Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Today’s “progressives” aren’t progressive at all. Back when I was in politics (I was retired by the voters exactly a decade ago) “progressive” was just what liberals called themselves. Ronald Reagan had done such a thoroughgoing job of destroying the word “liberal” (not without a big assist from liberals themselves) that liberals needed to findContinue reading ““Hard Left”, Not “Progressive””

On today’s date in 1865 Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre. He died the next morning. He was our greatest president and he was a moderate. Lincoln was assailed by both sides. He was careful during his 1860 campaign and during the early part of his presidency to tread a fine line on theContinue reading “Lincoln, the Moderate”

Yesterday’s shooting of Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb is only the latest, but maybe the most impactful, evidence of the value of body worn police cameras. The video from officer Kim Potter’s camera makes it clear that, in a moment of high stress, she pulled her gun when she intended to use her taser.Continue reading “Madison Needs Cop Cams”

When it comes to people’s sexuality I figure it’s none of my damn business. I’m glad that at least one Republican still agrees. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) did the right thing when he vetoed a bill that would have prevented gender affirming treatments for those under 18 years old. Unfortunately, his fellow Republicans in theContinue reading “Asa Hutchinson Does the Right Thing”

Madisonians decisively rejected the idea of a full-time city council by a 58-42 percent margin in an advisory referendum on April 6. But the geography of that vote is interesting and it represents a subtle change in how Madison votes. The full-time council idea lost in every part of the city with the exception ofContinue reading “Liberal v. Liberal”

It’s a free country and I believe in maximum free speech. People should be able to say things that I find offensive and even fact-free, if they like. Yes, that includes former (and how wonderful is it to use that word in reference to this guy?) Pres. Donald Trump. But it also applies to theContinue reading “The Ungracious Brandi Grayson”

Pres. Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill is about more than good roads. It’s about demonstrating that democracy is stronger than authoritarianism. China is delivering prosperity, it’s getting stuff done, it’s starting to influence the world. The Chinese model is a combination of aggressive capitalism, centralized planning and authoritarian rule. What makes it work is that theContinue reading “China Road”

As of today, the Democrats can count on 634 more days in power. In all likelihood they will lose their majority in at least one house of Congress, and probably both, on January 3, 2023. After that, nothing meaningful will pass for the next two years. Since WW II, the party in power has lost,Continue reading “Drive the Camry Fast”

There is a lot of talk these days about cancel culture. That talk mostly comes from the right and it’s directed at “woke” leftists. But, at least when it comes to the time-honored tradition of banning books, the right still holds the cancel culture crown. Don’t get me wrong. I am very concerned about illiberalContinue reading “The Right Tries to Cancel More Books”

Yesterday’s decisive defeat of a full-time Madison City Council in an advisory referendum wasn’t surprising. Among many good arguments against it was the comparison to the state Legislature. Voters looked at their part-time citizen council and they looked down the street at the “full-time” Legislature and they decided, wisely, to keep what that have, insteadContinue reading “Support Your Local Alders”