Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Twice in two weeks Democratic and Republican leaders have been able to work out big budget deals. Last week Pres. Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy came to an agreement that avoided a damaging default on our nation’s debt and yesterday Gov. Tony Evers worked out a deal with Republican leaders that would provideContinue reading “What’s Up With Vos?”

Pretty soon we’re going to need longer flag polls. June seems to be the month of flags. Yesterday, Madison raised a transgender flag (I didn’t even know there was a transgender flag) on its Municipal Building flag pole. The mayor gave a speech. Earlier this month Gov. Tony Evers raised the rainbow flag over theContinue reading “Enough With the Flags Already”

Jamal Khashoggi, a Virginia resident and columnist for the Washington Post who frequently criticized Saudi Arabia’s leaders, went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul one day to get papers for his upcoming wedding. While inside the consulate he was strangled by Saudi agents and then his body was dismembered. U.S. intelligence agencies believe that theContinue reading “The PGA Sells Out”

Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speech writer Peggy Noonan had a provocative take on the future of the Republican Party in her piece last week. She suggested that, if Donald Trump wins a third nomination, the party will disintegrate. It won’t be the end of the Republican Party as we have known it,Continue reading “Will the GOP Just Fade Away?”

Twelve years ago 14 Democratic senators bolted from the Wisconsin capital to deny majority Republicans a quorum. The legislation they were trying to block, or at least slow down, eventually was forced through without them and became Act 10, which pretty much shut down public employee unions in the state. At the time I supportedContinue reading “Was It Right to Walk to Stop Walker?”

This week’s debt limit deal was a huge victory for the political center. But there are still lots of folks on the hard edges of either side who believe that the key to their future success is to fire up the base with more extreme positions. I’ve never bought that argument. One of our recurringContinue reading “Moderation Still Wins”

Credit the Democrats. They were the adult party in the room. Despite a substantial part of the hard-left in the party (including sadly, but not surprisingly, my own congressman) that voted against the deal, there was never any question that the Democrats would assure the votes to keep us out of default. Moderate Republicans alsoContinue reading “Hard-Right Weakens Itself”

I went to a ball game at AmFam Field with some friends last week. It was a cool and windy day, so the roof was closed, making it pleasant inside. Our seats were great. My over-priced brat was made better by Stadium Sauce. And the Brewers shut out the Astros in a game that wentContinue reading “Brewers Will Get Their $$$”

Tim LeMonds is used to seeing his name in the press. After all, it’s his job. So why has he been trying so hard to keep his name out of the papers recently? LeMonds is the spokesperson for the Madison public schools. He’s quoted routinely on all kinds of issues that come up in theContinue reading “MMSDs’ Culture of Opaqueness”

Maybe some day Annie Kuster will be as much a household name as Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. Rep. Kuster (D-New Hampshire) is a leader in the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats that has announced its early support for the budget deal between Pres. Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy that would avert aContinue reading “Deal Strengthens the Middle”