Use Gard's Webpage to Tell The Truth About Sun Prairie's Favorite Son

It is no secret that I would love to see John Gard lose his congressional bid on November 7th.

After all, I'm sure there are a lot more jobs he is more suited to. I plan on driving up to Peshtigo the weekend after he loses to get my car washed; it will be fun to watch John rubbing and buffing. (I'll probably ask him for directions to something too, but since he's really from Sun Prairie, he probably won't be able to give them.)

Anyway, check out John's website. He offers an easy way to send letters to the editor to a bunch of newspapers to tell how great John is. Heck, he even gives you talking points.

Maybe instead some progressives should write their own letters using his site. Tell about how John took $88 a day per diem for living in Sun Prairie Wisconsin, ripping the taxpayers off for thousands of dollars each year. Express how he killed ethics reform in the legislature. Or tell about how he tried to kill stem cell research in our state, risking tens of thousands of lives of Badgers.

Let's use John's technology to our advantage. Tell the truth. God knows John can't. Thanks John!

Scott Suder Makes Frank Lasee Look "Mainstream"

OK, so Rep. Frank Lasee got some press for his rather "interesting" comments about how to get guns out of schools. His solution? Put guns in the schools. Yup, arm every teacher to protect the children. Hey, that's what you get with a GOP majority, got it?

But don't make the false assumption that Lasee is the most extreme member of the legislature. Sen. Glenn Grothman and Tom Reynolds would argue their own case for that role. As would Rep. Mark Gundrum and Mark Pettis. But hands down the most "out there" legislator is none of the forementioned; it is the gentlemen from the 69th district in Wisconsin.

It is the little guy with a big chip on his shoulder, Rep. Scott Suder.

Suder brought Scott Jensen and Mickey Foti the caucus scandal. He was dating (while he was still married) the GOP caucus staff person who eventually blew the whistle on the caucus operation. Their break-up was the impetus for the disclosure. Oh, did I mention Suder is a "family values" candidate?

Well check out his two most recent releases.

Last Friday, he was attempting to go after Governor Doyle over how the University of Wisconsin is run. Suder likes to think of himself as a "watchdog" for the University System; in reality, he is a press wh**e who loves to see himself in the media picking on those eggheads in academia. The UW is unquestionably a great economic development engine for the state, but Suder thinks it is more important to discuss issues like the UW having former inmates on staff and criticizing part-time professors for their course material rather than how to keep the System great. Check out the last line of the release: "Quite simply, I have to wonder if a University System under Jim Doyle can survive another four years." What a dope.

Today his attempt at getting press was on the state of rural Wisconsin, something Suder knew little about prior to getting elected when he was a Capitol staffer living in Madison. Anyway, check this one out.

Now before I go into just how stupid the release is, check out the two releases letterheads. The first is a generic legislative topper. The latter a special "If you love your freedom, thank a veteran", generic eagle on shield, aren't-I-tough letterhead. If obviously must mean more.

Anyway, check out what Suder considers "rural" issues. Energy policy, health savings accounts (tax breaks for the wealthy), splitting the DNR into two agencies and legal reform. Agricultural issues? Nope. Just GOP pet projects. Oh wait, he also mentions HIS "Rural JOBZ Act", which is spelled about as keenly as he spells "Marck Green" in the first paragraph of the release. What is the Rural JOBZ Act? Another tax break for big business targeted at - I'm being serious - everywhere in the state but the Democratic strongholds of Madison and Milwaukee. "Rural" downtown Appleton? Sure says Suder. Kenosha lakefront? Sounds like a farm to a city boy like Suder. Doyle's sin? He vetoed out the part that excluded the two communities Suder dislikes. Check out the release. Suder says it himself, Doyle vetoed the "rura" (his spelling) of the act.

So, when I ask who is the most extreme legislator, both for their policies and their politix (maybe Suder will understand this better if I misspell a few words), Suder comes out on top.

And remember, electing a GOP majority allows him to keep passing legislation.

Three weeks to a better balance in the legislature. Can you help?

Can the "Religious Right" Be Any More Unrighteous?

To any normal (ie not a Major GOP spinmeister) person, the Mark Foley cover-up in Congress is about as pathetic and hypocritical as can be.

A GOP Congresspedophile stalks his high school prey for years, with the GOP leadership's knowledge, yet nothing is done about it. Meanwhile, as a party the GOP bashes the Democrats for being weak on morals for their support of equal treatment of gays and lesbians. The GOP cashes in on gay bashing, while secretly covering up their own pedophile members.

Seems almost too wild to be true? But sadly it is.

So at least you'd think the REAL social conservatives would stand up to right the wrongs of the GOP congressional leadership, right? Wrong.

James Dobson, the charlatan who claims to speak for the truly "religious", does his best to continue to cover-up the scandal for the GOP. I'm serious. Check this out. (No really, CHECK THIS OUT.) Makes you want to go take a shower doesn't it?

Can you believe it? "Sort of a joke by the boy"? A "prank"? If anyone thought that Dobson was truly a man of the cloth, just listen to that news clip again and again. Dobson, the same man who claimed SpongeBob was gay, is the lowest of the low. He is not a man of GOD; he is a man of the GOP.

So when will people of faith finally get it? You are being used. Your leaders care more about their power and a political party than your morals and beliefs. They would rather protect a pedophile than criticize the people who allowed him to go after teenagers year after year.

These people truly are the lowest of the low. And you follow them.

They are the same people who feed on your fears of the unknown - of gays and lesbians - and use them to make you give them money, give them your vote and give them your hearts. They don't give a damn about your soul. They only care about your wallet and your vote.

I cannot imagine that Dobson and his ilk go undamaged by this scandal. No matter how blindly you follow their hate speech, you have to wonder why they would rather cover-up a pedophile cover-up than represent your values.

I have to admit this makes me think of the fakers in my own state legislature. The legislators who speak of moral values, but cheat on their spouses. There are even rumors of a Capitol hooker that sees more than a few of our elected officials. Some are discrete about their affairs. Some are not. But they all lie when they get back home.

I have never been one for "outing" the hypocrites. I think it becomes a dirty business getting in the mud with the swine who enjoy it. But eventually someone has to call them out for the lying wonders they are.

A couple of years ago I was approached by someone who knew of a wealthy donor who wanted to hire a private investigator to follow around some of the bigger hypocrites. The person was willing to invest $25,000 to expose the lies of the legislators who faked family values. I convinced them it was a bad idea.

I have to admit if they approach me again I might be tempted to stay quiet.

My hope is that the far right has finally gone too far. Theirs lies and fake speech are finally being exposed for what they really are - ways to promote a political agenda. I just hope the payback comes in the next few weeks. Losing the majorities in Congress and the Legislature is a perfect payback for the truly unrighteous.

Frank Lasee: Nationally Ridiculed

I've seen all sorts of news programs poking fun at that wacky Wisconsin State Representative Frank Lasee. Last week Lasee said the way to address guns in schools was to, well, put guns in schools. Lasee thinks we should arm teachers and staff.

Yikes.

Well, just minutes ago The Colbert Report, a popular Comedy Central program, joined in on the fun. Lasee was this time not just reported on nationally, but ridiculed nationally.

Remember this when you vote in November.

GOP majority: Wacky gun laws. Think Frank Lasee.

The GOP Might Actually Be Right - But For The Wrong Reasons

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Wisconsin Elections Board will be requesting an additional $1 million per year in the next budget to operate their statewide voter database, which is not yet fully operational.

I have long been a critic of the handling of the database. Our neighbor, Minnesota, got theirs done as required by federal law for about $5 million. Our elections board is nine months behind schedule, and the project is still unfinished. Oh, the cost? About $27 million and counting.

The Republicans are in outcry about the "partisan" elections board and their decision that Mark Green is breaking the law with his illegal transfer. It clearly is illegal.

But it is not the decision that's the problem. It is the makeup of the board alltogether.

Politicians appoint the members for the most part of the Elections Board. Now take a seat. And their appointments are often - really sit down - political. I've said it.

Well, surprise surprise.

It's not the decision they made (which again is correct) that is the problem. The problem is that we have political hacks appointing political people.

They are not bad people at all. But they are part-time volunteers essentially, without the capacity to truly exercise the job that is necessary.

The entire database issue should have raised the hairs of every GOPper in the Capitol. Yet you barely heard a pin drop about the issue outside of good government reform groups and a handful of legislators.

If you REALLY want reform (and I'm not sure many Republicans really do), you have to pass a bill like SB-1, the Ethics Reform bill. We need an INDEPENDENT body to make decisions about our elections. But it was the same GOP whiners who killed the bill only months ago.

So my GOP friends, you are actually right about the Elections Board being problematic. But you arrive at that decision $27 million too late and for all the wrong reasons. Go figure.

Take a Break for Fun, Colbert Style

Here's my list.

Thanks to Diamond Dave, who thanks Jay, for giving us some fun from the Colbert Report. Please, do not pronounce the T.

Try yours here.

By the way Dave, Mamma Mia? What gives?

Feingold Helping Assembly Democrats

Assembly Democrats in Wisconsin are honoring United States Senator Russ Feingold for his work on behalf of electing "progressive patriots" at the state level.

Join us in honoring Russ on October 13th, from 5-7pm at the Zor Shrine on the west side of Madison.

Sponsorships are:
* Honorary Member of the Assembly: $500
* Maverick: $250
* Progressive Patriot: $100

All proceeds go to helping elect Democrats to the State Assembly. Russ will be attending the event to help the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee.

Sponsor online by October 10th to be listed.

And please join us in honoring Russ Feingold.