FightingBobFestNorth

Are you pulling my leg? Is this a joke? Are they nuts? Do any of the candidates care?

The Wisconsin State Journal's front page: "Concern grows that Israel will attack Iran."

AP writes that the attack "could trigger a wider war, terrorism and global economic havoc." We know that Newt has been purchased. He remains in the quest for president only because a pro-Israel guy with mega bucks believes Newt would, indeed, bomb Iran. So, Sheldon gave him $10 million. Damn the consequences!

Who is in charge of this decision that could end the world as we know it? The extreme right-wing in Israel and America. We lost Vietnam, we lost Iraq, we have lost Afghanistan, but pay no attention. Israel, with our participation, will knock out Iranian nukes within hours and all will be well! And the moon is made of green cheese and chickens have lips!

Romney? No better than Newt. Santorum? A hawk to be sure. All three will bomb Iran if they get the bomb and forget all the talk about Israel having a nuclear weapons capacity second only to U.S. The only person in the race for president, including the current president, with common sense on Israel is Ron Paul. He denounces such talk of invasion or bombing Iran as crazy and he is right.

Scratch the surface and the same gang that promised a quick victory in Iraq (and a promise that it would pay for itself) is calling the shots: Richard Pearle, Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld.

If Israel bombs Iran, the U.S. should cut off diplomatic recognition, eliminate any further economic or military aid to Israel. Period! We should demand that Israel give up its nuclear weapons. Let us begin by informing Israel that not one dime will go to support of this fiasco-in-the-making.

Some things often go unexplained. Remember The Bell Curve? Yes, Charles Murray wrote the nonsense about race with financial support from the Bradley Foundation. Now a new book from Murray has emerged from the muck. This one is Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010. Read the review in the NY Times and get ready for all the right-wing to pay homage. Murray says he is no longer "a complete pariah in some academic quarters." My guess is that only those who have never read this stuff would welcome him.

Bradley gives $250,000 grants to writers who have the courage to tell the truth. I will bet that David Brooks just cut in line!

He calls it the most important book of the year.

A longtime supporter suggested to a legislator that his ambition for higher office could be advanced if the legislator joined forces with a Republican who shares his views on the legislator’s favorite issue and has offered to join the effort to help do great things for Wisconsin.

“Remember who your friends are," the legislator replied to his now-former supporter.

A politically active Democrat whose day job would be advanced if the Legislature acted on a significant and difficult bill was advised to lay low on political activity until the bill is passed.

The watering holes where legislators of all persuasions, administrators, and even reporters once spent their “off the record” off hours together are gone, strictly segregated along political lines, or too toxic for one side or the other to consider patronizing.

A major health institution which is putting together a plan to increase health care coverage and reduce health care costs was told that the enabling legislation for this worthy idea would have a better chance getting through what has become the Capitol war zone if the institution and its members reduced their political profile and activity.

Speaking of war zones, one legislator says he will not feel safe in the hallowed halls of the state Assembly unless armed. Surely this is an isolated view. Or not.

Is it any wonder that as the level of contentiousness rises the sane and sensible citizens who are alleged to be the object of the affections of their representatives are disgusted, which is bad, and being advised to absent themselves from the public arena, which is worse?

Representative government is increasingly a closed shop and in a shambles.

Is there no hope for assembling representatives of diverse views from different places who think they are elected to make this a better place for all of us and are willing to work together through their inevitable differences to deliver what the people want: a government that works?

Only if they get out of their trenches, fox holes and silos. Only if they give themselves a chance to get to know one another so they can discover that in many ways, despite their differences, they are more alike than different.

Not until it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable, where it is possible to dislike ideas without despising the people who have them.

There are three things going on which seem to me to have de-toxifying potential.

The first is memorial services. This is a somewhat morbid way to bring people together; also unpredictable; also unwelcome. It is evident though that when a politician passes and the survivors and successors come together to praise and mourn the dear departed that they mingle and even enjoy each other’s company. There is hope. Maybe they don’t hate each other full time after all.

Another less maudlin movement is an embryonic attempt to resuscitate something known as the Special Edition dinner where all the denizens of the public sector gathered to honor one of their own for succeeding in the arena they all occupy. Food and drink and fun were reliable ice breakers before and may be again.

A more notable, successful, and long running de-toxifier is headed by two remarkable women who run a series of seminars where the warring incumbents can come together with professionals and experts to dissect and discuss objective, quality research on the subjects on the public agenda. The objective, which is routinely met, is to get to the facts and away from the ideologies in search of the common ground from which solutions spring.

The question is can we get together before toxicity pulls us ever further apart?

Only if we start with mutual respect and civility and keep all eyes on the problem not the process or the people advancing the solutions.

Reading the Sunday Wisconsin State Journal is an unpleasant chore, but it is a chore I must complete. The paper looks as if it is about to merge with the Walker campaign; not permanently, but for a few months until his election is over. If this is any consolation, the MJS is not much better.

Both WSJ and MJS have down-played the Walker testimony at the John Doe investigation. While it is supposedly secret, WSJ claims he has volunteered to testify. Really? How do they know? And why the near-silence about the four top Walker aides in cuffs?

The mystery of Charles Franklin continues. He has a feature article in the UW-Madison Pol Sci newsletter but is described as "Marquette University Law School Political Scientist" in today's State Journal. One day he is on a sabbatical to Marquette, but that changed quickly when we suggested his work at Marquette would be subject to Open Records if he were on sabbatical. Voilà! He was no longer on sabbatical but was described as being "on leave" from UW. Last year he was in bed (not literally) with the Bradley Foundation's Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI). That contract was cancelled when they were told that Open Records laws applied to them. Off to Marquette!

The WSJ and MJS consider him a reliable pollster. Who is paying him? Are his records open? Is Marquette Law School really the pollster or just a cover?

Does anyone think that we, the voters, control America? Are we governed by elites who actually get a lump in the throat when we sing America the Beautiful? Well, think about it because the concept of America as we have known it is disapearing--fast.

Look at Sheldon Adelson. (I know, that is asking a lot.) He is the saviour of Newt Gingrich. By giving Newt's PAC $10 million, Gingrich continues to have a national forum for his loony-tune views. Moon colonies, children janitors, bomb Iran (that is the real issue. If Obama offered to bomb Iran next week, my bet is that good old Shelldon would back him for president). Israel, not America, is the concern. Are we not the lucky ones? Thank you, Sheldon! What a guy! Risk my grandson's lives will ya?

Now we learn that Sheldon has a Plan B. One can only guess at Plan C! Plan B is to back Romney by giving him even more money if Newt drops out. What is this all about? Race to the Top? Nope. Gender equity? Nope. How about ending the war in Afghanistan? Nope. It is all about Sheldon's view that we must drop lots and lots of bombs on Iran! Jesus. It is bad enough that presidents wage wars without even a nod to the Congress? Recall the quaint notion that only Congress can declare war. Amend the Constitution? Sure. Only Congress or the president or Sheldon Adedlson can declare war. Sheldon Adelson can wage war? Whoa Nelly. He should be arrested not featured on CNN.

Would Sheldon fight the war on Iran? His kids? His grandkids? Bet the ranch the answer is no. Would he and his mult-millionaire friends pay say 50 percent on income to fund it?

Then we learn that the semiannual meeting of the billionaires Charles and David Koch is taking place in Palm Springs. They gather with other billionaires to decide how much they will pour into Scott Walker's campaign. How about us, Koch boys?

It's Mitt Romney and the 1 percent, under God, against the rest of us.

Is there any wonder why voters are disgusted? Romney wins Florida because he had many millions more than Gingrich, Paul and Santorum combined. Walker won because he had more money. Obama wants a billion. Tim Cullen opts not to run for governor because he doubts he could raise the 1-2 million that he would need.

Read carefully. Cullen met with some unions and he thought they would offer some financial support, but they did not and he did not ask so he dropped out. Before criticizing Cullen ask yourself, Could you go union to union asking or begging for money?

Mike McCabe got everyone on their feet at the People's Legislature Wednesday in calling for a return to Bill Proxmire-style campaigns. FightingBob.com was calling on potential candidates to face reality: Walker will have as much money from the Koch boys as he wants or needs. Predictions are he will have 30-40 million dollars. Think about it. Cullen, no stranger to fundraising and lobbyists, opted out of the race because he could not match David Koch's pocket change of a million dollars.

No Democrat can raise two million between now and the primary. So what do the unions and other Democratic Party insiders do? Suddenly there is a boomlet for Herb Kohl. Why? You know why: he could fund his own race. Now isn't that nuts? The most important position in Wisconsin goes not to the best and the brightest but to a guy with deep pockets and few enemies. They rationalize that if Kohl puts in $20-30 million he could win. Besides, he has done nothing in the Senate to antagonize anyone. Deep pockets and no enemies. Perfect!

Walker hired two law firms to represent him in the John Doe. No one knows if he was subpoenaed to testify or just wants to chat with the Milwaukee district attorney. (My gut tells me that Walker is not doing this as a good-will gesture.) Walker's campaign paid Steven Biskupic $100,000 last year according to MJS. Where does Biskupic work? Guess!

Walker said he will pay Sidley & Austin and Steinle and not charge the taxpayers. How generous Scott. Given Chicago prices these days, Sidley is probably charging $600-700 per hour. That's a lot of pizza!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel rarely sends reporters out into the jungle called "Wisconsin," so they keep repeating that only Kathleen Falk has announced a probable candidacy. Had they joined us Wednesday at The People's Legislature they would have to say that Peter Barca, Kathleen Vienhout, Mahlan Mitchell and Doug La Follette spoke at a forum for candidates. Tom Barrett did not but sent a warm email. Jon Erpenbach is considering a run.

What is the hesitation? Money, money, money. Several people told me they thought our idea of a no-money campaign was nuts until they listened at The People's Legislature. It makes sense and the majority loved it. (On to phase two. Don't wake the MJS.)

One delightful announcement: We have invited former President Jimmy Carter to Waukesha to monitor vote counting during the recall.

Super Bowl. The Mara family has owned the Giants from the beginning of the league. Wellington Mara's father was a gambler, and a bookie paid off a debt by giving the Giant franchise to Mara. Mara did nothing to integrate the all-white NFL for almost 50 years. He did nothing about all-white coaches until the player's union forced the issue. The NFL Hall of Fame was not open to blacks but Wellington Mara is in the Hall of Fame.

So I will cheer for the Patriots.

So sayeth "the Trump" in describing Biff Romney (Oops! It is Mitt not Biff). "One more clown joins the circus" should have been the lead, but you know that already. Trump, who last April, in describing Romney, said, "He would buy companies, close companies and destroy jobs." So much for Mr. Job creator

Some pundits thought Trump would endorse Gingrich because two egos that size could cause some damage. But, no, Romney, lucky Romney, gets Trump's endorsement! Does anyone give a damn?

Romney doesn't care about the "very poor" or "the very rich." Just don't talk when he is lining up a putt.

Bishop Raymond Burke is teaming up with Madison's Bishop Morlino. Look out! Remember Burke, when he was in Lacrosse, told Catholic office holders they could not receive communion if they support a woman's choice? We were so delighted when he was sent to St. Louis I offered to help him ship his goods down the Mississippi.

Morlino is not commenting on the enormous scandal in Milwaukee of sexual abuse cases, so numerous that the Milwaukee Archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy! No, that is too close to the heart of the matter. Morlino is really up in arms that employers must provide health insurance that covers morning-after pills, sterilization and abortion. After doing all he could to defeat Obama, he says they feel "betrayed." Whoa Nelly!

Morlino says there is a war going on: secular anti-Christians vs. regular Christians. Morlino apparently believes we are headed toward persecution of the Christians! Wow.

As I walked up the steps at the Alliant Center it was disconcerting to realize I was only the second person in the area. Lily was first. Would this be a disaster because we were meeting on a work day? Well, people started coming in and soon we had a good crowd. Whew!

And what passion! They had been out in the cold getting petitions signed and they want a new governor. So do the people! The Democratic candidate will start with 1.1 million votes--that would be like a football team starting on the 30 yard line of the opponent. Now the task is to motivate them to vote so we can close the circle.

Candidates came and roused the crowd. Kathleen Falk, Doug La Follette, Peter Barca, Kathleen Vinehout, Mahlon Mitchell. They were up to the task. Of course we had help: Ruth Conniff, John Nichols, Mike McCabe made the case for a new approach to the race--no out-of-state or Super PAC money; forums throughout the state; no corporate or union money. Risky? Yes, but the old-fashioned way can't work given the Koch boys and their $40 or $50 million.

No candidate can match it, so let's rely on people power! Motivate the million who signed petitions to get out the vote.

We are off to a great start. Everone agrees that the system is corrupt and out of control. We have a plan to change that! Another meeting is a must. We have a chance. Let's not blow it.

The worse Walker's record becomes the more he spins.

Fighting Bob Friends:

We have had three sessions of The People’s Legislature, and now is time to call for the most important one we have held:

February 1st at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Halls, the People’s Legislature will reconvene. The agenda? Discuss a process for naming a candidate to oppose Scott Walker and to list the key issues that must be addressed.

This session will not be an endorsement. Rather, it will try to develop a road to a wide-open primary. Let the people decide who should run—we will focus on the issues and the process.

This open meeting will go from Noon to 4:00pm. I plan to chair; Mike McCabe will keynote; other speakers to be announced.

Can you make it? We have to continue the uprising.

Everyone thinking of running or supporting a candidate is welcome.

No speeches on behalf of any candidate: only speaking to the process of how to select the best person. This is a grassroots movement and we are all part of it.

We will ask you to contribute a few bucks as we always do.

Best Regards,
Ed Garvey

It can get worse but not much. Congress is about to pass a bill into law that instructs members of Congress to avoid using insider information not available to the public in purchasing or selling stocks. Yikes! We need a law for that? Whoa Nelly!This gives weight to a call by one pol to say throw them all out!

Of course, as one Wisconsin congressman noted (hint: he defeated Julie Lassa) it is a hardship to live on a congressional salary. Oh yeah? A salary of $174,000 plus a very generous package of benefits is a hardship? I guess it would be like forcing Mitt to live in one home. But, hey! Cut them some slack. How can a member become a millionaire without cheating? And keep in mind--living on a couple hundred thousand a year ain't no picnic.

Marty Beil was quoted in today's MJS. Beil had AFSCME write a speech for Tommy delivered in Puerto Rico bragging about how well negotiations with public sector unions worked in Wisconsin. So pleased was Beil that his union endorsed Thompson in 1998. Now, as the Walker Blitz wiped out public sector unions and AFSCME is in trouble thanks to Scott, Tommy is cheerleading for Walker! Beil said he cannot understand how Tommy could do such a thing. There is an old saying about dogs and fleas and pols.

Want another Lake Winnebago albeit polluted? As the mining thievs push for a revised mining bill to give them carte blanch to Wisconsin's air and water an argument has broken out.

How big would the new lake, created by the iron ore mine, be? Well, some say it was an exaggeration to say it will be two-thirds the size of Lake Winnebago unless you include depth as well as length and width. In that case, says PolitiFact, it will have the same volume of water as Lake Winnebago. Holy cow. Now you know why the mining companies wrote the bill; now you know why they don't want open debate; now you know why this thing must be stopped. The size of Lake Winnebago my foot!

MARQUETTTE POLL: Once again, MJS quotes the Marquette law school poll without question. Suddenly there is a Marquette law school poll that is funded by____?

Money and politics are driving Representative Dick Spanbauer out of politics.

A little history: Our first People's Legislature was held in a snow shower, but 1,200 showed up to demand public financing of elections and more. Our second featured the wonderful spirit Doris "Grannie D" Haddock. Grannie D had us cheering, clapping, and there were a few tears as well. At the time she was 98 and still giving it her all. And her "all" was a lot.

Our third was in the early stages of the uprising over Walker's perfidy. We focused on the gap between those who have too much power and those who should have more power.

So here comes number 4! Some say it will be a smaller crowd because it is on a work day. I say everyday is a work day when taking on the Koch brothers, Walker and Fitzgeralds. We have to complete the circle, and to do that we must join arms and go for it! Will you attend a session on a work day? All I can say is we had that day available and we keep our fingers crossed that you will be there at noon on Wednesday. You stood in rain and snow, knocked on thousands of doors, froze your buns at demonstrations...let's finish the job!

How about the John Doe? Deja vue!

Marquette Poll: As we predicted, the "new" Marquette poll is cited for all sorts of things. Walker is ahead, people support the photo I.D. bill, etc...Rarely if ever do reporters mention that this is not a "new" Marquette poll. It is their first poll ever! And is it Marquette or the Bradley Foundation feeding the beast?

You can bet that the next one will whitewash the Walker administration on the John Doe.

Everybody knows what big money is doing to political campaigns, candidates, and politics itself. Most people don’t seem to like it. But five of the big nine on the Supreme Court do, and no one else counts.

Everyone also knows and dislikes the reconfirmation of the McLuhan premise that the medium is the message and that the campaign medium is TV commercials. Quick, simple/simplistic, pervasive. Most people don’t like this either, except, of course, the TV station owners and the producers and purveyors of commercials whose livelihood is dependent on or greatly enhanced by this phenomenon.

There is little or nothing that can be done about the flood of money masquerading as free speech or the popularity and power of TV as a medium.

There is another democracy destroying phenomenon, however, that is working below the radar of public notice that is doing as much or even more to diminish our democracy and the people we elect to run it.

It’s called redistricting. Redistricting determines which voters will get to vote for which candidates.

The rules are that each district will have the same number of voters, racial minorities will be given a chance at representation, the physical districts will be compact, and something called community of interest, which is vaguely defined, will be respected.

Competitiveness, if any, is not a criterion. If it happens, it will be inadvertently.

The hidden criterion is non-competitiveness. Given the high cost of campaigning and the fact that the burden of raising the necessary money needed to compete has fallen on the legislative leaders who have the blue chips in this mostly white chip game, non-competitiveness is more than a criterion. It’s an objective.

When one party controls the legislature and the executive office, that party will create as many safe seats for their candidates as the courts (who are charged with enforcing the aforementioned rules) will allow.

When power is split within the legislature, collusion raises its ugly head. Party leaders scratch each others' backs in pursuit of safe seats for both. This has been most visible at the congressional level in Wisconsin. After the 2000 census, the 1st and 2nd districts, which had been competitive, were rearranged in ways to make one safer for a Democrat and the other for a Republican. After the 2010 census, collusion led to a 3rd district which was more Democratic and the neighboring 7th district which became more friendly for the Republicans.

This is a diverse country, but we do tend to cluster. Ethnically, economically, racially, and politically. This makes reducing the number of districts which are truly competitive possible. In a few areas it is inevitable. But should it be an objective? I don’t think so.

The consequence of conceding or advancing party preferences is that we are elevating the importance of primary elections and making more general elections irrelevant. Fewer people vote in primaries, and those who do vote are usually more partisan and predictable. The less committed, less rabid voters tend to wait till November. This is too late in too many places. The November results are more and more a foregone conclusion in legislative races.

Redistricting in the hands of the incumbents has filled a lot of safe seats with too many unambitious ideologues who are interested less in governing than in staying in office.

This diminishes an honorable trade which attracts superior people into the Congress and legislatures we have come to love to hate.

The route back to putting problems not political advantage on the top of the priority lists of those elected to represent us starts with competitive general elections.

I have had only positive responses to the suggestion that we demand a wide-open Democratic primary to select the Democratic candidate for governor; then demand that the nominee refuses all PAC money, all corporate money, all union money, and all out-of-state money. The focus is then on Walker and his pals the Koch brothers who are trying to purchase the entire state government. They can't spread the lie that "big labor" is competing with their check-books.

I think our gamble is paying off. I have talked with a number of Fighting Bob folks, potential candidates, people on the street, and others, and all are enthused about Wednesday's session of the People's Legislature (noon until it ends--but we're shooting for ending at 4:00). We need your voices and your input. I urge you to join the crusade.

If we give hope to the thousands who signed recall petitions we can truly recapture our state.

We are planning candidate forums and debates to provide media opportunities as well as the chance to engage the million who signed the recall petetions.

Walker and his backers obsess over imagined dirty tricks as they flood the state with the real thing.

MJS reports that Scott Walker declined to answer a question about whether he or his attorney had been contacted by investigators in the John Doe proceeding. Two staffers who worked for Walker when he was Milwaukee County executive have been charged with illegally doing political work while being paid by taxpayers.

The law firm of Steven Biskupic, former U.S. attorney, has been paid $110,000 by Walker's campaign over past year. Stay tuned.

Our friend Joe Gruber suffered a stroke soon after arriving back in Mississippi to reclaim his condo (destroyed by hurricane).

Keep your fingers crossed. I have walked more picket lines with Joe than I could count. If there was trouble, you would always find Joe there. On Valentine's Day a year ago, Ellen Bravo asked us to picket Walker's plan to gut family leave. We did and the next day the uprising began in earnest.

We love you Joe. See you on the golf course soon.

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Standing on the Capitol steps Wednesday evening to protest the proposed mining bill, I was freezing-- but the hundreds of opponents of the iron ore open pit mine were freezing as well and that made it seem warmer. Patti Loew, no longer constrained by public TV rules against active participation, was the MC and she was great. Mike McCabe, Glen Reynolds and George Meyer all stood in the damp cold night urging common sense in the Legislature.

What is odd is this: Walker speaks for the mining companies and others who stand to make a fortune if the mine is approved. Who speaks for the air and water? Whose idea was this? The notion that Wisconsin should give away our state to a Florida company that promises jobs is loopy. While Mitt Romney claims that corporations are people, what would happen if half-way through the Florida corporation collapses?

Johnny Paycheck sang it for us years ago. You can take this job and shove it...Change "job" to "jobs."

The People's Legislative Session, Wednesday, February 1 is taking shape. While some have complained that we are meeting on a work day, we really had no choice. So, I agree it would have been better on a weekend but we are where we are.

At least four potential candidates have said they will be there. Only time will tell if all of them will be there. Some have asked us to "stream" the proceedings and we are working on that--it's a good idea. We will have to pass the bucket again. So, while there has been some criticism, there is growing enthusiasm for the concept.

How about the Walker team setting up an alternative e-mail system 25 feet from the County Exec's office when Walker occupied that office? Once again, using employees of the state and local governments to work on politics! Won't they ever learn?

And Tommy Thompson is now worth $13 million? Whoa Nelly. He says he is "lucky and happy," and I am not surprised. Like Newt, he claims that he was not a lobbyist although he worked with one at Akin Gump, one of the biggest lobbying firms in Washington. Corruption everywhere.

John Nichols, Mike McCabe, Ruth Conniff and Nino Amato will be at the People's Legislature. We have no way to predict turnout, but I think we will not be lonely. See you on Wednesday at noon.

Wednesday, February 1, we will convene around noon, Alliant Exhibition area (free parking), introduce anyone who wishes to be a potential candidate to oppose Walker, decide on forums to be held statewide, hear the latest from Mike McCabe on out-of-state funding for Walker, and on the Citizens United amendment.

Ruth Conniff will co-chair with me; John Nichols will speak, and, who knows, we might make some history when it comes to money in politics.

Need your input--look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.