This could get ugly...

Let's follow today's twists and turns in the good ole 97th...


Kramer begins the day with a clean campaign pledge

Translation... I think I'm ahead, so let's not discuss issues.

Lufter follows with this press release accusing Kramer of a conflict of interest. "If this is the type of ethical lapse we can expect from Bill Kramer as a County Supervisor, what can we expect from his as a member of the State Assembly?", says the anonymous writer of the release (apparently not Lufter... it is written third person).

Translation... Game on.

Kramer returns volley with this response. "It deeply troubles me that a candidate for public office could show such a lack of understanding of the processes of government. One must question the personal ethics of a candidate who would make such a personal attack. When it happened to her I was angered and sympathized with her. I question how someone who has been the target of such a personal attack could use the same tactic against someone else. The only ethics in question here are Ms. Lufters", says Kramer.

Translation... I really didn't mean that clean campaign stuff.



Lufter responds. "We find it ironic that County Supervisor would complain that this attack is personal given that it is strictly about his voting record and his conduct as a public official, while he has made false personal attacks against Chris Lufter regarding her status as a member of the Republican Party." (Apparently, this release has two or more authors.)

Translation... Kramer had one more release today than we did.

All this in one day. Tomorrow, Lufter should sign the clean campaign pledge... and then attack him again.

I missed this on Sykes...

A Democrat opposing the minimum mark up law.

Maybe there is hope for that party after all...

Sign Patrol... Week Three

The sign patrol has been out once again looking for those politicians and wanabees who can't quite seem to follow the law when it comes to placing their campaign signs. Bob Collison, running in the 98th Assembly District and the two candidates for Waukesha District Attorney are new to the list this week.


In what has to be seen as the most impressive (or unimpressive, depending on your point of view) showing to date, Sheriff Dan Trawicki posts six new illegal campaign sign locations, vaulting him into a tie for the scoflaw of the election year award with Chris Lufter. Here are the totals after three weeks...




7 - Chris Lufter (Sunset, Moreland, Jefferson)

7 - Dan Trawicki ( Sunset, K, K, K, Oakdale, Oakdale)

5 - Paul Bucher ( Hewitts Point)

4 - Frank Goodwin (164)

3 - JB Van Hollen

3 - Dennis Krueger ( P, 83, J )

2 - Michael Landsgaard

2 - Brad Schimmel (Sunset, 83)

1 - Jim Sensenbrenner

1 - David Clarke

1 - Mark Green

1 - Bob Collison (164)


If they can't follow the law now...

A convert!!

H/T to Jim Horn of Schools Matter



If she wins in November, we will only need about 50 more like her to overturn this stupid law.



Hey, its a start.

Recess Supervisor gets it right

Sometimes it is hard to realize how bad an attempt at humor is until you read the real deal.

Here is how it's supposed to play.... and please ignore the Reynolds post below.

Train derailment

The train derailment in Waukesha may cause quite a problem for commuters. As of early this morning, the crossings at Moreland, Whiterock, Main and Arcadian were still shut down. The Broadway crossing by the post office, however, was open.

Reynolds makes second demand on debate group

State Sen. Tom Reynolds has added a second demand to the Brookfield church which thought they had organized a debate between Reynolds and challenger Jim Sullivan.

"There cannot be people in the church," added Reynolds, moments after demanding that non-media video cameras be barred from the debate. "You never know when you might make a funny face while answering a question and someone could actually see it."

Reynolds says he wished the organizers would've clarified that there would be people present, saying he was looking forward to the debate. He says if those church-goers are banned, he would reconsider pulling out.

Jessica and Owen

In what only can be described as a nuclear meltdown, Jessica McBride has apparently had enough of Owen Robinson and his blog. Response throughout the blogosphere has been swift.

Grumps believes that Ms. Bucher over-reacted a tad while Brew City Brawler thinks that the spat is simply an example of how far the Republicans have lowered the public discourse.

Xoff, the first with the story, finds humor in the whole situation.


The Recess Supervisor finds it all rather boring.

Rendezvous and Real Debate look at the impact of the spat from a more global perspective.

I find it simply amazing that the mainstream media, namely talk radio, hasn't touched this issue. Perhaps media bias is alive and well. Charley and Jeff crawled all over Gwen Moore's childish tantrum at the State Capitol. Sykes frequently dedicates a segment to attacking Bill Christofferson when he posts something Sykes finds offensive. But nary a word on the air or on their blogs on this blow up. Makes you think they might have ignored the whole "you suck" controversy if it hadn't occurred one of their shows...

Doyle Green debate

The Waukesha debate between Governor Jim Doyle and Congressman Mark Green will take place on Sept 15th in downtown Waukesha at the Rotunda.

Sign Patrol... week two

Big news as the Sign Patrol enters week two in publicly outing those not interested in actually following election laws when it comes to sign placement. The Sensenbrenner sign on Pewaukee Rd. has been moved, probably due to immense pressure being brought down on the Congressman's campaign from readers of this blog. That, or maybe the county guy moved it when he mowed the right of way...

Anyways, our law and order AG candidate, Paul Bucher, has surged into a tie for the most lawless campaign of the season. The two-week totals are as follows...


4 - Paul Bucher (Capitol, Ryan)

4 - Chris Lufter (Christina's)

3 - Frank Goodwin

3 - JB Van Hollen ( Capitol, Capitol, Ryan)

2 - Michael Landsgaard (Ryan, Capitol)

1 - Daniel Trawicki (Ryan)

1 - James Sensenbrenner

1 - David Clarke

1 - Mark Green


Other candidates appear to be putting out signs as we speak, so next week's number should be exciting... well, for me at least.

Johnson lost

Perhaps he should have stuck to calling voters in Missouri...

VOTE FOR BOB JOHNSON TOMORROW!

I came home tonight to find a message on my phone from Rep. Bob Johnson. He urged me to vote for him in tomorrow's primary for the State Senate. He understood that I may have some bad things about him from his opponent but wanted to assure me that when he became my State Senator he would bring fiscal responsibility to the Senate.

That last promise perked up my ears a bit. I would love to see fiscal responsibility return to our legislature. However, I didn't hold out too much hope in that happening since Bob Johnson isn't running for State Senate in my area and the primary isn't tomorrow. So I did some searching.

It turns out that Bob Johnson is a State Representative from Missouri. Johnson, a moderate Republican, is taking on ultra-conservative Matt Bartle for the 8th State Senate seat. Bartle, it seems, decided to go on the offensive in the race, claiming that Johnson, if elected, would support radical gay and lesbian rights agendas. His proof? Several years ago, Johnson accepted a $3.18 drink from a registered lobbyist. That very lobbyist two years later went to work for a gay rights organization.

Yep, that's it. Reminds you a bit of politics in Wisconsin, doesn't it?

So now I have a reason to watch for primary results tomorrow night. But who do I root for? The right-wing wacko who campaigns like a sleazeball or the fiscally responsible candidate who calls people in Wisconsin to vote for him in Missouri.

I'll root for Johnson. Perhaps he was just trying to get a hold of Donovan Riley...

Somebody forgot to send the template to Baraboo...

Lance has a rather unique idea of how to decide which way to vote on a school referendum. Ask tough questions, analyze the answers and decide what's best for the community.

I thought you were supposed to form a group, criticize the Administration, call the Board a bunch of crooks and then make a bunch of outlandish allegations.

Trust is an interesting word, isn't it Lance? So tough to earn and yet so easy to take away from others...

The lawnsign patrol

I've admitted in previous posts that I am a campaign junkie. I love following races, forcasting winners and reacting to lessons learned in each election. There is, however, one aspect of election time I just can't stand.

I cannot explain my frustration with illegally placed campaign signs. How can people who are asking for the public's trust in making tough decisions be so cavalier about breaking the law? Is this how they will view the law when they are elected? Is it SO hard to put the darn thing back a few more feet if you're not quite sure where the right of way ends?

Part of my frustration results in nothing being done to these law breakers. I have called the police and they say they have better things to do (and I agree with them). I have contacted the District Attorney who is in charge of election and campaign laws and he actually laughed at me.

As a result, I have decided to keep track of signs I notice that are clearly not on private property. I will update the list periodically. If the law won't punish these evil doers, perhaps a public relations nightmare from my three readers will due the trick.

The returns are still early but here are the biggest rule-breakers as of now...


3 - Frank Goodwin (98th) Main St, Main St, Main St.

3- Chris Lufter (97th) Sunset, St. Paul, TT

2 - Paul Bucher 164, 164

1- Sensenbrenner Pewaukee Rd.

1 - David Clarke Lake Dr.

1 - Mark Green Lake Dr.

Special props go out to Mr. Bucher, whose two illegal signs happen to be large signs. Candidates will make an argument that lawnsign placement isn't their fault because homeowners frequently place them. Large signs, however, are almost always placed by the campaign...


Stay tuned!

Homer vs. Belling

What could be the weirdest feud in quite a while continued today with both Mark Belling and Steve True commenting on the Journal Sentinel article over the weekend. Belling picked out a few of True's comments and belittled them on the air while True rather strangely had his producer repeat anything and everything that Belling was saying almost immediately after the fact. Homer then responded to Belling's comments.

True also stated that a simple apology, much like the one Belling gave on the air several years ago for the same language, would mark the end of the issue with True. One has to think that a small radio station like WAUK has prodded Homer to keep stoking the flames of this story. It has to be a huge spike in their listenership.

Inside Mark Green's war room...

The following conversation is completely fictional. Any part of the dialogue that resembles actual campaign strategy is purely coincidental. Although you have to wonder how stupid they think we are...


Several men sit inside a small office. One of the men is clearly the Republican candidate for Governor in the State of Wisconsin. The others look like your everyday, run of the mill campaign strategists. Three of them, however, seem to be running the show. The meeting begins...

Green: "The purpose of this meeting was to what, again?"

Mark: "Clarify your platform. Weigh in on the heavy issues of the day."

Green: "Such as?"


The geeky one named Charley speaks first...


Charley: "TABOR."

Ordinary staffer: "Tourism, Environmental issues... and certainly Education."

Charley: "And TABOR."

Green: "Education has been covered. We did that tax holiday thing."

Mark: "Tax breaks once a year for school supplies. That should fix our public schools."

Ordinary staffer: "With all due respect, sir, people are starting ask questions about their neighborhood schools. With programs being cut year after year, and with Mr. Green backing away from two-thirds funding, parents are beginning to wonder if their taxes are going to go up or are schools going to get hit once again. We need a plan."

Charley: "TABOR would help schools."


Candidate Green gets up from his seat and starts to pace the room. There must be a way to convince voters that he is in support of education without actually doing anything. Slowly, a smile crosses his face. He sits down and turns toward the smart one in the room. We'll call him Jeff.


Green: "What was that gimmik... I mean idea from the Overstock guy? It had to due with spending education dollars in the classroom."

Jeff: "The 65 percent solution."

Green: "Yes, that's it!"


pause


Green: "How does that work?"

Jeff: "It says that 65 percent of all dollars spent on education must go into the classroom. Research has shown that too much is spent on administration, guidance, libraries and other out of classroom costs at the expense of the children. The more you spend on the kids the more they learn!"

Green: "So even if I backed away from two-thirds funding and froze school spending, I could confuse voters by saying I put more money directly in the classroom?"

Ordinary Staffer: "But Mr. Green..."

Jeff: "Precisely!"

Green: "Outstanding! Let's use that on one of our 100 stops in 100 days press releases. I was running out of material anyway. What day are we on?"

Ordinary staffer: "Day four, sir. But about your 65 percent idea... there's a problem sir!"

Jeff: "How can there be a problem? This has been run up the flag pole in state after state and always comes back a winner! Look at those Republicans... supporting public education!"

Ordinary staffer: "But in Wisconsin, sir, it's not going to fly! The school districts here already spend over 65 percent on classroom costs."



The room fell to a hush as the bad news sunk in. Another bumper sticker idea down the drain. Now perhaps saving education would take real work. A new funding formula. Lifting state imposed mandates. Reworking the QEO. But all was NOT lost. In their deepest moment of dispair, their fearless leader had a revelation...



Green: "I'VE GOT IT!"

Charley: "TABOR?"

Green: "The newest idea in Educational reform!"

Jeff: "Tell us!"

Green: "The 70 percent solution!"

Ordinary staffer: "Ooh geez..."