Commentary for April 19, 2001: Bloechl, Eisenberg

Dear Friends of Commentary:

Oshkosh Common Councilor and former Mayor Melanie Bloechl is in top form on this week's Commentary, launching grenades at fellow councilor Mark Harris, Northwestern Executive Editor Stew Rieckman, Representative Gregg Underheim, and others. Also on the program councilor Paul Esslinger tries to demonstrate, by presenting the fact that he has voted differently from Bloechl on more than 10 issues in the past year, that he is independent of Bloechl's influence. I'm not sure that Jim and I did the best job that we could of interviewing these two, but after it was over I thought that if someone from out of town really wanted to understand the nature of Oshkosh politics, this would be the program to watch. Whether or not you agree with Melanie and Paul about anything, they do come across as people who have spent their entire lives in Oshkosh.

Next week (April 25) we will have on Milwaukee attorney Alan Eisenberg, who's latest effort is to try and attain for dogs the legal status of persons. Hey, those of you who have met my pal Pugsley (a 9 year old Llasa Apso) know that I have to be in agreement with Eisenberg on this one. I mean come on, I can be really mean to a guest on Commentary and when I get home Pugsley still licks my face (:-).

Eisenberg will also be delivering a lecture on the 25th at 7 p.m. in Reeve Union Room 215. The talk is free and open to the public. Be sure to bark this news to all your friends!

-Tony