McKinney Camp Now Playing Race Card

Amazed it took this long.

A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black."

McKinney awaited word Friday on whether she would be charged for apparently striking the officer after she entered a House office building this week unrecognized and did not stop when asked.

Two law enforcement officials said it was unlikely a warrant would be issued this week. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Her lawyer, James W. Myart Jr., said, "Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, like thousands of average Americans across this country, is, too, a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin."

"Ms. McKinney is just a victim of being in Congress while black," Myart said. "Congresswoman McKinney will be exonerated."

McKinney / Cop Smackdown

Heh. I'm fairly amused by this.

Capitol Hill police plan to issue an arrest warrant today for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.).

The warrant is related to the incident Wednesday when McKinney allegedly slapped a Capitol Hill police officer.

Charges could range from assault on a police officer, which is a felony carrying a possible five year prison term, to simple assault, which is a misdeamenor.

McKinney has canceled a news conference that she had scheduled for this morning to discuss the incident.

McKinney issued a statement yesterday saying she "deeply regrets" the confrontation with the police officer.

The six-term congresswoman apparently struck a Capitol Police officer when he tried to stop her from entering a House office building without going through a metal detector. Members of Congress wear identifying lapel pins and routinely are waved into buildings without undergoing security checks. The officer apparently did not recognize McKinney, she said in a statement.

Asked on-camera Thursday by Channel 2 Action News whether she intended to apologize, McKinney refused to comment.

"I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now," she said in the statement on her Web site.

Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, engaged in a rhetorical scuffle over the incident.

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday labeled it "a mistake, an unfortunate lack of recognition of a member of Congress." She added that the police officer was not at fault.

"I would not make a big deal of this," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., responded: "How many officers would have to be punched before it becomes a big deal?"

Brewers Fever

I will admit it.

I have Brewers fever.

The international offices of The Markesan Group, LLC will be closed on Monday in honor of the first day of the Milwaukee Brewers playoff hunt.

Bus leaves Wauwatosa at 9:45. I hope to be tailgating by 10am.

Therefore, Dailytakes will also be down for the day. My first official day off from the blog since its inception (although some days have been less than stellar post-wise, I know...)



Me at the Opening of Miller Park.

The Journal Sentinel photog captured this shot at 3:10pm. I believe game time was 7.

Let's hope Monday's game is as exciting as that one was, the tailgate as enjoyable and that the Brewers return to their winning ways after a 14-year rebuilding phase.

Hope springs eternal.

Happy Birthday

Air America is two years old today.

Wish them a happy birthday. It could very well be their last.

UN on IRAN

Stop!

Or, we'll yell stop! Again!

Battle of the Mustaches

vs.
at 10:35pm WITI Fox6 in Milwaukee

Illegal Alien Protests

Many of the marchers ARE anti-American.

From a recent protest regarding US immigration policy:

From a thought-provoking column by Michelle Malkin:

Well, this weekend, militant racism from another protected minority group was on full display. But you wouldn't know it from press accounts that whitewashed or buried the protesters' virulent anti-American hatred.

An estimated 500,000 to 2 million people, untold numbers of them here illegally, took to the streets of Los Angeles to protest strict immigration enforcement and demand blanket amnesty for border violators, visa overstayers, deportation fugitives, immigration document fraud artists, and other lawbreakers. Mexican flags and signs advocating ethnic separatism and supremacy filled the landscape. Demonstrators gleefully defaced posters of President Bush and urged supporters to "Stop the Nazis!" Los Angeles talk show host Tammy Bruce reported that protesters burned American flags and waved placards of the North American continent with America crossed out.

Bet you didn't see that on television.

One of the largest, boldest banners visible from aerial shots of the rally read: "THIS IS STOLEN LAND." Others blared: "CHICANO POWER" and "BROWN IS BEAUTIFUL." (Can you imagine the uproar if someone had come to the rally holding up a sign reading "WHITE IS BEAUTIFUL?") Thugs with masked faces flashed gang signs on the steps of L.A.'s City Hall. Students walked out of classrooms all across southern California chanting, "Latinos, stand up!" Young people raised their fists in defiance, clothed in t-shirts bearing radical leftist guerilla Che Guevera's face and Aztlan emblems.

Aztlan is a long-held notion among Mexico's intellectual elite and political class, which asserts that the American southwest rightly belongs to Mexico. Advocates believe the reclamation (or reconquista) of Aztlan will occur through sheer demographic force. If the rallies across the country are any indication, reconquista is already complete.

Lest you think these ideas are moldy-oldy 1960s' leftovers that no one subscribes to today, listen to Sandra Molina, 16, a junior from L.A.'s Downtown Magnet High School, who complained to the supportive Los Angeles Times: "This is unjust. This land used to belong to us and now they're trying to kick us out."

Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Feingold asks Watergate figure to testify on censure resolution

John Dean. The Dean that makes Howard Dean seem serious by comparison.

This one-trick (Watergate) pony has been saying for two years that Bush should be impeached "There are many things worse than Watergate," he said. "Taking the nation to war in a time when they might not have had to gone to war, and people dying."

So, I wonder what he's going to say at the committee?

Feingold is brilliant, though. He knows how to hit all the media buttons. This should work out quite nicely for him. Who knows, if he plays his cards right, maybe Dean will sign onto an email appeal for Feingold's Progressive Patriot's PAC?

Doyle's Clean Campaign Pledge

Here's the full extent of the Doyle plan for a clean campaign:

State Elections Board Screw Up

Good move.

Rep. Green asks U.S. JusticeDepartment if State ElectionsBoard decision violates Help America Vote Act
Green warns that State Elections Board decision to soften voter registration requirements could lead to “chaos”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday questioning a recent “ill-advised” decision by the Wisconsin State Elections Board to loosen voter registration requirements in the state. Green said he feared that the decision could jeopardize Wisconsin’s compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and create serious voter registration problems leading up to the federal elections later in the year.

Green's letter to the USDOJ.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Prediciton

The justice who replaces Wilcox will be a graduate of either the UW or Marquette Law Schools....

Heh.

Romney Takes on Big Educrats

Massachusetts Governor and potential GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney is touting education reform, directly taking on the teachers' unions. Specifically, he is promoting merit pay.

The governor's bill seeks to upend the status quo in teacher pay and evaluation that has been written into collective bargaining agreements across the Commonwealth. Specifically, it would offer annual bonuses for teachers with a math or science degree who pass the teacher test in their subject, forgo tenure, and receive a satisfactory year-end evaluation. It would also make teachers in all subjects eligible for a bonus upon receiving an exemplary evaluation and empower superintendents to reward teachers who work in low-performing schools. Crucially, the bill would remove teacher evaluation from the collective bargaining process and establish statewide criteria for assessing each teacher's ''contribution to student learning."

While several states and districts nationwide are experimenting with differential pay for teachers, Romney's proposals are noteworthy for their breadth and the size of the proposed bonuses. All told, an effective math or science teacher could receive up to $15,000 a year in three bonuses.

Catherine Boudreau, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, predictably criticized Romney's proposals as ''inequitable, divisive, and ineffective." The MTA denounced the proposal as ''uniquely designed to destroy collegiality in a school," ignoring the fact that performance pay is routine in such other professions as medicine, law, and engineering, not to mention in the Commonwealth's first-rate universities, including those that are unionized by the MTA.

I'm not keen on tying teachers' pay to students' test performance alone, but I do believe in merit pay in the public schools. Empower school boards and principals to determine what consitutes 'high performance.' Good teachers should be paid more, awful teachers should be let go.

Right now, being a member of the teachers' union gives you a ridiculous amount of job security.

FYI, Romney will be speaking at the Republican Party of Wisconsin state convention this May.

Vote Fraud

Be prepared for the left and the MSM to scream "See, there was no vote fraud in Milwaukee!!!!" based on this story.

Feds dismiss double voting charge
Federal prosecutors have dismissed voter fraud charges against a man whose September trial resulted in a hung jury rather than trying the case again, according to documents filed in federal court in Milwaukee.Enrique Sanders, 25, of Milwaukee, was charged with voting twice in the September 2004 presidential race. After an entire day of deliberations, a jury was unable to reach a verdict in Sanders' case."After considering all of the evidence - including the defendant's conduct on pretrial release and the information submitted to the government regarding the defendant's learning disability - the United States does not believe that a retrial at this time would serve the interests of justice," the prosecution's motion to dismiss says.

Of course, they'll ignore all the other overwhelming evidence they don't like.

Stop the Stop Snitching Movement

As I mentioned yesterday...

It's time for a new attitude in Milwaukee.

• Schwartz reiterated the department's belief that people in the area have information on the boys' disappearance but have not come forward.
  
• Family and friends of Raheim Patrick, the 15-year-old boy who was attacked at a bus stop and later died, said they could think of no reason why anyone would want to harm the teen, according to MPS officials who met with his mother and others Thursday night.
  
• During the robbery, which lasted about two minutes, four customers came and went, said Anne E. Schwartz, department spokeswoman. None has come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call (414) 935-7360 or anonymously at (800) 78-CRIME.

The Respect Kampaign is more than a grammatical farce. It's a blight on the city that should be repudiated at every turn.

Holloway

Next week could be interesting.

Also Monday, Holloway's latest appeal in the ethics case was rejected by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz. Holloway had sought to bar the Ethics Board from prosecuting certain counts that allege the chairman used his office for personal gain in a real estate deal with the now-defunct social service agency Opportunities Industrialization Center of Greater Milwaukee.

Holloway contended that those allegations are the province of the district attorney's office, not the Ethics Board.

The Ethics Board is requesting another $150,000 to continue prosecution in the Holloway case. The County Board's Finance Committee is expected to take up the request April 6.

Stay tuned.

Doyle Contract-gate Media Template

The well-rested Dan of the Early Spin gang made a funny.

I’m creating the official Early Spin Jim Doyle Story Template. Anyone is free to use this in any publication. I release all copyright for this post
only.

—————————–

(type of company) Execs Contribute (dollar amount) to Doyle Campaign

Just two (days, weeks, months) (before/after) landing a lucrative state contract that would provide (service) to the state, executives from (company) donated more than (dollars) to the re-election campaign of Governor Jim
Doyle.

According to research done by (research/media group) , none of the people that are listed as giving money from the (in/out) state company have given money to previous campaigns in Wisconsin.

Listed as having given money from the company is CEO ____________the___ (note: If the CEO is married, check records of the spouses name for an identical, large donation) who gave the maximum of $10,000. Also listed as giving money were (list several other employees with smaller, less obvious donations)

“ (insert quote praising Jim Doyle and completely ignoring the issue) “ said Doyle campaign manager (insert current campaign manager) , “and once an investigation has been completed, it will show that there is no pay-to-play with Governor Doyle. (Make sure you do NOT note that the investigation will not happen until after the election)

(this would be a good place to summarize one or two of the 30 or so similar situations)

——————————

this of course is just a template and should be modified for your individual presentation.

Independent Expenditure Guru Rails Against Limits

This was entirely predictable.

Xoff is mocking Mark Green's attempt to limit the power and effectiveness of independent expenditures.

in Greenspeak, a "clean" campaign is one in which the candidate with the most money agrees not to spend it, and both candidates say they abhor independent expenditures, and will penalize themselves if some independent group spends money on their behalf -- which, of course, the law forbids them to control.

This isn't surprising. After all, who is benefiting most from the soft money loophole?

Wisconsin individuals, businesses and tribes gave $194,000 to the Democratic Governors Association, which has given money to a group that has run ads supporting Doyle and criticizing his opponents, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said.

Now, where does the DGA send a lot of their money?

Records filed last week show the DGA, which took in more than $360,000 from Wisconsin firms and tribes last year, turned around in August and poured $300,000 into the Greater Wisconsin Committee - one of those unregulated groups that spend big bucks on political issue ads, without saying who gave them the dough.

And, finally, what is Xoff's day job?

The Democrats have done little more than whimper about the Republicans and their statehouse shenanigans, but, in the form of the Greater Wisconsin Committee the party hopes to take command of the agenda once again and to raise money.

The Greater Wisconsin Committee is a 501 (c) (4) group, established along lines permitting unlimited fundraising while preserving the anonymity of donors.

The 501 (c) (4) is yet another demon unwittingly unleashed by the McCain-Feingold campaign reforms, and it will certainly proliferate with both parties.

...

The behind-the-scenes guy, as always, is Bill Christofferson, who is smart enough to use the outfit to advance the fortunes of his buddy, Governor Jim Doyle, whom he helped propel into the governorship over Tom Barrett. The group,with its statewide focus, will come in handy for Christofferson

Now, none of this is news, per se. But it helps to remind everyone from time to time how the dots are connected.

New White House Chief of Staff

This could turn out to be a good thing.

Bolten to Replace Card As Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House chief of staff Andy Card has resigned and will be replaced by budget director Joshua Bolten, President Bush announced Tuesday amid growing calls for a White House shakeup and Republican concern about Bush's tumbling poll ratings.

Bush announced the changes in an nationally broadcast appearance in the Oval Office.

"I have relied on Andy's wise counsel, his calm in crisis, his absolute integrity and his tireless commitment to public service," Bush said. "The next three years will demand much of those who serve our country. We have a global war to fight and win."

Card, 58, stood stoically with his hands by his sides as Bush lauded his years of service through the Sept. 11 attacks, war and legislative and economic challenges. Gripping the podium, Card said in his farewell: "You're a good man, Mr. President." Card's eyes were watery. Card said he looks forward to just being Bush's friend. Bush then gave him five quick slaps on the back and the two walked out of the Oval Office together.

The libs and many in the MSM will try to make this seem like a White House in turmoil. But the fact is COS is an incredibly demanding job and I believe Andy Card was tired after 5 years at the helm of the staff. He is one of the longest serving chiefs of staff in White House history, for crying out loud, so they should (but won't) cut him some slack.

I've met Josh Bolten. From all accounts he's a good egg. I am sure that Bush will benefit from his fresh perspective, optimism and vigor.

Andy Card deserves our gratitude. He served in an incredibly powerful position during a stressful time of war. As Bolten brings in some new blood and fresh faces, lets hope the new team can build on the experiences of Card and company.

The Bush team needed a shot in the arm. I hope this helps.

Doyle Contract-gate.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The story continues.

Consulting execs give Doyle $45K

Donations made after firms win state contracts

Months after landing lucrative state contracts, executives from two out-of-state consulting firms gave donations totaling nearly $45,000 to Gov. Jim Doyle's re-election campaign.

The donations to Doyle marked the first time that anyone from either company - Chicago-based Equis Corp. and Indianapolis-based Crowe Chizek - gave significant cash to any candidate in Wisconsin, according to an analysis of campaign finance records by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Killer quote:

"Once we started working in Wisconsin, individuals had seen firsthand Gov. Doyle's leadership in transforming Wisconsin's government and they as individuals wanted to support him," she said.

I bet.

Green Campaign Proposal

Press conference is going on right now.

Smart political move.

Policy wise, I dislike the spending limits. But the press damn well better applaud it. They applauded Neumann-Feingold's agreement years ago.

Don't hold your breath, though, if you are hoping Green will receive an even break from the MSM.

Walker Supports Green – Ends GOP Primary

Green starts off general election by calling for clean campaign and spending limits – wants a campaign “the people of Wisconsin deserve.”

WEST ALLIS – In a show of unity, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker joined Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman Mark Green and other GOP officials at a joint press conference in West Allis Monday afternoon.

“Mark Green shares my commitment to lower taxes and higher standards. He’s a proven common sense conservative leader, and he’s going to make a great governor,” said Walker. “I’mproud to support him, and look forward to working with him to restore integrity and fiscal responsibility to Madison.”

Green heaped praise upon Walker, calling him a “leader of a movement,” and said he was certain both of them would serve as governor in the future.

“Scott’s campaign and my campaign have always had the same goal – to give the good people of the state of Wisconsin a governor who shares their values and their priorities,” said Green.

“Thanks to Scott’s selfless act, we are now closer to achieving just that goal. And, as I told him,we are not going to let him down.”

With the primary ended, Green used the occasion to challenge incumbent Governor Jim Doyle to agree to a “clean campaign pledge” that includes spending limits and restrictions on attack ads by independent organizations. Green said there are more than enough issue-based differences between him and Doyle that neither camp should “resort to personal attacks and distortions of the truth.”

“Jim Doyle and I disagree on the Taxpayers Protection Amendment, we disagree on lawsuit reform, we disagree on education reform, we disagree on the perpetual gaming compacts, we disagree on requiring a photo ID to vote, we disagree on the death penalty and we disagree on law-abiding citizens’ right to use a firearm to protect themselves and the people they love,” said Green. “And that just touches on a few of the differences between Jim Doyle and I – voters should be able make their choice based on those issues, not mudslinging.”

Under the terms of Green’s “clean campaign pledge” he and Doyle would agree to:

• Limit spending in the race to $5,536,200 – that’s $1 for every man, woman and child in Wisconsin.
• Request that independent organizations refrain from running negative attack ads aimed at defeating either one of the candidates.
• Each candidate would agree to publicly repudiate any attack ad aired against their opponent by an independent group.
• Each candidate would also agree to reduce their spending limit by the costs of the advertising associated with a negative independent attack against their opponent.

“More than any election in recent history, we have an obligation to set a higher standard for the conduct of our campaign,” Green wrote in a letter to Doyle. “Committing ourselves to reducing the amount of money involved in the governor’s race and keeping to an issue-oriented debate will demonstrate to the public that we are sincere in our efforts to restore their faith in their elected leaders. Wisconsinites deserve no less.”

In October of 2002, then-candidate Doyle called for a clean campaign pledge when that year’s race for governor had become what many described as the most negative campaign in state history. More recently, Doyle said in a January 8, 2006 Appleton Post-Crescent article that he would agree to clean campaign pledge.

“During your 2002 run for governor, you called for a clean campaign pledge in October of that year because the tone of that campaign had became so overwhelmingly negative. Political pundits are already predicting our race will follow the same path,” Green wrote. “Let’s prove them wrong. Let’s take action today to ensure the 2006 campaign for governor meets the high standards and ideals of the office which week seek.”

Green said he realizes neither candidate can stop an independent group from airing negative ads, but he believes the spending limit and the corresponding reduction to that limit for independent attack ads will have a strong effect, writing “those who think they are ‘helping’ us will know their actions will have a detrimental impact on our campaigns.”

“Governor Doyle, let’s give the people of Wisconsin the kind of campaign they deserve,” Green wrote. “Instead of negative ads and nasty rhetoric, let’s focus on our differences of opinion on important issues. You and I offer voters real choices – and that is what we should spend the next seven months discussing.”

Milwaukee Needs This

It's time for a new attitude in Milwaukee.

• Schwartz reiterated the department's belief that people in the area have information on the boys' disappearance but have not come forward.
  
  
• Family and friends of Raheim Patrick, the 15-year-old boy who was attacked at a bus stop and later died, said they could think of no reason why anyone would want to harm the teen, according to MPS officials who met with his mother and others Thursday night.
  
  
• During the robbery, which lasted about two minutes, four customers came and went, said Anne E. Schwartz, department spokeswoman. None has come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call (414) 935-7360 or anonymously at (800) 78-CRIME.

RIP Tom Metcalfe

We have lost a good man.

Civic leader Metcalfe dies; known for achievements in Madison-area business, politics and community life

MONONA -- Businessman and civic leader Tom Metcalfe, who served a record five terms as mayor of Monona and who founded “The World’s Largest Brat Fest” to benefit local charities, died early Sunday, March 26, 2006, at his home in Monona following a long struggle with cancer. He was 70.

Born into a family of grocers, Metcalfe and his family ran stores in the Milwaukee area, Monona and Madison, including the Sentry Foods store at Hilldale, purchased by the Metcalfe family in 1979. The Hilldale store first hosted the “World’s Largest Brat Fest” in 1983; since then, this Memorial Day weekend event has raised more than $500,000 for local charities.

Metcalfe served as mayor of Monona from 1993 to 2003, and during his tenure the city carried out a number of redevelopment projects while broadening its tax base. He was known for his business-like and customer-oriented approach to the job, and was never opposed for re-election after his initial election.

“When I was mayor, I treated people like they were customers in my grocery store,” Metcalfe once said in describing his role as mayor. “I didn’t become mayor of Monona for personal reasons – I was there to represent the interests of the people of Monona. I sought their input, but in the end somebody had to make the decisions. I like to think I made the decisions that were best for the community as a whole.”

Metcalfe was active in many civic or statewide endeavors, including the Madison Ballet, Friends of Monona Terrace, the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Friends of WHA, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Monona Chamber of Commerce, the Meriter Foundation Board, the Madison Exchange Club, the Monona Businessman’s Association and the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau. Metcalfe was a driving force behind the campaign to build the new Monona Public Library.

Long active in Republican politics, Metcalfe ran unsuccessfully in 1996 for Wisconsin Senate against then-Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison. He was awarded the Lyman F. Anderson Local Government Public Service award by the Republican Party of Dane County in 2005.

Metcalfe also served three terms as chairman of the Wisconsin Grocers Association and was elected Wisconsin’s “Grocer of the Year” in 2004.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret, and their children: Mary Lichtfeld of Monona, Mrs. Steve (Tammy) Johnson of Madison, Tim Metcalfe of Monona, Kevin and Tina Metcalfe of Monona, and 10 grandchildren.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and again from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at a location to be announced. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at Door Creek Church, 6602 Dominion, located north of Cottage Grove Road at the intersection of Sprecher Road and Dominion. For full details, check an obituary to be published Tuesday or contact Gunderson Funeral Home at www.gundersonfh.com

The family requests that memorials be considered for one of two organizations:

- The UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, 600 Highland Ave., K4/658, Madison, WI 53792. For more information, visit http://www.cancer.wisc.edu/donations/framedonations.html

- The Don and Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711. For more information, visit http://www.hospicecareinc.com

Missing Boys

Live in Milwaukee?

Best use of an hour today...deliver this poster.

Door to door. Grocery stores. Bus stops. Fast food joints.

Illegal means NOT legal.

I am in favor of documenting temporary immigrants within the auspices of a guest worker program. I also believe we should accelerate the green card and citizenship process and welcome those who wish to work.

But I do not favor amnesty for those who are here illegally.

Nor do I favor attempts to portray efforts to grant such amnesty as a push for 'immigrant' rights, as this lame editorial for the Journal Sentinel does.

Not criminals, just our neighbors

The crowd spilled over Zeidler Park into still thronged streets - an estimated 10,000 to 15,000.

The marchers shouted "Justicia! . . . Ahora!" Justice. Now. As a woman on stilts dressed as the Statue of Liberty walked gingerly among them, they carried signs proclaiming, "We're not criminals."

They were immigrants and descendants of immigrants, all hoping that their message in a huge "A Day Without Latinos" rally in Milwaukee Thursday would be heard in Washington.

Unfortunately, much of Congress, particularly the House, has been hard of hearing on this issue. That must change.

The marchers' message boiled down: Immigration is an issue that involves real people - people who work hard, who pay taxes and whose children and grandchildren will, as immigrant waves before them, provide the country's future teachers, doctors and, yes, patriots.

The marchers also were signaling that House legislation in particular that would label many of them felons is particularly pungent. It would build fences where there should be welcoming arms.

More than ever before, our borders need to be secure.

It is a matter of national security.

"Undocumented" means illegal.

Those in this country illegally have committed a crime and are therefore criminals.

It really is that simple.

Walker on Sykes Tv Show Sunday

Charlie Sykes just announced:

SCOTT WALKER ON SUNDAY INSIGHT

I cut short my vacation and will talk with Scott Walker on Sunday Insight Sunday morning.

The show airs at 10 a.m Sunday on Today's TMJ4.

The entire show will be devoted to a one-on-one about his decision to withdraw, what it means for Jim Doyle, the future of Milwaukee County, and what Walker now plans to do.

Among the questions we discuss: Lee Holloway; who will the GOP run against Herb Kohl; how Green will fare as a candidate; the mood in Camp Doyle; will Walker run for re-election; was he pressured by RNC Ken Mehlman to pull out.... Walker is quite candid in all of his responses.

I know I'll be tuning in.

Christian in Afghanistan to be Released?

Good News!

An Afghan Christian facing possible execution for converting from Islam was likely to be released from jail "soon," a senior government official said following huge Western pressure over the case.

"He is likely to be released soon," the official said, adding there would be a top-level meeting on the matter Saturday.

On Scott Walker

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is a good man who has done many good things for Wisconsin since first being elected to the State Assembly and continuing through his tenure as the head of the largest county in the state.

His campaign, of which I was a part for the first six months of 2005, helped bring many important issues to the forefront. Had things worked out differently, Scott could have been a strong leader for the State of Wisconsin. Perhaps his day may yet come some day.

His abrupt withdrawal from the race for Governor had been rumored for a few weeks. But it comes as a shock nonetheless.

I would expect both Scott and his former opponent, Congressman Mark Green, will handle this exit with class and grace.

Today is a tough day for Scott, his family, his campaign staff and the thousands of donors and supporters who had been working on his behalf for many months.

But it will prove to be an even worse day for one other person.

Jim Doyle.

It's Doyle vs. Green now. Green can continue to build his warchest. He can rearrange his campaign schedule and budget to reflect a seven and a half month general election race. He can direct 100 percent of his attention on Jim Doyle.

As we speak, the Greater Wisconsin Committee folks, the Tribes, the trial lawyers, and WEAC are gearing up to blast Mark Green with the most vile onslaught of negative political advertising Wisconsin has ever seen.

Time will tell if the Green Team is up to the challenge, but one thing is certain. That team got a whole lot bigger, and a whole lot stronger, this afternoon.

More, much more, on this in the hours and days ahead.

Walker Exits Race!

JSOnline is reporting:

Walker withdrawing from governor's raceMilwaukee County Executive says he can't match Doyle's fund raising
By DAVE UMHOEFFER

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is pulling the plug on his bid for the governor’s office, leaving fellow Republican Mark Green a clear shot at incumbent Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle in November.

He planned to make the announcement early this evening during a speech at a Republican Party congressional caucus in Waukesha where Green was also scheduled to appear.

"I give my full support and endorsement to my friend Mark Green," Walker said in a speech prepared for a 5th Congressional District audience at the Country Springs Hotel. He released a copy of his remarks this afternoon to the Journal Sentinel.

Walker, who entered the race officially in January 2005, pinned his withdrawal on a failure to meet ramped-up fundraising goals designed to compete with Doyle’s expected biggest-ever campaign war chest.

"It became clear to me that our fundraising totals would only allow us to run a campaign in a fraction of the 72 counties in this state," Walker said. "In addition, our resources would be so limited that most of it would likely be spent on ads attacking our Republican opponent." He called that an "unappealing option for me" and one that would only bolster Doyle’s re-election hopes.

"In the end I love this state too much to see Jim Doyle elected to another term," Walker said. "A campaign that does not focus on Doyle before the primary will almost certainly insure his re-election. To me, that outcome is unacceptable."

Walker said his campaign fundraising fell short of keeping up with Doyle’s record-setting pace, revealed in the late-January campaign reports. Walker said a new minimum goal he set for the end of March was "unfortunately" not reached.

Walker said he prayed on the decision this week before making it, much as he had before his January 2005 announcement entering the race.

"I believe that it was God’s will for me to run. After a great deal of prayer during the last week, it is clear that it is God’s will for me to step out of the race."

Walker thanked his volunteers, friends and many family members who worked on his campaign. Walker, whose current four-year term as county executive ends in 2008, made no mention of any future political plans.

Green, the congressman from Green Bay, entered the race last year with a fundraising lead over Walker by virtue of a $1.3 million fund transfer from his congressional campaign account. Green, from his base in northeastern Wisconsin, has paved the way for a gubernatorial bid for several years. He demonstrated a broader geographical reach in his fundraising last year than Walker, according to campaign finance records.

Now with Walker stepping aside, Green is free to concentrate on his Democratic opponent, and can better attempt to match Doyle’s stated fundraising goal of $12 million.

Walker noted that he and Green had worked together on truth in sentencing and other issues as state legislators in the 1990s.

The Wauwatosa Republican’s gubernatorial campaign was from the start the subject of constant speculation that it would lack staying power against Green, who had traveled the state for years in anticipation of the 2006 campaign. Walker was also fighting against the widely held perception that a Milwaukee-based candidate could not win the governor’s seat. He tried to counter that by arguing that he would draw new GOP voters out of Milwaukee as a Republican on traditionally Democratic turf. He won the exec’s job in 2002 after a pension scandal forced his processor, F. Thomas Ament, from office.

Fresh off his re-election as county executive in 2004, Walker planned a run for governor.

Starting last winter, he pounded the campaign trail statewide with an anti-tax message and frequent potshots at Doyle over ethics issues, spending and other matters.

Walker nearly matched Green’s fundraising in 2005, giving him a boost, but he said he ultimately concluded that his future fundraising would not be enough.

Some Republican Party insiders have publicly expressed their desire to avoid a contentious and expensive September primary that could have played into Doyle’s hands.

Their fears may have been confirmed in early March when Walker for the first time went directly after Green in radio ads aired statewide, leading to a heated exchange in which Green accused Walker of starting his campaign "by telling a lie." Walker’s ad lumped Green and Doyle together for breaking their promises on holding the line on property taxes. The issue involved the state’s commitment to pay for two-thirds of local public school costs.

In December, after nearly a year of campaigning, Walker acknowledged that Green was better-financed, better-organized statewide and might be winning over more party insiders and officials.

But he vowed in a year-end interview to run as an underdog battling party insiders. He steadfastly declared his intention to stay in the race, saying he was best positioned to take on Doyle.

On Friday, as he bowed out, Walker said: "I thought that I would make one heck of a good governor."

Blog Summit Webcast

The much-anticipated webcast is here.

Final Early Spin Temp Gig

I have to admit, I've had a lot of fun this week. Today, in addition to our already full program, I conducted a brief interview with RNC Chair Ken Mehlman. We spoke briefly about Feingold, President Bush, and the war in Iraq.

Tomorrow morning, my final at the helm of the Early Spin, will be a busy one.

6:17: UW Student and Blogger Jenna Pryor will talk to us about the Board of Regents' opposition to the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights

7:05: Mark Fainaru-Wada & Lance Williams, reporters from San Francisco Chronicle and authors of "Game of Shaddows," will chat with us regarding the Barry Bonds steroid controversy.

7:17: It's the IOWA (Idiot of the Week Awards). Stiff competition this week.

8:05: Ray Robinson, military operations research analyst with a defense contractor in aviation and missile research. Most recently he worked as a contractor for DIA with the Iraqi Survey Group. Ron will talk about recently released Saddam tapes.

That, plus my commentary on various news items (including the pro-illegal alien rally), occasional calls on the issues of the day, plus the regular Spinformation Updates and Cut Throat Sports.

Hope you can tune in tomorrow between 5:30 and 8:30 am.

Media Bias

Deep-rooted media bias and hatred toward Republicans makes me sick. I'm going to puke.

Doyle Soft Money Machine Primed

Looks like the Greater Wisconsin Committee will be well-funded indeed.

Leading the list of 527s that received Wisconsin contributions (Table 1) was the Democratic Governors Association which accepted $194,000 from 12 contributors in 2005. The group’s Wisconsin benefactors included longtime Democratic supporter Daniel Bader of Milwaukee and Kenosha businessman Dennis Troha who contributed $50,000 each. Troha and his family are Democratic Governor Jim Doyle’s leading contributors. Troha has partnered with the Menominee and Mohegan Indian tribes to build a controversial $800 million casino in Kenosha. The controversial project needs federal government approval, and then Doyle’s blessing. Three Wisconsin tribes – the Oneida, St. Croix and the Stockbridge Munsee – contributed another $28,000 to the Democratic Governors Association.

As usual, the goo goos at the Wisconsin Demcorats' Campaign downplay the information.

Summerfest

I find great humor in this.

M & I to sponsor Summerfest's Classic Rock Stage

Milwaukee World Festival Inc. announced today that M&I Bank will become the title sponsor of the Classic Rock Stage at Summerfest.

In addition, Fiduciary Management Inc. of Milwaukee will serve as an associate sponsor for the stage on the south end of the Henry Maier Festival Park adjacent to the Marcus Amphitheater.

Don Smiley, president and chief executive officer of Milwaukee World Festival, which operates Summerfest, said, "I am thrilled to welcome M&I and Fiduciary Management as marketing partners. M&I, Fiduciary Management and Milwaukee World Festival Inc. are not only Milwaukee institutions, but also recognized nationally as leaders in their respective industries. This partnership demonstrates our mutual commitment to provide quality and value to music fans in Milwaukee and the nation."

In addition, the Classic Rock Stage will again be supported by associate sponsors FM radio stations 96.5-WKLH and 97.3 The Brew, as well as Miller Lite."

As title sponsor of the Classic Rock Stage, M&I will be supporting a popular Milwaukee tradition," said Dennis Kuester, chairman and CEO of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. "This is an unique opportunity for us to be part of the world's largest music festival."

"Fiduciary Management Inc. is extremely excited at having the opportunity to partner with two of Milwaukee's finest institutions in M&I Bank and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.," said Ted Kellner, chairman and CEO of Fiduciary Management.

Classic Rock: Sticking it to the Man. Sponsored by, well, the man.

:)

Huge Milwaukee Protest for Illegal Alliens

Looks like I won't be leaving work early today after all.

From JSOnline's DayWatch:
Marchers took to the streets this morning on Milwaukee's south side as part of the "A Day Without Latinos" demonstration. Milwaukee police estimated the crowd at more than 10,000 people.

The demonstration began at Voces de la Frontera on S. 5th St. and moved across the 6th St. Viaduct to Zeidler Park. The marchers are protesting legislative efforts that target undocumented immigrants. Photo from J/S Online by Mark Wilke

They are undocumented because they are not legal aliens.

I don't object to legal immigration. Coming to America to pursue your dreams is what this country is all about. There are ways to do this, legally.

Perhaps we need a more broad guest worker program, but we can not condone lawbreaking.

Whiny Babies Grow Up Conservative?

I guess I'm just whining here, but...

Did you see this study?

Whiny children, claims a new study, tend to grow up rigid and traditional. Future liberals, on the other hand ...

Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative.

At least, he did if he was one of 95 kids from the Berkeley area that social scientists have been tracking for the last 20 years. The confident, resilient, self-reliant kids mostly grew up to be liberals.

The study from the Journal of Research Into Personality isn't going to make the UC Berkeley professor who published it any friends on the right.

Similar conclusions a few years ago from another academic saw him excoriated on right-wing blogs, and even led to a Congressional investigation into his research funding.

But the new results are worth a look. In the 1960s Jack Block and his wife and fellow professor Jeanne Block (now deceased) began tracking more than 100 nursery school kids as part of a general study of personality. The kids' personalities were rated at the time by teachers and assistants who had known them for months. There's no reason to think political bias skewed the ratings — the investigators were not looking at political orientation back then. Even if they had been, it's unlikely that 3- and 4-year-olds would have had much idea about their political leanings.

A few decades later, Block followed up with more surveys, looking again at personality, and this time at politics, too. The whiny kids tended to grow up conservative, and turned into rigid young adults who hewed closely to traditional gender roles and were uncomfortable with ambiguity. The confident kids turned out liberal and were still hanging loose, turning into bright, non-conforming adults with wide interests. The girls were still outgoing, but the young men tended to turn a little introspective.

It got a fair amount of attention. Again, I may be whining, but take a look at the political causes/candidates this professor has backed in recent years.

h/t the corner

9/30/2003, $2,000, Dean, Howard
6/30/2003, $2,000, Kucinich, Dennis J
11/17/2004, $1,000, Council for a Livable World
3/2/2004, $500, America Coming Together
4/7/2004, $500, America Coming Together
4/23/2004, $500, Democracy for America
3/1/2004, $500, Obama, Barack
5/15/2004, $500, Moveon.org
1/28/2005, $250, Progressive Vote
7/12/2004, $250, Michaud, Mike
10/17/2003, $250, America Coming Together
1/12/2004, $250, America Coming Together
10/29/2004, $250, Boyda, Nancy E
4/28/2004, $250, Boyda, Nancy E
10/25/2004, $250, Ross, Dave
6/17/2004, $250, Farmer, Nancy
6/24/2004, $250, Castor, Betty
9/13/2004, $250, Romero, Richard M
9/14/2004, $250, Castor,Betty
10/26/2004, $250, Castor, Betty
11/1/2004, $250, Carson, Brad R
7/16/2004, $250, Babbitt, Paul
7/16/2004, $250, Wetterling,Patty
10/25/2004, $250, Jennings, Jon Paul
6/2/2004, $250, Salazar,John
10/23/2004, $250, Wetterling, Patty
10/12/2004, $250, Barrow,John
10/12/2004, $250, Higgins, Brian M
10/12/2004, $250, Schrader,Virginia Waters
10/12/2004, $250, Sullivan, James M
7/13/2004, $250,Murphy, Lois
7/16/2004, $250, Murphy, Lois
8/27/2004, $250,Moveon.org
10/12/2004, $250, Gallagher, Tom
10/7/2004, $250, Schwartz,Allyson
10/7/2004, $250, Keever, Patricia
10/13/2004, $250, Bean, MelissaLuburich
10/13/2004, $250, Driscoll, Joseph Edward
8/3/2004, $250,Tenenbaum, Inez
10/8/2004, $250, Tenenbaum, Inez
5/24/2004, $250,Connealy, Matt
4/29/2004, $200, Herseth, Stephanie
8/2/2004, $200, Boyda,Nancy E
10/5/2004, $200, Herseth, Stephanie
8/4/2004, $200, Democracy for America
8/3/2004, $200, Feingold, RussellD
8/21/2004, $200, Romero, Richard M
8/26/2004, $200,Feingold, Russell D
8/19/2004, $200, Babbitt, Paul
8/19/2004,$200, Murphy, Lois
5/31/2005, $500, Nader, Ralph
12/9/2004, $500, Nader, Ralph
5/14/2004, $250, Carnahan, Russ
2/27/2004,$2,000, Nader, Ralph
10/15/2004, $250, Mitakides, LouellaJane
7/31/2004, $200, Herseth, Stephanie

Bias? Nah.

Peace Activists: Rescuers to Blame for Kidnapping

Earlier today, Owen posted this story over at Boots and Sabers:

Multinational forces freed three Western hostages early Thursday in a military operation, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the captives were rescued in the joint U.S.-British operation in rural area northwest of Baghdad, between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles north of Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles from downtown.

British officials in Baghdad said those freed were Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32; and Briton Norman Kember, 74. The men — members of a Chicago-based Christian peace activist group — were kidnapped on Nov. 26 along with their American colleague, Tom Fox, 54, whose body was found earlier this month.

He then wrote:

I hope that these peace activists have an appreciation for the American and British troops who risked their lives to save their butts.

Owen, my friend, you should have known better!

Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community. Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.

We rejoice in the return of Harmeet Sooden. He has been willing to put his life on the line to promote justice in Iraq and Palestine as a young man newly committed to ctive peacemaking.

We rejoice in the return of Jim Loney. He has cared for the marginalized and oppressed since childhood, and his gentle, passionate spirit has been an inspiration to people near and far.

We rejoice in the return of Norman Kember. He is a faithful man, an elder and mentor to many in his 50 years of peacemaking, a man prepared to pay the cost.

We remember with tears Tom Fox, whose body was found in Baghdad on March 9, 2006, after three months of captivity with his fellow peacemakers. We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together. Our gladness today is ade bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join in the celebration. However, we are confident that his spirit is very much present in each reunion.

Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict. They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance. We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months. We pray for strength and courage for ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for justice and peace.

Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day
after day. We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.

During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?

With Tom’s death, we felt the grief of losing a beloved friend. Today, we rejoice in the release of our friends Harmeet, Jim and Norman. We continue to pray for a swift and joyful homecoming for the many Iraqis and internationals who long to be reunited with their families. We renew our commitment to work for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God’s compassionate love to show us the way.

You read that right. These 'peace activists' were 'released' not 'rescued' by the 'illegal occupiers.' They express compassion for the enemy but not appreciation for their liberators.

Outrageous.

Send 'em back.

Alert Level Raised to HIGH

After last night's appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, I am beginning to think Feingold is starting to believe his own hype.

Therefore we are raising the alert level to HIGH.

Please take the appropriate cautions.

Be wary the spread of fawningus press sycophanti.

If he's cool enough for Jon Stewart, he's cool enough for magazine covers now, baby.

Repeat, the alert level is now placed at:

HIGH

Very Early Spin and a Look at Prison Overcrowding

Between my real job and my guest hosting gig on the Early Spin, I realize blogging has been a bit scarce this week.

There's a lot more prep work to a radio show than you would imagine and it's cut into computer time...

In any event, I was able to talk about blogging, just in passing, this morning. I gave a shout out to a few fellow bloggers whose sites I regularly visit and from which I gleaned material this week. Sorry that I missed mentioning many of you.

Tomorrow's show is shaping up.

We'll be following on up the case of the two missing boys and the convenience store shooting in Milwaukee where eyewitnesses have eluded police.

And, at 7:05, I'll talk to State Senator Scott Fitzgerald about his concerns regarding over crowding.

Hope you get a chance to listen in.

Prison Overcrowding a Ticking Time Bomb
Doyle decision to bring back out-of-state inmates without space for them has put correctional officers at risk

[Madison, Wisc....] Last May, Governor Doyle announced his decision to return all out-of-state inmates to Wisconsin, despite rampant prison overcrowding. Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R - Juneau), co-chairman of the legislature's Joint Committee on Finance and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Corrections, criticized the move at the time and said it would make prisons more crowded and less safe. Recent events have shown this prediction to be true.

"Governor Doyle and the legislators who applauded his decision to add to the prison system's dangerous overcrowding need to look themselves in the mirror and ask if they're really doing what's best for Wisconsin," Fitzgerald said. "We're at a crisis point in our correctional system and if we don't do something soon, it's only going to get worse."

Yesterday, correctional officers at the Kettle Morraine Correctional Institute rallied to protest a series of violent incidents. In separate incidents over the last five weeks, one officer was punched in the face and had his jaw broken by an inmate; three inmates smashed their way through a prison unit in an attempt to take control from guards; a female officer was attacked through her office window; and an officer had a threatening note slipped under his office door by gang members.

In response to the incidents at Kettle Morraine, the prison was locked down for a brief time and three inmates responsible for an incident on March 13th have been transferred to the former Supermax facility in Boscobel. But Fitzgerald says serious action needs to be taken to address the problem.

"How many more correctional officers need to be attacked or injured before the Doyle administration recognizes that prison overcrowding is a serious problem and takes action?" Fitzgerald said. "Refusing to consider building a new prison or sending inmates back out of state is madness. We've got a ticking time bomb in our prison system that's waiting to explode, and failing to tackle it head-on isn't going to do anything but make the situation worse."

The Kettle Morraine Correctional Institute is almost 50% over capacity and the total population system-wide at adult correctional facilities is currently more than 30% over capacity.

Double Check Your Google

More employers are using google to do research on job applicants.

Women and men have been known to google new aquaintences.

Please be careful and double check your results, though.

Mistakes do happen.

Governor owns a business?

Milwaukee County Executive, right wing?

Racing to lead Wisconsin?

Doyle's hand-picked AG candidate?

What's the 1994 GOP US Senate nominee up to?

Proof the Blogger of the Year is a Republican


Just be careful, is all I'm sayin'

Missing Milwaukee Boys

We featured these two on the show the last two days.

Long shot, but beats no shot.

Check out Ragnar.

Doyle Poll Numbers Continue Slide

Four months of declining topline numbers = trend.

Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Southeast Wisconsin...more bad news for Diamond Jim.

Full Poll Results.

The killer?

48 percent of independent voters disapprove of the job he is doing, 39 percent approve.

The one "high spot" ??? for Doyle.

Those who never go to church support him 46-42 %.

Which is too bad, because with numbers like that, he needs his supporters to hit their knees and pray!

You can see the downward trending here.

Dems Have No Agenda

Only two more mornings of getting up at 3:00 am.

We had Susan Estrich on the show today. We discussed the current state of the national Democrat agenda....well, the fact that there is none.

We spoke at some length about Iraq as well.

While she agreed that the Feingold censure stunt was merely a part of his presidential campaign, she lamented the fact that the Democrats can not coalesce around one particular strategy in response to the Republicans.

While she got in as many shots as she could about Bush's low approval rating, she agreed with my assessment. "You can't beat something with nothing."

She made some comments about Bush's Iraqi policy that I'll refute later today if I can find the time.

I think I may need to take a damn nap.

Davis Will be Opening Day Starter

Sheets on shelf as Brewers tab Davis to pitch on Opening Day.

From JSOnline's DayWatch:

Left-hander Doug Davis will start for the Milwaukee Brewers in the season opener against Pittsburgh April 3 at Miller Park, manager Ned Yost announced today.

Davis, who had been slated to start the second game, will take the place of right-hander Ben Sheets.

Yost said today that he expects Sheets to begin the season on the disabled list as he recovers from a strained muscle in his back.

Sheets, who will throw on the side Wednesday, is making good progress and could throw in a minor-league game by the end of the week. Yost said today that he expects Sheets to start the season on a minor-league rehab assignment, possibly with Class AA Huntsville.

"He's definitely moving forward,'' Yost said of Sheets. "But, he's not extended enough to be ready to go. We have to get him extended.''

Yost did not offer a guess as to when Sheets will be ready to throw in a spring game, much less the regular season. "We'll just have to see how he feels after he throws (Wednesday) and go from there,'' he said.

Bush Press Conference

This exchange between the President and Helen Thomas at today's press conference will surely make it on the evening cable news shows. Keith Olbermann will talk about how brave Thomas was for taking on the President so strongly and will rip the President for bringing up 911 again...

Frankly, she was rude and confused.

I think Bush handled it with class.

Here's the transcript:

THE PRESIDENT: Helen. After that brilliant performance at the Grid Iron, I am -- (laughter.)
Q You're going to be sorry. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, then, let me take it back. (Laughter.)
Q I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet -- your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth -- what was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil -- quest for oil, it hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?
THE PRESIDENT: I think your premise -- in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist -- is that -- I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect --
Q Everything --
THE PRESIDENT: Hold on for a second, please.
Q -- everything I've heard --
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, excuse me. No President wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We -- when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I'm never going to forget it. And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.
Part of that meant to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that's why I went into Iraq -- hold on for a second --
Q They didn't do anything to you, or to our country.
THE PRESIDENT: Look -- excuse me for a second, please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That's where al Qaeda trained --
Q I'm talkingabout Iraq --
THE PRESIDENT: Helen, excuse me. That's where -- Afghanistan provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That's where they trained. That's where they plotted. That's where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.
I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That's why I went to the Security Council; that's why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world said, disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences --
Q -- go to war --
THE PRESIDENT: -- and therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world. And when he chose to deny inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did, and the world is safer for it.
Q Thank you, sir. Secretary Rumsfeld -- (laughter.)
Q Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT:
You're welcome. (Laughter.) I didn't really regret it. I kind of semi-regretted
it. (Laughter.)
Q -- have a debate.
THE PRESIDENT: That's right. Anyway,
your performance at the Grid Iron was just brilliant -- unlike Holland's, was a
little weak, but -- (laughter.)

The full press conference, here.

Esenberg on Feingold

Rick Esenberg has done a fantastic job analyzing the Feingold censure stunt.

But today's quick hit might be his best.

Further to the post below, Xoff thinks McCarthyism is a Wisconsin tradition.

Let's see. McCarthy was a junior Senator from Wisconsin with national ambition. He accused people who he disagrees with of being criminals. He wished to try these people in the press or on the floor of Congress, rather than in a court of law. He made accusations he couldn't back up.

RNC Feingold Ad

Here’s the Republican National Committee’s new ad, which targets Russ Feingold over his censure stunt.

As I mentioned on the Early Spin this morning, I understand the concept of rallying the base; however, the real time Wisconsin Republicans needed the RNC to hit Feingold was July-November of 2004.

Walker / Feingold Media Double Standard

Besides inching the advisory system closer to HIGH, this story also made me laugh.

The first questioner lauded Feingold, got on one knee, and then prayed that the senator become president. Feingold, clearly embarrassed, gently told the man, "Oh, don't do that."

Tina Mullen, 40, said she had two questions. "Are you running for president," she asked. Feingold quickly replied: "What's the other question?"

Mullen asked if a woman or minority could be elected president. Feingold agreed that such a groundbreaking event might occur and said that America is poised for dramatic change.

In an interview, he fielded inevitable questions about his presidential prospects and stuck with his stock answer that he'll review his options after the mid-term elections in November. He said he wasn't using the censure issue to boost his presidential prospects.

"Let's face it, did I vote against the USA Patriot act so that I could run for president? Did I vote to hear the evidence in the (Bill) Clinton (impeachment) trial so that I could run for president? I'm a Wisconsin independent. I call them as I see them. I do what I think is right. If that means people want me to be a senator, great. If they don't, fine. If it means that I might run for president, we'll see. But I don't make my decisions based on that kind of thing."

Now, it is only natural for Feingold to answer questions about his presidential aspirations. A reporter would also have to be a complete idiot not to post the question. Even though the event was a part of Feingold's official duties, politics is always in play (Especially with Russ).

However, remember all the hubbub over Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's fielding of a question about his gubernatorial race during the 'infamous' Harley ride last year? Besides outrage over the tourism promotion angle, Democrats and their allies in the media were aghast that Walker would answer a question about his run for governor. They argued it was improper that he answer campaign questions while he was doing his official duties.

No double standard here.

Herb Kohl Versus????

National Review's John Miller nails it.

WISCONSIN: Republicans haven't found an excellent challenger to take on Democratic senator Herb Kohl, and it's getting kind of late in the game. LIKELY
DEMOCRATIC RETENTION

His full Senate outlook, here.

Tim? Margaret? Anyone?

DNR Would Crack Down on Cruising

Milwaukee Police are having a hard time keeping up with teens and young adults cruising down city streets in the wee hours of the morning.

79 arrested for weekend cruising
Milwaukee police arrested 79 people over the weekend for cruising when hundreds of cars gridlocked parts of the north side, police said this morning.In response, police are taking a new step: taking down license plate numbers and sending a letter to the owners of those cars telling them their vehicle was part of a cruising problem, said Anne E. Schwartz, department spokeswoman.

The cruising starts about 2:30 a.m. after bars close. Groups form up outside the clubs, which often are on North Ave. and go north from there, Schwartz said. The cars block traffic and some were driving up on sidewalks near N. 60th St. and W. Capitol Ave., she said.

Hundreds of cars idling for hours? I say we should get the DNR on the case.

According to the partners for clean air:

• You will save more gas by turning the engine off and restarting it again if you expect to idle for more than 30 seconds.
• By avoiding long idles you will prevent pollution.
• Idling can consume as much as a gallon of gas per hour. Idling also wastes more fuel than restarting the engine.
• Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust systems.

As we know, the DNR has no problem with aggressive enforcement.

Let us then institute "Ozone Action Nights" and let the DNR take care of the cruising problem.

Keep the streets, and our, air clean.

Well, beats mailing out nasty notes.

Squawking About Talk Radio

Back from the studio, and back to work. In a nice case of symmetry, my Milwaukee Insight column centers on talk radio.

The power of talk radio does not rest in the hands of the hosts. It rests in the minds of the listeners.

Do these shows generate calls into legislative offices? No doubt. Yet, these calls are the result of constituents exercising their democratic right to choose to voice their opinion. Isn't this something to celebrate?

Does the Wisconsin State Journal want legislators to discern the motivation behind every letter, phone call, fax or e-mail they receive?

Say it was even possible. A teacher calls at the behest of her union. A husband sends an e-mail at the urging of his wife. A college student is motivated to show up to a town hall meeting after a discussion in his dorm. A business owner meets at the Capitol at the urging of his professional association. Are any of these contacts more or less significant than ones motivated by a half-hour call-in segment on a talk radio show?

As an aside, it's beyond me how anyone can bemoan both low voter turnout on Election Day and also be disgusted when thousands upon thousands of people are motivated to contact their government representatives.

Elected officials who are upset over receiving swarms of constituent contacts should consider another line of work--one where the will of the people is not so important. I wouldn't suggest talk radio, though. Because, unlike politicians who can turn a deaf ear to the voices of constituents for years before having to be judged, for those in talk radio, every day is Election Day.

Every day, the squawkers' constituents vote on whether or not to tune in.

Read it in its entirety, here.

Early Spin Reminder

I'll be subbing on NewsTalk 1130 WISN's Early Spin program all week.

Tune in frm 5:30 am to 8:30 am all this week.

Feel free to email me with topic ideas.

Feingold Advisory Alert

Based on the extensive conversations on the Sunday morning talk shows, and particularly the comments of The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday, we are raising the Advisory Level to

YELLOW/ELEVATED.

WEAC Speechless Over Virtual School Verdict

When was the last time the teachers' union leadership was speechless?

Heh.

Ruling supports virtual schools
Teachers union loses in Ozaukee court
A judge has handed a victory to virtual schools and the parents who use them to school their children at home - and a defeat to the state's largest teachers union.

DPI was originally a defendant in the case, but (not surprisingly) took the union's side in the dispute shortly after WEAC filed their complaint.

Paul Barnett, a state attorney representing the department, said state education officials have not yet decided whether to appeal McCormack's ruling. Lucy Brown, an attorney for WEAC, did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

Northern Ozaukee's K-8 virtual academy was launched in 2003, a year after the Appleton Connections Academy opened. The virtual academy's students and staff are spread throughout the state, logging on to school-provided computers to attend or teach classes.

In his ruling, McCormack said the school's partnership of parents and teachers falls within the broad authority of the School Board to determine what's best for its students. Also, he ruled, state laws don't require teachers to spend a certain amount of time in the same room with students.

On the other issues, McCormack affirmed that the virtual academy was located, for legal purposes, at School District headquarters. WEAC had argued that the school was located where its students are - online. McCormack said that was "patently absurd."

He also ruled that the open enrollment program does not prohibit students from using the Internet to receive a public education. As evidence, he cited the Assembly's failure to pass a 2001 bill that would have banned students from using the program to sign up for virtual schools.

Alyson Zierdt, an attorney who represents the district, said the judge's findings closely track the district's arguments.

"I think he did a nice job of recognizing that the parents here and the teachers have distinct but complementary roles," Zierdt said. "They're really both contributing in different ways to the education of the students."

WEAC and the department have 90 days to file an appeal. But McCormack's ruling would put the district at an advantage in any appeal, Zierdt said.

"It's a very good start," she said.

"It will give the Court of Appeals and perhaps the Supreme Court something to work with."

A very good start, indeed.

A victory for advocates of educational options for families. A victory for local school boards who wish to control their own districts. Finally, a victory for everyone who enjoys seing WEAC spanked in court.

WEAC DEALT HUGE BLOW

WEAC loses.
School stays open.
The Coalition members are happy today.
They're clients, and I am happy for them as well.

WEAC Fails in Attempt to Close Virtual School

Teacher’s Union Had Sued to Close Northern Ozaukee School

[Madison, Wisc…] The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families is applauding a judge’s decision to thwart the state teacher’s union’s attempt to close one of Wisconsin’s pioneering on line public virtual schools.

“WEAC tried to close down a public school and the judge said ‘No Way!’” said Rose Fernandez, President of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families. “This is a tremendous victory, not only for the Coalition and families who use public virtual schools, but for all families in Wisconsin who want to make sure they have a variety of educational opportunities from which to choose.”

In January of 2004, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) filed a complaint in Ozaukee County Circuit Court against the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), the Northern Ozaukee School District, and the State Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in an effort to shut down the school. They argued that parental participation was too significant. DPI, although it originally had approved the charter school, took the union's side in the dispute in December.

Today, Judge Joseph McCormack issued a summary judgment in favor of the school district and rejected WEAC and DPI’s motions.

WIVA is a public charter school, part of the Northern Ozaukee School District. Students enrolled in WIVA live in communities throughout Wisconsin and learn at home via the Internet with the help of their parents. Certified teachers provide instruction, monitor student progress and oversee the learning process.

The Coalition was first formed in response to the lawsuit and had warned that an adverse ruling in the WIVA case could have severe ramifications for virtual schools and distance learning programs across Wisconsin.

The complaint by WEAC officially questioned the "moral character" of parents who participate in public education, a legal maneuver that threatens the right of every parent in Wisconsin who seeks to participate in their child's education. The Coalition filed an Amicus brief in the matter last year.

“We will continue to be advocates for online public education,” said Fernandez. “For example, we’re hopeful the Governor will sign a just-passed virtual school bill, AB1060, and we’ll continue to be involved in this particular court case, should WEAC or DPI appeal.”

The Coalition consists of hundreds of parents, students, teachers and supporters concerned about the educational opportunities available to Wisconsin families. Wisconsin has nearly a dozen virtual schools, including: Appleton eSchool, Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School, Grantsburg Virtual School, iQ Academies, Kiel eSchool, Monroe Virtual School, Wisconsin Connections Academy, WIVA, and the Wisconsin Virtual School. Thousands of students from all over the state attend these schools and many other public schools that use on-line instruction.

Mark Sostarich Can Practice Law Again

Interesting.

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin has reinstated Mark Sostarich as a member of the Bar.

Who is Sostarich?

Who said this?

Regarding Feingold:

“It’s an overreaching step by someone who is grandstanding and running for president at the expense of his own party and his own country.

“I think it’s a very dangerous territory for the democracy that we have in this country to be playing around with those kinds of resolutions, without any consultations from his colleagues. I think it was irresponsible.”













Answer: Democrat Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota

Blog Summit

This will be my last pitch.

Sign up for the Blog Summit.

Ok, actually, my last pitch may come Saturday morning at 8am. I'm slated to be on Fox Six in Milwaukee, along with Folkbum...

UWM

The UWM Men's basketball team.

The new Gonzaga.

Men's NCAA Basketball Tourney

Send me your predictions before the end of today (I know I'm giving you all a 32 game head start, so the earlier responses will have more merit, but blogger was down for a part of yesterday).

Answer the following questions. My responses in Badger Red.

Number of cumulative wins by Wisconsin teams: 3

Number of 12 seeds to beat a 5 seed: 0

Your sweet 16:

1. Duke
2. Texas A&M
3. Iowa
4. Texas
5. Memphis
6. Pittsburgh
7. Gonzaga
8. UCLA
9. Connecticut
10. Illinois
11. North Carolina
12. Tennesee
13. Villanova
14. Boston College
15. Florida
16. Ohio State

I hope I'm wrong.

Go Badgers.
Go Panthers, too.

Feingold Getting What He Wants...Attention

A few days ago, I wrote:

United States Senator Russ Feingold's effort to censure President George W. Bush has been successful. Never intended to actually pass, the censure resolution has refocused the spotlight on Feingold, the "Maverick," and will help him with his
presidential aspirations.

The mere existence of the censure resolution has stirred the passions of the liberal base of the Democrat Party, and will continue to prime the pump for Feingold's Progressive Patriot Fund.

Now, even Feingold admits it:

Having gained little support in the Senate but a great deal of attention, Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold already was declaring a victory of sorts Wednesday in his lonely bid to censure President Bush over the government's once-secret domestic wiretapping program.

"It's doing what I had hoped," Feingold said.

In this story, Senator Feingold's office alleges that Wisconsin supporters contacting their office out number opponents by nearly a 3 to 1 ratio.

Really.

Click to send Feingold's office an email

Feingold's Office numbers:

Middleton(608) 828-1200
Milwaukee (414) 276-7282
La Crosse (608) 782-5585
Wausau (715) 848-5660
Green Bay(920) 465-7508
Washington, DC (202) 224-5323

If he continues to receive encouragement, I may have to raise the Advisory to ELEVATED.

Lautenschlager’s Plan C: Babies Are Expense to Society

Today, current Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager asked a Federal Court to allow the State of Wisconsin to join a lawsuit to force the FDA to allow the “morning after” regimine to be sold over the counter.

This is, at best, a questionable use of scarce Wisconsin criminal justice funds.

A look at her arguments regarding the necessity of more aborted babies shows a more grotesque moral ambivalence toward life in general.

From JSOnline’s Daywatch:

Some abortion opponents object to the drug because they consider it to be a chemical abortion and have concerns about the drug's impact on women's health.

But the difficulty in obtaining the drug has had a negative impact on Wisconsin taxpayers, with the state's Medicaid program covering many of the financial costs of unintended pregnancies, Lautenschlager said.

"The politics of the federal government in keeping a faction of the radical right happy is essentially impacting the health of many young female Wisconsin residents and it's costing us money as taxpayers," Lautenschlager said.

Wow.

So, Peg Lautenschlager looks at babies born as the result of unintended pregnancies merely by their impact on the state’s social services budget.

They are financial liabilities. Not potential teachers, doctors, mechanics, paramedics…

It’s not important if these ‘costs of unintended pregnancies’ grow up to enjoy life, become educated, fall in love, marry, have a family, have children of their own…

It matters not if they get jobs, create jobs, pay taxes, and contribute to society.

Damn it, they’re a huge burden on the taxpayer.

Even those who consider themselves pro-choice surely have a problem looking at children, born children, in such a cold and calculating manner.

Forget the drunk driving and the misuse of state owned car. This callous, disgusting, reprehensible comment alone shows she does not deserve the honor of being Wisconsin’s top law enforcement official.

BREAKING...Doyle Names New Campaign Manager

Dan Schoof.

Former state Assembly member Dan Schooff of Beloit has become the point man in Gov. Jim Doyle's re-election bid.Schooff's appointment as Doyle's campaign manager was announced today."Dan Schooff is a proven leader and is well respected as a former legislator and as a former member of my administration,"Doyle said in a news release. "I look forward to his great work as we continue to make Wisconsin a more affordable place for working and middle class families to live."

Schooff said he's been the campaign's political director for about two weeks. He replaces Rich Judge, who stepped down for personal reasons, according to the news release.

Feingold Folly Fetches Few Followers

Senator Feingold on the lack of Democrat support for his censure resolution:

"I'm amazed at Democrats ... cowering with this president's numbers so low," Feingold said.

Perhaps, Senator, it is because even calculating political animals like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton understand that a move to censure the commander-in-chief during a time of war is beyond the pale, no matter what the president's approval rating is.

The United States is waging a war against terrorism. Russ Feingold is waging a Presidential Primary campaign.

Here's what his colleagues are saying about Feingold's censure stunt:

"I haven't read it," demurred Barack Obama (Ill.).

...

"I just don't have enough information," protested Ben Nelson (Neb.).

...

"I really can't right now," John Kerry (Mass.) said as he hurried past a knot of reporters -- an excuse that fell apart when Kerry was forced into an awkward wait as Capitol Police stopped an aide at the magnetometer.

...

Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) brushed past the press pack, shaking her head and waving her hand over her shoulder. When an errant food cart blocked her entrance to the meeting room, she tried to hide from reporters behind the 4-foot-11 Barbara Mikulski (Md.).

"Ask her after lunch," offered Clinton's spokesman, Philippe Reines. But Clinton, with most of her colleagues, fled the lunch out a back door as if escaping a fire.

...

So nonplused were Democrats that even Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), known for his near-daily news conferences, made history by declaring, "I'm not going to comment." Would he have a comment later? "I dunno," the suddenly shy senator said.

...

Five Democratic senators called a news conference yesterday to talk about the Bush budget's "dangerously irresponsible priorities" -- but three of them fled the room before allowing questions. The other two were stuck.

"Was it a good idea for Senator Feingold to bring up this resolution?" came the first question, from CNN's Ed Henry.

...

"He brings up some very important issues," Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) ventured.

Henry was unsatisfied. "So do you support censure, or not?

Stabenow took another stab. "It needs to have hearings," she said.
...

Mary Landrieu (La.) pursed her lips. "Senator Feingold has a point that he wants to make," she said. "We have a point that we want to make, talking about the budget."

"Senators," an aide interrupted, "we need to go."

...

Next in the Senate TV gallery came Schumer. An aide hung up a poster showing a port. The senator called the ports situation "extremely troubling."

The aide hung up a poster of an Exxon cartoon. "Obscene profits," decreed Schumer, equally passionately.

CNN's Henry asked the Feingold question. Schumer ended the news conference.

Outside the Democrats' lunch downstairs, the senators were similarly agile. The number two Democratic leader, Richard Durbin (Ill.), darted out of an elevator and into lunch when he thought nobody was looking.

"I haven't made any judgment," said Jeff Bingaman (N.M.). Two minutes later, he reappeared. "I will support an alternative that would call for an investigation," he amended.

...

"Most of us feel at best it's premature," announced Sen. Christopher Dodd (Conn.). "I don't think anyone can say with any certainty at this juncture that what happened is illegal."

...

Reporters, as instructed, asked Reid where he stood. "It's a question that's been asked 33 times in the last few hours," he said. "And so, for the 34th time, I'm going to say the same thing: I'm going to wait . . .''

Welcome National Review Online Readers

Welcome National Review Online/The Corner readers.

Look around.

A special welcome to any cheesehead expatriates.

Feel free to come back often.


Status update: We remain at GUARDED.

MoveOn Stealing Feingold's Moonbats!

MoveOn.Org is urging their members to sign their own petition regarding Feingold's move to censure the President during a time of war.

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, Senator Russ Feingold introduced a resolution to censure President Bush for breaking the law by illegally wiretapping American citizens.

Censuring a sitting president is serious business. But when the president misleads the public and Congress while willfully and repeatedly breaking the law, there must be consequences—that's how the law works for everybody else.

While most politicians sat back and weighed the political pros and cons of holding the president accountable, Senator Feingold stuck his neck out and did it. Now it's up to us to show broad public support. Can you sign our petition asking Congress to join the call for censure?

http://political.moveon.org/censure

Right now it's unclear how many of Senator Feingold's colleagues will stand with him in this important fight. If we can reach 250,000 signatures, we'll deliver your comments to your senators this week to demonstrate widespread public support censuring the president for breaking the law. We'll also send a copy of the complete petition to Senator Feingold to show our support for his courage.

This guy in Ohio thinks MoveOn is helping Feingold.

What he doesn't realize is that MoveOn will be pilfering whackos from a limited pool here. Most likely even the far lefties will only 'do their part' and sign on to one petition.

Every nutjob that signs up with MoveOn is one less potential donor to sign up with Feingold's list building scheme! He'll get the petition, but I doubt he'll get the email/contact list.

That would be one hefty in-kind contribution by MoveOn PAC to Feingold.

Feingold Audacity Advisory System

With even liberal Democrat senators cutting and running from 'Cut and Run' Russ' censure proposal, this newly devised advisory system is unveiled at

GUARDED.

However, if he makes the Sunday talk shows again next week, we may move up to ELEVATED.

Parents, Teachers and Students Push for Virtual School Bill

As mentioned yesterday:

Citizen Coalition Begins Statewide Radio Ad Campaign
Virtual School Supporters Want Doyle to Sign AB1060

[Madison, Wisc…] The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families has launched a statewide advertising campaign to motivate citizens to contact Governor Doyle. The Coalition is encouraging Governor Doyle to sign Assembly Bill 1060, legislation which benefits public virtual education.

“We’re optimistic the Governor will sign the bill, but we’re not taking anything for granted,” said Rose Fernandez, President of the Coalition. “We hope the ad campaign will motivate supporters of public virtual schooling to call the Governor and let their voices be heard.”

Last year, thanks in part to the advocacy efforts of the Coalition, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster drafted a group of expert advisors to examine virtual schools and online learning in the public PK-12 schools of Wisconsin. While the advisory committee has not released a report, AB1060 mirrors many of the recommendations made by the group.

The sixty second radio commercial will run this week and next on stations in Green Bay, La Crosse, Milwaukee and Wausau. In the ad, a student who attends a public virtual school in Wisconsin says:

“Thanks to Wisconsin law, my school and my teacher, I’m already thinking about college and my future career. It’s important that Wisconsin families continue to have this option. Please call Governor Doyle and tell him to sign Assembly Bill 1060. Every kid deserves a great school, and that includes me and the thousands of others who go to high quality on line public schools in Wisconsin.”

The Coalition consists of hundreds of parents, students, teachers and supporters concerned about the educational opportunities available to Wisconsin families. It was formed in the wake of legal threats to virtual education in Wisconsin.

“These public schools do not require legislation in order to continue to operate,” said Fernandez. “However, we feel it is appropriate for the state to continue to chart the course virtual schools can follow so that they will always be an educational option for Wisconsin families.”

Wisconsin has nearly a dozen virtual schools, including: Appleton eSchool, Northeast Wisconsin Online Charter School, Grantsburg Virtual School, iQ Academies, Kiel eSchool, Monroe Virtual School, Wisconsin Connections Academy, Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), and the Wisconsin Virtual School. Thousands of students from all over the state attend these schools and many other public schools that use on-line instruction.

Two years ago, after failing to win a lawsuit against the state’s first virtual public school, the Wisconsin Education Association Council filed a second complaint in Ozaukee County Circuit Court against another virtual public school (the Wisconsin Virtual Academy), the Northern Ozaukee School District, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in an effort to shut down the school. DPI, although it originally had approved the charter school, later sided with the union.

A decision in the case is expected later this year. AB1060, drafted in full compliance with Wisconsin statutory law and the No Child Left Behind Act, does not address the merits of the court case, but rather reaffirms the Legislature’s intent to provide the proper legislative and regulatory guidelines for virtual schools.

Listen to the ad.

Anti War on Terrorism Protest

The interns at X-Off warn us of the upcoming nouveau hippie weekend.

The main Madison event this weekend, Home Improvement Rally, Set America's House in Order, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday on the Library Mall, with the rally to be held at 2 p.m. in the Orpheum Theater on State Street.

A schedule of events around the state is available at www.wnpj.org

No Peace! No Justice!
No Blood For Oil!
Bush Lied, People Died!
Get Your Laws off my Body!

Free Mumia!
Give Peace a Chance!
Visualize World Peace!
Free Tibet!
Vote Feingold!

The big protest in Milwaukee?

3/18 Sat 12 noon Rally on the THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQ WAR to" End the War Now!" and " Bring ALL Our Troops Home!" - Milwaukee.

Gather at Orange Sunburst Sculpture, East end of Wisconsin Avenue on the Milwaukee lakefront.

Short Rally followed by a march to the Federal Court House. Return to rally site for music. Bring a flower to carry in the march and to lay on the steps of the Federal Court House in memory of American soldiers and Iraqis who have been killed in this war. Organized by the Milwaukee Coalition for a Just Peace, 414-964-5158

Hopefully the protest will turn violent and they'll tear that damn orange monstrosity down.

Seriously, guys, I hear Haliburton funded the manufacturing of the sculpture. No, really. And that it's the design of the brand George W. Bush received during his skull and bones initiation.

Have at it.

Feingold's Effort to Censure Bush Successful

United States Senator Russ Feingold's effort to censure President George W. Bush has been successful.

Never intended to actually pass, the censure resolution has refocused the spotlight on Feingold, the "Maverick," and will help him with his presidential aspirations.

The mere existence of the censure resolution has stirred the passions of the liberal base of the Democrat Party, and will continue to prime the pump for Feingold's Progressive Patriot Fund.

Look at what they're saying at Democratic Underground.

-Russ is speaking very Presidential--I LIKE IT.
-I think they are angry bec they could not bully/intimidate Russ from making this historical speech.
-Sweet music to my ears

And over at the Daily Kos.

-Russ Feingold is the embodiment of what a U.S. Senator SHOULD BE.
-Donate to Russ' PAC - Send your SUPPORT ... by flooding Russ Feingold's PAC with donations during this Censure Resolution period we'll be sending a slap to the face to every coward-ass Democrat who decides not to stand with the wishes of the American people. Tell a friend or two.. send $5 to Russ: http://progressivepatriotsfund.com/ Peace!

Feingold is not only raising money, he's building a list of the loony left.

Congratulations, Senator. You've achieved your objective.

Holloway Plays Hardball

Late yesterday afternoon, we learned that Holloway's strategy may have succeeded.

This development should NOT surprise anyone. Last month, February 21st to be exact, the Journal Sentinel's Dave Umhoefer reported:

Holloway, who remained on the job as chairman after a delay Monday in a move to replace him, told a reporter that his strategy was to pressure the Ethics Board into dropping some charges by trying to deny it the money that it is expected to seek this spring to continue the case.

"I'm not being reimbursed (for legal fees). I'm broke," Holloway said. "My understanding is they've spent a ton of money. I can't imagine their money will last."

A second infusion of county funds for prosecuting the case would require a two-thirds majority vote if the contingency fund was tapped. Holloway accounts for one vote, and he would need just six supervisors to join him to block the funding. The initial $50,000 for the case squeaked through the County Board in July - with Holloway's support - by two votes.

The next day, Holloway blasted the paper's coverage as inaccurate. A close look at the article shows that Holloway's tirade was not, however, a complete denial. He merely said he would not vote to deny the funding for the prosecution. So when this is before the full Board, look for him to recuse himself.

How noble of him.

When the ethics board funding requests goes efore the full board next month, it will be a moment of truth/gut check for the other 18 supervisiors.

More, much more, on this later.

Wauwatosa East Red Raiders

Kudos to the Wauwatosa School Board forp sticking up to the perpetually offended/PC crowd.

Tosa East to keep nickname, change logo The Wauwatosa School Board voted tonight to keep East HighSchool's nickname the Red Raiders, but change its logo - a spear or arrow- after a two-and-a-half hour meeting.

In addition, the board agreed on the recommendation of East Principal Bill Stroud to review the current school curriculum regarding diversity and invite a Native American to speak with classes to enhance students' knowledge about the ethnic group.

This seems like a reasonable compromise.

The spear/arrow logo never made much sense any way. And while I wish they would have kept the old logo, at least keeping the name is a nod to tradition and respectful of alumni.

Too bad the weak-kneed ones at Marquette University couldn't have figured out a similar solution.

Hail Wauwatosa!

Holloway Prosecution Needs Cash

I'll be on NewsTalk 1130 WISN's Early Spin program tomorrow morning at the ungodly time of 6:05am to discuss the latest on the Holloway ethics case.

What's the latest?

Ethics officials today voted to ask Milwaukee supervisors for another $150,000 to continue the prosecution against County Board Chairman Lee Holloway.

If approved by the County Board, the appropriation would push the budget for the contentious case to $225,000, and that figure easily could grow if the ultimate decision is appealed.

The most likely source of the newly requested money is the already thin county contingency fund, which requires a two-thirds majority of the County Board vote to tap. The funding pays for ethics prosecutor John Fiorenza and county-appointed hearing examiner Michael Hogan.

"We're out of money," Ethics Board Chairman John Carter said.

Noting the need for a two-thirds vote, Carter said: "Well, it could be interesting."

Ethics Board members offered no hint of a possible settlement of the case during today's board's meeting, which included a long closed-session update from Fiorenza and lawyers defending the board against Holloway's various legal challenges. A final hearing before Hogan on the civil ethics charges had been set for April but has been indefinitely postponed.

So, now it will take a two thirds vote to continue the ethics prosecution?

Of course Holloway and his supporters will vote for the appropriation.

After all, all along they've been saying he should be afforded due process...

Tune in tomorrow.

Public Virtual Schools

I'll have more, much more, on this tomorrow.

Rose Fernandez, the President of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families has a column up today at WisOpinion. In it, she refutes the arguments of those who continue their attempts to close her children's school.

Writing specifically about a bill that sits on the Governor's desk, she writes:

The public virtual school community is incredibly appreciative of the choice and flexibility by existing Wisconsin statutes. Wisconsin's Charter Schools and Open Enrollment laws combine to allow - indeed encourage - the creation of a range of public school opportunities for Wisconsin's parents and children, including public virtual schools. Because of the foresight of the Wisconsin legislature in adopting both the Charter and Open Enrollment laws, once again, Wisconsin leads the way in public school innovation. And the No Child Left Behind Act is not an obstacle to our continued progress.

WEAC, educational bureaucrats and their legislative allies who fail to understand exactly how virtual public schools operate also underestimate the families who make this choice for their children. We are not easily duped by the weak and inaccurate arguments that AB 1060's opponents have attempted to make.

The Coalition is hopefully optimistic the Governor will do the right thing and sign the bill.

The Coalition's battles on behalf of thier children and students is chronicled here.

As I mentioned, more tomorrow.

*Full disclosure, I have an interest in this issue; the families, teachers

and students that comprise this coalition are clients.

The Sopranos

Don't visit this site the day after your favorite TV show or sporting event. I will not issue spoiler warnings. Capiche?

That was one hell of a season premiere last night.

If you tell me you predicted what was going to happen in the last ten minutes, I will have no problem calling you a big fat liar.

The episode proved once again that The Sopranos is one of the best written television programs of all time. How I will be able to feed my Sopranos addiction, my 24 addiction, my NCAA basketball addiction and be able to wake up early every day next week to do the radio show is beyond me.

So, any thoughts on upcoming plot developments?

Other than thinking AJ needs a damn haircut, I think the bloody map will become evidence someday. I would also expect this guy to play a more prominent role in upcoming episodes as the vacuum needs to be filled.

Look for his sexual escapades to also be an issue.

Those are my thoughts.

Yours? Who gets whacked next?

Another Call for Holloway to Step Down as Chair

Enough! Even Tom Delay stepped down from leadership when the controversy got so bad his leadership was ineffective. Holloway's leadership as board chairman is at thatpoint.

By Holloway making his controversy about race, he causes harm to current and future African-American leaders. Many in the white community ask why is the African-American community supporting Holloway? When white County Executive Tom Ament was under fire, creating controversy and ineffective leadership, the white community didn't support him; he was forced to step down.

There should not be a double standard. When elected officials -- no matter the color of their skin -- are mired in controversy and cannot effectively lead or effectively represent their constituents, they should relinquish their leadership post.



So says prominent Milwaukee area Democrat Barbara Boxer in today's Milwaukee Insight column.

Teachers' Unions Set Out to Slime Conservative Think Tanks.

This release caught my eye.

The Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice and distinguished university scholars today announced a new project to review research reports and studies on public education issues released by regional and national think tanks in Michigan and other states.

The Think Twice Response Project, sponsored by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice in East Lansing, Michigan, and a team of researchers from major universities across the nation will analyze education-related research produced by think tanks in Great Lakes states and nationwide.

“Far too often think tanks generate reports and studies that they try to pass off to the news media and policymakers as ‘quality academic research,’ when in fact they are often primarily opinion papers,” said Teri Battaglieri, director of the Great Lakes Center, an independent nonprofit coalition dedicated to supporting and disseminating sound academic research on education issues. “The Think Twice team of university scholars will examine think tank research and reports on important public education issues and provide reviews of them in a timely fashion.”

Specifically, Think Twice will monitor the research of think tanks that relates to public education issues and policies in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Think tanks located in the Great Lakes states will be watched, including the Buckeye Institute, Ohio; Center of the American Experiment, Minnesota; Heartland Institute, Chicago; Wisconsin Policy Research Institute; and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan. National think tanks also will be monitored, including the CATO Institute, Manhattan Institute, Heritage Foundation, and others. The goal is to identify and explain the aspects of reports released by think tanks that are of good quality and poor quality, so that policy-makers can make the best possible use of the reports’ research and ideas.

Here's an easy predicition.

They will rip any research that supports school choice, charter schools, open enrollment, the No Child Left Behind Act and any other policy initiative that doesn't fit the teacher's union agenda.

As the release later notes they were, "Founded by the Michigan Education Association, the Great Lakes Center is now also supported by the Illinois Education Association, the Indian State Teachers Association, Education Minnesota, the Ohio Education Association, and the Wisconsin Education Association Council."

On the Jensen Verdict

I was among the thousands of you who kept clicking on WisPolitics' Courtwatch Blog over the the last week for the latest developments on the Jensen trial.

When the verdict was announced I was stunned.

Then I was saddened for the sake of Scott and his family. Obviously, I was more than just a casual observer during these past few years. Like hundreds of folks now working at jobs like lobbyist, staffer, campaign manager, legislator even reform advocate, I spent time working in a caucus. In fact, I served in both GOP caucuses during my nearly 10 year legislative career; including as Senate GOP caucus director. I had applied to be Assembly caucus director a few years before taking the Senate job.

Jensen didn't hire me. At the time, to put it mildly, I was ticked.

But unlike some consultants and other party insiders who may have had some unfavorable outcomes with dealings with Jensen over the years, I felt no need to pile on or revel in his ordeal.

Scott did a hell of a lot of good for the State of Wisconsin. His impact on policy runs deeper than most will ever know. He was a master strategist as well. Some of these same detractors regularly benefited from Jensen's hard work and insight and I find their hypocrisy disgusting.

Some of his Democrat detractors and some of the so-called reformers are also hypocrites as well.

Many of them benefited from the now defunct caucus system and are now looking down from their high horse to use this mess to further their own personal political interests.

Over the past few weeks I often wondered how I would have reacted had my decisions and those of the prosecutors put me in Jensen's position. One thing is certain. There is no way I could have reacted with more dignity and grace than Scott has.

Reading press accounts, it does seem to me that the judge appeared to hinder Jensen's ability to mount a vigorous defense. I don't know if the case is over; I don't know if he will appeal. I do know that his legislative career is over; he has resigned his seat.

I also know that it will be a travesty if history lumps Jensen in with Chuck Chvala. The legislative leaders were not the same and the caucuses and their staffs were not identical. For example, Jensen was never accused of trading his position on issues for financial contributions. To me, at least, that is a major difference.

Now, I know this post will open me up to countless anonymous (gutless?) comments accusing me and those I know of countless improprieties. This further proves my point. While Jensen has been graceful throughout, his detractors have shown they are incapable of such behavior.

Do Republicans Hate Milwaukee?

Do Republicans hate Milwaukee?

That's the question posed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board.

In an editorial blasting the Assembly Speaker for hindering efforts to stop the city's payments to police officers who are appealing their firing, the paper also brings up former Governor Tommy Thompson's infamous "Stick it to 'em" comment. They see a pattern.

Nothing like taking two separate issues out of context.

The answer to the question of whether Republicans hate Milwaukee is an emphatic 'No.'

But it's hard to blame the Journal Sentinel editorial board for wondering. Let's cut them some slack. O. Ricardo Pimentel, the editorial page editor of the Journal Sentinel, has been in the city less than two years.

So, even though it is his job to know, he apparently doesn't realize that Republicans have been the primary champions for School Choice in Milwaukee and every single state investment in the city in the past 12 years could not have been possible without the votes of Republican legislators.

I guess he also doesn't understand just how many Republicans his flippant comment insults?

There are a lot of us here in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee area.

• President Bush received 75,746 votes from city residents last year, 180,287 in Milwaukee County.
• Rick Graber, the Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman, works at one of the city's largest law firms.
• Our county executive, Scott Walker, is a Republican and a half dozen fellow GOPers are considering running for his post if his run for governor is successful.
• Hundreds of thousands of Republicans work in the city, every day.
• Thousands of Republicans, like myself, choose to locate our businesses here.
• Many of the aforementioned Republicans who invest their time, talent and treasure in the city are (currently) subscribers to the Journal Sentinel.

With a paper that is so out of touch with the community it covers, is it any wonder its circulation is on such a decline?

Feingold Wants to Censure Bush

Our Senator's most recent "Hey, over here, look at me!" moment:

Wisconsin Democrat Asks Senate to Rebuke the President for NSA Wiretaps

In an exclusive interview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold called on the Senate to publicly admonish President Bush for approving domestic wiretaps on American citizens without first seeking a legally required court order.

"This conduct is right in the strike zone of the concept of high crimes and misdemeanors," said Feingold, D-Wis., a three-term senator and potential presidential contender.

He said President Bush had, "openly and almost thumbing his nose at the American people," continued the NSA domestic wiretap program.

President Bush has long asserted that the so-called 'warrantless wiretaps' are an essential tool in the war on terror.

But in a copy of the censure resolution obtained by ABC News, Feingold asserts the president, "repeatedly misled the public prior to the public disclosure of the National Security Agency surveillance program by indicating his administration was relying on court orders to wiretap suspected terrorists inside the United States."

Feingold cites three instances over a year-long period in which Bush outlined the necessity of a court order or a judge's permission prior to a domestic wiretap of a U.S. citizen.

Would someone please tell the good senator that we are at war. His little stunt sends a wonderful message to our troops and our enemies.

Even the Washington Post editorialized Thursday:

The goal should be to modernize the compromise between national security and liberty that FISA represented in the 1970s: to legitimize essential surveillance by law, require judicial review when the targets are U.S. citizens or residents, limit the use of this material to counterintelligence purposes, and ensure that irrelevant material is not retained.

Crafting and maintaining compromise on this issue has always been bipartisan. It would be tragic and dangerous if it became a political football now -- either as a campaign issue for President Bush or a club with which Democrats can pound him. Consensus should be possible if the administration is willing to engage seriously with a Congress interested in rigorous oversight.

The fact is, his proposed censure resolution will go nowhere. But it got goo goo Feingold on This Week with Clinton's Former Strategist, and plays up to the lefty blogosphere.

Update: Folkbum appears to applaud Feingold's bravado.
The Political Pit Bull calls it a stunt and Peter calls Feingold Mr. Irrelevant. However, the lib blogos are all a gaga.
Shakespeare's Sister is a Feingold fan.
Democracy for New Mexico calls him courageous and patriotic.
Karmajunkie says Russ is right, but disingenuous.
Dan Buell has a new hero.
And of course the lords of Kos love him.

The left is 'so excited' about this.

So, to summarize. This resolution, which will go nowhere. Hurts the troops, emboldens our enemies and should help Feingold raise a lot of money online in the next month.

Spy Information on Internet

Did media leaks of Valerie Plame's identity really blow her cover as a CIA operative? The Chicago Tribune says 'not really' in a series of articles in today's issue. The articles point to an alarming gap in national security.

Anyone who can qualify for a subscription to one of the online services that compile public information also can learn that she is a CIA employee who, over the past decade, has been assigned to several American embassies in Europe.

So, to review, anyone can find information about CIA operatives through a simple Internet search service.

However, Wisconsin's Department of Administration refuses to release the names of workers who lost their privileges to drive state vehicles, and the Department of Natural Resources declines to release the names of employees in its northern offices.

Got it?

Next Saturday

There is still time to sign up for the inaugural WisPolitics/WisOpinion Blog Summit.

Besides hearing the perspectives of the panelists, it should prove to be a good opportunity to network with fellow bloggers and political observers.

I wouldn't be surprised if a political candidate or two stopped by as well. It is, after all, one-stop shopping for those who wish to communicate with the cheddarsphere.

It will be interesting to listen to Jay and Owen give their perspective regarding the growth of blogging in general and their sites in particular.

I'd also expect John McAdams and Charlie Sykes may offer a take or two heretofore not examined by many of us.

This tightwad would be willing to pay to attend an afternoon forum like this one. But, hey, it's free! Sign up today. Spread the news.

I'll see you there.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

**12:55 p.m. Short introduction by Jeff Mayers, president of WisPolitics.com

**1 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. State of Blogging keynote by Ann Althouse

**1:25 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. The Legalities of Blogging by Jennifer L. Peterson, attorney, LaFollette Godfrey & Kahn. Short speech and question-and-answer period.

**1:45 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. ``Why blog? Defining the phenomenon from a citizen bloggers' perspective'' Owen Robinson of Boots & Sabers and Jay Bullock of folkbum's rambles and rants lead a discussion with other citizen bloggers.

**2:15 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. Moderated panel discussion: How will history view early blogging? An academic view. Jessica McBride, journalism instructor, radio talk show host and blogger, UW-Milwaukee; John McAdams, blogger and Marquette professor of political science; and Ken Mayer, UW-Madison political scientist.

**2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Moderated panel discussion: Impact of blogging on election 2006. Participants: Ed Garvey of FightingBob.com, Charlie Sykes of WTMJ-AM, state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Brian Fraley, GOP strategist and blogger.

**3:15 p.m. Presentation of the WisPolitics staff choice for 2005 Wisconsin political blogger of the year. TO BE ANNOUNCED.

New Blog

The Early Spinsters have revamped their blog.

Much better.

Check it out...

Cap Raised

Courtesy of WisPolitics

MILWAUKEE - Governor Jim Doyle today signed legislation that will increase the cap on the Milwaukee Parental Choice program, bring strong new accountability to it, and provide funding to help reduce class sizes in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin.

"This legislation allows the choice program to continue its growth like advocates wanted, but it will also help public schools in Milwaukee and across the state by providing significant new funding to help lower class sizes," Governor Doyle said. "It is a victory for schools, not just in Milwaukee, but all across the state."

The agreement calls for:

An Increase in the Choice Cap.
The cap on the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program will be increased by 7,500 students.

Strong Accountability.
All schools participating in the choice program will be required to obtain independent accreditation by an outside group such as (but not limited to) the Wisconsin North Central Association, the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University, or the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In addition, all choice schools will be required to administer the nationally normed standardized tests such as the Iowa Basics Test. The test scores will be reported to the Legislative Audit Bureau for analysis and also reported to researchers at Georgetown University for use in a longitudinal study of the effectiveness of the program.

Small Class Size Funding.
Funding for the SAGE program, which funds smaller classes in public schools for grades K-3, will be increased from $2,000 to $2,250 per student effective in the Fiscal Year 2008 to Fiscal Year 2009 budget. This results in an increase of $25 million statewide, approximately $8 million of which will directly benefit Milwaukee Public Schools.

Eligibility Changes.
The agreement eliminates the requirement that a student can participate in the choice program only if they have attended a Milwaukee Public School in the prior year. It also allows families currently in the program to remain eligible even if their income rises above the current limit. While the current limit of 175 percent of the federal poverty level will remain in place for newly enrolling families, children in the program and their siblings will be able to remain as long as their family income does not rise to exceed 220 percent of the federal poverty level.

The Pope and China

Last month Pope Benedict XVI made Hong Kong bishop Joseph Zen a cardinal.

This infuriated the Chinese, who sense that Benedict may be trying to 'Pull a Poland' and support efforts to topple the chicom government.

Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, noted that the Roman Catholic Church was active in toppling communism in Poland in 1989. Liu suggested that Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen, whose appointment to cardinal was announced last month, would be part of a similar strategy in China.

"Why would you appoint someone who doesn't support communism as a cardinal?" Liu said in an interview in Beijing with Hong Kong Cable TV.

"Is it like Poland? Didn't the church play a big role in Poland?" Liu asked.

Um, yes.

So, I spent a part of my non-getting-my-ass-kicked-by-deadlines portion of my day thinking about the feedback I've received regarding my revelation that I am not in favor of capital punishment.

Am I wimping out in my old age? (I did turn...gasp... 38 on Sunday) I thought about that and the other issues conservatives give a damn about. I would guess I am 87 percent pure.

Does that make me a moderate? Or a Rino?

It's worth exploring, and I will in the next few weeks.

My gut reaction is no. I recognize I can no longer tell people I am the most conservative person they ever met (a great "holy cow" line at places like Summerfest after spending an hour shooting the shit with people who've only seen me in jeans a t-shirt and a baseball cap).

I am comfortable with what I am. And I know I am more conservative than most folks who vote, even most folks who vote Republican.
...
Anyway, as I am thinking about whether I am ready to blog about this I stumble across our good friend Dennis York.

I will have more on all this whole topic throughout March and April.

But I have to admit while reading 'York's' post...I laughed some... cringed some...

To be continued.

NJ Nuttiness

In New Jersey, they want to ban anonymous posting and comments on blogs. It's an attempt to restore civility to political discourse.

Imagine not being able to take some cheap anonymous shots at this guy...

Corzine bails out suspected stalker
Lobbyist charged with breaking into Democratic chairman's car
Gov. Jon Corzine paid $5,000 to bail a Trenton lobbyist out of jail last month after she was arrested and charged with stalking the chairman of the Democratic State Committee, Corzine's office confirmed yesterday.

Karen Golding, manager of government relations at Prudential Financial, had been accused of stalking and breaking into the car of Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D- Union), according to investigators.

Golding, who worked on Corzine's 2000 Senate campaign, contacted the governor for help after the arrest, said Anthony Coley, the governor's spokesman.

"The governor was asked for help by a former Senate campaign staffer who had nowhere else to turn," Coley said yesterday. "After ensuring that she was not a danger to the community, he (Corzine) agreed to offer assistance in the form of a loan. At the time, he was unaware that Assemblyman Cryan was the target of any stalking."

Coley declined to say what the governor would have done if he knew Cryan was the alleged victim. He declined to say how Golding contacted Corzine, how the money was sent to her or when the loan would be repaid. Investigators said they did not know why Golding allegedly stalked Cryan. Cryan declined to comment. Golding did not return calls seeking comment, and her attorney, Christopher Patella, would not comment.

In a brief interview yesterday, Corzine said only that the incident has no bearing on Cryan's ability to lead the state's Democrats.

"It's immensely disappointing that this kind of difficult situation occurs between any two people," Corzine said. "I don't know the facts of this, so I can't comment on it. ... The information I get tells me that it's not going to interfere with his position."

Corzine is a multimillionaire whose net worth hovers between $125 million and $175 million, and his generosity has drawn attention before. During last year's race for governor, it was disclosed Corzine forgave a $470,000 loan to his former girlfriend, Carla Katz, who heads the biggest state workers union.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Sheets leaves start with muscle soreness
Phoenix - Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets left his exhibition start against Oakland in the bottom of first inning today at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with what was described as an irritation of the right latissimus muscle, the same muscle that sidelined him for the final six weeks of last season.

Sheets, who had been slated to throw three innings, walked off the mound after allowing a RBI single to Athletics catcher Jason Kendall, the eighth batter he faced in the inning.

Kendall's hit, the sixth allowed by Sheets, prompted a visit from pitching coach Mike Maddux. After a few moments, manager Ned Yost and head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger joined the discussion and Sheets left the game with Caplinger at his side.

Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said that Sheets will be examined by team doctor William Raasch on Saturday. Raasch had planned to be in Phoenix to conduct physicals in minor-leauge camp.

Full story.

Grab the rosary, rub your lucky rabbit's foot, do a dance...whatever it takes to bring good luck.

Happy Anniversary

It was one year ago today...

...a frustrated Holloway got into a loud confrontation with one of several co-sponsors who publicly withdrew their support for switching the popular long-term care program into another county agency.

Supervisor Roger Quindel said Holloway stormed into his office after the Health and Human Needs Committee vote Wednesday, called him a liar and knocked him over backward onto his desk.

Court to Holloway: Case Should Proceed

Holloway's attempt to avoid his day in court is rebuffed by appeals court.

A state appeals court has denied Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway's bid to strike down the ethics case he is fighting.

The court said the appeal was premature because a county-appointed hearing examiner has not yet decided key issues in the matter. Holloway has contended the county Ethics Board didn't follow its own rules in issuing a 90-count complaint against him last June. The civil complaint alleges that Holloway used his office for personal gain and failed to disclose ownership of various rental properties.

The District 1 Appeals Court also agreed with Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Richard Sankovitz that any harm to Holloway's reputation while the case proceeds is slight in comparison to the public's interest in seeing the case promptly concluded at the county level.

The court denied a request by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to enter the case in support of Holloway, declaring that request moot because of its denial of Holloway's appeal. The NAACP has criticized the ethics prosecution as racially biased. Holloway is the first African-American chairman of the County Board.

Holloway and his backers claim I've found him guilty before his case was even heard. Well, let's proceed with the case, shall we?

Nannyland

From JSOnline:

State Rep. Chuck Benedict (D-Beloit) said today he is introducing a bill that would restrict sugary sodas in Wisconsin high schools and middle schools. Under the proposal from the retired doctor, drinks sold in vending machines couldn't have more than 15 grams of sugar per serving. Diet sodas, sports drinks and fruit and vegetable juices would be allowed. Benedict said excessive sugar in soft drinks is a serious contributing factor to the high rate of obesity among students. High-sugar soft drinks are already banned in elementary schools in Wisconsin.

Ground Hog Day

The Milwaukee County Board meets this morning.

The King, who plays hardball, is still in this throne because the MAJORITY of the board does not.

The members of the Milwaukee County Board certainly appear to be gutless. There is no other way to look at it. They accept defeat too easily and they cower at claims that their actions are racially motivated.

As long as Holloway remains at the helm of the Board every single member, from Broderick to Quindel to Schmitt to White to West are tainted by his ethical cloud.

It would be quite simple to prove me wrong. Letters and press conferences are all well and good. But how about something official? Hold a vote of no confidence on Holloway. Make every member of the board cast their vote and show their constituents, once and for all and on the record, where they stand.

If you're not willing to go to court in order to let the majority rule, the least you can do is let the will of the majority be officially recorded.

Pain and Suffering Caps

Still too high, but $750,000 beats no cap at all.

Madison - The Legislature on Wednesday sent Gov. Jim Doyle a bill that would put a $750,000 limit on pain-and-suffering awards in medical malpractice cases, as legislators tried for a second time to find a number both the governor and state Supreme Court would accept.

The Senate passed the bill 25-8, which was more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a Doyle veto.

Last week, the Assembly passed the same cap, 74-22, also more than the necessary two-thirds majority.

Now the question is, will Governor Doyle sign it?

The bill does not cap awards for actual damages. Planitffs can still collect money to pay for all medical bills and loss of income.

It passed by veto proof majorities in both houses.

My predicition? Doyle signs the bill.

X X X

Carnival of the Badger XXX.

To what did you think the headline was referring?

Get your head out of the gutter, there's too much water there anyway.

If posting is light today it's because I am building an ark.

Titanic Fundraising by Team Doyle

Just received this invitation via email.

You are invited to Governor Doyle's Annual St. Patrick's Day Party
Milwaukee Party
Thursday, March 16, 2006 5:00 - 7:00 PM The Lakefront Palm Garden,
Lakefront Brewery, 1872 North Commerce St., Milwaukee, WI

With a special visit at 6pm by Irish band Gaelic Storm.
Featured in the film "Titanic", Gaelic Storm has since become a world leader in contemporary Irish Music and an overwhelming crowd favorite at Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Suggested Contribution - $50

Let's see, Gaelic Storm rose to prominence by having its music featured in a movie about a crowded vessel, manned by arrogant and proud folks who ignored warnings of potential danger. That ship then plunged to the bottom of the seas, carrying with it hundreds of well-healed, well-connected patrons.

A perfect warm up gig for helping the Doyle campaign.

Lobbying and Campaign Donations

As a former lobbyist who worked in more than a dozen states and who has helped raise and distribute PAC money for the health insurance industry, I had to chuckle when I read this.

Courtesy of Powerline.

Bob Livingston, former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, wrote the following letter to the editor of Business Week on the subject of the influence of money in politics:

As a member of Congress for 22 years and a lobbyist for the last seven, I take issue with the conclusions in "Shakedown on K street" that lobbyist "money is vacuumed up to Capitol Hill by demands from members of Congress" (News: Analysis & Commentary, Feb. 20). Do these things happen? Yes. Are they the norm? No. The 11,500 lobbyists work for every conceivable cause in D.C. A few pay to play, but most do not. Most give because a lawmaker supports his or her view of the world or the client's views. There is no quid pro quo.

Lobbyists are advocates in a complex system of legislation, just as lawyers are in the world of the courthouse. The true irony is that virtually all money raised in politics is not for the politician's personal benefit, for if it is shown to be so, he or she goes to jail. No, the vast portion of money in politics goes to the press so the politician can get his message out, thereby enabling the press to pay their airheads unreasonable sums of money and condemn the supporters of politicians for supplying the cash in the first place. If you want to take money out of politics, suggest that the press carry political messages for free.

Robert Livingston
Member of Congress (Retired)
Washington

I always thought it was ironic that the same media who lament the scourge of money in politics often appear to jack up their ad rates just in time for campaign season...

Follow the Poop

What a novel idea.

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) has finally granted the public access to their 'overflow' tracking system.

You can follow the poop here.

Goodwin asks Judge to Pass the Malox

The Strategic Vision poll (previous post) once again points to Governor Doyle's dismal standing with the voters he will face this fall

Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Jim Doyle's job performance?
Approve 41%
Disapprove 48%
Undecided 11%

Upside down by 7 points and 9 points below 50 percent?

This is ulcer inducing territory for the Doyle team.

If three plus years of the bully pulpit and the trappings of the office can't boost his approval rating, a few months of television ads are not going to be able to significantly improve his standing.

Doyle's only hope is to make his opponents less palatable than him.

So expect the attacks by the Greater Wisconsin Committee to continue, in an unrelenting fashion, from now until November.

We ain't see nothin' yet.

The only way Doyle wins is to smear his opponents.

His will not be a campaign of hope or optimism. It will be about convincing the voters that they are better off with the devil they know.

You think the ads from the Presidential race last year were ugly? Just wait.

Strategic Vision Poll Results

The latest Strategic Vision poll results are out:

Below are the results of a three-day poll of likely voters in the state of
Wisconsin. Results are based on telephone interviews with 800 likely voters in Wisconsin, aged 18+, and conducted March 3-5, 2006. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

1. Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's overall job performance?
Approve 36% Disapprove 54% Undecided 10%

2. Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's handling of the economy?
Approve 30% Disapprove 56% Undecided 14%

3. Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq?
Approve 36% Disapprove 55% Undecided 9%

4. Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war on terrorism?
Approve 41% Disapprove 49% Undecided 10%

5. Do you consider President Bush to be a conservative in the mode of Ronald Reagan? (Republicans only)
Yes 40% No 44% Undecided 16%

6. Would you like to see the United States Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade?
Yes 34% No 54% Undecided 12%

7. Would you like to see the United States withdraw all troops from Iraq within six
months?
Yes 47% No 40% Undecided 13%

8. Do you think the United States should or should not allow a United Arab Emirates company to operate United States shipping ports including ports in New York?
Should 12% Should Not 76%Undecided 12%

9. If the proposed ports deal does go through, and a United Arab Emirates company does operate United States shipping ports including New York, do you think there will be a greater chance of a terrorist attack in the United States?
Yes 78% No 8% Undecided 14%

10. Do you expect another terrorist attack within the next six months?
Yes 78% No 10% Undecided 12%

11. Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Jim Doyle's job performance?
Approve 41% Disapprove 48% Undecided 11%

12. If the Republican primary were today, whom would you vote for? (Republicans only; Tommy Thompson included)
Tommy Thompson 63% Mark Green 14% Scott Walker 7% Undecided 16%

13. If the Republican primary were today, whom would you vote for? (Republicans only; Tommy Thompson excluded)
Mark Green 48% Scott Walker 39% Undecided 13%

14. If the election for Governor was held today, and the choice was between Jim Doyle, the Democrat and Tommy Thompson, the Republican, for whom would you vote?
Tommy Thompson 58% Jim Doyle 36%Undecided 6%

15. If the election for Governor was held today, and the choice was between Jim Doyle, the Democrat and Mark Green, the Republican, whom would you vote for?
Jim Doyle 44% Mark Green 44% Undecided 12%

16. If the election for Governor was held today, and the choice was between Jim Doyle, the Democrat and Scott Walker, the Republican, whom would you vote for?
Jim Doyle 44% Scott Walker 40% Undecided 16%

The complete poll here.

Death Penalty in Wisconsin

With SJR 5, the advisory referendum for the death penalty on the Senate agenda today, Mark Green and JB Van Hollen issued statements in support of Wisconsin prosecutors having the option to pursue capital punishment for the most vicious, heinous cases. Paul Bucher then also issued a release saying the same thing. All three men have had this position previously.

This evening Scott Walker also issued a statement in favor of the referendum and capital punishment for the most vicious cases.

This surprised me. It's a new position for Walker. For the dozen years I've known him, his pro-life views included opposition to the death penalty and I was impressed with his consistency.

Perhaps the Halbach murder has had an impact; maybe its the advancement in DNA testing. Whatever the reason, he's now in favor of the death penalty, where in the past he has not been.

Conversions on the death penalty issue are not unprecedented, or even uncommon. For example, I had been in favor of capital punishment but a few years ago determined I personally didn't think it was right. (My opposition is based on both moral and financial reasons that several conservatives also share.)

So the flip flop isn't outrageous or unprecedented or terrible.

But I have to admit, it is surprising.


Scott's full statement:

“I support a referendum on the death penalty for multiple first degree vicious murders. It is also critical that the convictions be based on DNA evidence. This will guarantee that only guilty people face capital punishment and is key to my support for the referendum question.”

This is the statement that our campaign put out today from me on the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 5.

Brian,

While my head tells me that the death penalty will not be a deterrent, my heart tells me that there must be an option for the worst offenders.

In the past, one of my concerns over the death penalty was the possibility that an innocent person might be put to death. Just a few years ago, we saw serious problems in Illinois with capital punishment.

What is different in the language of the advisory referendum is that the conviction must be based on DNA evidence. The facts show that if DNA evidence is strong enough to get an innocent person out of prison, it should also be strong enough to guarantee the sentence of a guilty person.

Years ago, I pushed to end the statute of limitations in rape cases where DNA evidence could be used to convict. As the Chair of the Assembly on Corrections and the Courts, I spent a great deal of time reviewing DNA evidence. It is amazingly accurate.

Finally, it is something of a conflict for people like me who have pro-life beliefs and who always to seek to protect innocent life, but the connection to the scientifically pure DNA evidence insures that only the guilty will face the death penalty in this state. With this in mind, I support the referendum question.

- Scott

Sykes Delivers Hard Hitting Speech

No, not Charlie. Although the Milwaukee talk show host/pundit/blogger does have the goods on the speech by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Diane Sykes.

So far, the new majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has escaped much criticism from either the local media or bar. That is about to change. In a major lecture at Marquette Law School tonight, former Supreme Court Justice Diane Sykes delivers a scathing critique of the court -- focusing on five major cases -- and calls on the bar and public to subject the court to closer scrutiny. And yes, this will send shockwaves through the state judiciary....

Head to Sykes Writes for details and the entire speech.

Quality Work at Milwaukee County Board

Someone actually was paid to write this release.

Seriously.

Here it is, unedited, courtesy of WisPolitics.

Contact: Supervisor James White-278-4257
Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic-278-4232

Milwaukee Co. Board of Supervisors: Airport Takeover Plan Won't Fly
County Officials' Testimony Helps Persuade Committee
--Today Milwaukee County Board Supervisors Marina Dimitrijevic, Vice-Chairwoman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and Supervisor James White, Chairman of the Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee, traveled to Madison to testify against legislation introduced by Senator Jeff Plale and Representative Jeff Stone that would remove General Mitchell International Airport out of the public domain.

County Board Supervisors expressed their pride in well-managing Milwaukee County's great economic asset--GMIA: the largest airport in Wisconsin and whose increased passenger traffic has made it the 50th largest airport in the nation.

As Assembly Committee Members from both parties raised serious questions about moving this legislation forward, the Chair of the Committee did not hold a vote on the bill today.

A letter signed by 17 of the 19 Supervisors, or 90% of the County Board, raised serious questions about the lack of accountability to the public that would result from an appointed rather than elected board.

Milwaukee County has created a successful business model at our airport and will continue to operate it with efficiency as it has done, since there has been no good evidence citing the opposite to be true.

I have my concerns over the proposed regional airport authority. But if this is the best case to be made for the status quo, look for a change to occur.

The last paragraph, once you get past the horrible grammar, seems to assert that we can be assured Milwaukee County has done a swell job managing General Mitchell International Airport because...well...no one has proved they haven't!

Good grief.

Eurotrash Legalize FOURTH Trimester Abortions

Good God.

I'm not making this up.

Holland to Allow Baby Euthanasia
It will be legal to euthanize children in Holland within a few weeks. Doctors will now be able to collaborate openly with parents for the death of severely handicapped or suffering children, without risking charges of murder.

The country has set up a committee to regulate the illicit killing of seriously ill infants by doctors. The Groningen Protocol, drafted by euthanist Dr. Verhagen of the Groningen hospital and adopted by the committee, will allow doctors to kill children who are suffering extreme pain from terminal illness, with no hope of recovery. The parents must give consent, and two doctors must agree on the child’s diagnosis.

Adult euthanasia has been legal in Holland since 2001, but this is the first time a country has allowed parents and doctors to kill a child.

h/t Rick

Barry B.S. Bonds

The latest issue of Sports Illustrated runs an excerpt from the book Game of Shadows, which details the alleged drug regimen of Barry Bonds.

The preponderance of evidence is by far the most detailed and damning condemnation that Bonds, formerly a sleek five-tool player, built himself into a hulking, record-setting home run hitter at an advanced baseball age with a cornucopia of elaborate, illegally-administered chemicals. Through 1998, for instance, when he turned 34, Bonds averaged one home run every 16.1 at bats. Since then -- what the authors identify as the start of his doping regimen -- Bonds has hit home runs nearly twice as frequently (one every 8.5 at bats).

The authors describe how Bonds turned to steroids after the 1998 season because he was jealous of McGwire. Bonds hit 37 home runs in '98 -- a nice total and the fourth most of his career at that point -- but he was ignored by fans and the media who were captivated by McGwire's 70 home runs and his duel for the record with Sammy Sosa, who hit 66 that year.

According to the book, Bonds, in comments to his mistress, Kimberly Bell, often dismissed McGwire with racially-charged remarks such as, "They're just letting him do it because he's a white boy." But Bonds looked at McGwire and his hulking physique and decided he needed to dramatically increase his muscle mass to compete with him.

It was immediately after that 1998 season, the book said, that Bonds hooked up with Anderson, a gym rat known to obtain steroids and growth hormone from AIDS patients in San Francisco who were legally prescribed the drugs but sold them to make money. The authors write that the San Francisco Giants, Bonds' employer, would later discover through a background check that Anderson was connected to a gym that was known as a place to score steroids and that he was rumored to be a dealer. Yet the Giants -- who didn't want to upset their superstar -- continued to allow Anderson free reign about their ballpark and inside their clubhouse.

The authors write that Anderson started Bonds on Winstrol, also known as stanozolol, the longtime favorite steroid of bodybuilders, disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson and baseball player Rafael Palmeiro. In 100 days, Bonds packed on 15 pounds of muscle, and at age 35 hit home runs at the best rate of his career, once every 10.4 at bats. But he also grew too big, too fast. He tore his triceps tendon, telling Bell that the steroids "makes me grow faster, but if you're not careful, you can blow it out."

The book said Anderson and Bonds subsequently tweaked the program, adding such drugs as the steroid Deca-Durabolin and growth hormone, which allowed Bonds to retain his energy and physique without rigorous training. Not only did the growth hormone keep him fresh, but after complaining in 1999 about difficulty tracking pitches, he noticed it improved his eyesight as well.

Bonds added more drugs after the 2000 season, when Anderson hooked up Bonds with BALCO and its founder, Conte, according to the authors. In addition to the Cream and the Clear, the steroids designed to be undetectable, Bonds took such drugs as Clomid, a women's infertility drug thought to help a steroid user recover his natural testosterone production, and Modafinil, a narcolepsy drug used as a powerful stimulant.

Allegations that Bonds juiced are not new, nor are they surprising. Baseball has since instituted a tough drug policy. Yet, if they allow this assclown to achieve the Home Run record, it will be a travesty.

Clear Channel Temp

If you're awake between the hours of 5:30 and 8:30 am the week of March 20-24, feel free to tune into The Early Spin on NewsTalk1130 WISN.

Joel McNally, Freeway and this guy were all too busy, so they turned to me for some assistance.

I will be guest hosting the program for the entire week while regulars Dan and Nicole are each off on vacations.

Feel free to email me any topic ideas.

Take Back the 8th Rally

The state Democratic Party is hosting a "Take Back the 8th Rally" at the Brown County Library in Green Bay a day in advance of Vice President Dick Cheney's fundraiser visit a week from today.

Since 1972 (34 years) Democrats have held the 8th congressional district exactly twice, two terms totaling four years.

In honor of their efforts:

Herb Kohl is hosting a "Take Back the NBA Championship" rally at the Bradley Center on Wednesday.

Frank Boyle is sponsoring a "Take Back My Relevancy" rally at the Inn on the Park at 4:00 pm today.

Lee Holloway is sponsoring a "Take Back My Integrity" rally at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Thursday.

NJ Blog Cops

No anonymous posting in New Jersey if this bill becomes law.

According to news accounts:

A New Jersey politician is hoping to outlaw anonymous speech on the Internet, claiming that civility must be mandatory in political debate.

State Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi, a Republican from Somerset County, recently introduced legislation that would require any "public forum Web site" to solicit the legal name and addresses of everyone who can post messages to it.

What irks Biondi, a top Republican in the state assembly, is the political free-for-all that has grown around the New Jersey Star-Ledger's discussion site at NJ.com. The site's forum for Somerset County--that is, Biondi's home district--is home to a slew of pseudonymous posts that tend to be less than kind to local politicians.

When news reports revealed that Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano appropriated more than $5,000 from a petty cash account to pay for his dry cleaning, the NJ.com posts were not flattering. One message from "nodoubletalk" called Provenzano a "thief, plain and simple," while one from "xyzzy" quipped: "That's what we get for voting Republican."

I hope that never happens in Wisconsin.

Besides personally missing the Internet stylings of "Dennis York," this blog would also suffer.

I mean, how could I go on without being called a racist, a simpleton, a dumbass or a Vikings fans in the comments section all the time.

Kirby Puckett, RIP

Minnesotan or not, I always liked this guy.

By the numbers, courtesy of The Star Tribune.

.318

Career batting average, second-highest among Twins players to Rod Carew (.334 between 1967-78).

2,304

Career hits, which included 2,040 in his first 10 calendar years, the most by any major leaguer in the 20th century.

.344

Career batting average in the Metrodome, compared to .291 on the road.

5

Seasons with more than 200 hits; led the AL in hits four times, with a high of 234 in 1988.

7

Times he was in the top 10 of American League MVP voting; was voted second to Dennis Eckersley in 1992.

.339

Batting average in 1989, when he became the first righthander to win an AL batting title since 1970.

10

Number of times selected to the American League All-Star team; was MVP of the 1993 game in Baltimore.

2

Number of World Series championship teams (1987 and 1991) he played on with the Twins.

6

Gold Glove Awards for fielding prowess as a center fielder.

82.14

Percentage of votes received from Baseball Writers of America (423 of 515) to gain election to the Hall of Fame.

Full coverage, here.

24

Good news, bad news.

First, the good news. It's a two-hour 24 tonight.

Now, the bad news. Kim is back.

Giving UW Discretion on Felons

As promised....Attaboy!

Petrowski Bill Would Give UW Discretion on Felons
Legislator aims to help colleges maintain safe campuses

MADISON... State Representative Jerry Petrowski (Marathon) has drafted a legislative proposal that would aid common sense employment decisions in state colleges.

“Last week’s Legislative Audit Bureau letter found 40 felons under employment at University of Wisconsin campuses. When parents watch their children go off to college, they shouldn’t have to worry about the possible dangerous people working there.” Petrowski noted.

This draft specifies that refusal by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, the Technical College System Board, or a technical college district board to employ or to terminate from employment an individual who has been convicted of a felony is not employment discrimination.

“The UW System has expressed a willingness to work with the legislature to protect our children. This bill would give them the tools they need to ensure the students’ safety.” Petrowski said.

This legislation does not automatically prohibit these individuals from obtaining a job, it only allows the UW and Tech colleges the option to consider their troubled past without penalty under the Fair Employment Act.

This new draft mirrors a similar Petrowski bill (Assembly Bill 284) allowing public schools to refuse to employ, or to terminate, an unpardoned felon. Assembly Bill 284 passed the Assembly in late February with nearly two-thirds of the vote.

Brokenhearted Brokeback Backers

Some insiders had warned Brokeback supporters that a climate of “secret homophobia” among academy members might ruin the film’s chances.

Good grief. Secret homophobia in Hollywood? Look at the nominations for Brokeback Mountain, Capote and Transamerica...secret homophobia? Really?

Well given the conspiracy against homosexuals in Hollywood, this was entirely predictable.

"I think that's an absolute horror," said Brad Bruner, who is a leader in the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association. "It's an outright sign of homophobia in our country. ('Crash') won no awards before this. It makes me sick."

If someone in a 'protected' class is denied anything, it's clearly because of bigotry or fear. Right? Not because some other arbitrary choices of a large group of voters. For crying out loud this is the same group who honored Marisa Tomei as the best actress for 1992's My Cousin Vinny.

State of White Milwaukee

Very upset that I had to shovel 5 inches of snow this morning.

Blogging late this morning, so the quick-witted Jenna beat me to this post.

Damn you!

Bible Studies in UW Dorms

The wishy washy editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel again puts out a half assed opinion piece. This time regarding the UW Resident Assistant who was disciplined for conducting bible studies.

Although they are correct that the UW has finally devised the right policy, They mistakenly argue for some heretofore unknown constitutional right to not be offended, and set up a 'Clash of Freedoms' that others have argued about here.

The Eau Claire policy, which reflects rules at other UW campuses, forbade resident assistants - upperclassmen or graduate students who get housing and a stipend to monitor and guide students living in dormitories - from hosting religious or political activities in their buildings.

What we have here is a clash of rights. The university was trying to preserve freedom from coercion for dormitory residents, who may feel pressured to attend the activities. But in the process, the university abridged the First Amendment rights of the resident assistants.

+++Update. Shortly after I posted this, Charlie Sykes was on it as well.

It's a gimme putt. There is no right to not feel philosophically uncomfortable. There is no freedom from coercion for dormitory residents.

Blog Summit Agenda

The tentative agenda has been firmed up, and I think the cheddarshpere will agree it's shaped up to be a interesting afternoon.

Inaugural WisPolitics/WisOpinion Blog Summit
March 18, 2006
1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Country Spring Hotel

Attendance is free and open to all interested parties, but they must register in advance by contacting link@wispolitics.com

**12:55 p.m. Short introduction by Jeff Mayers, president of WisPolitics.com

**1 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. State of Blogging keynote by Ann Althouse

**1:25 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. The Legalities of Blogging by Jennifer L. Peterson, attorney, LaFollette Godfrey & Kahn. Short speech and question-and-answer period.

**1:45 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. ``Why blog? Defining the phenomenon from a citizen bloggers' perspective'' Owen Robinson of Boots & Sabers and Jay Bullock of folkbum's rambles and rants lead a discussion with other citizen bloggers.

**2:15 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. Moderated panel discussion: How will history view early blogging? An academic view. Jessica McBride, journalism instructor, radio talk show host and blogger, UW-Milwaukee; John McAdams, blogger and Marquette professor of political science; and Ken Mayer, UW-Madison political scientist.

**2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Moderated panel discussion: Impact of blogging on election 2006. Participants: Ed Garvey of FightingBob.com, Charlie Sykes of WTMJ-AM, state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Brian Fraley, GOP strategist and blogger.

**3:15 p.m. Presentation of the WisPolitics staff choice for 2005 Wisconsin political blogger of the year. TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Blogging Summit

Xoff asked to be shot if he ever blogged about blogging.

Please note I did not make that same request. So, here goes.

I've read some interesting grumbling regarding the WisPolitics/WisOpinion Blog Summit, in which I've been asked to participate.

Most notably, from Sean at the American Mind.

While not with the same fervor as Sean, I do see his point.

While Professor John McAdams (a fellow panelist) has is own take, I know that WisPolitics has said this was a tentative schedule and I have it on very good authority that some "regular joes" will be added to the afternoon's lineup to address some of the concerns of Sean, Chris, et. al.

Some are of the belief that the blogging phenomenon has jumped the shark. They point to a drop in traffic to some sites, and the emergence of MSM blogs as a sign that the bubble has burst.

I do not share that belief.

I am looking forward to the event in two weeks; and to meeting many of you who, bloggers or not, share an appetite for information on politics and current events and are blog readers.

I also welcome the opportunity to share my perspective on how blogs (not mine) will impact the 2006 elections and how I believe candidates would be wise to treat this emerging medium.

As always, I welcome your feedback. Either through the comments section or via email, drop me a line and let me know what you'd get out of the summit.

Faces Of Meth

Aaron at Subject to Change has linked to some astonishing before and after photos*.

An amazing new diet plan?

Well, kind of.

Faces of Meth.

Damn fine lookin' people. What a glamorous and exciting way to escape reality.

*Granted, some of the before pictures were pretty awful as well.

Early Spin

As some of you may have heard, I guest-hosted NewsTalk 1130 WISN's Early Spin program this past Wednesday.

Fortunately, it was an impromptu stint. I found out at 4:30am that I'd be on the air at 5:30 that morning.

Had I been given more time to be nervous, I was fearful I'd end up like this guy. Poor kid.

Fortunately, I've been told I wasn't that bad, and WISN did not lose their FCC license.

In all seriousness, I appreciated the opportunity and enjoyed my brief stint behind the microphone. Even if I had to wake up so freakin' early.

UW Felons

The University of Wisconsin. Where individuals who are guilty of rape can remain on the payroll...

Convicted UW Professor was allowed to work on campus
MADISON - A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor was allowed to work on campus for months after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting young girls even though some colleagues were threatened by his presence, according to a document released Thursday.

Roberto Coronado, a professor of medical physiology, was allowed to continue to work while he was on bail facing sexual assault charges last year. Coronado pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three girls in March but was allowed to continue working until he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in August.

The UW System Board of Regents fired Coronado last month. The board released a copy of its decision detailing the facts of the case and the rationale for firing him Thursday in response to an open records request by The Associated Press.

The decision said Coronado had initially been banned from using his laboratory and office after he was charged in June 2004 and released on bail.

But the university eventually worked out a deal with his attorney in February 2005 allowing Coronado to use an office outside the department's facilities and to use his laboratory for three hours per week.

Eventually the Board of Regents got it right.

The regents' opinion said the board rejected Coronado's arguments that he should keep his job because the crimes were not related to his duties as a faculty member and that he should continue to be paid.

"Professor Coronado's conduct involved heinous and egregious sexual acts against children, which evidences a clear disregard for the safety and welfare of others," the decision said. "His conduct endangered the public and violated the integrity and trust Wisconsin citizens expect and require of the UW System and its tenured faculty."

More on this story.

What took them so long?

The recent Audit of UW hiring and employment policies revealed many troubling examples that point to a glaring need for reform.

A loud 'attaboy' or 'attagirl' to the first legislator who proposes a change in State Statutes that allows the UW System to deny or terminate the employment of individuals found guilty of rape or murder.

Anyone who thinks this is a bad idea is welcome to explain their rationale in the comments section, below.

Blogroll Housekeeping

Added a few, deleted a few.

The Newest? Patrick McIlheran.

Welcome, Patrick.

Save the Date

Save the date.

Leading bloggers and commentators will gather on Saturday March 18 at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha for the inaugural WisPolitics/WisOpinion Blog Summit. The event will highlight the impact of blogs on politics and government in Wisconsin and beyond as well as featuring the 2005 Wisconsin blogger of the year award.

The summit is set for Saturday, March 18 from 1 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. It is sponsored by AT&T Wisconsin, WisPolitics, WisOpinion and others.

Attendance is free and open to all interested parties, but attendees must register in advance by contacting John Link at link@wispolitics.com.

Participants include some of the state's leading bloggers:

• Ann Althouse, a nationally recognized blogger and UW-Madison law school faculty member. She will deliver the summit's keynote address.
• Charlie Sykes, Milwaukee WTMJ-AM morning radio host and leading conservative voice.
• Ed Garvey, Madison attorney and former Democratic candidate for governor and U.S. senator, who blogs from the liberal side at FightingBob.com
• Brian Fraley, a GOP strategist, who blogs about politics.
• State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, who has his own blog.
• Jessica McBride, UW-Milwaukee journalism instructor, radio talk show host and conservative media blogger.
• John McAdams, blogger and Marquette professor of political science.

Some impressive people will be participating. Plus me and Ed Garvey...

Idol Chatter

I haven't watched American Idol since that episode where Reuben ate Clay in two bites. But apparently last night was interesting.

Paula Abdul - make rehab your own.

The “American Idol” judge was incoherent on last night’s live telecast, bumbling lines and giggling like she’d just emerged from a Grateful Dead concert, leaving audiences, contestants and host Ryan Seacrest more confused than a homophobic Clay Aiken fan.

When Seacrest asked Abdul why two contestants received the fewest votes, she mumbled, head in hands, “Simon said because one of them ate pizza and the other ate salad.”

A shocked Seacrest responded, “You guys realize we’re on the air?”

Abdul got it together for a few minutes, but during the second round of cuts, she was back to her odd behavior.

“What did you tell me Simon?” she said, slurring her words. “What did you tell me? Simon gave me advice and said on “The X Factor” he always refers to a fortune cookie and says the moth who finds the melon - (laugher) - finds the corn flake always finds the melon and one of you didn’t pick the right fortune.”

Huh?

Seacrest wasn’t happy, but fellow judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell seemed amused at Abdul’s impersonation of a high teenager.

“I’m going to send the judges to be grounded,” Seacrest said at the end of the show[.]

When Ryan Seacrest is the voice of reason, it's a sign your show has jumped the shark.

Fraley, out!

Representative Jason Fields

Representative Jason Fields, a young Democrat assemblyman from Milwaukee has been a champion of School Choice.

His appearance on Charlie Sykes' Insight 2006 program was the first time I saw him in action.

Here is his floor speech from last night.

Families within the Choice program have a strong advocate in Fields, and his constituents should be most proud.

From the Didn't Notice You Were Running Files...

I love school so much, I am putting off the real world for as long as I can. Plus, I had no shot of winning since all the Dane County money is going to the Guv and AG races....

Fyrst Campaign: Puts Higher Education First, Withdraws from State Treasurer’s Race

Madison – Wisconsin politics is challenging this year. In November we must re-elect Jim Doyle and give him a Democratic state legislature that will work with him instead of against Wisconsin. And we absolutely must defeat the efforts of a vocal minority of Wisconsinites who seek to enshrine discrimination in our constitution. And of course, we absolutely must elect a Democrat as the next Wisconsin State Treasurer.

It is time for a State Treasurer who will put Wisconsin first. However, I have determined that person will not be me this year.

As of today, I am officially withdrawing from the race for Wisconsin State Treasurer. For the past four years, I have been working on getting my undergraduate college degree.

In two months, I will be graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in sociology and political science. I have thoroughly enjoyed being in an educational setting and I have decided I am not ready to quit.

This fall I will be applying for graduate school to continue my education. The decision to go back to school was not a light one. I made choices that have challenged me and my family. Those challenges will remain until I finish school.

Therefore, I must step back and put my family and my education first. I am not saying goodbye to politics. I am saying that right now is not the time for me to serve as the Wisconsin State Treasurer.

To everyone who has supported me during the past year, thank you. I hope I will have your support in this next chapter of my life.

End the Cap

The green ribbon stays until Governor Doyle signs the bill.

Walker Radio Ad

The mini ad run by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's gubernatorial campaign caused quite a buzz in political circles yesterday.

Both his and Congressman Mark Green's campaign issued a flurry of press releases and emails regarding the veracity of Walker's claims.

Dennis York adds his take as well.
GOP3 chimes in.
Chip and Dale eye up the situation.
Owen offers his take.
And, here's Jenna.

Rally for Holloway's Civil Rights

Seventy people with nothing better to do showed up to support the County Board King, Lee Holloway yesterday.

According to JSOnline:

Holloway supporters rally at north side church

More than 70 supporters of Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway met at a north side church Thursday afternoon to rally against what they called attacks on his civil rights and unfair treatment in the media.

The rally at Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God, 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way, was attended by Ald. Michael McGee, and several county supervisors including Elizabeth Coggs-Jones, Willie Johnson Jr. and Peggy West.

I'm dying to hear which of Holloway's civil rights have been violated.

The right to rule without criticism?

The right to evade prosecution of ethics violations?

The right to take more than $160,000 in anti poverty funds in exchange for, well, nothing?

Or, perhaps the right to deny his tenants heat on the coldest day of the year? (tenants who are impoverished people of color, by the way.)

You are known by the company you keep. Congratulations to Supervisors Coggs-Jones, Johnson, Jr., and West for throwing your lot in with the likes of Mini McGee and Holloway.

Imagined oppression loves company.

Carnival of the Badger

Steveegg at No Runny Eggs is the host for The 29th posting of the Carnival of the Badger. Head over there to find out what's new in the Cheddarsphere.

Reynolds Backs Off; Will Vote for Choice Compromise

Mark Belling and WisPolitics are reporting Tom Reynolds will vote for the School Choice compromise.

As predicted by yours truly, Reynolds changed his mind from his earlier position after Leah Vukmir announced she'd challenge Reynolds if he caved on School Choice.

This was all entirely predictable.

Which begs the question...Why did Reynolds publicly waver in the first place, stating three different reasons why he was against the compromise?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Debate on the Senate floor continues...

Holloway Supporters Rally

Unfortunately, I have to work this afternoon, but it would be interesting to listen to what happens here today.

Support Rally for Civil Rights and Equality

All elected officials and the community are invited to help support our highest level African-American public official, Chairman Lee Holloway on Thursday, March 2, 2006 at Holy Redeemer C.O.G.I.C - Genesis Hall, 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

All that will be present will speak about issues ranging from Chairman Lee Holloway's property, Ethics Case, Power and Struggle of being a black with power. You as the public have the chance to hear and see how the media and their establishments are illegally and unfairly attacking African-American public officials. The community needs to know, when African-American politicians are attack, it is also an attack on black people.

This gives the public and elected officials to discuss the issues mention above.

When black politicians show independence, they are representing all African-Americans. They are the voice for those in the community that are not
being heard.

When African-American politicians are unfairly and illegally attacked causes detriment to their character and discredit their ability as an elected official.

All of the community is welcome to come out and support the civil rights and equality for Chairman Lee Holloway.

Green Responds to Walker Ad

The Green Team has taken the bait.

They've responded to the modest Walker ad buy.

They attack the content of the ad, and do so quite strongly.

In a release sent to media and bloggers, the Green team refutes the veracity of Walker's claims:

Walker Starts Ad Campaign With a Lie
Follows Doyle's lead with sleazy ad against Republican frontrunner.

GREEN BAY "Last week, the Greater Wisconsin Committee, a shadowy issue advocacy group with ties to associates of Governor Jim Doyle, launched a sleazy
radio ad against U.S. Congressman Mark Green. Today, Scott Walker followed suit with an untrue ad. In response, Green issued the following statement:

"It does not speak well of Scott Walker and his campaign when he begins his advertising campaign by telling a lie. Not only have I repeatedly said I support a property tax freeze and the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, but I am also the only candidate for governor who has promised not to run for a second term if I don't lower the tax burden on Wisconsin families.

"Last summer, Jim Doyle tried to convince us that increased state spending equated tax relief. Now, Scott Walker is making the very same argument.

"With Wisconsin's budget already $2.1 billion in deficit, I don't see how anyone committed to restoring fiscal discipline in Madison can promise such a huge spending increase.

"It is ironic that Walker would launch this ad the very same day he calls for significant increased borrowing to address his fiscal mess in Milwaukee County. Elect me governor, and we'll provide tax relief by putting the breaks on runaway government spending.

"Finally, Scott Walker should know that Wisconsin families expect their elected fficials to tell the truth His first ad simply doesn't do that."

Vukmir/Reynolds and now Walker/Green. A lot of family feuds today.

Party insiders hate this.

Candidates, however, have to distinguish themselves from their primary opponents.

The alternative is a coronation. Which the grassroots (understandably) despise.

Scott Walker Radio Ads

The Walker campaign has taken to the airwaves.

You can hear their ad at www.ScottWalker.org

Despite having the Titanic/Irish music in the background that I hate, I like the concept of the ad. Scott talking directly to the voters.

Tactically, it was smart to get out ahead of Green and Doyle.

The campaign won't go on the record regarding the extent of the buy. Smart strategy. Let the Green Team do the legwork to see how much they are spending and where.

My guess would be it's a buy of approximately $10,000 running on stations in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and maybe one or two other markets. That's significant enough to make news and an impact without draining the coffers in March.

Plus, they figure they'll get a bigger bang for their buck if MSM and blogs pick up on it.

Reynolds v. Vukmir

Whoa!

Predication: Reynolds will now fold and reluctantly do the right thing and vote for the choice compromise.

Why?

Take a look at this, from the Spice Boyz:

State Rep. Leah Vukmir has thrown down the gauntlet.

If her senator - Tom Reynolds - casts a key vote to kill the deal to expand Milwaukee's school choice program, Vukmir will take on her fellow conservative this fall. Reynolds, a choice supporter, has raised objections to the compromise but hasn't said how he will vote.

"Make no mistake," Vukmir wrote Friday in an e-mail to Reynolds' confidant Bob Dohnal. "I love serving in the State Assembly, and I would rather stay there. It's not my choice to run . . . but if Tom contributes to this defeat, then he will have forced my hand. And there will be many there to support me."

Here's their entire column.

Who would cheer a Vukmir-Reynolds primary?

Scott Walker.

It would boost turnout in the core of his base.

The Dems would also cheer. They are salivating over the prospects of this family feud.

Reynolds can only look to himself for blame. But again, I think the 'quirky' Senator will do the right thing and accept the choice compromise.

Reader Mail

Take a look at some of the many comments posted under several of yesterday's posts. I found my exchanges with a (few?) readers quite interesting.

More posts up soon today, but in the interim these comments are worth a read.

Mini McGee Will Have His Day in Court

This is good news.

Judge refuses to drop McGee charges

Wauwatosa - Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee Jr. will go to trial April 19 on charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after Wauwatosa Municipal Judge Richard J. Baker refused to dismiss the citations against him today.

Attorney Glenn O. Givens had filed a motion to dismiss, saying police lacked probable cause to arrest McGee and that the complaint outlining the charges was defective. Givens argued Wednesday that citation didn't adequately spell out the offenses, identify the arresting officer's place of employment or make clear that the arrest actually occurred in Wauwatosa.

Baker rejected the arguments, saying "City of Wauwatosa" is printed on the citation, the officer is clearly identified and, because these are municipal and not criminal charges, they're not bound by the statute cited by Givens that requires offenses to be spelled out in language "readily understood" by the defendant.

McGee's trial date was pushed back from April 12 because of a scheduling conflict. If convicted, he faces fines of up to $269.50.

McGee was arrested Nov. 8 outside the Blockbuster video store at 6102 W. North Ave. after shouting an obscenity at employees inside the locked business.

Lawerly nitpicking is not the sole refuge of elected officials, but it sure is irritating when they engage in such behavior. Fortunately, the judge would have none of this nonsense.

I wonder if McGee will convene a session of the cowardly Mayor Estnes' racial sensitivity task force before or after his court appearance.

Gorby, Winner

While this doesn't surprise me. It still is an outrage.

Dan points out, and I agree:

Mikhail Gorbachev... the loser of the cold war.... is joining the world-wide chorus singing about how bad the US is. This is all blah..blah....blah... to me. But I'd just like to point out a couple of problems with the article.

"The man who ended the Cold War and launched democratic reforms that broke the repressive Soviet regime continues to enjoy the limelight, globe-trotting on behalf of his political foundation and environmental......"

The man that ended the cold war?? Sorry. The man that ended the cold war is buried in California. He didn't "end" the cold war... he LOST the cold war. Big difference. That's like saying Hitler was the man that ended WW2.

"Ending the Cold War was given as a gift" to the United States, but it only strengthened its arrogance and unilateralism, he said. "The winner's complex is worse than an inferiority complex, because it's harder to cure."

Hahahahahahhahahaha. You lost the cold war as a GIFT to us?? That's rich! Let me tell you what a gift is. A "gift" is the billions of dollars WE sent Russia and the other former soviet republics to keep them from falling off the map AFTER we beat your ass in the cold war. That was a gift.

His full take here.

Bible Study Policy at UW System

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin.

Convicted rapists and murders can work here.

As long as they don't conduct bible studies!

Well, one part of this is about to change.

RA's get green light for Bible study

The president of the University of Wisconsin System is recommending a new system-wide policy that would allow resident assistants to conduct Bible study in their dorm rooms as long as they do not coerce other students into participating.

The recommendation from Kevin Reilly, which will come before the UW System Board of Regents for a vote next week, follows a heated controversy at UW-Eau Claire, where a resident assistant was threatened with disciplinary action last summer if he continued to host a bible study in his dorm.

Read more of the story, including the full language of the new policy, at JSOnline.

Media Hysteria

Now that the post-Katrina Mardi Gras is come and gone, look for this to be the media's next obsession, a Spring Break serial killer?

Serial Killer May Be Targeting Women In Daytona Beach
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- FBI agents are now assisting Daytona Beach detectives in the investigation into several unsolved homicides that may have been committed by the same person, Local 6 News reported.

Sources confirmed to Local 6 News Tuesday that FBI agents are helping Daytona Beach authorities profile the person or persons involved in the slayings of three women in three months.

The city's most recent homicide was 35-year-old Iwana Patton from Holly Hill, whose body was found over the weekend in some woods near Williamson Boulevard and Mason Avenue. An anonymous caller led police to Patton's body but refused to give any other information to the dispatcher.

Julie Green and Laquetta Gunther were killed in December.

"Investigators are keeping a lot of the information in reference to the crime scene as well as the victims very close to the chest right now as they investigate to see if there is any new information we can get," Daytona Beach police spokesman Al Tolley said.

h/t Drudge

Lee Holloway: Civil Rights Martyr

I've received several emails and calls regarding this. They came before and after I first commented about it this morning during my emergency pinch hitting stint as co-host of NewsTalk1130's Early Spin (Nicole has a bug).

Apparently at the Milwaukee County Black History Month celebration yesterday, Supervisor Peggy West compared embattled Milwaukee County Board Chair Lee Holloway to legendary civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

Remember, Holloway is under fire for failing to yield his chairmanship while he fights off a 90-count ethics complaint. The case against Holloway alleges, in part, that he failed to claim more than $160, 000 in rental and sale income from an anti-poverty agency that did business with the county. The money, by the way, was allegedly for a real estate transaction that was never completed.

West, alluded to Parks by reportedly saying something to the effect of:

"She didn't give up her seat and neither should you."

Good grief.

Apparently any attempts to remove a person of color from a position of power is automatically a civil rights issue.

Think West realizes her statement is an insult to Parks and those like her who selflessly struggled for the advancement of civil rights?

And for the record, the Supervisors are moving to remove Holloway as Board Chair, not from the Board altogether.

Unfortunately, it appears too many members of the County Board have been bullied by Holloway and his supporters who are so quick to play the race card.

What's in Your Wallet?

PUBLIC HEARING

Wednesday, March 1, 2006
4:00 PM
Country Springs Hotel
Woodfield Room
2810 Golf Road
Pewaukee, WI 53702

Senate Joint Resolution 63

Relating to: creating a revenue limit for the state and local governmental units, depositing excess revenue into an emergency reserve, returning excess revenue to taxpayers, elector approval for exceeding the revenue limit, state and local governmental approval for reducing the revenue limit, allowing local governmental units to raise revenue to compensate for reductions in state aid, requiring the state to reduce its revenue limit in conjunction with reduction in state aid, reimbursing the reasonable costs of imposing state mandates, standing to bring a suit to enforce the revenue limits, and requiring the approval of only one legislature to amend the revenue limit provisions (first consideration).

By Senators Grothman, Lazich, Darling, S. Fitzgerald, A. Lasee, Kedzie, Kanavas, Zien, Leibham, Reynolds, Schultz and Stepp; cosponsored by Representatives Wood, Honadel, Huebsch, Gard, Pridemore, Strachota, Kerkman, Nass, Lothian, F. Lasee, J. Fitzgerald, Gundrum, Hundertmark, Jensen, Musser, Pettis, Nischke, LeMahieu, Vos, Kleefisch, Gunderson, Newcomer, Kestell, Vukmir, Suder and Montgomery.