No, Bill. It Looks As If They Already Have Letterhead.

Navel gazing, Cheddarstyle.

WisOpinion posts a link to The Esteemed Mr Wigderson...

Which is almost all, and only a gush fest cut-and-paste of a Koshnick release which was originally posted on Wispolitics yesterday. That's kind of the long way round for what is basically a letter stating that the nascent campaign is fixin' to begin to get started on a mosey towards an office.

Now I'm certain that James doesn't have to resort to copying the release off the Internets, what with his connections and all. I'm just wondering where the news is here that warrants all this attention. It's pretty clear that Koschnick hasn't gotten his papers turned in yet. So far there is no campaign but there is a fundraising portal. Sing, "Hallelujah."

The release tells us far more about "Senior Campaign Advisor" Seamus Flaherty than about the candidate himself. Some enterprising soul might ask the judge about his own vision of how faith and the law should be integrated, perhaps. You know, if he had some one-on-one time with the judge he could see if he agrees with Flaherty's Alma Mater that it's a grand idea.

One might also ask about "Campaign Advisor" Tristan Cook. Young Mr Cook is shown as the manager of the Madison campaign HQ for John McCain. Now, it would take a great leap of faith to believe that McCampaign thought they should commit their heavy hitters to the Madison office. Young Mr Cook was perfect for the sacrificial position. He came to them on the rebound, having been Co-Chair of Students For Romney in Iowa. Before that Cook served as a Field Rep on an un-named-by-the-release Congressional campaign in Iowa. That would have been the 2006 campaign of Jim Leach, a 30-year incumbent who managed to eke out a loss to a Democrat who had qualified only as a write-in in the primary.

I'm also hoping that someone asks what became of the judge's erstwhile Campaign Manager, Todd Albaugh. There seems to be no mention of the failed candidate for Assembly in this latest release. What's become of Todd? Did he fianlly have to look for private sector work after years of suckling at the public teat? Is he consulting with GBG? (Probably not. Huh?)

BTW, Bill. The letterhead shows the scales of Justice tipped to the right. It's probably a coincidence.

Filet O'Fischer

Methinks that it is well documented indeed that Kevin Fischer, star of blog, TV, radio and his own delusions, can be, well, a bit of a pompous ass.

A while ago, Fischer went after David Hintzman, a developer that is working on the Fountains of Franklin. What Fischer's beef against Hintzman wasn't clear. Until now.

Greg Kowalski, at Metro Milwaukee Today, relays an email he received from some concerned Franklinites. The email is a letter from Mr. Hintzman, who addresses some of Fischer's malicious smear jobs. Here is an excerpt that makes things so much clearer:

Mr. Fischer continues to complain about our project, considering it has been on hold. It is interesting that he chooses to not complain about the Crossroads retail development that has been discussed since 2004 with community meetings, much planning, and attracted three major developers. Yet, nothing has been built on that site. On October 31st, 2006, the Target center was pitched to be an upscale town center like Greenway Station (in Middleton, WI) and the Brookfield Towne Center. However to date, three frontage buildings resemble a one-story strip mall, not what was initially presented. Furthermore, the only tenant that is under interior construction is a Cousin’s. It is very telling that Mr. Fischer elects only to complain about my project. I can only surmise that Mr. Fischer’s attacks on me relates to the fact that I laid off his wife after I contracted for services through a temporary employment agency.

I am still waiting for Mr. Fischer to use his vast development knowledge and experience to be productive and maybe even develop something himself instead of criticizing others from the ‘cheap seats’. Considering this hasn't happened yet, it appears that his method of attack is to over-compensate for his personal shortcomings and/or his self-esteem.

If you are someone who enjoys learning about local happenings via the blogs, but value receiving accurate information, I would recommend that you and your neighbors not waste your time reading Mr. Fischer’s blog. There is no point.

Even that made me wince. The sad part is that Mr. Hintzman is absolutely correct. Fischer's accuracy is almost as bad as Mark Belling's. Why does WISN keep these guys around anyway? In case the janitors go on strike or something?

The Rise And Fall Of Fischer

It was just about a year ago that yours truly stumbled upon a most disagreeable person, a miscreant, a regular brigand, if you will. Yes, I am speaking of Kevin Fischer.

Greg Kowalski, who Fischer thought he could bully with his bombastic belligerence, writes a post documenting the fall of Fischer, who has alienated almost everyone in Franklin:

It all came down to this: When both liberals and conservatives in Franklin cannot stand or tolerate the attitude or behavior of an individual that is paid with their tax dollars, you know there will be problems. That's exactly what happened after what some Milwaukee-area bloggers labeled a bit of late-night rowdiness in late January, where I was pinned against a wall and repeatedly taunted, attacked, and demoralized by Fischer. These comments were saved for all of the metropolitan area to read, and boy did they read! The childish actions by Fischer were plastered on tens of Milwaukee-area blogs, both liberal and conservative. Milwaukee Magazine ran two articles sharply criticizing Fischer's actions and his boss, State Senator Mary Lazich, for keeping such an individual on her staff. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if some politicians discussed the matter behind closed doors with their staff members, encouraging them to not repeat what just happened with Lazich's office. Simply put, Fischer was on his way tumbling down.

[...]

The rise and fall of Kevin Fischer is a well-documented case of an individual who thought that no matter what he said or what he did, there would be no consequences to rest on his shoulders. If he would have continued to maintain the solidarity he had with other Franklin bloggers, the whole political spectrum in Franklin could have been very, very different today. As with many mean-spirited individuals with a nasty attitude, Fischer ended up doing himself in. To be honest with all you, though, I don't have a sense of pity or remorse for what he ended up to be.

And to emphasize how Fischer has alienated even his former allies, Kowalski provides us two links to posts by Fred Keller, a one-time staunch ally of Fischer's.

Keller's first post highlights Fischer's hypocritical attitude towards ethics. I personally if Fischer even knows the definition of the word.

Keller's other post describes how Fischer went boom over Boomgaard.

Fischer must be feeling awfully lonely lately. Most bullies do, sooner or later.

PaddyMac Wants To Raise Your Taxes

For a long, long time, PaddyMac has kept up the pretense of hating taxes, even though he doesn't mind spending money like a drunken sailor if it means building more highways around the state, whether we need them or not.

Now, he has put up not just one, but two, posts ridiculing people for pointing out the efficiencies and pleasantries of rail systems. His argument is apparently he might have to walk a few blocks (although he thinks the elderly and disabled should do that with Transit Plus - go figure).

I have a question for Paddy.

In the past week, there have been seven or eight deaths around the state, related to weather induced traffic accidents, including a young mother and her seven month old son. Patrick, how many people around the state have died from weather-related train accidents?

For a bonus question: How many trains got stranded on a track due to the recent snow storms, and how does that compare to the hundreds of cars in Milwaukee alone that were stranded in the streets?

Second Page For Dr. McIlheran

A week or two ago, PaddyMac smugly posted something on his blog about how terrible the Canadian health care system is supposed to be. It was promptly refuted by Illy-T, and I pointed out that New York had it's own problems.

Paddy is a slow learner apparently. He now put up a post of an anecdotal story of a woman that gave birth on the floor in a hospital in Scotland.

That still doesn't compare to the NY story in which a woman died while being neglected for more than 24 hours.

It also doesn't address the issue of hospitals in LA, which is still in the American health care system, for dumping patients on Skid Row. Perhaps that is what he considers to be high quality health care.

Is This Talk Radio's Time To Shine?

From Dan Cody:

On a final note… One thing I never understood is local talk show hosts bragging about how they’re first or second in the Milwaukee market in terms of ratings and how at this very moment, there may be almost 10,000 or 15,000 people listening!

I always cringe when they go off on that rant because it’s rather pointless and embarrassing chest thumping. Yeah, 10k is a lot of people… but compared to what? It’s like the Division 20 High School football championship held in a stadium built for 100,000. Yeah it’s great all their supporters are there and the players are thrilled to have the biggest crowd of their lives, but even the massive turnout of 1,000 fans who made the trip look a little odd in the first 4 rows of the stadium built for 100 times their number. The kids are thrilled though because it’s one. thousand. people.

…and being first in the time slot between 3pm and 6pm is great too! But who exactly are you up against on the radio dial at that time? Old time Christian story hour on the WGOD? The home improvement call in show out of Beloit on WWTF? Minor league baseball coverage out of Appleton? I mean seriously… put me on from 2pm to 3pm with a harmonica and two spoons and I could probably win the time slot too.

As for me, I expect talk radio to be around for a while, although most people seem to be taking it less and less seriously as they continue to make complete asses out of themselves.

But it also shows me the fallacy of the right wing squawkers faux fear of the Fairness Doctrine. I doubt that anyone would be looking to get into a business they thought would be shut down anytime soon.

James T. Harris: Girlie Man

James T. shows off his superficiality with this post pondering the physique of Barack Obama. I thought it was jealousy at first, until he gets later into his post with this:

Now... I'll say it... What the hell is going on with Michelle?
Could there be a correlation between the towel she's wearing and the chip she's eating? And before you all start tripping on me, remember, Hillary showed hers first!

Getting rather catty there, aren't you James. I think this goes beyond mere sexism. Given that he is snarky with both Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, I think he is just afraid of strong women. That can happen to men that aren't secure in their masculinity, you know.

Pure Genius

When Tom McMahon came up with the anti-Semitic, prejudicial bastardization of the COEXIST bumper sticker, Sykes thought it was "pure genius."

McMahon has just posted one of his four squares that Sykes will probably wet himself over.

It has it all. Racism, anti-Semitism and most importantly, egocentrism. It is the trifecta of the Hate Right. I'm sure it will be only a matter of time before McMahon gets his own talk show, or at the very least, a regular column at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Showing Them The Money

During the election season, Charlie Sykes stated that he had a problem with the proposed bail out of the major financial institutions of Milwaukee, but he was relatively low key about it. After the election, Sykes remained low key about the bailout.

But once there was talking about bailing out the Big Three Automakers, he became a lot more noisome about the whole thing. I thought it was just Sykes following his spoon fed Republican talking points in attacking the UAW and unions in general.

Then it dawned on me. The reason why he was so mild about the financial institutions in comparison to the automakers is because he didn't want to bite the hand that feeds him.

M & I is a large sponsor of Sykes' show and of TMJ620 radio. They even bought air time when Sykes does "interviews" with M & I staff people and their Wealth Management group, supposedly to give tips of what to do regarding wealth management.

What makes this so delightfully hypocritical is that M & I took $1.7 billion in bail out money. If they can't manage their own wealth, why would anyone trust their wealth to them?

To add to the hypocrisy, my friend Illy-T points out that the auto makers are as eligible for bail out moneys as much as M & I.

It would seem that all that needs to happen is for GM, Ford, Mopar or even the UAW themselves to buy some ad time, and Sykes will be purring for them as well.

The man and the company that employs him have no shame.

Fischer The Scientist

Here's a screen cap from something Kevin Fischer just put up:



Um Kevin, old chum, old pal, old buddy...would you be kind enough to explain to the gentle reader how the weather affects the length of sunlight during a day? Is that the kind of basic elementary school science that you use to disprove global climate change?

Of course, I may be expecting to much from a glorified receptionist.

They Say It Like It's A Bad Thing

Chuckles has a link to a parody done of the New York Times. It is supposedly to mock all of the things that liberals have on their agenda. In other words, these are the things that Charlie and his listeners think are bad things or just plain silly:

• Ending the Iraq War and bringing our brave men and women home.
• The Bush Administration admitting that it lied to get us into Iraq.
• Bush being held accountable for his misdeeds.
• Everyone receiving affordable health care.
• The Constitution being restored.
• Stabilizing the economy.
• Creating jobs.
• Repairing the country's infrastructure.

If these things are wrong, I'm sure glad I'm not part of the Right.

Bush Did The Right Thing, Sykes Complains

From the prodigal Brawler:

What does it take for Charlie Sykes to turn on George Bush?

Torture? No. War? No. Huge deficits? No?

How did George W. Bush earn one of Charlie Sykes' deep tunnel awards? Throw a lifeline to the Big Three. The winners? The UAW (although they are looking at making serious givebacks). The losers, in Sykesland? The taxpayer (who apparently would be "winners" if the U.S. auto sector tanked.

It's odd. Charlie seems to think that -- at least he claims to think -- that a modest sales tax increase or a sick day mandate would decimate jobs in Milwaukee.

But in his eyes an effort (imperfect, yes, but an effort) to prevent the destruction of potentially hundreds of thousands of jobs (though job loss in the the U.S. based auto sector will measure in the tens of thousands in the coming years even in a best-case scenario) in the midst of a recession is a shitty thing to do...

Read the rest here.

Paging Dr. McIlheran. Paging Dr. McIlheran

PaddyMac put up a piece regarding a man that died in the waiting area of a Canadian hospital. He felt that this proved that universal health care is a complete flop and that this sort of thing wouldn't happen in the good old U.S. of A.

Illy-T, our friendly neighborhood Canadian transplant, takes on the issue:

Dr. Chaoulli gained some notoriety a couple of years ago when he successfully challenged the Province of Quebec's restrictions on privately insured health care. He's one of those brave mavericks who opt out of the "socialized medicine" that McIlheran so detests.

That's right: McIlheran has selected the alleged negligence of a physician that derives his livelihood from U.S.-style private insurance plans as an example of how bad a public health care system is.

Outstanding work, Mr. McIlheran. Way to pick those cherries.

(Canada, incidentally, ranks 14th in the world by overall life expectancy, according to the current CIA Factbook. The U.S. is 45th.)

I would humbly point out to Dr. Paddy that, according to the last time I checked, New York was not part of Canada. Perhaps he doesn't mind that this woman died after being in the ER's waiting area for over 24 hours and then having her body lie on the floor for a better part of an hour before anyone does anything. After all, if they had treated her, that might mean his taxes could have gone up.

Would An Organized Political Party Act Like This?

Nah. But that doesn't stop the RPW and their apologists.

Chris Schneider, the erstwhile Dennis York, blogging over at the WPRI Think Tank Command Central gets to take the official snark shot at Jeff Wood. It's replete with "joint committee" and Big Lebowski jokes and all those other compassionate, sympathetic bromides that the WPRI scribblers maintain are the hallmarks of Conservative action. One wonders what "policy" Schneider was researching when he wrote this attack.

Lest we forget, it wasn't so very long ago that Jeff Wood was one of the RPW's shining stars, tasked with being the saddle-pal of Crazy Frank as they ramrodded the ill-fated TABOR Bill to its quick and certain demise.

Now that Wood has turned his back on the "leadership" of RPW, his former groupies are only too happy to pile on him while he's down. Remember this post for the next time Charlie tries to convince us that conservatives are, somehow, travellers of a higher road. The next time Belling or Wagner start bitching that Liberals are mean you can point them in this direction.

Jeff Wood will pay for his transgressions. He will pay in time and money and honor. If he's smart he'll come out stronger and better. If he's smart he'll ignore the piffle falling off WPRI and their ilk. But then, that's just good policy any day.

Belling: Making Milwaukee proud again

Mark Belling's most recent racist rant -- -unless he's done another since Wednesday, which is certainly possible -- is noted by Media Matters. (No, that would not be McBride's Media Matters, which thankfully is on a long vacation. It's the real one.)

Mike Plaisted comments.

Charlie's Question

Charlie is occasionally a print guy and he draws his paycheck from the biggest media conglomerate in the state. So he's probably thinking of his own skin when he cuts and pastes from PJ O'Rourke.

It looks, from Charlie's original contribution to this piece on his blog, that all of the Print Bailout dollars should go to proofreaders who understand punctuation.

Will Paddy Apologize?

For a long, long time, PaddyMac has been advocating for waterboarding anyone and everyone. It must be the latent sadistic side of him or something.

His arguments include that it is effective and necessary.

Paddy is obviously full of Blarney. The Washington Post has a story on a report finding that Donald Rumsfeld and other top Bush administration folks had a direct hand in implementing and trying to legalize torture. The report goes on to say (emphasis mine):

"The abuse of detainees in U.S. custody cannot simply be attributed to the actions of 'a few bad apples' acting on their own," the report states. "The fact is that senior officials in the United States government solicited information on how to use aggressive techniques, redefined the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees."

The report is the most direct refutation to date of the administration's rationale for using aggressive interrogation tactics -- that inflicting humiliation and pain on detainees was legal and effective, and helped protect the country. The 25-member panel, without one dissent among the 12 Republican members, declared the opposite to be true.

The administration's policies and the resulting controversies, the panel concluded, "damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies, and compromised our moral authority."

Note to Paddy: Feel free to give us a mea culpa whenever you're ready. You can even send the advance copy to your echo chamber while you're at it.

H/T to James Rowen.

I Thought He Was On Vacation

Fischer told us he was going to be gone this week, but apparently he's still doing his blogging for state Senator Mary Lazich.

The Chief explains all.

Belling goes off on Abrahamson opponent

The first dirt gets thrown in the 2009 State Supreme Court race, with the usual spin -- lawyers who defend criminals are scum, unqualified to sit on the bench.

Interesting twist, though. It's Republican radio ranter Mark Belling doing the slinging, which is not unusual. But his target is the right wing's candidate. Here's Belling:

Abrahamson’s opponent, Jefferson County Judge Randy Koschnick, calls himself a judicial conservative who won’t legislate from the bench. He decries Abrahamson’s rulings that have damaged the state’s business climate and her obsession with overturning the convictions of criminals. But Koschnick has as much credibility on these issues as I do at a teachers union meeting.

Randy Koschnick was Ted Oswald’s lawyer. You remember Ted. He killed a cop. Oswald and his father, James, went on a crime spree in 1994 that started with a bank robbery in Wales and ended with a shootout in which the Oswalds fired at least six shots at Waukesha Police Capt. James Lutz. Captain Lutz died. Both Oswalds are now serving life prison terms. Randy Koschnick is the lawyer who tried to help Ted Oswald get away with murdering a cop.

This is the guy who wants to claim Shirley Abrahamson is soft on crime?

Unlike Alberta Darling, I don't think the Chief will be using Belling to make autocalls for her campaign.

There's a Pony in There Somewhere

Hi kids. Back from a decadent cruise along the "Mexican Riviera" (one of the most bogus marketing terms ever) and as much as I want to avoid it have succumbed to the irresistible pull of the blog.

With all of the shrill insanity around Barack Obama's nodding acquaintanceship with Bill Ayers, it comes as no surprise that the Blagojevich scandal, someone the president elect really knew, will be played for all it's not worth.

This of course has become a new chew toy for our boy Charlie Sykes, so expect him to give it a good shake multiple times a day.

Typical in his rip and read style (so many innuendos, so little time) is something he regurges from the Washington Post for his radio sheep.

The U.S. attorney's complaint states that Blagojevich mused aloud with his advisers about the possibility that he could seek a high-paying job with Change to Win, the coalition of seven unions -- dominated by SEIU -- that broke away from the AFL-CIO in 2005. Blagojevich and his chief of staff wondered aloud about a "three-way deal" in which he would appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, a Chicago businesswoman believed to be the woman identified in the complaint as "Candidate 1," to Obama's Senate seat; Blagojevich in return would become Change to Win's executive director; and Obama would reward Change to Win with pro-labor policies.

Everyone together now -- SO WHAT!

Just because the Illinois governor mused about a friend of the president elect, does that mean they both have to be guilty of something? Then again there was the Carter "lust in his heart" lust.

For an authoritarian like Chuck this takes thought crimes to a new level. Now all you have to do is have an individual under indictment think about someone and that person instantly becomes convicted...of something!

Maybe Charlie has seen Minority Report one too many times?

Say What?

Them bitter clingers had Christmas come early when the corrupt governor from Illinois (Rod Blagojevich-D) was arrested for being a first degree sleazeball. The righties didn't have much to celebrate until then, and were busy licking their wounds from the elections and trying to start impeachment hearings against Obama before he was even sworn in.

On of the most bitter-clinging haters was that goofball, Fred Dooley, of Real Dumbass Wisconsin.

Dooley at 1:18 pm in the afternoon, when most gainfully employed adults are at work, posted this nonsense, whining that not enough liberals were bashing Blago. Not only was he counting (though he must have problems with math problems involving two integer numbers, judging from the comment section), he was taking it upon himself to critique any posts that were written by liberal bloggers. And then he couldn't even have the decency to spell Cognitive Dissidence correctly.

This is from a guy who is so fairly unbalanced in his own blogging that his posts include:

On Larry Craig, who is still guilty of trying to solicit sex in an airport bathroom, Fred wrote this.

On David Vitter, who was on Washington Madame's list of favored shoppers, Fred wrote this.

On Christopher Thomas, a little boy who was murdered, and part of the blame falls on Alberta Darling's Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, Fred compassionately wrote this.

And for the real kicker, on Michael Gableman, who, like Annette Ziegler, starts his time on the Supreme Court under a cloud of doubt, as he is trying to defend the indefensible. And Fred's take on Gableman's wrong-doings? Well, he didn't write any. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

But not only did he not write any posts condemning Gableman for his misbehavior, nor any calling for his ouster, but the posts on his site regarding Gableman are either endorsements or defenses of the miscreant. This is not surprising. After all, there is photographic evidence that Fred likes to associate with these kinds of scofflaws:



But you got to give it to Dooley on one thing. What he lacks in propriety, he makes up with chutzpah.

Mike Mathias sure appreciates him though.

I Bet This Won't Be On His Resume

Jessica McBride wrote a column lamenting the announcement that U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic is resigning his office to go into private practice.

Now, I don't recall if she lamented the fact that the Bush administration had him on a "to be fired" list because he wasn't partisan enough in his prosecutions. I can't check either because, well, you know.

The part that probably made Biskupic cringe and hope that none of his potential clients saw was this:

The bottom line: He, again, had earned the capital to be given the benefit of the doubt. When he said there was no evidence of organized fraud, I took that to mean there was no evidence of organized fraud because he’d convinced me that, if there was, he’d have found it. How did he convince me? Track record.

McBride doesn't have the greatest track record in regards to whom to believe. After all, she repeatedly believed Gableman was a good, honest man.

Comparing Wax Apples To A-Bombs

Today, on his blog, PaddyMac invents a straw man, and yet still manages to lose to it.

Paddy first claims that Obama is trying to perpetuate the fiscal crisis caused by Bush and his failed economic policies, which Paddy just loves. His criticism is that Obama isn't doing enough to fix Bush's mistakes, even though he's not even sworn into office yet. (Imagine how loudly PaddyMac and his buddies would be squawking if Obama took an even more assertive stance.)

Paddy then shows his true lack of integrity by repeating an outright lie:

Look, the outgoing administration, having itself come into office after a vindictive transition that saw Clinton staff trashing offices and peeling W’s off keyboards, appears to want to make things smooth. The economy’s in crisis, the Treasury is asking how the new guy wants to proceed so it doesn’t set up something at loggerheads with where we’ll be going in the next four years – and Obama can’t even involve aides of “sufficient rank” on the conference call?

First of all, the whole trashing the White House and the keyboard stories have all been debunked:

Accounts that departing Clinton administration officials destroyed office equipment and committed other acts of vandalism in the White House during the presidential transition were significantly overblown, a manager at the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said yesterday.

The General Services Administration found nothing unusual about the condition of White House offices after Clinton officials left, and President Bush's staff said it had no records that indicated damage or subsequent repair work, the accounting office manager said.

But even if PaddyMac was telling the truth for once, I say so what? He is going to mince about a few keyboards being vandalized, when the Bush administration has raped and left to ruin not one, but two separate countries.

I feel safe in saying that I would rather have to replace a couple of keyboards and scrub a few walls than to deal with the damage from Hurricane Katrina (which Bush still hasn't done), a full blown recession (if not already a depression), the mess in Iraq, strained relations with most of the world and the multitude of other messes Cowboy George has created.

The Boy Who Squawked Wolf

Charlie is at it again:


In refutation of Charlie's phony alarmist squawks, the Chief does some psychoanalysis on him.

My issue is that it is more than a little hypocritical for the squawking face of the Journal Broadcast Company to be whining about their fear of being silenced, when they won't allow other people to talk.

Paddy Plays The Nonexistent Race Card

Paddy complains that the ACLU filed a lawsuit about his favorite thing, spending tax money on unneeded expressways. Paddy claims it was racially motivated, even though it wasn't.

Illy T explains and ends said explanation wth this:

As a very special added bonus, McIlheran unwittingly and to unintentionally comedic effect (ironic, also) confirms the foregoing when he remarks sarcastically:

Letting people go somewhere is the same as making them go somewhere.

Likewise, discriminatory impact is not the same as discriminatory intent, nor is the latter required to prove the former. And, to top it all off, McIlheran can't even spell Atty. Karyn Rotker's name right.

A Must Read For Charlie

Oh, my, could it be that Sykes 50Things is a bunch of hooey, like the rest of the drivel he spews?

I do believe so:

Generational putdowns, Bauerlein's included, are typically long on attitude and short on facts. But the underlying question is worth pursuing: If the data are objectively assessed, which age-slice of today's working-age adults really does deserve to be called the dumbest generation?

The answer may surprise you. No, it's not today's college-age kids, nor even today's family-starting 30-somethings. And no, it's not the 60-year-olds who once grooved at Woodstock. Instead, it's Americans in their 40s, especially their late 40s -- those born from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s. They straddle the boundary line between last-wave boomers and first-wave Generation Xers. The political consultant Jonathan Pontell labels them "Generation Jones."

Whatever you call them (I'll just call them early Xers), the numbers are clear: Compared with every other birth cohort, they have performed the worst on standardized exams, acquired the fewest educational degrees and been the least attracted to professional careers. In a word, they're the dumbest.

There goes 75% of Charlie's talking points, right down the drain.

Tip of the Crown to The Chief

Fischer Goes For Self-Deprecation

He said it, not me:

Eye On Wisconsin

Cory Liebmann, who has been doing a smashing good job at One Wisconsin Now, will be moving in a new direction with the new year.

Along with that new direction, he is resurrecting his old blog, Eye On Wisconsin. Give it a look see. You won't be disappointed.

Charlie Makes The Riddle Biz Easier When He Writes Them Himself

Q: Which of Charlie's talents is most appreciated by his coworkers?

A:

Yet Another Whallah Riddle

Q: Why does Charlie have a job on the radio?

A:

Only Now They Notice?

Almost a month ago, Christopher L. Thomas, Jr., a baby boy in the Milwaukee County foster care system, was tortured and murdered by his aunt, who was supposed to be his caretaker. His sister was also severely tortured. I've been covering the whole thing since the story came to light at my home site, Cognitive Dissidence, including who was responsible and why it was allowed to happen.

Christopher, who was African American, and his death, went unnoticed by the right wing media. Not a peep from any of them.

Yesterday, when a story broke that the white couple who had wanted to adopt Christopher, but was denied, was being harassed by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, the right wing media finally noticed the story...somewhat.

Sykes did something on his show about it, but I was working and missed it. On his blog, he does his usual copy and paste job on a story of how the BMCW was stonewalling Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Crocker Stephenson. Most of the commenters on the site should their usual lack of insight by stating this would never have happened if the BMCW was privatized.

I got some news for them. The agency that employs the worker who moved Christopher into the home where he was to die, and the workers who have been harassing the former foster parents IS a private agency. This is what happens when you privatize critical services like foster care. The agency is a subsidiary of Children's Hospital.

This illustrates the cluelessness of some of Sykes' most avid listeners.

We also have PaddyMac that finally noticed the issue. Well, actually, he finally noticed that James Widgerson finally noticed. Their Paddy's point, I think, is that it was terrible that BMCW is harassing this white couple, and that is why there are so few foster homes in Milwaukee County.

I've got news for them as well. Foster homes have dropped by 78% since 2001. This has been an ongoing problem:

Fueling the problems is a grave shortage of foster homes.

"The bureau's main challenge is its continuing lack of safe placements for abused and neglected children," said Eric Thompson, senior staff attorney with Children's Rights, the New York-based advocacy group that brought the lawsuit. "That leads to poor placement choices. It leads to poor licensing decisions. It leads to abuse and neglect in foster-care placements and the inevitable shuffling of children from one inadequate, inappropriate placement to another."

Over the last six years, the number of licensed foster homes in the county has dropped from 2,800 to about 620.

Denise Revels Robinson, director of the bureau, noted that foster placement stability "has really not been acceptable to any of us in terms of the number of times a child is having to move." As to the rise over the last year in confirmed cases of maltreatment, she said: "Clearly we need to do better to protect the children in our care."

So what happened in 2001 that would have precipitated such a drastic fall in numbers? That is when the State of Wisconsin booted Milwaukee County Workers out of the foster care field and privatized it all.

I wonder how Charlie and Paddy are enjoying their supposed tax savings now. I wonder if these two are even capable of connecting the dots. I also wonder why they didn't say anything about a black baby being killed, but find it worth talking about a white couple being harassed.

Belling still drinking the Walker Kool-Aid

Mark Belling really, really likes Scott Walker's chances of being the next governor elected in 2010. Don't bet against it, he says.

Before you bet that Walker will win, you might want to check Belling's track record. In 2005 he predicted Walker would run roughshod over Mark Green in the 2006GOP primary and go on to beat Jim Doyle.

More detail here, if you must.

Another Whallah Riddle

Q: What is the code name that is used for the Sunday Incite show?

A:

This Is So Wrong

James T. Harris must be missing the spotlight now that his guy, McGrumpy, got hit where it hit.

How else could one explain such a pathetic cry for attention than this?

It's hard to believe, but Harris is actually making Sykes and Belling look good in comparison, and that ain't easy.

Sykes' Self-Description And A Warning

First Sykes tells us on how his blog is seen by most people:


Then he gives a warning that I believe to be true:

A Whallah! Riddle

Q: What does Sykes demand from us, but won't allow for us?

A:

Charlie Gets Advice From His Doctor

I hope he follows it:

Belling Continues To Attack Family

Mark Belling, bellicose bellower, has questioned the autopsy findings of Dr. Mays, and has brought even further unnecessary pain and anguish to the late doctor's grieving family.

Readers have alerted me that he continues his haranguing of the family, even though the autopsy was independently proven to be accurate.

Belling's harassment continues despite the fact that Conley Publishing Group, the media company that carries his columns, felt compelled to issue a retraction and an apology for his blatantly false statements and accusations:


Belling's source for his conspiracy theory appears to be the doctor's brother, who to put it kindly, has several issues of his own, as Michael Horne reports at Milwaukee World.

If Belling had any sense of class, he would offer an apology personally. A word of advice: Don't hold your breath for that to happen.

And if he doesn't issue a sincere apology, then WISN and Conley Publishing needs to finally sever their ties to him, lest he sullies their reputations even further.

Personal Responsibility Redefined

One of the favorite harping points among conservative squawkers is personal responsibility. That is, of course, only applied to liberals. When it is a matter of personal responsibility for themselves, well that is a whole different story. I am sure that Jessica McBride also was one that advocated for personal responsibility, but there is no way to confirm this since she went underground much earlier this spring.

Case in point, according to stories in the Waukesha Freeman and the West Bend Daily News:

The McBuchers, Jessica, Paul and their daugher is suing a hotel and their insurance company. Their daughter suffered severe burns to her hands when she touched a hot glass in front of a burning fire place. The McBuchers are stating that the hotel is liable is responsible because they did not have any kind of protective covering to keep people from touching the hot glass.

The first question that comes to mind is where were the McBuchers. Paul was campaigning elsewhere, while Jessica was in the hotel giving a campaign speech for her husband. Another woman, Jennifer Dorow, was supposed to be watching the child when this happened.

The insurance company has added Ms. Dorow as a codefendant, since she was supposed to be watching the girl, but obviously wasn't doing a very good job of it. The McBuchers are protesting adding Ms. Dorow, stating that she did nothing wrong.

First, let me say that we at Whallah! are very glad to see that the little girl has recovered completely and that there will be no scarring.

But isn't it ironic that both Paul and Jessica, who have made a living of telling people that they need to take personal responsibility for their actions, want to blame the hotel for having hot glass in front of the fire, but do not want to blame their aide who should've recognized that fire is hot and that anything near a fire is hot as well, but let the little girl play near there without close supervison?

It is also interesting to note that Ms. Dorow, the woman that was supposed to be watching the girl, was also employed at one time in the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office, working under Paul Bucher. The story doesn't say, but it would be interesting to know if she worked their at the time this incident occurred.

The Prodigal Brawler has more on the subject.

H/T to Owen Robinson and Spring City Chronicles.

I've Been Banned

No, I haven't been banned by Fred Dooley. Almost everyone else has, but I haven't. Not yet anyway.

But I have been banned by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They must be scared of me or something. I don't know why...

And the funny thing is, the only time I can ever remember leaving a comment anywhere on any of their sites, was on a dare from Elliot Stearns.

Happy Thanksgiving

Take some time out to remember the important things in life: family, friends, good memories.

That is what this day is about.

Unless you're Kevin Fischer. Then this is what your holiday is about:

All those other traditions come second.

Thanksgiving is about food and what you eat, and what you eat on Thanksgiving is turkey.

And what you eat is turkey unless you’re one of two things:


1) Communist

2) Vegetarian


But, Kevin…vegetarians have to eat, even on Thanksgiving.

True. But they should do so without any fanfare and not ruin this long-awaited holiday for the rest of us slovenly meat eaters.

Nothing like sharing that Christian faith by obsessing on food and insulting people.

Fairness Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

McIlheran, going along with the rest of the herd (or do squawkers come in flocks?) had a column in yesterday's paper regarding Sykes' favorite bogeyman, the Fairness Doctrine. He then followed up said column (hey, Paddy, how come I'm still not on your mailing list? Where's my previews of your column?) with an inane blog post, which gives away the other main reason for the column/post/fear mongering.

There are two main problems with his argument.

The first problem, as pointed out at The Chief, is that there is no realistic expectation that the Fairness Doctrine will ever be reinstated. After listing the fact that both McIlheran and the author he cites admit that President Elect Barack Obama has come out on record as opposing the Fairness Doctrine, the Chief continues with this:

But, of course, it's not the end of the story -- not so far as Anderson and McIlheran are concerned. Instead of just accepting Obama's position -- a position both gentlemen agree with -- both men seem the astonishing: absent any evidence to back up their claim -- and contrary to the very official statement released by the campaign, they promote the idea that Obama does, in fact, support the fairness doctrine.

This breach of good faith argumentation genuinely makes my head ache.

Where are the secret memos advising legislators to unleash the Fairness Doctrine bills in the next congress? What about the discretely recorded speeches at fund-raisers with Obama telling liberal contributors that the first thing he's going to do is shut down Rush Limbaugh and the rest of his ilk? Were are the college classmates who remember Obama arguing passionately in his Intro to Comm Law class for the reinstatement of the Doctrine?

Anderson's article, which McIlheran merely appropriates, offers absolutely no evidence to support his claim that Obama actually support the Fairness doctrine. Instead, Anderson glosses over what the broadcasting industry would look like if it were reinstated. No substance, but plenty of tangentially related speculation.

Absent any empirical evidence to the contrary, the only thing we have to go on is Obama's word, which neither Anderson nor McIlheran seem satisfied with, which might strike some as odd since Obama's position is also Anderson and McIlerhan's position!

I think we all know why this is the case: it's better to be on the offensive -- and to smite one's enemies -- than to expend valuable column inches on defending, justifying, or admonishing one's colleagues with regards to the phenomenal failure the party and ideology has been during the last eight years.

That would take a degree of intellectual courage that McIlheran frankly doesn't have the balls for.

Do read the rest of the post by The Chief, in which he goes on to put a spit through Sykes, and roasts him nicely.

Jay Folkbum, aka Jay Bullock, points to the real motivation behind PaddyMac's lamentation - profit making by a colleague:

The idea frightens talk radio radio hosts, as well as it should, since by the hosts' own admission, they often will purposely keep the objects of their attack off the air even when the victims try to call in and offer their side of the argument.

However, the fairness doctrine is not coming back. President-elect Barack Obama does not support it. There are no bills pending in Congress, which, frankly, has better things to do. TNR reporter Marin Cogan couldn't find anyone willing to go on or off record suggesting the doctrine's return is anything but fantasy. The last time anyone introduced the idea, it barely got out of draft form. It's just not going to happen.

But that hasn't stopped the right from believing it will--just as they seem to believe that Barack Obama is coming for their guns.

[...]

Yes, friends, someone is out there trying to sell a book opposing the fairness doctrine. Like Hugh Hewitt's How Sarah Palin Won the Election ... and Saved America, a book on the return of the fairness doctrine is a book about an imaginary thing, and won't sell very well unless the authors' allies can really gin up the fear for them. Bravo, authors Anderson and Thierer, for working the market like pros. Boo McIlheran, for shilling for them.

So, you see, it's not that Paddy and Charlie are afraid that they will not be able to continue to spew their vitriol. It's just that they realized that some of us still have a couple of bucks despite eight years of Bushonomics, and they want the rest of our money for themselves and their buddies.

Will Belling Apologize To The Family?

Last week, we told you of the hard work from Michael Horne, shooting down Belling's crazed conspiracy ideas about the death of a Mequon doctor.

He continues to show that he is worth the praise I gave him by cracking the story that the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office has reviewed the autopsy of Dr. Bradley Mays, and found that the findings previously reported are consisted with their own findings, and that Dr. Mays did not die from any sort of nefarious plot.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reports the same findings a day later than Mr. Horne in their Sunday issue.

Judging from the third comment in Michael Horne's post, which came from a friend of the widow and the late doctor, it seems that Belling's source, this brother, Truman, is the one that might have some sort of nefarious scheme to make gain from his brother's premature demise.

Belling Puts His Foot Into Mouth - Again

A couple, three weeks ago, there was a small flurry of stories about the death of Dr. Bradley W. Mays. Dr. Mays, who lived in Mequon, died suddenly. The police and the medical examiner did their investigations, and found that the good doctor died due to a heart condition.

Some members of the family apparently were having a hard time dealing with the sudden death of their loved one, and either could not or would not accept the medical examiner's finding.

Mark Belling, in his usual manner, went of on the air, in the paper, and on the Internet, joining in the conspiracy theory, making some wild accusations, including this:

The story gets even more suspicious. Mainland, the Kenosha medical examiner, recently quit her job to take a position in Tampa, Fla. Mays’ body was cremated shortly after the dubious autopsy was concluded. Mays’ widow, Carrie, member of a prominent local family, is fighting efforts by her husband’s family to reopen the case. Numerous sources tell me their marriage was shaky the last few months.

[...]

Carrie Mays is the daughter of Frank T. Crivello, a prominent former Milwaukee County judge. The Crivellos, many of whom I know personally, are a great family that know a lot of people. Several are close with Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams. His wife happens to be Ozaukee County District Attorney Sandy Williams. Did their desire to support Carrie Mays lead to a less than thorough investigation? Or worse, did their friendship lead them to cover up a potential homicide?

The case is so polluted by either incompetence or misconduct that it is imperative than an outside agency reopen it and conduct a proper investigation. The cremation of Brad Mays complicates things but certainly should not stop a real investigation. The state Department of Justice needs to take the case from Mequon police and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen needs to take prosecution of it away from Sandy Williams.

Crack reporter, and friend of Whallah!, Michael Horne of MilwaukeeWorld, looked into the story and found several flaws with Belling's accusations and assumptions. One flaw is Belling's assumption on who the widow is related to. Another is that the investigation was not done thoroughly.

Belling's wild claims have already caused pain to the family of the deceased. From Mr. Horne's post:

One of the Mays children had already been the subject of hurtful comments from other children at school, outraging the mother who is trying to get on with her life and to prepare her daughters for their futures without their father. These are the true "Blood Relatives" of Bradley Mays.

And just like when Belling made the comment using a derogatory racial slur, he has gotten himself and his employer in trouble. Again, from Mr. Horne's post on this story:

The continuing harassment led Carrie Mays to contact Attorney Steve Kravit this week. Kravit today filed a demand for retraction with GM Today for the Belling articles, which he said were false and libelous, and put Carrie Mays in a false light. You can read the document here, including an enlightening and damning letter from a doctor to Belling as we await the response from the publisher.

It amazes me that not only is the radio station and the newspaper lack so much integrity that they keep this fool on board, but that there are people that really do listen to this guy, and believes what he says to boot.

Elliot Stearns Just Wants To See His Name In Print

Elliot Stearns, Libertarian blogger, has offered a proposal in which if bloggers would do a post on him, he would return the favor.

As that I find this Prince of Puns to be a thought-provoking writer, and that I could always use the publicity, I figured I'd make this pact with the wheeled devil, and agreed to his offer. Twice.

I know that he will make out like a bandit if enough people take him up on the offer, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the handicapped. And Elliot has more handicaps than a lousy golfer.

Anyway, even though Elliot does have some good qualities about him, there are some serious flaws as well. I've explained a little bit over here, but the flaw pertinent to any Whallah! reader is a major one.

You see, gentle reader, despite being a Libertarian, finding himself in need of a wheelchair and an inexplicable fascination with guns, these all pale to Elliot's most troubling issue. He has, God only knows why, a very serious man-crush on James T. Harris.

Why a Libertarian would like someone that things it's OK to own his daughter is beyond me. I guess there is no accounting for taste with some people. To me, it would be like PETA member that likes KFC.

Either way, he asked for it, he got it.

Fischer: Insensitive, Pompous And Ignorant

We already know that the self-important Kevin Fischer is nothing more than a bloviating, ignorant, pompous ass, but he has gone beyond the pale this time.

Fischer has a post blasting a state representative who issued a press release about the tragic death of Christopher L. Thomas, Jr., a baby boy that was place into the care of his aunt by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare. The aunt tortured the baby and his two year old sister until the boy died from the abuse he suffered.

Fischer comes to the defense of fellow incompetent Republican, Alberta Darling, who not only helped create the BMCW, but was supposed to be on the committee that was overseeing it so that this type of thing wouldn't keep happening.

Then Fischer's own incompetence and ignorance really kicks in with this:

Not in Darling's backyard? Zepnick represents the south side of MIlwaukee, nowhere near where this murder took place. What's he shooting his mouth off about?

For Fischer's information, the murder took place in the 3000 block of South 12th Street. If 12th and Oklahoma isn't on the south side of Milwaukee, I don't know what is. And that neighborhood is nowhere near Germantown, northern Milwaukee County and southern Ozaukee County, which is the bulk of Darling's district.

Fischer wasn't done with that bit of trivia though. His true racist nature comes out with this:

And then maybe Zepnick should think about the risk of stripping babies away from solid, white foster families only to put them in the dangerous custody of blood relatives on the sole basis of color.

And as if the racism isn't bad enough, he gets it wrong, showing that the entirety of his argument is racist. The real reason they put these children with their murderous aunt was because the BMCW wanted to save a few bucks. They pay relatives about half of what they pay foster parents, even though the needs of the children are the same in either setting.

But even past the ignorance, and past the glaring racism, the most disgusting thing about Fischer's post is the fact that he tries to score political hit points by using the death of a baby:

And then maybe Zepnick should think long and hard before putting out another stupid press release. Earth to Josh: The election is over. Sheldon Wasserman lost to Darling.

To sum it up, Fischer makes several ignorant, racist comments in order to use the completely unnecessary and avoidable death of a baby, just in an attempt to score a political point. And then he fails at that anyway.

Fischer truly is a pompous dumb ass.

What In The World Does She Drive?

In last weekend's column for the Waukesha Freeman, Jessica McBride is purporting that we subsidize gas mileage for college students or some such thing. Trying to put aside the incongruities of her sudden embrace of socialism, there is a part of her column that made me stop and wonder (emphasis mine):

I teach at UWM and drive to work there. When gas prices were high, it cost me $20 a day. Many students can’t afford the gas prices, not to mention the parking hassles and costs, the car insurance and payments. Students are shouldering an ever increasing financial burden. Yes, we all are. But there’s a tipping point for students. Most of UWM’s graduates remain in the greater Milwaukee community, including Waukesha County. We all have a vested interest in making sure more people can afford higher education.

Now, we already know that her and her trial lawyer hubby live in Merton. According to mapquest, the distance from Merton to UWM is about 31 miles. Just for convenience, let us say that it takes her 60 miles round trip.

Even if gas was $4.50 per gallon, and she burned $20 worth of gas per day, that means she was only getting just over 13 miles to the gallon. What the heck was she driving, the Queen Mary?

Maybe someone should tell ol' Jess that there are more fuel efficient vehicles out there, since she seems unaware of that fact. But then again, a real journalist would have already known how to do that kind of research.

Hate Radio

Courtesy of Other Side:

Dan Shelley: Shorter

As presented to us by Charlie Sykes, the abbreviated version of Dan Shelley's Secrets of Talk Radio:

Memo to Sykes: Your side has moonbats too

First off: Shorter Peter DiGuadio.

ZOMG, Obama voters are stupid pawns of the media!!!1!!eleven!

Wow, I thought despairing over the electorate's lack of intelligence was for snobby, effete, cheese-eating bleeding-hearts, not uber-macho, gun-obsessed whack-jobs who threaten the life of the President-Elect barely hours after his opponent concedes.

It seems Peter - the Texas Hold 'Em Blogger who deleted his old blog after some people (myself included) commented that posting an upside-down American flag not once, but twice, while insisting (as he still does) that November 4th is now one of the "darkest days in American history" might be in somewhat bad taste - has returned. I mean, let's be honest here: If bloggers of my persuasion had posted two upside-down American flags in response to John McCain being elected (something I would never conscience doing, and I doubt any of the others would have, but bear with me, this is a hypothetical), Peter would have been hollering for charges to be pressed. Yet he posts it, gets called on it, deletes his entire blog, and then starts a new platform from which to launch into more "I hate America for electing Obama" rants and post flagrantly anti-semitic dreck like this. Yes, according to Peter, Jews who voted for Obama are "self-hating" and morally equivalent to Jews who turned in other Jews to the Nazis to be exterminated. It would be entertaining to see the defeat of John McCain taking so heavy a toll on Peter's psyche if he weren't using so much disgusting hate-speech in the process.

I don't have anything against bloggers of a conservative persuasion. I may disagree with virtually every opinion aired by Dean, Owen, Professor Esenberg, Professor McAdams, Patrick, Charlie, James, Lance, Fred, or my favorite foil, Dad29 (to name a few), but I respect their views. However, I cannot recall any of those bloggers posting upside-down American flags, insinuating that they would be pleased by the assassination of the President-Elect, or indulging in flat-out antisemitism. Maybe it's wrong of me to even criticize Peter for doing so, because my criticism just brings more attention to it, which perversely rewards his rhetorical excesses. However, as Jay Bullock rightly points out, it's probably better at this stage to engage than to ignore.

So, in the spirit of engagement, and with a great sense of historical irony in a world where conservatives are typically the ones attacking their opponents on the grounds that they "hate America," I have this question for Peter: Why do you hate America?

If the election of Barack Obama is enough to make DiGuadio ashamed of his country, his love of said country must not have been very deeply rooted, don't you think?

Cross-posted from Brazen Maverick.

Some Advice For Charlie

It's been two weeks since the election, yet Charlie is still scouring the corners of the Intertubes to find anything that he can copy and paste to show that Obama is a bad, bad man and that the election wasn't fair, or some such nonsense.

Um, Charlie, to paraphrase someone, perhaps the only one, that you love, adore and respect, let me say this:

The election is over. Obama won. Get over it. No, seriously, get over it.

Fred Dooley Again

I swear this guy really has no clue. From a post at Real Rebate Debate Wisconsin about "unhinged gay activists" there is this from Fred.

Andrew at Weazel Zippers makes a great point, Muslim groups also supported Prop 8, why didn't they burn a Koran on the door step of a mosque? Never mind, we all know the answer to that question.....

We're waiting for the answer from Fred. But then, in the comment section, Fred writes this:

Default mode for you liberals is to diminsh then make a ridiculous comparrison without any basis in fact.

Who knew? Fred's a liberal by his own definition?

Sykes Whines Open Line

Just heard the teaser from Sykes on TMJ radio. He said that he is going to go after the Dan Shelley piece that appeared in Milwaukee Magazine.

I expect that Charlie will be holding true to some of the items pointed out by Mr. Shelley, especially the one about ripping into someone he knows won't be responding. (That is rather hypocritical since Charlie always had the opportunity to respond her, an opportunity he won't allow others on his site or his show, but is to scared that he may be confronted with the truth.)

Consider this to be your open line to respond to his lies, since he won't let you do it on his show. Just remember, you're responsible for your own comments, and we don't want to be sounding like the right wing lunatic fringe.

A Potential Talk Show Host In The Making

In last week's election, a county treasurer from New Hampshire, seeking her fourth term, was ousted by a 20 year old college student. Needless to say, the exiting incumbent was more than a little salty (emphasis mine):

A county treasurer who lost her bid for a fourth term last week to a 20-year-old Dartmouth College student from Montana blames her failed candidacy on 'brainwashed college kids.'

Republican Carol Elliott said students just voted for the Democratic ticket, which included Dartmouth junior Vanessa Sievers. Sievers won by nearly 600 votes out of 42,000 cast after targeting voters at Dartmouth and Plymouth State University through a $42 ad on the Web site Facebook.

'It was the brainwashed college kids that made the difference,' Elliott, 66, told the Valley News of Lebanon. She said she had little faith that Sievers will fulfill her duties adequately.

'You've got a teenybopper for a treasurer,' said Elliott, who has held the position for six years. 'I'm concerned for the citizens of Grafton County.'

The part-time job pays $6,408. It involves keeping tabs on all county money, making investments and making payments ordered by county commissioners.

Sievers said Wednesday she was surprised by Elliott's 'brutal attack.'

'She's never met me before,' Sievers said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. 'She has no idea what I'm like.'

As the gentle reader can see, she already as the talking points and lingo that any conservative talk show host. Perhaps she can come to Milwaukee, for when Sykes abuses the paid sick leave law.

Suspicions confirmed

Everything you've always suspected about right wing talk radio, from the daily talking points and monitoring Rush to the way callers are screened, from someone who used to work at the biggest stick in the state. Milwaukee Magazine has it all.

It's what Chuckles would call a hot read.

Next Up For Sale: The Brooklyn Bridge

Last week, we learned that PaddyMac has been playing show and tell with his columns before they were published either in the paper or on the JSOnline website.

Gretchen Shuldt Doege, of Milwaukee Rising, apparently had some communication with Journal Sentinel Managing Editor George Stanley:

Patrick McIlheran’s pre-publication sharing of a column with a generally right wing bunch of bloggers was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened and shouldn’t happen again, according to Journal Sentinel managing editor George Stanley (previous posts here and here).

Thank you, George.

Gee, something tells me that this was hardly the first time Paddy played this game of peek and boo with his buddies.

Furthermore, who does Stanley think he is kidding that we should honestly believe that Paddy won't do it again. He'll just be more careful on who he has on his email list.

The next thing they'll be telling us is that they really do provide a "fair and balanced look at the news."

Fred Dooley: The Epitome Of Hypocrisy

Shortly after the election, right wing blogger Peter DiGaudio made some outrageous comments on his site, Texas Hold'em Blogger, as well as some comments on Boots and Sabers, that could be considered to be criminal. This drew a rather large amount of criticism from the left, like the Prodigal Brawler and Zach, as well as some conservatives, like James Wigderson.

I chose not to write about it for a few reasons. One, I know Peter has a history of flying of the handle and saying irresponsible and totally unacceptable things. Secondly, I do believe, based on what I saw, and from what others have told me, that Peter does have a clinically diagnosable mental health issue. I have a different perspective than most, as that my training and my career is based on helping those with mental illness. Thirdly, with everyone else piling on him, both publicly and privately, I did not feel that I would have anything to add, and did not want to add to any issues Peter might have. Another major reason for my silence on the issue was simply that I had bigger fish to fry.

Well, Peter, in a fit of pique, chose to delete his entire site. A few days later, he came back with a new site. Badger Blogger and Fred Dooley both proudly announced it, but had never publicly denounced the original problematic posts and comments. This caused them a bit of grief, I'm sure. Again, I said nothing, because this was what I expected from them, unfortunately.

Dooley became so incensed with the criticism, that he felt compelled to put up a post explaining his actions. Now, for the uninitiated, Dooley is an extreme right wing blogger that has problems with polite interactions. His site, mistitled "Real Debate Wisconsin" is anything but that. Dooley has the tendency to use irresponsible rhetoric and over the top hyperbole from time to time as well.

He has also banned many people from his site, mostly for the sin of disagreeing with him. The most recent being another one of our prodigal contributors, Other Side.

Dooley also hates a lot of people, including yours truly. He has written many posts and comments attacking me personally and attacking this site. One of the many insults he flailed about in my general direction was that I am some sort of sexist, just because I had the audacity to disagree with Jessica McBride.

So, you can see, I was just amazed at the level of hypocrisy when Dooley wrote this:

In short, these complainers are the same people who don't seem to have any problem with similar speech from the left. If you'd like to see the local equivalent of Peter's work on the left, do a search for Blue Racine. That's a particularly vile and vulgar site that these same paragons of virtue complaining about myself, Peter and Patrick @ Badger Blogger have no issues at all with. Funny how an acerbic conservative bothers them yet they have no issues at all with acerbic lefties. I prefer to just ignore them, they are not worthy of any energy or effort on my part, I have enough to do.

Yup, Dooley, who had accused me of sexism for disagreeing with a woman, calls a site run by a woman vile and vulgar. Interestingly, one of the contributors at his site is also a contributor at Blue Racine. Perhaps it's just a jealousy issue. More likely it's hypocrisy.

Another funny thing is that none of his commenters found anything vulgar or vile about Blue Racine. In fact, many of the commenters remark that Fred's site is much, much worse than this site.

So, let's review.

• He calls me sexist for disagreeing with McBride, but then attacks a woman, calling her site vile and vulgar.
• The site he calls vile and vulgar is found by independent commenters to be anything but that, but do notice that his site is actually vile and vulgar.
  
• He says that he ignores us terrible, terrible lefties, but felt that he had to respond.
• He calls his site Real Debate, when he bans people for disagreeing with him.
  

About the only way Dooley could have been more hypocritical is by telling someone that they need to seek out mental health counseling.

And has an added bonus to his ridiculousness, we have another comment on Dooley's post from the (in)famous mickey/gus:

Allah-is-a-ok, isn't that far from the truth.
Libs have been known to burn the flag. Virulent strains of LIBTARD-ism still do.
Libs have been known to pretend that VIOLENT ISLAMOFASCISTS...(a "virulent strain" of Islam), are not a threat and need libs protection.
Libs are known to support groups and individuals that will not work and are a drain on society. They have "lot's of time" on their hands.

Lastly, Patriots support, defend and love America.
Libtards don't. They believe others should support, defend and love America. Libs want an America that is weak and full of lazy weak libtards.
And Allah-is-a-ok, thinks taxing those who have achieved is a bottomless LIBBY-BANK.
Libs want an America that is funded by successful people, and Libs want to punish the successful, because LIBS constituents are generally weak and not successful.
Thanks Allah-is-a-ok!