Why the double standard...

From yesterday's Spivak and Bice:

Chicago's U.S. attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, unsealed a couple of political indictments against Antoin Rezko, a top Democratic fund-raiser for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. A major player in the two bombshell indictments is Individual B, who, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, is really Blagojevich's top money man, Christopher Kelly.

And what's Kelly's connection to the Wisconsin governor? Kelly gave the maximum $10,000 donation to Doyle's campaign on June 24. Kelly was, according to news accounts, under investigation when he made the donation and remains under the federal microscope today.

Doyle's mouthpiece when asked:

"This is exactly the kind of false connection that the Republicans are going to try to draw in the waning days of the campaign,"

Funny when Fitzgerald was after Rove he was pure as could be.... Merry Fitzmas.

Ok, we have this sleazy 10 grand, we had the sleazy 20 grand from Adleman, who knows how much other sleazy money this Governor has. We have this governor manipulating the election board he controls to take away money from his opponent.

When we have the leftosphere and the Wisconsin Dem party demand Mark Green and every other rightie return money from every person who was ever in the same room as Tom Delay or Mark Foley, why does the same leftosphere not apply the same standard to these types of funds Mr. Doyle has collected?

Could it by because they are a bunch of hypocrites not willing to apply the law and their own standards equally?

Absofrigginlutely.

Additionally, why isn't the Republican party and the rightosphere making an equally loud stink about this?

Because we're too nice.

Frankly I'm sick of it.

Oh a few will ask for it, but they don't stick to it.

And when the most corrupt Governor in Wisconsin history, even when a member of his administration is found guilty and sent to jail keeps the donations associated with the activity that sent her to jail, refuses to return the money and he gets away with it we have problems.

I'm telling you people the left is so mad for power right now they will rationalize any ethical issue away as being justified in that quest for power. Some people would call that insanity. I dred seeing what happens on 11-08 when they do not get all the power they think they have already won.

Just last week we had Jay Bullock publishing every weak link he could think of to Mark Foley while at the exact same time denying that Democrats were taking political advantage of the situation and claiming that my contention of that was a ridiculous attempt to defend Foley. I used to respect Jay, he has lost his mind. I am hoping he returns to some sort of sanity after 11-07. Some of his fellow Daily Kossites even said his links were going way too far.

Just this week we had one of our resident lefties defend having trials for people who have differing opinions. That is not America. That is certainly not the party of inclusion the left pretends to be, but ceased being long ago.

And lest we not forget the Senate Minority Leader. Even if you accept his ridiculous story, he did not disclose the proper ethics forms. We have a leftie website slinging accusations about a senate candidate who did file his ethics forms, and an even leftier paper publishing four screaming headlines about those allegations. Meanwhile lefties are defending Reid saying we are making so much out of nothing, that same paper has not covered that story at all.

Tell me, if George Allen made a $1.1 million profit on land that he sold to a LLC years ago and there was really no paperwork to back up his contention and if he did not file the proper ethical disclosures would the leftosphere be so forgiving?

We all know the answer to that question.

That same leftosphere ran around demanding Every rightie blogger condemn Mark Foley. (they were justified in that).

Well now I am calling on the leftosphere to demand accountability in the Harry Reid situation and for Jim Doyle to return any monies related to the Adleman Travel scandal (and no you do not get the make the argument that these were personal donations, no one is that stupid) and all monies associated to the Fitzgerald indictments exposed by Spivak and Bice.

Unless of course fair is not fair.

How 'bout that global warming?

In Morning: ABC, CBS, NBC Air No Reid

More MRC:

Thursday's morning shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC stayed true to Democratic partisan form. No one covered the Associated Press investigative report on Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's inaccurate disclosure forms as he turned a $400,000 Las Vegas land deal into a $1.1 million bonanza (there were five Foley items)

Foley Feeding Frenzy

From MRC:

The Mark Foley instant-messaging scandal is playing out like a massive October Surprise for Democrats. On Wednesday’s Good Morning America, ABC News anchor Christopher Cuomo spoke insistently: "Less than a month before the elections and the Mark Foley scandal just keeps growing." Reporter Jake Tapper added: "This is the scandal that will not go away."

To measure the aggression of TV assignment editors on the Foley story, MRC analysts counted the number of stories devoted to the scandal and the repetitive insistence that Republicans are in deep political danger and may need GOP leaders to resign. On the ABC, CBS, and NBC morning and evening news programs, from the story’s emergence on Friday night, September 29, through Wednesday morning, October 11, the Big Three networks have aired 152 stories. (A fraction of the stories were brief anchor updates.)

The breakdown:
ABC: 50 (World News, 20; Good Morning America, 30.)
CBS: 46 (CBS Evening News, 15; The Early Show, 31.)
NBC: 56 (NBC Nightly News, 20; Today, 36.)

Is this feeding frenzy what the networks would do for any scandal where a middle-aged Congressman is caught talking dirty to a teenager? No. Consider the case of Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Illinois). In 1994, Reynolds was indicted over a consensual sexual relationship with a girl named Beverly Heard, beginning when she was 16. Heard testified that Reynolds gave her cash at each meeting and supplied her with his pager number and apartment keys.

In taped phone conversations, they even plotted group sex with a 15-year-old Catholic high school girl Heard had said wanted to have sex with him. Reynolds responded on tape: "Did I win the Lotto?" He asked Heard to take naked photos of the girl. He was indicted on August 21, 1994, and convicted on August 23, 1995 on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of child pornography. Here’s how the same networks handled that congressional sex scandal.

The 1994 indictment of Reynolds (total: three stories): ABC: zero. CBS: two (one anchor brief in the evening, another one in the morning). NBC: one evening story.

The 1995 conviction of Reynolds on all 12 counts (total: 16 stories): ABC: one. CBS: five (one evening anchor brief, three morning briefs, and a full morning story). NBC: 10 (one evening anchor brief, six morning anchor briefs, a morning story, and two morning interview segments).

Please note that this adds up to 19 stories over more than a year, not 12 days. If the Foley story advanced to an indictment, how many more hundreds of stories will these three networks air?

There are obviously some differences in the two sex scandals. Foley’s Web interactions were with a congressional page, while Mel Reynolds was dealing with a minor in private. But Foley’s scandal is based on sex talk, while Reynolds not only had an active sex life with one teen, he was trying to add more teen sex partners.

There’s one obvious similarity: Reynolds was in the Democratic majority in 1994. The networks did not erupt in a frenzy asking: what did Speaker Thomas Foley do to protect the children? When would Democrats force Reynolds to resign? No one did. He was re-elected in 1994.

In the fall of 1994, with the ethical scandals hanging over Democrats, like the indictment of crooked Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (who did not resign, but ran for re-election), the Reynolds scandal might have had partisan resonance. But the networks weren’t interested in that kind of partisan resonance. —

(Nah there is no media bias Scott)

What it means to be a liberal.

2. Liberals believe individuals should be tolerant and respectful of difference. It is liberals who have supported and continue to support the civil rights movement, affirmative action, the Equal Rights Amendment and the rights of gays and lesbians. (Note that a conflict between propositions 1 and 2 leads to divisions among liberals on issues like pornography and hate speech.)

Lest we not forget this story from yesterday...

Sorry Mother Sheehan.

OSLO, Norway - Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their pioneering use of tiny, seemingly insignificant loans — microcredit — to lift millions out of poverty.

Through Yunus's efforts and those of the bank he founded, poor people around the world, especially women, have been able to buy cows, a few chickens or the cell phone they desperately needed to get ahead.

"Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty," the Nobel Committee said in its citation. "Microcredit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights."

I'm sure our liberals will hate this recipient as you as supposed to give everything away to the poor instead of expecting them to pay it back.

Oh, and sorry Cindy...

Jenna on the Factor

Jenna, we so proud....

No Charges Filed for Cat Drownings

I have been on record on the weenieness of Racine DA Michael Nieskes before. (for my rabid lefty readers who say I never say a bad word against Republicans, pay attention I'm doing it again.) This is a horrible decision by the DA, this kind of sick behavior can not be left unprosecuted.

This report from the Animal Legal Defense Fund was brought to my attention by Susan, a RDW reader from North Carolina, my thanks.

In April 2006, a dog swimming in Tichigan Lake near the town of Waterford dragged a bag he found in the water back to shore. A group of children opened the bag that had been weighted down with a brick, and found several drowned cats. An investigation led to Mike Miller, who admitted to Racine County Sheriff’s Deputies that he had killed the cats and that he had been feeding the cats for nearly two years. Countryside humane society officers reportedly visited Miller’s home on a number of occasions to help him humanely trap the cats so they could be helped, but he never cooperated with them.

ALDF learned of the situation after a Racine resident read in a newspaper that authorities would not take action because no law was being broken. But a quick look at Wisconsin code reveals that Miller’s alleged actions are illegal under Statute 951.02, which prohibits treating any animal in a cruel ("causing unnecessary and excessive pain or suffering") manner. Drowning results in a slow, agonizing death, causing an animal to suffer up to 20 minutes and is condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association in its 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia.

ALDF sent a letter to the Racine County District Attorney urging criminal cruelty charges, but no response has been received.

ACTION: There are much better ways to deal with cat overpopulation than drowning and the humane society repeatedly tried to help Miller with humane solutions. Because his alleged actions caused defenseless cats to suffer extreme terror and deplorable deaths and because those actions are illegal, contact the elected official below to urge criminal charges. If Miller is not stopped now, he may continue to commit such crimes in the future.

I don't care who you are.

I'm Alec Baldwin and I am a huge liberal blowhard and your police line is slowing my progress. I don't care that a plane *(&^@^%(!

Another glorious example of inclusion of various ideas from the left.

Disagree with Algore on global warming, we'll get ya...

Grist Magazine’s staff writer David Roberts called for the Nuremberg-style trials for the “bastards” who were members of what he termed the global warming “denial industry.”

Roberts wrote in the online publication on September 19, 2006, "When we've finally gotten serious about global warming, when the impacts are really hitting us and we're in a full worldwide scramble to minimize the damage, we should have war crimes trials for these bastards -- some sort of climate Nuremberg.”

The whole hate-filled thing.

YouTube blocked video mocking Clinton administration

Can't mock Clinton/ can't mock Islamic radicals...

How many vids mocking Republicans...

So much for free speech.

The popular video-sharing YouTube site, which is being purchased by Google for $1.65 billion, limited access to a political ad that mocks the Clinton administration's policy on North Korea, but contains no profanity, nudity or other factors generally thought objectionable.

The rest.

Sen. Harry Reid on the blogs

Glad to hear it.

Harry Reids ethical hangup

Can we have Harry's resignation please?

Applying the logic that every claim of wrong doing deserves a resignation, I give you the following...

AP Exclusive: Reid Got $1M in Land SaleOct 11 2:13 PM US/Eastern

By JOHN SOLOMON and KATHLEEN HENNESSEYAssociated Press Writers
WASHINGTON

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show.

In the process, Reid did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company, according to records and interviews.

The Nevada Democrat's deal was engineered by Jay Brown, a longtime friend and former casino lawyer whose name surfaced in a major political bribery trial this summer and in other prior organized crime investigations. He's never been charged with wrongdoing _ except for a 1981 federal securities complaint that was settled out of court.

Land deeds obtained by The Associated Press during a review of Reid's business dealings show:

The deal began in 1998 when Reid bought undeveloped residential property on Las Vegas' booming outskirts for about $400,000. Reid bought one lot outright, and a second parcel jointly with Brown. One of the sellers was a developer who was benefiting from a government land swap that Reid supported. The seller never talked to Reid.

In 2001, Reid sold the land for the same price to a limited liability corporation created by Brown. The senator didn't disclose the sale on his annual public ethics report or tell Congress he had any stake in Brown's company. He continued to report to Congress that he personally owned the land.

After getting local officials to rezone the property for a shopping center, Brown's company sold the land in 2004 to other developers and Reid took $1.1 million of the proceeds, nearly tripling the senator's investment. Reid reported it to Congress as a personal land sale.

The complex dealings allowed Reid to transfer ownership, legal liability and some tax consequences to Brown's company without public knowledge, but still collect a seven-figure payoff nearly three years later.

Reid hung up the phone when questioned about the deal during an AP interview last week.

As much hot air as Reid blows complaining and passing complaints against others how dare he hang up the phone. Is he beyond the scruitiny he readily applies to others?

Read the rest of this here, there is much, much more.

This will get roughly .00000000085423% as much attention as the Mark Foley story. Now, it does not deserve as much play, but a scandal involving this much money with someone as big as the minority leader should get maybe 25% as much play easy... We'll see.

At a minimum Reid should give up his leadership position until this is resolved.

What it means to be a liberal

By Geoffrey R. Stone.
Geoffrey R. Stone, a law professor at the University of Chicago, is the author of "Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime."Published October 10, 2006

For most of the past four decades, liberals have been in retreat. Since the election of Richard Nixon in 1968, Republicans have controlled the White House 70 percent of the time and Republican presidents have made 86 percent of the U.S. Supreme Court appointments. In many quarters, the word "liberal" has become a pejorative. Part of the problem is that liberals have failed to define themselves and to state clearly what they believe. As a liberal, I find that appalling.

In that light, I thought it might be interesting to try to articulate 10 propositions that seem to me to define "liberal" today. Undoubtedly, not all liberals embrace all of these propositions, and many conservatives embrace at least some of them.

Moreover, because 10 is a small number, the list is not exhaustive. And because these propositions will in some instances conflict, the "liberal" position on a specific issue may not always be predictable. My goal, however, is not to end discussion, but to invite debate.

1. Liberals believe individuals should doubt their own truths and consider fairly and open-mindedly the truths of others. This is at the very heart of liberalism. Liberals understand, as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed, that "time has upset many fighting faiths." Liberals are skeptical of censorship and celebrate free and open debate.

I'll be putting these out one at a time for discussion.

This point explains why liberals defend the insane Kevin Barret being on the public payroll. He has a right to his nutty ideas, he does NOT have a right to a government paycheck.

Death Penalty.

Lost in the furor over gay marraige has been the Death Penalty.

On November 7 there are two referendums.

Lets chat up the death penalty shall we.

The Wisconsin versions gives jurors the option if there is compelling DNA evidence.

Do you support it or not?

Why?

And UW complains about not having enough cash when they hire idiots like this...

MILWAUKEE — A University of Wisconsin-Madison instructor who has come under scrutiny for saying that the U.S. government orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks compares President Bush to Adolf Hitler in an essay that his students are being required to buy.

The essay, “Interpreting the Unspeakable: The Myth of 9/11,” is part of a $20 book of essays from 15 authors called “9/11 and American Empire: Muslims, Jews, and Christians Speak Out,” according to an unedited copy first obtained by WKOW-TV in Madison and later by The Associated Press.

The book is on the syllabus for the twice-a-week course, “Islam: Religion and Culture,” being taught by part-time instructor Kevin Barrett, but only three of the essays are required reading, not including Barrett’s essay.

Barrett is active in a group called Scholars for 9/11 Truth, whose members say U.S. officials, not al-Qaida terrorists, were behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Like Bush and the neocons, Hitler and the Nazis inaugurated their new era by destroying an architectural monument and blaming its destruction on their designated enemies,” he wrote.

Barrett said Tuesday he was comparing the attacks to the burning of the German parliament building, the Reichstag, in 1933, a key event in the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship.“That’s not comparing them as people, that’s comparing the Reichstag fire to the demolition of the World Trade Center, and that’s an accurate comparison that I would stand by,” he said.

But he did say in an interview: “Hitler had a good 20 to 30 IQ points on Bush so comparing Bush to Hitler would in many ways be an insult to Hitler.”

This is a sick, hate filled, and in my view insane, man, Jim Doyle said in Friday's debate he should have been fired. He lied about that, if he really believed that Kevin Barrett would not be working at UW right now.

N. Korea calls nuclear test a success

Disturbing.

SEOUL, South Korea -
North Korea said Wednesday that increased U.S. pressure over the regime's reported nuclear test would be considered an act of war, and claimed that the test had been a success.


The North Korean Foreign Ministry said the communist government could respond to U.S. pressure with "physical" measures.

"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. The statement, the first formal announcement from the North Korean government since KCNA reported the Monday test, didn't specify what those measures could be.

"We are ready for both dialogue and confrontation," the statement said.

RDW Public Appearance Report.

Rumor has it I'll be attending this Tuesday's Drinking Right with Mrs RealDebate.

Hope to see you at Papa's!

Operation Freedom Calls

This is good stuff....

Racine, Wis. – October, 2006 –TDS Metrocom, Wisconsin Internet and the Racine Technology Organization have created a partnership with the Freedom Calls Foundation to provide care packages and live, real-time communication magic for area residents to connect with their loved ones serving overseas in the military.

Operation Freedom Calls and Wish List Collection will be launched on Thursday, October 12, 2006 10 a.m. at the following location:


Wisconsin Internet, Inc.
8332 Corporate Drive
Racine WI 53406

During the "Operation Freedom Calls" kickoff event, either a soldier currently serving in Iraq will visit with his/her family/friends or a group of soldiers currently serving in Iraq will participate in a live question and answer session via the TDS Metrocom live, two-way video and audio hook-up.

Local companies and individuals are encouraged to make donations of phone cards, personal hygiene items and other necessities through the OFC collection drive. Donations will be accepted at the collection sites listed below. Once collected, the care packages will be assembled and sent to military personnel who are currently serving in Iraq.

TDS Metrocom, Racine, WI
Wisconsin Internet, Racine, WI
Racine Technology Organization, Racine, WI

The Freedom Calls Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the families of the military by partnering with businesses and organizations. The partnership with TDS Metrocom allows them to provide live audio and video links at no cost enabling face-to-face communication opportunities for family and community members with loved ones serving overseas.

TDS Metrocom has donated and installed a high-speed broadband connection at the Wisconsin Internet location. Family members may speak with their loved ones serving overseas for FREE upon scheduling an appointment. Appointments are necessary and information about scheduling may be obtained by calling the TDS Metrocom Operation Connect line at 1-866-313-7887 or visiting TDS online at www.tdsmetro.com/operationfreedomcalls.

Other TDS Metrocom/Operation Freedom Calls sites are currently located in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Beloit, Wisconsin; Vernon Hills, Illinois; and Neenah and Green Bay, WI.


Wish List:
Personal Hygiene Items
Black Cotton Athletic Socks
Cold Medicine
Disposable Razors
Feminine Hygiene Products
Floss
Handi-Wipes
Hand/body Lotion
Medicated Lip Balm
Q-Tips
Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Sun Screen
Tooth Brush
Tooth Paste
Towels/Wash Cloths
T-Shirts
Tylenol (No Motrin/Advil)
Underwear
Necessities
Batteries
Phone Cards
Coffee, Coffee Filters, Coffee Creamer
Disposable Cameras
Drink Mix (Gatorade, etc.)
Envelopes/Stationery
Single Serving Food items and snacks
Tea
Fun Stuff
Books
CD Music
CD Players
Computer Games
Digital Cameras
DVDs
MP3 Players
Personal notes and drawings
Puzzles
Seasonal Decorations
Video Game Players (Play Station 2 & Xbox)
Video Games (PS2 & Xbox)

About TDS Metrocom
TDS Metrocom, part of the TDS family of telecommunications companies, is a competitive local telecommunications provider established in 1997 that serves key markets in Wisconsin, Illinois Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota. TDS Inc. is a Chicago-based telecommunications corporation founded in 1969 with established local wireline and wireless businesses and rapidly growing competitive local phone service operations. Through its strategic business units and business unit divisions, TDS Metrocom, TDS Telecom and U. S. Cellular, TDS provides service to customers in rural and suburban markets around the country. The company employs approximately 10,900 people and serves more than six million local telephone and wireless customers in 36 states. TDS Metrocom can be accessed through the Internet at http://www.tdsmetro.com.

Fanasy Football Update

Keeping our promise to keep the RDW reader informed, your Debate Team crushed Randy's Caledonia Blogger's by a 2 touchdown margin this week.

That makes the Debaters a very Bearlike 5 & 0 on the season with Paul's Killer Boars squarely in our sights.

I'm catching Reggie Wayne & Fred Taylor on a bye week but Paul has a powerful lineup with the Bears defense, Torry Holt, T. Go and and Steve McNair.

Then again, did I mention we're 5 & 0...

Giant Diamond sold for $12 million+

There is a rumor floating around I bought this for Mrs RealDebate.

I do not respond to rumors.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 9 (Reuters Life!) - The biggest diamond to be found in 13 years, the "Lesotho Promise," was sold on Monday at auction for more than $12 million and is expected to fetch in excess of $20 million once it is cut up.

The 603-carat (120 gram) diamond, named after the tiny African mountain kingdom where it was found, went under the hammer at the Antwerp Diamond Center and was sold to the South African Diamond Corporation, owner of luxury jewellers Graff.

The 10th largest white diamond ever to be found, it will be cut into a large heart-shaped diamond and several smaller stones which will then be sold. The uncut diamond is a third bigger than a golf ball.

Johnny Kneller from the South African Diamond Corporation said that once it was cut up, he expected to sell the stones for a third more than the auction price.

"We can't say for sure but we hope it's going to fetch over $20 million," Kneller said.

Fatal 4 way debate... McReynolds vs Lehman vs Daley vs Vos

I must be a sick puppy, a cool windy Monday night, with plenty of football to be watched, and what did I choose to do?

Go to a political debate featuring not only Bill McReynolds and John Lehman going at it, but with a bonus under-card of Robin Vos and Tim Daley.

As I sit preparing to be wowed by the candidates a couple of thoughts come to mind. Will John Lehman or Tim Daley punch me in the nose if they figure out who I am? Additionally, I wonder if Daley flunkie or puppeteer Kurt Vlach will show up?

Daley just walked in, no Vlach, well that answers that, Maroon tie, blue shirt, nice jacket he looks good.

This evenings debate is being hosted by the Racine Dominican Sisters, they have umpteen hundred acres overlooking lake Michigan. These are some rich Nuns!

In walks Mac, nice Green and blue tie, I so tire of the red ones.

At this point, I would like to tell you I lost about 10 minutes of reporting as my Word processor shut down without warning. This will make it impossible for me to cover opening remarks, I’ll pick it up when the questioning starts. This is going to be a to be rough on us as this is a group of well known leftie sisters.

Shame on rightie, I think I am the only one here who is not affiliated with the Sienna center who would be considered a conservative. The Demosphere is well represented by Democrat of the year Kay Collins Shultz and Racine dems webmaster Sandra Tingle. As well as a few other people I do not recognize. It was nice to meet Kay and Sandy as they have been commenter at RDW. Total attendance, around 150.

John Lehman is attacking his opponent in his opening instead of telling us about himself. Now Lehman is attacking Vos claiming he will debate him instead of Daley.

Question… (given them ahead of time)

Do you favor legislation like Tabor that would not hinder other programs. (just focus on your thinking instead of your opponents…

McReynolds. Yes I support reasonable restraint on government spending. Any of the versions floated in Madison, never froze actual spending, they allowed government to grow, this is not talked about. I support and I have lived within the levy proposals as County executive. We are compassionate, we take care of our needs, but it is important to let people keep more of their paychecks and try and control gov’t spending.

Lehman. I appreciate the question, I am not in favor of TABOR or TPA or whatever you call it. The Republicans had their chance and blew it. Having been in Madison for a decade I’ve heard Republicans saying they are for local control, Tabor takes control takes away control from local govt… (to my knowledge local people can put up referenda). When you take extreme revenue limits it is unreasonable.

Vos. I am in favor of the TPA, I was one of the authors of the most stringent bill. I voted for the amendment that would put those ties on the state but not on the locales. I surveyed my district, 75% of them were in favor of some protection. I want to make sure the tax payer keeps their money.

Daley. There is no magic amendment to solve the revenue problem. Attack Vos on his survey as it sounds good in theory, but in practice it does not work. Most of the cost of govt is sucked up by wages and benefits. My health insurance has gone up 37% in the last 2 years. What we need is health care reform, not tabor. Tabor is a gimmick.

Translated: I’m not interested in that question…

Question. What is your stance on education funding and choice in Milwaukee?

Lehman. I am on a committee studying school funding. It is a perennial problem. How do you get your best education value, by supporting public schools. I have been a leader in not supporting school choice because it is two systems…

McReynolds. We all want good public schools. Public ed needs to learn how to prioritize spending. I support school choice, I support vouchers, it is not a threat.

Vos. I will author a bill that will be bring school choice to Racine county. School Choice works, we need great public schools and we need to support choice.

Daley. I am opposed to expanding school vouchers. There is no study that shows school choice works… (really now). They do nothing but undermine public education.

Questions. Does high quality of ethics work from life to death, teachers with guns, as long as
death penalty.

Daley. I do not know any teachers that want to pack iron, that is a crazy idea. I can not believe how ludicrous that is. I oppose bringing the death penalty back to Wisconsin, capital punishment is not a deterrent, it is expensive. What will you do cut education to bring back the death penalty.

Vos. I am proud to be endorsed by Wisconsin Right to Life. I am concerned about unborn children who my opponent does not worry about, I understand the point that every child deserves to live. Respecting life should be the single most important thing that elected officials should do.

Lehman. All of us who will go to the polls and have to consider a case where there is DNA evidence and should we support the death penalty, I do not support that, there are too many chances for human error. Part of the reason I am proud of living in Wisconsin is that we do not have the death penalty.

McReynolds. This is simple for me. I would support the death penalty if there was DNA evidence. I am totally against arming teachers in schools. (I like a politician who can anser a question in a direct and short manner)

Question… Do you support a pharmacists right to not fill prescriptions they have objections to?

Daley. No, pharmacists should not be able to have a conscious.

Vos. I voted for a bill that says a pharmacist has the right to hand a prescription back that says I’m sorry this is against my conscience would you please fill this somewhere else.

Lehman. The argument that pharmacists conscience should be considered should be considered very seriously. These people take an oath to care for the patient.

McReynolds. I do believe that a pharmacist should have a conscious clause, but they would need to pass a referral and give the Rx back to the patient.

Question. How would you solve the problem of inadequate funding at UW?

RDW ( How about by limiting 1,100 a month auto leases)

McReynolds. They need to prioritize their spending. We need to address the disparity between out of state and in-state students. They have over-spent and they need to treat their budget more like a business. They need to address over-spending to get some credibility back.

Lehman. WHAT ABOUT THE POOR?!? It is my belief that no student should have the door slammed in their face for not having the money to go there. We need to keep financial aid strong, so all kids who want to come can come.

Vos. There is strong bi-partisan support to libraries. I was a member of the board of regents in the 90’s. We have made a series of bad decisions. Under Guv Doyle 51% increase in tuition. They are more interested in social agenda than education. I am hopeful that we have a new Guv and every child that want to can go to a state school.

Daley. The treasurer of my campaign, my son Michael is a graduate. (You had to mention your treasurer didn’t you) We are 2nd lowest in the big 10 in tuition (well that makes that 51% increase better.) I have no idea what he is talking about.

Question. Where are you at on the ban on civil unions, gay marriage.

Daley. We already have a ban on gay marriage. I’ve been married 25 years, I have performed 557 marriages over my career, this is a gimmick to get people to the polls, DEATH PENALTY, GAY MARRIAGE (big scary voice), I will vote no, constitutions are supposed to give people rights, not take them away.

Vos. 78% of the people in my district said the people of Wisconsin through their elected legislators, not any judges.

Lehman. If you had served in the legislature you would have noticed the timing. This is a vote for discrimination, this is a gimmick, this is designed to bring a certain kind of voter to the polls.
EDITORIAL - I AM SICK OF THIS, IT SHOLD FUEL VOTERS ON THE LEFT AS WELL.

Mac - I believe marriage is between one man and one woman. (short)

Question. Many disabled people have no other income than a small disability income, what would you do to help there people.

Lehman. Coming from the Democratic side we are sensitive to poor people. (What rightie hates ‘em?) You are looking for a democrat if you want this kind of help. (he said nothing)

McReynolds. Eliminate taxes on social security./ We will be announcing a program tomorrow night to help seniors, a pilot program through the county that will break new ground as part of the budget message.

Vos. We can all say what we would do, I was an author of a bill that would provide tax incentives to encourage businesses to hire persons who have developmental disabilities.

Daley. I live a short distance from Sheppard’s in Union Grove. I have fought for these people. I have sued people.

Thank you Robin Vos for actually answering the question.

Closing Statements….

Daley. Thanks again, I respect life, I was raised Catholic but I married a Lutheran. Pope John Paul II I respected so much, he is the only one who got that made any sense. We all want affordable health care, wages, schools, clean and safe environment for our selves and our families, my progressive agenda will accomplish that, not the gimmicks.

Vos. Elections are about choices. Two years come and go quickly. Elections are about people and are they what you think the same as what you think and will they reflect your values. People who listen are important. Over two years about 3,000 people contacted my office. The vast majority of them heard them from me. We don’t dig through telephone records, looking for dirt, we are about ideas.

Lehman. The major issues we hear are about taxes, jobs, health care, etc,. Hopefully you see my experience and love for local government and my respect for people who are trying to do the job of government. I am trying to be reasonable instead of answering political answers.

McReynolds. It is clear that John and I have differences. (yes you do Bill)

This was decidedly leftist crowd, the winner of this fatal four way was Tim Daley. I give this to him on style. He kept the crowd the most engaged.

I have to give Vos the passion points. Robin is fired up and a true believer.

Lehman looks tired, and McReynolds looks slightly less tired. I do admire the way Mac gets right to the point instead of pontificating just because he has the floor.

Now who's winning Monday Night Football?!?

Your Katrina rebuilding dollars hard at work.

Hookers follow workers' dollars

Katrina labor force attracts them to N.O.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
By Trymaine Lee

For prostitutes working the streets of New Orleans, the post-flood era has sparked a boom in business, largely owing to the influx of an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 out-of-town workers away from their families with money to blow, police said.

It's "like the Super Bowl" for sex workers, said Deputy Chief James Scott, commander of the Police Department's Intelligence Division, from his division's headquarters in a trailer.

Though police are making more arrests for prostitution than before Hurricane Katrina, Scott said quantifying such results is difficult because undercover officers often can't develop conclusive evidence to make a clear-cut prostitution case. It often takes a transfer of cash, "getting naked with them" and clear evidence that the prostitute wants to trade a sexual favor for cash and not just because "she thinks you're hot," Scott said.

Suspected prostitutes in today's New Orleans, where a lack of bed space in the Orleans Parish Prison has authorities routinely transferring hundreds of prisoners accused of more serious crimes to out-of-town jails, are often being given municipal summonses rather than jail time for lesser offenses such as solicitation. And even when suspected prostitutes are taken into custody, they're often back on the streets in a matter of minutes, Scott said.

With the lure of big money and small consequences, he said, the city has attracted out-of-town prostitutes who ply their trade mostly in the French Quarter.

Before Katrina, most vice officers could identify many of the prostitutes by name, Scott said.

Lots of new faces

"It's just a totally different crowd (in the Quarter now). If you look, you'll see more males in the crowd. They have a tremendous amount of cash to spend. And they're out there and they're looking for women. They're looking to drink and have a good time. They're stuck here without their families, and that has attracted prostitutes."

Too Far.

I completely understand how people want to protect their children from the ugliness in our society.

Sometimes though things go too far, this story is one those times.

Art teacher, school spar after complaints about nude artwork...

FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- Like the artwork that teacher Sydney McGee insists she was fired for letting her students study, her former school says there's more to her dismissal than is apparent at first glimpse.

McGee, who taught elementary school in this sprawling Dallas suburb, has drawn national sympathy and disbelief since claiming she was let go last month because a parent complained that their child saw a nude piece during a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.

Eighty-nine of McGee's fifth-graders toured the museum during the April trip, which McGee concedes likely included nudes but was arranged as a chance to see Picassos and Piet Mondrians.

"It's not a place of pornography, it's art," said McGee, 51, who has taught for 28 years and lists Oxford University among her graduate studies.

Her dismissal has stirred up familiar stereotypes of Texas conservatism run amok and the intemperate prudishness of suburban life.

That is a bit far for me. This is about a concerned parent trying to protect their kid, that is hardly conservatism run amok.

I don't think this teacher deserved to lose her job, it would seem to me tasteful nude in an art class is not too far for a 5th grader. Now if they were going to a Maplethorp exhibit or something we could chat, but Boticelli is classic, not pornography.

God created the human body, that is a lesson I think we forget sometimes.

Monday Random Quotes

All Guns Are Bad! All Guns Are Bad! All Guns Are Bad! Patrick.

Popeye never had e-coli. He had Olive Oyl. Tony.

Fred did a great job live blogging... Owen. (thanks)

Pro-cannabis speakers, informational tables and displays, vendors, food carts. Kenosha Online. (canibas speakers and food carts...)

Another cliche I detest! Marcus.

My Son Graduated Summa Boom Loudly from Arafat High. Steve.

Indiana sucks... Jib

I’m an Eagle Scout and a fairly experienced hiker...and got us totally lost Ben.

You may be suffering from PIMP -- Post-Foley IM Pruriency Disorder. Mary.

Tick…tick…tick…… Kevin.

“is he a good guy?” Chris.

Ah, to be a fly on the wall during next year's Lasee family reunion. Jenna.

A great choice on my part it is sucking in hits like a sponge. Chris.

Special Bleg... Aaron

Pfffft. Jones.

Wonder if any of these “kidnap” victims saw Elvis or Jimmy Hoffa. Peter.

Spotty blogging: pebcak. Aaron again.

Free speach means nothing more than shouting down anyone who disagrees with you. Elliot.

Fred Creed held off a furious rally by Steve Balboa to take the likely preview of the championship game by the closest margin of the year. Steve. (You are not a Jedi Master yet young one)

All is well! Frankie.

They keep showing me photos of Shanna Moakler... Spinner Dan.

John Kerry used to tell you to vote for Liberman, before he told you to vote against him. Spinner Dan II.

I tried to find more leftie quotes, frankly they are all too angry to say anything MRQ worthy this week. Feel free to send in suggestions...

Have a good week!

10 solid reasons John Lehman is too out of touch with Racine.

The McReynolds campaign will be releasing 10 items tomorrow in which John Lehman voted against common sense legislation that even most members of his own party voted for.

Being a reader of RDW you get the added bonus of learning these things before the general public...

In no particular order these are 10 common sense votes John Lehman voted against:

· Increasing the penalty for dealing drugs around kids (2003 AB 688). 84 members of the Assembly voted YES to increase the penalties for pushers who deal around children. Only 12 voted NO on this common sense bill. Lehman voted NO.
· Increasing the penalty for possession of the dangerous drug ecstasy (2003 AB 687). Passed 80-16.
· Increasing the penalty for possession of methamphetamine (2003 SB 4). Passed 81-14.
· Increasing the penalty for purposely giving someone AIDS (1997 AB 866). Passed 81-14.
· Improving Wisconsin's sex offender notification law (2003 AB 14). Passed 84-15.
· Prohibiting felons from working in public schools (2003 AB 41). Passed 69-29.
· Lowering energy taxes on Racine's manufacturers (2003 AB 507). Passed 85-14.
· Creating a tax incentive to encourage new technology jobs (2003 SB 261). Passed 93-6.
· The Job Creation Act, which cut government red tape (2003 AB 655). Passed 80-14.
· Helping active military personnel vote via absentee ballot (2005 AB 377). Passed 79-17.

Talk about being too extreme... John Lehman is one of, if not the most liberal legislator in Madison. Is this the kind of man you want voting for you?

Now, John Lehman will tell you as he did in a debate, "the devil is in the details". What he was trying to say is there was some language he didn't like or some small thing that gave him a reason to vote for felons in schools, or for an easy preditor law, or for higher energy taxes, or for military votes not to be counted. Of course he did not share what any of those details were.

John Lehman will also tell you that discussing his record is negative campaigning. Sorry John, you call in negative I call it informational.

I will also tell you the odds of the Racine Journal Times covering this release are precisely zero. They don't want the people to know how radical John Lehman really is.

I'm not afraid to tell the truth. Someone has to cover what the JT refuses to cover.

Consider this post my official endorsement of McReynolds for Senate.

Any legislator that would lessen penalties for registered sex offenders who sell drugs near school grounds in which they work while having a felony record and possessing ecstasy is too extreme for me!

Exclusive Photo....

BREAKING NEWS !!!

Muslim Heaven,
October 7, 2006

Al Qaeda leader "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi", killed by US Forces in Iraq, has just met with the first of his 72 virgins that Allah promised:

Click here for the photo...

ONLY 71 MORE TO GO !!!

" ALLAH AKBAR !!! "

H/T Kenosha Kid

I'm confused.

Mass Venezuela opposition rally
By Greg Morsbach BBC News, Caracas

Tens of thousands of people have marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in support of the main opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales.

Mr Rosales will face President Hugo Chavez in December's presidential poll.
The march, which filled the main avenues of the city centre, was the biggest opposition rally
Venezuela has seen since early 2004.

Then, protesters made an unsuccessful bid to oust Mr Chavez from power in a recall referendum.

Young and old took to the streets to throw their weight behind the campaign of Mr Rosales, a middle-class Social Democrat who governs the state of Zulia, on the Colombian border.

Many claimed that they were seeking liberty and democracy and that made Mr Rosales their only option.

I thought Hugo chavez was beloved by all in Venezuala? Furthermore, shouldn't he be dead by now since Bush ordered his execution?

Wiggy's new look.

Having recently altered my template I know how much work Wiggy put into his new look.

Good job James!