Political Heat

Originally posted at Dane101.com : One shouldn’t ordinarily encourage people to cast votes against candidates. If you’re going to vote for someone, it should be for a proactive reason, not one that stands against a particular viewpoint but rather FOR something of substance, FOR a set of values that a candidate espouses that you yourself share. Wisconsin this year is set to have a series of important elections. One of them is the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic candidate Russ Feingold and the presumed Republican candidate Ron Johnson. Recent polling has suggested that Johnson is tightening the race in what should be an easy win for Feingold – incumbents traditionally win more often than not, and Feingold has faced tough competition in years past. Though this polling was done by a noted conservative organization, it is still cause for concern. When you take a look at the candidates themselves, however, it’s clear who Wisconsin should choose and whom the voters should reje...

The Wisconsin State Supreme Court released a decision regarding the legality of the same-sex marriage ban that passed in the state in 2006. In a 7-0 judgment, the Court upheld the ban, denying a legal challenge based on how the amendment had been passed. William McConkey, who brought the suit forward following its passage into law, alleged that the amendment itself was unconstitutional, presented to the electorate under terms that violated rules for passing amendments. Under Wisconsin's State Constitution, a proposed amendment must first pass in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature. Following that, the measure is put to the people, who vote "yes" or "no" on the proposal. If there is more than one amendment being asked, the ballot must separate each to allow the people the right to decide each individually. The same-sex marriage ban that passed in 2006 included two separate questions, but only offered voters to vote "yes" on both or "...

West Virginian U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, the longest serving member of Congress in the history of our nation, passed away this morning. The so-called "dean" of the Senate, Byrd was a historian of the esteemed chamber, often reminding his colleagues of the important role they played through his eloquent use of the English language. Some will focus on the mistakes of Byrd's life -- he was once a member of the KKK in the 1940s, and filibustered against Civil Rights legislation in the 1960s. But if there's one thing Byrd's storied career symbolizes, it is that redemption of one's character is not out of reach for any man, no matter what his sins may be. Byrd rejected his racist past, describing it as one of the biggest regrets of his life. "I apologized a thousand times," he once said, "and I don't mind apologizing over and over again." In recent years, Byrd's age didn't stymie his progressive values. He adamantly opposed the Iraq W...

Earlier this week, a large piece of decorative stone fell off of the O'Donnell Park parking garage in Milwaukee near the Lake Michigan lakefront. A fifteen-year old was killed, while two other persons were injured. I cannot begin to imagine the emotions running through the families of those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy. It is a loss of life that could have been prevented. It's always a terrible thing when people turn events like these into political arguments. I'm not writing this blog blaming Scott Walker for the loss of life -- it is not as if he is directly responsible for this tragedy. So while it might be easier for some to lay the blame directly on the Republican County Executive, such blame is misdirected. It was an accident to be sure. But there were certainly clues that something like this could have happened, clues that, as County Executive, Walker chose to ignore. First off: As Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway points out in a state...

A recent ruling by an appeals court in Dane County has determined that a woman who has cared for her children for years cannot be deemed a mother of those children herself – simply because she was in a same-sex relationship. The woman, who went by the alias of “Wendy,” and her partner split up but decided to have shared custody of the two children. However, Wendy did not have the official status of being a guardian of the children since under Wisconsin state law gay and lesbian couples cannot adopt together – only one of the parents can officially become the guardian of a child. Wendy sought to change that through the legal system, but the court this week ruled that Wendy could not seek the same recognition that her former partner has over their two children despite having had all of the same responsibilities of parenthood during their relationship. The issue here is definitively institutional: two straight parents under the same situation would have been given the same right to adop...

I haven't posted anything for quite some time. This is due to a very important life change -- moving. I still reside in Madison, so no worries there :) however, because of the move, the internet wasn't transferred over to my new place as fast as I would have liked. Additionally, moving takes a lot of energy, more so than writing, so I probably wouldn't have been writing much anyway. Anywho, the internet is up at my new place now, so hopefully I will start posting some substantial things once again. Thanks for checking in on the site.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin came out swinging last night, touting legislative accomplishments both nationally and locally. Many speakers, from local offices to national, both incumbents and candidates, spoke about many issues, too numerous to list here. A common, threefold message, however, was clear, one that will hopefully resonate with the public in a positive way. First, Democratic speakers last night celebrated their accomplishments, thanking their constituents for helping them to pass important legislative priorities. Health care reform was chief among them, a policy that Democrats have been seeking to change for generations. The ARRA was also celebrated, not as the end-all solution to our economic worries, but as a positive start towards recovery in the years to come. Local achievements were also touted, like getting 98 percent of Wisconsin citizens access to health care , reforming drunk driving laws to stop repeat offenders from being able to endanger our states lawfu...

Wisconsin leftist bloggers, unite! Yesterday, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin hosted a New Media Event at their State Convention. Though the scene was lit darkly at the newly constructed Sprecher’s Pub in Middleton, conversation itself was light, almost festive, despite the deep political concerns of the writers that were in attendance that evening. Drinks were delivered – beer was free! – and a delicious spread was served for the writers of progressive blogs from around the state. Familiar names were placed with unfamiliar faces, with many of the writers meeting one another for the first time. Witty and oftentimes light-hearted sarcastic remarks mixed with questions towards candidates who came to mingle with these new media writers – candidate for Attorney General Scott Hassett , 5th Congressional District Candidate Todd Kolosso , and current U.S. Senator Russ Feingold . What a way to welcome bloggers to the state convention – bringing in one of the most beloved liberal legislator...

Tomorrow night will mark the first of a two-day event that I have been looking forward to for quite some time: the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's State Convention. Though many see party politics as part of the problem of electoral politics these days, I happen to believe that an organized party structure isn't necessarily a bad thing. State and other local parties I generally support as vehicles of change. The DPW has received my support because of some of its great modern-day leaders, such as Russ Feingold, retiring Congressman Dave Obey, and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. The party is more progressive than most around the country, and for that I consider myself a Wisconsin Democrat. As for tomorrow, I will ATTEMPT to do some live-blogging. I am using a bit of a relic, however, when it comes to laptop computers...so it's not guaranteed yet if it will work. If it doesn't, then expect some blogs later tomorrow night, or a complete rundown of what happened Saturday or Sund...

Ron Johnson is more concerned about protecting the reputations of abusers -- and their employers -- than the rights of those who have faced abuse. Johnson, the Republican Party-endorsed candidate to oppose Sen. Russ Feingold, testified earlier this year against a proposal in the state legislature that would have greatly extended the statute of limitations for those who had been abused sexually. The Catholic Church -- itself a part of many sexual abuse cases ( including Wisconsin ) -- opposed this measure. And when a member of the Catholic community came directly to Ron Johnson about the proposed measure, Johnson, who donates large sums of money to Catholic schools (though he himself is a Lutheran), had to display his disgust as a businessman to the state legislature personally. "I believe it is a valid question to ask whether the employer of a perpetrator should also be severely damaged, or possibly destroyed, in our legitimate desire for justice," he told a legislative commi...

The Madison Common Council voted unanimously last night to issue a resolution condemning Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney 's practice of reporting undocumented immigrants he arrests to federal immigration authorities. The resolution is non-binding, meaning Mahoney doesn't have to adhere to it. In fact, the Sheriff has gone on record saying he won't change his tactics, insisting it helps him to determine if an undocumented immigrant is a criminal elsewhere. Still, critics of this practice say that it does more harm for authorities than good. Because of deportation fears, "Immigrants and Latinos are scared to call 911 when they see crimes around them or even when they are harmed," said one supporter of the resolution, Fabiola Hamdan. The resolution passed by the Madison Common Council encourages Mahoney and other local law enforcement to continue reporting undocumented immigrant criminals to the feds if the crime they commit is a felony. For lesser crimes, the coun...