Yellow Stripes & Dead Armadillos
Half a Good Idea on Homelessness
The city of Madison has half the right idea on dealing with the homeless tent encampment that has sprung up during COVID. But its success will be hampered if it doesn’t follow through on the second part of what needs to be done. First off, let’s give Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, the City Council and cityContinue reading “Half a Good Idea on Homelessness”
The Art of Alienation
Pretty much every week brings at least a couple of fresh examples of things that push me further away from the left and from the Democratic Party that it dominates. Now, let me hasten to add right here that these things do not shove me into the Republican Party. I find the party of TrumpContinue reading “The Art of Alienation”
Why I Love Amazon
Why did they want to break up the old New York Yankees? Because they were too good. Same goes for mega-retailer Amazon. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is now calling for breaking up one of the most successful companies in the world. I don’t know. I can’t think of a single thing I’ve ever gotten out ofContinue reading “Why I Love Amazon”
The Chicago Principles
From time to time, I come across a document that is so good that I want to share it with you in its entirety. That’s the case with the Chicago Principles, a stirring statement in defense of free expression and academic freedom from the University of Chicago. Here it is, unabridged. Report of the CommitteeContinue reading “The Chicago Principles”
Pic of the Day/Mural
The new mural on the side of the Neuhauser pharmacy on the corner of Monroe and Harrison streets. I have mixed feelings about it.
Pic of the Day/Willow River
The Willow River near Loyd, Richland County. My last day on a trout stream this season.
Options For Democrats
There is reason for pessimism about the future of the Democratic Party. That’s unfortunate because the alternative right now is a Republican Party that has abandoned any shred of loyalty to liberal democracy. It might be overstating the case, but it’s not entirely implausible that the future of American democracy depends on the Democrats gettingContinue reading “Options For Democrats”
In Defense of Joe Manchin
Can we get a little perspective here, people? Sen. Joe Manchin is taking a lot of flak from the left for not being onboard with their $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate change program. “Two people do not have the right to sabotage what 48 want, and what the President of the United StatesContinue reading “In Defense of Joe Manchin”
Blank Slate
Rebecca Blank has been a good administrator, but she has not defended classical liberal values. The UW Madison chancellor is heading to Northwestern at the end of this school year after almost a decade here. Let’s start by giving her the credit she deserves for what she has accomplished. This is how the Wisconsin StateContinue reading “Blank Slate”
Reading the Maps
Let’s start by giving Gov. Tony Evers’ People’s Maps Commission its due. It fulfilled its assignment. The commission produced new legislative maps that were fair in the sense that they were drawn in compliance with current legal standards, and more or less blindly to partisan advantage. And while the products themselves (three sets of mapsContinue reading “Reading the Maps”
Pic of the Day/Joe Hesse
Went to my sheepshead friend Joe Hesse’s memorial service today. Joe was a beloved German and French teacher at Stoughton High School. After our last game, shortly before he died, Joe’s lasts words to us were, “See you on the other side, boys.” See you there, Joe. You buy the first pitcher.
Evers Doubles Down on His Pardon Peril
Last night, for the first time in 20 years, a Madison police officer was shot. We’re lucky that the officer’s injuries are not life-threatening, but it’s yet another indication of the dramatic rise in shootings here and nationwide. And the Democrats sleep. Here’s more evidence that Democrats just aren’t getting how dangerous crime is —Continue reading “Evers Doubles Down on His Pardon Peril”
Pic of the Day/Dave’s Supper Club
I’ve always wanted to have my own Northwoods supper club (but only in high concept; I wouldn’t want to do all that actual work.) Now, I’ve got my theme down. It would be “Dave’s Supper Peninsula Club: Where the Elite Retreat to Eat Meat.”
Kloster Muck
We now have a better understanding of why Speaker Robin Vos won’t release the names of people working with Michael Gableman on his “investigation” into last November’s election. He’s embarrassed — and he has every right to be. Vos hired the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, who was never considered the sharpest member of theContinue reading “Kloster Muck”
Pic of the Day/Empty Dock
The fishing boat and kayaks went into the garage yesterday. Fall’s coming… and so are the guys who take in the dock.
The Gableman Follies
Let us review. Joe Biden won the November election in Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes. That has been confirmed through the normal, rigorous and demonstrably accurate canvass process and reconfirmed through extraordinary recounts and in court challenges from former Pres. Donald Trump and his pals. It’s fair to say that this has been the mostContinue reading “The Gableman Follies”
The Complications of James Madison
James Madison was a complicated man. He was perhaps the primary inventor of what most people in all the American generations since his time have thought of as “freedom.” But now the narratives about both James Madison and freedom are changing. A new generation no longer accepts the idea that Madison and many of theContinue reading “The Complications of James Madison”
Let the People Decide
The Madison City Council has identified affordable housing as a key city goal and, to its credit, it seems to understand that the best way to restrain the growth in housing costs is to simply build more of it. It’s a refreshing acknowledgement that the free market can work. But there’s a catch. In 2023Continue reading “Let the People Decide”
Mural Makes Good Trouble on Monroe St.
Sometimes art should sooth us and sometimes it needs to challenge us. The new mural on Monroe Street does the latter. The mural on the side of Neuhauser Pharmacy, on the corner of Monroe and Harrison streets, depicts a line of children of color standing in front of a vending machine. Bad stuff is beingContinue reading “Mural Makes Good Trouble on Monroe St.”
Oh, For Cryin’ Out Loud
I’m pro-choice. This weekend’s antics didn’t help the cause. If you wonder why the Democratic brand is so tarnished look no further than this paragraph from a story in yesterday’s Wisconsin State Journal: The day before the Bans Off Our Bodies march, UW-Madison’s BIPOC Coalition, originally a co-sponsor of the event, published a statement rescindingContinue reading “Oh, For Cryin’ Out Loud”
Pic of the Day/Courthouse
The Marquette County Courthouse, Marquette, Michigan, where “Anatomy of a Murder” was filmed. It was a classic 1959 Otto Preminger film often cited as the most realistic courthouse drama ever made. Starred Jimmy Stewart and Lee Remick with a score by Duke Ellington. Visited it yesterday on a warm October afternoon.
Senate Race Update
About once a month I’ll be checking in on the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin. Here’s this month’s take on who’s up and who’s down. It’s going to be hard for any Democrat to win the U.S. Senate seat now held by Ron Johnson. I know. You cannot believe I’m saying this. Isn’t Ron JohnsonContinue reading “Senate Race Update”
The NAACP Letter
Last month, 40 organizations and distinguished individuals, led by the NAACP, sent a letter to the UW Madison and the UW Oshkosh, asking that Frederic March’s name be restored to places of honor on those campuses. Their letter was so important in pushing back against knee-jerk campus politics everywhere that I am including the fullContinue reading “The NAACP Letter”
The Middle Disappears
I’ve got friends visiting at Duck Lake, so this will be a cut-and-paste weekend. Here’s a topical piece from “The Point,” a newsletter from CNN’s Chris Cillizza. On Thursday afternoon, barraged by reporters asking about criticism from the left for his opposition to a $3.5 trillion budget package, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin offeredContinue reading “The Middle Disappears”
Devin Williams Looking for Dry Waller
Milwaukee Brewers pitching sensation Devin Williams is in the market for a dry waller. Williams was at his Milwaukee area home after celebrating the Brewers’ clinching the Central Division on Sunday evening when, after a few drinks and in response to some unspecified frustration, he punched a hole in a wall. “The whole organization feelsContinue reading “Devin Williams Looking for Dry Waller”
Don’t Count Joe Out
Even loyal Democrats are down on Joe Biden right now. Better to take the long view. The President is taking heavy criticism for the Afghan pull out debacle and for the treatment of Haitians at the Texas border. His approval ratings are taking a hit, especially with some of his most loyal supporters, but IContinue reading “Don’t Count Joe Out”
Moderates Are Not Dumb
When I die, if it turns out I’m wrong about an afterlife, my version of hell will be to be stuck in an endless Paul Krugman lecture. The sanctimonious hard-left economist is also a regular opinion writer for the New York Times. In my noble effort to read writers I can’t stand, just to seeContinue reading “Moderates Are Not Dumb”
Pic of the Day/Mason Crosby
It was a great weekend in Wisconsin sports. The Brewers swept the Mets and clinched the Central, the Packers beat the Niners in a thriller and the Team USA won the Ryder Cup at beautiful Whistling Straights. Also, the Badgers… wasn’t that last second Packers comeback great?!
Rein In Historic Preservation
As a society we hold many values. We all want good jobs and affordable housing. Many of us want to see our cities thrive and we think that greater urban densities help restrain sprawl on the edges of cities and make urban areas more vibrant. We also want to preserve buildings and sites that areContinue reading “Rein In Historic Preservation”
Pic of the Day/ Lily Pads
Lily pads on a pristine lake in the Sylvania Wilderness… unless, of course, somebody is going to tell me these aren’t lily pads. Lots of naturalists in my circles. I stand corrected.. a lot.
Scott Walker Still Runs the PSC
He’s been out of office for almost three years, but former Gov. Scott Walker is still making decisions about utilities in Wisconsin. He’s able to do that because Gov. Tony Evers has made sure of it. Last week the state’s Public Service Commission denied funding to the Village of Cambridge, in eastern Dane County, toContinue reading “Scott Walker Still Runs the PSC”
Pic of the Day/ High Lake
The south shore of High Lake in the Sylvania Wilderness, Upper Peninsula. Yes, recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan.
Dems Will Get It Done
Yesterday I sought to comfort panicky Brewers’ fans by reassuring them that their losing streak would end and they’d easily win their division. And last night the Crew beat the Mets, 5-1, and reduced their magic number to two. See? So, today, let me bring comfort and joy to nervous Democrats. While talks between moderateContinue reading “Dems Will Get It Done”
Chin Up, Brewers Fans
Imagine you have a powerful hankerin’ for a piece of chocolate cake. You walk into your favorite bakery and there it is. Dark chocolate with fudge icing. It’s five bucks. You reach for your wallet only to find that you have just four dollars. Now you notice the sign that says the bakery only takesContinue reading “Chin Up, Brewers Fans”
Pic of the Day/One of those days
R E L A X, Brewers fans. The Crew was due for a slump and we sure got it. But would you rather have it now or in October? Everything will be just fine. Does this man look worried?
UW and Blank Look Silly
My alma mater is looking foolish. In the last few years the UW administration, led by Chancellor Rebecca Blank, has made three decisions that are now coming back to haunt them. They sifted and winnowed and somehow still managed to miss the truth. Or, more accurately, they knew the truth and chose to ignore itContinue reading “UW and Blank Look Silly”
What If It’s Not All About Race?
The racial achievement gap in the Madison school district, like most others across the country, has long been a topic of discussion, a flurry of programs and lots of public and private investment, all with a notable lack of success. But what if we’re trying to solve the wrong problem? It is a matter ofContinue reading “What If It’s Not All About Race?”
Pic of the Day/ Baseball v. Football
Last night I went between the Packers and Brewers games. Made me think about George Carlin’s routine comparing baseball and football. Enjoy.
Biden is Right on the Border
Pres. Joe Biden is making the hard, but correct, call on Haitian refugees and others camped near Del Rio, Texas. What is the greatest threat to liberal democracy in the world? Far-right populism. And what is driving far-right populism more than anything else? Immigration. More accurately, not so much the normal, regularized immigration between nations,Continue reading “Biden is Right on the Border”
Pic of the Day/Cider Press
The Cider Press is ready to go at the Jordahl farm. I was at the annual deer hunters’ work weekend on Saturday. First visit since turkey hunting in April, 2020. The guys got a lot done. I’m transitioning to a senior management role. I mostly managed to stay out of the way.
Beware the Culture Wars
Once sleepy school board meetings are erupting in shouting matches. Republican legislators are introducing bills that would ban teaching Critical Race Theory and prevent adding discussions of LGBTQ+ issues to human growth and development classes. There is a roiling debate over what public schools should teach kids, and the answers aren’t as easy as eitherContinue reading “Beware the Culture Wars”
Bad Signs For Evers
Opponents of the massive power line between Iowa and Middleton, known as the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Line, have just passed the 50,000 signature mark on a petition against the project’s path through a sensitive wildlife refuge. All those signers are a bad sign for Gov. Tony Evers, who appears to support the line. Driftless Defenders is organizingContinue reading “Bad Signs For Evers”
Men of Color Move Away From the Dems
I used to like reading New York Times columnist Charles Blow. Then Donald Trump got elected and Blow became one of those liberals who just totally lost it. He decided that he would not let his righteous anger ever abate. He became preachy, insufferable and, for me at least, pretty much unreadable. But I readContinue reading “Men of Color Move Away From the Dems”
‘Deserve’ v. ‘Earn’
Every morning, God help me, I read the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. If I wandered into the Times news room I would feel as if I should apologize for my very being as a privileged member of the patriarchy and offer to pick up coffee for everyone — fair trade, shadeContinue reading “‘Deserve’ v. ‘Earn’”
Pic of the Day/13th Tee
The 13th and 14th holes at House on the Rock are my favorite holes on my favorite course. Nestled in a narrow valley, this is just a beautiful, quiet place to be, but I mess it up with golf. I’ve never parred the 13th, though I have pulled off a couple of birdies on #14.
Re-list the Gray Wolf
I am a hunter. This is my favorite time of year. I look forward to spending hours in my tree stand with a bow at my side waiting for a buck to walk by and, in November, still hunting the fields and wood lots of the Driftless. But I just can’t abide wolf hunting. AtContinue reading “Re-list the Gray Wolf”
Pic of the Day/Last Ride
On the Badger State Trail at the Adams Road crossing. My last ride on my favorite trail for this season. Hope to get more miles in before the snow flies when we’re back in the U.P.
Wisconsin Election Quiz
Here’s a fun exercise. Match the four numbers below to the correct descriptions for that number. The Numbers A. 3,241,1050 B. 2 C. 680,000 D. 0 The Descriptions The number of people accused of voter fraud in Wisconsin. 2. The number of Wisconsin voters in the 2020 election. 3. The amount of money being spentContinue reading “Wisconsin Election Quiz”
Just Let Joe & Joe Do It
Progressive Democrats need to acquire a better understanding of where they stand. They are in no position to call the shots. Let’s take a trip back to last December. It was clear to anybody who was not delusional that Joe Biden was the next President. But the Democrats had barely hung on to their HouseContinue reading “Just Let Joe & Joe Do It”
Pic of the Day/ Wilson’s
Finished the Door County Century yesterday and rewarded myself at Wilson’s with a scoop of mint chip. Would have had Sneakers, but they were out.
Evers Best Bet in 2022
You would have to be a fool to predict the outcome of elections that will take place almost 14 months from now. Yeah. So, what’s your point? I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Gov. Tony Evers will win a second four-year term in November, 2022. Here are a handful ofContinue reading “Evers Best Bet in 2022”
Keep the U.P. Wild
I love Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where my wife and I own a cabin. While I also love the north woods of Wisconsin, the U.P. is very different. While Vilas County feels light and fun and even somewhat prosperous, Gogebic County just across the border was much more a working landscape. The legacy of lumbering andContinue reading “Keep the U.P. Wild”
America is Still Okay
I’ve spent the morning watching the coverage of the 9/11 remembrance ceremonies and much of the last week or two reading various reflections on the course of the last 20 years. The dominant narrative (as far as I can tell, the unanimous narrative) is that things are worse, that nothing good has happened in twoContinue reading “America is Still Okay”
Pic of the Day/Outboard in Rearview
Won’t be too many more opportunities for spins around the lake with the Johnson outboard.
Is McCoshen Crazy Enough?
Yesterday, as expected, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch formally announced her run for governor. She went right for the red meat, praising Donald Trump and promising to hire more cops, ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools and — in a creative and bizarre touch — vowing to send the Wisconsin NationalContinue reading “Is McCoshen Crazy Enough?”
Embracing “Inconsistency”
In today’s tribal culture it has become much harder to be an individual. That’s especially true in politics. If you identify as a Republican you need to profess (if not actually believe) that climate change is an overblown hoax, that mask mandates are a blow to fundamental freedoms, that there was widespread fraud in theContinue reading “Embracing “Inconsistency””
Evers Does Right Thing at Wrong Time
Yesterday Gov. Tony Evers announced that he would pardon 71 more people. It was absolutely the right thing to do and absolutely the wrong time to do it. Evers is now on track to pardon more people than any other governor in Wisconsin history. That makes sense since his predecessor, Scott Walker, issued no pardonsContinue reading “Evers Does Right Thing at Wrong Time”
Remembering Megan McGrorty
Running for reelection is no fun. When you run the first time you have no record to attack and there’s the excitement of being new and representing change and the future. But when you run for reelection it’s all about you — and not in a good way. Your opponent spends every minute of everyContinue reading “Remembering Megan McGrorty”
Pic of the Day/ Labor Day Sunset
This evening’s sunset over Duck Lake. Already feels a little like autumn.
What Liberals Don’t Get About Workers
Let’s start by blaming Thomas Frank. In 2004, before John Kerry lost to George W. Bush, Frank published What’s the Matter With Kansas? What was the matter with Frank’s home state? Voters there were just too dense to understand that the liberals in the Democratic Party had all their answers. Frank’s thesis was that, evenContinue reading “What Liberals Don’t Get About Workers”
The College Athlete Pay Wall Collapses
It’s Labor Day weekend, so let’s celebrate some victories for one of the most obviously exploited groups of workers in America: college athletes. You could see the face of college football changing right there in the Wisconsin starting backfield yesterday when the Badgers played Penn State. Quarterback Graham Mertz had his own product logo designedContinue reading “The College Athlete Pay Wall Collapses”
The Dems Have to Wake Up
Yesterday I wrote about which of the candidates in the crowded Democratic field competing to go up against Sen. Ron Johnson might have the best chance. But, truth is, if the party doesn’t wake up to what’s going on around it, it won’t matter. Any one of them will lose, even to the likes ofContinue reading “The Dems Have to Wake Up”
The Take on Those Who Would Take on Ron Johnson
If you’re one of those Wisconsinites not running for the U.S. Senate you’ll have a keen interest in who is. Of course, at this rate, non-candidates will be in the minority soon. The Democrats have no less than a dozen or so hopefuls (we can only work with rough estimates at this point) for theContinue reading “The Take on Those Who Would Take on Ron Johnson”
Overturning Roe Will Only Cause Misery
As he did on many things, Bill Clinton had the best take on abortion. He said it should be “safe, legal and rare.” And, in fact, it has become more rare in the decades since Clinton was president. In the six years between 2011 and 2017, abortion declined in any way you want to measureContinue reading “Overturning Roe Will Only Cause Misery”
Pic of the Day/Outboard Ale
Milwaukee Brewing Company’s Outboard Cream Ale is one of my summer favorites. Pictured here only steps from my actual outboard.
Time to Require the Vax at the UW
Earlier this summer, despite the fact that over 600 colleges and universities had already announced that they would mandate vaccinations when students returned this fall, UW System President Tommy Thompson refused. His fig leaf of an excuse was that none of the vaccines had received final, formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. NeverContinue reading “Time to Require the Vax at the UW”
Tough Compassion on Homelessness
The City of Madison is chasing its tail on its homeless problem, but don’t blame the current mayor. No past mayor has been able to solve this puzzle either, and one of them was me. The city has been struggling with homeless encampments. The strategy has been to designate official sites in city parks whereContinue reading “Tough Compassion on Homelessness”
Pic of the Day/Scotch with Lighthouse
Here’s one from the archives, specifically August of 2013. This is the Sand Island Light in the Apostle Islands. I used to spend a couple of weeks in August volunteering for the Park Service as a light house keeper. I was a tour guide; the lighthouse was automated and needed no keeping. You had toContinue reading “Pic of the Day/Scotch with Lighthouse”
In Defense of Nation Building
If there’s anything that Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, MAGA hat-wearers and BLM tee shirt wearers agree on it’s that America should not be in the business of nation building. I think they’re all wrong. A common trope is that the quick collapse of the Afghan military and government is proof positive that tryingContinue reading “In Defense of Nation Building”
Afghanistan Mess Was Not Inevitable
The Biden-apologist company line on his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan goes like this. It was inevitable. This is what an exit from a war we didn’t win looks like. But that’s simply not true. Leaving aside the argument that we should not have left in the first place (which is my position), the fundamental problemContinue reading “Afghanistan Mess Was Not Inevitable”
Reality Comes to the West Side
Sometimes theory runs head on into the real world. That happened recently in the shadow of Camp Randall Stadium. Let’s say you’re an affluent, white liberal living in University Heights. (This, of course, is redundant. If you live in the Heights you are, pretty much by definition, affluent, white and liberal.) As such, you areContinue reading “Reality Comes to the West Side”
I’m Still With Biden
I believe that Pres. Joe Biden was wrong to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan and that his administration’s handling of the withdrawal was disastrous. I still support Biden and it’s not because I’m a partisan Democrat. Yesterday was the darkest day of Biden’s administration and among the worst for America in recent years. The 13Continue reading “I’m Still With Biden”
Progressives Can’t Deliver Majority
For the hard-left in the Democratic Party, it’s all about them. It’s about their romantic visions of rushing to the barricades, of being outsiders standing against The Man (and they do really mean The Man), about being so very, absolutely and unquestionably right about everything. What it is not about is winning elections, establishing aContinue reading “Progressives Can’t Deliver Majority”
Pic of the Day/Forest HQ
Wisconsin Forest headquarters at Trout Lake. Modern forestry was born near this spot in 1911, when Wisconsin’s first State Forester, E.M. Griffith, began a program to plant seedlings on cut over land.
Thompson v. Nass
Is there any trace of decency and common sense left in the Republican Party? We’ll find out in the coming days. Tommy Thompson represents the pre-Trump party. Steve Nass reflects the ugly populist hot mess it has become, though in truth, Nass was a jerk before Trump ever dreamed of running for president. Here’s theContinue reading “Thompson v. Nass”
The Trifecta of Idiocy
My patience — to the extent I’ve ever had any — with the unvaccinated officially runs out today. Yesterday, the FDA gave final approval to the Pfizer vaccine. Look, it was always a weak excuse to say that you wouldn’t get vaccinated because the vaccines had only emergency approval. And it was an especially richContinue reading “The Trifecta of Idiocy”
Pic of the Day/Sculpture
A windswept sculpture at the University of Minnesota Arboretum west of Minneapolis. The Minnesota Arboretum is a much different facility than ours here in Madison. There’s less emphasis on native plant communities and natural settings and more on a variety of plants and manicured gardens.
Vos Expected Home Friday
Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) talked with reporters today from a truck stop in Georgia promising he’d be back home, “on Friday. Saturday at the latest. Maybe Sunday.” Vos was invited to fly with former Pres. Donald Trump on Trump’s private jet to a rally in Alabama on Saturday. But Vos first had to drive toContinue reading “Vos Expected Home Friday”
Moderates Need to be Careful
Let me start by stipulating that I believe Congressional moderate Democrats are right. They just need to be cautious about how far they press their case. Some House centrists are saying they want to vote to approve the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate as soon as possible, leaving the $3.5 trillion packageContinue reading “Moderates Need to be Careful”
It Could Be Worse
For those you who lament the antics of the Madison City Council, it could be worse. You might live in Minneapolis. I’m up here this weekend to attend a wedding and, so, I got a chance to read the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this morning. (Yeah, I know, I could read it online anytime, but why wouldContinue reading “It Could Be Worse”
In Defense of Guys
I commit the four grave sins of the Democratic Party. I am a middle-aged, straight, white man. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Now, of course, you may have caught on that I’m being sarcastic there, but I’m constantly surprised at how many liberal men really are self-loathing. Here’s a comment I gotContinue reading “In Defense of Guys”
Prehn Gets It Now
Fred Prehn gets it. Yesterday, the chair of Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board was able to explain clearly why he should step aside. It’s all about politics. Prehn’s term expired on May 1st, but he has ungraciously held on to his seat anyway, claiming that state law allows him to remain until his successor is confirmedContinue reading “Prehn Gets It Now”
Peace Activist: We Should Have Stayed
Today I’m just going to quote at length from an excellent story in this morning’s Wisconsin State Journal about the reactions of Afghan war veterans to the disastrous U.S. pullout. The story was reported by Riley Vetterkind and Mitchel Schmidt. In fairness, their story did quote the father of one soldier who died in AfghanistanContinue reading “Peace Activist: We Should Have Stayed”
Crime is Hurting the Dems
In Dane County inmates are now residents. This kind of thing is a big part of the reason that Democrats lose more elections than they need to. Yesterday, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, who was recently appointed to the job by Gov. Tony Evers, announced that people in his jail would no longer be calledContinue reading “Crime is Hurting the Dems”
The Trifecta of Idiocy
My patience — to the extent I’ve ever had any — with the unvaccinated officially runs out today. Yesterday, the FDA gave final approval to the Pfizer vaccine. Look, it was always a weak excuse to say that you wouldn’t get vaccinated because the vaccines had only emergency approval. And it was an especially richContinue reading “The Trifecta of Idiocy”
Biden’s Burden
Chaos has engulfed Kabul. The nation’s government has fled while U.S. and other embassies burn documents and hurry to the airport. Those Afghans who fear for their lives under Taliban rule are literally waiting at the gates, desperately trying to get out. It’s Saigon all over again. I like and respect Joe Biden. He’s doingContinue reading “Biden’s Burden”
Wondering About the Wonder Bar
Madison’s historic preservation movement has gone off track. Recently, a welcome new development just off John Nolen Drive that would provide much needed housing was laid on the table while neighbors fight to save the “historic” Wonder Bar building. The alleged reason? It was frequented by Chicago mobsters in the 1930s. Seriously, folks? The building,Continue reading “Wondering About the Wonder Bar”
Gableman Reports Excellent Night’s Sleep
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman told reporters that he had the best night’s sleep of his life this week while attending a conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The perfect rest came, Gableman claims, as the result of the MyPillow he received in his trinket bag upon registering at MyPillow company founder MikeContinue reading “Gableman Reports Excellent Night’s Sleep”
Dems Can’t Be the Dane County Party
The census data came out yesterday. Now that the state has the numbers necessary to redraw Legislative and Congressional districts, we can start down a road of predictable moves and an uncertain, though unpromising, outcome. Here’s what is almost certain to happen. Republicans will once again draw heavily gerrymandered maps designed to lock in theirContinue reading “Dems Can’t Be the Dane County Party”
Apply for a Wolf License, Then Tear It Up
Note: An alert reader points out that the deadline for applying for a license was August 1st, something I should have confirmed before I posted this. I’ll leave the post as it is, since the fundamental point — the insanity of the quota selected by the NR Board — remains. I’m going to apply forContinue reading “Apply for a Wolf License, Then Tear It Up”
Less Kind-ness
Congressman Ron Kind isn’t running again. That’s bad news for Democrats and democracy. “We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those type of people willing to serve who don’t believe that politics should just be a constant combat sport where the goal is just to destroy people on the other side,” Kind said at a pressContinue reading “Less Kind-ness”
Don’t Cancel Student Debt
Last week, the Biden Administration, nonsensically, extended college loan repayment forbearance until the end of the year. Never mind that the unemployment rate for college grads is barely 3%. And this may signal that Biden is moving to placate the hard-left by forgiving some amount of student debt outright. This is a terrible idea. IContinue reading “Don’t Cancel Student Debt”
I’m Loyal to My Dog
Yesterday I was reading a book review in the New York Times. It was David French’s review of Andrew Sullivan’s collection of essays, “Out on a Limb.” I like both French and Sullivan. They’re good and honest writers, though each is more conservative than I am. Anyway, I came across this in French’s review: “First,Continue reading “I’m Loyal to My Dog”
Take Some Responsibility
On the heels of yesterday’s column about identity politics and the increased tendency to blame others for problems of our own making, comes this polling result. A new Axios/Ipsos poll asked the unvaccinated who was to blame for the upsurge in COVID cases caused by the delta variant. Public health officials have told us thatContinue reading “Take Some Responsibility”
The Trouble With Identity Politics
Critical Race Theory has become a political football. The right is using it as a culture wars wedge issue while the left wants to dismiss it as just an obscure grad school discussion topic. So, let’s give CRT a rest for now and avoid all that. Instead, let’s consider identity politics, a concept that bothContinue reading “The Trouble With Identity Politics”
Black Brains Matter
Well, the rock is away. As of this morning the Chamberlin Rock has been hauled off the UW campus to a disclosed location that nobody will be able to find. So, can we get on to something serious now? For those of you who have had better things to do, the quick story goes likeContinue reading “Black Brains Matter”
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