A cop on every corner?

Stealing a beat from the recovery community, which often recommends that addicts and alcoholics go to 90 group meetings in 90 days, attorney general wannabe Paul Bucher has proposed his own 90-90 plan.

Bucher wants 90 more cops on the street in Milwaukee for the next 90 days, he announced in an attempt to cash in politically on a tragic weekend of gun violence in Milwaukee.

Why 90 cops for 90 days? The number's arbitrary, Bucher told the Journal Sentinel. It's just a number.

If more police officers is the answer, why stop at 90?

Why not 365 more cops on the street for 365 days?

Of course, these aren't really "more" police officers. It's not like there are a lot of unemployed cops sitting around that the city or county can hire or call back to work.

Bucher's brainstorm is to have the city and county pay enough overtime to let the existing officers work enough extra hours to be the equivalent of putting 90 more cops on the street. That's another 3600 hours of overtime a week, by my reckoning. Bucher says it's a mere $3-million.

How's he going to pay for it? Not his problem, Bucher says. The state -- as in Democrats Jim Doyle and Peg Lautenschlager -- should cough it up. He doesn't know where it is, but there must be some extra money lying around, maybe in the reserve funds of the Dept. of Waste, Abuse, Fraud, and Mismanagement. He's just the idea guy.

The city doesn't have any extra money; it's gone to pay the salaries of police union officers and fired cops, both mandated by Republicans. (The police union is about to endorse Mark Green, who has no doubt promised them he will maintain the status quo or worse.)

There is, of course, no reason to think that having 90 more cops on patrol last weekend would have prevented any of the 28 shootings that occurred in the city. You can't have a cop on every corner or at every picnic table.

But Bucher's had his 15 minutes of media, which is all this was about anyway.

Bucher's primary opponent, J.B. Van Hollen, at least recognized that guns are a problem, calling for a crackdown and harsh penalties for those who use a gun to commit a crime. But he focused his wrath and blame on AG Peg Lautenschlager, who has the job he wants. Funny how neither one of those guys blames anyone in Milwaukee. It's those Madison Democrats who are to blame -- the ones that happen to be on the ballot this fall.

Nice try, no cigar.

AFTERTHOUGHT: While firing at the Democrats, Bucher and Van Hollen have failed to mention that President Bill Clinton's COPS program put 100,000 more cops on the street. George W. Bush cut the funding and is taking them off. Washington Monthly: Bush's war on cops.

Dave Diamond: Bucher throws money at social problem.

Speaking Spanish? Must be illegal

-- Monte Wolverton, via Cagle.


Far-fetched? Maybe a little, but not too far.

One local conservative blogger wants to know whether the suspect being sought in the killing of two people in Milwaukee's South Shore Park is an illegal alien.

Why? Because the newspaper reported that "one of the relatives of the deceased woman arrived and spoke in Spanish."

If you want to know more about attitudes toward immigrants, and what certainly seems like thinly-veiled racism, see this post and read the comments.

Quote, unquote

"There is so much lying to the press and so much frustration on the part of the press in verifying the truth in political reporting and war reporting. So I often turn to the sports page first. It's the only part of the paper you can believe. It's the one truth section of the daily press. You can't believe what comes out of the White House, Iraq or Afghanistan; everything is so spun and neutered and falsified. But in sports, you are getting pretty much the truth."

-- Gay Talese, in a Sports Illustrated interview.

The funny papers

Tom Tomorrow's weekly cartoon features a cameo appearance by a Wisconsin blogger, at least on the version Timothy Rock has posted.

Air America to land in MKE?

For the first time, there seems to be more than talk and wishful thinking about bringing Air America's liberal voice to the airwaves in Milwaukee.

There's a kickoff event at 7 tonight at the Hi-Hat Garage, Brady and Arlington.

Among those in attendance will be Anita and Shel Drobny, Air America founders (and funders), who have targeted Milwaukee and are looking for a station to buy.

It's a free event. If you want to know more, that's where to find out what's going on and what's planned.

Jimmy gets his gavel

When you're the House Judiciary chairman, you have a lot on your plate. You can't take up every little issue that comes along. You have to keep your priorities straight and focus on the things that really matter -- like the ones that affect members of Congress.

Dana Milbank in the Washington Post:

When asked to hold hearings on the rendition and torture of terrorism suspects, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) respectfully declined.

Invited repeatedly to probe the Bush administration's leaking of a CIA operative's identity, the chairman sent his regrets.

Urged to have hearings dedicated to the administration's warrantless eavesdropping, Sensenbrenner demurred once more.

But when FBI agents searched a congressional office 11 days ago, Sensenbrenner went up to the attic and found his gavel.

Yesterday, he held the first of at least four hearings into the raid -- the debut was dispassionately titled "Reckless Justice" -- and announced that he will haul the attorney general and FBI director before his committee. He also vowed that he will "promptly" write legislation to prevent a recurrence.

Read the rest.

Tech school taxes -- the rest of the story

The horror over Milwaukee Area Technical College's proposed -- brace yourself -- FIVE PER CENT budget increase knows no bounds, at least at the Journal Sentinel and in the Republican suburbs, where most JS editors seem to reside.

Following up on its top line story and screaming headlines of last week, the paper asks in a headline, "Lessons in Tax and Spend?"

Cute. That must be what they're teaching at MATC -- Wild Spending 101.

The story offers some numbers:

From 2001 to 2006, Milwaukee County increased its tax levy 6%, the City of Milwaukee boosted its levy 18% and Milwaukee Public Schools raised its levy 26%.

Over that same time frame, MATC raised its levy 35.7%, from $93.2 million, to 126.5 million...

From 2001 to 2006, the state's 16 technical colleges collectively raised their levies 33.4%. That outpaced inflation and the increases in the collective levies of the school districts, the municipalities and the counties statewide, according to the Taxpayers Alliance...

No explanations or investigation, of course. Just scratching the surface might have produced another number, since it comes from another Journal Sentinel story:

Technical college officials say they have little choice but to turn to property-tax payers and increase levies. General state aid has held steady at $118.4 million for the last six years, said Morna Foy, an executive assistant at the Wisconsin Technical College System, which oversees the tech schools.

At the same time, state aid is covering a smaller portion of technical schools' budgets. In 1980, state aid covered 35%; today, it's about 17.5%.

The same legislators who berate the MATC board for its spending and want an elected board -- Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) and Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) -- have voted to freeze state aid. When you freeze aid for six years -- not tied to inflation or the cost of living, but a real, solid, absolute freeze -- you are forcing property taxes up. To then complain that property taxes are going up takes more than a little chutzpah.

What on earth makes Darling and Lazich think that electing board members would rein in spending and taxes?

Darling herself, a reader points out, was a member of Joint Finance, the legislature's most powerful committee, when the Republicans were turning the state budget into the nation's laughingstock with a $3.2 billion deficit. The deficit was so bad the state's bond rating was reduced even as MATC continued to receive the highest bond rating possible. The situation was so dire that the Wall Street Journal called Wisconsin's budget a "basket case." Was this accountable and responsible behavior from elected officials?

Our elected members of Congress -- including "fiscal conservative" Mark Green -- and the guy in the White House, whom we sort of elected, have run up deficits in the trillions of dollars.

Even Milwaukee Magazine's Bruce Murphy has bought the idea that electing the MATC board would solve its budget problems. But there is no evidence that has worked anywhere else in government

Finally, an Xoff reader makes this observation:

The Journal Sentinel continues to echo anti-public education extremists in its articles on MATC. It acts as if a 5% increase in tax levy, $14 on a median priced home in Milwaukee County, were a 50% increase.

Is a cup of coffee a month, the price of this modest tax increase, too much to ask the citizens of this community to contribute to support their technical college and its 58,000 students? Is this too much to ask to ensure that this community has an adequate supply of nurses, dental technicians, police and firemen, IT network specialists, web page designers, welders, auto and heating and air conditioning technicians and skilled tradesmen? Is it too much to ask to retrain our laid off workers and provide English language and skills training to the growing community of immigrants?

The JS, which has written several articles on how the state's labor shortage is undermining economic growth, seems to have forgotten that if we are to solve the growing skilled labor shortage we actually need to train and retrain the labor force. We do this by investing in MATC. Is a cup of coffee a month really too much to ask?

In the latest article the Senator from the North Shore, Alberta Darling, raises the issue of accountability. Darling equates elections with accountability. But as the article notes in 65% of local elections there are no competitive races because no one runs against the incumbents.

Recall that while the state was reducing its support for the tech colleges by over 50% in the 1990's, Darling and company told the colleges that they should make up the lost state revenue through the local property tax. Now they turn around and act as if the colleges are thieves for doing exactly what Darling and company urged them to do! This is not accountable. This is hypocrisy!

MATC's property tax increases pale in light of the state's 655% increase in prison spending including the purchase of speculatively built Stanley prison which is already in need of millions of dollars of repairs. Wisconsin has the dubious distinction of spending seven times as much on prisons as we do on the entire WTCS system! Is this what Darling means by accountability?

Darling and company are playing a duplicitous game of political "gotcha!" The fact that the Journal Sentinel seems to have bought into the tax freeze zealotry is a discouraging about face. It was not too long ago, in 1999, that the paper was advocating a 4.1% increase in state support for the tech colleges. Darling and company never took the JS advice to increase tech college funding. Instead, they cut it.

Skilled labor shortages are now more acute, Milwaukee poverty rates higher and hourly wages are lower. The single largest obstacle to job creation is the state's labor shortage. Contrary to the Darling and the Journal Sentinel's headlines, it is irresponsible not to invest in MATC.

Dark at the end of the tunnel

-- Jimmy Marguiles via Cagle.

Stop me if you've heard this one before:

More US troops arrive in Vietnam Iraq

By Alastair Macdonald
Reuters
Tuesday, May 30, 2006; 12:25 PM

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Some 1,500 more U.S. troops have arrived in Iraq to help with the war against Sunni Arab rebels, including al Qaeda Islamist militants, in the western desert province of Anbar, the military said on Tuesday.

"Two battalion task forces of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division have moved into Iraq to assist in re-establishing the conditions necessary to enable effective local and provincial governance and providing additional security for the people of Al Anbar province," it said in a statement.

It said the 1,500 soldiers come from a "call-forward" reserve force based in Kuwait. A Pentagon spokesman said they would be based in Anbar province itself.

U.S. commanders, the White House and the Iraqi government have spoken of hopes for some American troops to go home this year but say that will only happen as Iraqi forces are ready.

Questions

Dad29 asks, on his blog;

Not much is publicly-known about the South Shore Park attempted-massacre, yet.

One question of interest: was the shooter an Illegal Alien?

Why would that be the first question to come to mind? (Even if it turns out that he was, I would ask why that would be your first question.)

Mine were: Is he a Catholic? Does he belong to the NRA?

And how many people would be dead if people in the park had responded by pulling out their concealed guns and engaging in a shootout, with hundreds of people, and lots of kids, in the area?

UPDATE: Speaking Spanish? Must be illegal.

The usual innuendo from the usual suspects

"Democratic Governor Jim Doyle accepted $10,000 in campaign contributions in 2004 from attorneys at a New York law firm accused this month of paying more than $11 million in illegal kickbacks to get people to participate in lawsuits against corporations," the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reports. What's their point? Not sure. The usual innuendo.

The Republican Party, of course, immediately demanded Doyle return the money, calling it "tainted cash" and claiming Doyle had an "ethical lapse."

Neither the GOP nor the Democracy Campaign offered evidence Doyle had done anything improper, that there was anything wrong with accepting money for the firm, or that anything had been asked or given in exchange for the contributions.

Nor was there any evidence that Doyle had any idea in 2004 that the firm would be charged two years later.

Perhaps what we need is a state constitutional amendment banning candidates from accepting contributions from firms that are going to be charged with wrongdoing two years in the future.

Let's include a provision that covers the $30,000 Mark Green is still sitting on, that was contributed to his campaign by indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay, who is giving up his seat in Congress because of his "ethical lapses," whcih are called felonies in his case. Green said he wanted the state law changed so he could give it to charity, but hasn't asked his GOP friends in the legislature -- who ram a bill through in a day when they feel like it -- to act.

Doyle's campaign is returning the $10,000. Green still has the dirty DeLay cash.

No money, no campaign

Unusual candor from a candidate who tells it like it is as he drops out. Spiceblog reports:

Attorney Lee Jones, one of two announced candidates to replace District Attorney E. Michael McCann, said today that he is pulling the plug on his campaign. That leaves Assistant District Attorney John Chisholm, McCann's pick to be his successor, as the only candidate still in the November contest.

"We've not met any of our fund-raising goals," said Jones, a 32-year-old criminal defense attorney...

Not "I want to spend more time with my family" or "pursuing other opportunities."

Refreshing. (Unless, of course, there's more to it. See how cynical we've all gotten?)

Republicans want a smaller tent

Whether he coined it or not, Mark Shields was the first person I knew of to say that "Politics is about addition, not subtraction." I've tried, not always successfully, to practice that.

Democrats, if they can stop their own internal bloodletting long enough to pay attention, should be encouraged by this report from the Capital Times:

GOP FAITHFUL WOULD BAR HELP FOR MODERATES:

Are moderates being frozen out of the Republican Party of Wisconsin? It appears a large majority of party delegates would like exactly that, according to a nonbinding resolution passed at last weekend's state convention in Appleton.

Resolution 25 urged the GOP "to withhold all promotional and financial support of those candidates that do not consistently subscribe to this overall conservative agenda, be they incumbent or new candidates." It also urges the party to "actively and vigorously" seek out candidates for office who "will go in this conservative direction, and respect the wishes of party members."

"I have worked hard to raise the conservative voice," convention chair and state Sen. Cathy Stepp, R-Sturtevant, told the delegates... "We should never apologize for our conservative agenda." From the speech by Stepp to the prominent booths of pro-life groups, the Appleton convention was a conservative's paradise. It was a paradise with no prominent moderate elected officials, such as former state Sens. Mary Panzer and Peggy Rosenzweig, both previously defeated by more conservative Republicans.

That right-wing extremist base is not enough to elect statewide candidates, which is something the GOP has yet to figure out, despite losing most statewide and Presidential elections -- Tommy Thompson being the exception that proves the rule -- for 20 years. So, let the purge continue. Keep shrinking that tent and kicking out any voices of moderation. It's bound to pay off for someone. I'm betting it's the Democrats.

UPDATE: Apparently Rep. Mark Green attended a different convention. Asked about a report that ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a moderate, will campaign for him, Green's campaign manager told WisPolitics:

"We're a big tent," he said. "We are not the Democrats -- we do not penalize people for having different thoughts."

Tell it to Panzer and Rosenzweig.

Gard going into the campaign bubble

Assembly Speaker John Gard, running for Congress in the Fox Valley, apparently has decided to adopt the George W. Bush approach. The Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert reports:

Gard said his job is to "turn off the television news" and "stay focused" on his own campaign.

"I understand the significance of the race locally and the significance of the race nationally," he said. "If I haven't done my job to inspire people to get out to vote, it's going to be a tough night."

Turning off the television news and staying away from the newspapers has done wonders for Bush. Let's hope some time in the bubble works as well for Gard.

Tommy v. Russ?

Wisconsin State Journal columnist Bill Wineke has been nibbling the forbidden mushrooms again, it would appear.

How else to accoount for his idea for a presidential matchup: Thompson vs. Feingold.

Bill does out himself as a yellow-dog Democrat, which surprises me slightly, but which should make brother Joe happy.

When they agree with Doyle, bishops are silent

Another headline I missed over the weekend:

Bishops praise Doyle for
veto of anti-immigrant bill

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference was outspoken before the governor acted:

Executive Director John Huebscher wrote, “A significant number of those affected by SB 567 would be among our most vulnerable residents—elders, individuals with mental or emotional disabilities, and children. Some of these children were born in the US, but their parents were not, thus their parents will be more fearful of seeking help for their children.”

“In addition,” he continued, “we share the concerns voiced by others regarding the bill’s impact on public health. Children and others who decline to seek immunization and health care services may in turn spread diseases that might otherwise be treated and checked. This will adversely affect the wider community.”

“We do not endorse illegal immigration. But neither do we endorse laws that could deter many legal residents from seeking public benefits to which they have a rightful claim. In the interest of defending the dignity of human life and upholding the preferential love for the poor, we respectfully urge you to veto SB 567,” Huebscher concluded.

Funny how that doesn't make news. It's only when Doyle and the church disagree that it's newsworthy -- or worth the bishops themselves speaking out.

Mark Green, of course, criticized Doyle for the veto, as Cory Liebmann notes: Mark Green defies bishops again.

UPDATE: John Nichols in the Capital Times: Bishops' attack on Doyle crosses line.

UPDATE 2: The church comes through with a press release supporting Doyle's veto. Watch for the coverage.

Sensenbrenner: The head brick

Rep. F. Jim Sensenbrenner has been called a lot of things in the last year or so, several of them by me.

The New York Times, in a weekend editorial, had a new description for him: The head brick. Not to be confused with blockhead. Here's the context:

Americans should be proud of what the United States Senate did this week. It passed an ambitious bill that could lead to the most far-reaching overhaul of immigration laws in the nation's history. It did so after months of thoughtful debate and through a bipartisan compromise, a creature that many thought had vanished from Capitol Hill. The bill has many flaws, but its framework is realistic and humane. At various low points in the debate, this outcome could scarcely have been imagined, but the near-impossible happened on Thursday, by a vote of 62 to 36.

The Senate has given the cause of immigration reform a lot of momentum, which it will need since it is now heading for a brick wall: the House of Representatives.

The House Judiciary Committee chairman, James Sensenbrenner Jr., in the role of head brick, called the Senate bill "a nonstarter" the morning after it passed. Discussing the odds of reconciling the House and Senate legislation into one bill, Mr. Sensenbrenner struck a tone of deathly pessimism. The chambers had once been miles apart, but now they were "moons apart or oceans apart," he said, grasping for words to convey the vastness of his gloom, and the ferocity of his bargaining stance.

Read the rest.

More on old Brickhead: Cory Liebmann says Sensenbrenner has a real credibility problem when he talks tough about employers of illegals. And Joel McNally says F. Jim's crusade on immigration shows his true colors.

New ally in stem cell battle

Introducing the newest national organization to speak out on the need for embryonic stem cell research. They call themselves DefCon, as in Defend the Constitution, and describe themselves as:

an online grassroots movement combating the growing power of the religious right. We will fight for the separation of church and state, individual freedom, scientific progress, pluralism, and tolerance while respecting people of faith and their right to express their beliefs

The group ran a newspaper ad last week identifying Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Pat Robertson as "America's most influential stem cell scientists." If you missed it, check it out.

Maybe next time they'll add photos of Wisconsin's Catholic bishops.

Cartoonists mark Memorial Day

 

-- John Cole, Scranton PA Times

 

-- Bruce Plante, Chattanooga Times-Free Press

 

-- Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune



-- Clay Jones, Freelance-Star, Fredericksburg, VA



-- Joe Heller, Green Bay Press Gazette



-- Cameron Cardow, Ottawa (Ontario) Citizen

"Carbon dioxide: We call it life"

From the Sierra Club's Compass:

Co2 is Life?

In what is apparently an attempt to blunt the impact of Al Gore's new film, the geniuses over at the Competitive Enterprise Institute -- a neoliberal "think tank" funded, in part, by $$$$ from ExxonMobil -- have cooked up two 60-second TV spots attacking politicians and "global warming alarmists" who would have you believe that we ought to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. (Somehow, they fail to mention that the world's leading scientists also believe this.)

You really have to watch the ads for yourself to appreciate just how farcical they are. It's hard to believe they're not meant as self-parody -- like something the Onion would have come up with.The thrust of the spots is captured in the tagline, "Carbon dioxide: They call it a pollutant. We call it Life."

Never mind that atmospheric CO2 levels are higher now that at any time in the last 650,000 years: CO2 can't be a bad thing, according to the CEI ads, since "we breathe it out" and "plants breathe it in." In other words, it's natural. They've basically launched a pro-CO2 campaign.

Now, it's true that carbon dioxide is essential to life on Earth. For one thing, greenhouse gases like CO2 keep our atmosphere warm by absorbing infrared energy radiating off the Earth. The problem is one of balance; in other words, you can have too much of a good thing -- too heavy a jacket on a warm day, for instance.

Or take, for example, water. Water is the very stuff of life, but over-water a plant and what happens? It dies. Of course, you know this. Everybody knows this, because it's common sense -- something the spin doctors at the Competitive Enterprise Institute don't believe you have.

(Originally posted on Compass.)

UPDATE: An Australian blog, "Global Warming Watch," has posted its script for a response ad: They call it a spot, we call it a lie.

Too little, too late

Bush admits some mistakes on Iraq. Very helpful. Happy Memorial Day. The NY Times:

At a joint news conference with Blair, after three years of war that has killed more than 2,400 Americans and thousands of Iraqis, Bush was asked what mistake he most regretted.

The Texan said that he regretted saying ``bring 'em on'' when responding in July 2003 to a question about the Iraqi insurgency.

On Thursday, Bush said the remark was ``kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong message to people.''

``I learned some lessons about expressing myself maybe in a little more sophisticated manner, you know. ``Wanted, dead or alive''; that kind of talk. I think in certain parts of the world it was misinterpreted,'' he said.

Or correctly interpreted as the voice of some kind of macho chickenhawk cowboy who thought bluster would win the war and shock and awe would win the hearts and minds of Iraqis.

Citizen Action includes all kinds of citizens

The right wing, fueled by a press release from AG wannabe J.B. Van Hollen, is outraged that AG Peg Lautenschlager has given $50,000, part of the settlement in a lawsuit against a drug company, to Wisconsin Citizen Action.

Cory Liebmann does an excellent job of debunking the hysteria and explaining why it makes perfect sense to include Citizen Action.

My favorite is the disclosure that 45% of Citizen Action's members are Democrats and 34% are Republicans.

'Bishops ask Mark Green to reverse position on death penalty'

That's the headline I was expecting to see this morning, now that the Catholic Bishops of Milwaukee and Madison have decided to plunge into politics.

Wednesday, they asked Gov. Jim Doyle, a Catholic, to rethink and revise his position on the use of embryonic stem cells for research. It made front-page news.

The next logical step, in continuing to speak up for a "culture of life," would be to ask Rep. Mark Green, also a Catholic, to rethink and reverse his position in favor of the death penalty.

"I supported the death penalty. And I support the referendum on the ballot," Green said on Wisconsin Public Television last weekend.

The death penalty advisory referendum on the November ballot will be there because of Republican scheming, with the direct support of Mark Green. Republicans put it on the ballot hoping it would bring out anti-Doyle voters, and moved it from September to the November ballot for purely partisan political gain.

The Catholic Church has consistently argued for the universal abolition of the death penalty. In a declaration to the first World Congress on the Death Penalty held June 21-23, 2001 in Strasbourg, France, the Vatican termed the death penalty "a sign of desperation" for a civil society. The church declared:

It is surely more necessary than ever that the inalienable dignity of human life be universally respected and recognised for its immeasurable value. The Holy See has engaged itself in the pursuit of the abolition of capital punishment and an integral part of the defence of human life at every stage of its development and does so in defiance of any assertion of a culture of death.

Where the death penalty is a sign of desperation, civil society is invited to assert its belief in a justice that salvages hope from the ruin of the evils which stalk our world.

The universal abolition of the death penalty would be a courageous reaffirmation of the belief that humankind can be successful in dealing with criminality and of our refusal to succumb to despair before such forces, and as such it would regenerate new hope in our very humanity.

Closer to home, bishops in the U.S. also have taken a strong stand and have actually launched a campaign to end the death penalty:

While the U.S. Catholic bishops have been calling for an end to the use of the death penalty for 25 years, this new Campaign was launched in March of 2005. The first comprehensive U.S. Catholic bishops’ statement on the topic issued in 1980. This campaign, the bishops renew their call in order to seize a new moment and a new momentum. This is a time to teach clearly, encourage reflection, and call for common action in the Catholic community. To that end the bishops have written a new pastoral statement that will clarify Church teaching and assist the numerous individual bishops and state Catholic conferences have issued similar calls to end the use of the death penalty.

Given the Bishops' willingness to wade in to current matters of public policy that are inconsistent with the Catholic Church, isn’t it time they sent a letter to Mark Green about his public support for the death penalty? That would seem appropriate, since the Bishops' spokesman says,"We're not trying to influence the election in any way." When the Bishops agree with Doyle and Green is on the "wrong" side, don't they have an obligation to say that, too?

E-mail the Bishops and encourage them to be consistent. They'll be happy to hear from you.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino
rmorlino@straphael.org

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
archbishopdolan@archmil.org

Give me a break

From the How Lazy Can You Get Department:

This gem appears as the only comment from Mark Green in a Journal Sentinel story on Gov. Jim Doyle's trimming of the state workforce:

Green doesn't believe making blanket statements about cutting state employees is good management practice, Green campaign spokesman Rob Vernon said in a statement.

"Mark Green will run the state government with the taxpayer in mind, always working to spend their tax dollars wisely and efficiently," Vernon said in an e-mail.

The reporter needed a comment from Green to "balance" or flesh out the story, right? That clearly isn't from Green, doesn't address the topic, and says nothing about what Green would do about the state payroll.

It's nothing more than unadulterated, self-serving claptrap. "Always working to spend their tax dollars wisely and efficiently" indeed. There must have been a round of high-fives in the Green press shop when they saw this one had actually made it into print.

You can't blame Vernon; his job is to try to compose drivel like that and get someone to print it. But you certainly can blame the reporter who settled for a vapid e-mail response and dutifully pasted it into the story, with no followup to get any real answer or content. Let's hear it for the copy editors, too, if they still have any at the JS. It's been hard to tell lately.

Green's great news: 'I voted to rape Alaska'

Mark Green voted -- again -- Thursday to open the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to drilling for oil.

And he had the gall to try to present his vote for a bill with an Orwellian name as good news:

WASHINGTON -- With the help of U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay), legislation passed the House of Representatives Thursday that would increase America's energy independence by boosting domestic oil production. Green said the measure, known as "The American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act," would open a small portion of Alaska's coastal plain for oil exploration and production...

Green said the House-passed bill would open a small section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) -- approximately 2,000 of ANWR's 19 million total acres -- for oil and gas exploration...

"...This region could increase our nation's total proven oil reserves by 50 percent, and, at its peak daily production, nearly equal our daily imports from Saudi Arabia," Green said.

Green said "The American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act" passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 225-201.

If the Senate agrees, which is unlikely, the damage to the preserve will be widespread, and oil production, in the distant future -- not tomorrow -- will be much less than promised.

Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind countered Green's claim:

The major argument for opening this national wildlife refuge to drilling has centered around America's need for energy independence. As I have stated before, attempting to drill our way out of our current energy crisis is irresponsible. The average estimate for the amount of recoverable oil present in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge hovers around 10 billion barrels.

The U.S. currently consumes approximately 7 billion barrels EACH year. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that oil recovered from the Arctic Refuge would amount to less than a six month supply for American consumers. At no time would oil from the refuge be expected to amount to more than about 2 percent of U.S. demand. Also, the oil from the area will take from ten to twenty years to reach the American market and, therefore, is not going to improve our energy independence any time soon.

The Center for American Progress says:

The House leadership and some opposition members view the industrialization of the refuge as the cost of decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and quelling public concern over rising gas prices. These incentives hide the fact that pipelines and infrastructure would slash over 1.5 million acres of wildlife. What's more, the oil would take 10 years to extract and provide only about what the U.S. uses in a single year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The U.S. Department of Energy's own Energy Information Administration estimates that even 20 years down the road, when Arctic Refuge oil is at or near peak production, gas prices would be affected by about a penny per gallon.

The bipartisan vote Green describes included 27 House Dems who voted for the bill and 30 Repubs who voted against it, including two Wisconsin Republicans, F. Jim Sensenbrenner and Tom Petri. Besides Green, the only Wisconsin vote for the measure was Paul Ryan's.

-- Mike Thompson, Detroit Free Press, via Cagle.

Net neutrality clears committee

House Judiciary passes Internet access measure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved legislation aimed at preventing high-speed Internet network providers from discriminating against unaffiliated services, content and applications.

Content providers like Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.have expressed concerns that they would be forced to pay Internet service providers extra to ensure consumers can access their content.

The measure, approved by a vote of 20-13, would amend U.S. antitrust law. It would also counter a rival bill from another House committee that wants to encourage network providers to preserve consumers' ability to freely surf the Internet instead of adopting stricter rules.

"The lack of competition in the broadband marketplace presents a clear incentive for providers to leverage dominant market power over the broadband bottleneck to pre-select, favor or prioritize Internet content over their networks," said Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin. [Sensenbrenner and Rep. John Conyers, the committee's ranking Dem, are the bill's sponsors. -- Xoff.]

Network providers like AT&T Inc.and Verizon Communications Inc. are fighting any requirements. They argue there is no threat or instance of consumers being blocked from Internet sites or having their service degraded.

Earlier post: Strange bedfellows: F. Jim, Moby, R.E.M.

Bush goes nucular

WashPost:

Bush Calls For New Nuclear Plants
President Talks Of Environmental Benefits, Safety

LIMERICK, Pa., May 24 -- President Bush promoted nuclear power Wednesday as part of his answer to energy and environmental problems as more companies consider taking advantage of government incentives to build the nation's first new nuclear plant in decades.

In the shadow of twin giant cooling towers, Bush said that his plan to expand nuclear power would curb emissions contributing to global warming and would provide an "abundant and plentiful" alternative to limited energy sources. Bush called the nuclear sector an "overregulated industry" and pledged to work to make it more feasible to build reactors.

"Nuclear power helps us protect the environment. And nuclear power is safe," he said to loud applause from workers at the Limerick Generating Station, about 40 miles from Philadelphia. He added: "For the sake of economic security and national security, the United States must aggressively move forward with construction of nuclear power plants. Other nations are."

And what will become of the deadly nuclear waste that's generated? We'll leave that for the same future generations that are expected to pay off Bush's trillions in debt.

Fortunately, he's not in charge any more. What he says is largely irrelevant, unless he can order some agency to secretly build nukes as part of the war on terrorism. (Maybe I shouldn't give him any ideas. He doesn't read this blog, but I know Rove does.)

Grist, the online environmental magazine, calls him Nuke Skytalker:

Bush pushes nuclear power at home and abroad

President Bush has embraced nuclear power with a vengeance (on us?). On a tour of a nucular ... er, nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania yesterday, Bush called for the construction of new nuke plants to help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. "Let's quit the debate about whether greenhouse gases are caused by mankind or by natural causes; let's just focus on technologies that deal with the issue," he said. Thanks to a new raft of nuke subsidies Bush signed into law last year, 16 companies have expressed interest in building new plants, though none has submitted a formal application. Exelon Corp.'s president has said his company has "no intention" of building a new nuke plant until there's a solution to the problem of where to put nuclear waste. What a fuddy-duddy! Also yesterday, Bush signed on to a treaty with the European Union, Russia, Japan, India, China, and South Korea to spend $5.9 billion attempting to build the world's first nuclear fusion reactor in France. Fusion technology has never succeeded, but like victory in Iraq, it's always been just around the corner.

Warning signs for GOP in Door County

The view from Fish Creek:

Stephen Kastner, writing on a blog from Door County called Purple Cheese, handicaps the 8th District Congressional race.

Kastner, who edits the web news site, the Door County Compass, says Dr. Steve Kagen, a bike racer as well as a doctor, has broken away from the Dem pack. He also has this observation about what may be coming in November:

What I like to hear are the voices of so many of my Door County Republican friends who are now telling me they are "Independents" - a sure sign that they are freeing themselves up, getting ready to vote "smart" instead of loyal, looking for progressive leadership regardless of party affiliation.

No English, no vote?

There's an old story about the black citizen who shows up at a Mississippi clerk's office in the 1960s to register to vote. He's told that's fine, but he must first pass a literacy test.

The clerk hands him a piece of paper with something written on it -- in Greek.

"Well, can you read that and tell me what it says?" the clerk asks.

"Yes, I can," the would-be voter says. "It says no black people are going to be voting here in this election."

That came to mind, for some reason, when reading George Will's column today, arguing against bilingual ballots. His argument is that if you can't speak English, you can't possibly know enough about the political debate to make an informed choice and cast a ballot. Sounds like Greek to me.

Reading between the lines

Mark Green's speech to the GOP convention last weekend got some notice, although he was still operating in the shadow of Tommy the T, Governor for Life.

Cory Liebmann performs a public service by giving the Green speech a closer look at his Eye on Wisconsin blog. Some good stuff.

Separating fact from fiction

Jessica McBride, in her role as blogger/radio host/columnist/campaign spouse, has a little trouble separating fact from fiction. (We hope that doesn't overlap into her role as journalism teacher, but who knows?)

Latest example: A post by McBride on the campaign website of her husband, Waukesha DA and would-be attorney general Paul Bucher.

McBride doesn't seem to be able to distinguish any difference between an official state website, which lists Wisconsin's most wanted sex offenders, and a Bucher campaign site attacking one of his opponents, in which Bucher hand picked some repeat offenders to scare the bejesus out of people.

It was a Willie Horton style attack, and I was among those who said so. McBride calls us the "opinion left," whatever that is, but only named three men and left out Carrie Lynch, who really did a job on the issue.

McBride says the state's new website is just as bad. The fact that it is reality-based, not fabricated, doesn't seem to register with her.

But for a much better discussion of the issue, go to Robola's post, Mock outrage from Jessica McBride and the Bucher campaign.

The Doyle-Green stem cell debate: Bishops help clarify what it's really about

I'm one of those who has been saying for a couple of years that stem cell research would be a major issue in the race for governor of Wisconsin -- and that it would be a wedge issue that would pull moderate Republicans away from Mark Green's candidacy and help Jim Doyle.

I still believe that.

But Green and the GOP have been doing everything they can to muddy the waters and obscure the real issues and differences between Green and Doyle.

And I am a little concerned that they just might get away with it, if the media doesn't sharpen its coverage -- and if Doyle and his campaign don't offer a little more clarity, too.

But now the Catholic bishops have spoken out, and in doing so they may have unwittingly helped to make it clear what the issue is and where the candidates stand, which will help Doyle in November.

The debate and disagreement are not about stem cell research per se. Everyone I know of, in both parties, supports the general concept of stem cell research -- at least when we are talking about adult stem cells.

Where there is a sharp divide is over the use of embryonic stem cells for research. That's what the debate is about. Unfortunately, all too often that gets abbreviated into "stem cell research," which will wind up confusing voters if the debate does not become more precise.

Stem cell research holds out the hope -- but not the guarantee -- of cures and treatments for a variety of debilitating and/or fatal diseases. The National Institutes of Health's list includes Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult v. embryonic stem cells

The NIH explains:

Scientists have been able to do experiments with human embryonic stem cells (hESC) only since 1998, when a group led by Dr. James Thompson at the University of Wisconsin developed a technique to isolate and grow the cells. Moreover, Federal funds to support hESC research have been available since only August 9, 2001, when President Bush announced his decision on Federal funding for hESC research. Because many academic researchers rely on Federal funds to support their laboratories, they are just beginning to learn how to grow and use the cells. Thus, although hESC are thought to offer potential cures and therapies for many devastating diseases, research using them is still in its early stages.

Adult stem cells, such as blood-forming stem cells in bone marrow (called hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs), are currently the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases. Doctors have been transferring HSCs in bone marrow transplants for over 40 years. More advanced techniques of collecting, or "harvesting," HSCs are now used in order to treat leukemia, lymphoma and several inherited blood disorders.

The clinical potential of adult stem cells has also been demonstrated in the treatment of other human diseases that include diabetes and advanced kidney cancer. However, these newer uses have involved studies with a very limited number of patients.

So when Mark Green says he supports stem cell research, as he does whenever he's asked about it, he is talking about adult stem cells, which have been used for 40 years. No one is against that.
But embryonic stem cells are another matter.

Because those cells are developed from human embryos, conservative religious and "right-to-life" groups (and now the Catholic bishops) oppose their use. Embryos, in their eyes, are human beings, and destroying one is like taking a human life. They are not swayed by the fact that there are 400,000 frozen embryos in storage, most of which will eventually be destroyed. They are extras, leftovers that were created for in vitro fertilization but never were used, and never will be.

The political debate over embryonic stem cell research touches most Americans because we all know someone who suffers from a disease who perhaps could benefit from the research. Governor Doyle's mother, Ruth, who died recently, had suffered from Parkinson's for years. He believes that embryonic stem cell research may spare others from that fate.

GOP Congress defies Bush

At the federal level, many House Republicans -- but not Mark Green -- defied President Bush last year and voted to expand funding and remove some of the restrictions Bush has placed on embryonic stem cell research. Majority Leader Bill Frist has stalled the bill in the Senate, where it is said to have 60 votes, and Bush has threatened to use his first veto if the bill passes.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, conservative Republicans who run the legislature have tried every means possible to discourage, restrict, or outlaw embryonic stem cell research in the state or, failing that, to prevent any public money from being used for it. While other states are scrambling to try to develop research facilities, Wisconsin, home to the nation's leading researcher, is trying to discourage it.

It should come as no surprise that a majority of people in Wisconsin and in the US favor embryonic stem cell research. (Pro-life groups will tell you otherwise, but the numbers are indisputable.)

Green slips and slides

So the best hope of the opponents, like Mark Green, is not to get caught on the wrong side of the issue -- to assure opponents that he's with them, but to try to confuse the general public into thinking he supports embryonic stem cell research -- which is clearly not true.

Last weekend, on Wisconsin Public Television's "Here and Now," Frederica Freyberg asked Green about the issue:

Freyberg: And, and what about your position on embryonic stem cell research?

Green: Well, again, I think we're pretty clear. We've helped double funding for the NIH. I've co-authored stem cell research. I just don't believe that the research that we do should be without at least some ethical lines. That's the difference between Jim Doyle and I. He would place no restrictions whatsoever on research, including human cloning. I think that's a mistake and I think that's out of step with Wisconsin values.

He's slippery, and she was running out of time and didn't follow up. But she specifically asked him about embryonic stem cell research. If you read Green's answer, you'd think he had "co-sponsored" embryonic stem cell research, when in fact he has opposed it and voted against it at every opportunity. He raises human cloning, a non-issue, and does his best to obscure this basic truth: It is Mark Green who is out of step with the people of Wisconsin on this important issue. Doyle, his campaign, and the Democratic Party have been highlighting the differences.

All of which brings us, if anyone is still reading, to two exchanges that took place on Wednesday.

First, Gov. Doyle called for the US Senate to pass the bill expanding embryonic stem cell research.

Right-to-Life, bishops enter the fray

Wisconsin Right to Life fired back a release accusing Doyle of hiding the fact that it is embryonic stem cell research he supports. Although Doyle's statement could have made that clearer, the first sentence of his release clearly used the word "embryonic," even if it just became "stem cell research" later in the statement.

Wisconsin Democrats used the opportunity to accuse Green of being the one who's hiding his true position on the issue, citing Green's record of opposition to embryonic stem cell research.

The the Catholic Church entered the fray, with two bishops writing Doyle to say -- well, it's hard to tell exactly what. Their letter seemed to object mostly to Doyle citing economic development arguments for embryonic stem cell research, although the bishops also say they oppose it on moral grounds anyway -- although curing diseases sounds like a better, if flawed, argument to them.

Doyle responded politely, but firmly restated his support for embryonic stem cell research and told the bishops:

I have met countless families in Wisconsin whose loved ones are suffering from juvenile diabetes or Parkinson's or spinal cord injuries. Because of the potential of stem cell research, these families now have hope that one day science and medicine may find a cure for these conditions. As Governor, I cannot allow politics or shortsighted acts by the Legislature to take away the hope these families have.

Leading scientists like Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin have told us that while adult stem cell research has promise, it is no substitute for human embryonic stem cell research. Both forms of research should be pursued, and it would be irresponsible to pursue one to the exclusion of the other, especially since many scientists believe that the versatility of embryonic stem cells means they may have a far greater potential to save lives.

Every day, couples in fertility clinics who are unable to conceive a child on their own must decide what to do with their unused embryos. Some couples choose to donate these embryos to further stem cell research in the hopes of saving lives. Otherwise, the embryos are destroyed. Therefore, the ultimate question isn't whether embryos will be destroyed, but whether we should use a few of those unused embryos to be used in saving lives instead of discarding them. I believe we should come down on the side of saving lives.

That is what the debate is all about.

As this campaign proceeds, let's hope Doyle presses his point and makes it very clear what the differences are between the candidates and what is at stake. The bishops have helped to do that, and Green's spokesman says Green thinks the bishops' position is "right on."

It is too critical an issue to let Mark Green dance around it and pretend to be on one side when he's really on the other. Now, thanks to the bishops, he's out of hiding.

Let the debate begin.

---

UPDATE: This is the kind of wild claim you'll hear, in this case from an Outagamie County Republican:

Let’s be clear about this. Democrats support embryonic stem cell research using aborted babies.

Yes, let's be clear about this. Those embryos are not "babies" by any stretch of the imagination. They are not even fetuses. And they are not being "aborted" for stem cell research. This adds nothing to the debate, although it does stir up the hard-line anti-abortion, anti-birth control crowd.

---

UPDATE 2: Seth Zlotocha says the bishops actually are helping Doyle, but not on purpose.

---

UPDATE 3: Bill Wineke says this is the kind of debate we should have.

-- Chris Britt, Springfield,Ill. State Journal-Register via Cagle.

Will Bush negatives sink Gard, Green?

Will the November election be a referendum on President Bush?

Democrats hope that it is. Republicans pray that it's not.

Chris Cillizza of the WashPost parses the polls in his blog, The Fix:

A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics asked whether voters were more likely to back a candidate who supports Bush or one who opposes him. Twenty percent said they would be more inclined to support a pro-Bush politician while 38 percent said they would favor a candidate who opposed the president. Thirty-nine percent said how a candidate felt toward the president would not affect their vote.

Looking inside this survey's numbers, nearly two-in-three Democrats tested (63 percent) said they would prefer a candidate who opposed Bush while less than one in three (31 percent) said a candidate's support for Bush would make no difference. One-in-three independents said they would be more inclined to support an anti-Bush candidate (37 percent) while just 13 percent said a candidate who backed Bush would be more likely to win their vote. Roughly half of all Republicans (44 percent) said they were more likely to back a candidate who backs Bush; 42 percent said it was not an issue.

The most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll posed a similar question, asking whether 2006 will be a vote to show support for or opposition to the president and his policies. Twelve percent said their vote would be aimed at sending a message of support to Bush while 30 percent said it would be to express their opposition. Roughly 60 percent said it wouldn't be a factor.

Presumably, this is more important when voters are looking at a Congressional candidate -- like a John Gard, who's had Dick Cheney, more unpopular than Bush, in to campaign for him.

But Wisconsin Republicans also have a candidate for governor, Mark Green, who has been a loyal and enthusiastic Bush soldier, voting with him down the line. When will we see the first ad with Green morphing into W? And what will Green say -- "I never heard of this Bush guy; I wouldn't know him if he knocked on my door?" Oh, no, that was Ambramoff.

The tax terrorists have won

At least they've won the battle for the hearts and minds of the Journal Sentinel newsroom, or Managing Editor George Stanley. How else do you explain that this story rated the TOP LINE HEADLINE, two inches high, in today's Milwaukee paper?:

MATC seeks 5%

increase in tax levy

Request is latest to outpace inflation;

rising costs, lower state aid blamed

By TOM HELD

A budget endorsed Tuesday by the Milwaukee Area Technical College Board would increase the school's tax levy 5% in the coming fiscal year, outpacing inflation and contradicting the growing anti-tax sentiment in the state.

After breathing a sigh of relief that the Legislature had failed to pass constitutional tax and spending limits earlier this month, the board backed a budget that would increase spending about 6.3%, based on current projections.

The $309 million MATC has budgeted for 2006-'07 represents a 32.4% increase from its spending at the start of the decade and tops the rate of inflation for that period by roughly 14 percentage points.

Since the 2000-'01 budget year, the college has raised its tax levy 42%, from $93.2 million to the $132.6 million in local taxpayer dollars being sought to support the school in the pending budget.

I'm not going to argue that this budget can't be cut, or that every dollar is absolutely needed. I've worked in government enough to know that's not true.

But the newspaper's treatment of this would make you think it was a 50% increase, not 5%.

Maybe that's double the inflation rate. But I suspect some of the things in that budget -- like energy and health care, for starters -- are going up a bit more than the inflation rate, and considerably more than 5%.

There is no doubt this is politically stupid, especially for an unelected board that's already under fire. And President Darnell Cole did a terrible job of explaining where the additional money would go -- salaries and benefits, Milwaukee Public Television, offsetting a cut in state aid. None of those sounds very compelling.

I'm sure Republican radio has had a field day today with this issue.

And I'm sure they will try to organize a lynch mob for the public hearing on this budget, which has not yet been passed.

The newspaper has made it all very easy for them. The story does everything it can to incite the mob. And to what end? That's what's hard to figure. Can't wait to see what the JS editorial board has to say.

Have we really reached the point in southeastern Wisconsin where a proposed 5% budget increase is treated like a declaration of war on the taxpayers? Has the anti-tax movement so terrorized public officials that there is not even room to discuss expanding a program or raising more revenue? It appears that's the case. If it is, the short-sighted, short-term fixes put in place now will cost all of us dearly in the future -- and not just in money.

Nattering nabobs negative on business climate

My comments about Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), and whether the group's constant complaining was hurting the very business climate it complains about, have touched off some debate and commentary here and there.

This from Mike Serpe, executive assistant to Kenosha County Exec Allan Kehl:

Try to keep in mind that what WMC does and says is seen all over the world. How do you think that the people who do economic research view the endless moaning about Wisconsin being a tax hell or a regulatory quagmire?

Chambers [of Commerce] need to be on the front lines by being boosters of their communities...as their hero Tommy Thompson loved to do.

When I read the Bride of TABOR testimony of Mark Gusho, Director Global Tax for Manitowoc Company I was less than amused. He pointed-out that Wisconsin has the 5th highest tax burden in the nation according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation.

What he did not point out were these factors that are favorable to doing business in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin leads the Midwest in new job creation. Wisconsin's work force grew faster in the past year than any other state in the Midwest and faster than the U.S. average. According to U.S. Department of Labor figures, Wisconsin added 48,800 new jobs from July 2003 through July 2004 --more than 12,000 of them in the manufacturing sector. Wisconsin's 1.7% increase was higher than the 1.3% increase for the country as a whole. In comparison, Minnesota employment rose 0.7% during the period. Iowa and Illinois added jobs at an even slower pace, while Michigan and Ohio lost jobs.

Construction activity is at record levels. Wisconsin recorded $11 billion worth of construction starts between May 2003 and April 30, 2004. Construction employment in Wisconsin hit 121,600 in April--the highest level ever for that month--and grew to 129,100 in May.

Wages in Wisconsin are below the national average. Wisconsin's average wages are 11.6% below the national average of $36,764 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Wisconsin's business taxes are among the lowest in the country. Wisconsin's business taxes are lower than those in 35 other states, based on a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston that measures more than 15 taxes that can affect corporate profits.

Wisconsin is among the top 15 states in industrial production. Wisconsin ranks 3rd nationally in percentage of total jobs that are in manufacturing (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Best Places for Business . Forbes Magazine (May 2004) ranked Madison, Wisconsin as the No. 1 Best Metro Area for Business. Inc. Magazine (March 2004) ranked Madison as the No. 2 Medium City for Doing Business right behind Green Bay, Wisconsin that took the top spot.

International trade leader. Wisconsin recorded a 1.86% increase in exports last year compared to a 5.17% national decline.

Smart and safe. Wisconsin ranks as the 6th smartest state, the 10th safest state, and the 11th most-livable state (Morgan Quitno Press). In 2003, Wisconsin high school seniors topped the nation in ACT scores for the 7th straight year. Wisconsin has the nation's 3rd lowest dropout rate (U.S. Department of Education).

Most Livable State . Wisconsin was recognized as a 2003 Most Livable State (Morgan Quitno Press).

Tops in R&D. UW-Madison ranks first among the nation's public universities in R&D spending.

Low insurance rates. Wisconsin's homeowner insurance rates are the lowest in the U.S. and its auto insurance rates are fifth lowest (National Association of Insurance Carriers). Wisconsin is among the six best states for physicians to practice thanks to the low level of malpractice insurance premiums.

Low health care costs. Wisconsin's hospital patient-care costs are 20% below the national average (Wisconsin Health and Hospital Association).

Short commutes. Wisconsin has the nation's 10th shortest travel time to work with an average of 20.3 minutes (U.S. Census Bureau).

In a speech in San Diego in 1970, then Vice President Spiro Agnew used the phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism" to describe supposed intellectuals who attacked American policy. "Natter" is defined as "to nag, to find fault peevishly," and a "nabob" is "a native provincial deputy or governor of the old Mogul empire in India; a native district ruler in India" or "European who has become rich in India" or "a very rich man" (Websters New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Deluxe Second Edition).

Agnew's speech writers [William Safire takes credit -- Xoff] undoubtedly put the terms together because of their alliterative value, but the phrase does paint an interesting although unpleasant word picture of a self-important person nagging and criticizing everyone else, much like the leadership of the "premier" business organization in Wisconsin.

With all due respect, how is our state going to attract business, such as Abbott Laboratories to Kenosha County, if some of its most respected manufacturers put out one negative statement after another on the poor business climate they are operating in?

This is a great state to do business in. We ought to be working hard to let the world in on that fact.

GOP wants to leave young children behind

Wisconsin Republicans are sharpening their axes to kill off kindergarten for 4-year-olds in the state.

Cory Liebmann thinks a new "task force" named by Speaker John Gard may already know its conclusions before it starts a "study" of 4-K. He certainly offers plenty of evidence that the GOP is out to kill the program, including past votes and even a resolution passed at last weekend's state wingnut convention.

For some reason, there is right-wing resistance to early childhood education, even though both common sense and experience tell us those programs pay both short-term and long-range benefits. The long battle over Head Start, which has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on the lives of children who participate in the program, is an example. "Is our children learning?" the President wants to know, or is they just getting some breakfast?

In Wisconsin, the Dept. of Public Instruction has released a report, cited by Liebmann, which tries to offer a cost-benefit analysis on preschool and early kindergarten programs. But how do you attach a value to the findings that kids who go through the programs are less likely to commit crimes or go on welfare, and more likely to succeed and become taxpaying members of the community?

Gard and Co., in their zeal to squeeze every nickel out of the budget, continue to target education and early childhood programs. If they persist and cut or end those programs, they will truly be leaving many children behind.

Hibbing salutes him when his birthday comes

My homeboy, Bob Dylan, becomes eligible for Medicare today.

More remarkable than the hard-to-believe fact that he is 65 is the fact that his hometown, Hibbing, Minnesota, is celebrating the occasion.

It's Dylan Days in Hibbing, which helps explain why Bob's boyhood home, above, has become a billboard for a Saturday "Blood on the Tracks" concert. Dylan isn't playing, but all of the musicians who played on that amazing album, which I never tire of hearing, will be there at Bob's alma mater, Hibbing High School. I won't be there, either, but I wish I was.

For many years after Dylan's meteoric rise to fame in the early 60s, Hibbing would barely acknowledge his existence. The Mesabi Range city was returning the favor, since Dylan had dissed Hibbing, first by claiming he was from elsewhere, then describing his hometown as "a dyin' town" that he couldn't wait to leave.

I'm not sure all is forgiven even now, but there is acknowledgement of the Dylan-Hibbing connection, which over the years has brought many fans on pilgrimages and even inspired a book, "Positively Main Street."

It started with Zimmy's, a downtown restaurant and bar which uses is nickname and has walls filled with Dylan posters, album covers, photos, and memorabilia. Zimmy's has probably been on Howard Street, the main drag, for 20 years or more. But that was about it for a long time. Last time I was in town, the public library had opened a modest exhibit about Dylan, giving some official civic recognition to his local ties.

The Dylan Days website says that Dylan Days began informally in 1991 at Zimmy's, with a small birthday gathering in Bob's honor that included some impromptu musical performances. It's grown since then but it's not exactly huge. (Elsewhere, his 60th birthday prompted a "Nod to Bob" tribute album.)

I've always wondered, after 45 years of Dylan making music and me buying it: If we both live for 20 more years, will he still be turning out albums, and will I still be buying them? I hope so.

So, if this is a political blog, why am I writing about Dylan? If you have to ask, you'll never understand.

So, Happy birthday, Bob. One last question on turning 65: How does it feeeeel?

-- Working for Change. (Click on cartoon to enlarge.)

Wisconsin GOP for civil rights, in theory

Wisconsin Republicans are on the cutting edge of compassionate conservatism, in case you had any doubts.

They're so proud of the resolution they passed last weekend at their convention that Chairman Rick Graber put out a press release. The "resolved" clause, the meat and potatoes of any resolution, says:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Wisconsin, in convention assembled, reaffirms and renews the Republican Party's historic and moral commitment against racism, and continue to welcome Americans of every ethnicity to take a seat at the table in our Party as we work together to preserve our heritage of equality, religious freedom, and strong moral values.

So, here in the early days of the 21st Century, the party is willing to risk everything and go on record as supporting civil rights AND letting minorities join the party. Pretty gutsy.

Of course, the Republicans still don't want them to vote. The Rs continue to wage their campaign to make it as difficult as possible for the poor, minorities and seniors to register and cast their ballots.

GOP operative Brian Fraley is afraid some Latinos might register, because the next thing you know they might show up at the polls. Dave Diamond translates Fraley's post.

--John Sherffius via Cagle.

They know now

The WashPost on the theft of data on 26.5-million veterans, quotes Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson:

"They believe this was a random burglary and not targeted at this data," he said. "There have been a series of burglaries in that community. . . . There is no indication at all that any use is being made of this data or even that they know that they have it."

If the thieves didn't know what they had before, they certainly do now.

'Pagegate' was a pre-caucus scandal blip

Doug Moe wrote in his "Moe Knows" column in the Capital Times last week about Scott Jensen's fall from grace -- and about an incident that came to be known -- in some very small circles -- as Pagegate:

In hindsight, the story of Jenni Cole-Opitz, who was a 19-year-old Capitol Assembly page in 1998 when it happened, is barely a blip in State Capitol history.

It may reveal a bit about the astonishing arrogance that permeated the State Capitol in the 1990s, an arrogance that culminated in the caucus scandal these years later.

Or maybe it's only a funny story, worth revisiting in the wake of Jensen's sentencing ...

It started on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998, when the Badger Herald student newspaper on the UW-Madison campus published a story about students working in the State Capitol.

Cole-Opitz was quoted in the Herald about having once been dispatched to purchase a can of Coca-Cola for Jensen. Jensen, staffers knew, preferred to drink Pepsi in the morning and Coke in the afternoon.

That is weird in itself and perhaps something for Jensen to take up with a prison psychologist.

In any case, on that fateful afternoon, the Capitol Coke machine was empty. Cole-Opitz reported back to Jensen's staff with the news. The staff digested it and conferred about what to do. It was decided that Cole-Opitz should go across the Capitol Square to Walgreens to get Jensen a Coke.

Cole-Opitz was stunned. She told the Badger Herald: "I was just standing there in awe," she said. "He's the speaker of the (Assembly), not Jesus Christ."

By Thursday afternoon, the Herald story had made its way to the top of State Street, and the Assembly sergeant-at-arms, Denise Solie - supervisor of the pages - promptly fired Cole-Opitz.

The story held until Friday, when Democrats in the Capitol got wind of it and began calling reporters.

I took a few of those calls, and managed to contact Cole-Opitz by telephone Friday afternoon.

She sounded shaken. She told me her quote in the Herald was accurate. But she added, "I am partly responsible for this. I probably shouldn't have said that to a reporter. But it was my first dealing ever with the press."

I also spoke that day with Solie, who said there had been no pressure on her from Jensen to fire Cole-Opitz. Rather, Solie said, she had called Jensen after the firing.

"I told him what I had done," Solie said. "People who work for me run errands." Solie said there was a handbook for pages which stresses that discourtesy to legislators is cause for discipline.

My column ran Saturday, two days after the Herald story and Solie's firing of Cole-Opitz.

Sunday morning, I called Cole-Opitz at home on campus. It was 10:45 and her roommate had to wake her up, perhaps indicating that the events of the past few days weren't weighing too heavily upon her. When we spoke, though, she said there had been developments.

"I've had to hire a press secretary," she said.

"What?"

"It has been crazy around here," Cole-Opitz said. She said the "press secretary" was named Tim Provis. "Would you mind calling him?"

Provis turned out to be a lawyer. "There's no question Jenni has a lawsuit," Provis said of the firing. "But she doesn't want to sue anyone and at this point neither do I. Her job is a $6 an hour part-time job. But we're not ruling it out. We'll see what happens when Speaker Jensen gets back."

Jensen was in Arizona, perhaps visiting a soft drink bottling plant. He returned the following Tuesday.

That day, after talking to Jensen, Solie rehired Cole-Opitz. All sides apologized. A group hug seemed not out of the question.

And that was pretty much the end of "Pagegate," as the episode was called.

What Moe didn't know: The Badger Herald reporter who wrote the original story that led to Pagegate was Jessica Erickson, now the communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Eight years later, she's still writing things that give Republicans heartburn.

The multi-tasking Scott Walker

I don't know how Scott Walker does it.

Just this year he's been running for governor, fixing the county's finances, riding his Harley, and now, apparently, he has a new CD out, too. The NY Times says:

Mr. Walker croons grim, cryptic tidings: visions of death, mutilation, sorrow and destruction. "Jesse," which he has described as his song about 9/11, is also about Elvis Presley's stillborn twin; it starts with a barely recognizable hint of "Jailhouse Rock" and ends with Mr. Walker singing, completely unaccompanied, "I'm the only one left alive."

It sounds like it could be about the governor's race, except for the line about "the only one left alive."

Green's meaningless tax 'pledge'

“I’ll make this pledge to all of you. Elect me as your Governor and Wisconsin’s tax burden will improve or I won’t run for re-election. I’ll keep my promise…or step aside for someone who will.” -- Rep. Mark Green.

That pledge, a keystone in Green's campaign for governor, sounds simple and straightforward. If you elect me and the state's tax situation doesn't improve, I won't run again.

The devil, as usual, is in the details. J.R. Ross of WisPolitics asked Green's campaign how he'd measure success, so he'd know whether he could run again or had to step down:

Green hasn't picked a method to make clear whether he lives up to his promise, campaign manager Mark Graul said. But he added voters will be smart enough to know whether their tax burden has gone down with Green in office.

"Give the taxpayers credit," Graul said.

Still, politicians have been known to find lots of ways to point out successes when it comes to Wisconsin's taxes.

According to the Tax Foundation, Wisconsin's state and local tax burden was fourth in the country when Dem Gov. Jim Doyle took office. The state dropped to No. 7 this year.

"It's not about our ranking. It's about our tax burden," Graul said.

What does that mean? Unless Wisconsin taxpayers are paying less in taxes in 2010, Green won't run again? Less minus inflation? Some other measurement?

It sounds like Green would run again and leave it up to the voters to decide whether he had kept his promise. But his promise is not to run again if the tax burden hasn't improved. How will he know? Take a poll and see what the voters think?

It sounds very much like a case of caveat voters -- let the voters beware of a candidate making glib promises.

That's especially true when the candidate has a record of breaking campaign promises in the past.

Green jumped on the term-limit bandwagon in 1998, when he first ran for Congress, and promised to serve only three terms. Like many other Republicans who got elected on that platform, he broke his word when the time came and ran for a fourth term.

In the unlikely event Green were to be elected in November, his 2010 re-election campaign would start the next day, and that "tax pledge" would be just one more forgotten campaign promise. That's a prediction you can take to the bank.

Off to a bad start

Ex-weatherman Jim Ott is now an Assembly candidate, and as a political novice starts his campaign with a rookie mistake: No disclaimer on his website, as required by state law.

More errors predicted in the long-range campaign forecast.

Oops

It's not like I've never left the "l" out of public when I've typed something, but this one caught my eye:

Correction: DNA Conviction story
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) -- In a May 20 story about a conviction for a 2001 rape, The Associated Press erroneously referred to the perpetrator in one passage. It should be rapist, not racist....

Reporter infiltrates NRA by joining

How to infiltrate the NRA convention: Buy a membership.

A Racine reporter was admitted only with an escort, because he was "a security risk." Scott Anderson reports:

I asked why, armed with a pencil, an NRA-supplied reporter’s notebook, an NRA program and a camera slung over my shoulders to the small of my back, why I would be a security risk in a room filled with guns and large men who know how to use them.

But a Madison reporter, Susan Lampert Smith, easily got through security. Of course, she is now a proud -- or maybe bemused -- member of the NRA, which allowed her access to acres of guns and exhibits. Quite a risk they took, letting her wander around unescorted. Luckily for the NRA, she's peace-loving.

Not a brilliant move

Dennis York reported a few weeks ago that GOP gov candidate Mark Green was the victim of a Wikipedia drive-by. Green's entry in the on-line, free flow encyclopedia was less than flattering, and York attributed that to some Democrats. (Personally, I think Scott Walker did it.)

Wikipedia tampering may be tempting for political staffers with too much time on their hands, but not worth it. Kari Chisholm at Politics and Technology reports:

A few months ago, a bunch of congressional staffers got busted trying to screw around with Wikipedia. And today, the campaign manager for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Cathy Cox - a guy unfortunately named Morton Brilliant - has been fired after getting caught altering the Wikipedia biography of her opponent, Mark Taylor.

A win-win situation

Setting it straight: Q&B is not representing the county in its lawsuit against Mercer. Q&B is the county's bond counsel, but also is defending Mercer against the county. The county corporation counsel believes that to be a conflict of interest, since as bond counsel Q&B is privy to a lot of county info that presumably could be used in Mercer's defense. Thanks to the commenter who pointed this out. That makes the headline less fitting, but I'm going to let it stand. -- Xoff.

This is what you call a win-win situation. Quarles and Brady is representing Milwaukee County in its lawsuit against its actuarial firm, Mercer, over the county's pension disaster.

Quarles is also representing Mercer against the county's malpractice claim, and says that's no problem or conflict. Go figure. The county corporation counsel thinks otherwise, and is trying to change it.

The Story Hill website has the story, along with another about the invasion of garlic mustard, the Weed That Ate the World. Wonder if Barry Levenson knows about this?

Tommy's in the eye of the beholder

To say that Tommy Thompson got mixed reviews at the state Republican convention hardly does it justice. He got praised and panned, both by conservative bloggers.

Kevin Binversie of Lakeshore Laments saw a Tommy who's proudly, if reluctantly, passing the torch:

During Green's speech, I took a few glances at Tommy on the stage behind him. His face was a mixture of pride and a coming realization that the torch had indeed been passed. The Dems say that Tommy isn't "behind" Green. No, I just believe like he's having a hard time letting go to the glory days.

That alone may be why he challenges Kohl.

The best analogy I can get into my head about what Thompson must be going through is knight who has served the land with dignity, honor, and style for years. He trained many of the new recruits that served beneath him on the court. After years of questing, he returns to his homeland (the Wisconsin GOP) seeing that his tales of glory are still told, songs are still sung to honor him, but one of his trusted squires has taken over rule of the land in his absence and the people are behind this squire turned knight.

Is the knight supposed to take these changes easily? Hardly, and that's what Tommy's done.

At exactly the same moment, Owen Robinson of Boots and Sabers was watching Tommy and coming to a very different conclusion:

Tommy. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. I oscillated between being furious and disgusted with Tommy. His speech was a long, rambling amalgamation of rhetoric from his glory days. He spent what seemed like an eternity just recounting his own biography. I thought this was disrespectful and selfish. This was Green's convention and he should have been telling us why Green would be a great governor - not why Tommy thinks he was a great governor. After the speech, he sat behind Green on the bleachers and behaved like an insolent child. He was slumped over with his head on his hand and his elbow on his knee. He kept fidgeting and looked like a little boy looking out of the classroom window on a sunny day with eyes and body language that shouted to the world that he wants to be anywhere except where he is. Tommy was supposed to do a joint press conference with Green after the speech, but Tommy blew it off to catch a flight. Tommy was a jerk to Green and a jerk to the Republicans who have supported him for decades. I have very little use for Tommy.

Robinson's wife, Wendy, did a lighter, much more amusing report on the convo, and had this to say:

The lowlight for me was Tommy Thompson. Watching him speak was like watching a televangelist. Holy crap. It's like people go into a trance when he walks into a room. I was seriously waiting for Tommy to suggest people close their eyes and accept Tommy as their own personal savior (or whatever it is those wackjobs say). Good grief. And good riddance.

Wendy should write more often.

Is business causing 'bad business climate?'

This report of a public forum that Mayors Tom Barrett of Milwaukee and Dave Cieslewicz of Madison held last week comes from Dave Zweifel at the Cap Times:

The only testy part of the evening occurred when panelist James Haney, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, commented that the city councils of both cities were typically anti-business. Business, after all, provides the jobs and economic advancements, not government, Haney said.

He mentioned that just a few blocks away the Madison City Council was debating requiring employers to provide sick leave to their workers, which he claimed would harm Madison's small businesses.

That rankled Cieslewicz, even though the Madison mayor hasn't supported the sick leave plan. [It failed to pass the City Council by a single vote. -- Xoff.]

Madison's "little" sick leave plan presents far less danger to Wisconsin's economy than the legislative attacks on one of the state's biggest economic engines, the University of Wisconsin, he retorted.

"If business in this state can't defend the UW, then what right has it to pick on little old Madison?" he asked.

One of my e-mail corrrespondents notes:

It's one of the great mysteries of life that the state Chamber of Commerce (and its local counterparts) spend so much time running down the community (high taxes, closed for business, etc.)

I always thought their purpose was to promote and sell the state. Their constant nay-saying is probably more harmful to the state's business climate than anything Mayor Dave, Mayor Tom or the governor could ever do.

A point well-taken, but based on a false premise that many of us probably have. The Chamber of Commerce (which is what WMC is), sounds like a group that should be promoting its city and state. That's how it used to work, at least with local Chambers.

But WMC seems to exist to serve only its members, who already are doing business in Wisconsin, by trying to eliminate all taxes and regulation. ("All" might be an overstatement, but not by much.) WMC is all about its members, not the public interest.

In incessantly complaining about the "business climate" for its own members, WMC helps create the bad climate that could discourage new businesses from coming to Wisconsin. If you were visiting the state and happened to hear WMC's radio commercials, complaining about how bad things are, you'd get out of town fast.

If you visit WMC's website, you'll find that the group has no interest in promoting the state, and doesn't claim that as even a tiny bit of its role. Click the "Why join WMC" link and you'll find:

Member Benefits

Who fights for your right to run a profitable business? Who lobbies for lower taxes and fewer government mandates? Who is the largest, most effective business group in the state?

...WMC, without a doubt.

Our government relations team (8 registered lobbyists) kicks into gear whenever the legislature is in session—testifying at hearings, and meeting with legislators and state agency staff for our members.

What does WMC do besides lobby?

We’ll help you understand the latest human resource law.

We’ll tell you what the EPA/DNR is proposing that may cost your business money.

We’ll tell you which taxes are proposed to be cut…or worse yet, raised.

With our on-staff attorneys and other expert staff to answer your questions—from OSHA to Ozone, from taxes to tort reform, WMC can help. We not only work FOR you, we work WITH you!

That couldn't be clearer. No boosterism here. This is a special interest group through and through, although the right wing (or even the news media) fails to identify them as such when complaining about lobbying and influence by the special interests -- despite the fact that WMC spent $996,000 -- more than any other Wisconsin organization -- on lobbying in 2005. It lobbied on scores of bills, and it wasn't exactly the greater good that determined WMC's agenda. It was more like the greater greed.

You won't mistake WMC for the Greater Milwaukee Committee, an organization of CEOs which actually tries to improve the community, and not just for its members. The GMC website says:

The Greater Milwaukee Committee is committed to keeping Southeastern Wisconsin the best community to live, learn, work, and play.

Our membership - comprised of our region's business, labor, academic, philanthropic, nonprofit and civic leadership - believes that intelligent, active interest in public affairs is the true measure of citizenship, and the foundation for community.

Quite a contrast.

The MMAC, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce, falls somewhere in between, mixing a conservative political agenda with programs to improve education, health care, and the area's quality of life, instead of just griping about them all of the time. You might disagree with some of their solutions, like school choice, but at least MMAC is trying to be a force for positive change in the community. It says:

Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is a 143-year-old private, not-for-profit organization representing 2,000 member businesses in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties. Driven by the needs and aspirations of our members, we are committed to bringing resources and solutions as a community partner to increase the economic vitality of the metro Milwaukee community. The organization's programs and resources center around three core competencies designed to meet our members' investment objectives: networking, public policy and economic development.

So if you're rounding up a delegation of business people to try to talk up Wisconsin and attract more business, you might to well to steer clear of WMC. And if you're looking for someone to help defend and improve the university system -- which, theoretically, should be good for business -- don't even ask.

UPDATE: Lisa Subeck gives Madison's Chamber the once-over. Conclusion: "This isn't my grandfather's Chamber of Commerce."

Here's to the losers on ethics reform

State Rep. Mark Pocan reviews winners and losers in the battle over ethics reform in Wisconsin. You can read about the winners here. The losers are always more fun:

Losers

The Public - The “business-as-usual” approach of legislative Republicans means no real reform will be in sight in 2006, with a strong likelihood that the practices by legislative leaders that occurred under Scott Jensen will continue by the GOP in the Wisconsin legislature. Once again, the GOP chooses the special interests over the public.

Assembly Republicans - A whole lot of Republican incumbents are going to have to explain why they killed ethics reform at the same time their legislative leadership was being sentenced to jail and prison. My guess is that at least a half a dozen GOP legislators lose this fall just on reform, largely due to their lack of passing a real reform bill. Good riddance.

And, the five GOP members that did vote with Democrats to allow SB-1 up for a vote may have a hard time too. How is it that they voted against letting the bill come to a vote in closed caucus, then voted for debate on the floor, then voted THREE times against the bill as it was amended to other “ethics” bills? Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, go find another job.

Speaker John Gard - One of the final acts of Gard’s tenure as speaker was to kill ethics reform. No wonder he’s getting his behind kicked by one of his Democrat opponents. Advice to Gard: You might want to see if there’s a Wal-Mart near Peshtigo hiring next January.

Won't this get the warhawks wound up?

George Hesselberg in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Exactly a year after the Wisconsin Green Party announced it would sponsor a campaign that ultimately resulted in 24 successful anti-war advisory referendums across the state, the effort continues.

Voters in at least two communities - and as many as 20 - may join those in Ozaukee County and the city of Milwaukee this November in giving their opinions on U.S. military activities, according to organizers of this spring's referendum campaign...

The Racine Coalition for Peace & Justice started its petition drive May 5 at a popular community pancake breakfast, gathering more than 800 of the 3,105 signatures necessary to get their question on that city's November ballot. In Fond du Lac, organizers are hoping to get their petition drive started soon.

As long as we'll already be at the polls to vote down the death penalty and the ban on gay marriages and domestic partnerships, why not go for the trifecta and vote to end the war, too?

I happen to think the right wing and Republican Party (they are not synonymous, but almost) outsmarted themselves with the anti-gay and pro-death penalty referenda. They may have just the opposite effect of what they intended and bring the golden coalition --liberals, progressives,lefties, moonbats, socialists,anarchists, Democrats, Greens, and mainstream churchgoers -- out of the woodwork to vote these down. All the more reason for Mark Green and his cohorts to keep working to make it as hard as possible to register and vote.

Bush guests on TV Funhouse

The audio was real, but I have a feeling the video wasn't in the Saturday Night Live show.

Judge for yourself.

Hat tip: AMERICAblog.

-- Mike Thompson, Detroit Free Press, via Cagle.

Timing is everything

JS Daywatch reports:

Green receives GOP's endorsement

Appleton - With a flurry of balloons and confetti floating down and a hearty slap on the back from former Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, U.S. Rep. Mark Green this afternoon received the state Republican party's endorsement for governor in this fall's election.

Lucky for Green the vote wasn't last Saturday.

Quote, unquote

"Am up here at the Republican Convention. I don't belong to a political party but am here with family."-- Jessica McBride, on her blog.

Questions: Will she accuse me of sexism if I note that one member of her family is a candidate for the GOP nomination for attorney general? (I bet yes.) Doesn't the GOP offer a deal on family memberships? Is she pretending to be an independent?

Does Wisconsin GOP deliver?

While some right-wing bloggers literally give a minute-by-minute report on the state Republican convention in Appleton, (8:47 -- No news, yet. 8:48 -- Still none.) The Recess Supervisor asks Repubs:

What has the Republican Party of Wisconsin done for you lately? Like in the last 20 years? What has it accomplished? Who has it elected?

As a Democrat who often asks the same question about the DPW, I found it encouraging. Maybe it's not just us.

Out of the park, into the bubble

From RAW, the online magazine of the Sierra Club:

By Eric Antebi, RAW Contributor

"You can observe a lot just by watching." - Yogi Berra.

Last year, ex-ballplayer Jose Canseco blew the lid off steroids in major league baseball with his tell-all book: Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. In his book, Canseco claims that George W. Bush "had to know" about steroid use among his players when he was owner of the Texas Rangers in the early 1990s.

Someday, someone should write a tell-all book about the current administration claiming that George W. Bush "had to know" about global warming when he was President. That book could be called Slick: Wild Lies, Bad Science, Blind Devotion and How Big Oil Got Big Influence.

With every passing day, the lack of leadership from the administration on global warming becomes more astounding. Scientists regularly report new evidence that the planet is going through heating pains -- not that our Bubble-Boy-in-Chief would notice. He proudly boasts that he doesn't read or watch the news. He's hand-fed the information he needs, and that's just the way he likes it.

The one way that outside information might slip into the Oval Office, however, is through the sports page. Bush may not know the price of a gallon of organic milk, but he probably does know who is up and who is down in the majors. He's probably found time on Air Force One to catch a game or two. He knows that the Yankees and Red Sox are neck and neck in their division, and that his Rangers are in the hunt to sign pitching great Roger Clemens. He might also have noticed that hitters recently experienced an offensive surge, hitting an unprecedented number of home runs in April.

Alan Schwartz at the New York Times Sports Desk has an explanation for why the balls are flying out of the park with such abandon. Turns out it's the heat: "According to the National Climatic Data Center, this was the United States' warmest April -- reaching an average of 56.5 degrees Fahrenheit -- since records began being kept in 1895," explains Schwartz. In other words, the players aren't juiced, the planet is.

He goes on to explain how balls move easier and carry farther when the air is hot and humid. The historic record is particularly revealing: "Hot and cool Aprils tended to correlate with high and low offense." Regardless of his falling poll numbers, George Bush is still the President. And the planet cannot afford to have the top brass in the United States continue to be AWOL on an issue as important as global warming. If Bush's own climate scientists can't convince him, maybe the sports page can.

'Dump Doyle' says NRA -- for 5th time

"Dump Doyle" is the rallying cry of the National Rifle Assn. convention in Milwaukee this weekend, the local daily reports.

This isn't exactly a new development.

The NRA has had Jim Doyle "in its sights," as reporters like to write, since the first time he ran for attorney general in 1990.

As a district attorney, AG, and governor, Doyle has made no bones about where he stands on gun issues. And he's beaten the NRA four straight times in statewide races.

That's because the majority of the people of Wisconsin agree with Doyle that we need fewer guns on our streets, not more; that sensible measures like requiring a background check for handgun buyers are not unreasonable or violations of anyone's constitutional rights; that no one needs an assault weapon in their home.

While many public officials do their best not to agitate the NRA, Doyle has never backed down. He's run television commercials in his AG races about the need for handgun control and background checks. And he's never lost an election.

If the NRA and its Wisconsin members think that making guns an issue is going to beat Doyle in November, let's hope they make it the biggest issue in the race. It is guaranteed to blow up in their faces.

UPDATE: They say Dump Zien.

NRA by the numbers

While the daily newspaper falls all over itself to be "fair" and welcoming to the National Rifle Association convention in Milwaukee, even offering President Wayne LaPierre an op ed column, the Shepherd Express greets NRA attendees with a cover story asking whether the NRA really represents gun owners.

It ends with a few statistics:

NRA by the Numbers

4,000,000: Approximate number of current NRA members
32%: Approximate percentage of NRA members eligible to vote for the board
3.2%: Approximate percentage of NRA members who actually vote
68%: Percentage of Americans who support extending the federal assault weapons ban
57%: Percentage of gun owners who support the ban
32%: Percentage of NRA members who support the ban
$3,140,346: Amount of NRA’s disclosed campaign spending in 2000
$20,000,000: Estimated amount of NRA’s undisclosed campaign spending on issues ads, etc., in 2000
12%: Percent of the NRA’s annual budget spent on the 2000 elections
$892,166: Minimum amount earned through salary and benefits by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre in 2005.
$35: Annual membership fee to join the NRA
25,490: The number of members it takes just to pay LaPierre’s 2005 earnings.

We don't need no stinkin' training

Why would anyone think Wisconsin lawmakers could benefit from a little training about ethics?

Speaker John Gard sees no problem. Either does Roth Judd of the State Ethics Board, a toothless watchdog if there ever was one.

State Rep. Mark Pocan thinks Gard's insistence, and Judd's agreement, that legislators are exempt from a new law requiring ethics training -- in a word -- stinks. He's right.

County broke? Tourism down? Never fear; Scott Walker, on his Harley, to the rescue

Tourism spending in the doldrums?

Milwaukee County government facing insolvency?

Never fear. County Executive Scott Walker is here to save the day.

Monday, Walker rides to the rescue with a five-day, taxpayer-financed motorcycle ride across Wisconsin to invite more people to visit Milwaukee. He'll hit 23 cities during his outing, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Last year, you may recall, Walker got a lot of heat for using taxpayer money to pay for what looked very much like a gimmick to get him some media exposure and name recognition while he was running for governor. He's not running any more -- his campaign cratered in late March -- so that shouldn't be an issue this time, he says.

There was also the matter of $19,000 worth of free tickets to events and attractions, which Walker handed out to reporters as well as some businesses and individuals along the way, raising some interesting ethical questions. No mention of whether he's doing that again.

Walker told the newspaper "the total cost to county taxpayers for the promotional gig will be about $3,000, which will include his $700 Harley rental fee."

That $3,000 is no doubt the actual outlay of cash for motels, gas, meals, and incidentals. But it clearly does not include county staff time spent planning the trip or the salaries of several county staffers joining Walker on his joyride. Not a bad way to spend a week, seeing Wisconsin on a Harley while drawing your county salary.

Given the county's serious financial crisis, you have to wonder whether this is the best use of county staff time and money.

Walker says Dan Vrakas, new Waukesha County exec, will ride with him for at least one day. Bet the tight-fisted folks in his county will expect Vrakas to do it on his own time, at his own expense.

As NRA meets, a call to end gun violence

Not interested in the acres of gun exhibits at the NRA convention? Looking for an outside activity on Saturday, when 70-degree weather is forecast? While the NRA worships the Second Amendment, others will use the First Amendment to speak out on gun violence.

Dennis Shook reports

Milwaukeean Debra Fifer spent Mother's Day thinking about her son (who was shot nearly three years ago) and talking about ways to push for stricter gun control laws this weekend when the nationwide National Rifle Association convention comes to Milwaukee.

Fifer plans to hold a "Freedom From Gun Violence" rally at noon Saturday at Pere Marquette Park near downtown, about a mile away from where the Midwest Airlines Center where an anticipated 50,000 NRA members will be meeting. Fifer's son, Kirk Bickham, Jr., was shot with two other companions on Sept. 24, 2003 outside Elvin's Ice House on Port Washington Road. Story.

She said several organizations were working with her on "14 Days to End Gun Violence," which she hopes NRA members take to heart.

After her son's death, Fifer organized "Mothers Against Gun Violence" in an effort to bring like-minded people together. She said, "I am not against people owning guns legally."

But she wants more focus and effort on preventing people who shouldn't be allowed to own guns from somehow getting them anyway. To that end, she has been pushing for a piece of legislation -Senate Bill 148 - that would have required more extensive background checks.

"A lot of NRA members are supportive of this," she said of the bill. "My son was shot by a felon with a gun."

Fifer said the bill failed this session but she will continue to push for it.

Fifer said there is a "gray market" for guns because the original legal owners of guns are allowed to sell them without any record. She said that is how many criminals are able to get weapons in Milwaukee, a city which has seen a dramatic upswing in homicides in recent years.

Fifer said groups such as Peace Action of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort will also be participating in the Saturday rally.

Kill people, not animals: Mark Green

Rep. Mark Green, taking a day off from campaigning to show up in Congress, is fighting for Wisconsin again.

This time it's a bill to outlaw cockfighting, WisPolitics reports.

WASHINGTON – Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay) to help crack down on illegal animal fighting took center stage at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. Green said the hearing marked a significant step forward for his “Animal Fighting Prohibition Act,” which would create felony-level penalties for criminals who transport animals or cockfighting paraphernalia across state lines.

“Deliberately training two animals to kill each other is sadistic and wrong,” Green said.

On the other hand, deliberately training people to kill each other and then sending them into a combat zone is no problem, said Green, who leads the Victory in Iraq caucus in the House and is one of the biggest cheerleaders for the war, which has claimed at least 35,000 military and civilian lives. Casualty count.

--John Cole, Scranton, Pa. Times, via Cagle.

Strange bedfellows: F. Jim, Moby, R.E.M.

Net neutrality may not be on most people's radar screens, but it is a hot issue among Internet users and provider, and folks like Save the Internet Coalition, who can explain better than I can what it's all about and what's at stake.

Here's the latest, from Consumer Affairs:

Net Neutrality Attracts Surprising Allies
Supporters Include Sensenbrenner, R.E.M., Moby, Christian Coalition

Until recently, the phrase "stands up for the little guy" wasn't one you would readily append to Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.

Sensenbrenner is perhaps best known for refusing to hold hearings on granting bankruptcy relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. More recently, he authored a House bill that would have criminalized all illegal immigrants and those that give them aid.

But when it comes to the issue of net neutrality, Sensenbrenner is on the side of the underdog.

After failing to get new updates to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 referred to his committee in order to add provisions defending net neutrality, sources on Capitol Hill say the committee chairman is preparing his own legislation that addresses the issue of Internet service providers blocking content or making consumers pay extra fees...

The moves by the Judiciary Committee have slowed the pace of the new telecom legislation, authored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), a staunch ally of the Bell telephone companies, from reaching the House floor. With the House soon to recess due to the Memorial Day holiday, hearings on the bill may be delayed until June...

Sensenbrenner isn't the only unexpected ally to join the coalition of interest groups, academics, bloggers, and celebrities who are supporting net neutrality.

The Christian Coalition recently announced that it was joining the "Save The Internet" campaign to "prevent the large phone and cable companies from discriminating against Web sites."

Christian Coalition president Roberta Combs said that the ability of telecom and cable companies to block Internet content would harm the Coalition's pro-life agenda.

"What if a cable company with a pro-choice Board of Directors decides that it doesn't like a pro-life organization using its high-speed network to encourage pro-life activities? Under the new rules, they could slow down the pro-life web site, harming their ability to communicate with other pro-lifers — and it would be legal," she said.

Rockers R.E.M and Moby are also supporting the "Save The Internet" campaign, which has collected nearly 700,000 petition signatures to support keeping Internet content free and unfettered.

No amnesty in Black Jack

From Truthdig:

Missouri Town May Evict Unwed Couples With Kids

Current law in Black Jack, Mo., prohibits more than three people from living together unless they are related by “blood, marriage or adoption.” The City Council rejected amending that law to include unmarried couples with children.

We’re speechless.

AP:

BLACK JACK, Missouri - The city council has rejected a measure allowing unmarried couples with multiple children to live together, and the mayor said those who fall into that category could soon face eviction.

Olivia Shelltrack and Fondrey Loving were denied an occupancy permit after moving into a home in this St. Louis suburb because they have three children and are not married.

The town’s planning and zoning commission proposed a change in the law, but the measure was rejected Tuesday by the city council in a 5-3 vote.

If Jim Sensenbrenner were mayor, kids born in Black Jack would be able to stay but their parents would be deported.

Mitt Romney cancels GOP talk here

Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney has canceled his planned speech to the Wisconsin state Republican convention this weekend, the Appleton Post-Crescent reports.

Romney blamed it on flooding in his home state, but the presidential candidate actually decided it wasn't worth the trip if Tommy Thompson was going to hog all of the media coverage.

Feingold v. Specter on gay marriage

AP reports:

WASHINGTON - A Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage Thursday, after a shouting match that ended when one Democrat strode out and the Republican chairman bid him "good riddance."

"I don't need to be lectured by you. You are no more a protector of the Constitution than am I," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., shouted after Sen. Russ Feingold declared his opposition to the amendment, his affinity for the Constitution and his intention to leave the meeting.

"If you want to leave, good riddance," Specter finished.

"I've enjoyed your lecture, too, Mr. Chairman," replied Feingold, D-Wis., who is considering a run for president in 2008. "See ya."

Feingold statement afterward, via Think Progress:

“Today’s markup of the constitutional amendment concerning marriage, in a small room off the Senate floor with only a handful of people other than Senators and their staffs present, was an affront to the Constitution. I objected to its consideration in such an inappropriate setting and refused to help make a quorum.”

Leibham likes both Great Lakes

State Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, is an election-year environmentalist, Carrie Lynch says.

But didn't there used to be five Great Lakes?

Leibham only acknowledges two.

Catching up with the news

This story in Thursday's Journal Sentinel had a familiar ring. Hadn't I heard it somewhere before?

George's wife, mother settle with government
A deal announced Wednesday and cut by members of former state Sen. Gary R. George's family allows the federal government to keep $90,000 from a frozen bank account.

"Announced Wednesday" perhaps, but published here on Monday.

Quote, unquote

"What [President Bush] is proposing is amnesty." -- Rep. F. Jim Sensenbrenner.

Under the president's plan, you have to pay stiff fines, follow the law, stay employed, learn English, and after achieving all those things, you still go to the back of the line. That’s not amnesty.” -- White House spokesman Alex Conant.

“Call it amnesty. Call it a banana if you want to. But the fact is it is earned citizenship. It is a perversion of the word amnesty.” -- Sen. John McCain.

Story.

Offensive but true: Green wants to suppress vote

Rep. Mark Green finds it "offensive" that someone has suggested he is trying to suppress the vote in Wisconsin's fall elections in order to help his own chances of being elected governor.

It's offensive, all right. But it's what Green's doing that's offensive, not the fact that someone has called him on it.

What's at stake is whether people who don't bring their drivers license to the polls will be allowed to register on Election Day.

The State Elections Board agreed Wednesday to allow people to provide the last four digits of their Social Security numbers in lieu of their driver's license numbers, if they have a license but don't have it in their possession. The JS reports:

The move reverses the board's January decision that said people registering to vote on the day of an election must show their licenses or provide the license numbers. Under the rule, if people were issued a license but forgot to bring it, they would not have been allowed to vote until they showed it or provided the numbers.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin immediately decried the change, saying it thwarts attempts to stop voter fraud. The GOP also said the change flies in the face of a federal law requiring registrants to give driver's license numbers.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires people who register at polling places to provide their driver's license numbers. If a registrant has no current or valid operator's license, the law allows for the person to use the last four digits of his or her Social Security number.

So it's fine, if you don't have a driver's license, to use your SS number. But if you have a license and left it at home you have to go back and get it -- or you're supposed to remember your driver's license number? Back to the story:

Michael Maistelman, an attorney for the Democratic Party, contended that the federal law contains a provision that allows the state to determine the type of information those registering to vote should provide.

State law, he said, allows either the driver's license numbers or the last four digits of the Social Security number. More than a dozen other states, including Minnesota and New Hampshire, have the same practice, Maistelman said...

Before the vote, Maistelman said: "The reason Mark Green is doing this is for obvious reasons. Why does Mark Green want to require people if they don't have their driver's license number to go home and get it?"

Interrupted [board member John] Savage, "It's because he wants an honest election."

"Obviously Mark Green realizes that this could hurt his chances running for governor. So he wants to put forward some type of institutional voter suppression, I believe," Maistelman responded.

Maistelman said Green wanted to "suppress certain parts of the voting segment, students, elderly, central city people, people that are more transient, that might not have a driver's license on them at the time" and who typically don't vote Republican.

Green said the Democrat's accusations that he was trying to suppress the vote to improve his chances of winning in November were "offensive."

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is "desperate to block this law, and I think that is shameful," Green said. "They will do anything to avoid the issue of ballot security. Everybody is entitled to vote, but to vote only once."

How people are going to vote more than once is not at all clear to me. By registering at more than one polling place? State law requires some proof of residency, even if you don't show a driver's license -- a utility bill, a lease, mail received at the address, etc. The double-voting argument is clearly bogus, as the much-publicized investigation of voting "fraud" in the 2004 election proved. People are not voting twice, and Mark Green knows they're not. He doesn't even want them to vote once.

Now Green and Rep. F. Jim Sensenbrenner have asked the federal Justice Dept. to step in. They will go to any length to try to keep the poor and elderly away from the polls in November. That's what's offensive.

Preparing for the NRA invasion

Thoughts while battening down the hatches in preparation for an invasion of Milwaukee, beginning today, by the people calling themselves Freedom's Second Army, the National Rifle Association:

-- Why do you suppose they call themselves the National Rifle Assn. instead of the National Gun Assn. or the National Handgun Assn. or the National Assault Rifle Assn.? It's all about marketing. Rifles seem like they have a lot more in common with the muskets the founding fathers were toting when they agreed on the Second Amendment -- which is now interpreted by the NRA to mean you have a constitutional right to bear any gun, anywhere, any time.

-- Some people are going to have to make a tough choice: Do I go to the Wisconsin Republican Party convention or the NRA, or can I work in both? There's no doubt plenty of overlap. Appropriately, the GOP has chosen Appleton, hometown of Joe McCarthy, for its sessions, while the NRA is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's murder capital and shooting gallery.

-- If they are Freedom's Second Army, and since they love to tote weapons, and there are millions of them, maybe the NRA could take over border security and free up the National Guard for the war in Iraq. Or vice versa.

-- The Gun Guys, the NRA's nemesis, wonder what the average salary of NRA members is, after revealing thet NRA President Wayne LaPierre pulls down a million dollars a year in salary and perks. The Gun Guys calculate that it takes the dues of 35,000 members just to pay him.

-- Be careful out there in Milwaukee this weekend. There are going to be tens of thousands of gun-lovers on the streets, and it's a safe bet that more than a few of them will have a gun handy, despite the fact that concealed weapons aren't legal in Wisconsin, one of just a couple of states that have held out, thanks to Gov. Jim Doyle's vetoes. So stay cool when you're driving, don't whip anyone the bird, and call everyone "Sir" or "Ma'am" if you're having a disagreement. Oh, and keep your children and pets off the streets.

"God Bless 'Em"

"When I see people like that I put my hand on their shoulder and say God Bless 'Em. And, um, I know some of these people. I know the people who are gonna be protesting. Some of these people are the same ones that are pro-homosexuality. They're anti-death penalty. They're anti-conservative causes. They want more tax increases. Some of these people fit the same mold all across as ultra-liberal."

State Sen. Dave Zien (R-Gun Nut) said that about people who may protest at the National Rifle Assn. convention, which opens Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Pat Kreitlow, Zien's opponent in November, wonders: Was he serious?

Is Falwell next at Clarke roll call?

You just can't please these law enforcement officers.

Milwaukee police are suing the city because they want to be paid for the time they spend putting their uniforms on and taking them off -- donning and doffing in their lawyer's terminology.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee sheriff's deputies are complaining that they are being paid to be proselytized.

Seems Sheriff David Clarke has invited a group called the Fellowship of Christian Centurians to speak to deputies during roll call. What's wrong with that? Aside from the waste of taxpayer time and money, there is the small issue of mixing church and state. Who's next, Jehovah's Witnesses? More likely Jerry Falwell, who's a better fit for Clarke's philosophy.

The Milwaukee Police Department, by the way, does not allow the group to attend roll calls.

How many more?

AP reports:

Soldier from Merrill killed by roadside bomb in Iraq

MERRILL, Wis. (AP) -- Pfc. Grant Allen Dampier wanted to do something special for his three young daughters - so he joined the U.S. Army.

"He joined so his kids would look up to him," his wife Heidi Dampier said Tuesday. "He wanted to be their hero."

The 25-year-old soldier from Merrill was one of two U.S. soldiers killed when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb Monday in Balad, Iraq, which is 50 miles north of Baghdad. Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., 29, of Baltimore, Md. also was killed, according to the Pentagon.

Both were members of the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, based in Fort Carson, Colo.

Dampier was deployed in December and was expected to return home in September, said his sister, Rae Ann Dampier, 22.

His wife said before his first daughter, Alexis, was born five years ago, the former wrestler from Merrill High School mostly hung out with his friends.

After his second daughter, Starr, was born a year later, nothing brought her husband more joy than taking the girls fishing on the Wisconsin River, she said. And after his daughter Kylee was born last year, he decided to join the Army, she said.

"He really loved his kids," Heidi Dampier said.

"Right now they know that they're not going to see him but I don't think they know yet for how long," she said,

Grant Dampier was born in Wisconsin Rapids, where he wrestled in grade school, and came to Merrill when his family moved as he was beginning high school, his wife said.

Before the Army, Grant Dampier worked for Marathon Electric in Wausau and enjoyed the Green Bay Packers, hip-hop music and the Crandon Brush Run off-road truck races in Forest County.

He also took an interest in his wife's 7-year-old cousin, Justin Peterson, and treated the boy like a son, she said.

"He would take him places and they would play video games and wrestle and do all the boy stuff," she said.

Dampier is the third confirmed fatality among Wisconsin service members in Iraq this month and the 55th since the war began.

On May 5, Nathan J. Vacho, 29, a sergeant with the U.S. Army Reserve from Ladysmith, was killed in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Humvee he was in.

On Thursday, Eric D. Clark, 22, an Army specialist from Pleasant Prairie, was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

Casualty count.

Getting politicians out of the clinic

(Click on photo to enlarge)

What are all of these politicians doing in the clinic with this patient?

Isn't that a good question?

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin has launched a campaign to get politicians out of the clinics -- and out of women's bedrooms.

A television spot in Madison, an online ad on the Journal Sentinel website, and some direct mail is all part of the initial push. There's probably a lot more to come.

The purpose is twofold: To alert people to the very real threat posed by the extremists who want to limit women's access to reproductive health services and even to birth control, and to remind them that Gov. Jim Doyle is the one who has been the last line of defense against some of the loony legislation passed by the Republican-dominated legislature.

Watch the ad here. To learn more and support the program, go to PPAW's website.

'Covering' story from afar misses bad reaction to Green DNR plan

Candidate Mark Green got the story he wanted when he dragged out a tired old proposal to divide the state's Dept. of Natural Resources, the agency the right wing loves to hate.

But coverage neglected an important part of the story -- the chilly reception Green's idea got from the state's Conservation Congress, where he unveiled it.

DNR stood for "Damned Near Russia," the old curmudgeons used to say, because the DNR wanted to enforce some hunting, fishing, or environmental laws. "It's getting so a guy can't build an outhouse in his own wetlands. This kind of do-gooder, tree-hugging, liberal nonsense has got to stop."

Green's proposal, to split the department in two, plays right into that sentiment.

It's an easy hit, a cheap shot. Green no doubt thought the Conservation Congress -- the "redshirts" who hunt, fish, and trap.

So Green unveiled his proposal at the group's annual convention in Green Bay, his hometown, which attracted several hundred delegates chosen at county meetings across the state.

The Journal Sentinel front page story and the AP story noted that Green announced his plan at the event.

But it would appear that not a single reporter was present. The stories were written from news releases. Even the Green Bay newspaper used a wire story.

A reporter who had attended would have known that although Green got a pretty warm reception during his speech, and received strong applause several times, things cooled off.

When he got to the proposal to split the DNR, "there was initially stunned silence, then scattered boos," one person who was there told me. "When he first was introduced about 50 individuals in the group out of 350 stood to applaud. At the end of his speech there were two individuals.

"It would be safe to say that his introduction of the DNR split put a pall on the
audience. He had a large number of sportsmen and women come up to him later in the hall to indicate that they disagreed with him."

I was struck, in reading the JS story, by this rationale for splitting the agency:

He said he would split the agency to create a Department of Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation and a Department of Environmental Quality. The former would oversee state parks, fisheries, wildlife and forestry. The latter would enforce environmental laws and manage air and water quality.

The split would insulate conservation programs from politics and ensure that conservation funds are not spent on other efforts, he said.

The environmental secretary would be named by the governor, but the head of the conservation agency would be appointed by the Natural Resources Board, Green said.

"I want the decisions to be based not on politics but on science and the views of the Conservation Congress," he said.

So Green doesn't want conservation decisions being influenced by politics. But he does want decisions on environmental enforcement to be based on politics, apparently. Green, whose Congressional district includes the state's biggest polluters -- the paper industry -- wouldn't mind having environmental laws subject to political influence.

Why not just propose giving the right to name the DNR secretary back to the DNR board? That worked well until the day that Tommy Thompson decided he wanted to be able to influence decisions on pollution enforcement, and got the legislature to give him the DNR secretary's job as a cabinet appointment.

Doyle supports giving it back to the board to de-politicize it, but has not pushed to change it back because the Republican-run State Senate has refused to confirm his appointments to the DNR board, leaving GOP-appointed members in control. Doyle, understandably, wants his own board to be able to choose the next secretary if the change is made. If he's re-elected, perhaps he will finally get that opportunity.

Then there was this paragraph:

Green noted that the DNR, which spends about $500 million a year, is frequently in the middle of heated public debates. The agency tried to block Milwaukee festivals from launching fireworks from the island across the Summerfest grounds, but reached a compromise on the issue last year.

Perhaps the newspaper might have noted, as the AP did, that "the island across the Summerfest grounds" has become a state park, and the DNR was trying to maintain public access to it. That's a different story altogether.

The JS did point out that Green's idea wasn't exactly revolutionary:

The proposal resurrects an idea that surfaces in Madison from time to time.

In 2001, Gard and then-Sen. Robert Welch (R-Redgranite) tried breaking up the department, but then-Gov. Scott McCallum, also a Republican, vetoed the measure.

The DNR was once two agencies, but Republican Gov. Warren Knowles consolidated them in 1968 in an effort to make government more efficient.

In 1995, the Legislature gave Republican Gov. Tommy G. Thompson the power to appoint the secretary of the DNR - a move that Thompson said would make the DNR more responsive. Others said it made the agency more partisan.

Former DNR Secretary George Meyer applauded the idea of returning to the board the authority to hire and fire the DNR secretary.

In part to appease business interests, McCallum replaced Meyer, saying he wanted to have his own secretary running the agency.

To appease business interests? And Green wants to keep the environmental part of the agency political? Need I say more?

Molly Ivins: Politics or lunacy?

Politics, or insanity?
Plan to militarize Mexican border is sheer madness or blatant pandering

AUSTIN, Texas -- I hate to raise such an ugly possibility, but have you considered lunacy as an explanation? Craziness would make a certain amount of sense. I mean, you announce you are going to militarize the Mexican border, but you assure the president of Mexico you are not militarizing the border. You announce you are sending the National Guard, but then you assure everyone it's not very many soldiers and just for a little while.

Militarizing the border is a totally terrible idea. Do we have a State Department? Are they sentient? How much do you want to infuriate Mexico when it's sitting on quite a bit of oil? Bush knows what the most likely outcome of this move will be. He was governor during the political firestorm that ensued when a Marine taking part in anti-drug patrols on the border shot and killed Esequiel Hernandez, an innocent goat-herder from Redford, Texas. That's the definition of crazy -- repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

I suppose politics could explain it, too. It's quite possible that lunacy and politics are closely related. It's still damned hard cheese for the Guard, though. The Guard is heavily deployed in Iraq, currently 20 percent of those serving, down from 40 percent last year. Some soldiers are sent back for multiple tours. Lt. Gen. James Helmly, head of the Army Reserve, said the Reserve is rapidly degenerating into "a broken force" and is "in grave danger of being unable to meet other operational requirements." Happy hurricane season to you, too. The Guard is also short on equipment and falling short on recruiting goals.

But right-wingers are very unhappy with Bush right now, and this is a strong, red-meat gesture that will make them happy, even if it does nothing to shut down the border. You want to shut down illegal immigration? You want to use the military as police? Make it illegal hire undocumented workers and put the National Guard into enforcing that. Then rewrite NAFTA and invest in Mexico.

Read it all.

IN GARD'S CASE, IT'S CLEARLY LUNACY. John Gard, the Speaker who would be Congressman, goes off the deep end, with statements like:

"Because there has been so much talk about amnesty and guest worker proposals, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people trying to cross the border. This must stop immediately."

I was going to do a parody, but it's hard to top what he's already written. Can't wait for his "plan," due out soon.

Vote 'yes' or we'll kill you

JS Daywatch:

TUESDAY, May 16, 2006, 5:21 p.m.
By Stacy Forster

Death penalty referendum sent to voters
Madison - Voters in the November election will be asked whether the state should reinstate the death penalty, following a vote today by the state Senate.

The Senate voted 18-15 to agree with changes made by the Assembly this month and send the issue to voters in November, rather than the September primary as called for in an earlier version of the measure.

The advisory referendum will be found amid Wisconsin voters' choices for governor, attorney general and other top state officials, as well as a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and substantially similar relationships, such as civil unions.

The death penalty vote will also play out at the same time as the trial of Steven Avery, scheduled to begin Oct. 16. In 2003, Avery was released from prison after being wrongfully convicted of a sexual assault, but he has since been charged in the death of Teresa Halbach.

Those who backed the resolution said it was important to allow voters a chance to weigh in on an important issue at a time when there is likely to be the greatest turnout, but opponents dismissed the resolution as a political ploy.

The question, which won't be binding, will read: Should the death penalty be enacted in the State of Wisconsin for cases involving a person who is convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, if the conviction is supported by DNA evidence?

The referendum question probably wouldn't affect Avery because the harshest penalty now facing Wisconsin defendants is life in prison.

Wisconsin has not had capital punishment since 1853.

Renee Crawford has commentary and the roll call.

Calling WMC's bluff

Paul Soglin plays a mean hand of Liar's Poker.

Wisconsin Manufacurers and Commerce ups the ante with another survey on the state of the legal system.

Soglin calls bullshit.

A new verb usage is born

I let this pass in one release, but now they've done it a second time and I feel compelled to speak out. From an American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin news release:

“Dismantling the DNR by splitting it into two pieces would only create duplication,” furthered Steffen.

"Furthered Steffen?"

C'mon, this is Wisconsin. Our motto is "Forward."

How about "forwarded Steffen."

-- Working for Change. (Click on cartoon to enlarge.)

Bush President of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming

Those are the only three states where he has a positive rating, according to SurveyUSA.

In Wisconsin, it's 36-63.

From our files

The overall result, according to our study and other data, is a system of sentencing in which most convicted offenders don’t go to prison and those who do serve relatively short sentences.

The strong public support for truth-in-sentencing reflects a level of public cynicism and concern to which judicial system officials at all levels should respond.

-- From a March 1998 report by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

The report's co-author, George Mitchell, didn't reference it when he wrote the judge to ask for leniency in sentencing Scott Jensen.

Reporters become cops, mix in sexualperversion during May ratings sweeps

Is it just me, or do you find something creepy about this story from JS Online's Daywatch:

MONDAY, May 15, 2006, 3:28 p.m.
By David Doege

Five charged in TV station sex sting

Waukesha - Five men were charged with felonies Monday after they arrested over the weekend when they allegedly fell prey to an Internet sex sting by an investigative team for a local television station and the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

Three men were arrested Friday and two Saturday after they had sex chats over the Internet with personnel from WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) who were posing as juvenile girls and subsequently journeyed to an unoccupied home for sexual rendezvous with the girls, Assistant District Attorney Brad Schimel said. Instead of meeting the girls at the home, Schimel said, the men were confronted by sheriff's investigators and arrested.

Charged Monday with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime were: Adam C Miller, 22, of Germantown; Geoffrey P. Roehrig, 22, of Appleton; Sean M Young, 31, of Greenfield; David C Ackley, 47, of Hartland; and Seda Som, 23, of Chicago.

The sting conducted last week was similar to an effort mounted in April 2005 by personnel from WTMJ. Four men were charged after that undertaking which station personnel conducted without the assistance of law enforcement.

That time, according to court records, the men were surprised by a WTMJ reporter and a photographer who confronted them about their activities after they arrived at a Menomonee Falls home where station personnel told the men to meet them.

The station subsequently shared the contents of their online chats and videotapes with Menomonee Falls police and the Waukesha County district attorney's office.

Last weekend, according to sheriff's department Detective Steve Pederson, station personnel and department investigators agreed in advance to work together in the effort.

I know it's sweeps month and everyone's after ratings, but having news people participate in what sounds a lot like entrapment somehow seems wrong. Yes, what these guys hoped to do is disgusting and deserves punishment -- but not from a TV station.

The station has done its own peep show with perverts before, luring them to phony rendezvous and ambushing them with a camera. The cops have also gone online to identify and apprehend Internet predators when they come for their "dates."

But there's something about them teaming up that makes me a little queasy. I know WTMJ's John Mercure likes to play the on-camera role of tough guy/cop, and seems obsessed with sex. If it's not sexual predators,it's a sexual assault case or else it's naughty items on display at Spencer's Gifts.

Here's his tough guy meets deadbeat dad story.

I don't know that he was the reporter on this weekend sting, but I would bet you $10 to a doughnut that he was involved. It's right up his alley.

But isn't there a line between reporting on police work and doing it? If not, shouldn't there be?

Can you imagine Mike Gousha posing online as a 14-year-old girl and then going out with a camera to surprise the slimeball he's been e-mailing with, then filming his arrest? No wonder he's leaving. Mercure, apparently, is the wave of the future at the new WTMJ-TV. It doesn't make me want to "Touch Today's TMJ4." Not until the station washes its hands, at least. How about you?

Quote, unquote

"We have to understand that the way we treat Iraqis has a direct effect on the number of insurgents that we are fighting.... For every one that I kill, I create almost 10 more."

- Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who has been training U.S. troops to be more culturally sensitive and to use less force.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Hat tip: Sojourners.

Paving paradise for 'lifestyle center'

"I really don't understand Bob Lang's reason for paving paradise and putting up a parking lot. It's an old song, but we don't want it sung here," said Marty Wiley, who lives near the [Delafield]development site.

Imagine that! Some people moved to the Delefield area in Waukesha County for some rural, small town peace and quiet,and aren't too interested in living next to a "lifestyle center."

Residents turned out in force Monday night tell the Common Council about their objections. It's a big project:

Developer Bob Lang revealed plans for the complex of upscale stores, restaurants, offices, hotel and residences at I-94 and Highway C during a recent private meeting with neighboring property owners. All the buildings would be freestanding, Lang said.
The development proposed for 60 acres on the southeast corner of I-94 and Highway C (Genesee St.) would be smaller than both Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa and Brookfield Square in Brookfield. It would include 743,000 square feet of retail space, including two anchor stores, 213,000 square feet of office space, 65,000 square feet of restaurants, a 150-room hotel, 440 condominiums and 87 townhomes.

Saying it's smaller than Matfair or Brookfield Mall probably wasn't too reassuring.

At least it wasn't a Wal-Mart superstore.

One potential issue not mentioned in this morning's story: water, which is in short supply in Waukesha County.

Racism subtle? Not in Town of Merton

Jessica McBride gives the movie, "Crash," a bad review:

... I wasn't impressed. First of all, I don't believe that people usually talk as bluntly as that. The dialogue didn't ring very true. Most racism in society, like sexism, is probably far subtler. The movie would have been more powerful if it had captured that... Overall, I'd describe this movie as being a trip into Michael McGee Jr.'s mind. Or maybe Eugene Kane's. It presented the world as filled with people who are always thinking about race and who see everything - and I mean, everything - through a racial prism. Although racism exists in the world, I don't think most people are as obsessed with race as this movie presented. I found it tiresome. This is sort of a liberal's idea of how a lot of people think, I guess. Disappointing movie.

She lives in Merton, in Waukesha County, so you would think she might have heard about this case, which happened in the Town of Merton. Nothing subtle about this racism. McBride's husband, Paul Bucher, filed hate crime charges.

Great minds think alike

Thank the Lord that we have an independent, free-thinking alternative medium, the right wing blogosphere, to bring us differing, thoughtful viewpoints on the news of the day.

A sampling of today's posts:

Bush's speech: advance excerpts.

Excerpts of Bush's speech.

Preview of the President's remarks tonight.

I'm sure there are others, but I am a little bored with the project.

Apparently I am off the White House talking points list.

-- Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, via Cagle.

Gay pride concept has escaped York

Don't tell Dennis York that some people are quite open, willing to identify themselves, and may even be proud of -- being (shhhhh) GAY!!

York, who sometimes passes as a reasonable conservative, is of the opinion that no one would ever want to be known to be gay. I thought he lives in Madison, where his representative in Congress is openly gay. From his post:

Thumbs Up to "A Day Without Gays"

When I first read Susan Lampert Smith's column today, I rolled my eyes, as I do most of the time when I read "The Queen of Sensitivity." In it, she advocates for a "day without gays," in which gay people don't show up for work, to mimic the "day without Latinos" rallies of a couple weeks ago. This is supposed to show how valuable gay people are to our every day lives, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But it dawned on me that this could actually be a fantastic idea, if only for the comedy and excitement it would present. You'd have legitimately sick guys from all over the state push, pull, and drag themselves into work to avoid being absent. There would be 100% attendance in offices statewide. You'd have men that get into car accidents on the way to work that would crawl out of their flaming cars, and drag their bloody stump of a leg all the way into the office to avoid missing work that day.

I can see a guy calling his elderly mother's doctor:

"Yeah, Doc - I know she's wheezing quite a bit, and she's already gotten her last rites. But I really need you to prop her up for an extra day. If she says she's heading towards the light, just feed her another Brandy Old Fashioned - she'll be fine. I cannot miss work today!"

York doesn't say how he's voting on the gay discrimination amendment in November.

Worst of the worst polls, Take 2

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

Whether it is Republican or Democrat county chairs you're surveying, what you end up with is the most unreliable data you've ever seen.

WisPolitics' latest venture finds J.B. Van Hollen with a big lead in the AG primary -- if only a handful of Republican county chairs vote.

The margin of error in this one can't be more than 50% -- only because that's as high as it goes.

Legislature should quit, minimize damage

They say your life and property are never safe while the legislature is in session. Here's one legislator who agrees.

State Rep. Mark Pocan says:

The only thing we do know is that the sooner the legislature rests completely, the less damage that can occur. After a session of attempts at banning birth control, allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions, allowing hidden guns, banning stem cell research and letting eight-year-olds hunt, we certainly can only do better by not working.

If we actually did our jobs, the agendas this week would be slated with the Ethics Reform Bill (SB-1), health care proposals and other bills that actually help people.

Instead, this continually dysfunctional legislature can only pass politically-charge legislation with the intent to influence the fall elections. In other words, the legislative goal of the GOP majority is to get re-elected so that we can pass more bills that get us re-elected, rather than bills that actually help Wisconsin's working families.

Hasn't the public had enough yet?

UPDATE: State Rep. Jennifer Shilling says the 100th state rep, a guy named Tom Foolery, makes everyone look bad.

Payback for Jensen recommendation?

This from Madison's WKOW-TV:

Payback Alleged

Democrats smell "payback," as Republicans hold up money which would help Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard.

A state lawmaker anonymously objected to funds for a part-time Assistant D.A. position right after Blanchard proposed sending former Republican leader Scott Jensen to prison.

Blanchard's recommendation of up to twenty months in prison for Jensen as punishment for three felony convictions of political corruption was submitted to a court May 9.

A lawmaker objected to Blanchard's proposed continuation of funding for the Assistant District Attorney position on May 9.

May 9 was last day available to object to the proposal. Lawmakers on the state's budget committee, Joint Finance, could have objected to the spending anytime after April 20.

Democratic Joint Finance Committee member, Rep. Marc Pocan (D-Madison) does not believe there was a policy or fiscal reason to hold up the funds.

"Why is that it just happened to be made the day Brian Blanchard requested twenty months in prison for Scott Jensen?"

"No one wants to take credit for it," Pocan told 27 News.

Pocan said Joint Finance Committee members were informed the objection came from an Assembly Republican.

The Assembly Republicans on the Committee are Co-Chairman Dean Kaufert, Mark Gottlieb, Dan Meyer, Kitty Rhoades, Jeff Stone, and David Ward.

None of them were available for comment when attempts to reach them were made at their offices or homes by 27 News.

The $41,000 funding proposal does involve state officials replacing the position's former federal funding source with money from a different federal grant.

The Assistant District Attorney paid with this money tracks the Dane County juvenile justice system's treatment of minority youth and recommends measures to decrease the comparatively high rate of minority youth incarceration.

Blanchard said he's willing to justify the continued committment of money. "No one from the legislature has ever raised any questions to date," said Blanchard.

Jensen was convicted in a political corruption scandal, which also led to felony convictions for two former Democratic lawmakers.

But those lawmakers received jail sentences in plea bargains, and some Republicans have accused Blanchard, a Democrat, of political motivations in recommending harsher treatment for Jensen.

Jensen went to trial and was convicted by a jury.

Jensen has asked the court to consider a jail term instead of Blanchard's recommended prison sentence. Jensen is sentenced May 16.

All members of Joint Finance will have to make a public, final decision on the Assstant D.A. funding proposal later this spring.

Tommy's ego trip was a wild ride for the GOP

So Tommy is out of the governor's race, at least until the weekend, when he starts to experience his next set of media attention withdrawal pangs.

He picked a strange way to pull the plug. He issued a statement and got out of Dodge (or Dodgeville) with no further comment. "He's fleeing the interview!" as Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) said in "Fargo."

After all of the hubbub Thompson created with his agonizing about whether to run, he could have gotten more mileage out of it and given Mark Green a bigger boost.

Having teased everyone this long, Tommy could have played it out until the GOP convention. Will he or won't he? Every camera in the state would have been there to find out. And when Tommy announced he wasn't running and hugged his bosom buddy Mark Green, it would have been plastered on every front page and led the 10 o'clock news on every TV station in the state.

Twenty years ago, when Ed Garvey was running for the US Senate, former Gov. Martin Schreiber issued a news advisory saying he would do a fly-around of the state on Monday to make an announcement about the Senate race. That prompted some weekend stories speculating about Schreiber entering the race, and the media turned out in force to see what he had to say.

When the small plane taxied up and stopped, Schreiber and Garvey both emerged and Schreiber endorsed Garvey. It was a media bonanza for Garvey's campaign.

The Tommy-Green appearance at the state convention Saturday would have eclipsed that 50 times over. But it won't work now.

[All this presumes, of course, that Tommy gives a damn about Mark Green or anyone else besides himself, and there is scant evidence of that. Being honorary chairman of a campaign for a candidate you've said you "hope" can win isn't much.]

What remains to be seen is whether Tommy's little ego trip did any permanent damage to Green's candidacy. It certainly didn't help him.

What Tommy's feint did do was to touch off a round of criticism and debate among the GOP base about both Thompson and Green. To hear some neocons tell it, neither of them is a real conservative. Green was called boring, unlikable, and a few other uncomplimentary things on GOP blogs -- but now he's their candidate again.

It will be fun to watch Mark Belling and some of the other anti-Green wingnuts rationalizing their way as they slither back into the Green for governor camp.

All in all, Tommy's little joyride was pretty good for Jim Doyle and the Democrats.

Of course, he doesn't have to file to get on the ballot until July ...

EARLIER POST: Rumble on the right over Tommy.

Carrie Lynch: Tommy yard signs will have to come down.

Don't run against gay marriages: Laura Bush

Laura Bush may not be the administration's greatest political thinker, and it is not at all clear whether her pillow talk gets through W's protective bubble, but her latest advice, one hopes, at least comes from the heart. Republicans should not run on the gay marriage issue, she said. AMERICABlog reports:

Usually Laura Bush comes out simply to buck up her husband's sagging polls. But this time she chose to speak out about against the anti-gay amendment, or at least against the Republicans using the anti-gay constitutional amendment in the fall campaign. That's interesting.

Now, sure, it's possible this is part of the White House ploy to make Bush look nicer. Sure, he's trying to ban gays in the Constitution, but he doesn't think this is a political issue. So yeah she's giving him cover. But there's more. Her comments are not helpful to Republicans who very much plan to use this issue in the fall campaign - it's the only reason they're bringing this issue up, to help energize their base in the fall congressional elections. So for Mrs. Bush to say "don't you dare," that's not helpful, especially since it's now the quote we all need to use every single time a Republican tries to bring up gay marriage against the Democrats.

Hey, even Mrs. Bush says you're out of line.

Of course, as The Republic of T points out, in the same interview she said she doesn't believe the public opinion polls showing W in the toilet and swirling around the drain.

UPDATE: AlterNet asks whether Laura Bush should get a free pass from the media: First Lady or fair game?

How many more?

Journal Sentinel Daywatch:

Soldier from Kenosha County killed in Iraq
A 22-year-old soldier from Pleasant Prairie has reportedly become the 55th member of the military from Wisconsin killed in the Iraq war.

According to the Associated Press, Eric D. Clark was killed while on active duty with the U.S. Army in Baghdad.

The AP reported that Clark enlisted in the Army after graduating from St. Joseph Interparish Junior High in 1997 and Indian Trail Academy high school in 2001. Both schools are in Kenosha.

His old high school counselor, Ed Anderson, told the AP that news of Clark's death was devastating.

"It's hard to describe," Anderson said. "He's the kind of guy where you might be in a bad mood yourself but then he would come by and give you that smile."

Sgt. Eugene Washington, a Kenosha military recruiter, remembered Clark had worked at a local pizza restaurant before joining the Army.

"The guy was really excited about joining and serving his country," Washington told the AP.

The military has not released details of the circumstances surrounding Clark's death.

Casualty count.

Tommy not running

WisPol has it first:

WisPolitics ALERT!
14 May 2006
www.wispolitics.com

Tommy Thompson says in a statement tonight that he won't run for guv this year.

He said his family is opposed to another campaign and that he's convinced Mark Green is the right candidate for the GOP.

More to come.

JS Daywatch follows, 11 minutes later.

The full Steve Walters treatment, written through his tears.

A message from President Al Gore

His speech to the American people from the Oval Office was carried on Saturday Night Live. Crooks and Liars has the video.

Dem brain sprain produces lame thinking

Sometimes, when the Democratic Party's big thinkers think a little too hard, they put themselves at risk of brain sprain.

The result, of course, is a lame brain, which produces lame-brained ideas.

Brain sprain is the only explanation I can come up with for the theory, outlined by reporter Adam Nagourney in Sunday's NY Times, that the Democrats might be better off if they lose the Congressional elections in November.

Perhaps there is a time when it is better to lose than win, although I don't seem to be able to think of one. It is certainly not the way I play politics. I shouldn't even say "play." It's not a game; it is serious business, with consequences that have a real impact on the lives of real people.

But the Times reports:

... But here is a slightly heretical question, being asked only partly in jest right now: Is it really in the best interest of the Democratic Party to win control of the House and Senate in November? Might the party's long-term fortunes actually be helped by falling short?

As strange as it might seem, there are moments when losing is winning in politics. Even as Democrats are doing everything they can to win, and believe that victory is critical for future battles over real issues, some of the party's leading figures are also speculating that November could represent one of those moments.

The theory is that if Democrats win a slim majority, even in one house, they will have the responsibility to do something and maybe even be held accountable. Far better, the argument goes, to let the GOP sink even further into the quicksand until 2008, when Dems could win both a majority in Congress and the presidency.

Someone is thinking way too hard.

I'm with Vince Lombardi on this one: Winning is the only thing.

Having even slim control of only one house of Congress would give Democrats some leverage on issues -- at least to stop the worst of the right-wing agenda, and at best to actually be able to achieve some policy gains, perhaps with the help of some rational Republicans who get dragged along now by their leadership because the GOP have all the power.

Political fortunes change. There is an ebb and flow in politics, they say. But sometimes there is a tidal wave that you don't see coming. Who knows what the next two years will bring, or what unexpected events will shape the American political scene? There are no sure things, and betting that two more years of GOP control will bring more of the same sort of ineptitude and loss of public confidence that the last two years have produced may be a losing gamble.

Democrats should focus on winning. Get the bird in the hand, and let Dick Cheney shoot the one in the bush.

The Times article makes it sound as though Democratic victories are assured in November. I wouldn't bet the farm on that, either. The polling numbers are spectacular, but Nagourney, high up in his article, makes another point Dems would do well to remember:

Election Day is six months away, and the party has lost many a winning hand.

This is a time for Democrats to keep their eyes on the prize, not to engage in the kind of smart talk that ends up -- if I may pile cliche upon cliche -- snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Let's win. Everything we can.

UPDATE: Jonathan Singer at MyDD weighs in.

--Bill Day, Memphis Commercial Appeal, via Cagle. (Click on cartoon to enlarge.)

Rove indicted for perjury, report says

Truthout's latest:

Standing Down on the Rove Matter

By Marc Ash,

Thu Jun 15th, 2006 at 02:05:52 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation

Yesterday, most Mainstream Media organizations published reports about a letter supposedly received by Karl Rove's attorney Robert Luskin. As an example of the supposed letter's contents, TIME Magazine stated that, "Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said or wrote, 'Absent any unexpected developments, he does not anticipate seeking any criminal charges against Rove.'"
Truthout of course published an article on May 13 which reported that Karl Rove had in fact already been indicted. Obviously there is a major contradiction between our version of the story and what was reported yesterday. As such, we are going to stand down on the Rove matter at this time. We defer instead to the nation's leading publications.

In that Mr. Luskin has chosen the commercial press as his oracle - and they have accepted - we call upon those publications to make known the contents of the communiqué which Luskin holds at the center of his assertions. Quoting only those snippets that Mr. Luskin chooses to characterize in his statements is not enough. If Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has chosen to exonerate Mr. Rove, let his words - in their entirety - be made public.

Reporter Jason Leopold

Mr. Leopold did not act alone in his reporting of this matter. His work, sources and conclusions were reviewed carefully at each step of the process. There is no indication that Mr. Leopold acted unethically.

Please keep in mind that over the years we have reported on many examples of individuals being scapegoated in crisis situations by superiors seeking cover from controversy. Truthout, however, does not do scapegoats. And we stand firmly behind Jason Leopold.

The Confidentiality of Our Sources

As journalists, nothing is more critical to being able to report guarded facts than the guarantee of confidentiality we provide to our sources. Truthout has never compromised the identy of a confidential source. We will protect our sources on this story, as we have on every other story we have ever published.

Expect a more comprehensive accounting of this matter on Monday, June 19.

Marc Ash
Executive Director - Truthout
director@truthout.org

JUNE 13 UPDATE: Curses, foiled again. No indictment.

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MAY 23: Howard Kurtz of the WashPost writes about Truthout's report.

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MAY 21 UPDATE

Information Sharing on the Rove Indictment Story

By Marc Ash,

Sun May 21st, 2006 at 11:58:26 AM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation (160 comments)

I'd like to break this posting into two categories: What we know, and what we believe. They will be clearly marked.

We know that we have now three independent sources confirming that attorneys for Karl Rove were handed an indictment either late in the night of May 12 or early in the morning of May 13. We know that each source was in a position to know what they were talking about. We know that the office of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald will not confirm, will not deny, will not comment on its investigation or on our report. We know that both Rove's attorney Robert Luskin and Rove's spokesman Mark Corallo have categorically denied all key facts we have set forth. We know we have information that directly contradicts Luskin and Corallo's denials. We know that there were two network news crews outside of the building in Washington, DC that houses the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm that represents Karl Rove. We know that the 4th floor of that building (where the Patton Boggs offices are located) was locked down all day Friday and into Saturday night. We know that we have not received a request for a retraction from anyone. And we know that White House spokesman Tony Snow now refuses to discuss Karl Rove - at all.

Further, we know - and we want our readers to know - that we are dependent on confidential sources. We know that a report based solely on information obtained from confidential sources bears some inherent risks. We know that this is - by far - the biggest story we have ever covered, and that we are learning some things as we go along. Finally, we know that we have the support of those who have always supported us, and that must now earn the support of those who have joined us as of late.

We now move on to what we believe. (If you are looking for any guarantees, please turn back now.)

We believe that we hit a nerve with our report. When I get calls on my cell phone from Karl Rove's attorney and spokesman, I have to wonder what's up. "I" believe - but cannot confirm - that Mark Corallo, Karl Rove's spokesman gave Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post my phone number. I believe Howard Kurtz contacted me with the intention of writing a piece critical of our organization. I know that Anne Marie Squeo of the Wall Street Journal attacked us and independent journalism as a whole in her piece titled, "Rove's Camp Takes Center of Web Storm / Bloggers Underscore How Net's Reporting, Dynamics Provide Grist for the Rumor Mill." We believe that rolling out that much conservative journalistic muscle to rebut this story is telling. And we believe that Rove's camp is making a concerted effort to discredit our story and our organization.

Further - and again this is "What We Believe" - Rove may be turning state's evidence. We suspect that the scope of Fitzgerald's investigation may have broadened - clearly to Cheney - and according to one "off the record source" to individuals and events not directly related to the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. We believe that the indictment which does exist against Karl Rove is sealed. Finally, we believe that there is currently a great deal of activity in the Plame investigation.

We know that this story is of vital interest to the community, and that providing as much information as we can is very important to our readers. We want you to know that this is challenging territory and that we are proceeding with as much speed as the terrain will allow.

Marc Ash, Executive Director - t r u t h o u t director@truthout.org

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MAY 19 UPDATE:

The Rove Indictment Story as of Right Now

By Marc Ash

On Saturday afternoon, May 13, 2006, TruthOut ran a story titled, "Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators." The story stated in part that top Bush aide Karl Rove had earlier that day been indicted on the charges set forth in the story's title.

The time has now come, however, to issue a partial apology to our readership for this story. While we paid very careful attention to the sourcing on this story, we erred in getting too far out in front of the news-cycle. In moving as quickly as we did, we caused more confusion than clarity. And that was a disservice to our readership and we regret it.

As such, we will be taking the wait-and-see approach for the time being. We will keep you posted.

Marc Ash, Executive Director - t r u t h o u t
mailto:director@truthout.org

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UPDATE: Another Internet report of Rove indictment.

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UPDATE FROM TRUTHOUT: How Accurate Was the 'Rove Indicted' Story?

On Saturday afternoon, we ran a breaking story titled, "Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators." We assumed that we were well ahead of the mainstream media and that we would be subsequently questioned. Right on both counts.

What everyone is asking right now is how accurate is the story? Has Rove in fact been indicted? The story is accurate, and Karl Rove's attorneys have been served with an indictment.

In short, we had two sources close to the Fitzgerald investigation who were explicit about the information that we published, and a former high-ranking state department official who reported communication with a source who had "direct knowledge" of the meeting at Patton Boggs. In both instances, substantial detail was provided and matched.

We had confirmation. We ran the story.-- Truthout.

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Truthout reports:

Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators

By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t Report

Saturday 13 May 2006

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald spent more than half a day Friday at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm representing Karl Rove.

During the course of that meeting, Fitzgerald served attorneys for former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove with an indictment charging the embattled White House official with perjury and lying to investigators related to his role in the CIA leak case, and instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 hours to get his affairs in order, high level sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Saturday morning.

Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, did not return a call for comment. Sources said Fitzgerald was in Washington, DC, Friday and met with Luskin for about 15 hours to go over the charges against Rove, which include perjury and lying to investigators about how and when Rove discovered that Valerie Plame Wilson was a covert CIA operative and whether he shared that information with reporters, sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said.

It was still unknown Saturday whether Fitzgerald charged Rove with a more serious obstruction of justice charge. Sources close to the case said Friday that it appeared very likely that an obstruction charge against Rove would be included with charges of perjury and lying to investigators.

An announcement by Fitzgerald is expected to come this week, sources close to the case said. However, the day and time is unknown. Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the special prosecutor was unavailable for comment. In the past, Samborn said he could not comment on the case.

Graphic: Talk Left

The view on NSA from Bizarro World

This guy probably thinks Egil Krogh deserves a belated medal for heading up the Nixon plumbers squad at the Watergate. From the Washington Post, whose editorial page seems to be on a different planet from the news operation:

The Right Call on Phone Records
The NSA's Program Safeguards Security -- and Civil Liberties

By Richard A. Falkenrath
Saturday, May 13, 2006; Page A17

On Thursday, USA Today reported that three U.S. telecommunications companies have been voluntarily providing the National Security Agency with anonymized domestic telephone records -- that is, records stripped of individually identifiable data, such as names and place of residence. If true, the architect of this program deserves our thanks and probably a medal. That architect was presumably Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and President Bush's nominee to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

You have to love this ID at the end of the article.

The writer is a fellow at the Brookings Institution. He was deputy homeland security adviser and deputy assistant to the president until May 2004. He has no official knowledge of the program in question.

"No official knowledge?" Any unofficial knowledge? Does he deserves a medal, too, for whatever role he played in this great idea?

His 6 Degrees of Separation argument in the column has a hollow ring. What about the millions of Americans who don't call or get calls from Osama? Is it OK to burn down the whole haystack to find the needle?

Bush gun registration plan to fight terrorism

And who could object, if it will prevent another 9/11?

Dave Bear has an exclusive.

Could Green be running for Congress again?

The Cook Political Report, ranking House races, lists Wisconsin's' 8th District, an open seat being vacated (perhaps) by Mark Green, as "leaning Republican." That's the middle category of three, the others being tossup or "likely Republican." Of the seats listed as competitive, 24 are now held by Rs, 11 by Ds. The list.

My "perhaps" -- sort of an asterisk -- indicates that in the unlikely event that Tommy Thompson enters the governor's race, Green may drop back and run for his old seat, even though there are some bad campaign finance implications in that decision. Remember Rep. Jim Moody's 1988 decision to drop out of the US Senate race and run for the House again, greatly upsetting a flock of Dems running to replace him in the House. John Gard must be watching Tommy pretty closely to see if he starts the domino effect.

Hat tip: Political Wire.

Kerry joins censure movement

Sen. John Kerry has become the fourth sponsor of the Feingold censure bill. The Progressive has more.

Rumble on the right over Tommy

UPDATE: Well, it was certainly fun while it lasted.

UPDATE 2: Tommy's ego trip was a wild ride for GOP.

Tommy Thompson's threat to run for governor has Wisconsin Republicans in some turmoil. Even the party's neocon wing is divided.

While Mark Belling would welcome Tommy into the race, Charlie Sykes continues to bash him and promote Mark Green. The latest from Sykes:

FRIDAY, May 12, 2006, 4:49 p.m.
CHALLENGE

Let me repost this:

This is addressed to members of the conservative blogosphere who think that Mark Green is insufficiently conservative and so are dazzled at the prospect of a TT candidacy:

(1) Name one issue on which Thompson is more conservative than Green? Anybody? Anybody? Stem cells? Entitlements? Taxes? Mass transit? (For a bonus point explain why Green's support of an ethanol mandate would lead you to support Tommy....who is ADM's #1 fan in Wisconsin.)

(2) Explain how TT would be more fiscally conservative than Green Compare TT's record on spending with Green's record.

(3) Explain Mark Belling's double-standard on RINOs. (See here.)

As you're working through that, here are some notes to keep in mind:

* Green helped pass the largest tax cuts in both state and federal history.

* He sponsored a bill that would scrap the IRS code.

* Green voted against 75% of the appropriations laws during his time in Congress – those are the ones usually stuffed full of earmarks and bloated spending.

* Green supports constitutional limits on state and local government spending. (TT opposed them.)

* Green has said his first budget will cap state tax revenue at the previous year’s level and that he’ll put a freeze on property taxes. (Did TT ever do that?)

* Green supports conceal-carry legislation into law.

* He has a 100% pro-life voting record.

* He voted against McCain-Feingold.

* He’s a member of the Republican Study Committee (formerly the Conservative Action Team) in the House and the National Journal judged his voting record the most conservative on the Wisconsin congressional delegation – even more so than Sensenbrenner.

* Green has been a strong proponent of border security legislation – and actually authored legislation that would require proof of legal residency to obtain a driver’s license before Sensenbrenner did.

* Green received awards from conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform, NRA, Tax Limitation Committee, Right to Life and Citizens Against Government Waste.

I disagree with Green on ethanol and wish he had been more aggressive backing the TPA, but the suggestion that he is in any way a RINO is, frankly, ludicrous.

All of which should certainly help mobilize Democrats, even the ones who are not enamored of Jim Doyle.

Another country heard from: Peter DiGaudio disagreed when I called Green a hard-line conservative in an earlier post, but agrees Green is to the right of Thompson and says Tommy should get out of the way. He also offers a list of Green positions that should make Dems' hair stand on end.

Earlier post: Tommy: I know you love me, but do I love you?

UPDATE: Deb Jordahl joins the Belling-bashing. Some fun now, eh?

MORE: Kevin Binversie at Lakeshore Laments says: Belling having a hard time going Green.

THE GREEN SPIN: Green's campaign manager stands by his man.

Livelihood threatened, Jensen appeals

Scott Jensen is appealing his conviction for Capitol corruption, and wants to stay out of jail while the appeal drags on, WisPolitics reports.

Jensen, who already has managed to drag things out for three and a half years -- he was charged in October, 2002 -- clearly will fight to the bitter end. If there is a way to get to the US Supreme Court, he and lawyer Bob Friebert will be there, knocking on the door, five years from now.

Why did he wait until now, four days before his scheduled sentencing on Tuesday?

It may be that he was waiting to see what kind of sentence he was likely to get.

When Dane County DA Brian Blanchard recommended a prison term and that Jensen be banned from the State Capitol for five years, that threatened Jensen's livelihood. Jensen has had a sideline as a political consultant, in addition to his legislative salary.

Jensen listed income from political consulting firm R.J. Johnson & Associates in 2005 on his Statement of Economic Interests filed with the state Ethics Board, according to a WisPolitics review, but Johnson said Scooter does not work for his firm in 2006 and he does not expect him to do so in the future.

Since 2004, Jensen has worked for the national Alliance for School Choice, promoting choice around the country, and that group says it will continue to employ Jensen. Milwaukee school choice advocates George and Susan Mitchell and Howard Fuller were among 59 people who wrote letters of support to the judge before the anticipated sentencing on Tuesday. So was Tommy Thompson, who said Jensen's a hard-working family man.

The terrorists have won

UPDATE: Or maybe not. A Newsweek poll says differently.

UPDATE 2: The Mystery Pollster explains how that could happen.

They have frightened people enough for Americans to voluntarily give up their right to privacy, the Washington Post reports:

A majority of Americans initially support a controversial National Security Agency program to collect information on telephone calls made in the United States in an effort to identify and investigate potential terrorist threats, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The new survey found that 63 percent of Americans said they found the NSA program to be an acceptable way to investigate terrorism, including 44 percent who strongly endorsed the effort. Another 35 percent said the program was unacceptable, which included 24 percent who strongly objected to it.

Bill Wineke says the NSA program is an insult to our troops.

Tommy: I know you love me, but do I love you?

The Tommy Games continue, fueled by the Journal Sentinel, which will report the same story every day, even if he only utters one sentence he didn't say before.

Today's new sentence:

I know I can win. I know without a doubt. If I run, I win. I have no doubt in my mind about that. But then I have to govern.

So, if Tommy decides he wants the job back, do you think we'll have to hold an election, or just plan the inauguration? Too late for a constitutional amendment, I suppose.

The only question in his mind seems to be whether he will do the people of Wisconsin a big favor and bring his style of back-slapping, corrupt cronyism back to the governor's office. "I know you love me, and I like you, but I'm not looking to make a commitment. That's why I left early last time. And I really would like to be president, you know."

Although he's basking in the glow of all of that adulation, I don't think Thompson will have the guts to run this year.

It wouldn't be the kind of campaign he was able to run against Tom Loftus, Chuck Chvala, or Ed Garvey, in which he had all of the resources and simply drowned out anything his opponents tried to say.

More importantly, there would be a full discussion of Tommy's time as governor and the fact that he left the state $3-billion in debt and that the Thompson administration pretty much invented pay-to-play in this state and left Wisconsin with a string of scandals.

Tommy got out just in time. If he comes back, it won't be a free ride.

And, lest anyone think Jim Doyle is shaking in his boots, remember that when Doyle announced he would run in 2002, he fully expected Tommy to be his opponent. As it turned out, he got lucky and drew Scott McCallum. But Doyle believed he could beat Thompson in 2002. We'll never know. If we get that matchup this year, so be it.

Others weigh in:

Jef Hall wonders if Tommy knows about a Mark Green scandal which may surface.

Seth Zlotocha thinks Tommy doubts Green can win. He also notes Mark Belling's race to catch the train in case in might be leaving the station.

Rick Esenberg quotes a children's book.

Jay Bullock eggs TT on.

Cory Liebmann notes that Tommy doesn't need to say anything to get a headline.

Ben Brothers likes TT's takeoff on The Clash: Should I stay or should I go?

I'm with Esenberg: Tommy G. Thompson, will you please go now?

---

UPDATE: I was about to say the right has been very quiet about this, but Charlie Sykes speaks up. Lest there be any doubt, this is about the heart and soul of the Wisconsin GOP. Mark Green is a hard-line conservative; Tommy is too squishy for Sykes. Now that he's set the tone and provided the talking points, other wingnut bloggers will feel free to comment. Sykes:

REMEMBER THIS....

....the next time Mark Belling rips Republican legislators as RINOs:

Do it, Tommy. Your party and your state need you.

Let's see. Tommy:

*Backs higher gas taxes (since he loves to build roads)

*Is deep in the pockets of ADM and the ethanol industry (Green also supports an ethanol mandate, but he's apiker compared to Ethanol Tommy.)

*Big spender, who helped spend the state into its massive deficit.

*Opposes TABOR or TPA

*Loves rail transit of every kind...

So how is Tommy any different from:

Mary Panzer?
Dale Schultz?
Luther Olsen?
Carol Roessler?
Ron Brown?
Sue Jeskewitz?

Maybe Belling can explain.

UPDATE: Rumble on the right over Tommy.

Flying Jim Sensenbrenner visits Tosa

Freebie Jim Sensenbrenner, taking a break from his busy schedule of flying around the world on special interests' expense accounts, will drop in on his own district Saturday for a town hall meeting.

It's at 9 a.m. at the Wauwatosa Library.

Bryan Kennedy, the Democrat running for Flying Jim's seat, suggests a few questions just to get the conversation started:

-Can you justify to the voters of this district $200,000 worth of luxury vacations paid for by lobbyists in just 6 years?

-You seem to be making a lot of profit off of high gas prices these days, Mr. Sensenbrenner. Will you sell your stocks in BP, Exxon-Mobil and Halliburton so that we know that you are representing us instead of your pocketbook?

-There have been reports that you claim that the people in your district are only giving you positive feedback about your immigration reform legislation that turns nuns, priests and soup kitchen workers into felons. I’m here to tell you that I’m a voter in the district, and I don’t support your mean-spirited legislation! [That's not exactly a question, but what the hell -- Xoff.]

-You claim that small business owners shouldn’t be able to profit off of undocumented workers, but your stock in Halliburton has provided you with a nice profit from their use of illegal immigrants. Will you pledge to sell all of your investments in any companies that profit from illegal immigration?

I'm sure you can think of others. Come early to get a good seat. And invite your friends.

Chicago celebrates its deep tunnel, with 20 times as many overflows

Unlike Milwaukee, Chicago loves its deep tunnel system for sewage, if the glowing Chicago Tribune editorial below is any indication.

Funny, considering that Chicago's system has already had 21 combined sewage overflows this year, including one on May 11, the day this editorial ran. Milwaukee, where the deep tunnel is widely condemned, has had one overflow in 2006.

Chicago's underground wonder

Chicago was founded because of its proximity to water... But disposing of sewage, draining floodplains and keeping drinking water safe always have been challenges.

Chicago's first great engineering feat to deal with these challenges was construction of a drinking-water tunnel extending two miles into the lake in 1867. Ending the city's reliance on polluted shoreline water helped end the cholera epidemics that had afflicted Chicago for the previous two decades, killing thousands.

A second feat, still considered one of the engineering wonders of the world, was the reversal of the Chicago River's course in 1900, so that the city's sewage would flow south rather than being corralled in the lake.

The third of these spectacular feats concludes Friday when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago dedicates its Deep Tunnel project. Drilling 109.4 miles of tunnels 15 to 30 feet in diameter through limestone took 30 years. Friday is only a formal debut for a completed system that already has been operating at gradually increasing levels. Wastewater reservoirs to complement the tunnel system won't be finished until 2023. But Friday's debut shouldn't come and go without an acknowledgment of a remarkable construction achievement that has made a huge difference to many homeowners.

The $3 billion project has been under way for so long that many Chicago-area residents no longer know why it's being done--or have forgotten about it altogether. But those tunnels, coupled with regional reservoirs, promise to alleviate flooding and sewage backups that sometimes still plague low-lying neighborhoods.

As long ago as the 1930s, flooding and contamination were chronic problems. A $3 million sewer channel to protect Oak Park and other western suburbs was finished in 1937. The Tribune predicted then that for west suburban homeowners, flooded basements "after nearly every storm will be a thing of the past."

Well, not quite. Drainage problems continued. Deep Tunnel--its formal name is Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, or TARP--was envisioned in the 1960s after storms forced the city to pump sewage into the lake in 1954, 1957 and 1961.

The basic problem was Chicago's sewerage. It consisted of combined sewers, common to many older cities. They carried both raw sewage and storm water in the same pipe. As the region grew, more roadways were paved and more building foundations sunk. All that growth reduced the amount of natural ground surface available to soak up storm water. Storm runoff often exceeded sewage-treatment capacity.

How so? A torrential downpour can drop 20 billion gallons of water on the Chicago area. The early 1970s sewer system and treatment plants could handle only 1.5 billion gallons a day. That left 18.5 billion gallons of storm water and sewage with no place to go. That ugly brew bypassed treatment plants and spilled directly into rivers, streams or Lake Michigan. Before the Deep Tunnel project, nearly half of the pollution in Chicago's 70-plus miles of inland waterways came from those combined sewers.

Some of that contaminated water bubbled out of basement drains all over the area. Chicago would be forced to open the river locks, and contaminated water would flow into the lake--the primary source of the area's drinking water. Dozens of times in a typical year, enough rain fell that sewage backed into homes, businesses and schools, and raw sewage was discharged into waterways and the lake. The property damage and chronic health risks were enormous.

TARP's mission was to collect and store that overflow in the tunnels and reservoirs so it could be treated gradually and then safely released into the waterways--once the storms had passed...

Friday marks the third milestone of epic proportion in Chicago's long struggle to manage its proximity to water.

Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

Frist 'forgets' stem cell promise

Remember those courageous Republicans who stood up to President Bush last year to support expanding stem cell research?

The effort to pass the bill expanding research has stalled because Sen. Bill Frist, the Republican leader, has either forgotten or reneged on his promise to bring it to a vote. Frist, the doctor who would be president, may have let his presidential ambitions and fear of losing the right-wing base fog his memory.

StemPAC, formed to support stem cell research, thinks Frist needs a reminder:

Back in the spring of 2005, we started StemPAC to help fight back for stem cell research. Our main goal was to fight for the passage of HR 810 -- a bill that would rescind President Bush's draconian restrictions on this research, restrictions that have needlessly delayed the medical breakthroughs which such research might bring.

As you may remember, we pushed hard for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to reconsider his opposition to the bill. We launched petitions. We collected stories. We even produced a TV ad taking on Senator Frist on this issue. And in July of 2005 -- Senator Frist switched his position, announced he would support HR 810, and promised to bring it up for a vote.

Well, we thought we had won. We even thanked Senator Frist for taking such a courageous step. And then we waited for Senator Frist to make good on his promise. We were first told "by the end of 2005." And then "first thing in 2006." And still, we wait. And wait. And wait. Well, we've waited long enough.

Enough is enough. It's time to stop playing politics with stem cell research. It's time to rescind senseless policies that have needlessly extended the suffering of millions of Americans. It's time to send Senator Frist a message:

Tell Senator Frist to keep his promise

Stay tuned for more. The fight isn't over -- it's just begun.

The StemPAC Team

Probe of Sensenbrenner junket asked

Flying Jim Sensenbrenner (now we know what the F. is for) appears to have overreached in his quest for frequent free flyer miles, courtesy of special interest groups.

Multi-millionaire Sensenbrenner led all members of Congress in the freebie flying.

But a public interest group in Washington says he may have broken federal law in asking for a free trip. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is asking for an investigation.

Spivak and Bice reported earlier this week:

Last year, the International Management & Development Institute paid for Sensenbrenner, his wife and nine other congressional members to travel to Paris; Stuttgart, Germany; and Liechtenstein. The group, which brings together politicians and corporate execs, is headed by Don Bonker, a former congressman turned lobbyist for APCO Worldwide, an international public affairs firm.

Corporations underwrite the institute, which rents space from APCO.

According to USA Today, the six House Democrats and four House Republicans who took last year's junket visited DaimlerChrysler's corporate headquarters in Stuttgart, where they heard talks from top officials and attended a "gala dinner in the Mercedes-Benz museum."

Bonker, who lobbies for a half-dozen corporate clients, said Tuesday that the institute canceled the annual European jaunt this year because of the fallout of the Jack Abramoff scandal. But he said Sensenbrenner felt so strongly about going on the free expedition - say what you want, the man has his convictions - that the institute organized a special weeklong trip to Berlin and Lichtenstein in February just for him and his wife.

CREW says:

Rep. Sensenbrenner’s conduct may have violated the federal law that prohibits Members from soliciting a gift from any person who has interests before the House. 5 U.S.C. § 7353. This provision limits not only what government officials may accept, but also that for which they may ask.

“If Rep. Sensenbrenner and his wife would like to travel to Europe then they should pay for it themselves like everyone else,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. “The Department of Justice should open an investigation to determine whether Rep. Sensenbrenner violated federal law by asking IMDI to organize and pay over $11,0000 for the week-long trip.”

29%

I Am Not A Crook. No New Taxes. I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Woman.

Add this.

"The privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," Bush told reporters at a hastily called session aimed at damage control. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans."

-- Ripped off from Hoffmania.

Congress or the country club? Easy choice for candidate Green

Darn. Mark Green, friend of veterans and major war hawk, would really like to have been in Washington doing his job, and voting for an increase in veteran retirement pay.

But he had one of those darned schedule conflicts. He had to be in Green Bay to raise money for his campaign for governor.

Gee whiz, what's a body to do?

Congress or the country club?

No problem. Green did the obvious and went to the cocktail fundraiser at Green Bay's Oneida Country Club.

Not to worry, his campaign flack (I love to call people that) told the Journal Sentinel:

Green campaign spokesman Rob Vernon said Green "has been leading the fight for Wisconsin veterans" and that he had entered support for the measures into the Congressional Record.

Isn't that just dandy? He didn't bother to go there to vote for it, but he mailed it in, taking government by press release to a new level.

Sort of like telecommuting -- except that his vote didn't count. True, it wasn't needed, since the bill passed by a big margin. But if Green's only going to show up to break a tie, he might as well resign now.

When I said Scott Walker should quit the gov's race, he did it later the same day. I can only assume that Green will resign from the House in a few hours.

Quote, unquote

“When the business leaders and citizens of this city looked to Mayor Barrett for leadership, he offered none. It’s disappointing that when the City of Milwaukee had the opportunity to move into the 21st century, this mayor is driving a Studebaker stuck in the 1950s.”

-- Ald. Willie Hines, Milwaukee Common Council president, on Barrett's veto of the Milwaukee Connector transit system.

Barrett said there was no certainty where a $57 million local share of the project would come from, or what would happen if federal money fell short of the expected $243 million. "To move ahead with a $300 million alternative, without details on financing, would be fiscally irresponsible," Barrett said.

Gretchen Schuldt finds that more than a little ironic, given how decisions are being made about building freeways.

Shower with a friend -- or not at all

"Save water -- shower with a friend" was a 60s or 70s slogan/bumpersticker.

MMSD, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, hasn't gone that far. But it does suggest a quick shower instead of a bath, along with some other water conservation ideas.

It's all in the name of trying to reduce the flow to the sewage treatment plants during the anticipated heavy rainfall of the next two days. Other ideas:

Do the laundry tomorrow if there’s heavy rain today. Always wash full loads.

Take a short shower instead of a bath.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.

Fix leaks. A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.

Cut indoor water use by 1/3 or more by installing low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets

The Journal Sentinel bought into the idea in its top line weather story this morning, in a rare instance of MMSD and the JS working together to try to prevent a problem.

It may all sound a little goofy to the uninitiated who haven't attended one of the Sewer School sessions MMSD offers. But the district is trying to get out in front of the storm.

One of the things the public, and the media, seem to have trouble grasping is that the much-discussed Deep Tunnel System is nothing more than a giant storage pipe, 19 miles long. It holds 405 million gallons.

But when it's full, it's full. That's when overflows -- what the newspaper likes to call "dumping" -- occurs. If the treatment plants are operating at full capacity and the tunnel (and some other smaller storage facilities) is full, there is no where else for the untreated sewage to go -- except to back up into people's basements. That's not a good option, so the district allows some sewage -- usually partially-treated -- to go into Lake Michigan.

MMSD is working to expand its storage capacity during storms, but the capacity will never be enough to prevent all overflows regardless of how much rain falls.

Can water conservation make a difference?

If everyone used 10 gallons less today -- reducing your use by about one-sixth -- there would be room for another 10 millon gallons of sewage in the system. Or 10 million gallons left that ends up in the lake, without being fully treated.

That seems worth the effort. I may give up showers altogether.

Day late, dollar short

Americans for Prosperity, that new, phony "grassroots" group pushing TABOR, TPA, and other right-wing schemes to strangle government in Wisconsin, has gone to the people with a direct mail fundraising effort.

In a six-page appeal letter -- not quite as long as the state constitution -- the group pushes hard for contributions.

Its wish list doesn't quite seem grounded in reality, telling prospective donors that $1,000 will pay for a week of television in a state senate district, $1,500 will pay for yard signs, and $2,400 will fund a Grassroots Training School to teach people how to be prosperous (or something like that.) If this is a group that spends more on yard signs than on TV, there is nothing to worry about.

They say that timing is everything.

The worst news for AFP is that the person who sent it to me received it in the mail on May 4 -- the same day the State Senate was voting to kill the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, the group's main focus.

Is using birth control killing babies?

I thought I was being semi-sarcastic recently when I suggested that some "pro-lifers" would argue that birth control is murder.

But if you read the cover story in Sunday's NY Times, you realize that is not far-fetched at all. Birth control really is a target of some of the fundamentalist conservatives. (Shall we call them funcons? No, because they are no fun; they're anti-fun.) Robola discusses the Trojan War.

UPDATE: Regardless of what the churches preach, large percentages of Catholic and evangelical women use birth control, Think Progress reports.

Who could resist Hookergate?

Molly Ivins:

Hookergate: Poker, hookers and the Watergate building
Malfeasance in government

Congress For Sale: Take action!

AUSTIN, Texas -- Of course I am above sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. So serious a servant of the public interest am I, I can fogey with the best: On my better days, I make David Broder look like Page Six.

I don't care what anyone smoked 20 years ago, I approve of those who boogie 'til they puke, and I don't care who anyone in politics is screwing in private, as long as they're not screwing the public.

On other hand, if you expect me to pass up a scandal involving poker, hookers and the Watergate building with crooked defense contractors and the No. 3 guy at the CIA, named Dusty Foggo (Dusty Foggo?! Be still my heart), you expect too much. Any journalist who claims Hookergate is not a legitimate scandal is dead -- has been for some time and needs to be unplugged. In addition to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, Hookergate is rife with public interest questions, misfeasance, malfeasance and non-feasance, and many splendid moral points for the children. Recommended for Sunday school use, grades seven and above.

Read it all.

One wack job runs for AG; Do I hear two?

If there were any doubt, we now have confirmation that there is one full-fledged wingnut extremist in the Republican primary for attorney general.

Pro-Life Wisconsin's PAC made it official by endorsing JB Van Hollen.

Those folks are the wack jobs of the pro-life movement. They are for no abortions anywhere, anytime, no exceptions, don't care if you were raped and impregnated by a family member, or even that you'll die from the pregnancy.

They're the same nuts who went after the family of a Marine, critically brain damaged in Iraq, calling the family murderers when they finally, reluctantly, followed his wishes and allowed him to die.

WisPolitics reports:

The organization says in a release Van Hollen will defend the state's anti-abortion laws and the First Amendment rights of abortion opponents who protest. PAC director Matt Sande said Van Hollen's GOP opponent, Waukesha County DA Paul Bucher, did not return a survey the organization uses as part of its endorsement process. Pro-Life Wisconsin believes life begins at the moment of conception and opposes abortion in all cases without exception. "This endorsement was coveted by both Republican campaigns and we're now the only campaign with the support of both major pro life organizations in the state," Van Hollen spokesman Brian Fraley said in a statement. Last month, Wisconsin Right to Life endorsed both Van Hollen and Bucher.

What does that mean? That if Roe v. Wade is overturned Van Hollen will gleefully start locking up doctors who perform abortions.

So we know there is one nut case running for AG. We can't say for sure there aren't two.

Paul Bucher was smart enough not to answer their survey. He probably recognizes that their positions are so far out of the mainstream that Pro-Life Wisconsin's endorsement would hurt, rather than help, in the general election. But Van Hollen said Bucher "coveted" their endorsement. Is that true?

Or does he disagree with them? We won't know unless he says something publicly. He is anti-choice enough to share the Wisconsin Right to Life endorsement with Van Hollen. But by Pro-Life Wisconsin standards, that group is awfully squishy. It is even willing to endorse candidates who think there should be exceptions for victims of rape and incest.

If Bucher really wants to let the voters know that he is not as big a fruitcake on the abortion issue as Van Hollen, all he has to do is speak up. He has nothing to lose but the fringe.

Time for a profile in courage? Watch and see.

UPDATE: Conservative bloggers Jim Wigderson and Dad 29 want to know where Bucher stands. Is he wacked out enough to get their support?

Looking Presidential. He couldn't be worse, could he?

-- Matt Davies via Cagle. (Click cartoon to enlarge.)

Green's pal Ney not likely to return

It looks like Mark Green's good buddy Rep. Bob Ney won't be coming back to Wisconsin to campaign for him any time soon.

Ney, who came to Milwaukee awhile back to hold a phony hearing on voter fraud, which was really nothing more than a Green campaign stunt, is a little preoccupied.

UPDATE: Jef Hall asks: Is Mark Graul next?

How will you spend your $20?

All most people need to know about the new Republican tax cut plan, courtesy of the Washington Post:

Middle-income households would receive an average tax cut of $20 from the agreement, according to the joint Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, while 0.02 percent of households with incomes over $1 million would receive average tax cuts of $42,000.

By the time you get your $20, it might buy five gallons of gas. Kind of makes you wish you'd supported the $100 bribe rebate idea last week, doesn't it?

UPDATE: When you see Mark Green, thank him for the 20 bucks -- unless you happen to be Jim Sensenbrenner, in which case you should thank him for the $40,000. F. Jim doesn't release his income, but does issue a net worth statement every year; it's about $11-million now. So the odds are he does make $1-million a year on investments. Or Sensenbrenner could just thank himself, since he voted again to give himself and all of the fattest of the cats another big break. The Wisconsin delegation split 4-4 along party lines as it passed the House by a 244-185 roll call.

Taxes: No problem? No, big problem?

What's the biggest problem facing Wisconsin business and industry?

Did you say taxes? If you did, it wouldn't be surprising, considering all the media attention given to claims of Wisconsin's bad tax and business climate.

In fact, taxes are way, way down the list in a survey of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce members. It's number 7 on the list, with only about 6% of those surveyed saying it's their biggest issue. But 35% of them think taxes is the biggest issue facing the state as a whole.

Paul Soglin dissects the disconnect. Check out the ratings for "lawsuit abuse," too.

Bar Jensen from Capitol -- and no TV, either

Jensen, right, and Foti, in their glory days

"Democrats think a humane prison system should have weight rooms, recreation centers and cable TV, but that religion should stay out. Republicans believe that there is more to be learned about right and wrong from people of faith than there is from a whole season of Jerry Springer.”

-- One of the Teachings of Speaker Jensen from his website.

Scooter's day of reckoning comes next Tuesday, and he may have a different take on prison reform if the prosecutor gets his way.

WisPolitics reports:

[Dane County DA Brian] Blanchard asks that Jensen be sentenced next week to five-year terms on each of the three felonies of which he was convicted. On count one, Blanchard requests 15 to 20 months in prison followed by supervised release for the remainder of the five-year term. On counts two and three, Blanchard requests 12 months in prison followed by 48 months supervised release.

He also asks that Jensen be barred from the State Capitol for five years, to avoid the kind of unseemly event we all witnessed recently with another ex-GOP Assembly leader, Steve Foti, lobbying legislators while on work-release under the Huber Law. Everyone seemed happy to see him, and he didn't have shackles, or even a monitoring bracelet on, as far as you could tell.

I suppose you can't bar Jensen from the Inn on the Park for five years, or prevent him from calling the shots via telephone or Blackberry.

But Step 1 was getting him out of office.

Keeping him out of the Capitol would be an excellent Step 2.

Why pick on Jensen, when four other legislators were convicted? Because none of the others showed the arrogance or lack of remorse that Jensen demonstrated during his three-week trial, which he inflicted on his party and the taxpayers in the mistaken belief that the jury would agree he was above the law.

Back to the Blanchard filing:

"In sum, while Jensen has some favorable character traits, due in part to his apparently strong family ties, when it comes to the matters before the court, Jensen has demonstrated a character of rare and consistent selfishness, arrogance, and deceit, and complete distain [sic] for the rule of law when applied to his own conduct," Blanchard writes. "In this context, he has shown no concern for the public welfare or for the circumstances of the many persons who have, in a number of cases, all too loyally worked for him, while being paid by the public."

I say no cable TV for Scooter. Maybe only a black and white set. Or how about no TV at all?

How many more?

JS Daybook:

TUESDAY, May 9, 2006, 12:19 p.m.

Janesville soldier killed in Baghdad
The Department of Defense just announced that Army Sgt. Nathan J. Vacho, 29, of Janesville, has been killed in Iraq.

Vacho and two other soldiers were killed Friday by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

Vacho was assigned to the Army Reserve's 489th Civil Affairs Battalion in Knoxville, Tenn.

JS suffers split personality on MMSD

Bruce Murphy:

The Journal Sentinel’s attacks on the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District have become so overdone that even the paper’s editorial page has begun to object.

Earlier post: Newspaper of two minds on sewage study.

King Doyle? How about King George?

No foolish consistency at Boots and Sabers. It's the hobgoblin of little minds. Owen Robinson complains about "King Doyle" issuing an executive order about pier regulation.

I guess I missed Owen's outrage when the Boston Globe revealed that King W has used "signing statements" to ignore the wishes of Congress and make his own laws, time after time -- 750 times in all. I know 750 wrongs don't make a right, but here's what a Globe columnist had to say:

Our monarch, above the law
By Scot Lehigh, Globe Columnist

HAS GEORGE W. Bush come to believe he's king?

That's the question that springs to mind upon reading Charlie Savage's front-page report in Sunday's Globe detailing the president's sotto voce assertion that he can disregard laws if he thinks they impinge on his constitutional powers.

That novel claim resides in the ''signing statements" the administration issues outlining its legal interpretation of laws the president has signed -- interpretations that often run contrary to the statute's clear intent.

As Savage reports, Bush has registered hundreds of those reservations, adding them to statutes on subjects ranging from military rules and regulations to affirmative action language to congressionally mandated reporting requirements to protections Congress has passed for whistle-blowers to legal assurances against political meddling in government-funded research.

Bush's position reduces to this: The president needn't execute the laws as they are written and passed, but rather, has the right to implement -- or ignore -- them as he sees fit. (Were it not for our pesky written Constitution, perhaps George II could take his cue from Charles I, dismiss Congress, and rule -- ah, govern -- without any legislative interference whatsoever.)

Even members of the president's own party have balked at that claim.

After Republican Senator John McCain succeeded in passing a ban on the torture of detainees in US custody, forcing it upon an unwilling White House, the president's signing statement made it clear he thought he could disregard the law if he deemed it necessary. That brought a pointed rebuke from McCain and fellow Republican Senator John Warner.

Other presidents have periodically appended signing statements to legislation, setting the objectionable precedent that Bush has followed here. But as Savage reports, this president has taken it to a new level, issuing such statements on more than 750 laws, or on more than 10 percent of the bills he has signed.

Rendering Bush's assertion more worrisome is this reality: Because so much of what this administration does is shrouded in secrecy, it's hard to know which laws are being followed and which are being ignored.

That makes it difficult for matters to ripen into a court challenge, notes Boston attorney Harvey Silverglate. ''He is setting it up so that the people hurt by what this administration is doing are unable to get to court, because it is secret," Silverglate says.

We certainly do know that this president is ready to ignore even established laws if he finds them too cumbersome. Although the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 prohibits warrantless eavesdropping on Americans, Bush has authorized such snooping. In trying to justify that, the administration has claimed that Congress's post-Sept. 11 resolution authorizing force against terrorists somehow imparted the authority for warrantless wiretapping.

That's farfetched, and members of the president's own party have said as much.

Congressional figures of both parties have signaled a willingness to consider the president's concerns with a wiretap-approval process that is already all but pro forma.

The White House, however, has displayed little interest in meaningful compromise.

Bush has a recourse if he doesn't agree with a newly passed law, of course: He can veto it. (So far he hasn't exercised that prerogative even once.)

But the president shouldn't be allowed to quietly disregard or reinterpret provisions of a law he dislikes, for in doing so, he is not protecting his own authority, but rather usurping the legitimate power of Congress. Further, his assumption that it is within his purview to decide whether a law is constitutional treads on ground that is the clear province of the Supreme Court.

Thus far, the Republican congressional leadership has been dismayingly compliant. But one Republican unwilling to let Bush interpret the law as he sees fit is Senator Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Specter, who is pushing legislation to have the closed-door FISA court rule on the constitutionality of Bush's wiretapping program, noted last week that he had filed -- but would not seek an immediate vote on -- an amendment to block funding for any domestic eavesdropping until the administration provides Congress with much more information.

It speaks volumes about the attitude of this White House that a member of the president's own party would have to make such a move to protect bedrock constitutional principles.

Yet it will probably take something much more dramatic than Specter's tentative threat to remind George W. Bush that he's president, and not king.

Quote, unquote

"We must get out of our political foxholes and be willing to clearly and specifically point out what a strategic error the Iraq invasion has been."

-- Sen. Russ Feingold in a National Press Club speech.

Bloggers say: Feingold nails it. and Feingold is absolutely correct.

'No excessive force'

Excessive force? Of course not. He only shot him seven times. The other three missed.

By Georgia Pabst

Bartlett cleared in civil trial over death

A federal court jury has found that fired Milwaukee Police officer Jon Bartlett did not use excessive force, in violation of Larry Jenkins' civil rights, when he shot and killed Jenkins in 2002.

Jenkins' mother, Debra Jenkins, filed a civil suit over the fatal shooting that went to trial two weeks ago . Jenkins, who was unarmed, was a passenger in a car stopped for a traffic violation. He ran and got into a second car, a Lincoln. Bartlett testified he thought Jenkins had car-jacked the Lincoln and was trying to run him down when he shot 10 times into the windshield, hitting Jenkins seven times.

Others in the Lincoln testified at trial that Jenkins, 31, was invited into the car, was seated on the passenger side, and was never in control of the vehicle.

Bartlett, who was on duty at the time of the shooting, was defended by assistant city attorney Susan Lappen. The trial began just a week after a state court jury in a criminal trial acquitted Bartlett and two other ex-officers in the 2004 beating of Frank Jude Jr. That jury could not reach a verdict and one charge against Bartlett, and he faces retrial on that count later this year.

Many Jude supporters attended the week-long Jenkins trial, just as Debra Jenkins had sat through many hearings and the trial in the Jude case. After the verdict was announced this afternoon, she ran crying from the courtroom and declined to comment.

JS spins its website

Or, putting your best face forward. This item showed up on the Journal Sentinel Daywatch online Monday morning:

By Avrum D. Lank

Newspaper circulation slips nationwide

Circulation of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel fell during the 6-month period ended April 30, in line with newspapers nationwide, according to figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

For the period, the Journal Sentinel sold an average of 405,355 papers on Sunday and 235,704 Monday through Friday. Those are down 1.55% and 2.93%, respectively, from the 411,749 Sunday sales and 242,819 weekday sales in the same period a year earlier. Saturday numbers fell to 226,376 from 235,239. The numbers are subject to final audit.

Nationally, Sunday circulation was down 3.1% and weekday 2.6% from the same period a year earlier, according to an analysis of the ABC numbers by the Newspaper Association of America.

That headline didn't quite match the story, so they retooled both the story and headline to find a silver lining:

By Avrum D. Lank

Newspaper circulation slips, Web grows

Circulation of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel fell during the 6-month period ended April 30, in line with newspapers nationwide, according to figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, while the popularity of its Web site, JSOnline, grew.

For the period, the Journal Sentinel sold an average of 405,355 papers on Sunday and 235,704 Monday through Friday. Those are down 1.55% and 2.93%, respectively, from the 411,749 Sunday sales and 242,819 weekday sales in the same period a year earlier. Saturday numbers fell to 226,376 from 235,239. The numbers are subject to final audit.

Nationally, Sunday circulation was down 3.1% and weekday 2.6% from the same period a year earlier, according to an analysis of the ABC numbers by the Newspaper Association of America.

In the past six months on JSOnline.com, the number of page views has grown 29% from 33.7 million in November to 43.6 million in April, with a monthly high of 47.6 million in March, according to data released by Michael Davis, senior editor for Journal Interactive. The number of unique visitors to JSOnline rose from 2.46 million in November to 2.93 million in April, according to Omniture Inc., a Web analytics company

Mark Green needs a call from you

Seriously, on the Voting Rights Act. Renee Crawford has the details.

31%

-- Dwayne Powell, Raleigh NC News & Observer, via Cagle.

Don't let the people decide

Ever notice how the right wing is all for "letting the people decide" when it's some hare-brained idea they support, like the death penalty or discriminating against gays, but are not so interested in the people's opinions about things like ending the Iraq war?

Case in point: Scott Walker, who not only opposes the idea of a new Milwaukee County sales tax, but hates it so much he doesn't even want to let people vote on it.

How Ed Garvey helped elect Herb Kohl

This note from the Capital Times' recent canonization of Ed Garvey had some veterans of Herb Kohl's 1988 campaign chuckling:

Garvey has been more closely associated with the La Follette legacy than any other figure in the past quarter-century. His campaigns for the U.S. Senate in the 1980s renewed the progressive coalition in the state that made possible the victories of Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold. His 1998 campaign for governor, run against odds every bit as daunting as those faced by La Follette in 1924, drew tens of thousands of disaffected voters to the polls - helping to re-elect Feingold to the U.S. Senate and to elect a young progressive named Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. House.

Garvey, who got 11% of the vote and finished third in a four-way primary that year, "made Kohl's victory possible" by running an attack ad on TV -- "Attack of the Brain Polluters" -- that showed people running from monsters with TV sets for heads. The TVs were showing a Kohl commercial.

I'm pretty sure that must be what put Herb over the top in November. They were so bad they probably did help him win the primary.

I don't recall whether Garvey even got around to endorsing Kohl after the primary, and he certainly didn't campaign for him.

Multimillionaire is biggest moocher

I guess I missed this last week, and it's kind of a dog-bites-man story given what we already new about our moneybags Congressman, but Political Money Line has updated its list of Congressional travelers who let private organizations foot the bill. And it's worth noting. Their report:

JOIN CONGRESS - SEE THE WORLD
Part II - Privately Funded Travel

Members of Congress have received over $20 million ($20,396,896) during the last six years traveling around the world at the expense of private organizations.

This includes 640 Members of Congress who made 6,932 trips. Democrat Members took 3,920 trips, Republican Members took 2,994 trips, others took 17 trips.

The analysis of Congressional trips by PoliticalMoneyLine covers gifts of privately-funded travel from 2000 through 2006 as disclosed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.

And the top traveler is ...

Freebie Jim Sensenbrenner.

  Best moment of Bush presidency? Catching a fish.

Hat tip: My DD

Can Scott Walker have it both ways?

First the good news. Milwaukee County isn't going to go bankrupt -- because it's not allowed to, even if it wanted to, Sunday's Journal Slantinal reports.

The bad news is, bankruptcy or not, the county may be insolvent within two years. You don't have to be a banker to know that ain't good.

Fortunately, the editorial board has a solution: The state will just have to bail out Milwaukee County. It's not their boy Walker's fault, they say, so Jim Doyle should just let bygones be bygones and fork over the dough.

Does anyone see any irony in Scott Walker -- champion of freezing taxes at both the state and local level, and a constitutional amendment to enforce it -- asking the state to spend more money to help him out?

He's lucky there isn't some kind of constitutional amendment that would restrict spending and make it impossible to even consider it.

Should we have a statewide referendum on whether to send state aid to Milwaukee? How do you think that would go?

What's Mark Green's plan to help Milwaukee County?

What do Glenn Grothman, Mary Lazich, McSykes, Dan Vrakas, Belling, and friends think about raiding the public treasury?

Can't wait to watch this unfold.

25% of the public approves of the job Congress is doing, a new low in AP-Ipsos polling and down 5 percentage points since last month. How would you like to be a Republican Congressman running for governor?

Did TABOR backers learn anything?

Sponsors of the Stupid Constitutional Amendment To Control All Taxes (sometimes known as SCAT CAT) say they learned a few things in their humiliating defeat in this legislative session.

Steve Walters, their publicity chairman, lists the lessons in the Journal Sentinel. Things like have a better name. Don't start so late. Don't change it every five minutes. Stay away from Colorado.

Here are a couple more, which I'll offer for free: Get a friggin clue. Have a better idea. Don't attack local government. Get out of southeastern Wisconsin and talk to some people. Listen to a different radio station once in awhile. Oh -- and don't wait for Mark Green to offer any help or leadership.

Here's wishing you worse luck next time.

By the way, TABOR opponents learned a few things, too. A coalition of 40-plus groups worked for months to insure the amendment's defeat. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, which supported it, ran campaigns in the districts of six Republican State Senators who were thought to be undecided. (In Walter's story WMC is a "business group," while the opponents are "special interest groups.") The anti-TABOR forces did the same, with radio, mail, phone, and personal contact with Senators in those same six disticts. When the vote came, all six voted no.

Earlier: It's quiet out there post-TABOR.

UPDATE: Owen Robinson offers his analysis of what went wrong, and has sparked quite a discussion among TABOR supporters on Boots& Sabers.

Quote, unquote

"I believe that it was the first counter-attack to World War III."

-- George W. Bush, on the revolt of Flight 93 passengers against their hijackers on 9/11.

Newspaper of two minds on sewage study

After scaring the bejesus out of parents the other day with big headlines suggesting a link between sewage treatment and illness and diarrhea in young children, the Journal Sentinel says in an editorial today people shouldn't overreact to the study that prompted the original story.

A Saturday editorial will get nowhere near the readership the top line scare story did, of course. And it still fails to mention that two of the principals who conducted the study have connections to a group that is suing MMSD -- an important piece of information the newspaper continues to ignore.

But there is this:

What the initial look by researchers at Children's Hospital, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Friends of Milwaukee Rivers found is what the authors call an "association" between bypasses and an increase in the number of emergency room visits by children. A spokesman for the district, which hotly disputed the study, said the authors did not "have a clue" what caused the increase in emergency room visits. He's right. The authors were careful to say that they did not find a cause-and-effect relationship, only that their findings warranted further study.

And this, after several years of stories intended to make MMSD seem incompetent, and treating every sewage overflow as though it is a federal crime:

No one should conclude that the area's sewage treatment is in incompetent hands. There are problems that still need to be fixed, but there are far fewer overflows and dumpings of sewage now than there were in previous years, and water quality is better than it was. Do some overflows and blendings still occur? Yes. Should the district do what it can to reduce that number? Absolutely. Can it eliminate all overflows and blendings? Not unless citizens want to build a system that would bankrupt the region for generations and stifle economic development altogether.

Indeed. Welcome to reality.

In fairness, I should say that the editorial board has recognized the scope of the problem and has been supportive of MMSD's efforts to improve its performance. The newsroom's coverage driven by Managing Editor George Stanley has been consistently unfair and alarmist. And it appears the two are not about to be on the same page anytime soon.

Night raid on vets home funds

NOTE: OK, I have had enough. Since this was posted on May 6, it has provoked a series of inappropriate comments and attacks, both on Gary Fisher and from Gary Fisher. I have deleted and turned off the comments. It is not the way I like to operate, but I find myself in a crossfire of personal attacks on both sides. I am not in the business of offering a free soapbox for people to abuse each other.

I am going to leave this post up. Some people strongly disagreed with what Fisher had to say, but it does not contain the kind of offensive slurs and attacks that many of the comments did.

As a veteran myself, I regret that we can't have a civilized debate. But for whatever reason, whenever Fisher posts something, that appears to be out of the question.

I would invite Gary Fisher and any of his antagonists who feel so passionately about these issues to start their own blogs. It is free and takes about 10 minutes.

Have at it. I am not going to referee. -- Xoff.

---

By Gary Fisher

The shift of $16 million, from the King Veterans Home nursing home to the financially challenged Veterans Trust Fund, has a new title: "interfund transfers" to augment the fund.

The state Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't say much of anything about the transfer of money, but a bill to enrich the trust fund was quietly approved Thursday night after Republican leadership scheduled it for the Assembly floor without reshadowing or fanfare.

Senate Bill 613 passed the Senate in March, but a body armor amendment quickly tabled it. State Rep. Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna, withdrew the amendment at the last minute Thursday so the bill could be taken up by the full Assembly.

Then Majority Leader Mike Huebsch moved to suspend the rules, to allow the transfer of money that could be invested for the future at the King Home to the trust fund account. The original bill draft stated an amount of $16 million to be transferred.

After passing both houses the measure now goes to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle for consideration.

According to fund managers and documents pertaining to the financial performance of the embattled trust fund, the agency has written off at least $1.2 million in defaulted loans within a short period of time.

Nevertheless,John Scocos, secretary of WDVA, cautioned county veterans service officers at the CVSO Association spring conference in Waukesha County of a real possibility the Veterans Trust Fund home loan program may go broke on his watch due to a chronic revenue shortfall.

The trust fund, which also pays some of the agency administrative costs and supports the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, traditionally has been supported through interest payments made on a variety of loans to veterans.

Two major sources of revenue fund the programs and salaries at the WDVA headquarters in Madison, not including the veteran's homes at King and Union Grove. For instance, the VTF Fund 582 consists of revenues primarily from interest and prepayments on personal and home improvement loans, and the primary mortgage home loan programm while Fund 583 is interest and prepayments on mortgage loans.

The bill would also provide "full, free tuition" for qualifying" vets attending the UW System and technical colleges, ensure eligibility for reduced tuition fees for surviving spouses that haven't remarried, and the children of certain deceased veterans.

The measure would also give WDVA more information technology capabilities and staff.

-- Jeff Parker, Florida Today, via Cagle.

News travels slowly

Hmmmm. Where have I read this story before?

Oh, right, here, last Saturday.

I liked it so much, I used it myself. But I credited the source.

Death penalty for ethics violations?

The Republican-run State Assembly, in its final days of the session, killed ethics reform but decided to put a death penalty referendum on the statewide ballot -- in November, of course.

They have no shame. They've already put the gay marriage-partnership ban on the November ballot, and make no bones about the fact they hope it will help them defeat Gov. Jim Doyle.

The death penalty, which Doyle opposes, is simply a second chance to get the yahoos to the polls. Why no advisory referendum on concealed weapons or abortion? Because they'd lose. This isn't about getting the people's opinion; it's about turning out the right-wing base.

How cynical do you have to be to operate that way? And how dumb do you have to think the voters are, not to see what's going on?

Maybe we should consider the death penalty for legislators who violate the state ethics laws. Referendum, anyone?

UPDATE: They are even more cynical and devious than I thought, if that's possible. The Associated Press
reports that three GOP members who were against the death penalty were asked to leave the Assembly chambers so it could pass with a two-vote margin.

It's quiet out there post-TABOR

It's awfully silent in the wingnut cheddarsphere this morning, in the wake of a devastating, embarrassing rejection of the right-wing's legislative centerpiece, a constitutional amendment to limit spending.

It was a terrible idea, ill-conceived and badly managed. Is it a surprise that it was killed 2-1? Republicans with a conscience and a smidgen of common sense could see it was nothing but a gimmick. And enough of them actually believe enough in our system of government to reject this piece of crap (that's a technical term.)

When does the intra-party bloodletting begin? Kevin at Lakeshore Laments draws first blood with a blast at State Sens. Mike Ellis and Rob Cowles.

Others are probably still sharpening their knives.

But the people who most deserve criticism are the ones who tried to foist this terrible idea onto the Republican majority and, ultimately, the people of Wisconsin -- and that includes radio's Belling, McSykes and Company as much as it includes State Rep. Frank Lasee and State Sen. Glenn Grothman. And let's not forget Wis. Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's powerful business lobby, which pushed very hard on the issue.

They should all be red-faced today, after being caught red-handed trying to force-feed some bad public policy to the legislature and the voters.

Someone is probably already working on the next version of this abomination. Don't put it past them to try an extraordinary session later this year if they think they have the votes. That may be one reason not to go ballistic with criticism of GOP leggies who opposed it. So opponents -- and they are legion -- must stay vigilant.

If this bad idea surfaces again, let's drive a stake through it.

UPDATE: Dennis York: Somewhere last night, Mary Panzer opened a bottle of wine, sat back, and smiled. She held strong and refused to put her members through a tortutous vote on a TABOR when she knew it couldn't pass. While it killed her in her district, State Senate Republicans picked up a seat. We'll see if they're so lucky this time.

UPDATE 2: Here's some of the sophisticated analysis and commentary we've come to expect from Dad29.

Senate rejects TABOR 21-11

Steve Walters of the Journal Sentinel writes through his tears that there has been progress on the issue and all but says TABOR will rise again. You can almost hear him gnashing his teeth. He even totes up the spending, just to give the idea a little push:

By Steven Walters

Spending constitutional amendment dies

Madison - A three-year push in the Legislature to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to control government spending died in the Capitol tonight.

On a 19-13 vote, the Senate killed a constitutional amendment that would have tied state spending to inflation and population growth - the latest of about 10 proposals floated the past week by Republicans, who control the Legislature. The Senate also discarded a similar amendment passed by the Assembly, 50-48, last week. [The vote on the Assembly version was 21-11 with Brown, Cowles, Harsdorf, Kepanke, Olsen, Roessler, Lasee and Ellis joining all Democrats in voting no. -- Xoff.]

Plans to limit government spending have made slow progress in the Capitol, however. The Assembly and Senate votes were the first time the full Legislature seriously considered constitutional limits on about $42 billion a year in government spending - $20 billion by state government and $22 billion by local governments.

Oil addiction by the numbers

-- Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News, via Cagle.

Ripped off in toto from the Sierra Club:

BY THE NUMBERS:
GAS PRICES AND CUTTING AMERICA'S OIL ADDICTION

(May 3, 2006)
GAS PRICES

$2.92...Average retail price for regular gasoline, up 69 cents from a year ago.$2,873...Amount average family of four spent on gasoline in 2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey from Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Energy Information Administration.

$3,343...Amount an average family will spent this year, up 75 percent from 2001. (EIA)

$73.75...Price per barrel of crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

RECORD PROFITS

$8.4 billion...ExxonMobil's first-quarter profits in 2006.

$4 billion...ChevronTexaco's first-quarter profits in 2006, up 49 percent from 2005.

$3.29. billion..ConocoPhillip's first-quarter profits in 2006.

$15.7 billion...Combined first-quarter profits of ExxonMobil, ChevroTexaco and ConocoPhillips.

$63.8 billion...combined 2005 profits of ExxonMobil ($36.1 billion), Chevron ($14.1 billion) and ConnocoPhillips ($13.5 billion). (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission data)

HANDOUTS TO AMERICANS VERSUS BIG OIL

$30 million...Amount the top 10 oil companies spent on lobbying in 2005.

$80 billion...in subsidies and tax loopholes to the oil and gas and other polluting energy industries in the energy law signed in 2005. (Taxpayers for Common Sense – www.taxpayer.net)

$7 billion...Amount oil companies would gain over the next five years by avoiding royalty payments for Gulf oil and gas drilling, thanks to an obscure provision in the 2005 energy bill. The costs could soar to $28 billion. (New York Times, March 28, 2006)

$100...Amount some in Congress proposed giving to Americans in the form of a tax rebate later this summer.

$400 million...Retirement package for former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond -- $141,000 a day or $6,000 an hour. (ABC News, 4/14/06)

OIL DEPENDENCE

25...Percentage of world's oil production consumed by the United States.

3...Percentage of world's oil reserves located in the United States. (Energy Information Administration - www.eia.doe.gov)

ARCTIC REFUGE AND AMERICA'S COASTS

1 cent...Amount of savings for consumers at the pump if we drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (.pdf).

20 years...When consumers would see the penny savings.

47 days...Amount of oil from opening up parts of Lease Sale 181 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling.

REAL SOLUTIONS

4 million...The number of barrels of oil per day that the United States would save if fuel economy standards were raised to 40 miles per gallon within 20 years.

$2,200...Amount that the average driver would save at the gas pump over the lifetime of a vehicle if fuel economy standards were raised to 40 miles per gallon over the next 10 years, a conservative estimate based on lower gas prices.

POLL NUMBERS

71...Percentage of Americans who disapprove of the way President Bush is handling energy policy.

82...Percentage of Americans who don't think President Bush has a clear plan for keeping gas prices down.

Blogging to victory?

Randy Koehn is a Democrat who has entered the race for John Gard's to-be-open Assembly seat. No, Koehn lives in Marinette, not Sun Prairie. And he comes to the race with his own blog.

It was just the other day that campaigns started thinking that maybe they should have websites. Now blogs are becoming de rigueur for candidates. Where next?

Quote, unquote

"I would like to personally extend my congratulations to you on your appointment…It is wonderful to know that someone with your talents and knowledge will be serving on this board…”

-- State Sen. Alberta Darling, in a letter to Dr. Michael Rosen of Milwaukee Area Technical College, before voting against his appointment to the Technical College Board.

-- Working for Change. (Click on cartoon to enlarge.)

Catching up on the news

Apparently Ed Garvey died and went to heaven and I didn't hear about it, but the Capital Times ran a nice eulogy today.

Who's paying for these polls?

The Recess Supervisor wants to know who's paying for these Strategic Vision polls that keep telling us how popular Tommy Thompson is? That's a very good question.

The Journal Sentinel's Steve Walters, who wrote about it, doesn't know or care. "The polling company did not identify the sponsor of the poll," Walters wrote. You can't tell from that whether he bothered to call and ask and they refused to tell, or if he just didn't notice a sponsor listed.

In the past, it seems to me, Strategic Vision claimed it didn't have a sponsor, that it was doing polls on its own to try to drum up some business. I'm very skeptical of that, and the news media should be, too.

In fact, responsible journalism would refuse to run those stories without disclosure. And it's not just me who says that.

The National Committee on Published Polls lists the minimum info that a newspaper shouold disclose when writing about polls. Numero Uno is the identity of the survey's sponsor.

The National Council on Public Polling offers 20 questions a journalist should ask about a poll. Number 2 is "who paid for the poll?"

"The sponsor of the survey should always be revealed," says Edison Research.

And the American Assn. of Public Opinion Research -- the pollsters' own organization -- has a code of ethics that calls for disclosure of the sponsor when a poll is made public.

If Wisconsin's news media are going to report on every poll someone slips them -- which seems to be the case -- and treat them all as equally important and reliable, their minimal obligation is to ask who's paying the bill.

Lobby 'reform' provides a fig leaf to Congress

A weak lobbying reform bill, intended to give scandal-plagued Republicans in Congress some cover in the fall elections, narrowly passed the House Wednesday, 217-213. As the Washington Post points out, the bill falls far short of what the GOP promised last January, when Jack Abramoff was convicted of corruption and bribery. As cover, it's more of a fig leaf.

But it's still more than Wisconsin Republicans were willing to do in the legislature. They simply decided not to take up ethics reform.

In the House, eight Democrats broke ranks and voted for the bill, presumably to be able to say they voted for something in the way of reform. Wisconsin Reps. Tom Petri and Paul Ryan voted for it, too.

But Reps. Mark Green and F. Jim Sensenbrenner were among the 20 Republicans who voted no. Green, of course, is running for governor, which has made him more willing in recent weeks to vote against the party leadership -- and which has made the leadership more willing to let him do that, if they know the bill's going to pass anyway. But he has been a consistent, down-the-line party hack loyalist for eight years, and a few votes in the last eight weeks will not change the record.

The House version, of course, is different from the Senate's,which means a conference committee, which means who knows what will be in the final bill?

Rocking against the war

My recent coverage of Bruce Springsteen's Jazzfest gig has brought a reminder that I should not forget Neil Young,right, whose new antiwar album (if that's what we call if these days) is available for free listening on the Internet, which you can do here.

Rolling Stone offers links to some other recent political songs by other artists.

Hat tip: Gretchen Schuldt.