Category Archives: Politics

The Kloppenburg Referendum

By Frank Paynter | Published: April 6, 2011

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court is an embarrassment. But the clouds began to clear away this morning. The sun is peeking through. Today JoAnne Kloppenburg won the seat of the court’s angry conservative, David Prosser. The sexist Prosser is best known for calling his boss, Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a “total bitch,” and threatening to “destroy her.” [...]

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Eileen Bruskewitz

By Frank Paynter | Published: April 4, 2011

Eileen Bruskewitz is a white haired, conservative white woman from a white district, a spunky politician whose yard signs are emblazoned with her first name. She’s running for County Executive. Let’s do a quick free association test: I say “County….” You say? “Coroner.” That’s right. Basically, the County Coroner is the person that we think [...]

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What’s next

By Frank Paynter | Published: March 10, 2011

The State Capitol policeman who let me into the locked-down Wisconsin Department of Administration today was frank. “My union was eliminated today,” he said. “And it’s doubtful that there will be enough money in the budget to replace the expired bullet proof vest I’m wearing.” It’s hard to know what to say to that. I [...]

Also posted in Class Warfare, Democracy, Public Services | Comments closed

Republican disinformation

By Frank Paynter | Published: March 1, 2011

Republican subversives, the same greedy corporate players that brought us the Citizens United decision and tipped the 2000 election in favor of that incredibly stupid and detached exemplar of vacuity, George W. Bush, have been funneling money into a media saturation campaign in Wisconsin. The campaign is rife with misinformation and deceit. It’s tedious to [...]

Also posted in Class Warfare, Democracy, Truth and Falsehood | Tagged corporate greed, Madison, propaganda | Comments closed

Days of unrest, continued

By Frank Paynter | Published: February 28, 2011

Reinvigorated by the idealism and fighting spirit on display right now in America’s heartland, the movement for “hope and change” has a rare, second chance. It can renew itself and become again a national force with which to be reckoned. — Van Jones I caught the last half hour of Meet the Press yesterday, a [...]

Also posted in Class Warfare, Government, People | Tagged hope and change, Van Jones, Wisconsin unions | Comments closed

Days of unrest

By Frank Paynter | Published: February 27, 2011

The men and the women of the Madison Police Department train for crowd situations where an agitator or provocateur may try to create safety risks for citizens and officers. During recent demonstrations around the Capitol Square no such situation has arisen. Crowd behavior has been exemplary, and thousands of Wisconsin citizens are to be commended [...]

Also posted in Class Warfare, Democracy, Journalism | Tagged corporate greed, Wisconsin unions | Comments closed

Coming up this week in Madison

By Frank Paynter | Published: February 21, 2011

Current law requires the Governor to deliver the biennial budget message to the Legislature on or before the last Tuesday in January this year (extensions are permitted). The Governor must also provide the Legislature with a biennial state budget report, the executive budget bill, and suggestions for the best methods for raising any additional needed [...]