The so called Judicial Integrity committee lacks one thing - Integrity

Mr. Bill Judge Gableman Bonnie Bell

Yep. I fully support Judge Gableman for Wisconsin Supreme Court!

This is a letter (third one down) that was accepted at the Wis State Journal last Saturday March 22,08. I had to resubmit it as the editors felt my first effort was too hard on a local retired (Liberal) judge who criticized Judge Gableman (without actually naming him- judges are SO clever). I did re-do it and was happy to get one additional point in favor of Judge Gableman in the letter.

Interesting also that after that letter I noted an editorial piece in the Wall St Journal here that even the Wall St Jouranl mentions 'Loop Hole' Louie Butler has a poor record on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Will that wake up voters enough to actually vote on April 1st?

The gentle, touching humor of Ann Coulter on Hillary's 'comeback'

Ann Coulter's wicked humor just cracks me up. Texas and Ohio fell to Hillary. Can't wait for the Democrats convention in August in Denver. Could make the Chicago 68 convention look like a tea party.

VOTE in the Primary for LOCAL people in primaries

Letter to the editor Wis St Journal published Sat. 2/16/08 Politics are local. The Presidential primary Tuesday Feb 19 hopefully won’t overshadow the importance to change our local politics by voting out the “progressives” and “Lefties” on the County Board who have a primary also. Over the past two years they have made a concerted effort to crush private property rights with their 22 member majority. The County Board correctly purchased land with your taxes to preserve parklands, but then bought more just to lock out future development, pushed billion dollar trains, trolleys with new sales taxes while Transport 2020 Implementation members freely admitting, “it’s not about transportation, it’s about land use.” Add their 'Free phone calls for Felons' at the county jail, voting against adding Deputies, their push to take over local zoning through the “No Growth” Capitol Area Regional Plan Commission, dictating to the rest of the county housing density and the illegal alien and felons housing protection ordinance - no asking for SS numbers by landlords, no criminal background checks - and you have reasons to vote for someone who recognizes that common sense should trump social utopian experiments. To be fair, the County and Madison are cooperating. Madison is adding police officers and Dane County is adding 200 ankle-bracelet felons fresh from outlying jails for them to catch!

Wall St. Jrnal: Mormons dismayed by Harsh Spotlight

It appears that fat people and Mormons are still considered fair game by the press and a lot of Americans.

My take: All the Mormons I have worked with, played with and been around have been exemplary people. They don't deserve this kind of bigotry from anyone. Good Luck Mitt- you are missed already!

Of course when you ask a Democrat pollster , as they did here, they never miss an opportunity to bash the religious right. (Ever notice, no one ever writes about or quotes the "Agnostic Left or Atheist Left"- Ann Coulter pointed that out about 8 years ago)

WAll ST Jrnal Page 1 TABERNACLE ON TRIAL Mormons Dismayed by Harsh Spotlight By SUZANNE SATALINE February 8, 2008; Page A1

Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening.
Critics of its doctrines and culture launched frequent public attacks. Polling data showed that far more Americans say they'd never vote for a Mormon than those who admitted they wouldn't choose a woman or an African-American.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in late January revealed that 50% of Americans said they would have reservations or be "very uncomfortable" about a Mormon as president. That same poll found that 81% would be "enthusiastic" or "comfortable" with an African-American and 76% with a woman.

BLOGGING MORMONISM

Read excerpts from blog posts addressing the recent public interest in Mormons and their doctrines.

The Mormon religion "was the silent factor in a lot of the decision making by evangelicals and others," says Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll. The Romney campaign ran into "a religious bias head wind," Mr. Hart and his Republican polling partner, Bill McInurff, wrote late last month.
"I don't think that any of us had any idea how much anti-Mormon stuff was out there," said Armand Mauss, a Mormon sociologist who has written extensively about church culture, in an interview last week. "The Romney campaign has given the church a wake-up call. There is the equivalent of anti-Semitism still out there."

Civil rights Act of 1964 and LBJ How Hillary got it wrong

The article in link above and here by Wynton Hall echoes a blog I did about Martin Luther King, Jr below on Jan 15, 08.

I must be smarter than I look!

Mr. Hall is talking about Hillary's attribution of credit to LBJ for getting the 1964 Civil Rights act passed. The reality is a bit more gritty.

I actually saw LBJ several times when performing with the Marine Band in the White House between 1966-70. Whenever he saw a good looking woman he would glide over, ask her to dance and then unleash his "Russian hands and Roman fingers" moves on the dance floor. It made for some interesting counter moves from the lady he was dancing with....

Getting back to why commuter rail sucks for a large, rural county with only 440,000 people

8/18/08 UPDATE: see Stephen's 'comment' below or go to http://thegreattrainrobbery.org and sign the petition!

This was my letter to the editor about commuter rail, RTA and the Journal's editorial for 2008. Sat. Jan 19. 2008

Glad transportation included in agenda

Thanks to the State Journal for its 2008 agenda editorial, especially "Steering clear of gridlock."

After reading the Transport 2020 report, the conclusion has to be that it doesn't make sense. The report consultants found that at an "enhanced bus system" spending level, a single bus rider could be added for $1.50, most covered by the rider's fare and the current $4 local and federal tax subsidies. The Transport 2020 plan of keeping the fare the same for commuter trains and buses would kick the tax subsidy up to an estimated $65 per rider -- one way and with fewer riders than the enhanced bus system.

When the Transport 2020 committee, led by and made up mostly of rail advocates, decided to ignore this less expensive bus detour and stay on track for trains and trolleys, they achieved the dubious distinction of national attention for pigheadedness in author Randal O'Toole's 2007 book "The Best-Laid Plans. " (page 171-172)

O'Toole points out that crippling the bus system by turning it into a "train feeder" system and eliminating routes that "compete" with the train artificially forces ridership for trains upward and makes trains an easier sell.

The problem is traffic congestion. The solution is bypassing through traffic around the Isthmus, enhanced bus service and safer high capacity highways.

-- Bill Richardson, Middleton, member, Thegreattrainrobbery.org

Boy did I ever get that wrong

Once again, my near perfect record of predicting the outcome of political contests was confirmed: I got it wrong one more time. Not only did Rudi G. not win in Florida as I predicted, (below, last Tuesday) he got his hinder handed to him and now he's out of the race. If you ever need to know who is going to lose a race check with me!

A 41 Cent solution to your rebate problem

After reading our own Wisconsin State Journal’s rebate editorial, those of other papers and all the letters to the editor about the problems exacerbated, and newly-created pitfalls caused by a federal tax rebate- evil corporations underpaying taxes, echoes of the depression, credit card government and the ever present, “it’s Bush’s fault” hand wringing, here’s a simple 41 cent solution for all this anguish: When your check comes in the mail, endorse it, write, “Pay to the order of the U.S. Treasury”, add a stamp and send it back.

I predict Rudi G will win in FL today

I think Rudi G will win in FL. today. Lots of retired NYC folks there and eastern seaboard also. He has spent a lot of time there and the Mainstream press says its McCain and Mitt. OK, I am hardly every right. But I say Rudi pulls off an upset today.

Hillary Billaries: Democrats smearing Democrats. The VAST LEFT WING CONSPIRACY

I watched Meet the Press yesterday Jan.27,08. I was falling out my recliner laughing at Maureen Dowd and other NY times types telling how 'Shocked, Schocked, I tell you" they were about the white trash behavior of BillHill and the "first Black President" smearing the first Black Candidate with a solid chance of winnning the presidency.

"They lie, they cheat, they stole from the people's white house, they consort and extort money from criminals, they will do anything to win" No, this is not the Republicans talking about the Clintons throughout the 90's and into the 21st Century- it is now the Democrats!

I posted on my door in 1996 a fake flyer for a new biography about the Clintons that I called "White Trash in the White House" I think the time is right to bring that book out now....

Vast Left-Wing ConspiracyJanuary 25, 2008; Page A14
Wall St Jrnal

The Democratic epiphany about the political tactics of Bill and Hillary Clinton continues, with scales falling from eyes on a daily basis. "I think it's not Presidential," said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, about Mr. Clinton's steady barrage against Barack Obama. "It's not in keeping with the image of a former President, and I'm frankly surprised that he is taking this approach." Mr. Daschle supports Mr. Obama, but how he could be surprised is another matter.

"This is beneath the dignity of a former President. He is not helping anyone, and certainly not helping the Democratic Party," added Vermont Senator Pat Leahy. On the point of "helping" the party, Mr. Leahy seems to have forgotten that the Clinton Presidency was an era of more or less persistent Democratic losses -- except for the Clintons.

Then there's former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian, who once backed Bill Clinton but this week called his political attacks "reprehensible" and described one of Mrs. Clinton's TV ads about Mr. Obama as "a lie." As Mrs. Clinton likes to say, she's had "16 years" of experience in dealing with this "Republican attack machine."

NY Times Endorses McCain = Vote for Rudi

She's bright, witty, well educated, funny and gives better than she gets....and beautiful to boot.

Ann Coulter's 1/23/08 take on John McCain for president here and above link.

If the New York Times endorses Hillary and McCain as their two opposing candidates- as they did this last week- you know Rudi must be "the one" since they also added one (not final) brutal shot at 'DaMayor' to underline yet another reason their circulation is going down faster than Monica.

The Few, the Proud, the Marines new recruiting video

Ok, Ok, I admit I am proud I was in the Marine Band in D.C. 1966-1970 and though we were not "leathernecks" (called ourselves "Leatherchops") now after all these years, I do see the uniqueness of the Corps. If the video here and the title above don't give you a chill, you need to check your pulse. Sempre Fi

Is the Left Losing on UW campus

Tip of the hat to Wendy for emailing me this. The link above and here is to an article by Charlie Sykes about a Political Correct "rat out anyone who offends you" effort by a misguided Dean who seems to be channeling 'La Donna' A.K.A. Donna Shalala the PC queen who managed to repress free speech for students for about 10 years ( and for 17? years for Faculty) with her institution of speech codes. They were struck down 3 times by Federal Judge Shabazz. The last case was the speech code for faculty. He wrote in the next to last judgement that perhaps the law faculty-who were backing the code even after he told them in the first judgement it was unlawful- should "read the constitution and Bill of Rights once in awhile" or something to that effect. These things tend to be horribly one sided in reporting. Example: when the political and physical;y heavy Michael Moore was on campus during the 2004 Presidential race, the college republicans demonstrated against him near the Memorial Union. They had urine thrown on them for daring to confront the monolithic Lefties. They dutifully reported the incident and who they thought had done it to a Dean of students in charge of such incidents. They "investigated" for a couple of days and then let it drop. In this case (Nov 07) Charlie Sykes point out the students just ignored the dumb campaign and then the UW let it drop.

MLKing Jr and the Civil rights struggle against Democrats

Can we all remember on MLK's upcoming Birthday that he wanted people judged on their merits, not the color of their skin?

That what the Main stream Media and the Dems- same thing- call the "Conscience of the Senate" Sen. Byrd of W. Virgina was a Kleagle in the Ku Klux Klan as late as 1948 and used the N word publicly in the late 70's. (with no repercussions)

That Pres. Clinton's hero and mentor Sen. Fulbright (who, by the way Wis. Sen. Joe McCarthy called"Senator Halfbright") and ALGORE's old Man, Sen. Gore participated in the longest recorded filibuster by Sen. Byrd AGAINST the 64 Civil rights Act and voted they all voted against it?

That what the Hilary Clinton campaign is doing to Obama right now with Pres. Clinton dropping the drug use bomb on Obama is a classic example of putting down "an uppity black" not unlike what the southern Democrats were doing to any black person who wanted to vote or run for office after the Civil war?

Subject: Martin Luther King's struggle was against Democrats

January 15, 2008

On this day in 1901, the Alabama Democratic Party called for a convention to write a new state constitution that would prohibit African-Americans from voting. Despite vocal opposition from Booker T. Washington and other Republican civil rights activists, the Democrat scam succeeded.
Democrats dominated Alabama's 1901 constitutional convention, and its chairman was a Democrat. In his opening address, he said: "If we would have white supremacy, we must establish it by law -- not by force or fraud... The negro is descended from a race lowest in intelligence and moral precepts of all the races of men."

Alabama's African-American citizens would not vote in appreciable numbers again until the 1950s.

It was a Republican federal judge, Frank Johnson, who in 1956 ruled in favor of Rosa Parks and who in 1965 ordered the Democrat governor, George Wallace, to permit Martin Luther King's voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

At the 2000 Republican National Convention, Condoleezza Rice said: "The first Republican I knew was my father and he is still the Republican I most admire. He joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did. My father has never forgotten that day, and neither have I."

Democrats want Americans to forget that Republicans supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act much more than did the Democrats.

Republicans today would benefit tremendously from appreciating the true heritage of our Grand Old Party. This Republican heritage article and others are available on the Grand Old Partisan blog each day celebrating 154 years of Republican heroes and heroics.

Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country. His e-mail address is Grand_Old_Partisan@hotmail.com. For more information, see www.republicanbasics.com.

President Bush makes an excellent decision for Israel

The guy has guts and he sticks to his word and his guns.

The article below will bring out the usual Bushwackers. Personally I respect the man for his steadfastness and forthright following of his basic principle: Protect Amercia.

Israel doesn't need our "permission" to defend themselves from terrorist sending rockets into civilian neighborhoods just as we do not need to bow to the Cut and Run surrender Democrats version of "peace through appeasement."

In the years ahead I predict that Pres. Clinton will rank even lower than the worst president of the 20th Century- Pres. Carter and Pres. George W, Bush will be seen for the righteous President he is and will be ranked among the best.

Wall Street Journal Bush Gives Israel Scope for Antiterror Acts

By JOHN D. MCKINNON and CAM SIMPSON January 10, 2008; Page A4
JERUSALEM --
President Bush signaled he would give Israel broad leeway to continue raids targeting Palestinian militants and to develop settlements in disputed parts of Jerusalem, despite international pressure to curb such actions.
That cooperative U.S. attitude is likely to ease the political burden that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will face in selling a Palestinian peace deal to a restive public. But it complicates life for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who wants to build political momentum for a U.S.-brokered peace deal in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has carried out its most intensive raids.

The irrelevant Senator Feingold from Wisconsin

Sen. Russ Feingold A.K.A., the Al queda representative came out with another whopper about the magic of "diversity" today- Dec 27th.

Trying desparately to keep his name in as a Moveon.org Vice Presidential candidate- dream on Senator- he was thrilled that a woman, a black, a Hispanic were all running for the Presidency. ( I guess the standard issue white guys are just to be tolerated)

He calls this a "transformational" moment in election history and "one of the most important" moments in our nation's history to have this kind of "diversity" in the candidates.

Remember, Libs and Lefties only want skin color diversity, not diversity of ideas. Example: The only difference between Hillary and Obama is .......how far Left they are, skin color and sex. Abortion? same. Teacher's unions always right? Check. Death penalty? No difference. Iraq War? Too many positions to judge. ( Though Cut and Run as soon as possible would be fair to both) Higher taxes? Whatdoyathink? Offer everyone as many programs as you can think of? (No mention of what they will cost). No difference.

The both share a vast lack of experience but does that count towards diversity?

Have a Democrat come out in favor of winning in Iraq and......Oh, wait Sen. Leiberman did that and the Democrats turned on him and tried to take away his Senate seat. He won as an Independent and has now endorsed Sen. McCain- a big, bad Republican. Yes Virginia, there is a God of politics.

But I digress from my digression.

So if this is a "transformational moment" wouldn't that mean that a person should vote their sex or racial/ ethnic preference? Nope. The Senator continues by saying, "it's not a reason to vote for or against that person" I guess it gives him warm feelings....and that's all that matters for Libs.

The Swift Boat VETS are back!

A tip of the Semper Fi hat to "TARTANMarine" for this heads-up.

I read the book the Swift Boat Veterans put out during the 2004 election cycle.

The Swift Boat Vets pointed out the bogus medals , in their and my opinion, that John Kerry was "awarded" mostly by writing up the recommendations for himself during his two months of actual active duty while in the Navy Reserves serving in Vietnam. At least he is consistent. His commanding officers in Vietnam thought he was a royal pain in the A--, and kicked him on to another unit as quickly as they could get rid of him.

The Swift boat vets also pointed out his traitorous acts while still in the Navy Reserve by negotiating with the North Vietnamese in Paris as well as the bald face lying that characterized his and the "Winter Soldiers" testimony when he first ran for office. Many of the "soldiers" had never served in Vietnam, or even been in the Armed Forces.

The whole thing about Sen Kerry's service record could have been settled by him with a simple request to the Navy to release ALL of his service records. He has never done this, though he promised to do so during the campaign. He has released only those records he himself approved, not his complete records. Recently. a million dollar bet rides on his release of his comlete records and the Swift Vets proving their case.

The lead link above takes you to a site about the new book by the Swift Boat vets who worked with LT. Kerry during his short tour of duty and brings it up to date with their new book "To Set the Record Straight"

The sound of one small hand clapping for all the New Direction legislation by the Democrats in Congress

Harry, "The war in Iraq is lost" Reid. Harry, Nancy Pelosie New Direction =RETREAT

From The Wall St. Jrnal Best of the WEB James Taranto DEC. 14 2007

Just Wait Till Next Year!The Democrats are wrapping up their first year in the congressional majority, and pretty much everyone agrees that it has been, to be charitable, less than a rousing success. Here is a comprehensive list of their legislative accomplishments:
An increase in the federal minimum wage, to $5.85 an hour from $5.15, effective July 24, 2007.
An increase in the federal minimum wage, to $6.55 an hour from $5.85, effective July 24, 2008.
An increase in the federal minimum wage, to $7.25 an hour from $6.55, effective July 24, 2009.
That's it. Other than that, the Democrats have failed at everything they have attempted, from routine matters like relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax to ambitious projects such as turning Iraq into a haven for al Qaeda.

Well, they did try to Cut and Run and lose the war in Iraq, insult a genuine war hero, Gen. Petraeus and are upset that the "surge" could 'hurt them in 08' and are praying for the economy to fail before then. Does that count?

Obama is the Democratic Party's feel-good guy

Obama: Hands over hard?
Click to enlarge.....the photo.

Hillary

I've had the good fortune of hearing and meeting the very funny, intelligent and wonderful writer Jonah Goldberg when he has bravely come to the UW-Madison campus to speak. His column here and in link above to the National Review published today, Dec. 13 07 in the Wisconsin State Journal is a real zinger for the "Hillary is the inevitable candidate" crowd.

Few are aware today of how Truman ran (and won) on the fact that he had a "do nothing" Congress to work with. That mid to late 40's Congress was a model of efficiency and effectiveness compared to the 2006-08 Democrats "mandate", "taking back America" and white flag policy in Iraq. Goldberg covers this and more in his column. (This doesn't touch on today's news of the Clinton's latest gutter attack on Obama. -"Obama, seller of drugs" that the N. Hampshire Hillaryman and member of her N.H team made today.

I think Obama should respond using the language created by the Clintons. Stand up and say, "This is the 'politics of personal destruction' that the Clintons invented, patented and are still manufacturing and it represents the 'Vast Left Wing Conspiracy' they fund and lead"

My faith restored in Journalist integrity

A few weeks ago I called the editor and reporter Matt Gieger for the Middleton Times Tribune. He said he was planning to do a series of interviews with newcomers to Middleton ( I moved from Madison to Middleton in mid July of 07). He was interested in getting a cross section of political beliefs and he had called the Republican Party of Dane County (RPDC) and asked if there was someone he could interview who lived in Middleton. The Chairman of RPDC called me and asked me to contact Mr. Geiger to see if I would do for an interview. Mr. Geiger said yes and we set up an interview in mid November. The article, (with picture even!) is here, and in the lead link above. It is and embarrassingly long article, much more than I expected, so I hesitate out of (false) modesty to recommend it to you! I had been badly burned in the past- during the first Gulf War - by a reporter from the Cap. Times- the Progressive late afternoon paper in Madison. He seemed very friendly, kidded around a lot and then wrote a hit piece. So I was a bit worried history would repeat itself. Mr Gieger is a young guy, writes very well, articulate and is naturally outgoing with a warm personality and easy laughter. I actually had a ball sipping coffee and talking politics- and of course EVERYONE likes to talk about themselves - so the interview was fun and he even took a picture. The long interview and photo appeared today (Thurs Dec 6, 07) and I went to Walgreens to pick up a copy around noon, since my subscription arrives by mail around 4;30 pm. I read the interview and my faith in journalism- for this interview at the very least - was restored. Mr. Geiger did not bend, twist, take things out of context or indulge in what I call "agenda journalism" forcing the story to confirm an agenda the reporter wants to deliver. It was accurate, honest, and he simply reported the questions he asked and my replies. It was great to work with someone with integrity in a field that has been, in my opinion, sacrificing reporting facts, and both or many sides of a story and letting the reader decide - sacrificing that integrity to write an opinion piece instead of a balanced story. In the NY Times, Washington Post, and the Wisconsin State Journal whenever I see "analysis" on a front page story I know it is a hit piece. One sided and straight opinion unfettered by facts or opposing points of view. Not so with Mr. Geiger. He is an honest, hard working old fashioned reporter with integrity. To quote Mr. Spock may you Matt Geiger, "Live Long and prosper" !