Commentary Update for November 29, 2001: Gary George, Rylance On Turkeys, Silent Six Responses, Palmeri On Boss Politics, Letter On Schmidt, Framing Auto Culture

Dear Commentary Supporters:

Jim Mather is back from a great trip to Palmeri-ville (oh, I think they call it Italy now). Tomorrow we interview Wisconsin State Senator Gary George (D-Milwaukee), Democratic Party candidate for Governor. Senator George is one of those articulate, "maverick" politicians who is just as likely to attack the Democrats as he is the Republicans, so I expect it to be an enlightening conversation.

There are lots of goodies on the website:

1. Commentary Reporter Dan Rylance became appalled at he watched last Tuesday's Oshkosh Common Council meeting, and ends up talking turkey about it: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/rylance5.htm

2. Two Charter Members of the Silent Six, Common Councilors Mark Harris and Paul Esslinger, sent me e-mail responses to Rylance. As is usually the case, Mark coughs up City Hall spin while Paul gives us rocket science: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/harris2.htm and http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/ess.htm

3. As for me, I've come to the conclusion that we've got a pathetic form of Boss Politics at work in Winnebago County and Oshkosh: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/silentandsentient.htm

4. A viewer sent a nice letter in response to last week's Palmeri/Schmidt debate. http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/frings1.htm Jeff Schmidt's response is here: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/frings1.htm#jeff

5. Finally, several people have asked me for more examples to demonstrate media "framing." Take a look at Karl Ebert's tory on the "love affair" with the automobile from the Nov. 27 Northwestern: http://www.wisinfo.com/northwestern/local/112701-4.html then compare it with what the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) has to say about the auto culture: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/cowsondot.htm . Karl's a great guy, but I'll take the COWS frame on this one, thank you.

Thank you for your support of Commentary.

-Tony