"If we don't change and change soon, I may bump into my lawyer friend again, but it just might be in Texas." -- Senator Ted Kanavas's threat to move to Texas, 6/30/09

What do you think of when you think of Texas? The Dallas Cowboys (shudder)? How about Enron? George W. Bush (double-shudder)?

Despite those horrible inhabitants, State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) thinks the grass is greenest in the Lone Star State. Not happy to just echo WMC's talking points and bash Wisconsin, Texas Ted goes a few steps further and actually names the state in which he'd rather live. 

...by proposing the same failed Bush policies that ran our economy into the ground in the first place.

The MacIver Institute of Public Policy's criticism of the recently passed budget reads like a loving tribute to the past 8 years of failed Bush fiscal policy. Their only solution to the record $6.6 billion budget deficit: tax cuts for the rich. Followed by more tax cuts to the rich, followed by cuts to education and vital social services, followed by massive failures of our aging infrastructure, followed by more tax cuts to the rich, followed by running up the deficit to pay for bridges to nowhere and other Republican pork.

And then more tax cuts for the rich.

So um, do they just not get that these policies failed so terribly as to put our country in the worst recession since the Great Depression? (Maybe the staff over there ought to re-enroll in Economics 101? I can recommend a good professor...)

Or do they just not care? Anything to protect their wealthy cronies, apparently.

Stop me if you heard this one before.

Fox News "accidententally" identified known-Argentian-loverboy Mark Sanford (R-Governor, South Carolina) as a Democrat today. Here's a screen capture (via HuffingtonPost):

Just an honest mistake the news network that slobbered all over the disastrous Bush administration would whoops mis-label Sanford as a D-sinner?

Not quite. Here's another screen capture of known-underage-boy-seducer former Congress Creep Mark Foley (R-Florida) also from the Huffington Post:

But wait there's even more. 

The legislative Republicans said it as early as 2008 -- the state budget is the Democrats' problem. Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald said it. He was quoted saying it.

"I don't have to solve that problem," he said. "Obviously, that's the Democrats' problem."

At no point during the last six months did Fitzgerald nor his more shrill older brother, Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald offer a budget plan that closes the state's $6.6 billion budget deficit -- caused by the failed economic policies George W. Bush.

Still, president of something called the Wisconsin Technology Council, thinks it's a crying shame that Wisconsin has a moratorium law on the books that won't allow the state to even consider nuclear power as an option.

It will come as a surprise to many -- but not, I suspect, to Tom Still -- to learn that there is no nuclear "moratorium" in effect that bans more nuclear power plants in the state.

What is on the books is a perfectly reasonable law that says if you want to build a new reactor here, there are two requirements that must be met first:

(1) There must be a federal site to dispose of the dangerous, high level radioactive waste the reactors produce, and

(2) The Public Service Commission must find that nuclear power makes economic sense.

That's no ban or moratorium. It merely sets some reasonable requirements. But since the law was passed in 1984 the nuclear industry has not been able to meet those tests. So now it wants to relax the law.

It has been more than 50 years since the US began generating nuclear power -- and nuclear waste. Fifty years and still no way to dispose of the deadly end products, which the Environmental Protection Agency says must be kept away from humans for up to a million years.

If, as the industry would have us believe, a solution is just around the corner, what's wrong with waiting until we turn that corner?

Says Still:

Lifting the moratorium doesn’t mean Wisconsin will be build a new plant tomorrow. But it does mean the state can be ready for the inevitable day that science produces a cleaner, safer and more efficient reactor.

In the meantime, just last week a new study found that it would cost taxpayers and ratepayers about $2- to $4-trillion more over the life of 100 new nuclear reactors than it would to generate the same electricity from a combination of more energy efficiency and renewables.

Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power.

If you agree, please sign our online petition here to keep Wisconsin's sensible laws on the books.

Just a few choice selections from twitter about adulterer & former "rising star" GOP Governor Mark Sanford:

The Pro-Family Values Party: Larry Craig, Mark Foley, David Vitter, John Ensign, and now SC Gov. Mark Sanford. (progressflorida)

It's interesting to discover that the governor who didn't want stimulus funds was getting stimulated elsewhere! (robschendel)

Gov. Sanford: "marriage should only be between a man, a woman, and another woman from Argentina." (walterolson)

So, does a career go down the toilet the other direction in Argentina? (socratic)

1999: Sanford votes to BAN gay adoption 2009: Sanford, a father of 4 sons, spends father's day with his mistres. (progressflorida)

At least Gov Sanford's foreign policy isn't suffering... (rodrigoduarte)

Couldn't have said it better myself. The "family values" party disintegrating before our very eyes. 

On today's CNBC "Corporate-Funded-Politicians-Share-Corporate-Talking-Points" Squawk Box Show, Rep. Paul Ryan unsurprisingly showed up to try and convince the 72 percent of Americans who want health care not controlled by Ryan's pals in big insurance that they are wrong. Oh, and that the status quo is just ducky.

Angry Joel Kleefisch wanted to be heard today. Oconomowoc's GOP state rep took to the floor to protest what he considered, a lack of consideration given to members of the minority party.

In another sign that we desperately need to break the pharmaceutical industry's grip on our broken health care system, the Journal Sentinel reports again on UW doctors receiving big payouts, as much as 6 figures, from drug and medical device companies, presumably to promote their products.

On Friday OWN executive director Scot Ross had the opportunity to be on WPR's The Week in Review facing former GOP Lt. Governor Margaret Farrow. Among the topics was our nation's health care system. During the debate on public health care, Farrow made the outrageous claim that the reason young adults can't afford health care is because they choose to drive more expensive cars. You can listen to Scot's rebuttal and and the rest of the debate here.

When I asked last week whether AirTran would get naming rights for the Scott Walker for Governor Harley ride, in return for its corporate sponsorship, I thought I was being facetious.

Sometimes a person's imagination doesn't stretch far enough. The Journal Sentinel reports:

For this year's trip, AirTran will pick up the estimated $2,800 gas, hotel and meal tab. In exchange, the AirTran logo will be prominent on flags that can be mounted on participants' motorcycles, signs on support vehicles and on the headscarves some cyclists wear.

And you know what? The odds are overwhelming that the Milwaukee County Ethics Board, which has always rubber-stamped whatever Walker did, will say that's just fine.

This is my favorite part of the story, though:

He'll strictly avoid any talk about the governor's race or politics during the dozens of news interviews his staff has arranged for him on the trip, Walker said.

If there is one story that does not mention he's running for governor, I'll be anxious to see it.

What a load of crappity crap, crap, as that old poophead Charlie Sykes would say.

It is Iraq Moratorium weekend again, Friday-Sunday, with lots of Wisconsin events to call for an end to the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.   I'll be at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Custer Friday morning for Pancakes for Peace, sponsored by the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice (WNPJ), of which I am co-chair.  Join us if you can.  Info at www.wnpj.org 

If you can't eat pancakes for peace, there are plenty of other activities in Wisconsin this weekend.  Here's a list.  http://iraqmoratoriumwis.blogspot.com