Rep. Joe Walsh

Self proclaimed tea party freshman Joe Walsh seems to have a little trouble paying his own bills. It turns out that he owes $100,000 in child support payments. What happened to sitting around the kitchen table and prioritizing your expenditures? Maybe you did and you decided that you wouldn't pay the bill for your children's upbringing over and over again. I certainly hope that they are not getting public assistance. You can't be a family values representative and do stuff like this without some outrage. You also shouldn't be for the cuts in public assistance (which you are for) when your family could be on it due to your deadbeat status. Why hasn't the press asked the congressman how he would solve the deadbeat parent problem rather than some nebulous blame of the tax code.

Michelle Bachmann on Home Loans

This was the most amazing statement from anti-government candidate Michelle Bachmann. She stated that she got a Fannie/ Freddie loan because you can't get a loan today without going through the government and that is why government needs to get out of the business. No! It is true that loans are sold to other institutions so you don't really know who will ultimately be holding it. It is unclear, because she won't answer the question, whether that is what happened in her case. One solution to the Government holding many loans would be to change how the program is run so that they can't go on the open market and buy loans. But no, her solution is the elimination of a program that has helped many working people including herself buy a home. If she so objected to being on the hook to the Government why didn't she refinance. My loan is held by a private firm so private loans are out there.

Michelle Bachmann Wants it Both Ways

Michelle Bachmann gave a speech a few days ago where she said that she was running for President and not her husband so questions about his business were off limits. Lets see how this works. Michelle is a co-owner of that business. She also states that one of her qualifications for the Presidency is the fact that she is a small business owner, that would be her husbands business. But yet we can't ask questions about that business. Maybe she was referring to the farm that she co-owns. No that one doesn't produce any income for her since some of the income generated comes from the Government. Unless of course, you look at her tax returns which state that she did make money as a farmer. But again, you can't ask questions of the Presidential candidate about the farm. The same thing is true about her family. On the campaign trail she touts that she has 23 children. Many of them are foster kids and it is noble that she took them in but yet if questioned about this family she says that it is off limits. She uses being a business owner, farmer, and family person all of the time in campaign stops, website, and literature but yet you can't know more than she is willing to tell. This is very similar to Sarah Palin who has been accused of using her children to get media attention but when asked about exclusives in the People magazine article for instance the response is that "my family is off limits". Well then don't put them out there in an effort to get votes but refuse the inevitable questions that will arise. The same is true for Michelle Bachmann. Don't talk about your small business credentials in a speech and then refuse to elaborate about the business to the press. If you have nothing to do with the operation of the business, farm, or family admit to that and we can move on, but if you insist on using props the press has a duty to ask questions about them.

Norway

The terrorist attack in Norway was simply hard to believe. While this was going on there 2 Norwegians finishing the Tour de France having won 4 stages (out of 21), holding the race lead for a week, simply an amazing performance. If anything should have helped bring the country together that was it. Sadly one person and I'm sure others of similar sentiment could not get past their fear and hatred of people not like them. So this guy goes and kills followers of the LIBERAL government after having published a rant about why this needed to be done. From what has come out and even been stated by our right wing commentators he is not all that different than the tea party and that should scare everyone.

Ron Johnson gets Blamed in WI

This from the Tomah paper Ron Johnson is part of the problem not the solution he so wanted to be.

http://lacrossetribune.com/tomahjournal/news/opinion/editorial/article_91696eb0-b530-11e0-a16d-001cc4c03286.html

Dems Against the Debt Ceiling, Oh My!

A lot is being written about how the Democrats, particularly President Obama and Sen. Reid, were against raising the debt ceiling in 2006. But yet that reporting is incomplete. So the Democrats were against an increase but were accused of blowing up the budget in the 2008 and 2010 election cycle. What's up with that. Well the Democrats objected to increasing the debt ceiling because it was being used to fund programs off budget namely 2 wars and bank bailouts. The Democrats wanted these items put into the budget, which they did causing the budget to explode. In the end this is a more honest accounting of the nations expenses and has probably slowed the growth of debt. Now Republicans are opposed to any increase without massive spending reductions. The problem is that the debt is paying for past expenses. We are currently running a deficit because the job creators are not creating jobs or even spending. Until the economy gets moving the spender of last resort is the government, the wealthy as so often in the past cannot spend enough to turn the economy around and when coupled with trade and labor policies that favor creating jobs outside of the country you have the stagnation with record profits for a few that we see now.

Reagan Was Right?

That is what the bumper sticker on the Suburban in front of me said, Reagan was Right. About what? Raising the debt limit multiple times? Getting into an arms race with the Soviet Union helping to cause them to collapse and leaving us with $2 trillion in debt? Getting involved in a war in the Middle East where we trained and supported a certain Osama Bin Laden? Helping to destabilize Pakistan? Pursuing a war on drugs that has led to the destabilization of Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico? Funding the overthrow of the government of Nicaragua? Deregulating the banks which led to the banking collapse of 2008? Deregulating the airlines which was supposed to bring increased competition and lower airfares? Last time I checked there were less airlines. Deregulating the telecommunication industry? Again less competition and more costly. No Reagan's legacy is one of instituting what should be apparent to everyone as failed economic policies. Of instituting a foreign policy predicated on war and aiding people who you wouldn't want to meet on the street let alone put in charge of a country. He will also be remembered for pursuing an insane war on drugs that has cost more lives than the drugs themselves. He will also be remembered for spending into oblivion much of it off budget (debt),

Creationism at the Fair

I just saw that there is a woman who has purchased space to espouse creationism/ intelligent design. What! The Wisconsin State Journal ran a story on this and one man was quoted as saying that it should be allowed since she isn't pushing her beliefs on anyone. Except that she is propagandizing thousands of people with a belief that is totally wrong. We know that this technique works, why is it ok to be promoting an idea that is wrong?

This is the problem with liberals. We can't offend this person and she isn't really hurting anyone. That is just crap! She is influencing and at some point there will be critical mass in liberal Madison to change the education system to be one that includes intelligent design and people will wonder how this happened. It happened because people weren't paying attention and weren't willing to offend people who seem so nice. This is how propaganda works. Get people who ordinarily wouldn't believe something to believe that it is true.

Michelle Bachmann Article

I had this link sent to me and it is awesome, congratulations Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0720-page-20110720,0,3162903.column

The author really points out how the anti-government crowd is really dependent on the government, imagine that.

It Doesn't Matter

I was attempting to have a discussion about the debt ceiling and was loudly told that it just doesn't matter. That is just so wrong. When this country goes under we are all going to pay. This person was getting financial aid for college. Guess what one of things on the chopping block, that is right student loans and grants. Someone else said the same thing, and they are refinancing a house. When the country defaults interest rates are expected to go up, so do it now. Then I heard the same thing from a retired person. All programs for the "elderly" are on the chopping block. Yes it does matter and when you don't pay attention we get people like what we have elected in Wisconsin.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Just saw it and it was great!

Maybe the Country Deserves It

I keep hearing people calling into talk shows who are just parroting the Republican talking points that I think maybe the country deserves their plan. I hear a lot about taxes, raising taxes. Except we are talking about letting the Bush tax cuts expire on incomes over $250,000. Most of these callers can't imagine what $250,000 looks like but yet go to the mat to defend those individuals. This is just crazy, but it is a large percentage of people. So, let's give them what they want, even lower taxes to create jobs (just don't mention that we have had 10 years of tax cuts which created exactly negative 3 million jobs), more deregulation of business (don't mention that this deregulation led to the economic collapse), and more tax breaks for corporations (don't mention that they are making record profits and doing zero expansion in this country or giving their employees raises). All we need to do is look at the South American countries that have tried essentially the same thing. They all wound up broke with a huge disparity between the haves and have nots with almost no one left in the middle. These economic policies are a big reason why so many of those countries are led by socialist governments today.

Tired of Paying for It!

I keep hearing the above but yet everyone's solution is to throw people out on the street, cut them, make them get a job (you checked the help wanted section lately?),.... So, on Sunday I'm reading the Wisconsin State Journal about the State Parks. The point of the article was that they are under funded and they have used volunteers to their limit. Right around 25% of the park positions are unfilled. Guess what there is a ready workforce available already collecting a State check. The people on welfare the same people who others are tired of paying for. The original Welfare system under FDR required work if able. I say let's go back to that philosophy. There are jobs in the public sector that we are not going to hire so someone will not be displaced. Put them to work in the parks and anywhere else where we need additional employees.

Biddy Martin

The have been a lot of negative things written about Chancellor Martin since she left. A lot of writers have focused on the ill fated Badger partnership. Many of these same writers have complained about how UW-Madison is not affordable and accepts too many out of state students. Keep in mind that this was a chancellor has been all about trying to make the university affordable. What they wanted her to do the traditional thing and lobby a legislature that is generally hostile to anything Madison and has been cutting the State contribution to higher education over the last 20 years? instead she has looked outside the box (many alumni have debated for years taking the campus private) and proposed a public authority. She as recently as last week proposed eliminating the tuition increases for those students whose family earns <$80,000 per year. That is a sizable number of students. Making college affordable! She also gets high marks from me in terms of communication. Whenever the any breaking news that may make the UW look bad she was always out front of the story explaining the campus position and what was being done.

She may have only been here three years but we lose one of the best chancellors of the last 30 years.

Eric Cantor is an Obstructionist

Eric Cantor in all seriousness says he doesn't understand why the President is mad at him. Come on Eric at least be sarcastic about it so that we know that you know what you did. I look at it as the President has finally stood up to the Republicans. You can't continue to get your way from the President and then change your position to a position that you had previously rejected. You could call them flip floppers but this is all part of the plan. The know they were against it before they were for it. They know that they have been getting their way. What exactly is wrong with raising taxes on the top 1% of earners? They are all still doing well and obviously not creating jobs. Instead they are cutting the benefits and wages of their workers. The republicans led by Eric Cantor are standing with these people at the expense of the country and the rest of the 99% of the country. This is how revolutions start, maybe the Republicans should study history or convince the job creators to create jobs.

Michelle Bachmann on the Debt Ceiling

Michelle Bachmann yesterday weighed in on the debt ceiling discussion. As expected she was all for defaulting but she said that it would be no big deal the country won't default because there is plenty of money. She was half right, the President has said that he won't let the country default he won't pay current expenses. i think that will be a big deal. Sure we could not pay contractors, soldiers (especially those deployed), welfare, and unemployment (no longer funded due to the unemployment extensions) but to say that this would not be a big deal doesn't understand the economy very well. Then there are the funded programs that we could take money from (Social Security and Medicare) which would also be a big deal. The Republicans want the country to look like it did in 1929 and they won't stop until there are people on the streets and soup lines. This issue is ridiculous. Every President has run a deficit in bad economic times. The debt ceiling was raised several times under President Bush and no one objected. He had to raise the debt ceiling because of his tax cuts and unbudgeted wars, at least now we are trying to straighten this mess out.

Where are the Jobs?

It has been 10 years of the so called Bush tax cuts that were supposed to be an incentive for the "job creators" to create jobs. Where are they? The latest data indicates that the wealthy have gotten richer during the recovery whereas the job seekers are still seeking. We are now being told that if just cut taxes for the wealthy more and provide more tax breaks for business while cutting Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and education programs for the working masses. Does anyone really believe that this plan is going to work? First off as the masses have lost jobs, salary, and benefits their buying power has declined. The reality is that without customers the job creators are not going to hire. What they are doing is cutting operating costs in the United States by off shoring jobs to places like China. US companies are also selling more products in China because there are millions of Chinese customers that now have some money. A better choice than cutting taxes for the wealthy would be to give the job creators the gift that they have dreamed of, the elimination of the minimum wage. That way those low wage jobs could be created here instead of overseas. This won't save the economy unless we have an appropriate reduction in prices, but that hasn't stopped the Republicans from enacting policies that got us to where we are today.

Ballanced Budget Amendment

Our own Ron Johnson has proposed an amendment to the Constitution which would require a balanced budget. On the surface this sounds like a great idea especially with the ongoing discussion of the debt ceiling. A balanced budget amendment will not do anything about the debt. It will make going to war next to impossible unless you budget for it. No more military adventures into a country like Iraq. No more bailouts, unemployment (the fund is broke), road building,... Under the Johnson plan one could assume that in bad economic times government will sit on the sidelines and do nothing because it isn't in the budget. I think that we tried that in 1928 and it was a disaster. Government at that point becomes the only entity that can spend. I don't foresee Government running a surplus to cover disasters, wars, or bad economies. Remember George Bush gave away the Clinton surplus.

What did the Governor Promise

I am frequently told that our Governor did not campaign on abolishing the public employee unions. While he may not have said it specifically he certainly talked extensively about doing something about employee salaries and benefits. One could assume that he needed to eliminate bargaining to get that accomplished. Had local employees not been included there wouldn't have been the outrage. I for one am not surprised what the Governor has done and continues to propose.

Tammy Baldwin for Senate?

Tammy Baldwin was interviewed a couple of weeks ago in the Capitol Times. She discussed how she was thinking about running for Senate and how the rest of the State was not that different from her own district ( a mix of urban and rural). My only thought was that she sure doesn't get out in the rest of the State much. There are vast differences, Also, she fails to mention that she has a rural problem in her current district. The problem for Tammy is going to be once you get 100-200 miles outside of Madison the level of education drops, the income level drops, and the people are generally more conservative. Her message is going to be a tough sell. Tammy's legislative record is sparse but a lot of that is due to being in the minority. The problem is that to adequately explain that you need an infomercial. Sure the things that she stands for should be popular among the people outside of Madison but these are the same people who voted against their best interests in 2010 and they will do it again in 2012.