This Will Help Attract The Moderates

Dad29 does not have a firm grasp of reality.

In a post in which he expects Scott Walker to be governor he misses a few points.

One is Walker has never won a normal general election in his life. All of his wins have come from special elections and bids for re-election.

And when Daddio encourages Walker to refuse stimulus dollars, he must have missed the fact that Walker was bragging about accepting them, without his phony conditions.

But just in case his ignoring reality wasn't enough to drive potential voters away from Walker, Daddio finishes with his usual panache:

Then invite Obama to enforce it, if he can.

There will be a rifle behind every blade of grass in this State......

Yeah, nothing like threatening the President of the United States and other Americans to help gain the moderate vote.

Conservatives Behaving Poorly

Zach at Blogging Blue shares the story of personal harassment the John Foust, author of the gigglefest of Boots & Kittens, in the form of repeated calls at his place of work. At least one of the calls John received was allegedly by the spastic and vulgar mickey/gus who is a frequent visitor to Badger Blogger and Real Debate Wisconsin:

I asked ATT about tracking the crank calls. There’s a process to follow. They start logging calls, you report the crank calls, then you file a report with your local police to get the info. The wheels of justice turn slowly, and thanks to ATT and my local police, the traps managed to catch just one crank caller. On the morning of June 5, he’d left a message that said “Hey bald man, your time is running out, bald man.” Later that same day, I was IP-blocked from commenting at BadgerBlogger.

I googled the phone number given to me by the police. It seems to belong to a Michael O’Leary, the parade director of the Shamrock Club’s St. Patrick Day Parade. Look at his email address, which happens to be mickeyoleary@yahoo.com. “Mickey.” Now where have I heard that before? Anyone know Mike? Of course, googling alone can be somewhat circumstantial, but the references to this number and this name are quite contemporary. I’ve verified the phone number by independent non-invasive methods. (This seems like a positive ID, right, Chief?)

Telling me my time is running out seems vaguely threatening and downright thuggish. I’m surprised such a prominent citizen would be the person behind the insulting “Gus” persona. My local police said they’d give him a call and encourage him to behave in a more civil fashion. I’m happy to leave it at that, even though it’s a clear Class B misdemeanor (punishable by “a fine up to $1,000, or imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both; however, for a repeat offender, the term of imprisonment increase up to 2 years”).

Now, this is not the first time that a liberal has had problems with people associated with these two sites, but it is by far the most egregious.

Don't get me wrong. I fully recognize the fact that neither Patrick Dorwin or Fred Dooley are responsible for mickey/gus' behavior. But I cannot help but wonder if the fact that they tolerate or even welcome these types of people who show such poor behavior, if this does not encourage more of the same, at these higher levels.

Little Known Blogging Fact

Dad29 had once tried to be a priest in the Catholic Church. He was not allowed after this picture surfaced:

History Is Made

I got to get me one of these t-shirts. Is there a Shopko near Milwaukee?

Walker Announces New Transit Plan*

OK, I was just kidding, but Walker's announcement really is a cool thing:

County Executive Scott Walker invites the public to the opening weekend of Door County Sled Dog rides at Veterans Park, 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., in front of the open-air pavilion near the Brady Street Bridge, this weekend from 11am to 1pm. Door County Sled Dogs is made up of a team of 4 to 6 adult Siberian Huskies and is operated through a Milwaukee County Park partnership with Bonnie Ulrich and Rick Desotelle.

The cost for a sled ride is $10 per child and $15 per adult. The public is invited to get acquainted with the sled dogs, view them in training at Veterans Park, learn about the sport of mushing and hear about everything from sled rigging to the art of pedaling. Participants should dress warmly and bring their cameras.

The Milwaukee County Parks Department is planning to operate the dog sled rides (weather permitting) into the month of March. Ulrich and Desotelle previously operated sled dog teams in Door County and Havenswood in Milwaukee County. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information visit www.doorcountysleddogs.com or call the Door County Sled Dog hotline for up-to-date information and snow conditions at (414) 967-9677.

Here's a little know fact: Milwaukee County used to have its own dog sled team, but due to Walker's cut backs it was downsized just a bit:


*The joke title came from a friend via email.

Will Wonders Never Cease?

The pro-Scott Walker Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has finally come to their senses and figured out that Walker has done a lousy job and has led the parks system to the brink of ruination. Furthermore, they also recognize that the sales tax is the best way to fix the problem created by Walker's poor leadership.

Read the whole thing, and how you can help, at Milwaukee County First.

Now if they would only give MCF the same recognition they give that Walker campaign front group, CRG.

Battling Tom Barrett Ain't Playing

Tom Barrett proudly announced that he was able to raise $750,000 in just the first 47 days that he has been campaigning. That, my friends, is nothing to sneeze at, and in my humble estimation, is just the first warning volley to the eventual Republican candidate.

Not only does it show Barrett's commitment to winning the governor's race, it shows that the people of Wisconsin don't want to let Scott Walker do to the state what he did to Milwaukee County and they don't want any more of the Bushonomics that led the country down the fiscal toilet.

This surge in money brings Barrett's war chest up to $1.5 million dollars. And as Xoff points out, Barrett won't need to spend his on a primary like the Republican candidates will have to.

JSOnline is reporting that neither of the two major Republican candidates have reported their numbers yet, but Team Walker is desperate in trying to spin something positive for themselves:

The two Republicans in the race - Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann - have not yet said how much they have raised, though Walker's campaign said it received more than 10,000 donations over six months. As of last July, Walker had $1.1 million in his campaign account.

However, it was Team Walker that also bragged during his money bomb (the one he held the same day he joked about laying off 180 county workers, and admitted it was just a political ploy) that most of the money he got was under $50:

Since Scott Walker’s announcement of candidacy in April, the campaign has garnered tremendous grassroots support. Walker has the endorsement of over 75 percent of elected Republicans in the State Legislature and received over 93% of the straw poll vote at the 2009 Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention. Ten recent training sessions across the state saw over 800 attendees.

In the last fundraising period Scott Walker raised an impressive $1.1 million. Of that number, $236,000 came from online contributions. 75% of Scott Walker’s $1.1 million in contribution were for $50 or less, and half of all contributions came from new donors.

Now, if one presumes that he followed the same patter throughout, and also presuming that 75% gave $50, while the other 25% gave 100 (which was about the average in his last campaign financial report) that only comes to $625,000. That's over $100,000 less than Barrett over a time period four times as long. But even if Walker drew more special interest money from Chicago and Ohio, and was able to eke past Barrett's total, it would still have taken him four times longer to do so.

If Neumann stands his ground and waits for the primary to pick up into full campaign mode, Walker is going to be lucky to make it all the way to the primary, and not have to drop out like he did in the last election cycle.

Cool Advertising

Now why can't our local elected county officials come up with something this creative?:

It's A Bloggerful Life

It must be an election year, since the Cheddarsphere is starting to become more diverse and exciting again.

It is good to see liberal bloggers Gretchen Schuldt and Michael Mathias coming out of their blogging hibernation, as well as the conservative Dean Mundy trying to pick up the reins of his site again.

The talented Emily Mills will be taking the plunge and risking becoming a true starving artist as she tries her hand at being a professional musician/freelance writer. I wish her all the luck in the world.

And speaking of wonderful female bloggers from Madison, the newest addition to the Cognitive blogroll is Ordinary Jill and her site, Jill Sixpack. Of course, she really won me over when she posted this, which I am gleefully swiping:

Walker's Poor Law & Order Posturing

The right wing bloggers, like Owen Robinson and Patrick Dorwin, are starting the complaints of Governor Jim Doyle releasing prisoners early in an effort to decrease overcrowding and to supposedly save money.

Without going into the fairness, or lack thereof, of some of the sentencing guidelines, I can't say that they are wrong in their complaints. If someone does the crime, they should be held responsible for their actions.

That said, at least the bad guys in the state prisons had lost some freedoms and the ability to commit major crimes. The same cannot be said for those locked up in Milwaukee County's House of Correction.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting of a prescription forgery ring that was busted, with the ring leader calling the shots on the entire operation while sitting in the House of Correction:

The group’s goal was to move 450 pills per day at a street value of between $45 and $80 per pill, Schoonover said. They switched doctors’ names about once a month and drove to pharmacies all over the region in hopes of avoiding detection.

Reno, identified as the ringleader, continued running the operation even while he served time in the House of Correction on a cocaine possession charge from May 2007 through January, Schoonover said.

From the House, Reno made 3,600 minutes worth of calls to his girlfriend on the outside, telling her which runners to work with, which bogus prescription pads to use and which pharmacies to go to, Schoonover said. Often, she drove the runners to the pharmacy and waited outside with the disposable cell phones, answering them while posing as a nurse or receptionist and verifying the prescriptions.

The majority of the time that Reno was locked up, but still plying his illegal trade, was while Scott Walker was in charge of the HOC, before he realized he was not up to the task and abdicated his duties by dumping the mess on Sheriff David Clarke.

Of course, Walker's track record of being good in the law and order business is not a very stellar one.

As a state legislator, he tried to revamp the system by introducing "Truth in Sentencing." But like most things he touches, he screwed it up royally, sticking tax payers with huge bills, but little to show for it.

Walker's overseeing of the HOC has been less than stellar as well, with the facility having a number of problems, as pointed out in a federal audit done a couple of years ago.

Most recently, Walker learned that executiving is hard work when he furloughed deputy sheriffs and correction officers for eight days in 2010. Walker claims it was unintentional, but that claim has to be taken with a grain of salt. Either way, it shows that Walker is either soft on crime, or that he is just incompetent. Either way, it should make anyone pause if they think he is anyway fit to be governor, especially on a "tough on crime" platform.

While the right might have a legitimate gripe about Doyle releasing prisoners, with Walker in charge, it doesn't matter if they're locked up or not. That is not someone I want in charge of public safety on any level.

When Animals Photobomb

I'm not sure why, but this picture just cracks me up:

Note To Self

January 12th is going to be a busy, busy night.

GOP Alienates Another Demographic

Michael Steele, RNC Chairman, is one of the Democrats' best friends, since he keeps pushing people away from their ever-shrinking tent. Today's ostracized group are Native Americans:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has been out aggressively promoting his new book, “Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda,” which was just released yesterday. He went on Sean Hannity’s Fox News last night to discuss Republican principles and insisted that the Republican Party does not need to modernize. “Honest Injun on that,” he said to underscore his point [...]

Fortunately for the GOP, and the Dems, the GOP have the sociopaths' votes locked up.

Who's Schooling Whom?

Cory Liebmann thinks that Mark Neumann is falling flat by not doing his homework:

There are several reasons to question Neumann's campaign so far, but I recently discovered a new one. Why isn't Mark Neumann doing even some introductory homework on his primary opponent? Recently, I had occasion to look at open records requests that were sent to Scott Walker's office in 2009. As far as I could tell, none of them came from Neumann, his campaign operatives, or any other professional that he may have hired. Call me crazy, but if your opponent is a government official, shouldn't you have at least sought some kind of public record from his office by now?

Now, I fully recognize that Cory is much better versed in the way of political elections than I am, but I would raise some questions regarding Cory's questions. As I commented on Cory's site, there are more than one way to get information, including reading blogs like his or mine.

But it seems to me that Neumann might be savvier than Cory gives him credit for.

Case in point, Neumann announced yesterday a reform package that he will be including in his platform. JSOnline breaks it down pretty succinctly:

Neumann, a former congressman running as a Republican, unveiled a package Monday that would:

- Limit governors, state senators and state representatives to 12 years in each office. Neumann pledged to serve no more than two terms, or eight years;

- Allow citizens to bring statewide referendums or ballot initiatives to voters;

- Ban -- voluntarily -- fundraising during the budget process. Neumann said he would not raise money from Dec. 1 until the budget is signed and would ask lawmakers to take a similar position;

- Bar donations from employees of a business while they are bidding on state work. The plan would also bar the governor’s appointees from donating to his or her campaign or participating in fundraising efforts;

- Have the Legislature change its rules to post on the Web for at least five days major spending proposals before they are given final approval.

It seems to me that Neumann is subtly hitting Walker in some of the many chinks in Walker's armor.

The term limit is something that Walker has mentioned he would consider implementing, but when it came to following a self-imposed term limit as county executive, Walker conveniently ignored that, and ran when he promised he wouldn't.

Walker has also shown a strong reluctance to heed the will of the people, repeatedly trying to thwart a referendum on a dedicated sales tax, and then ignoring the will of the people when they finally did get their voices heard, by threatening to pass the sales tax that was approved by the voters.

And the two issues regarding fund raising during budget times or accepting campaign donations during the bidding process really flies at Walker's modus operandi.

Neumann's last issue is more of a populist issue than anything that can be tied to Walker, but does tie in to the previous campaign contribution issues to a certain degree.

These five reforms suggested by Neumann could easily paint Walker into a corner, making him chose between trying to explain his opposition to what could be commonsense political stances or explaining why he did not follow the positions he agrees with, even when he had a chance to do so.

Interestingly, it appears that Team Walker is choosing the hypocrisy route, with a twist, as evidenced by his official mouthpiece issuing this statement:

"Much of what Mr. Neumann advocates will effectively hand over the passage of laws to wealthy special interests, not to mention take two consecutive legislative sessions and require a constitutional amendment. These gimmicks are a distraction from the most important issue we should be focused on: how to get Wisconsin working again. Scott Walker has a proven record of changing the way government does business, and for eight years has found creative solutions to budget shortfalls, scaled back government, and done more with less without raising taxes. That's real reform you can feed a family on."

That statement is worthy of another post by itself, as heavily laden with hypocrisy and flat out lies as it is. But I do have to point out that apparently Walker feels that real reform would be too difficult to do. That does go a long way to explaining the last eight years and why Milwaukee County is on the verge of financial and infrastructural collapse.

UPDATED: Caffeinated Politics and Blogging Blue each have interesting points on why Neumann's suggested reform regarding direct legislation is troublesome. I personally would like to see some form of it in place, with proper safety measures in place to keep it from being the monstrosity they have in California.

The Continued Decline Of Our County Parks

Story is at, where else, Milwaukee County First.