Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

Some of my liberal friends have expressed their unhappiness over my endorsement of Brittany Kinser for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. So, let me expand on my reasons. When I was at the city of Madison and there was a managerial opening I always first thought about how that department was functioning. If things wereContinue reading “More on My Kinser Endorsement”

Last week, in a sensitive discussion of military strategy tossed around on Signal and inadvertently shared with a reporter, Trump’s National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, responded to the apparent success of a strike against Houthi rebels with this string of emojis:   Just one question this week. What would have been a more appropriate string?Continue reading “The Q&Q For 3/29/25”

I’ve received at least three postcards in recent weeks urging me to vote for Susan Crawford. These postcards are handwritten and personally addressed to me and signed with the first name of somebody I don’t know. The cards were postmarked in California. Other friends and relatives have received the same kinds of cards from placesContinue reading “Stop With the Stupid Cards Already”

The other day I made my spring election recommendations. Today, I’d like to take a shot at predicting the outcomes — who I think will win and who I want to win are not necessarily the same. Here’s my first observation: Please let it be over. The Supreme Court race has been every bit asContinue reading “Election Predictions”

Concealed carry (or, for that matter, open carry) is just plain nuts. Case in point, Dan Siegmann. He was a school board member in Dodge County when he visited the superintendent, carrying a loaded firearm. Guns aren’t allowed in school buildings. It was noticed, he got charged for it, resigned from the board and settledContinue reading “A Loaded Gun? Oh, Yeah, I Guess I Have One On Me.”

Here’s a head scratcher. In a community that strongly values education, the Madison public schools are performing abysmally. And yet, the voting public doesn’t seem to care. Longtime school board members go unchallenged and referendums pass by overwhelming margins. What’s going on? Here’s my theory. If your household values education your kid can get aContinue reading “Merit Returns to MMSD”

Wisconsin’s spring voting season opened last week. Me? I’m a vote-on-election-day guy. I like the ritual. And also, you never know what might happen in the two weeks between the opening of early voting on March 18th and the real election day of April 1st. I could actually change my mind. Nonetheless, a whole lotContinue reading “YSDA’s Spring Election Choices”

Here’s some good news for Democrats. Republican Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel has been looking increasingly desperate in the last week. First, he joined Donald Trump, Jr., on a hard-right talk show in which the Little Don endorsed him, joining Elon Musk in that regard. During the show Schimel said that he would carry outContinue reading “Schimel Looks Desperate”

Speaker Robin Vos is a master at getting the Democrats to take bad votes. He did it again this week — twice in the same day. Vos pushed two bills to the floor on Tuesday, designed to make Democrats look bad. The first one reinstated standardized test score reporting and the second would require sheriffsContinue reading “Dems Mess Up Again”

Donald Trump, Jr., the son of the convicted felon, may have delivered all the votes Susan Crawford needs to win in April. Little Don, a member of the Trump Crime Family, appeared at an event in Waukesha yesterday to deliver his strong backing, joining Elon Musk, to Brad Schimel, Crawford’s Republican opponent in the SupremeContinue reading “Don Jr. Stumps for Crawford”