Revolution is in the air

Has there ever been a revolution against a university's student government? I've never heard of one, although I guess anything could have happened during the 1960's. Even if there has been one, it is rare enough that the Buckysphere bloggers are worth keeping an eye on as dissatisfaction with UW's student government grows. Any thoughts Jenna, or would any of the Buckysphere bloggers like to write a guest post on the topic?

Indecent judicial behavior

For the past couple of years we've been periodically hearing about Judge Donald Thompson in Oklahoma, perhaps better known as the penis pump judge. Well, if the report in the Janesville Gazette is accurate, Wisconsin may have its own masturbating judge in the national headlines soon:

WHITEWATER-Police searched the private law office of Municipal Judge Steven C. Spear late last month seeking evidence of lewd and lascivious behavior.

On the afternoon of Feb. 28, Spear forcibly tried to kiss a female employee in his downtown office, according to a search warrant affidavit. He then masturbated in front of the woman, according to the affidavit, which was filed March 2.
[...]
Spear, 36, told the woman he masturbates in his office every day, according to the affidavit.

Police searched Spear's office at 331 W. Whitewater St. that night and found nine suspected semen stains, according to the search warrant return.

This case is still at its early stages, and no charges have yet been filed.

Full of Bologna Suspended.

Not only is the site closed down, the owner's account is now suspended.

This is one local affair that has my attenion.

Jonah Likes Wisconsin.

Jonah Goldberg from National Review that is.

I think this is my fourth or fifth visit to this part of the country in the last year or so alone. And every time I come out here the more impressed I am with the people. Politics aside, the people seem to be one standard-deviation nicer than people elsewhere. The college kids I meet tend to be sharp, but also very decent. Normal workers -- flight attendants, cab drivers, store clerks, waiters, etc -- all seem to be just slightly more professional for professionalism's sake. I don't want to live out here -- Milwaukee is hardly a garden spot and Madison has very high level of lefty zomboid infiltration -- but I always leave with just a bit more respect for the people than when I arrived.

Jonah's impression.

Well Jonah, there is more to Wisconsin than Madison and Milwaukee!

Re: Murder of Julienne McGuire: Beloit Investigation Unfolds

Police investigating the murder of Julienne McGuire are only beginning to release information to the press.

The McGuire-Folts connection is new to the general public, and its implications in the judges' race should begin to cause repurcussions over the weekend as voters piece things together.

McGuire's anti-Folts letter to The Beloit Daily News only ran a week ago yesterday. It's one of the first places any non-insiders would have heard of Folts' questionable behavior, and the BDN articles I linked are careful in relating the events of McGuire's stalking case, her feelings about Folts, and the recently reported reason behind Folts' reduction of charges against the as-yet unnamed stalker.

There are articles on victims Aida Stoehr here, here and here, but I can't find anything besides the McGuire story from Madison to Rockford on Carmella Ball's stabbing murder [Stoehr was stabbed to death in her home; Ball's cause of death has not been released by police].

Another letter to the Janesville Gazette editor - published one week before McGuire's - upholds McGuire's opinion of Folts, and one that appeared the day after McGuire's in the BDN can be found here.

The Gazette ran an article on the two forums the judicial candidates participated in, "Rock County judge contenders jab each other at forums."

Everything I have found on the judge candidates during my search is very negative about Folts and neutral to positive about Welker.

Given Folts' admission to prejudicing the McGuire case, along with the independent witness of his treatment of other people in the community seeking justice, I shudder to think that he has any significant support. And yet I've seen the signs around town.

Update: First, I failed to mention that McGuire's purse was missing from the crime scene, which might be a genuine theft or an effort to make it look like one. Second, this BDN article notes Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop saying that there hasn't been a homicide downtown in Beloit since 1982. It makes me wonder how related they really think the murders are, or if it's just the standard cross-check of similar open cases.

Re: Murder of Julienne McGuire

Wow, there is much more to that story than I originally thought. Not to take away from the criminal investigation, which is the most important thing right now, but do you have any sense of how this is affecting that election, tee bee? I was in Beloit on Saturday and the Folts signs were everywhere. I wonder if people might be pulling back on their support of him or if they'll just shrug this all off and go about it as politics as usual.

Also, do you have links to news stories on those other two murders? I and I'm sure other BBA readers from this part of the state would be interested to know as much about all three as possible, just to be on the safe side on the chance that this is a serial killer scenario.

Murder of Julienne McGuire: Beloit Investigation Unfolds

Contrary to the hype, Beloit is a fairly normal, quiet, small college town. Crime is usually of the petty theft or truancy variety.

On Monday morning, Julienne McGuire was found in the Beloit offices of Edward Jones. Police aren't releasing the cause of death, though the Beloit Daily News reports that "work at the Edward Jones building suggests the incident occurred in the back of the building, and blood was shed," and I had heard that her throat was slit.

Edward Jones has a fund set up to help care for the 44-year-old's children.

The victim's letter to the editor of the BDN - four days before she died - recounts her concern about the conviction and sentencing of her stalker, as well as her treatment by candidate for judge Perry Folts.

Her stalker - a former boyfriend - had a police-supplied GPS system in place, and he still violated the restraining order "numerous times." According to the BDN, Folts said at the hearing that if McGuire hadn't been told this by the police, she wouldn't have been afraid.

McGuire's original allegations "ranged from [her boyfriend] puncturing her tires to breaking into her house and tampering with a pipe..."

The questions Folts should ask himself are: if he hadn't made deals with the defendant - which were broken; if he hadn't done so simply because he found out that McGuire had dated the investigating officer - which was never mentioned on the official court records; and if a significant sentence had been carried out - not the mere ten days on a reduced charge that the defendent received; would McGuire still be alive.

The police say they interviewed the former boyfriend and are following up on the information he gave, but they have not named him as a person of interest.

The Beloit Deputy Chief of Police will pursue any connections there may be between McGuire's murder and the two other unsolved murders of women in the area, one on March 5 and one on September 20. The latter death was by stabbing, but the police have not released information on the more recent murder.

The case is complicated by the victim's intersection of a dangerous triad: a vengeful ex-lover, a possible serial killer, and a contentious local political contest. Police need a witness to come forward or some evidence that sheds light on the murder. Currently, the police have sketches of a man they need to interview.

CP @ GMC.

Re: Ann Althouse on South Park

Lance,

I heartily suggest you take up the viewing of South Park. I don't make it a regular view (as I do with Special Report with Brit Hume), but I will not turn it off if I happen to flick through it.

When you cut through the juvenile potty-humor usually there is something a good conservative can feel good about. Granted, sometimes the show is just about potty-humor and from time to time they veer off of the conservative camp.

After the 2000 recount rumble they had an episode where Ike's kindergarten class got into a similar fiasco. Ike had won the count (for the vote for class president) and the countless recounts but Rosie O'Donnell's nephew refused to concede and him and Rosie demanded recount after recount (of total 9 or so votes cast). Well, another concurrent plot was one of the boy's trapper-keeper portfolio grew into this hideous monster eating up everything in its path (or some sort of monster threatened Southpark) and it swallowed down Rosie. The monster barfed Rosie up and died!

There is the Epic of Lemmiwinks episode too which is great but I will not go into here.

Magnum on Cut and Run

Dave Magnum, candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, had to leave the Sauk/Columbia County Lincoln Day Dinner a little early last night. The media was asking for comment on the "cut and run" referendums taking place around the state.

He was kind enough to share his statement with me last night. Here's an excerpt:

Before you vote, please consider a point that keeps me up at night:

Imagine leaving Iraq and Afghanistan to the men who have undoubtedly made lists of the women who trusted America enough to stand up and rise from the despair of being treated in many cases as mere possessions or dogs to be kicked. What would happen to them? What would happen to those women who actually stood as candidates; some now leaders of men?

Based on the torture already documented in these countries, we don’t have to wonder. My stomach sickens when I think about the horrors that would be inflicted upon them. Stories of these atrocities would be promoted by men intent on maintaining superiority from one generation to the next.

Our soldiers are reporting that it is brave Iraqi and Afghan women who are whispering in their ears to identify insurgents along with the desperate plea that we not abandon them. Have those who are promoting these immediate withdrawal referendums, such as my opponent for Congress, stopped to think about the horror that faces these women if we cut and run? I hope you will.

I was raised on the principle that failing to keep a promise is unacceptable. As the world’s best hope for freedom, we must keep our word. Because a man, woman or nation without integrity is a hollow and fragile vessel easily tipped and shattered.

DAVE MAGNUM
Candidate for Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District

Hear, hear. There's more at stake this April 4 than a few local elections. Don't forget to vote.

Ann Althouse on South Park

No, I don't mean she'll be appearing on the show (although boy would I tune in for that). Hers was the third major blog on which I read about the latest episode of South Park - the one about hybrid cars producing huge clouds of "smug."

Is driving your hybrid car causing you to talk with your eyes closed? The new "South Park" episode -- "Smug Alert" -- had lots of great details. I loved George Clooney's Oscar speech as a cloud of smugness that became part of a weather system, leading to a Perfect Storm. But my favorite thing on the show was the depiction of the San Francisco kids, who had such a precise reason for feeling aggrieved.

Makes me wonder: am I missing something important by not watching South Park? But if I start watching South Park, aren't I just contributing to the slow rotting of our society, not to mention my own brain?

But that can't be possible, right? I mean, Ann Althouse is watching it.

Isn't this going just a little too far?

Atheists Sue Over Roadside Memorials To Slain Troopers

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Attorney General's Office has asked a judge to toss out a lawsuit filed against the state over roadside crosses honoring troopers killed in the line of duty.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Atheists, who say the crosses are religious symbols that violate the separation of church and state.

...

The American Atheists are seeking to have the crosses removed and replaced with more secular monuments for troopers.

As weird as that is, check out the paragraph I snipped:

But the state said the crosses are not religious symbols but rather symbols of death. It says the only message the crosses send is the sacrifice Utah Highway Patrol troopers make to monitor and patrol the state's highways.

"Symbols of death?" What the heck is going on in Utah?

If you click the link (it's a Madison TV station webpage), they've got a poll up - should the crosses be removed, or not? It's running 95% in favor of "not."

Speaking of Libel.

There is a libel suit vs. a website publication up here in the Fox Valley. The link provided is to an Oshkosh Northwestern story. The site in question as reported by WTAQ is called Full of Bologna and apparently, the suit was instigated by anonymous comments left on the website! I visited the site myself (find it yourself) and the front page does say it is shut down until this lawsuit is cleared up.

Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Robert Wirtz has ordered the site shut down.

Be careful out there!

Re: Is It Really That Bad?

Never let facts (or a voting record) get in the way of some RINO name calling.

A budding Republican challenger to Mark Green

Scott Walker may be out of the race, but Mark Green still may have a competitor in the Republican primary: Kris from Dummocrats. Here's her platform:

I believe that I could be that candidate. Oh sure, I don't have any government experience or influential connections or overflowing campaign war chest. What I do have, however, is an unbeatable issue. If elected, I hereby vow to guarantee the speedy removal of dead animals from Wisconsin's roads. My internal polling has shown almost unanimous support for this stance.

She may be a RINO, though, folks. She's proposing a vehicle registration fee increase to pay for it. As for me, I say kick 'em in the ditch. It's cheaper and it gives the scavengers something to munch on. It's the way of the wild

(Of course, this post was written in jest)

Re: Is It Really That Bad?

I just checked out Carrick Bend. Very interesting. Then I moseyed on over to the American Conservative Union's rating website and Mark Green has a lifetime rating of 88. To compare, this ties with Jim Sensenbrenner, is four points less than Paul Ryan's 92, and 11 greater than Tom Petri's 77.

David's attitude is what got Governor Doyle elected in 2002. I saw some gun zealots (don't get me wrong I am all for gun rights and the Second Amendment but these guys were kooks) on the wi.general newsgroup (check it out on Google groups, however, the group is now worthless) and they said they would not vote for anyone but ET. They said, Governor McCallum was insufficiently pure when it came to gun rights, well a lot of good voting for ET did. Now, we have as governor Handgun Control Inc.'s best friend as governor.

Another underachieving Minnesotan

All of the 'odd news' wires, as well as a number of blogs, are talking about the 3 year old Minnesota boy who crawled into one of those big claw toy machines. 3 years old? That ain't even trying. Two years ago a 7 year old Sheboygan boy crawled into one of the machines at his local Piggly Wiggly. Now that is dedication and effort.

With Wilcox retiring...

With Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Wilcox announcing that he will not run for reelection, we have only a year before the election to replace him, who will it be?

I am calling on some Conservative legal experts for guidance.

Is It Really That Bad?

Is the animosity towards the Mark Green campaign really that bad amongst former Scott Walker supporters?

I have seen some blogs out there addressing how we all need to come together and support Mark Green. I have not seen any blogs out there ripping Mark Green a new one (with the exception of those we would expect to rip Mark Green, i.e. Doyle supporters). There was some hard feelings right after Scott's announcment I noticed but after the shock wore off all the bloggers who supported Scott seem to have sobered up.

Is it the non-blogger supporters of Walker that are all upset?

Spring Fling Entertainment

Jib has graciously offered to entertain the masses at the upcoming Blogosphere Spring Fling:

I feel so strongly about this that, if necessary, I will don the Green Team t-shirt and do cartwheels if it helps defuse this animosity.

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling pretty darn animosi...um, animositivity? Animosity-ish? I'll be feeling some animosity, I think. I'll need to see those cartwheels.

Don't forget the video cameras, people. I'll bring the first aid kit.

Re: McKinney Goes Zsa Zsa on Hill Cop

Hehehe,

This story is on The Drudge Report, and it says the incident IS ON TAPE!

Carnival post due tonight

Don't forget to submit your post for the Carnival of the Badger. It is hosted at Milwaukee Id10t and he is expecting a great turnout.

McKinney Goes Zsa Zsa on Hill Cop

Why oh why could there not be video of this?

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) punched a U.S. Capitol Police officer today after he mistakenly pursued her for failing to pass through a metal detector.

Members are not required to pass through metal detectors and the officer, manning a position at Longworth House Office Building, apparently did not recognize McKinney and didn't see her Member pin.

The officer called out "Ma'am, Ma'am," in an attempt to stop her.

When the officer caught up to McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.

McKinney pulled her arm away, swung around, cell phone in hand, and punched the officer square in the chest, according to the witness.

McKinney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

I understand mistaken identity, but this is funny.

Re: Quad Burning

Hehehehehe,

I thought that was a likely reaction. I went against writing an explicit statement that I was not at all referring to Quadrachi Graphics.

Re: Quad Burning

With that headline I thought a Quad-Graphic plant was on fire. Images of the awful fire in Lomira (only a few miles north of my place) a few years ago popped in my head.

What a relief it was only Marcus'leg muscles that were burning.

Quad Burning.

Just got back from Granite Peak. The conditions were challenging, but the skiing was suprisingly fast. We got to the hill at about 5:30pm, kitted up, and hit the hill. I was shocked as I was expecting soft and grabby snow. The snow was not grabby but it was defintely bumpy as the snow would push up and mini-moguls were forming all over.

One really had to work their skis and hence it got one's quadriceps to burning.

Letter to the Editor

A local businesswoman - a very friendly, intelligent Baraboo business owner who has been a vocal opponent of the war - wrote this letter to our local paper (not online):

There once was a President named Bush,
Who took us to war in a rush.
Because of his lies,
Two thousand G.I.s have died,
So that oil can continue to gush.

It's clear the invasion has failed,
And all hope of victory derailed.
Enough is enough,
Let's be through with this stuff.
It will be no mistake to have bailed.

Iraq is now in civil war,
TV news reports all the gore.
We can't win in such strife,
With its great loss of life,
So, let's tell Donald Rumsfield "no more!"

On April 4th a vote you can cast,
A referendum we hope will be passed,
To bring our troops home,
No more deserts to roam,
Let this stupid blunder be our last!

That's exactly what it says, right down to the last comma and capital letter.

Is it just me, or has she done more damage to her own cause than I ever could by rebutting?

You know you live in Wisconsin when you have two shotgun shells in the front console of your minivan.

They're there because your husband saw them on the ground, picked them up to see what gauge they were, then decided they were still good and shouldn't be thrown away.

CP @ GMC.

RIP: Caspar Weinberger

The Secretary of Defense that assisted President Ronald Reagan in bringing down the USSR just passed away. May He rest in peace.

Re: Bumper Sticker

Faith is one of those things many on the left (and no doubt, there are those on the right who also are hostile to religion) think is the realm of the uneducated religious.

That old saying about when you point one finger, three point back at you come to mind. We all take leaps of faith in our lives every day. So much around us is based on technical wizardry most of us can not even begin to understand how it all works, so we take it on faith they work. For example, I toured Fermilab when I was in college. Very awesome, a salute to man's engineering and scientific prowess.

However, one experimental area had rooms and levels of rooms dedicated to the computing power needed to collect experimental data. The thing I thought was How can they be sure they are looking at raw data instead of software and hardware bug artifacts? That is, it struck me as an act of faith to trust the data coming out of one of those experiments. This neglects a discussion of the researcher doing research at the facility who was a Catholic nun.

Religion, when you get right down to it, is faith based and therefore irrational. This is not a putdown, as rational knowledge is knowledge the human mind can come up with on its own. For those of us who are religious we have to base it on faith. There is no rational way to prove our religious beliefs to be true (or false for that matter).

Rational processes are insufficient to the job of proving or disproving religious faith. We can not use our experience to prove our religious beliefs correct or incorrect. We can not use deductive or inductive reasoning to prove our religious beliefs correct or incorrect.

So, the bumper sticker is spot on. Much of our religious beliefs do go against the rational; in effect, religion causes us to believe things that go against our rational beliefs.

So, the bumper sticker is just one more howling dog.

Bumper Sticker

The Wisconsin State Journal has been publishing a picture of a locally-seen bumper sticker on its Sunday editorial page. I wish I'd had a camera with me this afternoon, so I could submit the zinger I saw.

It said:

Faith is believing in what you know ain't so.

Just what the heck does that mean? If you believe in it, then you figure it is so, don't you? And if you know it ain't so, you sure don't have any faith in it.

Now let's all bow our heads in thanks that these are the intellects against which we joust.

A web war survey

The Baraboo News Republic has a web survey up, asking people's opinion on Baraboo's upcoming anti-war referendum.

Here are the questions:

• Yes - the administration has to hear from people against the war.
  
• No - I don't approve of the war but this referendum will bring down troop morale.
  
• No - we need to stay in Iraq as long as it takes to get the job done.

Please note: I am not soliciting people to go over there and stack the vote. Won't try to talk you out of it, but I'm not asking you to, either.

I just think it's interesting, the way they set those three choices. If I have a quibble, it's that they didn't include a second "yes" choice: maybe something along the lines of "the war was wrong in the first place" or "Bush misled us into war" or "war is not the answer."

Oh, and as of now: the "yes" option has 46%; the first "no" has 18%; and the second "no" has 36%.

RE: Kane

Seriously, does Eugene want us all to beat him up again, or has he simply lost his mind? (Feel free to answer that one.)

Myself, I wouldn't waste the time on Kane. The worst type of punishment an attention seeking relic like himself could have bestowed upon him is for all of us ignoring him completely and simply leaving him alone.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

To quote the bard (Macbeth - Act V, Scene V) to describe Eugene Kane:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Kane Does It Again

Eugene Kane declares his superiority over webloggers.

Journal Times Banning Comments?

In case you missed it I have been breaking a story involving a sex and political scandal with the Chair of the Democratic Party in Racine County.

The papers and radio have ignored this completely.

Well today I hear the Racine Journal Times has banned people who posted links to my stories on their web forums.

Not only did they flat out refuse to cover the story, now they are banning people who discuss it in a public forum?!?

Check it all out at RDW.

Sykes - Walker - Sunday Insight

I have posted a review of Sunday Insight, the half hour interview of Charlie Sykes and Scott Walker.

Walker: Thompson should run against Kohl

That is interesting, if meaningless. Scott Walker just said that he wishes Tommy Thompson would stop talking about the Governor's race and run against Senator Kohl. Thompson won't do it, but it certainly is interesting to see the Milwaukee County Executive talking about it.

The Doyle campaign will be a Republican unifier

I'm watching Charlie Sykes interview Scott Walker on TV right now, and I started mulling over the big picture. Currently, two days after Walker dropped out of the race, Republicans seem to be just a little bit split yet. That's natural at this point because Walker supporters are still getting used to the idea that their guy is out of the race. The Doyle campaign will change that, though. Sooner rather than later, they will begin to attack Mark Green. Given Doyle's statewide approval ratings, they have no choice but to start attacking Green early and often. I'm looking forward to that first volley from the Doyle campaign. Nothing will erase any lingering disunity amongst Republicans quicker than a Doyle campaign on the offensive. No matter what the Doyle campaign does, it is a can't lose for the Green campaign. If they sit on their hands to see if Republican disunity grows, then Walker supporters will come on board with Green on their own terms. If the Doyle campaign attacks, Republicans will quickly circle the wagons around Green and begin focusing on Doyle.

My Idiom!

Hehehe, Outagamie County for Mark Green just opened its digital doors for business. Check it out!

During the '04 campaign I (a buddy pitched in) put together www.oc4w.org (don't try it, the website is now defunct and I let my ownership of the domain lapse) the official Outagamie County for George W. Bush homepage. I had two little MySQL + PHP applications one an events publication application system (had to do direct inserts to the MySQL database rather then a proper form) and a little application that traced campaign sign vandalism and theft. You would come to the page and you got a little report on how many W signs were reported to the campaign as stolen or vandalized.

Well the Green campaign in Outagamie County follows the naming idiom I set up! Or perhaps, this is some sort of parallel political campaign development kinda like what is demonstrated on about 3 or 4 Star Trek episodes?

Anyway check it out!

Scott Walker Speaks

Charlie reports:

Newsradio 620 WTMJ: Charlie Sykes
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.

Should be a great show, Charlie Sykes and Jeff Wagner have just recorded their first ever, Web-Only podcast talking about the Walker pullout. You can catch their podcast on Charlie's Podcast Page.

Cork It Kane!

Someone please (verbally) bitchslap (sorry about the language, I'm ticked) a racist columnist cum weblogger who is lucky to post once a day and has the gall to write:

Don't they realize blogging is a contact sport?

STOP whining. I think these folks need to start posting feedback to their blogs and maybe do a web chat now and then where they answer questions. The way they do it now is similar to right-wing radio talk shows that screen callers to prevent any dissenting voice from being heard.

Some of these wimps who are so freaked out by real criticism seem to think their side doesn't also engage in rough-and-tumble rhetoric.

My advice? Get some backbone or get out of the blogosphere.

The coward has no comments on his pathethic excuse for a weblog, and he's never had the guts to e-mail me or leave a comment on my weblog.

When I want someone to tell me to "Get some backbone or get out of the blogosphere," I want him to actually have done it more than six months.

[via Jessica McBride]

What This Evening Means

As the most "Pro-Green" of us here, I'll start by saying I'm as in shock as you are. I had heard rumblings of this happening as early as January, but I had hoped they weren't true. I'll post my thoughts tomorrow morning at my blog - and news and photos as well.

But Hotline, the Sports Illustrated of Politics, puts Walker drop-out news as it's "Last Call" for the evening.

Post Entitled: "Big Break for the GOP in Wisconsin"

One of the two major candidates for the WI GOV GOP nod has decided to drop out, giving the GOP a much clearer shot at a vulnerable Dem Gov. Jim Doyle.

Milwaukee Co. Exec. Scott Walker (R), a GOPer whom Karl Rove had identified a few years ago as a rising star, has decided to drop out leaving GOP Rep. Mark Green (R-08-Green Bay) as the de facto nominee.

From the AP clip on Walker's announcement (byline: Todd Richmond)

Walker "said he failed to raise as much money as he wanted by the end of March.

Walker said he had enough cash to run in only a fraction of the state's counties, and he probably would have spent most it attacking Green before the two faced off in the GOP primary in September. Walker and Green served together in the state Assembly in the 1990s, and Walker said the idea of attacking his friend was "unappealing."

Even if he survived the primary, he would have faced an enormous challenge going against Doyle in the November general election, he said.

According to campaign finance reports filed in January, Walker had about $563,000 in the bank. Doyle had $4.2 million and Green had $2.1 million.

The big benefit for the GOP is that there now won't be a primary where the two GOPers have to prove their conservative credentials. Doyle was already someone we and others considered vulnerable; this news only reinforces that outlook.

At the Sheboygan County Lincoln Day Dinner, Walker understandably was a no show. Green's speech wasn't about himself, wasn't about how he wants to shape Wisconsin, or Jim Doyle. It was about Scott, and how humble he felt after Scott saw he needed to do what he did.

Yes, all of us had our favorites in this race, but we have to realize, that the two of these men didn't see themselves as rivals, they saw themselves as brothers. Scott needs to be commended for doing what he did now, instead of dragging all of us through the hell of a primary fight.

He had the wisdom to see that the only way we got four more years of Doyle was a GOP blood-letting.

If you must, take the weekend to pout, mope, and throw a hissy fit, because after that the slime is coming. And we all must remember the key here: THE GOAL IS DOYLE.

Today was another day Jim Doyle didn't want to see happen. The State GOP will now unite under one banner behind Mark Green.

Walker out; Guv race now Doyle v. Green

I guess this brings those of us who were leaning towards Walker into the Green camp. I support Mark fully in this race, but nothing will stop me from loathing the term "Green Team".

Side note
620 WTMJ insinuated that the Journal Sentinel or someone busted an embargo in letting this news out of the bag early. Anyone hear anything else to that effect?

Walker Leaves Governor's Race

We're down to Green versus Doyle. Walker couldn't raise the money.

I think Chris jinxed him.

"Walker Withdrawing from Governor's Race"

Breaking: 11 trees to be removed from Capitol Square

I couldn't help but be amused by this. Last weekend, Rep. Mark Pocan showed (from about minute 9 to 10:15) the hard hitting political coverage of the state papers by pointing out the Capital Times' in depth coverage of the upcoming removal of 11 trees on the Capitol Square in Madison. Today, the Journal Sentinel's "Capitol Bureau" bloggers, after not posting anything in over a week, touched on the topic as well.

My fellow Wisconsin bloggers on the right and the left, I don't need to read your blogs anymore, or at least not your coverage of state politics. With penetrating, timely coverage like this, who needs to read blogs?

Sensenbrenner to Seek Re-Election

Just wondering here, now that it's "Official," when do the Bryan Kennedy jokes start around here?

One more Spring Fling note

Yes the Map and the Address say Hartland but I would call it Delafield I 94 and state 83

I just want to make sure no one is in Hartland looking for the park

Chris

Note to bloggers

If you would like to help us promote the upcoming "Spring Fling," feel free to use this image and link it to Chris's post on the topic. We will be updating information on that post. We'd like this to be a family event for bloggers and blog readers of all political stripes, but we can only do that with your help. We do not benefit in any way from this. We just want to give everyone who enjoys blogging in Wisconsin a chance to meet, mingle, grill out, and have a little fun.

3

That is the number of states that still resist concealed carry, now that the Kansas legislature has overridden a veto to pass concealed carry in that state. That leaves Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin as the only states that still think concealed carry will turn their states into a modern version of the wild west.

BBA SPRING FLING 2006

Hey everyone stand by for a special announcement from the BBA Social Director Me.

After getting Emails back from most of the posting members I have settled on a date for the BBA Spring Fling. This will be a Picnic for anyone who wants to come

When: Saturday June 3rd 2006 Noon till ? We lose the site at 10pm.

Where: Nagawaukee Park in Waukesha County Picnic Area 3

Who can come: Everyone bring the kids this will be a family event.

How it will work. Ok the Picnic site has grills a restrooms and a Sand volley ball court. There is a paved Parking lot right at the site.

This is a Bring Your Own Stuff Party. The BBA will supply the site and the charcoal for the grills. You bring your own food and drink(we have a beer permit so you can bring beer or wine coolers no wine or hard stuff.

This is just a big Meet and Greet no scheduled events you come and just mingle. I am hoping this will be an event where everyone will have the time to meet their fellow bloggers . It will also prove to our spouses that we are not the only ones who do this.

I would like to put a rough body count together just so they can get us enough picnic tables. If you could RSVP at gbfan001@gmail.com it would be great. But you don't need to say your coming to show up. If you wake up that day and feel like coming please do.

For people coming from outside the 5 counties the Park is right off of I-94 and Hwy 83 there are 2 hotels a Sentry grocery store, Target, Walmart and a Walgreens right by the Park.

There is a Brewer game(Bobblehead game) that night if you are looking to make a day or Weekend of it

So start making plans now and hope for good weather I can at least promise there will be no xmas parade lol.(BBA inside Joke)

Regards,
Chris

Update: Sorry everyone I forgot a very important thing there is a $5 fee PER CAR. Once again sorry I cant believe I forgot to mention that. The fee is to get into the park and is charged by the county not by the BBA

With All This Talk

On Wisconsin talk I have to share this story with you all.

I was teaching young women in mathematics and computer applications in the United Arab Emirates (this would have been over the fall of '97 through the spring of '98) and when teaching I would expose them to Wisconsinese as well as more proper English (one of my students when on the men's campus had lived for sometime in Madison and was completely conversant in Wisconsinese). Well, one of the best caricatures of Wisconsinese (IMO) comes from the Happy Schnapps Combo (the singers of the nation famous Da Bears Still Suck Polka). Well, on their second CD Raise It! they have a song done in polka-rap fusion style called No, I Don't Wanna Do Dat. It goes something like this:

Do you wanna wash da dishes?
Don't wanna-wanna do dat!
Do you wanna make da bed?
Don't wanna-wanna do dat!
Do you wanna swallow poison?
Don't wanna-wanna do dat!
Do you wanna do a shot with me?
YEAH-YEAH-YEAH!
Repeat in a similar fashion.

Now, I got my girls used to the Wisconsinese in this song. Then one day in one my classes I announced a quiz. One of the girls piped up: Don't wanna-wanna do dat!

Crappy crap crap

Sheboygan thinks it has it bad with its gull problem, but check out Orlando:

"The white film cakes the light posts along Lake Eloa," Local 6 reporter Todd Jurkowski said. "It is on the sidewalks and on the plants."

Officials said Orlando city workers pressure wash a stretch of the sidewalk at least twice a week.

Signs with the warning, "Caution -- Entering Bird Dropping Area" were posted Tuesday."Don't sit on the benches, unless you are very brave," resident Jeff Miller said.

This is a story where a picture is worth a thousand words. There is a photo at the link above of a car parked on a city street, and it is coated with bird poo.

Wisconsin language

I'm sure that most everybody has seen the Journal Sentinel on Wisconsin accents today, but I think the researchers are missing the most pressing issue. This state could break out in civil war at anytime over the Pop V. Soda issue.

For the record, it's pop.

CFSW needs phone calls to stop Sexual Predator "group home"

If you think that having a dozen of the worst Chapter 980, Sexually Violent Persons living together in our neighborhoods, is a bad idea, please go to Citizens for a Safe Wisconsin's website to find out how you can contact Governor Doyle and ask him to sign SB-536. This bill will remove funding for group homes for released sexual predators.

Who in their right mind thinks that housing a dozen proven sexually violent predators together is a good idea?

Happy Birthday to...

William Shatner.

May his peace and glorious film and TV career (Denny Crane.) fill your day with joy.

And, all of you, together with me.

KKKKKAAAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wisconsin Smoking Gun Classic

I'm not sure how old this entry at the Smoking Gun is, but it certainly is a classic. The letters they show are all complaints about license plates the WisDOT should never have sent out.

Update
More Wisconsin plates from the Smoking Gun.

Good luck, Texas

I don't know the back story to this, but I hope it works out a lot better for Texas than it did for Wisconsin:

A man who spent 18 years behind bars for allegedly attacking a woman in her home has been released after DNA testing excluded him as the attacker.

"I don't know how to apologize. I don't know where to start, but I'll start with me and 'I'm sorry,"' District Judge John Creuzot said Monday as he released Gregory Wallis, now 47. Creuzot was not involved in the original trial.

Wallis was a 29-year-old warehouse worker when he was convicted in 1988 of burglary with intent to commit sexual assault and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The case was closed until Willis' 2004 request for post-conviction DNA analysis led to tests that found his didn't match the DNA from the crime scene.

If he's innocent, he's innocent and you have to let him go. If he had any kind of previous criminal record, though, I hope Texas officials keep an eye on Wallis for the public's sake.

Baraboo's anti-war referendum

Yo peeps.

I had the "con" side in a debate over Baraboo's anti-war referendum tonight. Kind of a rough go - I was the only one on my side in a room of about 40.

Everything was extremely civil, and other than a few excursions well away from the subject (which I should have known better than to allow), I think I did quite well, although I know I didn't change any minds.

Anyway, I've posted my opening statement in lieu of a regular column over at my blog.

And now I want a beer. Later.

The TIC Loses.

Just became aware of this story.

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.

The ruling stemmed from a union lawsuit charging that Wisconsin Virtual Academy violated state law depending on parents to educate their children, rather than state-certified teachers who help students access the online curriculum and complete their assignments.

From: TMCnet - Ruling supports virtual schools: Teachers union loses in Ozaukee court

I remember Gregg Underheim talking about this story when he was running for the State Superintendant of Schools. The comment I recall most vividly was how the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was named as co-defendant and then the DPI turns around and files an amicus brief in support of WEAC's suit. Rose Fernandez has a WI Conservative Digest article on the case (old article but gives a good overview of the situation).

Re: I'd like you to meet my attorney, Rob Neuhouse

Tee Bee,

Great post.

I was about to say fact or opinion is an important criteria but this site states fact vs. opinion is not a criteria but a defense in most jurisdictions. That is, if a person is uttering or writing an opinion then the defendant is probably off of the hook, but if the defamation is a statement of false fact then the defendant is liable for the libel. Of course, the difference between statements of fact vs. opinion is not always clear cut.

Truth is always a defense against accusations of libel and slander. If you can prove your writings or your speech you are not guilty of libel or slander.

I had one person come onto my blog and accuse me of misrepresenting his words in front of the state legislature. I conceded his point since I was working off of memory from an early morning news report and could not find a transcript of that particular debate. I posted an update in the main body of that blog detailing the assemblyman's quibble with my blog and a minor correction. I have heard no more from that blog.

I am not a lawyer so the above should NOT be considered legal advice.

I'd like you to meet my attorney, Rob Neuhouse

There's been a lot written about Saturday's Blog Summit. One of the big issues was the discussion about blog legalities and libel.

It's important to get this right because of what's at stake.

Jennifer Peterson cited a verdict that cost a blogger $40 grand. Good speakers know how to get an audience's attention. A lawyer sued a blogger for libel and won.

But how many of us write about things we can't cite support for? How many of us write about non-public people other than family members?

There are standards for libel.

LIBEL - Published material meeting three conditions: The material is defamatory either on its face or indirectly; The defamatory statement is about someone who is identifiable to one or more persons; and, The material must be distributed to someone other than the offended party; i.e. published; distinguished from slander.

People in the public domain, like President Bush or Michael Jackson, have little recourse for public mockery, or even public defamation that cannot be proven. Consider Rathergate, David Letterman and every tabloid from the Globe to the Enquirer. The limits on what can be said/written are minimal.

Peterson noted that issues of libel could extend to a blog's comments page. There is no precedent for this, and I doubt a suit would stand up in court.

A main impediment is that most comments pages don't have a review function; anyone can post a comment. This is nothing like a newspaper's Letters to the Editor page, which posts edited comments approved by the editors. It's more like a discussion by an audience.

Comments also come with time stamps and ID that record ISPs. This makes it clear that another author is behind the comments. If the author or others argue against the defamer, further support exists that the "publisher" has acted responsibly.

Peterson did say that the most likely case would be if a complaint were lodged to the blog publisher and there was no response. Don't ignore complaints. If you have to remove a comment, leave the post space with a note that the content has been deleted by the site administrator. This prevents problems with cacheing.

Nonetheless, the suit must prove that a private citizen has been falsely defamed to several people. Anyone dumb enough to do that deserves what they get.

Another problem for bloggers is allowing the legal and big media communities or politicians to define this issue for us in Congress and the courts.

I would like to see some proactive involvement on the part of blogging lawyers to secure bloggers' free speech and liability - heaven knows there's enough of them - and an extension of the discussion at future Blog Summits.

Caveat: I am not a lawyer, and this should be construed as discussion and not advice, but as an editor I had to have a fairly firm grasp of my magazine's areas of potential liability. Plus I am concerned when lawyers cause anxiety in areas that are questionable with concern to applicable precedent or law.

Ready for Blog Summit '07?

I can't wait for next year! I've already got a great idea to ease the tension (as if there was any).

Any time someone says "blog" you take a drink of your favorite adult beverage. It'll get us all good and steamed, and it'll sell more ethanol than any state mandate could ever dream of!

Blog Summit Photos

If you've seen them once, you'll seen the a dozen times at various blogs, but in the next few posts you'll see our pictures of the panels. I decided not to publish any images taken before the Summit because there are bloggers in the backgrounds that are probably not interested in having their images published. Also, some of the photos just didn't turn out quite right. For instance, I have a great picture of Owen and Wendy. Unfortunately, Owen is eyeing up something on stage out of the corner of his eye. I wouldn't Owen to lose TV spots because people think he looks shifty :-). Without further adieu, let's get to the photos.

Jeff Mayers opens up the Summit.
Ann Althouse during the keynote speech. Actually, Ann Althouse's coffee cup gave the address. Ann was nice enough to drive it out to Waukesha to deliver the speech. (Translation: I screwed up the focus on this shot).

More Blog Summit Photos

Owen and Jay prepare for their roundtable discussion:

Ken Mayer, Jessica McBride, and John McAdams await their turn at the mike:

Even More Blog Summit Photos

Rep. Mark Pocan, Charlie Sykes, Ed Garvey, and Brian Fraley before the start of the "Impact of Blogging on the 2006 Election" conversation. I still can't tell if that is a look of contempt or of longing that Garvey is giving Sykes. Also, note Brian Fraley on the end. He's eyeing up the water as if it were an ice cold pitcher of Miller Lite.

Jessica, HUSH!

Note to Jessica McBride:

When drinking at a table of bloggers, do not let any secrets slip.

Those of you who heard the scoop, keep it under your hat.

WisPolitics Blog Summit

Looks like I am the first one back and posting on the Summit. It was great to see so many of you there! I have posted my comments at BadgerBlogger, but let me say that it was a great afternoon!

My 15 Minutes

Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) cautions against smaller county boards...

Charlie Sykes says their 15 minutes of fame are over.

Well, if theirs are, then so are mine. Except...when did mine even start?

Why Conservatives Fight

Jonah Goldberg:

Majority coalitions have big internal arguments for the same reason that pirates fight over buried treasure after they find it and not when they're still looking for it: They have something to fight over.

A Senator Schultz must go Update.

Good news and Bad news I was able to talk to some people in the know about when/if Senator(I trust Diamond Jim)Schultz will be voted out as Senate Majority leader. My source says there is a movement for that but don't look for any changes until November. After the election is when this fight will be fought.

I understand why they don't want to start a Civil War now, I don't like it but I understand and I can wait till November. You see Senator Schultz ask County Ex Vrakas, I can hold a Grudge for a hell of a long time.

When you steam roll over the wishes of your parties caucus like Senator Schultz did on the Ethanol mandate(because he was dumb enough to believe Diamond Jim) you no longer deserve to be Majority leader. Senator Schultz should step down for the good of the party and make removing him unnecessary. I would believe the results of the Ethanol Mandate is a strong example of what Parliamentary governments call a "Vote of No Confidence".

Step down Mr. Schultz you are unfit to lead our caucus.

Regards,
Chris

CP@SH2
I am looking forward to seeing everyone who is coming to the summit Saturday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Wisconsin

I'd like to make the first toast of the day to all of our readers, my fellow BBA bloggers, and the Badgersphere as a whole. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.

How bad is it for Feingold?

It is so bad that resident Senate loon Mark Dayton is even upbraiding him:

"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," Dayton said of Feingold, a Wisconsin senator and potential 2008 presidential candidate.

"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."

Enjoy those 'net roots' funds, Russ. Yeeaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

Re: Jessica Simpson

She really sucks at relationships.

Too Legit to Quit

MC Hammer has a blog; and it's really him.

(HT: Club for Growth)

Heard today at the Saddam trial.

Saddam to the Judge, "If it were not for the Americans neither you or your father would not of brought me here."

Makes you proud doesn't it!

Jessica Simpson...

Matt Drudge is reporting:

The National Republican Congressional Committee has snagged the wholesome, blonde and buxom Jessica Simpson to attend its fundraising gala on Thursday. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is the lucky guy who gets to sit next to the “Dukes of Hazzard” star.

See Story

Now we can only hope that Jessica knows how to pronounce John’s last name!

Chris – OnTheBorderLine

Wisconsin group to take on South Dakota ban

I found this little tidbit in the news today interesting, so I thought I'd pass it along:

An out-of-state abortion rights group has started a petition drive that, if successful, would stall South Dakota's new abortion ban and give voters a say in the matter.

The group, Basic-Abortion-Rights Network of Waukesha, Wis., filed paperwork Tuesday for a ballot petition that would ask voters if the abortion ban should be overturned.

I've made my case that South Dakota jumped the gun on this ban, and I know others have, too. It looks like this B.A.R.N. group is going to unwittingly help in delaying when the Supreme Court will see a challenge to Roe. They must be a stealthy part of the vast right wing conspiracy.

Hilarious

Okay, someone's going to have to take me to a doctor, because I think I just lodged some of my lunch in my trachea laughing at this post from Dennis York.

Best lines:

Additionally, the fact that he named five Eastern European countries officially makes Vanilla Ice more knowledgeable about international politics than Russ Feingold.

[...]

Where do you start with this? What level of hell does your soul inhabit if you show your breasts at a Vanilla Ice concert?

And let me get this straight - you're a little kid, you're homeschooled, and your Dad is Vanilla Ice. Does Guinness keep a record for "child with least friends," or "most socially inadequate teenager?" His son is going to be the Tiger Woods of datelessness.

Is Vanilla a big Tom Reynolds fan? During the budget, did Reynolds cave in to the powerful Washed Up Rapper lobby when he proposed the home school tax credit? Are Kid 'n Play going to start lobbying for more SAGE money?

[...]

I actually went to his website, vanillaice.com, to listen to sound clips. I can now honestly say that after listening to two clips, I think I am sterile.

Go read the whole thing. Now.

Baldwin & Moore - Screw You SCOTUS!

(HT: Instapundit)

Last night Congress passed a resolution showing solidarity with the 8-0 Supreme Court Decision in the Rumsfeld v. FAIR case, otherwise known as the Solomon Amendment Case.

The vote was 347-65 for the resolution. (Text Here.)

In the negative were Wisconsin's own Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) and Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee). Glad to see these two ladies of the left are showcasing their true feelings towards the military and towards rulings of the Supreme Court.

Guess that "adherence to precedent" thing only applies to those cases they agree with for Tammy and Gwen.

Taxation Without Representation

I'd like to make everyone aware of a situation that could potentially effect Wisconsin citizens throughout the state. As you know, there are dozens and dozens of technical and vo-tech types of schools throughout the state. This one in particular, Chippewa Valley Technical College, has in the works a $50 Million referendum plan to expand their original charter to include courses that mirror the 26 UW System State and Community colleges. When instituted, someone could simply go to the technical college and then right into the UW System their 3rd year. The school will also function as both a community college and a vocational school. The problem lyes in that the Technical schools are for the mostpart funded by the counties in which they exist. Because their tuition is considerably less the local taxpayers will be asked to cover the cost in the difference in tuition as well as the cost of building expansion. This is occuring on top of a District Board that is unelected therefore, unaccountable, and where taxes have increase $20 Million over the last 4 years alone. Now they have plans for a $50 Million dollar referendum to expand their original charter. The only thing they need is a nod from the UW system.

If the CVTC is determined to become a community college, then it should use Wisconsin's general fund revenues like the State's other community colleges do. I am curious if anyone is aware of other Technical colleges who also may be planning this type of expansion that could sock it to the county residents?

See:
Another Assault On Area Property Taxpayers

$50 MILLION CVTC Referendum On Horizon

Chris @ OnTheBorderLine

Badger Valhalla

There is a place where beer comes right out of your kitchen tap.

The phrase "beer on tap" took on a literal meaning for a Norwegian woman who turned on her kitchen faucet this weekend to find the alcoholic drink pouring out instead of plain old H2O.

"We had settled down for a cozy Saturday evening, had a nice dinner, and I was just going to clean up a little," Haldis Gundersen, 50, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday. "I turned on the kitchen faucet and beer came out."

The bad news? It's not by arrangement.

Meanwhile, patrons and employees at the Big Tower Bar in Kristiandsund in western Norway were having their own mix-up two floors down, with water gushing out of the beer taps.

All had a botched plumbing job to thank for the miracle.

Sigh.

I guess we can console ourselves with the thought that whatever brand of beer it was, it couldn't have been Berghoff's or Leinie's - Mrs. Gundersen said "the beer was flat and not in the least bit tasty or tempting — even in a country where half-liter (pint)-sized brewskies can cost about 25 kroner ($3.75) in grocery stores."

CP @ GMC.

Madison 'Insane'

It's no stretch to surmise that this bit of good news would have been significantly challenged under ethanol mandates: "A positive job outlook: Local hiring 'just insane'."

The Madison area has the 14th best employment outlook in the country heading into the second quarter, according to Manpower Inc.'s latest survey.

For April through June, 57 percent of the Madison area companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while just 3 percent expect to reduce their payrolls, the Milwaukee-based global staffing giant reported. The remaining 40 percent plan to maintain their current staff levels.

"We are incredibly busy," said Luke Whitburn, head of Manpower's Madison office. "It is just insane."

The net 54 percent gain for the Madison area tied Fargo, N.D., and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., with just 13 other metro areas posting higher net gains.

Here's to good news, even if this makes it harder for Green or Walker to oust Doyle.

In Search of a Good Laugh...

or an escape from reality. Then by all means read this press release from Senator Herb Kohl (D-Milwaukee Bucks).

It highlights some of the biggest ignorances toward the free market, competition, Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), and anything else a second year business school student should know.

It's so bad, it makes you realize that if it wasn't for his parents (or that fact that he sold off the family business), Herb Kohl would be penniless.

A Victory for the TPA.

Step right up and hear the story how the Teacher's Industrial Complex (TIC) pulled their advertisements off of WTAQ.

Jerry Bader last week criticized the TIC's advertisement as fear-mongering. Mr. Bader reports the TIC and its advertisement agency complained and pulled the rest of their advertising campaign off of WTAQ. YEAH!

Well, WTAQ loses revenue from the advertising too bad, but does that make sense? Now, Jerry's position goes unchallenged on WTAQ a good thing but a mistake on the TIC's part.

Admittetdly this victory is at the battle level or maybe even a skirmish but it is a victory.

Re: Jensen to Resign

These bozos are the Journal Sentinel's premier investigative reporters? They couldn't even be bothered to look along the right-hand side to notice Kevin's weblog and give him a full name. I guess the intern had too little time for research in between getting picking up Spivak's dry cleaning and Bice's lunch.

Vigilante Posse

He's holding a loaded gun, he's got the trigger cocked, and he's about to shoot himself in the foot in front of a bunch of people who otherwise might have found him an interesting candidate.

It's official: Russ Feingold is tone-deaf, a step behind, and thinks throwing in with the crazy far-left will get him a seat on the '08 ticket.

You go, cowboy.

Update: As I was saying: "Dems Have Little Support for Feingold's Censure Resolution."

Sooper Sekrit Message to Lance: This is a great example of what I meant on the Baraboo referendum being one of those "unenforceable laws [that] weaken public perception of and respect for law". To wit:

"Resolved that the United States Senate does hereby censure George W. Bush, President of the United States, and does condemn his unlawful authorization of wiretaps of Americans within the United States without obtaining the court orders required."

Winter lives in West Central Wisconsin

It is windy as all get out here in Southern Wisconsin, but I'll take the wind over what is going on in West Central Wisconsin. From WEAU in Eau Claire:

Barron and Washburn Counties have ordered vehicles off the road due to poor road conditions because of the snowstorm. Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties are discouraging travel today. Poor travel conditions also are found on I-94 from Osseo to Hudson. Snow should taper off by midafternoon followed by winds and blowing snow. Wisconsin State Patrol reports some roads north of Eau Claire are impassable. The Winter Storm Warning for western and northwestern Wisconsin is in effect unitl 4:00pm today, Monday, March 13, 2006. So far, 17 inches of new snow has fallen in Rice Lake; six inches in Eau Claire since the storm began around 4:00am Monday.

How are things in Hudson today, Chris?

Minimum Markup

Cross-posted at Texas Hold 'Em Blogger:

Looks like getting his head handed to him on the automatic gas tax increase and the ethanol mandate hasn't taught Sgt. Dale "I Know Nussing" Schultz (RINO-Ethanol and High Taxes) anything.

From McBride's Media Matters:

State Sen. Tom Reynolds, at the Future Wisconsin conference, revealed that he twice tried to bring legislation to end the minimum markup on gasoline to the floor of the Senate for a vote last week. Twice, legislative leadership - helmed by Dale Schultz - scurried for adjournment to prevent a vote.

This is exactly what they were trying to do behind the scenes with the repeal of the automatic gas tax - with Reynolds also spearheading the fight against it - before their machinations went public. The rest was history.

So I intend to expose the machinations to block repeal of the minimum markup - and worse, to block legislators from having to say where they stand on it. I will have Reynolds on my show this week to expose this. I will have full shows on Tuesday and Thursday. I am going to try to have Reynolds on my show Tuesday night. I will post further details.

Sgt. Schultz is the best legislator money can buy, and he is a bought-and-paid-for toady for too many special interests.

Looks like it's time for the blogosphere and talk radio to teach him another lesson. School's back in session!

Jensen to Resign

Resignation letter is out.

Pardon me if I'm the first here to say it out loud: THIS SUCKS!

UPDATE: Notice the Spice Boys have taken a liking to this post. That's really nice of Cary and Dan. My real thoughts at my home blog are here though.

Had those two condescending wise guys not been so busy being 'clever' they'd know I tend to be a bit looser here at the BBA than I am on my own blog.

But hey, I'll take the traffic either way.

Re: Rub It In

Go Skiing!

Duh!

Audio/video montage of ethanol reaction

I had a lot of fun making this audio / video montage of the reaction to the demise of the Ethanol Mandate, I hope others enjoy it too. :-)

Rub It In

It snowed today in parts of the Phoenix area. It's 45 degrees as I write this. In Milwaukee it's 49 degrees. I should have stayed home to savor the "warmth."

You may begin the jeers now.

Zien to work to re-introduce ethanol mandate

I'm usually fond of Dave Zien, but I wasn't very happy to read this in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

“The power of conservative talk radio commands some of those legislators like puppets on a string, Sen. Dave Zien, R-Eau Claire, said this morning.

The group of Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate that derailed the bill said consumers were opposed to the mandate.

The Senate voted 17-15 to indefinitely postpone the measure. Supporters and critics pronounced the bill dead for this legislative session because lawmakers will meet only for limited business the rest of the year.

Zien is requesting an extraordinary legislative session from Gov. Jim Doyle when the Senate reconvenes in late April to investigate gas prices and revive legislation on ethanol and minimum fuel markups.

Zien is being disingenuous at best here, and I hope all that he is doing is pandering to the Chippewa Valley media market. The United States is facing a domestic shortfall in ethanol production this year. Those jobs will be created whether Wisconsin required you and I to buy ethanol gasoline or not. If the market prefers ethanol, then we will see the e-85 vehicles that Ford and GM make become more prevelant and this mandate won't even be necessary.

Just the same, it's a good idea to continue to watch this ethanol issue in Madison.

What Happened to "First Do No Harm?"

Saw this on Best of the Web. I am so not ever going to visit England after news like this.

More than 260 doctors yesterday called on the American authorities at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to allow detainees to starve themselves to death.

The signatories to a letter published in the medical journal the Lancet said force-feeding to break a hunger strike was "unequivocally wrong".

The doctors from seven countries, including Britain and America, also demanded that military doctors administering the treatment be disciplined for allegedly breaking international medical agreements that bar the practice.

"Fundamental to doctors' responsibilities in attending a hunger striker is the recognition that prisoners have a right to refuse treatment," they wrote.

The US introduced the policy last year after a hunger strike by more than 100 prisoners. Four are still refusing food.

Britain, home of socialized medicine and doctors for starvation.

Remind me again, why Michael Schiavo was in Florida and not London last year? He could have offed his wife on the Government's dime if he wanted to.

Government Censorship

Here in Hudson we have a weekly newspaper called the Hudson Star Observer. It seems to be a typical small town paper highlighting some of the local issues. Like other mainstream papers it also caters to the local businesses and is heavily involved with school issues. Now here in St. Croix County the institution that employs more people than any other is the Hudson School District. Because of this, the HSO is tied to the hip with the district school and the school board members. In any average issue you will find 4-5 pages, 10-20% of the paper dealing with the school district. Even the school superintendent gets to write a column exposing the virtues of the ‘Great schools’ we have Hudson. We are reminded time and time again about how much “Greater” they could be if we had a $75,000,000 million dollar referendum to build new schools. The education reporter for the HSO even has done consultant work for the district. Some joke that the paper should be called the “Hudson High School Star Observer”. The editor, Doug Stolberg hobnobs with the school board members at the local Rotary Club and is know throughout town for decades.

Doug Stolberg has been on vacation down in Florida and is apparently spending time watching spring baseball training games. So he has left others to do his duties. It looks as though the people he left his duties to are incompetent to say the least. A citizen wrote an editorial that was critical of the police department. That letter was posted at OnTheBorderLine.net showing the original text and what got printed. Now as a private business, the HSO should be able to edit their letters however they wish, but they also need to be willing to take the heat for it. The strange twist on this particular letter is the idiots left at the helm decided to let a government official, Chief Richard Trende edit the letter to the editor that was critical of him and his department! The irony in this whole matter stems that this letters topic was the forcible threat and removal of citizens from a school board meeting last June 14th by officers from his department. This citizen was verbally threatened by one of the officers. These individuals after removal were never arrested and were removed for nothing other than the content of their speech, a violation of their Constitutional Rights. So we go ahead in time 8 months later and we find another subversion of rights, freedom of speech being edited by government officials; the same official who was criticized in the letter. This is nothing more than government censorship. You thought it could only happen in Communist China, Iran, or North Korea. No it’s happening right in small town Wisconsin.

See:

Dzubay, Hanson, Trende- New HSO Editorial Staff

Censorship Alive and Well at the Hudson Star Observer

www.ontheborderline.net

Time to Celebrate and Call Your Senators!

Celebration!!!

The Ethonol Bill was defeated by a margin of 17-15 !

See the vote here. Then call your senator and congratulate them or to chastise them.

Updated, more balloons were requested.

Another update. The bill was not actually voted on, it was a motion to indefinitely postpone it. It was killed effectively when the motioned carried.

Walker's Open Letter

Scott Walker's got an interesting post up today: "An Open Letter to Senate Republicans (March 9, 2006 )."

I fisked it in "Walker Swings for the Fences."

If it gets much exposure and he actually sends the letter to our reps and to the papers, it could be a good thing.

Until this point, I felt that Walker's message was overwhelmingly "I'm not Jim Doyle." Well, neither are the other seventy-jillion Wisconsiners, and I'm not feeling compelled to vote for them, either.

His main points: Tax relief for individuals and business and vote down the ethanol mandate.

His plan is to help ag by:

+ Real property tax levy freeze
+ Passage of Taxpayer Protection Amendment
+ Repeal of state tax on Health Savings Account (HSAs)
+ Tax credits for economic investment in rural areas
+ Streamline process to site dairy farms
+ Enact protections for personal property
+ Expand tax credits for farm land
+ Improved roads and highways for rural areas
+ Tax credits for ethanol production

Overall, pretty good.

Caveats: Will he stick to his guns as a politician? Will he campaign for these ideas if he loses to Doyle?

Governor Thompson.

WTAQ's Jerry Bader is talking about a poll on Republican gubenatorial candidate preferences. Green beats Walker in a head to head, but both drop off the poll when former Governor Thompson is included in the mix, and it was overwhelmingly in favor of former Governor Thompson.

Incredible.

The ethanol bill and my Fitzgerald concern

First off, I'd like to repeat the words of James Wigderson:

There may be still time. To find out who your state senator is, you can go to this website. If your state senator is Scott Fitzgerald, his Madison phone number is (608)266-5660, his district phone number is (920) 386-0260, his fax number is (608) 267-6795 and his e-mail address is Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.state.wi.us.

Next, I'd like to say that I have absolutely zero inside information on what I am going to say next, so take it for what it is worth. First, let's take a look at Senator Fitzgerald's District:Notice the red arrow in Fitzgerald's district. That is the location of an old Cargill Malt plant that announced it was closing last year. Last month in a post titled Losing Jefferson County to Ethanol?, I noted that the state was making a $1.9 million loan to Utica Energy to convert the plant to ethanol production. I'm sure that Senator Fitzgerald sees farmers, workers, and an energy company in his district that stand to benefit from this bill. If you live in Fitzgerald's district, it is imperative that you contact his office and register your opposition to the ethanol mandate. Unless his office hears from a lot of consumers in his district, it is logical that he could end up supporting the ethanol bill.

Additional
I have the text of my letter to Senator Fitzgerald here.

Has anyone seen Jib?

Semi trailer loaded with Miller goes missing in Wisconsin

WEST BEND, Wis. - Authorities are hoping to break up what must be quite the party after beer thieves made off with almost $26,000 worth of suds from a delivery truck.

A semi trailer loaded with cans and bottles of Miller beer was stolen from a trucking company in Richfield, according to a Washington County Sheriff's Department report. The trailer was found four days later — sans beer — at an Oak Creek trucking firm.

The trailer had been dropped off at the Millis Transfer Co. sometime on Feb. 17 for delivery to a beer distributor in Menomonie, authorities said. Later that night, the trailer was discovered missing.

Company officials didn't report the loss immediately because they thought a driver must have picked up the wrong load.

The sheriff's department is investigating with Oak Creek authorities and Miller officials, said Sheriff's Capt. Dale Schmidt.

The missing product, valued at $25,788, included:

384 24-packs of Miller Genuine Draft cans
560 18-packs of MGD 12-ounce bottles
980 18-packs of MGD 12-ounce cans
40 24-packs of Miller Light 16-ounce plastic bottles

The Packers' Most Versatile Lineman

Man, that Kevin Barry, he can do anything.

March 6, 2006 — U.S. military and intelligence officials tell ABC News that they have caught shipments of deadly new bombs at the Iran-Iraq border.

They are a very nasty piece of business, capable of penetrating U.S. troops' strongest armor.

What the United States says links them to Iran are tell-tale manufacturing signatures — certain types of machine-shop welds and material indicating they are built by the same bomb factory.

"The signature is the same because they are exactly the same in production," says explosives expert Kevin Barry. "So it's the same make and model."

Okay, so maybe that's a different Kevin Barry.

But boy, wouldn't it be fun to put him - the football player, that is - and a couple Iranian mullahs into a room and...you know, just see what happens.

Maybe douse them in barbeque sauce first.

Time for a Coup

If there is to be a coup in the State Senate, can I make one request?

(Sorry Marcus) Can Mike Ellis be banned from the building first? I don't want another one of his puppets running the show again. First Mary, now Dale.

Every source I've had (and Owen's confirmed a lot of them.) on that fated 2004 vote told me that it was Ellis that orchestrated Schultz getting the Majority Leader's job in the first place.

There are just days like this that make the man with the state's most famous toupe just not worth having in the caucus.

Ethanol Mandate vote tomorrow

Dale Schultz is counting on strong Democratic support tomorrow as he has forced the Ethanol Mandate vote with only 5 or 6 Republican supporters.

Isn't Schultz supposed to be the Republican leader? Why would the Republican leader be counting on getting most of his votes from Democrats?

Time for a coup in the Wisconsin Senate.

2010 State of The State

Imagine, for a moment, if the following words were part of the introduction given by our next governor at the start of his second term - State of the State speech...2010.

"Let me remind you of the extraordinary wealth and great accomplishments of our state in just the last 4 years:
 three new nuclear power plants, the first of which will be coming online this year; we will be a net exporter of electricity in the near future.
 parents of 131,000 children (and growing) have chosen, without financial penalty, through the UETC to attend non-government K-12 schools, saving the taxpayers roughly 650 million dollars per year.
 800,000 children in leaner, less crowded, higher performing government K-12 schools and 110,000 students attending a streamlined University of Wisconsin System;
 test scores on Wisconsin students are high and climbing, especially among non-government schools. Not suprisingly, government school test scores have risen as well and clearly this is due to the competition for students and the streamlining of curriculums that has taken place.
 all government employees in this state now have a modern HSA health plan whereby they have a vested interest in their own personal health, claims are down, premiums are down, total cost of providing health care to government employees (including school district employees) is down by 30 percent.
 the state retirement system modernization plan is now fully implemented preventing abuse, and moving all recipients out of a defined benefit system and into defined contribution plans.
 and, best of all, a projected budget suplus of 1 billion that will be returned to the taxpayers as a direct result of our passing Frank Lasee's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights - a model for the rest of the nation.

Every day we get phone calls from around the country from potential relocations of businesses to Wisconsin. The demand is growing and we are becoming a magnet for new business. This is great news for our college graduates who will now not just be looking for work in their home state, but will find it in abundance.

Well, tonight I am proud to announce the news that DaimlerChrysler Motor Company has chosen Wisconsin as the site of their newest production plant. A plant that will be producing the new 42 volt, power plant electrics - cars with fully electric drive trains that perform better than any internal combusion cars on the market. DaimlerChrysler projects 2,000 employees will be hired in this plant. Our staff will have more details on this announcement soon, as will DaimlerChrysler.

We owe the magnificent turnaround of this state to a handful of visionary individuals, elected officials and regular folks who demanded government live within its means, that parents have real economic choice in education, and that we discard silly ideas in energy that cost taxpayers money and instead implement proven ideas that create wealth and energy. The state of the State of Wisconsin is strong and growing."

Folks, the motivation for this came from Frank Murkowski's (Governor of Alaska) 2006 State of the State Speech.

While we here in Wisconsin do not have the natural resources of Alaska, we can still be creative and disciplined. By developing nuclear power excess capacity, streamlining our education system by breaking the monopoly, and implement a TABOR this state can run far more efficiently and perform at a much higher level. STudent achievement can go up, while total spending on government K-12 goes down. And it will happen when parents are no longer penalized for choosing other than the government schools.

The question is, what vision for the future do you have - the statist status quo, or one shaped and molded by true free market forces???

bildanielson @ OnTheBorderLine

Re: See Dick Blog. Blog, Dick, Blog!

Tee Bee,

I have found my more important tools for getting Blogger Beer noticed is the trackback and leaving comments at other sites, in that order.

Trackbacks.
Probably over a year now I trackbacked to a site called "Global Guerillas" on IEDs and visits from that trackback figure in my visitor stats nearly on a daily basis, and gets my blog attention from various military commands. My biggest trackback was last October and I have not seen a visit from that since November. A trackback to Iowahawk's piece about Abu Musab Zarqawi complaining how his patriotism is being questioned was a big trackback for me and yields a number of visits/week (that one got me a mention on The Daily Kos and a specific reference on another lefty blog).

Tracking back to Michelle Malkin's site yields a couple of visitors/trackback and I have halfway come to expect to receive a trackback. If you see a blog linked to by Drudge and you have it in you to write on the topic do so. Refer to the blog linked to by Drudge, trackback to it, and watch your sitemeter spin like the cents on a gas pump. Any blog mentioned by one of the big sites on the Web (LGF, Kos, Michelle Malkin etc) has to potential to yield you a large number of trackback readers.


Commentary.
Commentary provides an opportunity to show your stuff on other blogs. This is important and I am quite certain my activity on The Belmont Club has not only earned me a link or two but regular readers.

Links on Other Blogs.
Blogrolls.
Due to the main metric of NZ Bear's Ecosystem links are the most prized measure of blog success. Links are important but the thing about links is they typically have to be earned. Ways to earn links are to be a regular reader and commentator on a given blog as well as the blog owner liking your stuff. This is how I got my Jawa Report link. Rusty referred to me as a loyal reader in a blog and I asked for a link to Blogger Beer. Boom, there it was.

Blogs.
Getting a story linked to by a particular blog is probably the better way to get linked to. Since it is front and center of the reader's attention. The reading is in front the blogrolls are on the peripherary. These are harder to get. Once a story is old and the linking blog is in the archives its productivity drops quite a bit.

Links are important but IMO are overhyped somewhat. One blog I know of and read has probably half the links mine does but has traffic at least an order of magnitude greater than mine.

Material Stream.
Above all, put out new material as often as you can. I read blogs to get fresh takes on the events of not just the day but of the hour and YES the minute.

The idea is to use all the tools and above and be ready when a deluge hits you. When that deluge hits, one hopes the rest of the blog is ready to invite a couple of people from the deluge to become a regular reader. However, think of your blog reading habits. Do you revisit every blog you read? No you don't.