Crowley Can't Give Reason To Vote FOR Him, Only Against Tiffany

The other day, I asked on social media for people to give me one reason to vote for David Crowley. I pointed out that anyone can come up with a thousand and one reasons to vote against Tom Trumpfany, but I wanted a reason to vote for Crowley instead of, say, my dog.

No one gave me a reason.

Apparently, Crowley can't either:

Crowley told POLITICO he plans to use GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany and President Donald Trump as the foils that bring everyone together.

“We’re not all going to agree on everything. But I think we agree that the ultimate goal is making sure that we don’t have a MAGA extremist and congressman Tom Tiffany sitting in the governor’s office,” Crowley said in an interview Thursday, adding that the state “has a grand opportunity in putting some level of check on Trump’s agenda” amid the “affordability crisis.”

Crowley better get his head into the game quickly, or this one will get away. He's coming down on the wrong side of many major issues that progressives hold dear, and if he wants to win them back, he's going to need a lot more than "I'm not Tom Trumpfany."

Or maybe he's just too focused on winning back his old friends from his days in the state legislature - the Republicans: 

Crowley also said he’s already talked to “some Republicans who are more interested in defeating Tom Tiffany.”

My dog said that he might be making a major announcement later this week.

Crowley Is Already Trying To Rewrite History

 David Crowley has already sent out two fundraising emails after being declared the winner of Tuesday's primary a scant 12 hours ago.  And he's already trying to revise the history of said primary:

Crowley wrote, in part:

And this victory was not inevitable.

Most of the political world had counted us out when we were trailing by double digits in the polls. But just like working people across our state, we didn’t give up.

No, David, ALL of the political world had counted you out when you dropped out of the race because, to paraphrase you, you had no path to winning.

Please don't make the next four years and three months longer than they have to be.

Some Final Pre-Primary Thoughts

We're down to the final hours before Tuesday's primary, and there are a few things that need to be touched on.  For the sake of discussion, I'll consider the race to be between Francesca Hong and David Crowley.  With all due apologies to Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan and their respective supporters, there's been no indication that they have a realistic chance of pulling off more than 10  or 15% combined.

Between Hong and Crowley, it's safe to say that Hong has a huge lead over Crowley, although Crowley is making a big effort, spending all the dark money he can get his hands on in traveling the state instead of doing his job in Milwaukee County and running desperate attack ads against Hong, which only reaffirms the idea that he is trailing in a big way.

I have seen many attacks against Hong, but none of them hold any water. They're nonsense about Hong wanting to cancel Thanksgiving is just that - nonsense. She has clarified her position. Besides, Turkey Day is a national holiday, and it would take an act of Congress to change that.  It's even more ridiculous when one considers Crowley has his own problem with old tweets, which he has continued to lie about.

I've seen Crowley supporters do some concern trolling about Hong's mental health. She's been running one helluva campaign for someone they think is not up to it.  Meanwhile, Crowley is almost in tears when he gets accurately labeled an establishment Democrat and has dropped out of the race once already. That sure doesn't seem very stable to me.

I have seen people complain that the GOP will go after Hong fiercely.  I've got news for them. They are going to go after whoever the nominee is. But the important thing is to remember that the Democratic establishment has already fired everything they had and everything the Republicans had at her, and she has emerged virtually unscathed.  On the other hand, Crowley dropped out at the first mild rebuke over his health care crisis. Crowley hasn't yet faced the fire that Hong has and already failed to stand up to even a fraction of it.

It's pretty obvious which candidate really has the electability problem, and it's not Hong.

Lastly, the Democratic establishment is complaining that right-wing groups are running attack ads against Hong, saying that cutting her down would build her up because they think she would be easier to beat. However, both Scott Walker and Tom Tiffany have come out telling people not to cross-vote for her.  Could it be that they know she really is the tougher candidate and would rather face Quitter Crowley? Sure seems that way.

Crowley Claims God Told Him To Get Back In The Race

David Crowley is at the "God told me to get back in the race" stage of desperation, but with a unique twist. He's actually saying that God told his wife that he should get back into the race.

He said that after he dropped out of the race, his wife asked God for the sign in the form of a red bird to indicate that he should get back into the race. He went on to say that later in the day, she saw a red bird, and that's why he resurrected his campaign to run again.

Man, he is starting to sound more and more like his Republican buddies with every passing day. Scott Walker also claimed that God told him to run for President, just before God told him to drop out of the race.  However, in this case, God is leaving Crowley to spin in the wind, as he trails Francesca Hong by twenty points.

Really, the only thing that can be gleaned from this is that Chris Abele's checks have a red bird on them, because it was only the dark money that got him to restart his doomed campaign.

H/T Ken Klippenstein for the video

Sen. Mitch McConnell announces he has been discharged from rehab facility

 Well, no he didn't! Did you see McConnell at a dais saying his was discharged? Did you see him talking to reporters on the driveway on the way out of rehab announcing his discharge? Did he wave from the sidewalk while entering his home from the car? No, there has still been no public sighting of Mitch McConnell. Why is the press acting like everything is okey dokey?

No, some lackey in his press office issued a statement...that's it.

Which Republicans Does David Crowley Listen To?

 David Crowley made this jaw-dropping comment:

Really? Really?!  

I would like Crowley to tell us which Republicans we should listen to and why.  Ron Johnson? Drunken Van Orden? Scott Walker? Trump?  

Unfortunately, it's entirely possible he does listen to Republicans.  I mean, Crowley is for school privatization. He is for AI data centers. He stands against his own workers.  And he does love him all the dark money he can get his hands on.  

So, Crowley, which Republicans do you listen to? Enquiring minds want to know.

NY Times: Breaking news: C.I.A. sets up secret Cuba task force

 Some flockin' secret if it's a headline in the NY Times. aina?

Would Passing The SAVE ACT Disenfranchise A Green Bay Packer??

 There has been a lot of press and social media discussion around the SAVE ACT that Trump is pushing. He claims that it will protect our right to vote. I think our states do a great job of protecting our right to vote without his intervention. And facts are facts, illegal voting is minuscule in this country and most often done by...wait for it...Republicans. 

One of the most discussed topics around the SAVE ACT is the hardships inflicted on and interference in the voting rights of married women who have taken their husbands name when they marry. Apparently your birth certificate would be required in order to register to vote and it better damn well match the ID you show at the polls. Well for most married women in the United States that just wouldn't be the case. So they would have to provide other documentation proving their change in name....sigh.

So in today's The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel print edition (I haven't found an online version yet other that the attached photo from the e-newspaper) talking about Green Bay Packers star Zach Tom. Over the off season Tom did research on his family tree and heritage and decided that he would change his last name to honor his father and family. So he is in the process of legally changing his name to Zach Bako-Bewele. And changing his Social Security card and driver's license. SO: if he has a new D.L. in November and he wants to vote, his ID won't match his voter registration data. And if he wants to register under his new name, I imagine he needs to bring along a slew of paperwork including his court documents approving his name change and maybe his old birth certificate, SSA card, D.L, etc and all of his new ID. 

Doesn't that seem silly? Well yes it is. A little common sense can go a long way here.

I'll Always Love A Dog Named Beau

At the end of 2015, my wife moved into our house. We always knew that we wanted a dog. Not any dog, but a hound dog.  But we promised we would wait until spring to give us time to get settled in.  That promise lasted exactly 10 days, when we welcomed a coonhound we named Beau into our home. It immediately became his home, and he just let us live there.

Beau was a rescue dog at the Wisconsin Humane Society. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't originally want him. I had my heart set on a beagle, having had two of them in my younger days. But I was outvoted by my wife and Beau.  Boy, was I wrong. 

Beau became my best friend, my constant companion, my heart dog. We had many great adventures together. We were also happy to just take naps together on the couch. 

Sadly, on Saturday, I had to escort Beau to the Rainbow Bridge. He had cancer, and he was starting to suffer. I will always remember him, and I will always miss him.  I don't know if I will get another dog. It's too soon to even think about it. But if I do, it will be my favorite breed - rescue.

In closing, I will reproduce this snippet of a poem the late Jimmy Stewart read to Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show:

And there were nights when I'd feel him climb upon our bed

And lie between us,

And I'd pat his head.

And there were nights when I'd feel this stare

And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there

And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair.

And sometimes I'd feel him sigh and I think I know the reason why.

He would wake up at night

And he would have this fear

Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,

And he'd be glad to have me near.

And now he's dead.

And there are nights when I think I feel him

Climb upon our bed and lie between us,

And I pat his head.

And there are nights when I think I feel that stare

And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,

But he's not there.

Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,

I'll always love a dog named Beau.

U.S. Department of Justice Finally Identifies The Vandal Responsible For The Reflecting Pool Issues

 Remarkably, none of the American citizens taken into custody and suspected of vandalizing the reflecting pool are at fault and no one actually caused any damage to the pool after it's refurbishing. 

Instead, it is apparent that Donald Trump himself directly caused all of the new issues with the pool by ordering the remake and hiring substandard contractors...and then not overseeing the job or  holding said contractors responsible for their omissions. Given his track record as a developer, why is no one surprised by this outcome? Well other than the Donald?

And the president not only lied to the American people but he lied to his own Justice Dept. They wouldn't have indicted any suspected vandals if the Dept of the Interior had shared all of the information that they had about the conditions in the reflecting pool. Surprise, surprise, surprise. 

The one thing that Trump was correct about was that the wrongdoers were 'sick' and 'terrible'!

The whole story is here: Trump's Reflecting Pool Lies Exposed in Humiliating Admission.

a few quotes:

The "radical vandals" President Donald Trump blamed for ruining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have turned out not to be the culprits after all.

The president repeatedly accused unknown "thugs" of slicing into the landmark after its multimillion-dollar renovation, but his own Justice Department now says the damage was caused by contractor error.

The office of Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro acknowledged that the sheets of floating paint that appeared after the renovation were caused by a "flawed installation by the contractors."

The filing also blamed the Department of the Interior for "failing to fully and accurately provide" that information to Pirro's prosecutors  ...

he filing recounted that Justice Department officials "first became aware" of information revealing that the damage was the "result of a botched installation and not vandalism" after reviewing additional documents.

 

 

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Polls

What a difference a week makes.  Last week, I wrote about how I was torn between Francesca Hong and Mandela Barnes, ultimately giving the edge to Barnes.

Then, today, a week later, Barnes dropped out of the race. The speculation is that the establishment's smear campaign kicked it in high gear in a futile effort to give the Zombie Crowley campaign some traction. I guess when he can't run on his track record, he can only build himself up by tearing everyone else down.

According to every poll I have seen, Hong is starting to pull away from the others in this race. Her lead is sure to grow a lot with Barnes's departure. Given that I was already torn, it was an easy decision to go full on for Hong to be governor.

I agree with her on almost every issue. She is for women's rights, workers' rights, and voters' rights. She not only wants to make things more affordable and improve everyone's quality of life, but she also has a plan on how to do these things.

Maybe most importantly, I know that Hong will not sell us out.  She will serve the people of Wisconsin, and not the big money or big corporations. That in itself is worth our votes. 

I will be gladly and proudly voting for Hong in the primary, and I hope you will join me.

You can learn more about Hong and how to help at her website.

A Tale Of Two Gubernatorial Races

It was the best of gubernatorial races; it was the worst of gubernatorial races.  

The nice thing about this year's gubernatorial race is that it was really easy to see the bad choices. Heck, they even sometimes took themselves out of the race. And now we have a zombie campaign of a guy who can't decide if he's in or out - or even who he really is.  

But it is also a very difficult choice because we are fortunate enough to have not one, but two, great candidates in Mandela Barnes and Francesca Hong.  They are both wonderfully progressive.  They both have very similar platforms, including making the rich finally pay their fair share of taxes; fully funding schools; universal childcare; making healthcare more affordable; and workers' rights.

There are only a few subtle differences between the two, and that is probably due more to semantics than to actual differences.  Hong is stronger on AI data centers, whereas Barnes is more focused on affordability issues and workers' rights.  

Before I go further, let me state this as clearly as I can: if either Hong or Barnes wins the primary, they will have my full support in the general election. I would be happy and eager to vote for either one. In fact, it would have been ideal if one of them ran for Lt. Governor. That would be the dream ticket of a lifetime.

But who to vote for in the primary?  I've thought about this long and hard, going back and forth between the two of them.  

I have finally decided to cast my ballot for Mandela Barnes.

Let me explain why. The only real difference between the two of them is experience. They are both fearless. They both are strong on their positions and can go toe to toe with Tom Trumpfany.

But the thing is, based on what I've seen, I think Hong will be able to stand her ground. However, I know that Barnes can do it.  Barnes has shown that time and again by standing up to Scott Walker and taking on Ron Johnson, coming within a breath of beating RoJo. Even Ben Wikler said that the DNC dropped the ball by not showing up for Barnes.

Furthermore, Barnes has shown he is unafraid of the establishment. He became a state rep by beating Jason Fields, who was known as Robin Vos's favorite Democrat. He also stepped up and ran against then State Senator Lena Taylor, who had sold out her constituents more times than I can count.  And he's had to deal with attacks from the Democratic establishment during this election cycle, even before he formally announced his campaign.

So, while I am voting for Mandela Barnes in the primary, I am ready to support either of these wonderful people in the general.

You can visit Hong's website here.

You can visit Barnes' website here.

PS: Both candidates are to be commended for running clean campaigns and not sniping at each other, which is more than can be said for the also-rans.

Wisconsin's Foremost Poltiical Loony Is About To Have Real Power In The Senate.

 Yes, Wisconsin's senior senator, Ron Johnson, king of conspiracies and conveyor of fake electoral college ballots is about to take over the chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee. Normally this would be something to be a bit proud of since Wisconsin pols seldom achieve any real power in Washington.

But given that Rojo has done nothing but bring shame upon the state and would be the biggest idiot in the city if it weren't for Trump's presence in D.C., this doesn't bode well for the nation. Despite his supposed tendency to buck the GOP, rest assured, he will support the MAGA agenda to the max. 

BTW: looks like the heat is starting to get to him.

P.S. If only the Senate Dems had supported Mandela Barnes a few years ago...

Donald Trump Caused The Death of Two American Service Members Today,

Under the circumstances I am saying it is murder.

OK America, when is enough going to be enough?How many of your sons and daughters are you willing to sacrifice to this megalomaniac? 

And I haven't seen any of his kids enlisting, aina? They've got their own arsenal at their ready.

New York Times today:

Iran War Live Updates: 2 U.S. Soldiers Killed and 1 Service Member Missing in Iranian Attack on Jordan

 

The Reflecting Pool Has Been Drained For Repairs and It Wasn't Vandals The Did The Damage

 Apparently it was the Goths and Visigoths. Go figure.

Sorry, it's hot, that's all I got right now.

The Rodriguez Campaign Is In A Shambles

By now, the gentle reader has surely heard about the latest self-inflicted wound to the Sara Rodriguez campaign.  It turns out that her campaign finances are nowhere near as rosy as she wanted to believe, and that it hasn't been for months. Due to multiple double entries and missed expense reports, Rodriguez thought her campaign had $1.5 million, but in reality, it was just about $200,000. That's quite an error.

Late on Sunday, Rodriguez sent out a press release saying that she had fired her campaign manager with just under a month to go until the primary. Then, on Monday, she held a press conference to show her complete transparency and leadership skills by repeatedly throwing her former campaign manager under the campaign bus. 

The one thing she did not do was take ownership of her role in this disaster. But she did let it slip out inadvertently:

Rodriguez said her campaign manager had worked with her for several years and in compliance for her whole career.

“As we are trying to make sure we have a lean campaign, it made sense for her to do the compliance report since that was her expertise, and that was one thing I had full trust in,” Rodriguez said, adding that Spencer had given her reports on a regular basis about the finances, and everything looked fine until last week. 

In other words, she made her campaign manager her finance manager and her compliance officer, all to save a buck and run a "lean campaign."  Well, it's pretty lean now, isn't it?  Austerity never works out well and never really saves any money. Now she has no campaign manager, no finance manager, and no money.  

To make matters worse for Rodriguez, this is just the most recent problem she has had. She's had the gaffe about doing the budget behind a curtain (which is really ironic now), to saying we should be collaborators with the ICEtapo, to saying that she needed to study whether to raise the minimum wage for the first time in 17 years, to snubbing the Muslim community.

Despite all this, Rodriguez vows to see things through to the bitter end, which shows either an amazing amount of resilience or an incredible level of denial.

Rodriguez And Crowley Have Some Explaining To Do

Both Sara Rodriguez and David Crowley owe the public for their recent behavior.

All of the gubernatorial candidates were invited to a forum hosted by the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation.  Rodriguez and Crowley had originally accepted, but they backed out when they were provided the questions ahead of the forum. 

The questions included whether the attacks occurring in Gaza were a genocide and whether there should be a formal boycott of Israel.  

Both campaigns offered a mealy-mouth excuse on why they couldn't attend and offered to meet with the groups privately. 

That will not suffice. The public deserves to know why they were afraid to show up and answer those questions. 

If Rodriguez wants to serve the people in Wisconsin, how do we know she will serve all of the people in Wisconsin and not just certain groups?  Likewise, even though Crowley dropped out of the gubernatorial race, Milwaukee County has a Muslim population, as well. Is he representing them or not?

After all, Islamophobia is just as bad as antisemitism or any other form of bigotry, and we need to know if we are voting for bigots or not.  

At least there's no doubt about Tom Tiffany. All he does is blow his racist dog whistle.

The Democrats Have A Listening Problem

For years, people would say that the Democrats had a messaging problem, which is true. However, their messaging problem is secondary to a listening problem. 

For example, in 2014, as Wisconsin began to feel the real impact of Act 10, people wanted someone to take on Scott Walker and reverse the Republican attack on workers. Instead, Mike Tate and the Democrats forced Mary Burke, a millionaire who said she liked parts of Act 10, on us. They weren't listening, and Burke lost.

In 2016, we were calling for Hillary Clinton to come to Wisconsin. She didn't listen to us, never came to the state, lost the state, and the election to Donald Trump.

In 2024, people from all over the country said that they didn't want their tax money going to Benjamin Netanyahu's genocide against Palestine. But Kamala Harris told us she was talking, so she didn't listen, and then we got a Trump presidency again.  

Jeff Simpson and I would complain about this until we were blue in the face. And the establishment Democrats would only say, "Sit down, shut up, and vote the way we tell you to vote."  Needless to say, it rarely worked out well for them.

Unfortunately, this year isn't looking any better.  The people are calling for an end to the corruption. They are calling an end to the grift. And they are calling for an end to the rich not paying their fair share. 

So what does the Democratic establishment do?  They give us Sarah Rodriguez, who takes PAC money left and right, including from the power company after she voted their way.  They give us Sarah Godlewski, a millionaire who doesn't have to pay taxes. 

Unfortunately, Godlewski is a given because no one good is running. But if the establishment forces a Rodriguez-Godlewski ticket, there could be a serious enthusiasm gap, like there was in 2024.. And if they should lose, the Dems will just do what they always do. Blame the voters they didn't bother listening to.

Good job, guys.

The Next Time Some GOP Pundit Belittles Social Security By Calling It An Entitlement:

 It's been mildly amusing over the years as GOP politicians and operatives and pundits have tried to belittle Social Security benefits as 'entitlements'. Well, they are entitlements, I paid for them over my work life, and now in retirement, I am entitled to them.

But this past week this got a bit more interesting. Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano sent out an email to millions of Americans touting Donald Trump's support and protection of Social Security benefits and their importance to retired Americans. He didn't use the word entitlements once...but instead used some very surprisingly factual wording to describe SS benefits. From his email.

"This weekend, America celebrates its 250^th birthday. For over 90 of those years, Social Security has provided financial freedom for America's seniors. President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Administration are not only protecting Social Security, but we are providing meaningful and immediate relief to older Americans who have spent decades contributing to our nation's economy.

Just last year, on July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. This historic legislation included a tax cut that allows Americans 65 and older to keep more of their hard-earned Social Security benefits" 

Their hard-earned benefits. Put that in the back of your memory banks and pull it out when needed in the future. Quite frankly I was shocked that this came out of the Trump administration, since they have no desire to fix or save Social Security. But there it was in black and white. 

A bit more:

"Under the leadership of President Trump, we are protecting and strengthening Social Security while providing world-class customer service... Put simply, America's seniors are winning!"

Having to deal with Social Security as part of being the executor of my brother's estate, they haven't fixed customer service issues in the least. Call times still suck and getting an appointment takes too much time and those appointments of course are weeks out. Winning??? This don't feel like winning.

 Recent news has stated that the SSA trust fund will run out even sooner than expected and benefits may need to be reduced by 22%. There are some simple fixes. But I am not holding my breath to see if Trump or Bisignano takes the lead. That's for another time.

It's just smoke up our butts before the mid-terms.

Nineteen Years Is A Long Time

 

Nineteen years ago today, I was given a glorious opportunity from my friend, Jay Bullock, aka folkbum, to enter the Cheddarsphere. I never looked back.

Over the course of the next year, I gained more confidence, if not skill. I was also given the keys to another site, Whallah.

One thing led to another, and 18 years ago, this site was born.  Since it started, a lot of things have happened.

We saw the rise and fall of Scott Walker. We have seen the rise, the fall, and the rise again of Trump, the Pedo President.

Many writers have come and gone. Keith Schmitz. My blog daughter Meg. And, of course, the late but still great Jeff Simpson.

But there is more to come. I am very proud to announce that my prodigal daughter-in-blog, Meg, is returning to the fold. Word has it that Drunken Van Orden is in deep trouble now.

I could keep prattling, but you will have to excuse me. I have a county, a state, and a country that need my help.

And just remember, it's all Jay's fault!!

Has The Trump Administration Offered Any Earthquake Help To Venezuela?

 In the past, isn't that what we would do? 

This might be a time to ask Vance: WWJD?

WWTD? What Would Trump Do? Yale, I am talking to you!

 Donald Trump's Dept of Justice began investigating Yale University for racial bias in their admissions to the medical school. Apparently DOJ has now expanded that into investigating the same 'issues' with their law school and undergraduate programs. 

Of course DOJ has presented no evidence and Yale is certain that it is meeting the letter of the 'law'. But reportedly Yale is seeking a settlement with the Feds to avoid a long drawn out, read expensive, court case. 

Well, Yale. Take a page from Donnie's play book. Revoke the diplomas of every Trump administration member who graduated from Yale. I am sure there are a few of them...and when they complain..smirk and shrug and move on. 

A Timely Reminder About Donald Trump's Legacy (stolen from Social Media)

 

Now would be a good time to remind everyone of these Trump facts.

7 Times flew on Epstein's Plane.

97 Times Pleaded The Fifth.

34 Felony Convictions.

91 Criminal Charges.

26 Sexual Assault Allegations.

6 Bankruptcies.

5 Draft Deferments.

4 Indictments.

2 Impeachments.

2 Convicted Companies.

1 Fake University Shut Down.

1 Fake Charity Shut Down.

$25 Million Fraud Settlement.

$5 Million Sexual Abuse Verdict.

$2 Million Fake Charity Abuse Judgment.

$93 Million Sexual Abuse Judgements.

$400+ Million Fraud Judgment.

First President in history to serve a full term increase the deficit every year he was in office.

First President in history to maintain a debt to GDP ratio over 100% for his entire term.

Highest annual budget deficit.

Most added to the national debt in a single term.

Most new unemployment claims.

Largest single day point drop in the history of the Dow.

First major party candidate in half a century to lose the popular vote twice.

Longest government shutdown in history (and he did that while his own party controlled both chambers of Congress).

First President in the history of approval ratings to maintain a net negative approval rating for his entire term.

First President to be impeached twice.

First President to have bipartisan support for his conviction after impeachment (which happened both times).

Most indictments, guilty pleas, and criminal convictions of members of an administration.

First president to have a mugshot.

Guest Bloggers Endorse Sen Melissa Ratcliff

Wisconsin State Senator Melissa Ratcliff took time out of her busy schedule to celebrate Take Your Dog To Work Day. She posted this on her Facebook page:

Happy National Take Your Dog to Work Day! 🐾

Today, our four-legged staff members are hard at work overseeing office operations, supervising

 snack breaks, and conducting important meetings about belly rubs and tennis ball procurement.

While they haven’t mastered constituent casework just yet, they have excelled at boosting morale, encouraging walks, and reminding us to take a break every now and then.

A special thank you to our canine colleagues for their dedication to public service (and their willingness to accept payment in treats).

Share a photo of your favorite furry coworker in the comments! 🐶❤️

#TakeYourDogToWorkDay #OfficePup

As working dogs, we thank Senator Ratcliff for honoring this important part of our workforce and our society. Senator Ratcliff is not up for reelection this year, but we officially endorse her anyway.

Today's guest bloggers are Beau and Bandit, the blog dogs. Their opinions are their own, but shared by this blog.

False Flag?!? Reported Plot To Attack White House UFC Event

 And another example of a high level Trump administration appointee who can't keep his mouth shut: 

Kash Patel on X on the morning of June 16, 2026: “On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region — and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold”.

AND: "FBI Director Kash Patel prematurely announced details of an investigation into an alleged terror plot targeting last weekend’s White House UFC event, sources told MS NOW on Tuesday.

Ken Dilanian, the network’s justice and intelligence correspondent, wrote on X that Patel’s disclosure on social media compromised the sealed investigation because it came before another 10 suspects or so could be apprehended."

So another law enforcement investigation put at risk by Patel. Why is he still at the FBI?

But next, it has now been another week and all we hear out of the White House is the vandalism of the reflecting pool. Was this purported attack a False Flag event? See? There...I can do conspiracy stuff as well as they can.

BTW: where is the suspected golf course assassin?

Why Is This Being Made Public and WORSE: Why Is This A Surprise?

 Downed Pilots Account Of Iran's "jellyfish" Drone Formation Alarms U.S. Intel Officials.

From this story: "A US fighter jet pilot rescued by special forces after being shot down over Iran in April described a shocking sight before ejecting from his aircraft: multiple Iranian drones hovering in the air, moving as one, in a formation that resembled a jellyfish.... It immediately set off a firestorm of debate within the US intelligence community that has yet to be resolved."

First: if this is a national security issue how/why is it being discussed in the media? Can no one in the Trump administration ever keep their mouth shut?

Second: Why is this a surprise? Well of course their military is totally destroyed but that's another point...but the best intelligence in the world had missed this strategy and ability up until this point?

Instead of worrying about flaking paint, the 2020 election, and COVID distracta, can someone in Washington actually pay attention to the Trump - Iran War?  Both of these lapses need to be investigated...by Congress!

We look feeble and stupid and now inept. Even if this war ends with any type of reasonable peace agreement, we have lost this war on the world stage. But let's not ignore what's going on until then and lets not continue to put our troops at risk.  

Also from the article" "If it can coordinate itself into a recognizable shape and maintain that shape, and if it's got explosives on board, and if it is holding resources in reserve to attack whatever the first volley didn't destroy – that's a very capable approach," Bates said. (Emma Bates, a drone warfare and defense modernization expert)

So this statement is suspect too. Anyone who doubts that drones can be coordinated into recognizable shapes can see exactly that demonstrated at the Lake Front for the drone show that has replaced the July 4th fireworks display. Aina?

Senator Mitch McConnell Is Hospitalized: But Don't Worry, He's Getting The Best Care

 Two things here:

First the party of supposed transparency has announced that Senator Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized. But they haven't said why...so guys...let me ask...WHY?

But we shouldn't worry, because he's getting the best care. Well we need to worry because unlike a US Senator we have no guarantee that we are eligible for the best care. Aina?

Drunken Van Orden Lives Up To His Name

 On Friday, Trump flew to Wisconsin to participate in Drunken Van Orden's Farewell Tour before he loses his seat and his office bar in the Capitol Building in November's election.

DVO, who is a well-known fascist and MAGA moron, did do one thing liberally on Friday - helped himself to the open bar on Air Force One on the trip from Washington to Wisconsin.  It was very evident when he got up on stage and started acting like that drunk uncle at your wedding:

No, not at all cringe-worthy.

He didn't get any better over time. Towards the end of the event, DVO debased himself to kiss Trump's giant orange ass.  It must have been slippery back there, judging by the way DVO was slurring and shouting at the same time:

🍻🍺🍸😬 pic.twitter.com/z0F9aSxdjx

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 5, 2026

Maybe, after he loses, he can move back to the cave he crawled out of.

The Dumbest Complaint About Fran Hong That You'll Ever See

 Because she is the frontrunner in the run for governor, the right - meaning both Republicans and Republicrats - have been attacking Francesca Hong. All of the attacks have been pretty lame so far, mostly complaining that she is idealistic and has high hopes for Wisconsin. Oh noes!

But one attack really takes the cake for stupidity. Right-winger Don Loew quote-tweeted a post from Hong promoting her campaign, with the complaint that there's "not a drop of testosterone."  No, seriously:

Would someone let poor Don know that Francesca is a woman?  

Maybe old Don is trying to tell us something now that it's Pride Month? 

Is Rubio Trying To Determine If He Should Wake Donald Trump?

 

WISGOP's Memorial Day Mishaps

 Memorial Day is one of the few days of the year when Republicans like to pretend to give a damn about the brave men and women who serve to protect our nation.  Fitting that description to a tee was Tom Trumpfany, who was out and about, glad-handing, and pretending to honor our fallen soldiers:

Naturally, Trumpfany made no mention of how much he honored our vets when he voted to cut services, housing, health care, and food assistance for tens of thousands of vets.  What a guy!

Another point is that the Milwaukee County Republicans, who apparently have already given up on winning in their county, went to Elm Grove to help Tiffany, sharing the same picture:

If you look closely, you'll see Will Martin, WISGOP's chosen candidate for Lt. Governor, standing next to Trumpfany:

Yet neither Trumpfany nor the Milwaukee County Republicans mentioned Martin. Could it be because he's Black?  Given their track record, it could very well be why they are dissing him like that.

Probably Had MAGA Stickers On The Back

Definitely not a smart person: 

Only a MAGA would be so arrogant and so stupid at the same time. 

WISGOP Settles For Fourth String Candidate

This past weekend was the state convention for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.  Among the activities were a lot of drinking and then picking out which candidates they were endorsing. The results were unintentionally and unironically hilarious.

They decided to endorse their fourth-string candidate, Tom Trumpfany Tiffany.  Early in 2025, WISGOP was begging their two favorite carpetbaggers, Eric Hovde and Tim Michels, to return to Wisconsin and run, but neither one wanted to throw away their millions to lose yet another election.  Later in 2025, during their state convention, Josh Schoemann won the straw poll.  However, Schoemann dropped out due to lacking the testicular fortitude to stand up to President Pedo when he endorsed his little bitch Tiffany.

Anyone who has been following Tiffany's social media timelines knows that Tiffany is a racist.  He is constantly harping about immigrants who are alleged to have committed a crime while ignoring the exponentially larger number of white, US-born citizens who have committed the same crimes.  

In a twist of irony, WISGOP took that information and chose to endorse Will Martin, a Black man, to be their Lt. Governor candidate.  

Oh, wouldn't you love to be a fly in the Tiffany campaign war room for the rest of the summer?  I bet it's a laugh riot.

I Still Have A Question About The White House Correspondents Dinner

 Thankfully the alleged gunman never made it past the security officers outside the White House Correspondents Dinner. The Secret Service did their job and took the suspect into custody and no one was hurt. 

But here's my question and it bothers me a bit. Most media outlets reported and the prosecutor stated in court during the suspect's initial appearance, that law enforcement fired five shots during the incident. But the suspect didn't suffer any type of gunshot wound. Highly trained and supposedly highly skilled officers who were probably within five or ten or twenty feet of the suspect fired their guns and he wasn't hit?

Thankfully no one else suffered a gun shot wound as a result of police actions but where did those bullets go? Five shots as close range and the suspect wasn't hit? Why isn't anyone asking about the training of the agents on the scene. If they hadn't been able to tackle him quickly, could he have made it into the dinner hall because the officers on duty couldn't shoot straight?

No one thinks this odd?

LinkedIn Thinks The FBI Is Looking For Me!

 I got a few of these emails from LinkedIn in early March and then April suggesting that I apply for jobs at the FBI and Secret Service. Then they stopped for a while but got two of these in the last two days. Hmmmm....

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is hiring a Special Agent: Education/Teaching Expertise:

Who Are You Going To Believe - Right Wing Pundits Or Your Lying Eyes?

Tom Tiffany shoveling the BS

Last week, Jessie Opoien of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Tom Tiffany's campaign advisors had told him not to underestimate Francesca Hong: 

The memo compares Hong to other potential Democratic candidates Tiffany could face in the Nov. 3 general election, viewing her as someone whose nomination "virtually guarantees elevated Democratic enthusiasm and turnout in Dane County and the Milwaukee media market, where statewide races are decided."

In contrast, the memo expects "more moderate and establishment Democratic alternatives would likely produce lower base motivation and depressed turnout."

"Unlike more moderate or establishment Democrats, Hong energizes the progressive base in a way that could drive record Democratic turnout precisely when midterms historically favor the party out of power," the consultants wrote. "Her issues resonate broadly with working- and middle-class voters and have some crossover with our populist positions. Hong could bring some turnout advantages with positions that reach outside Democrats' core base."

All of which jives with what we have seen in Wisconsin and nationally in elections.  There has been a major - as in double digits - shift to the left.  After the SCOWIS election last month, it showed that even the counties that Justice-Elect Chris Taylor lost still shifted to the left.  

Nationally, the trend has been the same. Furthermore, often the winner is the person conventional wisdom said was too radical left to win, such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Apparently, some people have missed these facts.

Right-wing hack James Widgerson jumped on the article, mocking it and trying to claim that the memo was a clever ruse by the Tiffany campaign to trick Opoien, her editors, and thousands of readers into voting for Hong.  

Bruce Murphy, editor of Urban Milwaukee, doubled down on the dumb:

In short, Opoien and the JS got snookered, no doubt promised exclusive access to this disinformation intended to convince Democratic voters, whose number one concern is choosing a candidate with the best chance of defeating Tiffany, that Hong was the one causing sleepless nights for Republicans. The paper was so proud of its scoop that it did two stories on this, the first suggesting Hong’s campaign was on the rise, with the secret GOP memo as a key exhibit, and the second entitled “What a leaked GOP memo says about the candidacy of Francesca Hong.”

If the memo was a trick from Tiffany's campaign, it backfired badly.

Keep in mind, Tiffany is the GOP's fourth-string candidate. In early 2025, WISGOP was desperately trying to recruit its favorite carpetbaggers, Tim Michels and Eric Hovde, to return to Wisconsin to run.  They were so persistent that Hovde felt it necessary to make a video telling them he wasn't running. Things were too nice in Laguna Beach. 

In the 2025 Republican state convention, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann beat Tiffany in a straw poll.  However, to be fair, Tiffany was still waiting for Fearless Leader Trump to give him permission to run.  Schoemann didn't drop out of the race until Trump endorsed Tiffany.  

The fact that Tiffany has squarely hitched his campaign to Trump, and Trump is polling worse than any president in history - See, he's number one at something! - It's no wonder that the Republicans are experiencing a severe enthusiasm gap. 

On the other hand, Hong's supporters are not showing any lack of enthusiasm whatsoever. The Tiffany memo - real or fake - is only going to add fuel to Hong's fire, which is something Tiffany doesn't need, but so richly deserves.

Now Trump Has Stolen Joe Biden's Sunglasses In New AI Post

Those were a personal gift to Joe from Obama! And somewhere he found a black suit and a black tie...clothing items he never wears...so AI: WTF?

Captain Bone Spurs posted this AI generated photo this morning on Truth Social. 

If only he had been this tough in 1969, there might be a Trump Hotel in Saigon.

Workers Memorial Day

Every April 28th is Workers Memorial Day. It is a day to remember the men and women who lost their lives on the job or due to their job.

Here are some facts to reflect upon today, from the AFL-CIO WI:

In 2024, more than 380 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions – totaling 5,070 workers killed on the job in the United States in 2024. Additionally, an estimated 135,000 workers died from occupational diseases in 2024.

[...]

Nationally, the overall job fatality rate was 3.3 per 100,000 workers in 2024. The job fatality rate in Wisconsin in 2024 was higher, at 3.7 per 100,000 workers. Workplace homicides continue to be a significant problem, increasing by 3 percent since 2023.

Workers of color die on the job at a higher rate: Black (3.4 per 100,000 workers) and Latino (4.3) worker job fatality rates are disproportionate compared with all other workers.

An estimated 530 workers died from heat on the job in 2024, but both fatal and nonfatal data are an undercount of the heat exhaustion on the job in America.

This occasion is part of International Workers Memorial Day, held yearly on April 28th, where tens of thousands of groups around the globe unite to honor the fallen and to remind everyone that “One worker’s life lost is one too many.”

As Mother Jones said - Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living!

Rep. Derrick Van Orden Is Certainly Self Aware!

 From an article about his re-election bid from The Hill:

“I’m just a horrible politician, I guess,” he (Van Orden) added.

In Memoriam Of A Good Union Man

 Two weeks ago, Wisconsin lost a good union man, David Eisner. 

David had worked for Milwaukee County before moving on to work for AFSCME. David had forgotten more about how the County operated and what was in the county rules and in the contracts than any bureaucrat ever knew.

David was never one to back away from a fight, especially when it involved one of his union members. I was a benefactor of David's knowledge and skill on more than one occcasion, whether it was defending me against Scott Walker's retaliation to getting the county to move on repairing the air conditioning during a dangerous hot spell.

He was the personification of solidarity and union power.

He will be sorely missed by all who knew him, whether through the union or outside of it.

Coincidentally, today is his birthday. Happy heavenly birthday, my friend. 

Wisconsin Congressmen Hold 2 Of The Top 8 Positions For Using The "F" Word

 From the NY Times:

In The Times’s social media tally, Mr. Gallego was far ahead of the pack, using the word in at least 77 X posts from 2020 through the end of March 2026.

Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin clocked in as the No. 2 Democrat in The Times’s ranking, at 30 uses of the word, to which he replied: “All right!”

Here you have it:

 

Stolen From Social Media: Hungary Understood The Assignment

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has inspired populist movements globally, conceded defeat on Sunday in a general election after 16 years on power. Trump sent J.D. Vance to bolster Orban's chances.

Pay attention America, please get your head around the assignment.

 

The Trump Administration Actually Thought A Peace Agreement Would Happen in ONE DAY?

Apparently. And after that one day meeting without a peace resolution, Vice President J.D. Vance left Pakistan.

And in a bold reversal, Trump now says instead of opening the Strait of Hormuz, he's going to close them (blockade). 

Please send him a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and then find someone to read it to him.

Swalwell Needs To Go

Rep Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has had four women come out and accuse him of sexual harassment and rape.  I'm sure these are just the first four, and more will be stepping forward.

Swalwell, who is running to be the governor of California, is watching his campaign implode before his very eyes. Top staffers are resigning. People who endorsed him are rescinding their endorsements. 

Swalwell did himself no favors by issuing a video in which he started by gaslighting the public, claiming that the women were anonymous. Yeah, they were so anonymous that his lawyers were texting cease-and-desist letters to the women in the middle of the night.

Even if he doesn't want to admit it, Swalwell is done. Four things need to happen now:

1. Swalwell needs to apologize to his victims and to the public. He also needs to set up a trust fund to pay for any therapy his victims might need.
2. Swalwell needs to drop out of the governor's race.
3. Swalwell needs to resign from Congress.
4. Swalwell needs to be criminally investigated and prosecuted.

I must say that it is a relief that many people on the left are treating this appropriately, but I am sorely disappointed in those who are acting like lefty MAGA morons, looking for conspiracy theories or being in downright denial of what has happened.

Tom Tiffany Is Running In The Wrong State

 After Tuesday's election, when Justice-elect Chris Taylor and the Democrats shellacked the Republicans, Tom Tiffany made a brief statement about it and what it means for his campaign to be governor:

Well, we got our butts kicked last night, right? There's no doubt about it, and we should acknowledge that. But the election we have coming up this fall, in November, is a new election. And you guys know as well as anyone, every election is unique. And I have built a campaign - money, manpower, and messaging. We're going to compete on all fronts.

While Tiffany is trying to convince himself that the fall election is separate and apart from all other elections, the fact is that one has to look at the trends. And those trends are not in Tiffany's favor.  As this graphic shows, almost the entire state took a hard shift to the left:

While Republican denialists might try to argue that this election was not in some part a refutation of Trump, it obviously was.  And November's election is going to be even more of a referendum on the Orange Menace. And given how far Tiffany has his nose up Trump's rump, I don't see him changing these directions in just a few months.

A breakdown of Taylor's victory on Tuesday by congressional district shows that Tiffany would have been hard-pressed to win reelection in his own district. Keep in mind that the congressional maps are still gerrymandered to favor the Republicans.  

Barring some drastic unforeseen changes, this November could be just as much fun as yesterday was. However, it does not mean that we can take our collective foot off the gas by any stretch of the imagination. It's still going to take a lot of hard work to get across the finish line, but it's very doable.

It doesn't hurt that Tiffany is apparently running to be the governor of the state of denial.

Taylor Wins!

In what was an almost foregone conclusion, Judge Chris Taylor was elected as the next Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.

Her campaign issued this statement:

“Tonight, the people of Wisconsin spoke,” said Justice-elect Chris Taylor. “What they said is clear — we are moving forward, for our rights, for our democracy, for every family in this state that deserves a fair shot at justice. Tonight we stand strongly for a state Supreme Court that prioritizes the people of Wisconsin, their rights, their lives, and the independence of our great state. And for a Court that holds everyone accountable under the law — no matter how powerful or privileged. I will be a justice for you, the people of Wisconsin. Thank you Wisconsin!  Forward we go together!”

This election was as sure a bet as an election can be.  Taylor's popularity caused the incumbent, Becky Bradley, to choose not to run again, leaving the Republicans with a lackluster Maria Lazar to offer a token opposition to Taylor. Adding to this was the fact that the election would not change the court's leanings, which caused a huge enthusiasm gap for the right.

The last remaining hardcore fascist on the court, Annette Ziegler, has already ceded next year's election and announced that she is not running for reelection.  

Given that justice will be served for at least the next four years, I gotta say, the future of the state supreme court looks pretty darn good.