Commentary Update for February 24, 2003: Quid Pro Quo Politics, Big Spenders Rule Legislative Races, Palmeri/Moon Indecisive Thinkers, The Department of Homeland Security Will Save Us, Second Opinion, FightingBob.com, Media Satire
This week's Commentary guests are incumbent member of the Oshkosh Common Council Shirley Brabender Mattox and Jim Simmons, Chair of the UW Oshkosh Department of Political Science. Originally Common Council candidate Brian Poeschl was supposed to join us, but he had to come from Appleton and was not comfortable driving on what were slick roads today. He'll join us at a later time. Shirley Mattox is seeking her second term. On the show she discusses her first term accomplishments and what she will do if reelected. Incumbents Jon Dell'Antonia and Bill Castle have refused invitations to appear on Commentary. Your guess is as good as ours.
In other news:
Quid Pro Quo Politics: From Jay Heck, Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director:
Still think big money doesn't buy public policy in Wisconsin? Incredibly, there are still some in denial. Last week it was Tribal Gaming Contracts and huge, six figure soft money contributions to the Democratic National Committee, much of which was steered back into Wisconsin to influence state elections here in 2002.
Last October, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala (D-Madison) was criminally charged with, among other things, directing Madison Gas & Electric to send more that $100,000 in soft money to the Kansas Democratic Party, some of which was funneled back into Wisconsin into the sham independent expenditure group Chvala had set up to aid State Senate Democratic candidates or to attack Republicans.
Chvala had inserted into the budget repair bill a provision supporting a $180 million co-generation plant proposal by MG&E to be built on the University of Wisconsin at Madison campus.
MG&E claims there is no connection, of course, and that they are "a small utility surrounded by mammoth competitors with the political clout and financial resources to persuade powerful politicians to support its causes."
Yeah, right.
Before you shed a tear for MG&E, read the article in yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel below to see how quid pro quo politics in Madison continues to be the rule--not the exception.
Big Spenders Rule Legislative Races: The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign released a new report today showing that in the 2002 legislative elections, candidates who spent the most won 106 out of 116 races. Locally, in the 54th Assembly District incumbent Republican Gregg Underheim spent $44,848.85 to $18,497.64 for Democratic challenger James Genisio. Think that's bad? In 2000 incumbent State Republican Senator Carol Roessler spent $71,013 to $18,991 for Democratic challenger Kevin McGee, a whopping 274% difference. Carol's against the Ellis/Erpenbach campaign finance reform bill. How shocking.
Palmeri/Moon "Indecisive" Thinkers: This letter appeared in yesterday's Oshkosh Northwestern:
Any soldier under attack by the enemy would view with dismay the thoughts of Tony Palmeri and Jason Moon. They would not be welcome in any fighting unit.
Do they understand that each soldier depends on the support and cooperation of their fellow combatants? Without such instant response, every member of the group would either be killed or put in imminent danger. There isn’t time to have a debate about whether the war is immoral.
Let us hope that none of our relatives or friends is put in the position of depending on these indecisive thinkers if they are called into battle. --Vern Gauger, Oshkosh
Anyone interested in the above exchange should check out this piece from Southern University student and solider A.J. Griffith.
The Department of Homeland Security Will Save Us: If you have not already done so, please take a look at Ready.gov, the Department of Homeland Security's suggestions on how to protect yourself against everything from a nook-you-ler blast to someone sneezing in your face. I suppose it's a better use of taxpayer money than the $1,000 toilet seats from a few years back. By the way, did you know that body odor was invented by advertising men at the beginning of the last century? Not sure what relevance that has here, except that every time I think of the Department of Homeland Security the words "stink" and "public relations" seem to enter my mind.
Actually, I should not be too critical because in the "How to prepare against a nuclear blast" section it does advise us to "quickly assess the situation" if there is a nuclear blast. Until I read that, I had always assumed that when the blast hit I would finish my coffee and send out one more Commentary Update before assessing the situation. The Update will say, "I think there's been a nuclear blast--anyone remember the Homeland Security Website address? Thanks in advance."
For Second Opinion Fans: Here's the latest edition of John Lemberger's A Second Opinion.
Fighting Bob.Com: Ed Garvey today debuted the FightingBob.com website, a new venue for those who think and/or act in the spirit of Wisconsin's great progressive Bob LaFollette. I like this line from Garvey's intro blog: "We are not part of any political party and I suspect we will be equally tough on Democrats and Republicans."
Media Satire: Finally, here are two cartoons that satirize the American media's "coverage" of Iraq.
Best,
-Tony