A Democrat wins in the Heart of WI GOP Territory:

Cribbed from What's Left - I was going to write something up about this, but she did such a good job:

A Democratic Mayor in Waukesha

Most people are pretty surprised that a Democrat won the mayoral race in Waukesha yesterday. It must have the Republicans at the state level a little nervous.

People on both sides of the political spectrum should take notice of one fact in the race - the Republican was a public supporter of the so-called Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA) and the Democrat was against it. He wasn't trying to walk the line and be both for it and against it either. So a Democrat won in a Republican base speaking out against the TPA.

And the Democrat was outspent 3-to-1 in the race.

There must be a few Republican supporters of the TPA questioning their stance on it today and looking through old press releases to see what they have said on this issue. Rep. Mark Green might be questioning his support of it too. If you can't win with that message in Waukesha, where can you?

Perhaps the supporters of this amendment will start to realize that voters want more than someone that votes and rules by press release and cute campaign slogans. Calling it the Taxpayer Protection Amendment but having no idea what it does to local communities might not be such a good strategy after all. I'm guessing voters are also getting a little tired of Republicans spending a lot of tax dollars and then accusing everyone else of too much government spending.

So now the question is, does Rep. John Gard and Senator Dale Schultz even bring the TPA up for a vote anymore?

Reading=Voting, Voting=Reading

Is this why Republican's want to cut education so much?

The crisis in America, where ironically we have the world's highest rate of bachelor's degrees, is that if people don't read papers, they generally won't vote. The crisis of the press here is a crisis of democracy too. The single best indicator of whether someone votes is whether he reads a paper, according to political scientist Martin P. Wattenberg in his book, "Where Have All the Voters Gone?" But the converse is also true. Whether one votes is a much better indicator than a college degree as to whether one is reading a daily paper.

The reaction between these two trends, a decline in voting and the decline in the reading of dailies, is what scientists call autocatalytic. One drives the other in a downward spiral. The under-30 young read far less, and vote far less--and according to their teachers, have fewer opinions. Not reading, not having political sentiments, they aren't especially capable of voting intelligently anyway.

A Thanks to Supervisor Sundquist...

While I am elated over my victory yesterday, I would be remiss to not also thank Paul Sundquist for his 20+ years of service to Winnebago County.

While we disagreed on several issues, he is a very good man.

He graciously called me last night to offer his congratulations. At the time, I asked him to please feel free to offer his advice at any time. I hope he does, and I will seek it from him as well.

He told me work hard and look after the 17th District, because they are good people. I will, they are, and so is Mr. Paul Sundquist.

Thank you, Paul.

The Onion Gets the Story Right:

Tom DeLay To Pursue Corruption In Private Sector
April 5, 2006
STAFFORD, TX—Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who is facing several ethics violations and felony charges, announced Tuesday that he will resign from Congress in order to concentrate on corruption in the private sector. "I can say with a clear lack of conscience that, after 21 years of public disservice, I
have done everything I could to the American people," DeLay said in a televised statement to constituents. "I have a lot to offer the corporate world, such as money laundering and influence-peddling." DeLay added that, before assuming his new irresponsibilities, he looks forward to spending more time alienating his family and cheating on his wife.

Thank You, Winnebago's 17th!

The results are in:

Paul Sundquist - 43.57% - 105 votes
Jef Hall - 55.6% - 134 votes

Thank you to everyone that provided help, advice or support.

Now the work begins...

UPDATE - Here is the Northwestern's comment:

In District 17, which includes downtown Oshkosh and surrounding neighborhoods, newcomer Jef Hall defeated incumbent Paul Sundquist, with 134 votes to Sundquist’s 105 votes. Sundquist had been a member of the Winnebago County Board for more than 20 years.

Candidate Statement

Note: In the interest of providing info for the election, I'm adjusting the date on this post to keep it on the top. New posts will be below.

This is the statement I sent out that I referenced here:

I am running for Winnebago County Board because I feel that we need to ensure an equal balance between funding and delivery of services to the residents of Winnebago County. I also believe that we can find this balance while upholding a good quality of life for both the taxpayers and the hard-working county employees they fund.

To often people demand a cut in their taxes on the backs of county and municipal workers. To often people turn to privatization schemes to save money simply by hollowing out worker’s pay.

I believe that Winnebago needs to fund the services on which working people rely, and provide a fair wage for those county workers that provide these services.

This is not to say that there will not be cuts and difficult funding decisions to make in the upcoming budgets. I pledge to work in the best interest of Winnebago County when we look at services provided or to be consolidated. And in the same token, fight to ensure that these services are funded through a fair and progressive system.

I believe that the greatest statement of the morals of an organization is where it chooses to expend its resources. I will not balance the budget on the backs of working families and the poor. I will not add to the struggle of the vulnerable to fund breaks for the comfortable or affluent.

I will also be a voice for these issues at a local, county and state level.

There are major opportunities for Winnebago County in the funding and budget debates we will have over the next few years. I hope to help guide Winnebago to a
future where we support our neighbors and ensure fairness in service and burden while seizing every opportunity for advancement and a better county.

It is in this spirit that I ask for your support and your vote on April 4th, 2006 for Winnebago County Board.

Please feel free to contact me anytime at 920.203.6883, email me jef@jefhall.com or through my website, www.jefhall.com with any questions.

My interview with the Northwestern can be found by clicking here.

DPW On Green's Vote Suppression

Extreme Green Joins Republicans in Trying to Suppress the Right to Vote

DPW Chair Joe Wineke Reminds Poll Workers: ‘No Voter Should be Turned Away From the Polls Because They Forget Their Driver’s License’

MADISON – Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke released the following statement today regarding Congressman Mark Green’s efforts to prevent people from voting. Green has challenged a correct ruling by the State Elections Board that allows Wisconsin voters to use the last four digits of their Social Security Number when registering to vote if they do not have their driver’s license with them at the polls.

“The intent of the federal Help America Vote Act is exactly that – to help people vote and to provide registration options to voters. Unfortunately, Republicans led by Mark Green are determined to put up roadblocks that prevent Americans from exercising their constitutional right to vote.

“Wisconsin state law, in compliance with federal law, allows individuals registering to vote to either provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security Number. This correct interpretation of HAVA by the State Elections Board is in line with federal guidelines and registration requirements in numerous other states, including Florida, Alabama, Kansas, and West Virginia.

“Yet Mark Green and Republicans continue their quest to turn as many people away from the polls as possible in an effort to stack the elections in their favor. Through misinformation campaigns and political scare tactics, Green and the Republicans are doing their best to prevent certain groups of people who traditionally vote Democratic – from the elderly to minorities to young people – from voting this fall. Mark Green and the Republicans should be ashamed of their attempts to suppress the vote.

“No voter who is able to provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number should be turned away from the polls tomorrow because they forgot their driver’s license.”

Mark Green Contiues Trying to Block Your Vote:

As I outlined here, Mark Green doesn't want you to vote.

Even thought the State Elections Board has said you do not need to present an ID to vote, he continues to spread misinformation in this press release:

Green warns that new State Elections Board rule allowing all voters to register using partial Social Security numbers may not comply with federal Help America Vote Act law – sends letter urging Board to instruct municipal clerks to accept Social Security numbers only as “last resort”

Green is using fear to intimidate people away from the polls. Do not let him. Vote today. Click here to find out why Green doesn't want you to vote easily.

It seems that with Green's ties to DeLay he is also learning the good old fashioned southern way to block access to the polls.

Doonesbury Does Civil War:

Here is the cartoon.

DeLay is Out!

Tom DeLay Says He Will Give Up His Seat
The embattled former Republican leader tells TIME that he will leave Congress and not seek reelection

The cartoon is here.

Wednesday Morning Will Be Historic...

And not just because of elections - this is stolen off of Lakeshore Laments:

On Wednesday , at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06.

Pretty cool....

Ellis/Kaufert Caught in Spin:

The state brought the problem on itself by transferring $427 million out of the transportation fund to help schools and filling part of that hole with bonds, Ellis said.

"It was probably, intellectually, the dumbest thing they've ever done," he said.

Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) said that Doyle was the primary culprit for those raids.

"We took a few pennies out," Kaufert said. "The governor took the green stuff out."

Actually, Republican legislators signed off on more than half of the amount Doyle took from the transportation account.

and

Kaufert sits on the transportation needs committee and serves as co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee. He said the focus of the new committee will be on finding ways to reduce costs, such as trimming environmental regulations for road construction. Lawmakers are reluctant to increase taxes and fees or back off from construction plans, he said.

"Everybody's going to want their share of the pie, so I don't see us doing less road building," he said.

If only I worked out a little more....

http://jeffhallmountainbiking.com/

Expensive Brats...

From 'The Hill' - The newspaper for and about the US Congress:

Under the heading of

Meat lovers with PAC money to spend need not venture far from the Hill this week.

is this:

Finally, on Thursday, Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) hosts his annual Brat Fry for $1,000 per PAC and $500 per individual.

Now, I love a good brat as much as the next guy, but this is pretty darn extreme. The horseradish and buns must be pretty swanky in DC.

More American's Now Call Themselves Democrats!

Gallup: In Shift, More Americans Now Call Themselves Democrats
By E&P Staff Published: March 29, 2006 12:15 PM ET

NEW YORK In a (perhaps) historic shift, more Americans now consider themselves Democrats than Republicans, the Gallup organization revealed today.

Republicans had gained the upper hand in recent years, but 33% of Americans, in the latest Gallup poll, now call themselves Democrats, with those favoring the GOP one point behind. But Gallup says this widens a bit more "once the leanings of Independents are taken into account."

Independents now make up 34% of the population. When asked if they lean in a certain direction, their answers pushed the Democrat numbers to 49% with Republicans at 42%. One year ago, the parties were dead even at 46% each.

This shift indicates, Gallup says, why its polls show Democrats leading in this year's congressional races.

The latest poll was taken from January to March 2006, with a national sample of about 1,000 adults.

Maybe this guy was right.

Mark Green is trying to take away votes:

Yesterday, I linked to a statement by the State Elections Board titled: "Requirements for Registering on Election - Day Elections Board Adjusts Rule to Avoid Discouraging Voters"

What an honorable goal, encouraging people to vote, to take part in their government.

It seems that discouraging the vote is more what Mark Green is after. Today, he challenged the SEB's sensible take on how to both comply with the 'Help America Vote Act' and make sure that votes can be cast and counted in the spring election with a letter to the US Justice Department.

Why? He's afraid that people who register using their Social Security numbers instead of their Driver's license numbers may still be considered registered for the fall election.

Who do you know that have Social Security numbers, but not always Driver's license numbers, yet vote in high numbers?

Senior citizens.

That's right, seniors. Mark Green wants to make sure that it is difficult for seniors to vote in the fall, because he knows that among other issues, Doyle's protection of Senior Care is the one thing that saved them from Mark Greens Medicare Part D disaster (passed by one vote - and Mark Green voted for it).

Mark Green knows that. And it scares him.

Make sure you know the facts before you vote. Not just to select a candidate, but to get through the door.

Another reason that the Voter ID bill pushed by WI Republicans is no good. If passed today, 85,000 seniors in Wisconsin would have to make a trip to the DMV before next Tuesday.

Do you want to be in that line?

Abramoff gets 5 years 10 months

A federal judge has sentenced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff to five years and 10 months in prison in his Florida fraud case.

but...

Abramoff's sentence won’t start immediately so he and Kidan can continue cooperating in a Washington corruption investigation and a Florida probe into the murder of former SunCruz owner Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis.

and...

The same week Abramoff pleaded guilty to the SunCruz fraud, he entered guilty pleas to three federal charges as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. No date has been set for his sentencing in that case.

It's all here

Is economics the new racism?

Something for affirmative action opponents to remember:

Blacks losing ground financially, study finds
Gap with whites grows despite improved national economy
By Larry Copeland USA
TODAY

Despite a rebounding economy, African-Americans are not making progress in achieving income, net worth, employment and homeownership levels equal to those of whites, according to a National Urban League report to be released today.

Blacks have just 56% of the economic status of whites, a slip of 1 percentage point from last year, according to the civil rights organization's annual “The State of Black America” report. “The economic status of African-Americans is getting worse,” Urban League President Marc Morial says. “If things are stagnant in a growing economy … then we've got to say that progress is seriously lacking. … America is not America when millions of our citizens are still viewed as a fraction of a person.”

The sharpest economic disparity between black and whites is in median net worth, according to the report, which compiles data from many government sources, including the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median net worth for African-American families — half have more, half less — is less than one-tenth of the median for white families. That gap is driven largely by differences in homeownership. More than 70% of white families own their homes, compared with about 50% of blacks, the report says.

The unemployment rate for blacks is 10%, compared with 4.4% for whites. One promising finding in the report: The rate of black-owned businesses compared with white-owned ones is growing.

Falwell on McCain:"I think he is genuinely a state's righter — and so am I"

Does anyone remember what that used to be code for?

Also:

When McCain accepted an invitation to be Liberty University's graduation speaker, he spoke with Falwell by phone about the marriage issue.

According to Falwell, McCain is not pushing for a federal marriage amendment at this time. But McCain "reconfirmed" to Falwell that he would support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman if a federal court were to strike down state constitutional bans on gay marriage.

McCain's outreach to conservatives on marriage is politically important because of the way he sharply denounced a federal constitutional ban on gay marriage when it was considered in 2004. McCain called it "antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans" because it "usurps from the states a fundamental authority they have always possessed and imposes a federal remedy for a problem that most states do not believe confronts them."

Ooops, looks like it still means the same thing...

RNC Memo Warns GOPers Not To Distance Themselves From Bush

Click here for the entire memo. In it, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee warns Congressional Republicans not to run away from Bush.

I really can't imagine such a memo from Howard Dean.

Here is the clincher line:

The President is seen universally as the face of the Republican Party. We are now brand W. Republicans.

Lets remember that about Mark Green in November.

Is Jerry Falwell on the Way?

The City Attorney just said that Jerry Falwell pledged to send lawyers to defend the 'Christmas Box Angel'.

Just what we need...

Here are two simple solutions. Why do we need to dig in heels on this issue?

Also, if they are putting up the address to send donations for the statue during the meeting on public access, shouldn't they give equal time to the other side?

Update: here is the Northwestern on the subject.

Make Sure That You Vote - Don't let someone turn you away because of ID:

From the State Elections Board today:

And if she has neither a driver license number, a Wisconsin state identification number nor a Social Security number, she can check a box on the form attesting to that.

The State Elections Board (SEB) recently decided that if a registering voter arrives at the polling place on election day, April 4, without her driver license number she will be allowed to register using the last four digits of her Social Security number. The Board based its decision on Wisconsin’s current transition to statewide voter registration, and the premise that no registering voter ought to be turned away because she is not able to provide a driver license number.

All other same-day voter registration rules still apply, including providing proof of residence.

Must See: CBS correspondent Lara Logan on 'Where is the Iraqi Good News?'

The video is here.

Part of the transcript:

KURTZ: But critics would say, well, no wonder people back home think things are falling apart because we get this steady drumbeat of negativity from the correspondents there.

LOGAN: Well, who says things aren't falling apart in Iraq? I mean, what you didn't see on your screens this week was all the unidentified bodies that have been turning up, all the allegations here of militias that are really controlling the security forces.
What about all the American soldiers that died this week that you didn't see on our
screens? I mean, we've reported on reconstruction stories over and over again…I mean, I really resent the fact that people say that we're not reflecting the true picture here. That's totally unfair and it's really unfounded.
...Our own editors back in New York are asking us the same things. They read the same comments. You know, are there positive stories? Can't you find them? You don't think that I haven't been to the U.S. military and the State Department and the embassy and asked them over and over again, let's see the good stories, show us some of the good things that are going on? Oh, sorry, we can't take to you that school project, because if you put that on TV, they're going to be attacked about, the teachers are going to be killed, the children might be victims of attack.
I mean, security dominates every single thing that happens in this country….So how it is that security issues should not then dominate the media coverage coming
out of here?

On conservative radio host Laura Ingraham's recent statement that journalists need to do less "reporting from hotel balconies" in Iraq

LOGAN: I think it's outrageous. I mean, Laura Ingraham should come to Iraq and not be talking about what journalists are doing from the comfort of her studio in the United States, the comfort and the safety. I mean, I don't know any journalist that wants to just sit in a hotel room in Iraq. Does anybody understand that for us we used to be able to drive to Ramadi, we used to drive to Falluja, we used to drive to Najaf. We could travel all over this country without having to fly in military helicopters. That's the only way we can move around here. So, it's when the military can accommodate us, if the military can accommodate us, then we can go out and see. I have been out with Iraqi security forces over and over again. And you know what? When Bob Woodruff was out with Iraqi security forces and he was injured, the first thing that people were asking was, oh, was he being responsible by placing himself in this position with Iraqi forces? And they started to question his responsibility and integrity as a journalist. I mean, we just can't win. I think it's an outrage to point the finger at journalists and say that this is our fault. I really do. And I think it shows an abject lack of respect for any journalist that's prepared to come to this country and risk their lives. "
Oh, sorry, we can't show this reconstruction project because then that's going to expose it to sabotage. And the last time we had journalists down here, the plant was attacked. I mean, security dominates every single thing that happens in this country….So how it is that security issues should not then dominate the media coverage coming out of here?

This is Worth Seeing:

Click here for a photo essay from the Rocky Mountain News of the wake and funeral for Cpl. Brett Lundstrom, Marine and Native American, on Pine Ridge Reservation.

My Northwestern Interview is Online

I was beginning to think it would never make it there...

I also submitted a written statement, which is not posted. I'll add it here later.

There was no Editorial Board interview for us, this was a telephone interview with a reporter.

Here it is (click on this sentence)

Update - here is my statement.

FDR Quotes:

I stumbled across a website full of FDR Quotes - here are some great ones:

Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.

I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm.

In our seeking for economic and political progress, we all go up - or else we all go down.

It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.

Selfishness is the only real atheism; aspiration, unselfishness, the only real religion.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the goverment.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.

True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we now know that it is bad economics.

Gloom, Despair and Agony on Us...

RIP Buck Owens

Better Late Than Never (But get your facts straight)...

The Wisconsin Green Party released a statement today in support of Sen. Feingold's call for the censure of President Bush over the illegal wiretapping program.

While it is nice that they also support our senator's efforts. I would ask their researchers to look before they leap with a press release. In it they say:

The Democratic Party’s silence on Feingold’s censure is the latest manifestation of its unwillingness to stand for even the most basic of principles – those upon which our nation was founded

I wish they would have looked on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's website. On the front page, there is a link to Joe Wineke's statement about our support of Senator Feingold:

“President Bush and the Republicans must be held accountable for their failures, and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin applauds Senator Feingold for leading the effort to do just that.”

And that was released 9 days ago - March 17th. As I said, better late than never, but get your facts straight.

Thoughts on the debate - Bumping It Up Edition

Just a quick post to keep these posts near the top:

Thoughts on the debate - Sales Tax Edition

Thoughts on the debate - Partisanship Edition

Bush Second to Only Jefferson....

1,889 days and no vetoes: Bush gaining on Jefferson
WASHINGTON — President Bush today becomes the longest-sitting president since Thomas Jefferson not to exercise his veto, surpassing James Monroe.
Monroe was in office 1,888 days before he vetoed his first bill on May 4, 1822, a measure to impose a toll on the first federal highway. Jefferson never exercised his veto during two terms in 1801-09.
Today is Bush's 1,889th day in office, and no veto is in sight. As of Wednesday, Congress had sent him 1,091 bills. He signed them all.

Emanuel gets it right....

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., scoffs at that: “This is a rubber-stamp Congress. Why would he veto anything?”

So, lets take back Congress, OK?