Time to pull out of the quagmire

I am shamelessly stealing this from the Badger Blogger, who shamelessly stole it from The Early Spin, who shamelessly stole it from RedState.com-

Time to pull out of Wisconsin

There were 28 shootings this past weekend in Milwaukee. After 175 years of occupation, we are seemingly unable to extract ourselves from the quagmire that apparently is Wisconsin. I say it is time America cut its losses and pulled out of Wisconsin NOW. We currently have over 7000 Army National Guard troops based there yet there seems to be no end to the carnage.

Please join me in writing to Rep. Jack Murtha to get this terrible situation the attention it deserves. 15 in Haditha is nothing compared to the horrors perpetrated month after month after month after month in Wisconsin. It's time we brought our people home.

Seriously folks, 28 people shot in Milwaukee alone in one weekend? To make matters worse, there was a shooting in Racine that killed one and injured two. Also, right here in quiet Kenosha, there was one shooting that killed a person this weekend also. This is ridiculous. We need to let the Milwaukee Police go back to work, despite what happened in the Judd case.

Defend Marriage- Sign the Petition and call/email Feingold and Kohl

Next week, the US Senate will be addressing the marriage amendment. The Center for Reclaiming America has a petition to sign, if you are interested.

Make your voice heard-


The "Stand For Marriage" petition states:
As a concerned citizen, I am calling for government leaders to take action -- including federal and state constitutional amendments – to define marriage as the union of "one man and one woman." Marriage, as a legal status and the benefits associated with marriage, should be limited to one man and one woman relationships.

Click here to read and sign the petition

Contact Kohl and Feingold:

Senator Russell Feingold,Milwaukee Office
Phone Number: (414) 276-7282
Fax Number: (414) 276-7284
Other District Offices: http://feingold.senate.gov/contact.html


Senator Herb Kohl, Eau Claire Office
Phone Number: (715) 832-8424
Fax Number: (715) 832-8492
Other District Offices: http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_offices.html

Has Sensenbrenner lost his every lovin' mind?

Every ounce of respect that I have for Sensenbrenner, now hangs in the balance, based on his reaction to the FBI raids.

Sensenbrenner drafting bill to protect congressional documents from FBI raids

Sensenbrenner needs to step very lightly around this one. No American, no matter which side of the ailse, believes that Congress should be writing laws to protect themselves from criminal investigations.

Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint?

Great news folks, the "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoints" were working as planned this past weekend.


Public Advocate: 'Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint' Big Success; Video Posted of Actions; Footage and Photos Available

WASHINGTON, May 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, a non-profit group, Public Advocate, announced their "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint" has been a success. Checkpoints on Capitol Hill in Washington to protect citizens against Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy (D-Ma.) or Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) resulted in no impaired drivers named Congressman or Senator Kennedy being stopped this weekend.

"Citizen volunteers have responded to the call and we have erected checkpoints at several intersections to prevent any Kennedy from driving in an impaired manner on Capitol Hill. We selected the long Memorial Day weekend due to the increased potential for a repeat of earlier car accidents," said Eugene Delgaudio who is also President of the group.

Volunteers patrolling in front of the U.S. Capitol and in front of the Supreme Court are attempting to prevent a repeat of Kennedy-related car accidents in Washington. Due to the nature of the problem, the checkpoints are mobile units comprised of two dozen people alternating positions around the Capitol.

Volunteers wear bright orange or yellow vests, yellow construction hats, and carry traffic cones, and traffic directional signs (stop, slow down, go) and posters that identify them as the "Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoint" and with a message that states "If your name is Kennedy, Get out of the Car."

Public Advocate designed the checkpoints to raise public awareness and to discourage impaired driving by Senator Ted Kennedy or Congressman Patrick Kennedy. The ultimate goal is to ensure the roads are safe for all motorists by achieving voluntary compliance of the drinking and driving laws by all Kennedys in Congress. That was accomplished this weekend.

"Our future goal is to continue with random Kennedy Sobriety Checkpoints to continue the success we have had," said Delgaudio.

H/T Free Republic

Not so fast Governor Doyle.

It is Tuesday morning, after a long holiday weekend. Now it is time to face Governor Doyle's vetoes from Friday afternoon. Governor Doyle's hope is that Wisconsinites will have missed his vetoes on some common sense legislation.

Unfortunately for Governor Doyle, plenty of people noticed his vetoes on Friday night and will not just let it go away.

Jessica McBride has pegged these vetoes as "Veto Jim's Memorial Day Massacre".

Charlie Sykes writes about the "Memorial Weekend Massacre".

Jim Doyle has once again, slapped the faces of Wisconsinites.

For more on the Governor's vetoes, check out Wispolitics for Friday, May 26th.

Another new conservative blog

There is another new conservative blog out of Fond da Lac. Check it out, it is called Voices From The Foot

Harry Reid's Culture of Corruption

Senator Reid is at it again. Harry Reid is up to his neck in corruption. Check it out-

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing.

Yep- Harry Reid is in deep-

Reid had separate meetings in June 2003 in his Senate offices with two Abramoff tribal clients and Edward Ayoob, a former staffer who went to work lobbying with Abramoff.
The meetings occurred over a five-day span in which Ayoob also threw a fundraiser for Reid at the firm where Ayoob and Abramoff worked that netted numerous donations from Abramoff's partners, firm and clients.
Reid said he viewed the two official meetings and the fundraiser as a single event. "I think it all was one, the way I look at it," he said.
One of the tribes, the Saginaw Chippewa of Michigan, donated $9,000 to Reid at the fundraiser and the next morning met briefly with Reid and Ayoob at Reid's office to discuss federal programs. Reid and the tribal chairman posed for a picture.
Five days earlier, Reid met with Ayoob and the Sac & Fox tribe of Iowa for about 15 minutes to discuss at least two legislative requests. Reid's office said the senator never acted on those requests.
A few months after the fundraiser, Reid did sponsor a spending bill that targeted $100,000 to another Abramoff tribe, the Chitimacha of Louisiana, to pay for a soil erosion study Ayoob was lobbying for. Reid said he sponsored the provision because Louisiana lawmakers sent him a letter requesting it.


Harry Reid can spin and spin and spin- he is still a corrupt politician. Anyone looking to buy a Democratic Senator, only has to look as far as the leader of the Senate Democrats to find their corrupt politician.

In loving memory...

In loving memory of all those who have served this great country.

We will always remember.

Another day, another re-hash on Doyle's "pay for play" politics.

Here is a link to the story.

Of course, once again we see this biased reporter from the AP at work.

Quote:
The lack of detail has left observers wondering whether the case is flimsy - or if prosecutors are holding back key evidence that could implicate other administration officials until the trial.

Of course the AP wants you to believe the case is flimsy. They have yet to figure out a way to get Doyle off the hook in this one.

Of course, Doyle is not helping his case with the people very much.

Doyle, a Democrat running for re-election in November, has denied any link between the donations and the contract, which he canceled after the indictment.

He has refused to return the donations, saying the donors were not accused of any wrongdoing.

Doyle's Bill???????

Oh what spin we have out to the Kenosha News this morning-

Unified in sync with Doyle bill

Doyle's bill?????

They must be joking, right.

Check out the roll call votes- this was a Republican bill that Doyle could not find an excuse to veto.

Governor Doyle's veto pen was working overtime

Governor may think he may have sneaked a few vetos past us, but we are watching a paying attention.

Check out the commen sense legislation that the governor vetoed-

Assembly Bill 461- The Casino Oversite Bill
Of course the Governor vetoed this one. His "pay to play" agenda is right on track. He certainly does not want the Indian Tribes taking away his free campaign cash. Keep an eye on this veto, the Potawatomi Indians are none too happy about this veto. The Governor better hope that the Potawatomi Indians do not bail on him and start working against him. Here is the statement from the Potawatomi Indians.
As a Kenosha resident, I would love it if our legislators would keep the "out of staters" out of my home town. This is my home- I don't want the governor selling us out to a Connecticut indian tribe.

Assembly Bill 850- The Pier Bill
Of course the Governor vetoed this one also. As we already know, Doyle has zero respect for property owners. If you own a pier, the governor believes he has every right to tell you what to do with that pier. With this veto, the Governor is giving the DNR even more power to harrass law abiding pier owners.

Senate Bill 567- Proof of Citizenship Bill
What can I say to this veto? Of course we expected the Governor to veto it. What has surprised me is the reason the governor gave for vetoing it. He said it was because the federal government already requires ID for federal aid, and people would get confused. Huh?

What is this? No ID is required? Anybody who wants to can just walk up and get whatever they want out of our state services?

Apparently our Governor wants the Hispanic vote so bad, that he willing to give the illegal Hispanics anything they want, whenever they ask for it.

This bill was about blocking state aid to illegal immigrants and our governor vetoed it. The governor is getting desperate to win re-election, he will even sell out legal Wisconsinites in order to win.

There is a new conservative blogger in Wisconsin

There's new blogger posting out of Waupun-An Ol' Broad's Ramblings

Welcome, Kate.


If you want to know what the "ol' broad" Kate is rambling about- check it out.

It's time to deal with it.

The Senate passed a bill on illegal immigration- and like the majority of Republicans in the Senate, I would have voted against it. The Senate bill goes no where near far enough to secure the borders.

However, the very fact that building a fence, no matter what the size, was a shock to see coming out of the Senate.

That being said, the House Republicans have their work cut of for them. The House bill did nothing about dealing with the 12 million illegal immigrants already living in this country today. Ignoring this reality will not make the problem go away.

Over the next several weeks and months- illegal immigration must be dealt with. NO REFORM IS NOT AN OPTION. NOT PASSING A IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL IS NOT AN OPTION.

Somewhere in the middle of this, the President has to toughen the Senate bill's border security problems and get the House to realize that we currently have 12 million illegals in this country and we need to deal with that problem. The illegal immigrants in this country are not just going to go away.

Michael McGee, Jr. Jackson

or is it Michael Jackson McGee, Jr.? Possibly Jackson McGee Jr. Michael?

or........ Okay, now I am confused.

I really, really, really wanted to do a story on this whole McGee/Jackson saga, but it seems that the Wisconsin blog world has got it covered. Y'all have got to check out this websites. They are a riot.

Check out these websites for McGee/Jackson saga-

Badger Blogger

Boots & Sabers

Fraley's Dailytakes

Charlie Sykes

This is great stuff!

Without McGee, Doyle and Peg "I am totally schlager" Lautenschlager- how in the world would the conservative bloggers in Wisconsin keep themselves entertained?

Now it is time to worry about Social Security?

Finally it is beginning to dawn on people that we have a serious problem with Social Security. I just read a story in USA Today called "Retiree Benefits grow into a 'monster' . Well, duh. Of course it is a problem.

A year ago, when the President was talking about taking on one of the "monster" problems, Social Security, there was wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Democrats. "Don't touch Social Security!", they said.

''We will not allow this proud achievement of the New Deal to become a raw deal for the American people," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, told the crowd of several hundred people. ''Social Security is sacred ground."

here is another Democrat-

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of Social Security, a Colorado congressman warned against President Bush's proposed changes to the national program, saying the president's plan was a "false solution" to a "fabricated crisis."

"For 70 years, Social Security has never failed to pay a promised benefit to seniors or people with disabilities -- it has never been a day late or a dollar short," Rep. John Salazar told the nation Saturday in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. "The plan he (Bush) is offering won't even come close to putting the program on solid financial footing."

Apparently, a year later, folks are beginning to realize that this is no "fabricated crisis".

Last year, our Congressman Paul Ryan and President Bush spent most of the year proposing a solution to the "fabricated crisis". They were met with a brick wall from the Democrats and even a few Republicans.

It is time to get to start talking again about fixing the Social Security crisis. Despite what the Democrats told us a year ago, Social Security is in crisis.

Social Security was in crisis a year ago, it was in crisis 10 years ago and the crisis will not be fixed without some leadership.

I would like to challenge my congressman, Paul Ryan, to pick up the gauntlet again and run with it. Perhaps the people will start to listen now. Social Security reform needs to happen quickly.

Congressman Ryan has been at the forefront in the battle over Social Security reform and I will continue to support him 100% on Social Security reform.

We need Congressman Ryan and President Bush to lead again on Social Security reform.

For more on Social Security reform, visit the website of Congressman Ryan. You can also find more on the website of Freedom Works.

Kenosha News- This week's focus question

You guys know the drill. Here is this week's focus question-

Do you think sending up to 6,000 National Guard troops to help monitor the Mexican border, as the president suggested last week, is a good way to stop illegal immigration?

For those of you who do not know the drill, here is an explaination:

For those who do not live in Kenosha, the weekly focus question in our local newspaper gives everyone an opportunity to comment on a particular question.

If you would like to respond to this week's focus question, send an email to focus@kenoshanews.com by noon on Thursday, May 25th. You may also call in a voicemail to 262-656-6205

Please give your sex, your age and the town you live in. You do not have to give your name.
For example, if you are a 29 year old male that lives in Racine, please sign as follows:

29 year old male
Racine

"Separation of Power"? Oh please! Spare me!

Perhaps this story plays out well in the Washington DC coffee shops, but it does not play well in the rest of the coffee shops in America.

Out here in the rest of America, we are wondering why in the world the Congress believe that their offices are sacred ground and should be immune from law enforcement.

Out here in the rest of America, we are wondering where the Congress get off believing that even with a search warrant, the FBI cannot enter their offices.

Out here in the rest of America, we are wondering what criminal activity our Congress may be hiding in their offices.

Out here in the rest of America, we are wondering why our elected officials, like Boehner and Hastert, believe that they are above the law.

Hey Kenosha School Teachers- You blew it, now it is time to pay the price

That's right Kenosha teachers, KEA and WEAC- you had your chance to save your jobs and you blew it. Now here you are out protesting and kicking up a fuss because some of you are about to lose your jobs.

Too bad teachers- deal with it!

From today's Kenosha News-

Even with the savings, 39.5 teacher positions are still at risk. The board held its first initial budget presentation for the 2006-07 school year to take small steps toward making up a more than $4 million shortfall.

There would have been no $4 million shortfall if the teachers would have voted for the new insurance plan. The new insurance plan would have saved $6.7 million this next school year alone. Now the teacher's had to give up some of their benefits with the old WEA plan, just to save a few dollars and a few teaching jobs. The teachers are now stuck with fewer insurance benefits than they were offered under the new plan.

Guess what this one school teacher proposed should be done in order to save some teachers jobs?????? Here is one teacher's plan-

He said the board could find more money by assessing property at the maximum level

That's right folks! This teacher is actually proposing raising property taxes to pay for their own stupidity! Basically if your house is worth $90 to $110 thousand, instead of paying property taxes at the middle value of $100 thousand which you are doing now- he proposes you pay property taxes on your house at the maximum level of $110 thousand. That would increase property taxes.

Clearly, this school teacher is a Democrat. Only a Democrat would suggest increasing the property taxes of every citizen in Kenosha. Clearly the Democrats are the party who think tax increases are a good thing.

The next suggestion this teacher makes is almost as outrageous as the first suggestion, but not quite. He is suggesting not keeping so much money in the reserve fund. School Board member Mark Stalker had the answer for this suggestion-

But fellow board member Mark Stalker said that would do more harm than good, lowering the district's bond rating, meaning it would cost more interest to borrow money in the future. "The first thing, let's make this clear," Stalker said, "there is no such thing as a rainy day fund. Why would we take from that fund now? That would be the most fiscally irresponsible thing to do. I didn't hear the taxpayers saying that, because they're the ones who would get burned."

Exactly Mark. Apparently the teacher who suggested this has never taken out a loan before. If he had, he would known that if you borrow money, the lending institution wants to know how you plan on paying it back. With no money in the fund, the interests rates go threw the roof and that is if you can find someone to lend us the money. We need that money in the bank, so we can borrow in the future for little things- such as new schools and teacher's pension funds.

Teacher's pension funds?????? Now that is a brilliant idea. I know how the teachers can save their jobs this year! We can cut their pension funds!!!!!! Yeah, make the teachers pay for their own stupidity!

I am sure that is not going to happen. Instead, once again, the Kenosha kids and their education has been sacrified to uphold WEAC and KEA.

If WEAC and the KEA really cared about our kids and their futures, they would not have done something so stupid as to strong arm teachers into staying with WEA Trust.

The teacher's should have thought about their own futures and the future education of Kenosha's kids before they cast a their votes for WEA Trust. They blew it!

The only thing on the minds of teachers when they cast their votes was WEAC and the KEA! The teachers will now have to sacrifice their jobs for the union. I thought the unions were supposed to protect teachers and their jobs- it appears that their loyalty to the union will cost actually cost them their jobs.

The teachers will get very little sympathy from the Kenosha community as they negotiate this. The Kenosha community know the teachers brought this on themselves and it's time to pay up. Rarely do we see conservatives and liberals united in the same cause. We are united in this single thought- we all know the Kenosha teachers, WEAC and the KEA screwed up!

Edited to add: Not every Kenosha school teacher voted for WEAC. Quite a few of them wanted to go with the new insurance. To these teachers, and the school administrators, secretaries, carpenters, educational assistants,etc.... who voted for the new insurance- I apologize. I know you did what you could. WEAC and the KEA are out of control. They are so power hungry that they are willing to sacrifice good teachers, good students and good school programs to stay in power. Our students, teachers and all the rest, deserve the very best and they cannot get that as long as WEAC and the KEA have so much power.

The real truth about Katrina and America's heros who saved tens of thousands

For 9 months, our heads have been filled with lies and distortions by the media. Finally the real truth is starting to come out about the real heroes of Hurricane Katrina.

These dedicated men and women from the Coast Guard, National Guard and first responders are finally having their stories told. It is a shame that the media filled America's head with so many lies, that it has taken 9 months for the truth to come out.

The story is a must read about America's heros. It is long, but well worth the read. Here is a snippet-

Do you remember the dramatic TV footage of National Guard helicopters landing at the Superdome as soon as Katrina passed, dropping off tens of thousands saved from certain death? The corpsmen running with stretchers, in an echo of M*A*S*H, carrying the survivors to ambulances and the medical center? About how the operation, which also included the Coast Guard, regular military units, and local first responders, continued for more than a week?

Me neither. Except that it did happen, and got at best an occasional, parenthetical mention in the national media. The National Guard had its headquarters for Katrina, not just a few peacekeeping troops, in what the media portrayed as the pit of Hell. Hell was one of the safest places to be in New Orleans, smelly as it was. The situation was always under control, not surprisingly because the people in control were always there.

From the Dome, the Louisiana Guard's main command ran at least 2,500 troops who rode out the storm inside the city, a dozen emergency shelters, 200-plus boats, dozens of high-water vehicles, 150 helicopters, and a triage and medical center that handled up to 5,000 patients (and delivered 7 babies). The Guard command headquarters also coordinated efforts of the police, firefighters and scores of volunteers after the storm knocked out local radio, as well as other regular military and other state Guard units.

Jack Harrison, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia, cited "10,244 sorties flown, 88,181 passengers moved, 18,834 cargo tons hauled, 17,411 saves" by air. Unlike the politicians, they had a working chain of command that commandeered more relief aid from other Guard units outside the state. From day one.

The NY Times sound a little nervous

Check out this little gem in the NY Times today. Apparently AG Gonzales restated the fact that journalists are subject to the same laws that every other American is subject to.

Gonzales was even asked the question as to whether or not the NY Times could be prosecuted. He! He! Now this is good stuff-

Gonzales Says Prosecutions of Journalists Are Possible

The government has the legal authority to prosecute journalists for publishing classified information, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday.

"There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility," Mr. Gonzales said on the ABC News program "This Week."

"That's a policy judgment by the Congress in passing that kind of legislation," he continued. "We have an obligation to enforce those laws. We have an obligation to ensure that our national security is protected."

Asked whether he was open to the possibility that The New York Times should be prosecuted for its disclosures in December concerning a National Security Agency surveillance program, Mr. Gonzales said his department was trying to determine "the appropriate course of action in that particular case."

"I'm not going to talk about it specifically," he said. "We have an obligation to enforce the law and to prosecute those who engage in criminal activity."

Though he did not name the statutes that might allow such prosecutions, Mr. Gonzales was apparently referring to espionage laws that in some circumstances forbid the possession and publication of information concerning the national defense, government codes and "communications intelligence activities."

Those laws are the basis of a pending case against two lobbyists, but they have never been used to prosecute journalists.

Some legal scholars say that even if the plain language of the laws could be read to reach journalists, the laws were never intended to apply to the press. In any event, these scholars say, prosecuting reporters under the laws might violate the First Amendment.

Mr. Gonzales said that the administration promoted and respected the right of the press that is protected under the First Amendment.

"But it can't be the case that that right trumps over the right that Americans would like to see, the ability of the federal government to go after criminal activity," he said. "And so those two principles have to be accommodated."

Mr. Gonzales sidestepped a question concerning whether the administration had been reviewing reporters' telephone records in an effort to identify their confidential sources.

"To the extent that we engage in electronic surveillance or surveillance of content, as the president says, we don't engage in domestic-to-domestic surveillance without a court order," he said. "And obviously if, in fact, there is a basis under the Constitution to go to a federal judge and satisfy the constitutional standards of probable cause and we get a court order, that will be pursued."

I have a couple of questions for the NY Times:

Who are these legal scholars that the are talking about when they said "Some legal scholars"?

My guess is the legal scholars they are speaking of are their own attorneys.

Next- Why did the NY Times state that "Mr. Gonzales sidestepped a question concerning whether the administration had been reviewing reporters' telephone records in an effort to identify their confidential sources." ?

First of all, Gonzales did not side step the question, he answered the question. "we don't engage in domestic-to-domestic surveillance without a court order".

Where does the NY Times get off accusing the President of spying on them?

The NY Times has been trying to shape this into another Watergate for a long time. It won't work.

Lastly- the NY Times should be charged with treason. Confiscate all of their phone records, emails and any correspondence they may have had with the person that leaked this information to them.

What happened to the Dixie Chicks?

Really- What happened? The used to be so cute and full of energy. They actually looked like they enjoyed what they were doing. They even smiled every once in a while.

Even if you can overlook their polictics, now look at them-

What is this?

The Night of the Living Dead: Redux?


















Yikes!

Is this supposed to be attractive?

State Senator Cathy Stepp

State Senator Cathy Stepp wins the "No Rinos allowed" award.

Senator Stepp was the Chairwoman for the RPW convention. She gave a stirring speech that touched the hearts of the true conservatives in the crowd. She spoke directly to her colleagues in the Senate and House, letting them know exactly where she stands on Rinos. The likes of WEAC will never ever support a conservative agenda. It is time to stop playing to WEAC. We are conservatives and they don't like conservatives- so ignore them and do what is best for Wisconsin.

Senator Stepp will be sorely missed in Madison next year. We will the Senator the very best in the coming years. This I do know, this is not the last that we have heard of Senator Stepp. She is a conservative at heart and will be out pushing the conservatives to do what is right.

Belle of the Ball

This year's RPW Convention "Belle of the Ball" award goes to State Representative and candidate for Lt. Governor Jean Hundertmark.

I have yet to meet a person who does not love Jean. She is a true conservative with strong family values. She votes like a true conservative, she talks like a true conservative- she is a true conservative.

The thing that impresses me the most about Jean, is that she is a very nice lady. She could care less if you are the head of RPW or a grass root's grunt, she treats everyone the same. She is quick with a smile, has warm heart and a passion for the ordinary Wisconsinite.

One of the benefits to Mark Green becoming our next governor, means Jean Hundertmark will be swept into office with him.

Jean Hundertmark will be an incredible Lt. Governor. She will stand up for the people of Wisconsin.

Go Jean Go!

I just got home from the RPW convention

I just got home from my very first RPW convention. What a great event!

Since, I am still a bit tired from the weekend parties, I will keep this short.

If the goal of the RPW convention was to rally support behind Mark Green, they did it. I am certain that Mark Green's goal was to rally support, and he did it. Boy, did he ever knock it out of the ballbark. His speech was a bases clearing, grand slam home run. WOW!

I have heard Mark Green give at least a dozen speeches. His speech at the convention was by far and away the best speech I have ever heard him give. Those of you who do not think that Mark Green is passionate, missed an incredible speech.

Mark Green gave a rip snorting, in your face Jim Doyle, heartfelt, passionate, confident and determined speech. Then when the confetti exploded into the air and the balloons were flying around, even the most hardened Walker support stood and went nuts.

Mark Green is ready to be the next governor of Wisconsin.

WISCONSIN IS GOING GREEN!

Boots & Sabers has a copy of the speech.

Way to go Mark Green!

I will have more details about the other candidates later. It was an incredible weekend!

Please join the Patriot Guard Riders

The funeral for Army Sp E-4 Eric Clark will be held on Saturday morning. Only friends and family will be attending. If you would like to pay your respect's, please join the Patriot Guard Riders.

Please join the Patriot Guard Riders on Saturday, April 20th @ 9:00am. The Patriot Guard Riders are a large group of men and women dedicated to protecting the family and friends of America's fallen heros at their funerals.

Over the last several years a whacko group has decided that it is appropriate to protest at a soldier's funeral. This has caused an even more enormous stress on the family and friends of the fallen soldiers. This is where the Patriot Guard Riders have stepped in.

Here are the details for meeting up with the PGR on Saturday morning-

Assembly of PGR will be at the Church between 9:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m., Saturday, May 20,2006.

Address is 9091 PRAIRIE RIDGE BLVD Pleasant Prairie, WI

Welcome Home to Kenosha's Fallen Hero

Today at 4:30 pm, Kenosha will be welcoming home one of her fallen heros.

From the Kenosha News:

Kenoshans asked to honor soldier

Kenoshans are being asked to line Washington Road (Highway S, also know as HWY 142) from I-94 to 39th Avenue as the body of Army Sp E-4 Eric Clark returns to Kenosha today.
The procession is expected to leave O’Hare shortly after 3 p.m. and should arrive at Piasecki-Althaus Funeral Home about 4:30 p.m.

Clark was killed last week by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Services for the Pleasant Prairie man are Saturday.

An e-mail is circulating in the Kenosha business community asking residents to line the procession route from 39th Avenue at Washington Road west to honor the soldier.

Please bring your American flags and join Kenosha in welcoming home one of America's bravest.

Yeah! Finally some of these guys are using their heads.

Clearly, our educational assistants are smarter than our teachers, here in Kenosha. Yesterday the educational assistants decided to vote on a new insurance plan. This insurance is the same insurance offered to our teachers. The difference is, the educational assistants voted for new United Healthcare and the teacher’s voted to stay with the expensive WEA Trust insurance. The two different insurance carriers offered the same plan, but United Healthcare would have saved the taxpayers $6.7 million a year.

The great news is that the educator’s assistants voted for their new contract yesterday. In doing so, they gained a 3% per year wage increase, which they deserve. With this new insurance plan, they also gain dental insurance, which they do not currently have. The educator’s assistance also voted for the new insurance, which will save their jobs also.

According to Eric Olsen, School Board President, employees who voted to change to the new insurance plan would not be affected by the layoffs. So far, administrators, assistants, secretaries, carpenters, etc…. have voted for the new insurance plan. Only the teachers have voted to turn in down.

So basically, the educator’s assistants proved to be way smarter than our teachers. The teacher’s voted to keep the WEA Trust insurance, costing more than $6.7 million extra. Now it appears that the WEA Trust insurance is planning on dropping some of the benefits to teachers. KEA and WEA Trust are now negotiating a different insurance plan, attempting to cut some of the $6.7 million overcharges. Meaning the teachers will also be taking a cut in benefits.

The educational assistants gained a pay raise, better insurance benefits, protected their jobs and still managed to save the school district some money. That savings will go towards benefiting the children in our schools.

The teachers have not gotten a pay raise yet, their insurance benefits are being cut, plus 80+ teachers may lose their jobs in a few weeks. On top of it all, we cannot use the $6.7 million to improve the educational system in Kenosha.

Just as a side note, guess who the educational assistants were claiming the bullies to be? Check out this quote from this morning’s paper-

“A great number of people felt harassed and bullied (into keeping WEA Trust). We were told (assistants) changed their minds when they went into voting,” Unified Superintendent Scott Pierce said.

WEAC bullying people????!!!!!!

McGee arrested

Michael McGee arrested in court. Boots & Sabers is on this story.

McGee actually turned around in his chair during the court session and threatened Rucker.

Oh Happy Day!

I just read briefly that the US Senate finally approved a wall to be built on the border. I am doing a happy dance in my cubicle.



Okey Dokey- back to work

Here we go again- another activist judge rules against the will of the people

By a margin of 76% to 24%, the people of Georgia overwhelming approved a ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions.

One single solitary judge has over-ruled each and every voter in the state of Georgia.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-17-gay-marriage_x.htm?csp=24

"The people of Georgia knew exactly what they were doing when an overwhelming 76% voted in support of this constitutional amendment," said Perdue, a Republican. "It is sad that a single judge has chosen to reverse this decision."

Once again the Democrats, the ACLU and this single judge assume that the people are too stupid to really know what they want and the people have no idea what they are doing.

Anyone not realizing that Wisconsin is under attack right now, because we have a constitutional amendment protecting marriage in November's election, need only to look at the amount of money being spent to defeat this marriage amendment-

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=404931

This gig is old. Another activist judge decides what is right for the people. I have had it with these activist judges trying to do my thinking for me.

I love George W. Bush

I love the fact that the President is getting serious about closing the borders.

Excerpts from the President's speech-

On the President's vision for comprehensive immigration reform:
"We are a Nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We are also a Nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways. These are not contradictory goals - America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. We will fix the problems created by illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly, and fair."
On Border Security:
"Since I became President, we have increased funding for border security by 66 percent, and expanded the Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000 agents. . . .we have apprehended and sent home about six million people entering America illegally.
"Despite this progress, we do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that. Tonight I am calling on Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border."
On the Importance of a Temporary Worker Program to relieve pressure on the border:
"The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across."
On enforcing our laws:
". . . we need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally. Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees, because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility . . .
"A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law - and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place."
On the President's opposition to amnesty:
". . . we must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully - and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration."
On assimilation:
". . . we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot, which has made us one Nation out of many peoples. The success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and embrace our common identity as Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language."
On the tone of the debate:
"We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say."

I am thrilled the President is sending 6000 troops down to control the border with Mexico. Is it possible that more can be done? Sure, but I will every single solitary troops that the President is willing to send to defend the borders.

Finally, a step in the right direction!

Talk radio- Are you ready to rumble?

Today's talk radio should be interesting.

In one corner, we have Mark Belling. Belling stirred things up with his bashing of Mark Green and his lovefest with Tommy Thompson.

Belling says:

On the other hand, it’s in the best interest of every Republican to get Green out and when there is that strong of a will, there is likely to be a way.

In the other corner, we have Charlie Sykes. Mr. Sykes had a couple of words to say about Belling's choice for governor.

Sykes says:
Remember this........the next time Mark Belling rips Republican legislators as RINOs:

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

Let's see. Tommy:

*Backs higher gas taxes (since he loves to build roads)
*Is deep in the pockets of ADM and the ethanol industry (Green also supports an ethanol mandate, but he's apiker compared to Ethanol Tommy.)
*Big spender, who helped spend the state into its massive deficit.
*Opposes TABOR or TPA
*Loves rail transit of every kind...

So how is Tommy any different from:
Mary Panzer?
Dale Schultz?
Luther Olsen?
Carol Roessler?
Ron Brown?
Sue Jeskewitz?

Maybe Belling can explain.

Yes, indeed. Today should be an interesting day on talk radio.

Now that Thompson has decided that he won't run for governor, perhaps someone should talk to Mark Belling. Like the rest of us, Belling gets two choices for governor- Mark Green or Jim Doyle. Belling needs to decide who's side he is on. The game of waiting for someone better to come along is getting old.

So who will win this battle? Belling or Sykes?

He's not running.

Good. I am glad that Thompson is not running. The only thing that was accomplished by this game played by the media and Thompson, is that it drove many folks towards Mark Green.

Being a former Walker supporter, I had the opportunity recently to look Mark Green in the eyes and try and figure out where he was coming from. I liked what I saw.

Mark Green was at Kenosha County's Lincoln day dinner last night and I got a couple of brief moments to speak to him. I asked him flat out- "Are you worried about Thompson?" He looked me straight in the eye and said- "No". He didn't elaborate, he didn't make excuses, he didn't slam Thompson, he did not comment any further on it. He just moved on.

As my conversation continued, I saw something that I had not seen before. What I saw was that Mark Green loves Wisconsin. He loves talking about Wisconsin, he loves living in Wisconsin, he truly cares about the people of Wisconsin.

Mark Green may not be a slickest speaker or a media favorite, but Congressman Green cares about the direction this state is going.

To those former Walker supporters like myself, it's time to get over it. Scott Walker is not running for Governer, Mark Green is. No more mourning and wishing things were different. It is time to get over it, I have!

Now that Thompson has stopped playing games, our choices are very simple. Wisconsin conservatives have two choices on who they will vote for on election day.

Wisconsin conservatives- Who are you going to vote for? Jim Doyle or Mark Green?

I have made my choice- I want Mark Green to be my next governor. I will work and work and work to make sure that Mark Green is the next governor of Wisconsin.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, Karen.

I love you, Mom!


Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around America!

The Datamining Scare- Another nonthreat to your civil liberties

The Wall Street Journal is pointing out what Americans already know-

The Datamining Scare- Another nonthreat to your civil liberties.

Saturday, May 13, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT
The Bush Administration's Big Brother operation is at it again--or so media reports and Democrats this week would have us believe. We suspect, however, that this political tempest will founder on the good sense of the American people much like the earlier one did.
Last December, the New York Times reported that after 9/11 the National Security Agency began listening to overseas phone calls of suspected terrorists, including calls placed from or received inside the U.S. This was supposed be a scandal because the tapping was done without a warrant from something called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But as the debate wore on, it became clear that the 1978 FISA statute didn't block a President's power to allow such national-security wiretaps, and that most Americans expected their government to eavesdrop on terror suspects.
Now comes a sensationalist USA Today front-pager suggesting an even larger scandal. The government is "amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans--most of whom aren't suspected of any crime." Worse, reporter Leslie Cauley writes, while President Bush had suggested after the wiretapping story that "domestic call records" (her words) were still private, we now know that's "not the case."
Democrats are outraged, or at least they pretend to be. And major papers have joined the chorus, with the Washington Post calling the newly reported program a "massive intrusion on personal privacy." We're prepared to be outraged, too, if somebody would first bother to explain in detail what the problem is.
Let's start by debunking Ms. Cauley's piece of journalistic sleight of hand. President Bush never suggested that domestic call "records" were private. He has said actual warrantless surveillance was restricted to conversations that involved an overseas party: "The government does not listen [our emphasis] to domestic phone calls without court approval." Datamining and wiretapping are not the same thing. So much for the "Bush lied" angle to this story.
Yes, Mr. Bush could have volunteered the larger "datamining" details at the time. But no President is obliged to divulge every secret program, especially one central to war-fighting. Had Mr. Bush done so, we doubt Democrats and the press corps would have sat back and said OK, thanks, let's move on--not when they see his poll numbers and sense a chance to take back Congress this autumn.
And once it's clear that telephone records are all we're talking about here, the rest of this alleged scandal melts away. Nobody has suggested one single call has been listened to as part of the program reported this week by USA Today. Rather, the datamining appears to keep track, after the fact, of most calls placed to and from a great many phone numbers in the U.S. In other words, the scary government database contains the same information you see on your monthly phone bill--slightly less, in fact, since names aren't attached to numbers and never will be unless government computers detect activity suspicious enough to warrant some being singled out of billions of others.
And what might the government do with these records? Well, it might use them to break up a suspected terror plot--presumably after requesting a surveillance warrant for any future domestic calls it actually wants to listen to (nobody has suggested otherwise). As important, the database will enable us to respond much more effectively to the next terrorist attack. Once the ringleader or leaders are identified, this information will make it much easier to track down any remaining comrades and prevent them from committing future crimes.
In short, the database is utterly non-invasive in itself and merely provides information for law enforcement to use, with warrants whenever necessary. By using this technology to find terrorists in haystacks before they can strike, the government can afford not to resort to the much more heavy-handed inspection and inconvenience practiced by necessity in, say, Israel. Liberals who object to datamining should wait until they see the "massive intrusion on personal privacy" that Americans will demand if the U.S. homeland gets hit again.
Alas, even some Republicans are buying into the notion that datamining is cause for alarm. Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter has threatened to subpoena the major U.S. phone companies to explain why they've been cooperating with the government. California Democrat Dianne Feinstein predicts "a major constitutional confrontation" over Fourth Amendment guarantees against "unreasonable search and seizure." And Michigan's John Conyers--who would take over House Judiciary if Democrats win in November--wants a bill to ensure that phone records are collected within the confines of FISA.
But since the database doesn't involve any wiretapping, FISA doesn't apply. The FISA statute specifically says its regulations do not cover any "process used by a provider or customer of a wire or electronic communication service for billing, or recording as an incident to billing." As to Ms. Feinstein's invocation of the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court has already held (Smith v. Maryland, 1979) that the government can legally collect phone numbers since callers who expect to be billed by their phone company have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" concerning such matters.
So the law appears to be on the Bush Administration's side here. And so does public opinion. An ABC News/Washington Post poll yesterday found that 63% of those surveyed approve of the database program. That's similar to the public's reaction to the warrantless wiretapping controversy, and helps explain why the President's critics on surveillance issues rarely have the courage of their professed civil libertarian convictions.
Instead, they will quibble endlessly over procedural formalities while conceding the broad policy goals. The chutzpah prize on this score goes to Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, whose position on wiretapping is that we should definitely be listening to al Qaeda but that Mr. Bush has committed an impeachable offense by doing it the wrong way. Republicans would love to see a Democratic Presidential nominee take that proposition into the 2008 election.
Most Americans seem to be cooler customers, or perhaps they can sort substance from mere political opportunism. After all, even most of the Democratic critics of datamining don't say they'd stop it. They just want to see it "investigated" and supervised--by them and their fellows in Congress, so they can pound away at the President without having to take responsibility for keeping America safe.
Perhaps Americans outside Washington understand that it's probably not an accident that the homeland hasn't been attacked again since 9/11, and that maybe--just maybe--the aggressive surveillance policies of the Bush Administration are one reason.

The Kenosha Teacher's Union Saga continues......

I don't have the energy to write about it all tonight, but suffice it to say, the saga over the teacher's union sticking it to the kids in Kenosha, is not quite over.

Not only did the teachers stick it to the students and taxpayers of Kenosha, now it appears that they have shot themselves in the foot.

The teachers were given a choice of two identical insurance programs, one would of those programs was $6.7 million a year cheaper. Instead they chose the WEAC(WEA Trust) insurance at the higher price. Judging by the reaction of the community, the taxpayers are furious at the teachers.

Well, now the latest development is that the teachers will keep their WEA insurance plan, but now that new plan is now where near as good as the old plan. The teachers will now have to pay more out of pocket costs.

The teachers just shot themselves in the foot. Not only will this WEA plan cost the taxpayers more money, but it will cost them more money also.

I will give the details to the plan when I am able to keep my eyes open.

Stay tuned.........

President Bush's miserable economy (sarcasm)

It appears that GW's miserable economy is about the bust a record high for the Dow.

The Dow rose 55.23, or 0.48 percent, to 11,639.77. The index of 30 blue-chip stocks is 83 points from its all-time closing high of 11,722.98, reached Jan. 14, 2000.

Feingold needs to realize that now is not the time to score political points

I picked this story up off of the Wall Street Journal Online. It is very dangerous for our politicians to be concerning themselves with beating up on Bush. Now is the time for protecting America.

Russ Feingold has made it very clear he has every intention of putting the wire tapping issue on trial during the confirmation hearing of Hayden.

From the WSJ Opinion Journal-

Mission: Impossible III Mike Hayden or Tom Cruise, does it matter? Tuesday, May 9, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT
Porter Goss's resignation as CIA Director creates an opportunity for a serious discussion about our intelligence needs, priorities and methods. But the early bidding suggests that the battle to confirm General Michael Hayden will be about none of the above.

The teeth-gnashing about yesterday's nomination of General Hayden to replace Mr. Goss is mostly misplaced. When it comes to the CIA, there is much to worry about, but the four stars on the nominee's shoulders are pretty low on the list. General Hayden has been out of the Pentagon since 1999, first running the National Security Agency and lately as Deputy Director of National Intelligence, meaning essentially at the White House. The idea that he'd be Don Rumsfeld's robot at this remove is preposterous.

Next up from the bottom has to be General Hayden's creation and running of the NSA's warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists. For this he deserves not criticism but a national medal. It removes any doubt he recognizes the reality of the current threat. Arlen Specter's preening notwithstanding, Republicans should welcome the chance to let Senate Democrats prove themselves soft on terror in front of the nation.

A serious debate would focus on just how little progress we've made retooling our intelligence capabilities for the war on terror. The White House had been trying for some time to orchestrate a succession at the CIA, the better to consolidate control over an agency that lately has seemed more concerned with undermining the President than chasing down national security threats.

General Hayden is currently Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte's No. 2. And from the perspective of the year-old office of the DNI, it is no doubt an improvement to have your own man sitting atop the CIA. That said, one may still ask whether what is occupying the most productive energies of these central players is the needs of intelligence-gathering or bureaucratic gamesmanship. The latter too often bleeds the former. What still isn't clear is what Mr. Negroponte is trying to accomplish in his post.

In fact, making the new DNI's deputy the head of the CIA comes close to recreating the situation before the creation of the DNI, in which the Director of Central Intelligence oversaw intelligence gathering and his deputy ran things day-to-day at the agency. Rolling back the 2004 reforms is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does raise the question of what, in that case, we've been doing for the last year.

Now, it may be that General Hayden's nomination is the first step in a long-delayed process of focusing the CIA on gathering human intelligence and acquiring assets on the ground in countries where we need them--Iran comes to mind. As the Robb-Silberman report pointed out last year, we still know about as much about the situation in Iran as we did in 2000, which is to say very little. And turning the CIA into a U.S. version of Mi6, the British spying service, would be an improvement over today.

It was also reported yesterday that Stephen Kappes, a 23-year veteran who quit the CIA shortly after Mr. Goss arrived, might be asked to come back and run covert operations as General Hayden's No. 2. Mr. Kappes, our sources tell us, was the man who put together the deal to dismantle Libya's nuclear program, a clear win. It remains to be seen whether he and General Hayden are the team to put the CIA back on track. The larger question is whether that is possible at all.

We love the notion that Porter Goss somehow crippled the CIA's effectiveness by "politicizing" the agency. It looked to us as if the place had given up spying for politicking well before Mr. Goss took over in 2004. The leaks out of Langley the past four years are not infighting as usual; they represent a new and corrosive level of institutional disloyalty. This is a breakdown in discipline of a degree that can be very difficult to reverse once begun. Short of prosecutions, it is hard to see what General Hayden can do to get the dogs back in the kennel. And if that proves true, then let it be said that the CIA's leakers have probably succeeded in blowing up their own agency.

Testifying before the 9/11 Commission, former DCI and Defense Secretary James Schlesinger made a broad point worth holding in mind as the Hayden confirmation unfolds: "Intelligence is highly successful in dealing with routine developments. It is, however, particularly prone to failure at the turning points of history."

We are at such a turning point, obviously. It remains to be seen whether the members of the Senate or the permanent CIA establishment are able to recognize that, or whether the Hayden nomination will strike them as another chance to revisit the political score-settling that has put U.S. intelligence-gathering dangerously behind the curve of history.

The Union strikes again

So much for the unions standing up for the little people-

A food drive to benefit local charities was canceled over the weekend, due in part to picketing at a local grocery store.

Dan Kaley, a spokesman for the Kenosha Realtors Association, said he was dismayed that the group's annual food drive at SuperValu, 3401 80th St., was called off because of picketing and boycotts organized by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1444.

This week's Kenosha News Focus question

For those who do not live in Kenosha, the weekly focus question in our local newspaper gives everyone an opportunity to comment on a particular question.

If you would like to respond to this week's focus question, send an email to focus@kenoshanews.com by noon on Thursday, May 11th. You may also call in a voicemail to 262-656-6205


Please give your sex, your age and the town you live in. You do not have to give your name.

For example, if you are a 29 year old male that lives in Racine, please sign as follows:
29 year old male
Racine

This week's Focus question:

Death Penalty Vote

The state Senate and Assembly have both approved resolutions to hold a statewide referendum on the death penalty, although there are slight differences in the resolutions. If the Senate agrees with changes in the Assembly version, voters will be asked in the fall if they favor the death penalty in cases involving first-degree murder when the conviction is backed up by DNA evidence. The referendum will be advisory, which means the state ban on the death penalty will not change without other action by the Legislature. Wisconsin has banned the death penalty since 1853. The last execution occurred in Kenosha.

Do you support or dislike the death penalty resolution?

Results and comments will be printed in the May 14th, Sunday Kenosha News.

Feingold hates him, and I love him.

The very fact that Feingold's head is spinning over the President's nominee for CIA director, is reason enough for me to like the new guy.

Feingold cool to Hayden's CIA bid

Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold expressed reservations today over the nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden to be the director of the CIA.
"General Hayden directed and subsequently defended the president's illegal wiretapping program," Feingold said. "Neither he nor the rest of the administration informed the congressional intelligence committees about this program, as is required by law."

Feingold, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said he expects any nominee for this position to be "committed to the rule of law and respectful of Congress' oversight responsibility."
Published: May 8, 2006

Really, Feingold needs to stop saying that the Intelligence Committees were not briefed. All of the head's of the intelligence committees, both Republicans and Democrats, have already admitted they were briefed.


I love the idea of a military man taking over the CIA. The CIA is a mess. A military man brings dignity, discipline, loyalty and a hard working mentality to the CIA. The leakers must be stopped.

Hayden sounds like the perfect man for the job. The first thing he needs to do is to get Clinton's leftover buddies in the CIA to shut up. The constance leaks are horrible and dangerous for this county.

The media's reaction: Kennedy vs. Rush

Mark Levin nails the media on his blog. The differences between the media's reaction to Kennedy versus their reaction to Rush-

Patrick Kennedy & Double Standards
05/05 04:37 PM
I don't wish anyone ill, except our nation's enemies. It's a good thing that Patrick Kennedy is going back into rehab. But I am very angry.

For nearly three years we witnessed the persecution of Rush Limbaugh, who became addicted to painkillers resulting from back and neck problems. We witnessed leaks by prosecutors who spread lies about him being involved in money laundering, drug rings, and doctor shopping. But the media happily repeated them. Some mocked him.

Rush got help. He has been clean for years. And in most cases, when someone becomes addicted to prescription drugs for the first time, the matter is eventually dropped. Most jurisdictions have set up drug courts for this very purpose. But that didn't stop the state prosecutor in Palm Beach County from spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars pursuing Rush.
Early on, prosecutors claimed they had evidence of over ten felonies. They demanded that Rush plead guilty to some felony—any felony. He refused, always insisting on his innocence. So, they leaked more lies to the media, hoping to intimidate him. They seized his medical records. They gave his medical records to the media. The media took those records and turned them into graphics for television. Reporters and commentators were studying his prescriptions, discussing both the kinds and amount of medicine he had taken. They were beside themselves with glee. Newsweek, AP and the Palm Beach Post, Rush's local paper, were especially vicious, serving as lap-dogs for the prosecutors.

In court, Rush fought these people every step of the way—all the way to the Florida Supreme Court. He spent millions of dollars defending himself—despite the fact that he had been a first-time abuser, went to rehab, and was clean. And then last October, the lead prosecutor sauntered into court and in response to questioning told the judge—we have no evidence that Rush Limbaugh has committed any crime! None.

So, I am very angry. You will hear commentator after commentator speaking sympathetically about Patrick Kennedy and his addiction to painkillers. You will hear people say that he is addicted, he has a serious health problem, he deserves to be praised for his forthrightness today, and we should leave him alone. And many of these commentators will be the same people who were giddy in their ceaseless attacks on Rush.

I am angry at the double standard, where liberals are regularly treated one way and conservatives another. I am also glad Patrick Kennedy won't be abused as Rush was. But you can be sure that the next conservative with a problem won't be treated like Kennedy.

But there are some aspects to the Kennedy matter that require answers. If Patrick Kennedy, who is not a first offender, is addicted to painkillers, from where did he get them? And there are news reports that he had been drinking earlier at a Capitol Hill bar and alcohol was later smelled on his breath. So, why was the officer on the scene prevented by more senior police officers from performing a routine sobriety test?

I truly wish Patrick Kennedy well. But you bet I'm angry.

The Kennedy Saga.....

Yet, another chapter in the Kennedy saga is currently being written. This appears to be a typical Kennedy chapter, filled with drugs, alcohol, politics, a cover-up, media spin and chock full of lies.


Follow the story:

1. Early Thursday morning- Congressman Patrick Kennedy gets into a car accident. After the story broke, Kennedy's first statement to the media-

Mr. Kennedy's first statement, released by his press secretary:
''I was involved in a traffic incident last night at First and C Street SE near the US Capitol. I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake.''

2. Police officers on the scene were making a different claim-
"The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering," Officer Greg Baird, the acting head of the Capitol police union, wrote in a letter to his boss, according to the newspaper Roll Call.
Lou Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said Kennedy looked intoxicated.
"It's my understanding that he had an odor of alcohol about him and he was unsteady on his feet," Cannon said.

3. Kennedy then proceeds with a new statement claiming it was prescription drugs that caused this. In this statement Kennedy gives a pretty detailed account on what happened that night. He is making the claim that he fully co-operated with the police officers, etc.... - http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Kennedy-Statements.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

''Last Tuesday, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress treated me for Gastroenteritis. The Attending Physician prescribed Phenergan, an anti-nausea medication, which in addition to treating Gastroenteritis, I now know can cause drowsiness and sedation.
Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the Attending Physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep. Some time around 2:45am, I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote. Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication. At that time, I was involved in a one-car incident in which my car hit the security barrier at the corner of 1st and C St., SE. At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol.
At the time of the accident, I was instructed to park my car and was driven home by the United States Capitol Police. At no time did I ask for any special consideration, I simply complied with what the officers asked me to do.
I have the utmost respect for the United States Capitol Police and the job they do to keep Members of Congress and the Capitol Complex safe. I have contacted the Chief of Capitol Police and offered to meet with police representatives at their earliest convenience as I intend to cooperate fully with any investigation they choose to undertake.''

4. This is where Congressman Kennedy's story begins to really unravel. Some reporters started investigating the Kennedy/alcohol angle to the story. Apparently some of these reporters went to Kennedy's watering hole and this is what they discovered-

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy insisted yesterday that he had consumed “no alcohol” before he slammed his Mustang convertible into a concrete barrier near his office, but a hostess at a popular Capitol Hill watering hole told the Herald she saw him drinking in the hours before the crash.
“He was drinking a little bit,” said the woman, who works at the Hawk & Dove and would not give her name.
Leaving his office late last night, Kennedy refused to say whether he’d been to the Hawk & Dove the night before.

5. Kennedy now realizes that he has been caught- so he proceeds with a new lie. Now Kennedy begins to claim that he remembers nothing at all.

Kennedy's first claim-

At the time of the accident, I was instructed to park my car and was driven home by the United States Capitol Police. At no time did I ask for any special consideration, I simply complied with what the officers asked me to do.

Kennedy's new claim-

But in all candor, the incident on Wednesday evening concerns me greatly. I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions.

6. In typical liberal media style- the media are defending Congressman Kennedy-

The Washington Post is blaming the drugs, not Kennedy-

Setting aside for the moment his addiction problems, Kennedy doesn't seem all that different from a lot of almost-40 Washington wonks and wonkettes you might know.

The AP is blaming the hard life that Kennedy had to endure-

But although he is from one of the nation's most watched political families, Kennedy sometimes seems uncomfortable in the spotlight _ even as he has traded on his famous name to advance his causes and those of his political allies.

The Boston Herald's "everybody does it" excuse-

“It’s a major problem in this country, the abuse of prescription medication, and we are not recognizing it,” said Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

7. In the meantime, Kennedy comes off looking like a hero and gets carted off to rehab -

''I don't think it endangers his political career," West said. ''He's very popular in Rhode Island and has brought a lot of federal money back to the state. People will be forgiving. I don't think he'll take a hit on popularity because he has admitted he needs help. If he were in distress but denying the problem it would be worse for him."

8. Now the police officer who protected Kennedy, by making the decision not to administer a breathalyzer test is in a ton of trouble-

Capitol Police have taken disciplinary action against a watch commander for the handling of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's car accident, acting Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin said.

This is a typical chapter in the Kennedy saga. Kennedy comes off looking like a real hero and other folks are taking the fall for him.

TPA- Discouraged, Disgusted, but not Defeated

I just read a very interesting piece posted by Owen at Boots & Sabers. In this article, Owen outlines his reasons for why the TPA failed.

I am with Owen on this. His reasons for the defeat make a ton of sense. There were mistakes aplenty.

So where do we go from here? Once again- Owen nails it in his last paragragh-

Yes, I would have liked to have seen a strong TPA pass through the legislature. And yes, I’m pretty ticked that it didn’t pass. Make no mistake, fiscal conservatives suffered a major defeat. But we are making progress. Next session, I will don my armor, strap on my sword, lower my visor, and cast down the gauntlet again. I am prepared to wage this political battle for as long as it takes. I will not quit until I leave a Wisconsin that my children will be proud to call home or until I am dead.

It is time to learn from our mistakes and keep fighting.

As the liberals rejoice at the failure of the TPA, they need to remember that the average Wisconsin taxpayer want this.

I am discouraged and disgusted, but I am no where near defeated.

Kennedy + Alcohol = Another car accident

Those darn Kennedy's are at it again. Once again- A Kennedy was drinking and crashed his car. And once again- mysteriously, the Kennedy will get away with it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12634639/

WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness.
Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: “I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident.“’
Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy’s gastroenteritis.

Someone should tell Kennedy that the drug excuse is not any better than the alcohol excuse.

Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and his staff declined to discuss any further details of the accident. The congressman took part in House votes Thursday.

I guess the apple did not fall far from the tree, 'eh Senator Teddy?????

Baird wrote McGaffin that two sergeants who responded to the accident conferred with the watch commander and were ordered to leave the scene.

Of course, sticking with the true Kennedy tradition, the Congressman gets away with it.

TPA- went down in flames again

The strong Senate version of the TPA went down in flames. 21-11. Republicans have 19 Senators- 8 of them voted against spending caps on the government.

The weaker version out of the Assembly, is currently in committee. With any luck, it will stay there.

Now, we start all over again.

Edited to add: Once again- Wisconsin's first district stood tall. All three Republican Senators voted for the strong version of the TPA. Thank you to Senator Stepp, Senator Kedzie and Senator Lazich.

Support the Taxpayer Protection Amendment

There may still be time to fix the TPA before this session ends in the Senate. Senators need to be contacted today.



Cameron Sholty, from Freedom Works, has made it very simple for us to contact our senators. Follow this link - http://www.wisconsintpa.com/

This link will help you create a letter. Email that letter to the following Senators-

BROWN, RONALD W., REP. − District 31.
Mailing address: 1112 Violet Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54701
Capitol office: 409 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−8546
E−mail address: Sen.Brown@legis.state.wi.us

COWLES, ROBERT L., REP. − District 2.
Mailing address: 300 W. St. Joseph St., Green Bay, WI 54301
Capitol office: 122 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0484
E−mail address: Sen.Cowles@legis.state.wi.us

DARLING, ALBERTA, REP. − District 8.
Mailing address: 1325 West Dean Road, River Hills, WI 53217
Capitol office: 316 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5830
E−mail address: Sen.Darling@legis.state.wi.us

ELLIS, MICHAEL G., REP. − District 19.
Mailing address: 1752 County Road GG, Neenah, WI 54956
Capitol office: 118 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0718
E−mail address: Sen.Ellis@legis.state.wi.us

FITZGERALD, SCOTT, REP. − District 13.
Mailing address: N4692 Maple Rd., Juneau, WI 53039
Capitol office: 317 East, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5660
E−mail address: Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.state.wi.us

KANAVAS, TED, REP. − District 33.
Mailing address: 17570 Sierra Lane, Brookfield, WI 53045
Capitol office: 10 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−9174
E−mail address: Sen.Kanavas@legis.state.wi.us

GROTHMAN, GLENN, REP. − District 20.
Mailing address: 111 South 6th Avenue, West Bend 53095
Capitol office: 20 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7513
E−mail address: Sen.Grothman@legis.state.wi.us

KAPANKE, DAN, REP. − District 32.
Mailing address: 1610 Lakeshore Drive, La Crosse, WI 54603
Capitol office: 104 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5490
E−mail address: Sen.Kapanke@legis.state.wi.us

KEDZIE, NEAL J., REP. − District 11.
Mailing address: N7661 Highway 12, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Capitol office: 313 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2635
E−mail address: Sen.Kedzie@legis.state.wi.us

HARSDORF, SHEILA, REP. − District 10.
Mailing address: N6627 County Road E., River Falls, WI 54022
Capitol office: 131 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7745
E−mail address: Sen.Harsdorf@legis.state.wi.us

LASEE, ALAN J., REP. − District 1.
Mailing address: 2259 Lasee Road, De Pere, WI 54115
Capitol office: 220 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−3512
E−mail address: Sen.Lasee@legis.state.wi.us

LAZICH, MARY, REP. − District 28.
Mailing address: 4405 S. 129th St., New Berlin, WI 53151
Capitol office: 18 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5400
E−mail address: Sen.Lazich@legis.state.wi.us

REYNOLDS, THOMAS G., REP. − District 5.
Mailing address: 9430 W. Schlinger Avenue, West Allis, WI 53214
Capitol office: 306 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2512
E−mail address: Sen.Reynolds@legis.state.wi.us

LEIBHAM, JOSEPH K., REP. − District 9.
Mailing address: 3618 River Ridge Drive, Sheboygan, WI 53083
Capitol office: 127 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2056
E−mail address: Sen.Leibham@legis.state.wi.us

OLSEN, LUTHER S., REP. − District 14.
Mailing address: 1023 Thomas Street, Ripon 54923
Capitol office: 5 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0751
E−mail address: Sen.Olsen@legis.state.wi.us

ROESSLER, CAROL A., REP. − District 18.
Mailing address: 1506 Jackson St., Oshkosh, WI 54901
Capitol office: 8 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5300
E−mail address: Sen.Roessler@legis.state.wi.us

SCHULTZ, DALE W., REP. − District 17.
Mailing address: 515 N. Central Avenue, Richland Center, WI 53581
Capitol office: 211 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0703
E−mail address: Sen.Schultz@legis.state.wi.us

STEPP, CATHY, REP. − District 21.
Mailing address: 14520 50th Road, Sturtevant, WI 53177−1034
Capitol office: 7 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−1832
E−mail address: Sen.Stepp@legis.state.wi.us

ZIEN, DAVID A., REP. − District 23.
Mailing address: 1716 63rd Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Capitol office: 15 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7511
E−mail address: Sen.Zien@legis.state.wi.us

Carnival of the Badger- 05/04/06

Just a small explanation about the carnival of the badger

The Carnival of the Badger is a weekly blog carnival featuring bloggers from all around Wisconsin. It is a non-partisan blog, and is open to anyone from Wisconsin, or with posts about Wisconsin. You are welcome to submit posts on any topic, from politics, to sports, to current events, or anything else. However, the more regional topics are better for this carnival, as we're trying to keep it about Wisconsin. If you're unfamiliar with what a carnival is, you can see an example here (the 1st Edition of the Carnival of the Badger).

I am really excited about my first chance to host the carnival. As I was musing over what to post in this week's carnival, I asked myself a few questions. How sarcastic should I be? How much fun should this be? What kind of creative latitude will I have? Etc......

Then the carnival submissions started rolling. As I read thru each of these, I realized that way too many of the submissions are dealing with serious subjects, during serious times. I felt if I added too much sarcasm or tried to be too creative, that many of these serious subjects would be glossed over and I did not want that to happen.

I am going to just list the posts, in the order they were submitted, with a small blurb on the subject matter-

From Fred @ Real Debate Wisconsin writes about the Most Powerful Woman in Wisconsin
Read about the most powerful woman in Wisconsin

From Grumps @ The Happy Circumstance writes 'Ya Got Trouble
Sing along with Grumps and J.B. Van Hollen

From Aaron @ Subject to Change writes Dear President Bush
Mr. President, why does Iran still have nuclear sites?

From Nick @ The World According to Nick writes A Day Without Immigrants Backfires
Apparently, our friend Nick was feeling a bit sarcastic this day

From Clint @ Milwaukee-ID10T writes Sensenbrenner for President
Whoo! Hoo! Sensenbrenner for President!

From Patrick @ Badger Blogger writes Gwen Moore ? You killed real jobs, stop bragging about your plans to get more jobs
"Gwen Moore brags about the government programs she supports that she hopes will bring jobs to Milwaukee, but at the same time, she worked to thwart a company trying to bring hundreds of jobs to inner city Milwaukee. "

From Mike @ The Spring City Chronicle writes Reflections in the Restroom Mirror
What is the most honest thing I know? Restroom mirrors.
Thanks Mike, now I have to get busy taking down all of the mirrors in my restroom.

From Andy @ Citizens for a Safe Wisconsin writes Did the DOC Greatly Overprice GPS?
Not exactly sure what to say here except that I hope this post gets the point across that the DOC price for GPS is way off and that people should not trash the idea of GPS monitoring of sex predators because of its price.

From Kathy @ Stepping Right Up! writes Kenosha Taxpayer's double whammy
Kenosha taxpayers not only lost all the respect that we had for our teachers, but we lose $6.7 million in taxpayer dollars on top of it.


Thanks to everyone for their submissions. It was fun reading all of your great blogs.

If you are interested in hosting the Carnival of the Badger contact Nick- here

Fix the Taxpayer Protection Amendment!

We have another chance to fix the TPA in the Senate. The time to act is now. We must call everyone on this list. We must email everyone on this list.

The Senate can fix the loopholes in the TPA just passed out of the Assembly. This was just sent to me by Cameron Sholty from Freedom Works.

Following is the entire list of Republican Senators and their contact information (e-mail and phone number). PLEASE contact them and tell them to support strengthening AJR 77 and close the loopholes that are in the current version. *I’m only including Republicans in this list – the Democrats are monolithic in their opposition to the TPA.

This is where the rubber meets the road – if you want to see real relief and taxpayer empowerment, then it is incumbent upon you to contact these people. Again, get this to everyone on your email lists. Thanks and good luck.

BROWN, RONALD W., REP. − District 31.
Mailing address: 1112 Violet Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54701
Capitol office: 409 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−8546
E−mail address: Sen.Brown@legis.state.wi.us

COWLES, ROBERT L., REP. − District 2.
Mailing address: 300 W. St. Joseph St., Green Bay, WI 54301
Capitol office: 122 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0484
E−mail address: Sen.Cowles@legis.state.wi.us

DARLING, ALBERTA, REP. − District 8.
Mailing address: 1325 West Dean Road, River Hills, WI 53217
Capitol office: 316 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5830
E−mail address: Sen.Darling@legis.state.wi.us

ELLIS, MICHAEL G., REP. − District 19.
Mailing address: 1752 County Road GG, Neenah, WI 54956
Capitol office: 118 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0718
E−mail address: Sen.Ellis@legis.state.wi.us

FITZGERALD, SCOTT, REP. − District 13.
Mailing address: N4692 Maple Rd., Juneau, WI 53039
Capitol office: 317 East, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5660
E−mail address: Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.state.wi.us

KANAVAS, TED, REP. − District 33.
Mailing address: 17570 Sierra Lane, Brookfield, WI 53045
Capitol office: 10 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−9174
E−mail address: Sen.Kanavas@legis.state.wi.us

GROTHMAN, GLENN, REP. − District 20.
Mailing address: 111 South 6th Avenue, West Bend 53095
Capitol office: 20 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7513
E−mail address: Sen.Grothman@legis.state.wi.us

KAPANKE, DAN, REP. − District 32.
Mailing address: 1610 Lakeshore Drive, La Crosse, WI 54603
Capitol office: 104 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5490
E−mail address: Sen.Kapanke@legis.state.wi.us

KEDZIE, NEAL J., REP. − District 11.
Mailing address: N7661 Highway 12, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Capitol office: 313 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2635
E−mail address: Sen.Kedzie@legis.state.wi.us

HARSDORF, SHEILA, REP. − District 10.
Mailing address: N6627 County Road E., River Falls, WI 54022
Capitol office: 131 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7745
E−mail address: Sen.Harsdorf@legis.state.wi.us

LASEE, ALAN J., REP. − District 1.
Mailing address: 2259 Lasee Road, De Pere, WI 54115
Capitol office: 220 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−3512
E−mail address: Sen.Lasee@legis.state.wi.us

LAZICH, MARY, REP. − District 28.
Mailing address: 4405 S. 129th St., New Berlin, WI 53151
Capitol office: 18 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5400
E−mail address: Sen.Lazich@legis.state.wi.us

REYNOLDS, THOMAS G., REP. − District 5.
Mailing address: 9430 W. Schlinger Avenue, West Allis, WI 53214
Capitol office: 306 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2512
E−mail address: Sen.Reynolds@legis.state.wi.us

LEIBHAM, JOSEPH K., REP. − District 9.
Mailing address: 3618 River Ridge Drive, Sheboygan, WI 53083
Capitol office: 127 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−2056
E−mail address: Sen.Leibham@legis.state.wi.us

OLSEN, LUTHER S., REP. − District 14.
Mailing address: 1023 Thomas Street, Ripon 54923
Capitol office: 5 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0751
E−mail address: Sen.Olsen@legis.state.wi.us

ROESSLER, CAROL A., REP. − District 18.
Mailing address: 1506 Jackson St., Oshkosh, WI 54901
Capitol office: 8 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−5300
E−mail address: Sen.Roessler@legis.state.wi.us

SCHULTZ, DALE W., REP. − District 17.
Mailing address: 515 N. Central Avenue, Richland Center, WI 53581
Capitol office: 211 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−0703
E−mail address: Sen.Schultz@legis.state.wi.us

STEPP, CATHY, REP. − District 21.
Mailing address: 14520 50th Road, Sturtevant, WI 53177−1034
Capitol office: 7 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−1832
E−mail address: Sen.Stepp@legis.state.wi.us

ZIEN, DAVID A., REP. − District 23.
Mailing address: 1716 63rd Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Capitol office: 15 South, Capitol; Tel. (608) 266−7511
E−mail address: Sen.Zien@legis.state.wi.us