Re: Wisconsin man named worst writer

Dammit! Passed over again! And I'm a way worse writer than that guy! My prose sucks like the little runt piglet whose much largers brothers and sisters cruelly, but at the same time protectively, as ordained by the laws written by the quill of Mother Nature whose laws both protect and destroy because the needs of the world require it, prevent him or her from reaching the teat until so empty that even the force of a state-of-the-art vacuum, as seen on TV, could not wrest enough sustenance to sustain his tiny pork-filled frame!

How's that? Better?

Why Are We Suddenly Winning In Iraq?

This post was far too political to be posted at my own blog, so I'm cross posting here.

Many other blogs are reporting the good news: the surge is working, we’re winning in Iraq. It has also been reported that July was the least deadliest month since last year.

Is anyone wondering why we’re winning? Why wasn’t it news when November of last year was the least deadliest month of the Iraq war? Hmmm… Maybe the surge was just that successful.

I doubt it.

I think there’s an easy answer. The democrats need Iraq to be off the table by November 2008. They’ve backed themselves into a corner over Iraq policy, because they misread the results of the 2006 midterms. Instead of interpreting the results as simply frustration with the course of the war, they decided that the American people supported a complete withdrawal. They’ve been hammering that point so hard that they have no credibility on seeing the war through to a successful conclusion.

What they are discovering now is that only a minority of Americans want to pack up our toys and go home. The rest of us want to see freedom succeed in Iraq. It would appear that the 2006 election was a call for action, rather than a call for surrender. The battle lines have been drawn and the democrat mainstream is clearly on the wrong side. They need Iraq to go away. The failure of the withdrawal movement means that they’ll have to resort to Plan B.

I expect the outlook in Iraq to begin looking rosier and rosier over the next few months. By next November you’ll have forgotten all about Iraq because the war will be going swimmingly. American soldiers may even be rising from the grave by then. Iraq will be a shining pillar of democracy, and wouldn’t it be great if a Democrat president(ette) could usher in the new era of peace in the Middle East?

Cross posted: Subject to Change

Re: No Such Thing as Free Money

When I was in college, a woman who was in my geography class had a similar problem. Her check from ROTC was a fair amount bigger than was correct. She cashed the check and spent the money. Guess what? Sometime (not too long) later ROTC came looking for the money. She was paying it back a bit at a time. I do not recall the amount or any such thing, but it was more than pocket change.

RE: Wisconsin man named worst writer

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

When it reaches the level of this, then I think we'll have to worry.

Vogon poetry is of course, the third worst in the universe. The second worst is that of the Azgoths of Kria. During a recitation by their poet master Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem "Ode to a Small Lump of Green Putty I Found in My Armpit One Midsummer Morning" four of his audience died of internal haemorrhaging and the president of the Mid-Galactic Arts Nobbling Council survived by gnawing one of his own legs off. Grunthos was reported to have been "disappointed" by the poem's reception, and was about to embark on a reading of his 12-book epic entitled "My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles" when his own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save humanity, leapt straight up through his neck and throttled his brain. The very worst poetry of all perished along with its creator, Paul Neil Milne Johnstone of Redbridge, in the destruction of the planet Earth. Vogon poetry is mild by comparison.

We aren't blessed with such word smiths anymore.

Wisconsin man named worst writer

No, it isn't Lance (I kid because I love). Frankly, I don't think it was that bad. I read worse proofing other peoples' papers in English 101 at UWW. Now that was some bad writing.

Kagen, Vinehout, and Erpenbach's Dream Envisioned

Of course in Cuba, they'd probably just end your suffering with a bullet to the brain.

(Oh wait, that's just the AIDS patients.)

Behold, socialized medicine.

A 108-year-old woman has been told she must wait at least 18 months before she receives a new hearing aid.

Olive Beal, who has failing eyesight and uses a wheelchair, finds it difficult to hear with her five-year-old analogue aid and needs a digital version that cuts out background noise and makes conversation easier.

Mrs Beal, a former piano teacher who was involved in the suffragette movement, would be 110 by the time she gets her new hearing aid. "I could be dead by then," she said yesterday.

Mrs. Beal is actually one of the lucky ones. According to Britain's Royal Institute for the Deaf, the average time on the waiting list is two years.

No Such Thing as Free Money

Bank errors just aren't in your favor anymore.

An ATM at a northwest Louisiana truck stop gave out $20 bills instead of $5s, but authorities say they know who took the extra $7,000 the machine spit out and plan to track them down.

DeSoto Parish sheriff's Lt. Toni Morris said the automated teller machine has records showing 26 people who received the extra cash during five days in late June and early July.

Annette Parker, a supervisor at Eagle's Truck Stop, said she unplugged the machine after overhearing conversations about the excess payments.

"The next morning when we had come back in, someone had plugged it back up," she said.

Morris said someone who did not work at the truck stop may have rigged the machine, which keeps records of when the money was taken and by whom.

Morris said charges could be brought against the people who got more money than they were debited for.

If this happened with the government, it'd probably take months for them to track you down, then a good lawyer would allow them to make you keep it.

State Fair Get Together

It's getting close! State Fair starts on Thursday.

Judging by the comments on my blog, the second weekend looks best for a BBA/Cheddarsphere get-together. I say we pick the 11th, because Saturdays are cool. Last year, we met in the microbrew tent at about noonish? Someone refresh my memory.

Ask me about parking. We can hook a few people up.

Don't forget to save energy the after party at our place (actual start time TBD)!

Note: I believe that I've just stolen the title of "Cheddarsphere Social Director" from Dave Casper in a bloodless coup.

Oops, I Did it Again

Next time, can Stacy Forster of the Journal Sentinel just email me first? I'm not paid to be constantly correcting her.

Madison -- A Door County man filed a lawsuit today in Dane County Circuit Court challenging the state constitutional amendment passed last fall to ban same-sex marriage.

Bill McConkey said in a statement that he was angry about the amendment and its effects, saying that it violates such constitutional protections as equal protection and free speech, among others.

"It just cannot be that any group can be singled out for an elimination of rights and protections just because of who they are as opposed to what they may have done," McConkey said in a statement. "I will fight for what I think is right and against what I think is wrong."

In the lawsuit, filed against Gov. Jim Doyle and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, McConkey asked the court to issue an injunction to block Doyle and Van Hollen from enforcing the amendment until a court has decided the constitutional questions.

The ban passed on a vote of 59% of Wisconsin voters in support compared with 41% who opposed it.

McConkey, of Bailey's Harbor, described himself in a statement as being "Christian, straight, married." He is not an attorney and prepared the lawsuit himself.

Would that be this Bill McConkey, professor at UW-Oshkosh?

Dr. McConkey is an instructor for the Organizational Administration courses for the Center for New Learning; he serves as the Chair for the Organizational Administration Advisory Committee. He is also Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Continuous Learning Programs.

Or this Bill McConkey? Political Strategist and Consultant from...Bailey's Harbor, WI.

Dr. Bill McConkey has over 150 campaigns and 30 years of political campaign work in addition to his education and experience as a teacher and mentor. From campaigns for U.S. Senate and Governor to the State Assembly to City Hall, he has researched, advised, written, created, and consulted. Dr. McConkey has served as an advisor to public officials in many capacities and at many levels. If you are in public life and want to move up or are not and want to be, Bill McConkey can really help you.

Actually, they're one and the same.


UPDATE: The Cap Times version of this story is here. It does mention he's a UW-Oshkosh professor, nothing about his past political activism.

They also say he's got no chance in hell for success.

So Much for Federalism

There was a time when a state or city could go above and beyond what the Federal Government does.

Heck liberals do it all the time in Dane County, all in the name of "progress." Do it in the name of cracking down on illegal immigrants, and it's suddenly unconstitutional.

A U.S. judge on Thursday struck down as unconstitutional a local law designed to crack down on illegal immigration, dealing a blow to similar laws passed by dozens of towns and cities across the country.

U.S. District Judge James Munley said the city of Hazleton, 100 miles north of Philadelphia, was not allowed to implement a law that would fine businesses that hire illegal immigrants and penalize landlords who rent rooms to them.

"Federal law prohibits Hazleton from enforcing any of the provisions of its ordinances," Munley wrote in a 206-page opinion following a federal trial in which Hazleton's law was challenged by civil rights groups.

The city of 30,000 blames a recent rise in illegal immigration for boosting crime and overburdening social services. The law was passed in July 2006 but was not implemented because of a court injunction won by opponents.

About a third of the city's residents are immigrants from Central America and around a quarter of the immigrant population is believed to be undocumented, according to civil rights campaigners.

Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta said the city would likely appeal the decision.

"I believe both sides realized this wasn't going to be the last day. This small city isn't ready to stop fighting yet," Barletta told CNN.

Dozens of towns and cities have modeled their own immigration laws on Hazleton in a bid to deal with an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

One of them, was Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Oh, and those wanting to play "Who appointed him to the Federal Bench?" The answer's Clinton.

The only one to issue a statement so far of the '08 GOP candidates on this is the "non-candidate" Fred Thompson. But he's supposed to be in meltdown...how'd that happen?

Running low?

The headline on JSOnline this morning read:

Production on hold during testing

The lead paragraph began:

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District likely will run out...

And my first thought was: the MMSD? Run out?

I don't think so. Not even if the whole city goes on a liquid diet.

But the article was actually about some kind of fertilizer they make.

The Seedy Side of 'Park City'

Why would anyone accuse the owners of local Janesville stip clubs of having "organized or condoned prostitution or any other illegal sexual activity"?

Actually, they haven't. But that didn't stop the overzealous business types - several of whose employees have been arrested for prostitution alleged to have happened on their premises - from making a denial in the form of a very curious statement, which included:

A distinction should be made between reports and allegations offered by citizens concerned about their community and law enforcement informants. Often times informants may provide information to law enforcement officials in exchange for consideration, such as reduced criminal charges or a reduction in punishment, due to their own illegal activity. Or because they simply have a personal dislike or disregard for the person or business against whom such allegations are made.

But the informant isn't under investigation, and no plea-bargain is anticipated. This is the stuff you feed a jury when faced with a hostile insider. Methinks the cut-rate lawyers doth protest too much.

When you're not running for re-election...

...proof reading becomes optional.

Or so I surmise.

Re: I Knew Sales Were Slow...

Michael Moore is another one of those leftists who by day kicks capitalism, but at night sleeps with it with the curtains drawn shut.

Reportedly he has investments in many companies it is fashionable for the left to condemn, shelters his income from taxation, and gets cranky with the hired help when they are not serving to his high standards.

Now do not get me wrong huzzah for Mr. Moore. However, I would advise people to not pay any attention to what comes out from his mouth but instead to practice his ambition and mimic his drive.

I Knew Sales Were Slow...

...but this is just sad.

Deep Focus, an entertainment marketing and promotions firm, has launched a contest, in which a "lucky" Republican winner can have Michael Moore come to their home and personally wash their laundry...if they go see 'SiCKO."

The "Take a Republican to See 'SiCKO" contest states: "Can you imagine someone from the government coming to your home to help you with the laundry? Well, they do it in France and if you enter the contest this weekend you will have the chance to win the same treatment for a Republican friend of yours from Michael Moore himself!"

SiCKO's value at the box office has pretty much tanked. Harvey Weinstein's reportly about to pull the plug since the film's finally broke even for what it cost to produce and market the film.

Perhaps Moore can finally go back doing what he really wants to do; make feature-length comedies. Canadian Bacon, which Moore wrote and directed, was surprisingly good.

Senate Dems' Stupidity Goes National

Cross-posted at THEB.

The greedy tax grab proposed by the Democrats running the state Senate in terms of creating a single-payer health care system in Wisconsin managed to make it to the pages of the Wall Street Journal.

In an editorial, the WSJ suggests that the entire nation look over this plan as the drumbeat escalates toward turning health care over to the government — which, other than national defense does nothing well. And makes it really, really expensive.

This part is just amazing:

Democrats who run the Wisconsin Senate have dropped the Washington pretense of incremental health-care reform and moved directly to passing a plan to insure every resident under the age of 65 in the state. And, wow, is “free” health care expensive. The plan would cost an estimated $15.2 billion, or $3 billion more than the state currently collects in all income, sales and corporate income taxes. It represents an average of $510 a month in higher taxes for every Wisconsin worker.

Employees and businesses would pay for the plan by sharing the cost of a new 14.5% employment tax on wages. Wisconsin businesses would have to compete with out-of-state businesses and foreign rivals while shouldering a 29.8% combined federal-state payroll tax, nearly double the 15.3% payroll tax paid by non-Wisconsin firms for Social Security and Medicare combined.

This employment tax is on top of the $1 billion grab bag of other levies that Democratic Governor Jim Doyle proposed and the tax-happy Senate has also approved, including a $1.25 a pack increase in the cigarette tax, a 10% hike in the corporate tax, and new fees on cars, trucks, hospitals, real estate transactions, oil companies and dry cleaners. In all, the tax burden in the Badger State could rise to 20% of family income, which is slightly more than the average federal tax burden.

Think about that. $15.2 billion in new taxes, more than Wisconsin collects on current taxes. State businesses would have to compete against businesses in other states while absorbing a nearly 30 percent payroll tax. Guess who really pays that? The consumer. That’s if the businesses even stay here. How difficult will it be for businesses to relocate just across the state line — if they are close to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Michigan — to avoid this tax and still maintain their customer base?

Also, watch the exodus from Taxconsin continue, since this will become a mandatory tax on individuals as well. No one will be exempt from participating. No one.

The editorial goes on to explain how that tax could move even higher as freeloaders from around the country are drawn to Taxconsin for the mandated free benefits. Free, only in the sense the end user doesn’t pay for them. The rest of us do.

[T]he health plan includes a tax escalator clause allowing an additional 1.5 percentage point payroll tax to finance higher outlays in the future. This could bring the payroll tax to 16%. One reason to expect costs to soar is that the state may become a mecca for the unemployed, uninsured and sick from all over North America. The legislation doesn’t require that you have a job in Wisconsin to qualify, merely that you live in the state for at least 12 months. Cheesehead nation could expect to attract health-care free-riders while losing productive workers who leave for less-taxing climes.

That’s right. Every Freddy the Freeloader from around the country will be finding his or her way here and using the very liberal qualifications in order to mooch off the overburdened taxpayers — at least the ones that haven’t had the good sense to leave. That includes illegal aliens as well.

How will skyrocketing costs eventually be controlled? You guessed it: rationing. Price controls, waiting lists, coverage limitations. Just like in England and Canada. Picture a government bureaucrat deciding that spending $200,000 on a person in their 70s isn’t worth it, effectively sentencing that person to die. It’s happening everywhere government-run health care is in place.

As the WSJ points out:

This is Michael Moore’s medical dream state.

And a nightmare for the rest of us.

What is it about the 5th CD?

First the every other year beat down of Bryan Kennedy now these two knuckleheads and their version of "Everyone Gets a Trophy" campaigning

For the 5th being a pretty "normal" very Conservative congressional district(except the Hood Jay lives in) we get our share of nut jobs running for Congress.


I look forward to Liberal post on how one of these two guys is going to win the 5th. I mean they do not have their great white hope in Kennedy to use as cannon fodder so one of these two will have to do lol.

WSB Chris

RIP Lazlo Kovacs

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting cinematographer Lazlo Kovacs died Saturday night in his sleep. He was 74.

Hungarian born Kovacs was a witness to the failed 1956 revolt against Communism,

He and his lifelong friend Vilmos Zsigmond made the daring decision to document the event for its historic significance. To do this, they borrowed film and a camera from their school, hid the camera in a paper bag with a hole for the lens and recorded the conflict.

The pair then embarked on a dangerous journey during which they carried 30,000 feet of documentary film across the border into Austria. They entered the U.S. as political refugees in 1957.

Their historic film was featured in a CBS documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite.

He went on to a long and successful Hollywood career. He worked on some of Hollywood's classics: The Last Waltz, Paper Moon, New York New York, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Easy Rider. He also worked on such films as Two Weeks Notice, Return to Me, Miss Congeniality, My Best Friend's Wedding, Ghostbusters, and one of my personal favorites, Say Anything.

Ken Herrera to stay in Milwaukee - Official announcement

Hi all, I have invited a few new bloggers to join me at BadgerBlogger, and in his first post, Bruce has scooped the paper and reports that former WTMJ morning news guy is the new news director at WISN radio. Bruce has also supplied the official announcement and he has even set up an interview with Herrera. Not bad for a rookie Blogger, huh?

The other new addition is former Milwaukee Police Department Captain Glenn Frankovis, you may recognize the name as being the man that was run out of the MPD after calling the thugs, thugs

You can read more about the new additions here.

RE: Feingold proposes censuring Bush

Censure was so last March. The Hard Left base wants Impeachment.

Wasn't Russ at the DPW Convention last month went this happened during Kagen's speech?

(HT Journal Sentinel)

At one point during a speech last night by first-term U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen (D-Appleton), in which Kagen lamented the "lies and deception" of the Bush administration, someone shouted "Impeach them."

"Impeachment takes a long time," Kagen said.

"Start it," came the response."

Rather interesting article by a Democratic Strategist on what the coming Pelosi vs. Sheehan fight (Cindy's deadline expires tomorrow.) could mean for Democrats at the Politico today. It showcases that DC-centric Democrats might be walking into a circular firing squad with its own base over the lack of any serious movement towards impeaching the President.

Interesting theory, especially since you have Dem Strategists talking about the possibility, it does at least perk the ears up a bit.

Feingold proposes censuring Bush

WASHINGTON - Liberal Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold said Sunday he wants Congress to censure President Bush for his management of the Iraq war and his "assault" against the Constitution.

And if that doesn't work, he'll hold his breath and stamp his feet!

Geez, you'd think he was running for President or something.

Interesting side note: the AP story starts off by describing Feingold as "liberal." You don't see that very often.

UPDATE - D'oh! Owen already had this.

Because We Live in that Kind of World...

Who will be the first 2008 Presidential Candidate to be asked if they've read the last Harry Potter book?

And who's got staffers on it right now, just in case?

Another cool Hank Aaron fact...

...although maybe not if you're a Red Sox fan. We've already noted that today is the 31st anniversary of Aaron's 755th (and last) home run. Now here's a little something about his record-breaking 715th home run:

Aaron hit career home run 715 in the 4th inning off Los Angeles pitcher Al Downing. Although Dodgers outfielder Bill Buckner nearly went over the outfield wall trying to catch it, the ball landed in the Braves bullpen where reliever Tom House caught it.

Recognize that name? Bill Buckner?

On October 25, 1986, the Boston Red Sox faced the New York Mets in game 6 of the World Series...

Mookie Wilson fouled off several pitches before hitting a ground ball to Buckner at first base. The ball bounced on the dirt and rolled under Buckner's glove, through his legs, and into right field, allowing Ray Knight to score the winning run from second base, forcing a seventh game, which the Mets won two nights later.

Yep, that Bill Buckner. Good ballplayer, remembered mostly for the ones he didn't catch.

I've been wondering this, too

Via Althouse:

Here's what really gets me about the 9/11 conspiracy theory. How can anyone believe it now? Of course, it was always completely crazy, but some people believed it anyway because they imagined a hyper-organized, hyper-competent, hyper-secret Executive Branch. Now, you've watched all these years of struggling through the Iraq war. How can you cling to the premise that the Executive Branch is hyper-organized, hyper-competent, hyper-secret? Do they think Bush and Cheney deliberately conducted the war to give it the appearance of a big screw up in order to throw us off the track?

If 9/11 really had been an inside job, we'd have found great big piles of ready-to-use WMD and a nearly-ready nuclear weapons program six months into the war.

How many?

From Dave Zweifel's column today:

Indeed, there are many Republicans joining the growing chorus that wants to impeach Bush and Dick Cheney and get rid of these two guys now before they do even more damage to this great country of ours.

"Many" Republicans, Dave?

How many is "many?" And these people you call Republicans - how much money did they give John Kerry in 2004?

You know what might have been a nice addition to that statement? A name or two. Or a number. Something substantive, that might indicate you're not just making it up. That it isn't just some ridiculous trope that got away from you before you realized what you were saying. That this isn't just a bit of wishful thinking that's bounced around the Capitol Times' echo chamber so long that you've begun to believe it.

I mean, if you'd written "there are many Republicans dissatisfied with the Bush administration;" or "many Republicans who want the troops brought home;" or even "many Republicans who are looking forward to having someone else in the White House."

But Republicans who want to impeach Bush and Cheney?

More likely, they're just calling themselves Republicans, because they think it gives them more credibility when they criticize Republicans.

If it's anybody at all, that is.

Bonds Closes In

Barry Bonds hit two homers today in Chicago, which puts him three two away from tying Hank Aaron's record.

And guess where he's playing the next three days. Yep, Milwaukee. The very city where Aaron both started and ended his major league career.

Is it fate? I say no!

It is incumbent upon every Brewers pitcher to not allow this to happen. Imperative. If he's going to break the record, he can damn well go home and break it there.

Please note that we at the BBA in no way condone beaning Bonds every single time he steps up to the plate. Although this would prevent him from breaking the record while in Milwaukee and might even be fun to watch, we urge the Brewers' pitching staff to resist the temptation.

UPDATE - today, July 20, is the anniversary of Hank Aaron's 755th and last home run of his career, hit at Milwaukee County Stadium.

The Dow Jones closed at...

...14000.41 today.

RE: Re: Kagen's Interesting Friends

Or Marcus, weren't you aware the world-wide HQ of the John Birch Society is now located in Appleton, Wisconsin?

The Empress and I drive by the place frequently.

RE: Feingold wants a terrorist safe haven?

The kicker of hypocrisy here is that Russ's one of the biggest voices in the Senate about what's happening in Somalia; which on many levels is slipping into becoming a haven of terrorists.

So much for Feingold's vaunted "consistency."

Feingold wants a terrorist safe haven?

So the U.S. Senate stayed up all night arguing over whether to Bring The Troops Home Now or not.

End result: they didn't.

Most interesting fact I've seen about the whole ridiculous exercise: this amendment to the Senate bill (via Don Surber):

”To express the sense of the Senate that it is in the national security interest of the United States that Iraq not become a failed state and a safe haven for terrorists.”

The amendment passed 94-3. Voting no: Byrd, Harkin, and our own Russ Feingold.

I'm waiting to see some statement from Feingold on the vote, but, geez, Russ, are you saying that a failed Iraq and a safe haven for terrorists is in our national interest?

Or are you just that Kos-crazy?

Remember Chappaquiddick

On July 18, 1969, 38 years ago today, Senator Kennedy drove his car off a wooden bridge on Chappaquiddick Island.  Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign worker, died in the accident.  Kennedy immediately fled the scene and didn't report the accident for seven hours.  Later tests would determine that Mary Jo had survived the collision; she died about an hour after the crash.  Kennedy left that poor women in his car to die, he only cared about saving his considerably sized ass.He was only convicted of leaving the scene of an accident; his family stepped in and used their considerable influence to get the murder charges dropped.

For that he received a suspended two-month jail term and one-year driving suspension. After surfacing from the vehicle, he made no attempt to save Mary Jo and actually returned to party he was at earlier.  After trying to sober up, he recruited the help of two of the people at the party. Why didn't Kennedy seek the help of Pierre Malm, who only lived 125 yards from the bridge in plain site?  At the inquest Kennedy was unable to answer this question. Also surrounding the incident are claims that Mary Jo may not have died by drowning.  John Farrar, the diver who removed Mary Jo from the car, claimed she was "too buoyant to be full of water".  Additionally, Gene Frieh, the undertaker, told reporters that death "was due to suffocation rather than drowning".

Sounds like a classic case of a cover-up through the Kennedy influence that was widely known at the time in the Chappaquiddick area.  Now we have Kennedy touting for justice in the nations senate and decrying justice for the 'victims' of the vast right wing conspiracy.

What a hypocrite.  What does this say about the people who support him and his party?

RE: Re: Kagen's Interesting Friends

Was implying about the various political characters who've come from there. Pretty much take your pick, just make sure to put Joe McCarthy at the top of the list.

Or Marcus, weren't you aware the world-wide HQ of the John Birch Society is now located in Appleton, Wisconsin?

Re: Kagen's Interesting Friends

What is it with the whack-jobs from Appleton?

Well,.....,officially I live in Grand Chute, but I wonder about that crack about "whack-jobs" from Appleton!

Hahahahahahaha!

Kagen's Interesting Friends

Appears the John Birch Society loves the good Doctor.

He can have them.

(Pat Buchanan too while I think of it...)

What is it with the whack-jobs from Appleton? Did history just decide to play a grand, cosmic joke on that city?

Why do liberals hate us???

Now they're trying to jinx the Brewers!

Didja ever think...

It's not your most appropriate source for deep political thought, but I found this gem on the comedy/satire site, IMAO:

Ever think about how we could easily obliterate any country in the Middle East and they could do absolutely nothing to stop it? If it were the other way around, and America's existence rested on the goodwill of Islamic governments, what chance do you think we'd have?

Bottom of the Class

Sunday was the day all FEC reports were due for second quarter, and as I pointed out earlier; Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D (D-Appleton) didn't have an impressive showing.

How bad?

Well, according to the Hill he's the one with the worst fund-raising record of the DCCC's Frontline candidates with only $420,000 for the first half of the calendar year. Frontline is the DCCC's program meant to protect what they deem as vulnerable candidates or attack vulnerable GOP candidates.

In fact, many of the DCCC's Frontline candidates didn't hit their targets, and some freshmen Democrats are already whining behind the scenes their target donation amounts were set too high.

Soon after the 2006 election, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) announced that Democrats in the committee’s Frontline program would aim to raise between $600,000 and $1 million by June 30.

According to Federal Election Commission reports that were due Sunday, 10 of the 24 Frontline freshmen did not hit the fundraising objective, and some missed the mark by more than $100,000.

Frontline is a program designed to help vulnerable incumbents raise money, and it is dominated by freshmen following the Democratic takeover in 2006.

One source close to a Frontline member was critical of the DCCC for setting such an ambitious goal and making it public. The source said members were frustrated with the goal.

“To publicize your goals, especially in some of these smaller districts that have a smaller donor base or, frankly, are poorer — it’s just harder to raise money,” the source said, adding that it is difficult for members in rural districts to approach small donors so soon after the 2006 election and ask them to give again.

[...]

Freshman Frontline Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Ron Klein (Fla.) led the pack, each exceeding the goal with more than $1 million. Rep. Steve Kagen (Wis.) had the lowest fundraising total, at $420,000, and Reps. Michael Arcuri (N.Y.) and Ciro Rodriguez (Texas) also raised less than $500,000.

Most Democrats fell just short of the fundraising goals. In addition to Ellsworth and Walz, Reps. Heath Shuler (N.C.), Zack Space (Ohio), Nick Lampson (Texas), Paul Hodes (N.H.) and Chris Carney (Pa.) raised more than $500,000.

Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.) raised $600,000.

Kagen is showcasing the two things many observers from the sidelines saw was going on last cycle, he never developed any sort of in-district (in-state, or hell ANY!) fund raising network, and his millions are still a deterrent for people to give.

After all, people don't like giving to a millionaire, that's always been the case. Kagen's problem with campaign money this cycle seems to be that no one outside of his campaign seemed to have gotten the memo others were supposed to pay the bills this time.

I mean, what's $180,000 to Kagen; one-tenth the sale of his Florida home if it comes to that?

One final point. The majority of Kagen's money is designated for the 2008 Primary, something that the Congressman is unlikely to face. What that means is the $300,000+ in Primary COH is going to two key places: early ads to puff himself up while the GOP candidates are clubbing each other, and his own pocket since he still has $469,300 in debt to pay off of the $2.6m he pulled from his pocket in 2006.

Money designated for a Primary fight, must be spend during a primary fight. You can't carry it through to the General Election if you're a federal candidate.

Correction: My sources on the above paragraphs were in correct, since they all ran campaigns before McCain-Feingold became law. Rules on Primary / General election accounts changed with its passing.

Heard At a Party Today

I was at a late graduation party (the party, not the graduate graduating) today and a bunch of the folks were from Green Bay - Shawano area and one of them a member of the State Assembly.

Anyway people from the Green Bay crowd mentioned the media was camped out at the Hansen residence. Of course its revolting, but I wonder if its true. Sadly, I am not extremely skeptical of the story and I hope it was just rumor without basis in fact.

Does anyone know if the claim the media was camped out outside of his household is true?

RE: That's the Best Reason He Could Come Up With?

Mark Green is a political appointment that would replace a political appointment.

And the problem is...?

Heck, even Feingold supports the nomination.

John Kerry: really sore loser.

That's the Best Reason He Could Come Up With?

I first heard this at the Brewers-Nats game from former Green Team staffers I was with last week.

It only took the Wisconsin media five days to catch up.

Glad to see that Sen. John Kerry once again shows things are more about revenge for losing in 2004 than anything.

Mark Green's nomination as ambassador to Tanzania appeared in jeopardy Friday because of opposition from Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

The senator has placed a "hold" on the nomination because Green is a political appointee, not a career Foreign Service officer, a Kerry aide said.

"There is no further action expected on this nomination," the aide said.

President Bush nominated Green for the post in early June.

It's within Bush's power to bypass the Senate and advance Green's nomination as a recess appointment, which he could do as early as August.

Green, 47, a Republican from Green Bay, served eight years in the House of Representatives, ending in January.

Last year, he made an unsuccessful bid for Wisconsin governor against incumbent Democrat Jim Doyle.

While in Congress, Green paid visits to Africa, and 20 years ago, he and his wife were volunteer teachers in Kenya.

As of April, there were 156 U.S. ambassadors, 65% of them career Foreign Service officers and 35% of them political appointees, the State Department said.

If approved, Green would replace the current ambassador, Michael Retzer, also a political appointee. Retzer took his oath of office in August 2005.

Yes Senator Kerry, and we're sure to know that every single one of your ambassadors wouldn't have been political appointments had you been elected President.

Right.

The reality is Kerry's been doing this to multiple Bush appointees since America rejected him. Most of them were either connected to groups that donated to Republicans (THE HORROR!!!), donated to the Swift Boat Vets, or served in some capacity during President Bush's re-election.

Mark Green was Wisconsin State Co-Chair of Bush-Cheney '04 with Scott Walker.

Ah well, the Recess swearing-in ceremony should still be a blast to attend.

Thoughts and Prayers to Dave Hansen and his Family

The members of the Badger Blog Alliance send out their deepest and most sincere condolences to the family of State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) for this terrible and tragic news.

Madison - State Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) said his granddaughter died after she ran behind his car as he was backing out of his Green Bay home about 8:40 a.m. today.

Hansen said the accident killed Elliana Zaidel, who would have been 2 on Wednesday.

Hansen said neither he nor his wife, Jane, knew the child had left the home before the accident.

"Ellie adored her grandfather and she was the apple of his eye," said a statement issued by Hansen's office. "Sen. Hansen is in deep shock and currently attending to the needs of his family. The family requests understanding and respect for their privacy at this time of deep loss and family tragedy and asks people to keep them in their prayers."

Look into the future

A former Republican senator is backing the Dems' $15 billion-plus health care plan (emphasis added):

Ex-GOP official backs Dems' health plan

Madison - Joe Leean, a former Republican state senator and secretary of the state Department of Health and Family Services, today endorsed the universal health care plan of state Senate Democrats.

Leean called the Democrats' proposal a "great start" on solving the worsening health care crisis.

A great start? The largest tax increase in U.S. history and a complete government takeover of the health care industry is a great start?

Bucky Badger in Iraq?

Basra is beset by giant badgers!

"I believe this animal appeared following a raid to the region by the British forces," said Ali Mohsen, a farmer in his 40s from Karmat Ali, near the air base used by the multinational force.

"As we are close to the airport, they probably released this animal into the area," he reasoned.

Amid such tales, there is little experts like Dr Ghazi Yaqub Azzam, deputy dean of the veterinary college, can do to reassure his neighbours.

"Its nature is to eat small animals like hens and rats. It has powerful senses of hearing and smell. It gets aggressive if senses danger, but it doesn't attack man unless threatened," he said.

Azzam speculated that the badgers were being driven towards the city because Iraq is trying to re-flood marshland north of Basra that was drained by Saddam in order to persecute local Marsh Arab tribes.

For all that, the British army thinks Basrawis have little to fear.

"If you cornered it and poked it with a stick, then the smart money would be on the badger," warned Gell, who has faced many rumours like this one in his tour in Iraq.

"We have not released giant badgers in Basra," he said, "and nor have we been collecting eggs and releasing serpents [emphasis added] into the Shatt al-Arab river."

BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER
SNAKE! SNAKE!
BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER BADGER

Hey Sean how about posting that one in honor of the fierce people eating Basra Badger!

It's an "Improvement"

2nd Qtr Fundraising of 2007 is out for Freshman Congressman Steve Kagen. Compared to others' numbers in his Freshmen Democratic Class, Kagen's fundraising is not that impressive.

After raising $155,000 in the first quarter, Dr. Kagen "improved" his second quarter by roughly $60,000 to $214,500. (Spending $2,500 for a "National Fund Raiser too. -- Ask for your money back Steve!)

And since these are always of interest; from the rough numbers I've seen:

74% - % of $-Value of Kagen's Itemized Donations from PACs and Candidate Committees.

In Q1 this amount was 85%.

6.3% - % of $-Value of Kagen's Itemized Donations from residents of Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.

In Q1 this amount was 3%.

It looks like Kagen is going to have others fit the bill until it looks at its cheapest for his pocketbook before he can cut some huge check to "bury" the airwaves in ads.

P.S. Another sign Kagen's may be getting scared. Eric Hogensen, his 2006 campaign manager -- who ran a great campaign I will say -- and is now a political consultant based out of Milwaukee, was put back on retainer for $4,500 in May.

Easily the most entertaining Live Earth commentary...

...was found over at Grandpa John's.

The stars peer down upon the tiny blue spitball called Earth and shake their heads with a tut-tut here and a tsk-tsk there. Its ignorant unwashed masses are scurrying hither and yon in an apparent neurotic affect, charging like lemmings towards eternity's cliff.

There is hope, however. The mighty Albert Gore, Jr. has stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. The packed celestial crowd goes silent with deeply held breath. A few of the more puckish entities try to start a 'wave' but that's so yestereternity that no one's buying it.

With a count of two strikes... here comes the pitch... Albert swings mightily at the destructive sphere with his Adirondack, his homemade bat that he carved when lightning struck and split his cranium while counting his zinc mine royalties, and connects. It's a Live Earth Concert drive!

Grandpa Steve's posting is slowing down some (age, you know), but he's still got some spark in the 'ol noggin.

Left over from his battery-licking days, no doubt.

Two Can Play this Game...

I like La Crosse Democrat Jennifer Shilling as a person. She's a lovely lady who's had a lot of crap tossed her way in life and still come out in the position she's in.

That being said; this is just dumb.

Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, offered this analogy of the Assembly Republican budget plan as it relates to the UW System.

"It's like Edward Scissorhands on meth. It's cut, cut, cut," she said.

Edward Scissorhands? Geez, if we want to quote films of the 80s and 90s not starring a surprisingly bulky Anthony Michael Hall, how about "Little Shop of Horrors?"

Democrats and liberals outta like "Audrey II." Like the special interests they answer to (WEAC, unions, the UW System, and so on) they have an uncanny knack of answering the call of Big Government: "FEED ME!"

RE: Re: What!

It makes you wonder with statements like that, if McCabe even cares about the perception of WDC as a "non-partisan" organization?

Then again, their actions in the past two campaigns - Fall '06 and Spring '07 - have pretty much shown what the man behind the curtain really thinks anyway.

If only we just strike up these outbursts to the WRTL decision, huh?

RE: What!

I believe in a young earth, gravity, Newton's three laws of motion, photosynthesis, DNA, and quantum mechanics.

Am I an example of an incoherent intellectual mish-mash? Probably. Or I could believe God created a universe where all this can exist simultaneously. The Guy is all-powerful., while there's just me with my little pea-brain.

I'm not sure what Charlie Sykes thinks about this. Due to my job I haven't been able to listen to him for months. I've been missing out on my marching orders.

I can't believe I missed this, but...

...this post by Peter (last Monday) was the 3,000th here on BBA.

I had the 2,999th. Dangit.

One teacher's opinion

My, but this is an interesting editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal. The author, Monica Bond-Lamberty, is a social studies teacher in Madison.

She endorses socialism. The lede:

I have the perfect solution for those who complain about Wisconsin's high tax rates: Move to Wyoming, South Dakota or Alaska.

Geez, what have "those who complain about Wisconsin's high tax rates" been saying is going to happen?

Another option for lawmakers to truly demonstrate their commitment to K-12 education is to seize control of the state's health care system. Health care and public schools should both be fully funded.

It is apparent that employers and citizens are unable to cover these expenses now.

We're unable to cover the expenses, so government should take over. And...who does she think is going to "cover these expenses" then? Fairies?

What!

Mike McCabe writes (emphasis added):

Sykes has something in common with much of his audience. Those who hang on his every word want to be lied to. They don't want to believe in evolution. They want to believe the earth is really 6,000 years old, despite the preponderance of scientific evidence showing they are a few billion years off.

Um...did Charlie say that?

See, I don't remember him ever saying that. But I was gone last week so I couldn't listen, and...

...if he said it, I missed it, which means I've been thinking wrong ever since then. But if he didn't say it, then I'm thinking the right way. So, could somebody clear this up for me? I need direction!

McGee/Jackson, Jr.'s Bail Reduced

Michael McGee/Jackson, Jr. got his bail lowered to $10,000 with some stipulations:

After hearing McGee's public defender Calvin Malone offer a variety of scenarios for release, Gorence agreed that he could be set free as long as his contact with others is severely limited. For instance, McGee would not be allowed to have contact with anyone other than family and staff and he could only leave his house for City Hall votes, to meet with his attorney, or to go to doctor's appointments or church.

Federal prosecutors claim McGee/Jackson, Jr. was being the thug he is and telling people to "lay low" and getting hush money to his co-conspirator Dimetrius Jackson.

Place your bets. How long until McGee/Jackson, Jr. gets locked back up for violating the terms of his bail? I give him four weeks.

The AK-47 is not a death ray.

I was on one of my twice a year stops over a Folkbum(when did Jay go group blog? shows you how out of it I am) and one his posters KSShorewood had a post about Michael Kalashnikov and the celebration that the assault rifle he designed the AK-47 was turning 60 years old. I am guessing KSS thinks this is a bad thing.

For one the AK is only a machine a very good well designed machine but no AK has every woken up and said today I am going to massacre a village.

But that is neither here nor there.

I am always amazed by the perception that assault rifles are some kind of death ray capable of taking down Superman. So I thought I would do a little teaching.

One of the things I like to do when we have the BBA shooting events is to show people a comparison between the .30-06 round which was used by the US to fight World War One and Two and has slayed many a deer in the past 100 years in Wisconsin. With the 7.62x 39mm round that the AK-47 fires. People are amazed at the difference in the two.

So I even went and created a visual aid for this post.


That is both rounds and a dime for scale. People like Dad 29 and Owen etc know the answer but can you tell me which round goes to the AK and which is the .30-06 ?

I am guessing that most of you are smart enough to figure out the AK round is the smaller of the two.

You see that is the whole idea behind assault rifles the round is smaller and lighter so troops can carry more of them, they are not as effective as the older military round. I would say after 200 yards you are SOL with the AK round where you are just getting into the wheel house of a .30-06 round. The AK round uses less powder etc. In short the assault rifle was designed to fight in close.

Do not get me wrong it will still hurt any thing it hits but not with the same effect as the older bigger round. One complaint by our troops in Iraq has been the US assault rifle the M4, the latest version of the M-16 is underpowered and lacks stopping power(the US guns shoot a round even smaller than the AK)

What is the purpose of all of this I am trying to demystify the whole aura the MSM has given the assault rifle they treat it like it a death ray or something along the lines of a laser blaster from Science Fiction. Its not it is just a smaller rifle that happens to hold a lot of smaller sized rounds.

I will even let you in on a little secret they are more accurate in the semi auto mode(you have to pull the trigger each time it is fired) than in the full auto mode(think machine gun rat a tat tat and most civilians cannot own full auto ones)I even believe the US military has stopped having full auto as a selection on the later model M-16's but I could be wrong I have not shot a military assault rifle in over 20 years.

What I hope to do with post like these is at least make people more informed I am amazed how many people on the left who talk about guns know little to nothing about the subject. I mean simple stuff like a shot gun vs. a rifle or a revolver vs. a semi auto handgun.

Heres is the Wiki page for assault rifles if you would like to learn a little more about this so you can use it the next time a anti gun person is foaming at the mouth over assault rifles.

Oh and I cannot resist this but if KZ does not like the AK-47 he/she(I do not know) must hate the German Gewehr 98 line of rifles and the Mauser brothers because I am guessing the Mauser bolt action line of battle rifles(they supplied the German army in both World Wars and only fire one shot at a time) have killed more people than the AK-47 and M-16 combined.

So I hope this helps you all be you a gun nut or a moonbat ;)

did I screw anything up Dad29? lol

Oh and why do they use the term gun lover like it is a bad thing?;)

WSB Chris(I am trying to settle on one handle for the blogosphere and WSB Chris will be it lol)

Schaudenfraude Update

To quote the words of the immortal Dr. Perry Cox.

"By the by, this moment is so great that I would cheat on that other moment with it, marry it, and raise a family of tiny little moments."

Here's what I mean.

Six weeks after announcing her departure from the peace movement, Cindy Sheehan said Sunday that she plans to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That’s when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group’s war protest site near Bush’s Crawford ranch.

“Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership,” Sheehan told The Associated Press. “We hired them to bring an end to the war. I’m not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn’t be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money.”

Sheehan announced in May that she was leaving the anti-war movement and selling her 5-acre Crawford lot. She said that she felt her efforts had been in vain and that she had endured smear tactics and hatred from the left, as well as the right.

What's interesting is reading the comments on that post from CNN, they range from the "You Go Girl!" - GOP-leaning, to "You Go Girl" - Death to BusHitler types, to near vulgarity and nastiness from what appear to be left-leaning types.

Clearly the organized, Pro-Democratic Party Left has had its use for Ms. Sheehan. She likely wouldn't win against Pelosi, even if she challenged as a third-party independent. About the only thing that she could potentially do is give heartburn to vulnerable freshmen Democrats who will be asked by their most liberal, anti-war supporters who do they support more: their Speaker who they view hasn't ended the war fast enough, or the anti-war super mom?

Once again they cannot see the Thug Forest for the Gun Trees

Hat tip to Elliot who is writing more and more again at "From Where I sit" for pointing the latest Milwaukee reporter/writers/columnist/politician article that blames the guns not the thugs. I do not get Milwaukee Magazine so I would have missed it.

Here is the email I sent to the author Mario Quadracci. I tried to behave I believe Mope was the strongest word I used. :)


Dear Mario,

It is a shame mope like you get to write stories like the your article on "evil guns" in Milwaukee magazine.


Yes blame the guns never the thugs or the "gangster" culture in higher crime areas of Milwaukee. You never ask how come the people who own guns in Ozaukee , Waukesha and Washington counties are not shooting every one in sight like on the North side of Milwaukee.

You see Mario it is not the guns it is the people, I personally have enough guns of various types to take out a couple of city blocks but that has not happen due to fact I believe in and follow the rule of law unlike many of the people you wrote about in your one sided article.

its the Thugs in those Neighborhoods you should be attacking not a guns.

I will ask you a questions I ask of all reporters/writers like you who write with an anti gun slant.

Do you shoot?

Do you own a gun?

Have you ever owned a gun?

Do you believe the 2nd amendment is less important than the 1st?

Do you honestly think these people you wrote about would stop using guns if they were made illegal? Yes right after they stop selling the drugs which are already illegal.

Oh and your nice little veiled insinuation that people at guns shows are Nazis(pointing out the smiley face with the Hitler Mustache but not all the patriotic stuff you see at guns shows)was found insulting by this military veteran who goes to guns show and even brings his children to them.

stop enabling the thugs by always blaming the guns, millions of Americans are law abiding guns owners who have never hurt a person with their guns.

Maybe in your own version of a "fairness doctrine" you could spend some time writing about those of us who own guns and use them legally.

I know that will not happen because it will not promote the agenda you are supporting. But know this Mario people like me will be there fighting people like you ever step of the way

We will not allow people like you to take away our 2nd amendment rights. No matter how hard you want.

Christopher XXXXXXX Oconomowoc

These people will never blame the people who are breaking the law but they seem to think that if they can outlaw guns(and we all know that is where this ends with them) the criminals will follow the gun laws even though they have shown they have no problem breaking drug laws probation laws etc.

We law abiding gun owners must stand up and fight them where ever we find them.

Chris 2

Here is Mario's email tell him what you think

mario.quadracci@milwaukeemagazine.com

They Really Love Their Nats Here

The lead in the Washington Post sports article about last night's Brewers - Nationals' game is quite something. If anything, it shows that Washington will always be a Redskins' town first.

If ever there was a chance for the Washington Nationals to revive themselves against a playoff-contending opponent, it was last night. After all, the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers had lost five of their past seven games. They even had lost their starting center fielder to an ankle injury.

So forget for a moment that the Nationals also were slumping, having lost eight of their past 10 games. They had a chance.

And then the game started.

The Crew won 6-2 .

I didn't get a chance to go to last night's game since I got off work pretty late. And last time I checked, it's not 1920 so I wasn't going to a baseball game in a shirt and tie.

Plan is to be at tonight and tomorrow's games. I'll try to send some pictures to the Sports Bar folks.

Concert for Carbon

Today at starting at noon, in honor of good ole 'Octane', OnTheBorderLine will be holding it's own concert celebrating carbon. Fire up your lawn mowers, weed whackers, leaf blowers, and get your yard work done early this morning. After that fire up your SUV and go get some beer or other adult beverages. Then enjoy this great weekend remembering that the cost of gas adjusted for inflation is as cheap as it was 30 years ago! Today it's even cheaper than bottled water. So instead of listening to the propaganda concerts today, enjoy some music right here starting at noon. You have all weekend to view it.

So as flash pointed out:

There is a substance which is typically not discussed in government schools as a benefit to people, but rather as a bane to all and the root of all evil. It is a substance which remains liquid over normally encountered temperatures, it is as cheap as milk (actually cheaper at times), and it is ubiquitous. It takes advantage of nanotechnology by exploiting a carbon mono-filament of fixed length with hydrogen atoms attached along its length, providing not only a high hydrogen storage density, but additional stored energy in the bonds between adjacent carbon atoms that form the mono-filament. It is a storehouse of energy, readily and widely available and we should all be pushing to fully use and develop any and all sources of this substance.

It is known as octane.

Enjoy the concert!

Attention Steve Kagen

Your quest for Socialized Health Care is over!

San Francisco, home of Nancy Pelosi, started it's own program on Monday. (Do they still pay the homeless cash out there?)

But Steve, bit of a warning -- you may have to get in line. But relax, the wait apparently isn't long.

Mary Katharine Ham reports that a total of 29 signed up on Monday.

Doyle acts like a typical Liberal

He talks out of both sides of his mouth. They bad mouth making money especially, if you make your money selling oil or tobacco.

But it doesn't stop our money loving Governor from investing in Evil Big Oil and Evil Big Tobacco

From the Appleton Post Cresent via the WSJ

Hmmm Exxon and ConocoPhillips and British American Tobacco very interesting.

"Doyle's spokesman Matt Canter says the governor has no plans to divest from the mutual funds because investment decisions are left up to the people that run the fund"

What BS Doyle coule have taken 30 seconds to look at the list of stocks in these funds and he would have known what stocks he was investing in.

Doyle never seems to know anything about what is going on around him. If you believed him he just sits at his desk and all this bad stuff just happens around him.

Come on now, I want to hear the calls from the left for Gov. Doyle to divest himself from these evil companies. But we will not hear it they are really good at looking the other way when one of theirs is a hypocrite.

Man Libs are funny they bad mouth money all the time but can not seem to get enough of it. No matter how they make it, be it Cattle Futures or Big Tobacco and Big oil stocks.

I also call on Governor Doyle to return any Wind Fall Profits he made as an investor of these companies. We know that will not happen Jim Doyle never gives up a dime once he gets it.

Chris2

Sometimes, Words Say it All...

Rarely can a country's entire mentality be summed up in a sentence.

Thankfully, the Iranians gave it to us yesterday with their reasoning behind denying Oliver Stone's request to do a documentary on Iranian nutjob leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"It is right that this person is considered part of the opposition in the U.S., but opposition in the U.S. is a part of the Great Satan."

Contemplate that for a while folks.

(HT J-Pod @ the Corner)

This then...Explains Much

One question that many a reporter was having last week (not to mention WisPolitics) was why the State Senate Democrats threw in a provision about wine distributors.

Ya see, what this amendment (See Pg. 4) would do is still protect the three-tier distribution system for alcohol (Producers to Wholesalers to Retailers). It stops wineries from selling directly to retail stores and restaurants, thus bypassing tier two.

It would force individual vineyards in and outside the state, to get a permit, on an annual basis no less, to distribute on their own; which could end up costing them thousands in profit.

Basically, the amendment only benefits one group -- Distributors of wine who have a statewide network. There are roughly only a handful in Wisconsin.

Critics said this amendment, which barely was debated before it was voted upon, was a payback for campaign contributions.

The critics may have just been proven right.

MADISON, Wis. -- Employees of a beverage wholesaler made campaign donations to members of the Democratic-controlled Senate before that chamber approved a budget amendment that will help its business in Wisconsin.

Two employees of Madison-based General Beverage Sales Co. gave at least $12,495 to the campaigns of eight Senate Democrats and the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, campaign finance records show.

That includes $350 to Sen. Russ Decker, D-Weston, who backed the amendment to stop wineries from selling products directly to retailers and require them to hire distributors such as General Beverage instead.

The company officials -- Frances Weinstein and Joel Minkoff -- also donated to Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson and four freshmen whose victories flipped Senate control back to Democrats last year, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign donations.

The amendment approved last week would protect General Beverage's market in Wisconsin. The company is one of the few wine distributors with statewide reach with operations in Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Little Chute, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls and Barron.

Critics have argued the amendment, which was introduced just hours before Senate Democrats approved it in the $66 billion two-year state budget, was a favor for politically connected distributors.

"I don't see that there's a public policy reason for this other than rewarding your friends," said Bill Nelson, president of WineAmerica, a trade association representing U.S. wineries opposed to the plan.

In a "it's a small world" moment for Wisconsin bloggers, Decker's press flack is none other than Carrie Lynch, who was once the writer of "What's Left?" at WisPolitics.

Pardon me if I don't buy the spin she's cycling.

Fewer Schools Named For Presidents

Cross-posted at THEB.

Not just presidents, but also other famous figures in U.S. history.

Idiot, PC leftists are firmly in control of naming new elementary schools, middle schools, junior high skrewls and high skrewls. That means they will be named after objects in nature or locations, rather than, say, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson or Martin Luther King.

Wisconsin public schools are apparently more likely to be named after objects in nature or locations these days than presidents, founding fathers or other people, according to a report released Monday that laments the trend as contrary to schools’ civic mission.

From 1980 to 1999, only 3.1% of new schools in Wisconsin were named after presidents, compared with 16.7% constructed before 1950, according to the report by the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute, which analyzed data from a January 2000 facilities survey conducted by the state. Overall, naming schools after people dropped to 25.4% in the 1980s and ’90s from 52.9% in Wisconsin prior to the 1950s.

The political bias was never more evident that in New Berlin, as demonstrated in the battle to name a new school for the late former President Ronald Reagan.

Oconomowoc businessman Steve Ziegler certainly thought that was the case after his $60,000 offer to three school districts in 2004 to rename schools after former President Ronald Reagan was at one point referred to as “tainted money.”

“It actually turned into something I had no idea I was getting into, which was a political fight,” said Ziegler, who as president and CEO of InPro Corp. has made contributions to several schools in return for naming rights to their facilities. “People thought I was doing it to get a Republican name on a school, and it wasn’t that at all. I just thought he was a great man and a great president.”

Think about that. A bunch of lefties still so filled with hatred for a truly great American president simply over their hatred and intolerance for his political beliefs and policies.

The dogma of political correctness has so overtaken academie in America that even truly great Americans cannot achieve consensus on having their names placed on schools. The demonization of our nation’s Founding Fathers as being a bunch of evil, white men who owned slaves and were racists, sexists, bigots and homophobes, were responsible for the spread of disease, the rape and destruction of the environment and genocide against peace-loving Native Americans — by the way, I am a Native American, I was born in America, that makes me a Native American — has continued unabated, to the point that a bunch of pinhead pseudo-intellectuals don’t want their names on schools and in some cases have actively campaigned to have their names removed from existing schools.

In Milwaukee the names of city founders Solomon Juneau and George Walker, baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson and inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison no longer are on schools, those schools having been closed. While President Reagan’s name is on an MPS college preparatory school, it wasn’t without a fight over his politics. MPS once had a high school named after Abraham Lincoln, but that school was closed almost 30 years ago, and currently the Great Emancipator’s name is not on any MPS school.

In Racine, two of the three high schools were named after city fathers William Horlick and Jerome I. Case, and the third was named because of its proximity to a nearby park. The only middle school named after a president is named after the late President William McKinley. Others are named after local figures, including city founder Gilbert Knapp. You can see a list of Racine Unified schools here.

Both of Kenosha’s large public high schools were named after local educators, Mary D. Bradford and George Nelson Tremper. Kenosha Unified has schools named after Lincoln and McKinley, Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as local historical figures. You can see their list of schools here.