Friday, February 29, 2008
Classic Kevin Borseth
I kind of miss his emotion up here. Classic rant.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Bad journalism
I was always taught re-write the press release, not run the press release. The news staff at WJFW in Rhinelander hasn't learned that just yet by running the same headline from the press release as their headline in the news story.
From the WJFW Web site:
Kagen Gives Niagara a Voice Submitted: 02/26/2008
NIAGARA, WI - Congressman Steve Kagen is giving the people of Niagara a chance to speak out.
And from the Kagen Web site:
KAGEN GIVES NIAGARA A NATIONAL VOICE
February 25, 2008
Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. has given the people of Niagara, Wisconsin a national voice today by launching “Wisconsin Speaks – Real Stories from Real People”, a series of videos on his congressional website where constituents speak their minds.
I guess there is a reason these people are working in Rhinelander and not at a real news outlet. They are amateurs not ready for prime time...just like Dr. Millionaire's staff in Green Bay and Washington.
Labels: Dr. Millionaire
Monday, February 25, 2008
Ethics? Dr. Millionaire never heard of them
For someone who called out the GOP for its questionable ethics, the good doctor has no problems with pay for play.
Despite an ethics ban on linking campaign contributions to “official acts,” including legislation, U.S. Representative Steve Kagen, D-WI, last week sent a fundraising appeal based on his sponsorship of a bill in the House of Representatives, research by the Majority Accountability Project (www.majorityap.com).
Kagen’s campaign committee, “Kagen 4 Congress,” requested campaign donations in support of the “No Discrimination in Health Care Insurance Act,” a bill the freshman Democrat claims will “prevent the health care insurance industry from denying coverage to someone because of a pre-existing condition.”
Recipients of the fundraising request were alerted to the fact that Kagen would speak about his bill on the floor of the House of Representatives, in a speech to be televised by the non-profit cable network C-SPAN.
The fundraising appeal notes that “Kagen’s effort to pass the No Discrimination in Health Care Insurance Act is being supported by two of the nation’s largest unions - SEIU and AFSCME.” Both unions are major financial supporters of Kagen.
In fact, the two unions combined for more than $186,100 in campaign contributions and spending on Kagen’s behalf in the last two years.
AFSCME gave Kagen $7,500 last year and other $5,000 in 2006. The union, which represents government workers, also spent $30,478 in attack ads against Kagen’s 2006 opponent, Wisconsin state legislator John Gard.
SEIU, the Service Employees International Union, has been far more generous. In 2006, the union reported spending $100,572 in support of Kagen’s Congressional campaign, and another $3200 attacking Gard. SEUI donated $5,000 to Kagen that year, and another $10,000 in 2007.
Also in 2007, SEUI reported spending $24,353 for phone banking and printing on Kagen’s behalf.
The three January expenditures of $16,640, $6924, and $789 were identical to amounts the union spent on those same services during Kagen’s first campaign.
House ethics rules warn that the "solicitation for campaign or political contributions may not be linked with an official action taken or to be taken by a House Member.”
The rules further state “while the guidance set forth above is specifically addressed to the handling of casework matters, that guidance is applicable to all official actions taken by Members and staff, including with regard to legislation (emphasis added by House ethics committee).”
Labels: Dr. Millionaire, Election 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Primary Day
Labels: Election 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Huckabee's problem is the GOP's problem
Mike Huckabee would be a great president. He has great charm and charisma. He is generally a likeable guy. I would vote for him any day of the week.
With that said, I cannot vote for him on Tuesday.
I just got back from his campaign rally and am very unimpressed. He discussed his fair tax plan, hammered on abortion, and talked about the economy in the scope of the loss of manufacturing jobs and jobs in general.
Mike Huckabee's problem is that he is still focusing on the wrong issues. The big elephant in the room is the Iraqi war and the war on Islamic fundamentalism. The slightly smaller elephant is the economy. Both points he takes a swing and a miss. This is why John Mc Cain will be the candidate of the Republican Party and this is also why Mitt Romney was the runner up.
It almost seems too simplistic really. McCain's strength is the security and war; Romney's strength is the economy; and Huckabee's is values and right to life. Each of these issues are what made the Reagan Coalition strong. Each group seemed to have co-equal power within the party. Each had their place and each felt good about their positions.
Today, it seems, that that coalition is on its way of breaking up. On talk radio, you hear the pundits taking preference to one of the viewpoints of what a conservative is. On TV, the pundits are discussion the dissatisfaction of the pool of candidates that we are presented with. And finally, friends and family are passionately taking sides in the primary vowing "never to vote for X, Y, or Z candidate."
This is absurd. Yes, we can choose our preferences. Yes, we can campaign hard and be passitonate. But at the end of the day, we have to unite and make our party and our ideas stronger. We have to remember the old saying, "united we stand, divided we fall." Going into convention, we need a united party, with a united platform, with a united message.
While I admire Huckabee's drive and determination, I don't think it is time for more campaigning. You've made your point...just like Romney, Guilliani, F. Thompson, T. Thompson, Brownback, Hunter, Tancredo, Keyes...and yes Ron Paul...and now it is time to take these ideas, these positions and defeat liberalism in November.
Labels: Election 2008, Strategery
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Reboot
Stay Tuned...
