Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

It’s fair to say that if a person becomes an Ivy League law professor that person is certifiably intelligent. It is not a fair conclusion that they live in the real world. Case in point is the recent oped in the New York Times from Ryan Doerfler and Samuel Moyn, law professors at Harvard andContinue reading “The Constitution Endures”

I used to think that the most dysfunctional local public body in Madison was its School Board. But now the Dane County Board is challenging them for the title. Last night the Board, yet again, couldn’t show any leadership. They couldn’t rally enough support to figure out what to do about the county’s jail facilities.Continue reading “They Blew It Again”

I wish I could imagine a scenario under which defeated Congresswoman Liz Cheney might lead a movement that defeats both Donald Trump and Trumpism. But I think that’s unlikely and, worse, there’s a scenario where she helps him win again. Now that the inevitable has happened and Cheney has been crushed in the Wyoming RepublicanContinue reading “Cheney’s Choices”

In the last three years the impacts of climate change have accelerated and worsened. More and stronger hurricanes. Massive wildfires and a wildfire season that is almost year-round. Flooding in some places and water shortages in others. Intense summer heat waves.  You’d think people would be more concerned than ever. You’d be wrong. An AssociatedContinue reading “The Way to Talk About Climate: Don’t”

Here’s the rule among Democratic pols and liberal commentators. When a Republican finally gets around to doing something you’ve urged him to do for years, you continue to beat the bejesus out of him anyway. That’s what’s happening now that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has fired Michael Gableman and ended his needless, bogus “investigation” intoContinue reading “Will Vos Become a National Figure?”

I get multiple emails a day from Democratic candidates Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes. The great thing about being post-primary is that I no longer get them from Tom Nelson, Sarah Godlewski or Alex Lasry. I also get them from Mark Kelly who’s running for reelection to the Senate from Arizona. Somebody must have tradedContinue reading “Just a Quick Note”

Dane County needs a new jail. Everyone agrees that the old jail on the top floors of the City County Building is a mess, unsafe and inhumane. Everyone also agrees that the aged Huber Center on the fringes of the Alliant Energy Center parking lot has also long outlived its time. But the Dane CountyContinue reading “Hard-Left Keeps Inhumane Jail In Business”

Now that the smoke is clearing from the divisive Republican gubernatorial primary, the path to reelection for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is becoming somewhat clearer. I have five takeaways from the day after the election that bode well for Evers. First, the divisions in the Republican Party seem to be hardening. I was pleasantly surprisedContinue reading “Good Vibes for Evers”

I am notoriously bad at making election predictions. Researchers tell me that a chimp making random choices on a key board would have a better record than mine. Last night didn’t help much. In the marquee race I thought Rebecca Kleefisch would beat Tim Michels in the Milwaukee suburbs and gadfly candidate Tim Ramthun wouldContinue reading “What I Got Right & Wrong About Last Night”

In the last school year police were called 640 times to Madison’s four high schools. That’s an average of about 3.5 times a day or almost once per day to each school. According to a story in this morning’s Wisconsin State Journal the breakdown is 220 calls to East, 158 to La Follette, 170 toContinue reading “Put Cops in High School Neighborhoods”