No Runny Eggs

From the Republican Party of Wisconsin -

MADISON – Republican Party of Wisconsin Spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski issued the following statement regarding the donation from Senator Russ Feingold’s Progressive Patriots Fund to Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken. Franken’s campaign won Feingold’s “Pick A Progressive Patriot” contest and will receive a $5,000 contribution.

“As someone who has sponsored a Senate Resolution raising awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses, we are shocked and outraged to learn that Feingold’s PAC would donate $5,000 to Al Franken, who is under fire in Minnesota for joking about drugging and raping news personality Leslie Stahl. Feingold says his PAC is ‘dedicated to promoting a progressive reform agenda,’ so we want to know where joking about drugging and raping women fit in the ‘progressive reform agenda.’ Feingold should ask that the contribution be returned to him as Al Franken’s sick and twisted humor is clearly out of line with Wisconsin values.”

“The Progressive Patriots Fund is dedicated to promoting a progressive reform agenda and supporting candidates across the country. - Senator Russ Feingold” (Progressive Patriots Fund website, http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/, accessed June 25, 2008)

Feingold Sponsors Resolution Raising Awareness Of Sexual Assaults On College Campuses. “[Security On Campus, Inc.]’s efforts to improve campus safety got an important boost this week when the U.S. Senate took action to recognize September as the first ever National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Senate Resolution 221 ‘supporting the goals and ideals of ‘National Campus Safety Awareness Month’’ was passed unanimously Wednesday evening. ‘Raising awareness of the need for safety on college campuses should be a priority for all of us, particularly as freshman across the country are starting their college careers,’ said U.S. Senator Russ Feingold the sponsor of the campus safety month resolution.” (Security On Campus, Inc. press release, http://www.securityoncampus.org/reporters/releases/09162005.pdf)

Al Franken Wins “Pick A Progressive Patriot” Contest, Wins $5,000. “A big thank you to everyone who voted for Al in the ‘Pick A Progressive Patriot’ contest. Because of you, that’s another $5000 in the bank as we wrap up this financial quarter! Our finance staff would be writing this themselves, but they’re pretty busy right now raising money (help them out and vote before June 25th for Al to receive the support of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s PAC for a Change!)” (Al Franken for Senate blog, http://blog.alfranken.com/2008/06/24/russ-feingolds-newest-progressive-patriot/, accessed June 25, 2008)

Franken Under Fire For Skit Idea That Included Rape Of “60 Minutes” Anchor Leslie Stahl. “In the 1995 New York magazine profile of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ [Al] Franken is described among a group of show writers sounding out a possible parody of Andy Rooney centered on a sedative pill bottle found in the ‘60 Minutes’ essayist’s desk. Franken and fellow writers Norm MacDonald and Jim Downey kick around fictional Rooney responses to the discovery of the bottle. The article quotes Franken putting an edgy twist on the discussion, saying in a Rooney voice: ‘And ‘I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then when Lesley’s passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.’ Or ‘That’s why you never see Lesley until February.’ Or, ‘When she passes out I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.’” (Brian Bakst, “GOP blasts Franken over quotes in ‘95 article,” Associated Press, June 5, 2008)

Feminist Leader Steps Down Over Franken Endorsement. “Mari Urness Pokornowski of Cokato, president of the DFL Feminist Caucus, resigned Saturday when she learned that her group had endorsed Franken. As a mother and former teacher, she said, she didn’t see how Franken’s writings represented rural Minnesota values. The endorsement, she said, ‘was a choice made by the caucus, and once that decision is made, you have to make a choice where you stand, For me, my decision was to step down.’” (Patricia Lopez and Kevin Duchschere, “Franken sweeps to endorsement,” Star Tribune, June 8, 2008)

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Brilliance, Russ. Sheer, unadulterated brilliance!

(H/T - Ed Morrissey)

Wisconsin’s own embarrassment, Russ Feingold, has fully flip-flopped on filibustering the FISA compromise reached by the White House and Congress.

Feingold when the compromise was reached (via WisPolitics):

“The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program,….”

Feingold on Tuesday as reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Feingold said he and other Senate opponents won’t try to stop the vote, but they “won’t allow it to pass quickly.”

Instead, Feingold, D-Wis., told an audience at the New America Foundation that he plans to highlight the bill’s flaws in floor speeches.

Feingold yesterday per the Huffington Post:

“This is a deeply flawed bill, which does nothing more than offer retroactive immunity by another name. We strongly urge our colleagues to reject this so-called ‘compromise’ legislation and oppose any efforts to consider this bill in its current form. We will oppose efforts to end debate on this bill as long as it provides retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that may have participated in the President’s warrantless wiretapping program, and as long as it fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans.” (emphasis added)

I wonder if Feingold remembers what happened to the last liberal ‘Rat who told his home-state constituents one thing and did the exact opposite. Does Tom Daschle ring a bell? Hopefully the Wisconsin GOP will finally have its act together by 2010.

(H/T - Todd Lohenry)

Those of you lefties who defended Jim “Craps” Doyle (WEAC/Potawatomi-For Sale) are probably going to be cheering his decision to hang onto all of the cash he got from his waterlogged annual golf outing. For the record, here’s the results of the poll I had up in the wake of the flood-damaged decision to go on with the golf outing even as waters continued to rise throughout south-central and southwest Wisconsin…

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Rep. Paul Ryan’s staff has provided me with a follow-up on an item from GOPgal in yesterday’s Scramble. He has signed Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s pledge to vote to increase drilling. The simply-worded petition reads as follows - “I will vote to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices for Americans.”

Thank you.

I missed this Wisconsin GOP press release yesterday (thanks for waking me up, Kevin):

MADISON – After news broke yesterday that Governor Doyle held a campaign fundraiser instead of helping flood victims Tuesday, the Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Reince Priebus, along with conservatives across the state like radio hosts Jerry Bader and Vicki McKenna, called on Doyle to donate the money he raised golfing to the flood cause.

“With Barack Obama in the state, Obama’s top campaign staffer, Jim Doyle, gave voters a glimpse of the Democrats’ priorities this year – politics over Wisconsin families,” said Priebus. “Thousands of families spent the day cleaning-up flood damage while Doyle raised thousands of dollars golfing, the least he can do is donate his proceeds to their behalf.”

Governor Doyle held his golf outing Tuesday charging $1,250 a person.

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With that, I’ve got a new poll up…

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From the Wisconsin GOP into my mailbox…

Obama Campaign Pulling Out of Wisconsin?

MADISON – After a series of puff articles over the weekend raving about Senator Barack Obama’s Wisconsin operation, it was discovered Obama actually doesn’t have any campaign offices in the state.

“Perhaps Democrats realize that the most liberal member of the United States Senate is no fit for Wisconsin voters and took their field offices back to Chicago,” said Mark Jefferson, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “This isn’t the first time the Obama campaign has sought to mislead folks in Wisconsin, and it no doubt won’t be the last.”

Phone numbers listed on the Obama website for Wisconsin campaign offices were discovered to be inoperable this week. Obama’s national campaign said there hasn’t been campaign offices since the state’s February primary and didn’t know when they would reopen.

According to Jefferson, Obama’s visit this week could be to mask his anemic state operation or it might be a farewell visit to the Badger State.

“It will take more than overblown pep rallies to convince Wisconsin voters that Barack Obama shares their values,” Jefferson said. “John McCain has a history of independent leadership that appeals to Wisconsin. Senator Obama has never put partisan interests aside to bring about progress. Maybe that’s why Democrats have to exaggerate their campaign operations.”

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I think it’s a bit too early to say that the Obama campaign isn’t looking at Wisconsin as a battleground state. After all, the Dems are but one Presidential election away from removing the last roadblock to unfettered vote fraud here. Also, Obama is fresh off a protracted, high-cost battle for his party’s nomination coronation, and Wisconsin’s primary came in relatively-early in that.

Still, it is rather interesting that there is no effective Presidential ground game on the other side. That draining of the Obama coffers and resulting lack of Wisconsin offices are a couple benefits of Operation Chaos.

(H/T - Owen)

The Milwaukee Area Technical College district wants to jack up budgeted spending by 6.2% over last year’s budget to $333 million, supported by a 4.9% property tax levy increase. Let’s run some numbers:

- Last year, despite budgeting “only” $314 million, they actually spent $331 million because of various unbudgeted construction projects.
- The 4.9% property tax levy increase asked for is, according to the article, mostly for increases in salary and benefits. That would be an additional $1.5 million in wages/salary, $2+ million in health care and $2.5 million in current-year non-health-care fringe benefits (an additional $2 million in increased fringe benefits is related to a new requirement to put future retirement benefits on the books the year they’re accrued instead of the year they’re paid out). Who here outside of government has had a 4.9% increase in wages and benefits?
- Tuition (set by the state) is going up 5.5%.

Jeanette Bell (ex-mayor of West Allis and proven tax-and-spender) had the audacity to claim that MATC cut to the bone. Again, I ask, who outside of government is getting a 4.9% increase in their compensation packages? Say, maybe it’s time to take another look at the $600,000 public safety initiative as well.

Sorry I don’t have video, but the county signs are in the way.

Click for audio

Since this portion promises to be quick-hitting, I’ll fire up the CoverItLive….

Because I burned much of the last hour catching up on the speakers to the convention-goers, I have but a half-hour before things start back up. Good thing there’s an Arby’s on the same property.

Click for audio

Click for audio

Of note, Rep. Sensenbrenner hit Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch rather hard on the budget repair bill.

This is actually the second speech from the convention chair; I missed the first. Greg Bump didn’t.

Click for audio

Time to burn the lunch hour catching up; once we got toward the end, I could not offload the audio fast enough…

Click for the audio

Click for audio

Because of all the potholes in Wisconsin and his continued raids on the transportation fund meant to fix those potholes, National Committeewoman Mary Buestrin is now calling the governor Pothole Doyle.

I like it.

Click for the audio

Revisions/extensions (8:52 pm 5/20/2008) - I apologize to those expecting video here. I did not know how long speeches would last, or whether I’d be able to offload the speeches from my camera in time in between speeches, so I simply took a couple pictures while my digital voice recorder caught the audio.

From last night…

Click here for audio

I’m a bit late because I had to head back to the bunker overnight, but I’m back in town. Owen had me covered though. Troy Fullerton is also in the room.

I missed out on the row with the power strip, so I’ll have to be brief with my updates. A brief word on the suites last night, Scott Walker’s Milwaukee-themed suite was the best-decorated, while Paul Ryan’s/John Gard’s suite won for best food (stuffed mushrooms and tasty meatballs).

The promised Gard speech will be up shortly.

I’ll have the John Gard speech audio up tomorrow; it takes too long to pull the audio off the recorder, and the hospitality suites (followed by a long drive home; I have a couple things to take care of back at the bunker) are calling.

RPW chair Reince Priebus speaks to the county chairs 5/16/2008

Click here for audio

Click the pic of the van to head to the collection. I’ll be updating it between today and tomorrow, so do keep on checking back.

The only bloggers actually blogging (besides me) are the WisPolitics team of Andy Szal, Greg Bump and JR Ross. Still, the blogosphere is pretty well represented in the delegates:

- Jo Egelhoff of Fox Politics, who’s running for the 57th Assembly seat.
- Kathy Carpenter of Stepping Right Up.
- Brandon Henak of GOP3.

I’m terrible with names and faces, and I doubt I’ve seen everybody.

I know Gov. Doyle signed it already with some veto messages, but I figured I may as well grab both sides of the Republican divide on the budget repair bill. Rep. Robin Vos voted for it, while Rep. Bill Kramer voted against.

- Interview with Rep. Vos

- Interview with Rep. Kramer

Any pros care to give me pointers? :-)

- WisPolitics is here, and they saw fit to link to me. Robin Vos thought he saw Owen pull up while we had lunch.
- The tables for all the side groups are starting to fill up. Of course, Americans for Prosperity is here. The College Republicans are right next to them. There’s a table selling “Thank President Bush” items.
- The first interviews were with Reps. Robin Vos and Bill Kramer on the budget repair bill. Audio should be up once I finish uploading and converting it to mp3.