Newsroom

A Seat for Two on the Out of Touch Express

Although U.S. Senator John McCain is trying to distance himself from the most unpopular president in recent history, they actually are like two peas in a pod when it comes to being totally out of touch with the average person.  Who can forget the presidential news conference in February when George W. Bush was asked about […]

Big Oil Represented at ‘€œSmall Business’€ Press Conference

Last Thursday I found myself at a press conference held by local McCain supporters. The topic was generally about the economy and ‘€œsmall business’€ and was hosted at a company that had just moved to Milwaukee’€™s Fifth Ward. When I arrived at the location I was given a packet of information and led to the […]

Tour Highlights Bush Legacy

Tomorrow, the Bush Legacy Tour bus is rolling in to Madison. Having spent my entire adult life under the Bush administration, I truly look forward to sealing the legacy of George W. Bush and the conservative ideology as disastrous for the economy, the environment, and American families.The Bush Legacy Tour—undertaken by the Americans United for […]

Who Hit the Mute Button on Gableman?

On Thursday One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint against Michael Gableman with the state Office of Lawyer Regulation. The complaint centers around dozens of telephone calls that Gableman made as the Ashland County District Attorney, using state phones. These calls were made to Republican operatives, fundraisers, campaigns and even the Republican Party itself. The calls […]

McCain Fumbles Packers Story into Steelers Territory

Like many Steelers fans, I left my hometown; trading the hills and three rivers of Pittsburgh for Cheeseheads and cows. Yet, this hasn’€™t deterred my love for perhaps the greatest sports franchise in history, even in the land of Bret Favre. The Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-time Super Bowl Champions, and the emotional lifeblood of Pittsburgh, are […]

Who is McCain Kidding on Equal Pay?

Today John McCain held a women-only town hall in Hudson and made the following comment: “We haven’t done enough. We have not done enough. And I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That there is equal opportunity in every aspect of our society. And that is my record and you […]

WMC Got What it Paid For, We Get the Shaft

In a 4-3 decision the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against the State of Wisconsin in the Department of Revenue v. Menasha Corporation case. Of all people, ethically challenged Justice Annette Ziegler wrote the majority opinion. Last year hundreds of Wisconsinites called for her to recuse herself from the case because it was a major priority […]

First Meeting of the Union Veteran’€™s Council

Today marked the first meeting of the Union Veteran’€™s Council in Wisconsin. It coincided with other such meetings in at least four other states across the country. Also coinciding with the event was an ad that will be run in areas of the country including Wisconsin. The focus of the ad and the meetings are […]

Gableman Has Serious Questions to Answer

After asking three separate law enforcement agencies and the Government Accountability Board to investigate questionable calls made by then-Ashland County District Attorney Michael Gableman, One Wisconsin Now has filed a complaint with the state Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). Months ago, One Wisconsin Now discovered that Michael Gableman made many questionable calls, when he was […]

McCain’€™s Record Has Been a Disaster for Women

Tomorrow U.S. Senator John McCain will be coming to Wisconsin and holding a women-only town hall. John McCain’€™s record of rubber stamping Bush policies in the U.S. Senate has been a disaster for not only women but for entire country. John McCain actually skipped the vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would have […]

Introducing the Union Veteran’s Council

Tomorrow the AFL-CIO will announce the start of the Union Veteran’€™s Council. The announcement will not only launch the national council but it also coincides with the formation of state councils in five states including Wisconsin. The Union Veteran’s Council will also start an ad run across the country including parts of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin […]

Slippery Talking Points on Oil

At the same time that ads started running in Wisconsin trying to paint U.S. Senator John McCain as an environmentalist, he was busy demonstrating that nothing could be further from the truth. The ad attempts to distinguish him from Bush on environmental issues. Actually he undermined that argument himself while on a fundraising tour through […]

Updated – Anti-Catholic Reynolds’ Candidates Avoiding Press

Update: Daniel Bice has the audio of a Tom Reynolds phone call to state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee, 20), ‘€œa veteran Milwaukee Democrat, (who) has a direct and personal interest in what Reynolds was doing, so she signed up – using a fake name – with Clean Sweep Wisconsin.’€ This is the link is to the audio […]

$40 Million Health Care Campaign Launched

Today the Health Care for America Now campaign was launched both in Wisconsin and all across the nation. At the Wisconsin State Capitol and in 52 other cities across the country, this new effort is demanding quality, affordable health care for all. The unprecedented $40 million campaign for health care seeks to bring together millions […]

Van Hollen Legislation Part 2

Van Hollen’€™s second act of legislation was within another hazy area of legislation, the issuing of permits to retired officers. This is an area of legislation that Wisconsin differs from in all but one state (Illinois), however, if this is to be changed then it should be changed with new legislation, rather than through another […]

A walk across Wisconsin for peace in Iraq

On Saturday, a group of walkers for peace will set out from Chicago on a seven-week walk ending at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Their mission: To challenge and to nonviolently resist our country’€™s continuing war in and occupation of Iraq. The walk, which will cross the entire state of Wisconsin, is organized […]

Rewarding Those that Have Us Over a Barrel?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on the prospect of $200 a barrel price for oil by the end of the year. The price has shot up over the last 7 years but that increase has been much more rapid in the last six months. During that time we have seen it go up from […]

Anti-Catholic Man’s First Salvo at Assembly Dems

The first candidates for Tom Reynolds’ (R-Outer Reaches) Clean Sweep Wisconsin’s project to run some 12 candidates against Milwuakee-area Democratic incumbents in the Democratic primary are now public. The Reynolds’ folks are: Phil Landowski (running against state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)) and Josh Hoisington (running against Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), West Allis being Reynolds’ home […]

On the Highway to Helms

United State Senator Jesse Helms (R-What’s Wrong With You Sick, Frothing Morons?) is finally dead. Happy birthday, U.S. of A. Helms was a hate-slathered cretin, whose campaigns and governing showed American democracy at its worst. “White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, […]

Summerfest and the Army: Peace activists win

One more time on Summerfest and the Army. Having visited the Army exhibit, rather than relying on newspaper reports, I’m now for declaring victory. What the Army exhibit offers now is much different from the virtual killing it was promoting as a recruiting tool for young teens before Peace Action-Wisconsin intervened. Summerfest still needs some […]

Joe Leibham throws tantrum over nearly error-free elctions

Joe Leibham, State Senator from Sheyboygan just won’€™t stop trying to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin voters with his hair-brained voter ID scheme. Even as a new audit of the April 1 election found ‘€œnearly error-free voting,’€ Joe ‘€œStill Can’€™t Prove a Voter Fraud Case’€ Leibham keeps up the voter ID rhetoric. ‘€œI still […]

“Hooray! We Can Lock Up the Gays!”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that gay Wisconsin couples going to California to get married might be subject to prosecution when they get back home. The story points to an obscure Wisconsin law which prohibits Wisconsinites from going to another state to get married, if that marriage would otherwise be illegal back at home. […]

McCain Really Does Need More Education

John McCain has been little more than a rubber stamp for the failing George W. Bush economy. Perhaps this is the reason that he has such a hard time bringing himself to admit that this economy has been very hard on the average American. June was the latest time where John McCain claimed that, ‘€œthe […]

Say thank you to beleaguered Summerfest

Rabid radio talker Charlie Sykes devoted more than half of his morning show railing on Summerfest for asking the Army to shut down a virtual killing game, urging listeners to call those wimpy Summerfest folks and complain. Actually, Summerfest needs to be thanked and congratulated for doing the right thing. It is never easy to […]

Summerfest stops the virtual killing

One small step for humankind: At the request of Summerfest officials, the U.S. Army on Tuesday removed a virtual urban warfare game that allowed fest-goers as young as 13 to hop into a Humvee simulator and fire machine guns at life-size people on a computer screen. Peace Action-Wisconsin launched a campaign Tuesday to shut down […]

McCain Debates Self on His Knowledge of Economy

This morning John McCain tried to get a do-over regarding his admission that he doesn’€™t know much about economics. While appearing in an interview on ABC this morning, McCain interrupted the interviewer after she referred to his admission. McCain responded saying that he never said that he didn’€™t know much about economics and that actually, […]

Republican ‘€œVoter Fraud’€ Rumor Mill

Another big election year means another year for Republicans to make false claims about voter fraud. It looks like they are already running the exact same drill that they have run stretching all the way back to the 1960’€™s. The Republican National Committee has added a page on its website entitled ‘€œYou Can’€™t Make this […]

Will Gard Correct Himself at Oil Town Halls?

Former Assembly Speaker John Gard has scheduled several town-hall meetings that he says will focus on gas prices. Unfortunately his positions on our addiction to oil is no different than the failed policies of the most unpopular president in history, George W. Bush. More specifically Gard is talking about giving Big Oil a free pass […]

Van Hollens Legislation Part 1

Judicial Activism is both praised and criticized, as it often divides the court„ but it has without question produced valuable results over issues that were controversial at some time, such as Brown v. Board of Education, a critical case that brought an end to segregation during the 1950s. This judicial activism is defined as ‘€œan […]

No Straight Talk for Flood Victims

Recently presidential candidate John McCain took a trip to Iowa where he visited some of the areas most damaged by the June flooding. McCain and crew ignored a request, from Iowa’s governor, to forego the visit although Iowa officials feared the campaign visit may distract security from the state’s massive flood recovery efforts. During his […]

John McCain Doesn’€™t Know the Price of Gas

John McCain’€™s record in the U.S. Senate has repeatedly demonstrated that he is totally out of touch with the average working person in this country. His recent and constantly shifting policy statements have totally reinforced this fact. Just the other day, while he was fundraising in California, a reporter asked him a very easy question […]

Supreme Court Piece Gets Revealing Angry Response from Bigot

The following text (in two e-mails) below was received from timkisting@aol.com, commenting on a brief analysis (SC Decision Striking Down Gun Control Is Fine with This Progressive) on the Supreme Court decision, District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), that was picked up in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Sunday. Well, let’s hope this guy, timkisting@aol.com, doesn’t […]

WMC: Bad for Women, Bad for Business?

Last week it was reported that a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) staffer condescendingly referred to the Epic Systems founder and well-respected progressive business leader as ‘€œthat computer lady.’€ As a result the One Wisconsin Institute launched an education effort this week questioning WMC’€™s attitude toward women and their history of opposing legislation that would […]

Republicans Run as Democrats in Democratic Primary

The last battle is about to fought in this young democratic nation. Former one term Republican state senator, Tom Reynolds, who has a radical reputation and is a card carrying member of the lunatic fringe, has not been sitting idly by watching his Party implode from the weight of its many contradictions. How loony is […]

Detective Sensenbrenner and the Flood Aid Police

Congressman F. Jim Sensenbrenner must have way too much time on his hands. He must be spending it reading all of the right wing blog hysteria over flood victims in Milwaukee actually getting aid. Earlier this week people in Milwaukee’€™s central city stood in line to get food vouchers. There was apparently some confusion and […]

A Good Idea: Federal Election Day Voter Registration

Federal Election Day Voter Registration is a great way to increase voter turnout. Election Day Registration would ensure that no voters are disenfranchised by voter registration regulations. Currently, there is a bill in the US Senate, proposed by Senator Feingold, that would establish Federal Election Day Voter Registration and it needs your support. As Wisconsinites, […]

Big Insurance Over Seniors and Their Doctors?

Although the media is trying its best to paint him as something different, Congressman Paul Ryan continues to prove that he is from the same polluted conservative mold as the most unpopular president in history. While the rhetoric around Ryan may suggest otherwise, reality and his actual record have proven him to be nothing more […]

The Real WMC Revealed

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) have shown themselves to be little more than a partisan organization in recent years. Rather than simply representing business interests in the state, they have become hugely partisan and practically the funding arm for right wing candidates. Understandably, this increasingly partisan direction has concerned numerous businesses that did not sign […]

A Case Study in Getting a Voter ID

If Republicans really cared about protecting elections, they' would make sure every one who wants to vote has the chance

No Child Left Behind Continues the Vicious Cycle:

The federal government will expand its sanction of Milwaukee schools this year, according to a report published in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 38 schools currently receiving federal government aid for low income students will be hit with cuts to that aid. The Department of Education calls these schools “identified for improvement” and refers to the […]

Medicine Man Helped Poison Our Economy

Over the last few days Republican Congressman Paul Ryan has been getting more underserved love from the media. They called him everything from a ‘€œrising star‘€ in the Wisconsin State Journal to a ‘€œmedicine man‘€ in a Washington Post column by the infamous right winger Robert Novak. In both stories there seems to be an […]

Paid Sick Days Milwaukee

Today Paid Sick Days Milwaukee, a coalition of labor, educational and community organizations, delivered over 42,000 signatures to the Milwaukee Common Council. The effort was lead by 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women. They are asking the council to pass a requirement that all businesses in Milwaukee provide employees with paid sick day […]

Ryan’s Plan a Roadmap to the Future in Hell

The Wisconsin State Journal editorial ‘The status qua in not an option,” praised Rep. Paul Ryans “Road Map to America’s Future”, a plan so hideous that it boggles the mind and puts each of us at the mercy of insurance companies and banks. I can hear it now, “But he’s a respected Republican, we trust […]

The unkindest cut — Ron Kind votes for war money

Another cave-in by House Dems. Another $162-billion for war. At least 151 Dems voted against it, even if it was a token gesture and they knew the bill would pass. Wisconsin’s Ron Kind was one of 80 Democrats who voted yes. (The number keeps shrinking; last time it was 85.) Even Dave Obey and Nancy […]

Sensenbrenner: From General Nastiness to Comic Book Villany

As ruthless as F. Jim Sensenbrenner ruled while the GOP ran Congress, it’s hard not to take some satisfaction in his plummeting influence. But then he goes an does something that warrants mentioning, despite his eroding relevance to the national debate. The midwest has suffered greatly during the recent floods. Since late-May 24 deaths are blamed on […]

Capital Times Calls for Ziegler Recall

Earlier this week the Capital Times newspaper called for the recall of ethically challenged Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler. They point to her blatant violations of very clear conflicts of interest rules prior to taking her seat on the high court. Her serious and repeated violations of judicial ethics rules are not the only reason […]

With Advisors Like These…

George Lightbourn is the former budget advisor for Governor Scott McCallum. Now he is a glorified shill for corporate interests at the right wing Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Thursday corporate interests attacked the $2-billion-saving ‘€œHealthy Wisconsin‘€ plan through their chosen outlet. Before taking WPRI’€™s rantings too seriously, perhaps one should first consider the source, because […]