Re: The Political Grapevine

Marcus,

It's also in today's OpinionJournal Political Diary (subscription email), under the cute title of: "Wisconsin Governor Is a Walking Superfund Site"

John Gard, the GOP speaker of Wisconsin's Assembly, has never seen a political stunt quite like the one pulled by the office of Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. Last week, Governor Doyle's office delivered a large paper bag filled with 1,400 used medical needles and syringes to Mr. Gard's office as a way of showing opposition to a bill banning human cloning.

The needles were given to Gov. Doyle's office by a woman whose daughter suffers from juvenile diabetes and who believes the cloning bill would also limit stem cell research. An uncomprehending Mr. Gard told me that the new state budget includes funding for a multimillion-dollar stem cell research institute and he is furious at the crass political stunt. He notes that used needles are considered dangerous because they can transmit diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis B.

The needles were apparently given by the woman to aides of the governor on July 14. She included a letter asking that they be delivered to Mr. Gard's office "as a reminder of what I truly needed to fight for life -- the life of my beautiful, living, breathing child."

The used needles were considered dangerous enough that State Capitol cleaning crews wouldn't touch them, forcing police to be summoned to take them to a hospital for disposal. But Dan Leistikow, a spokesman for Governor Doyle, seems unconcerned about the incident. He told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Doyle aides thought the needles were unused and that in any event the woman had a right to her opinion. "She knew the needles weren't a pretty thing because she deals with them in daily life," Mr. Leistikow said. "She wanted (Gard) to know what she goes through."

Mr. Gard's office issued a curt response: "In 2005, medical waste isn't something people should take lightly. Is there no standard of conduct left?"

Still saying that's the best $3.95 a month I'm spending.

Note: Have no idea why the font looks the way it does.