm tus," los ntawm kev sib tham.
Cov tswv cuab ntawm Blue Jean Nation tham txog dab tsi thaum lawv tham txog kev nom kev tswv? Nov yog qee yam khoom los ntawm pab pawg npe aims: xaus kev lag luam kev noj qab haus huv, kaw cov kev txwv se, txhawb kev tsim khoom noj hauv zos, nthuav kev nkag mus rau hauv Internet ceev, txhim kho lub zog tauj dua tshiab, thiab txhim kho kev hloov kho tsis siv neeg mus rau qhov nyiaj tsawg kawg nkaus.
Judy Goldsmith, yav dhau los tus thawj tswj hwm ntawm National Organization for Women thiab tus saib xyuas ntawm Fond du Lac County Board, yog ib tug neeg txaus siab ntawm Blue Jean Nation.
"Mike thiab nws lub tswv yim yog tib qho uas yuav los ntawm txoj kev uas hais rau kuv, 'Peb tuaj yeem ua qee yam txog qhov no," Goldsmith, uas kuj ua haujlwm ntawm pab pawg pawg thawj coj hais. "Nws yog ib txoj hauv kev ua kom muaj zog thiab ua kom cov neeg muaj zog. Peb tab tom saib tsis yog nyiaj txiag tab sis kev txav mus los ntawm tib neeg. "
McCabe, uas tau muab 1,400 kev hais lus thoob plaws hauv nws txoj haujlwm, tam sim no tsis khoom ntau ntxiv - rau cov tub ntxhais kawm ntawv qib siab thiab tsev kawm theem siab, pab pawg pej xeem thiab pawg nom tswv hauv zos. Nws tau xav tsis thoob los ntawm kev txais tos zoo uas nws tau txais hauv qee lub quarters.
McCabe hais tias "Kuv tau hais lus rau Chippewa County Democratic Party," "Kuv hais rau lawv tias kuv xav tias lawv tog ua tsis tiav thiab kuv hais rau lawv vim li cas." Nws tau ua rau nws tau txais kev pom zoo thiab kev xa mus hais lus rau Eau Claire Democratic Party nyob ze.
Nws xav txog yuav ua li cas cov lus qhia tau hais tias: “Tus txiv neej no tawm los qhia peb tias peb nqus. Koj yuav tsum kom nws tawm los qhia koj tias koj nqus ib yam nkaus. "
Ntawm cov kev sib tham no, puas muaj peev xwm yug tau?
Bill Lueders yog tus thawj coj ntawm Money and Politics Project ntawm Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www.wisconsinwatch.org). Lub Center tsim qhov project hauv kev koom tes nrog MapLight. Lub Chaw koom tes nrog Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public TV, lwm yam xov xwm tshaj tawm thiab UW-Madison Tsev Kawm Ntawv ntawm Kev Sau Xov Xwm thiab Kev Sib Txuas Lus. Txhua yam haujlwm tsim, luam tawm, tshaj tawm lossis tshaj tawm los ntawm Lub Chaw tsis tas yuav cuam tshuam txog kev xav lossis kev xav ntawm UW-Madison lossis ib qho ntawm nws cov koom tes.
Rov luam tawm peb cov ntawv dawb, hauv online lossis luam tawm, raws li daim ntawv tso cai Creative Commons.
Lwm tus CFR boogeyman? McCabe. Macabre. cia peb hu tag nrho tawm. Hmoov zoo, Blue Jean Nation.
Zoo Mike koj tsis tau ua dab tsi tab sis nkim koj lub neej ntawm kev tawm suab rau ntau txoj cai sab laug! Koj lub Urn yuav nyeem, "khwv txoj sia"!