Thanks Julie!

Wisconsin Rapids and Marshfield owe Julie Lassa a great big THANK YOU for getting us money from the Department of Commerce to offset property tax losses.

Here's a picture of Julie presenting a check to Marshfield Mayor Chris Meyer:

A Message from Russ Feingold

Dear Wisconsin Democrat,

As a Progressive heavily involved in your county party, I don’t have to tell you how important this years election is. At the state level, we have a great opportunity to increase our margins in the State Senate and retake the State Assembly so that our Governor has a legislature more willing to move Wisconsin in the right direction come 2009. In the 8^th CD, Congressman Steve Kagen has been a tireless advocate on behalf of his constituents and his reelection this November is going to be vital in our efforts to turn our country around following eight years of the Bush Presidency.

However, I don’t have to tell you how important of a role Wisconsin will play in electing our next President. No other state in the country has been closer these past two Presidential elections than Wisconsin. That’s why it’s up to each and every one of us to do everything we can to ensure Barack Obama wins Wisconsin – and the presidency – come Election Day this November.

I’ve enjoyed working with Senator Obama and I’m proud to support his campaign. With his strong Midwestern roots and his dedication to public service, Senator Obama understands, like we do, the values of hard work, standing up for what’s right, and making our country a better place for us, our children and our grandchildren.

At both the state and federal level, Senator Obama has been able to reach across party lines and work with members from both parties to help move our country in a better direction. From fighting to create jobs, to making health care available and affordable to all Americans; from fighting for our rights and freedoms, to ending the war in Iraq, Senator Obama has the strength and leadership ability to get our country back on track.

It’s not going to be an easy task and I’m going to continue to do everything I can to help him win Wisconsin and the Presidency this year – and if you haven’t already, I hope you will join me.

Thanks again for all that you do.

With high hopes,

Russ

Whew!

Sorry I've been away for a while but things have been a whirlwind around here for a couple of weeks....it seems like there has been one demand on me after another and I haven't even had time to update my personal blog in quite a long time. Here are a few goodies.





The McCain (god-forbid) Presidency:










And a few words from Matt Yglesis that reflects how most of us felt about the decision to go to war and the continuing insistence by the media on interviewing and cannonizing only those who were dead, center WRONG on the war. Matt does a good job here:

This reflects, I believe, an incredibly damaging mindset that's been crippling the Democratic Party for years and the prospect of excising this mindset is the single most appealing thing about the prospect of Obama being the nominee. Clinton's "street cred" on national security consists, of course, of being massively wrong on the most important national security issue of her career. Paradoxically, a lot of folks find her massive wrongness on this hugely important issue reassuring because they and their friends were also wrong and they view having made the right call to be a suspicious quality. After all, the Iraq War may have led to thousands of U.S. deaths, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, and millions of Iraqi refugees all at a cost of over $1 trillion and in ways that's damaged the strategic position of the United States, but war opponents were all a bunch of hippies.

In other news:

Thanks Norm Tritz for getting the Democratic Party Float out to Pittsville on Monday. And thanks also to Dean Matthews for letting us store it on his site until the Construction on Western Ave is completed.

Congratulations to Dave Wille for a successful 7th Congressional District Convention. As you know, Dave, as first Vice Chair assumed the reins of the 7th Congressional District when Marlys passed away last year. Dave presided over the convention which was the first time in over thirty years that someone other than Marlys had presided. Dave chose not to run for a full term as 7th CD Chair but remains first vice chair.

Amy Sue's office hours

Amy Sue's office hours in the district are posted on her website, you can see them by clicking on the link entitled "events"

Here's the link to her website

Her Hours will be:

Village of Arpin
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Arpin Public Library
8091 County Road E

Village of Vesper
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Vesper Public Library
6550 Virginia Street

Village of Rudolph
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Rudolph Village Hall
1580 Main Street

Village of Junction City
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Junction City Village Hall
1001 Main Street

City of Nekoosa
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Municipal Building
951 Market Street

Town of Port Edwards
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Port Edwards Town Hall
2000 County Road G

Town of Seneca

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
3:30 p.m. to 4:30p.m.
Seneca Town Hall
3540 County Road Q

Town of Rock
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Lindsey Bar & Grill
8484 County Road V

Town of Hiles
Thursday, May 1, 2008
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Hiles Town Hall
10108 County Road V

City of Pittsville
Thursday, May 1, 2008
3:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Pittsville Community Hall
5291 3rd Avenue

Town of Plover
Friday, May 2, 2008
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Plover Town Hall
5081 Hoover Avenue

Town of Hull
Friday, May 2, 2008
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Hull Town Hall
4550 Wojcik Mem. Dr.

Town of Sharon
Friday, May 2, 2008
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sharon Town Hall
State Highway 66

Village of Auburndale
Friday, May 9, 2008
11:00 a.m to Noon
Auburndale Village Hall
5988 1st Street

Village of Hewitt
Friday, May 9, 2008
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Hewitt Village Hall
7688 McLean Drive

City of Marshfield

Friday, May 9, 2008
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Marshfield Library
211 East 2nd Street

Coffee with the Dems....

Just a few quick updates...

Had coffee with the retired Dems again this morning and it was an active and lively group. We discussed everything from the shameful media event that was falsely advertised as a debate on Wednesday night to the Marshfield Smoking ban to the fun we had visiting with Julie Lassa last Wednesday morning.

We also had a lot of fun sparring with the table of local Republicans about LoLo's Obama 08 tee shirt....it was all pretty good natured.

I've invited Amy Sue's staff to join into the blogging as well as Julie's staff. I suspect neither staff has the time to devote to it so I asked that they keep me informed about meetings within the district as well as any legislative initiatives they are taking in our behalf.

I understand Amy-Sue is going to be making the rounds of listening sessions late this month so I've asked the staff for her schedule....I'll post it here when I get it. (okay,okay,okay....I LOST the newsletter)

Dave tells me that the meeting went well last night. Now that my committee assignments have been changed I plan on attending more meetings.

feel free to leave a comment and join in....I know we're getting some decent traffic....(for us anyway) 30-35 hits per day.....so don't be shy....jump in.

Update on Julie's Listening Sessions

Hi again...

Dave sent the times and places out in an email....in case you missed them, here they are again.

Marshfield---The Daily Grind, 10--11am
Pittsville---Pittsville Community Library 12-1pm.
Wisconsin Rapids---From the Ground Up 1:30-2:30 pm
Nekoosa---Nekoosa City Hall 3-3:45 p.m.

Stop in and tell Julie what's on your mind....

Ummm...an endorsement?

Thanks to our friend, ColdH2O and, of course, Mad Magazine......

Say HI to Julie!

Hey folks, our favorite State Senator, Julie Lassa will be making the rounds in Wood County on Wednesday to hold office hours....

I know she'll be in Marshfield, Pittsville and Wisconsin Rapids on Wednesday....she'll be at The Daily Grind in Marshfield from 10 -11 A. M. but I don't know what time the other appearances are scheduled. Give her office a call.

"...because I have been to the mountaintop.."

Forty years ago today, these words inspired striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, and later that night, a single bullet made them imortal.

Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated in Memphis 40 years ago today...but these words still bring a chill to my spine:

And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don't know what will happen now.

We've got some difficult days ahead.

But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.

And I don't mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

And so I'm happy, tonight.

I'm not worried about anything.

I'm not fearing any man!

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!

Check out another exerpt from the speech over at Hullabaloo....dday sums it up with wonderful clarity:

The power of collective action. The power of bottom-up organizing. The power of seeing a world where everyone is in it together, where everyone has a stake in one another. The power of fighting for justice and fairness and right, and moving mountains just by walking together. We get cynical in this medium a lot, and maybe we have a right to; after all, forty years ago they shot Dr. King for leading such a movement. But the legacy lives on, and I believe in his aphorism that "the long arc of history bends toward justice." This movement, this place where we've all gravitated, is but a small kernel of that legacy. But it's growing, and regardless of the President or the Congress or whoever it will continue to move forward. And one day, we will get there.

Well said dday....and thanks for reminding us.

Vote

To all our local candidates, best of luck to you today.

All Points Bulletin

News stew...

Okay...it's not very creative but it is appropriate.

Here's a mishmash of news and issues to comment on today:

Our friend, Tbogg, is fed up... he says:

But I am tired of the antics of Hillary Clinton and her campaign.

I even more tired on some of the Democratic leaning blogs that are totally and inexplicably in the bag for Clinton, and believe me, Obama was nowhere near my first choice. Or my second choice, for that matter. I can understand some people's (read: young peoples) passion for Obama, but Hillary Clintonphilia leaves me scratching my head.

I don't care about todays polls because they don't mean anything this early. The polls next week won't be any more illuminating.

I think we're all tired of the primaries by now.....make. it. stop....please.

Although via Digby, we learn that Naomi Klein (author of Shock Doctrine)thinks we're missing an opportunity. Here's a snippet:

Many argue otherwise. They say that if we want to end the war, we should simply pick a candidate who is not John McCain and help them win: We'll sort out the details after the Republicans are evicted from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Some of the most prominent anti-war voices--from MoveOn.org to the magazine we write for, The Nation--have gone this route, throwing their weight behind the Obama campaign.

This is a serious strategic mistake. It is during a hotly contested campaign that anti-war forces have the power to actually sway U. S. policy. As soon as we pick sides, we relegate ourselves to mere cheerleaders.

On the local level...Dave wants to remind us about the Caucaus...he writes:

Also, our county caucus will be Sunday, April 6 at Legion Hall in Pittsville. Doors will open at noon and the event is scheduled to start at 2p.m. sharp (those arriving after 2p.m. by rule can not participate). This is the first step of the two step process I discussed last month that will determine our Seventh CD delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver next summer. I'm not running this year, but we do have county party candidates hoping to get to Denver. We hope to have Wood County again represented at the national convention.

Another message from Dave.........apparently.......

On an even MORE local level. I haven't talked to my friends in Rapids yet but the local politics here are getting really nasty.....it's hard not to take sides because the two sides have been so radically polarized.

Oh yeah, the Smoking Ban proponents in Marshfield got a boost yesterday from EAU CLAIRE. The City Council in Eau Claire voted 7-4 for a complete indoor smoking ban. I'm guessing it will go to a referendum.

The soul of conservatism

E. J. Dionne Jr. sums it up well in this link.

And I riffed on it here.

enjoy

County Party meeting

Hi Everybody....

Dave emailed the agenda for Thurdsay night's meeting....some interesting stuff here...like the resolutions for the 7th CD convention....could get some interesting resolutions ...

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WOOD COUNTY
THURSDAY, MARCH 20-6:30 P.M.
PITTSVILLE LEGION HALL

AGENDA
I. Secretary’s report (Dede)
II. Treasurer’s report (Deane)
III. Chairman’s report (Dave)
IV. Committee reports (chairs)
V. Special reports (elected officials and reps)
VI. Discuss and vote on CD resolutions*
VII. Solve all of the world’s problems in 120 seconds (two minutes by anyone on anything)

*We can take up to 10 resolutions to the Seventh Congressional District Convention is Chippewa Falls in late April. These must be under 100 words and can deal with any topic---national, state, local or party.



Coming up in April:
-Discussion of CD, state and national conventions
-Discussion of county party dinner and county party field trip

Blurb and X-post

First, the lengthy cross-post here

and a short blurb.......

Blue Texan who blogs at firedoglake gives us the latest slap at Obama' Patriotism from the last remaining brilliant essayist of the modern Neocon movement, Jonah Goldberg.....

got that?

Okay, when your done laughing click here to read the funniest parts. But here's a snippet, or two:

"If you can't even say the word [patriotism], how can you claim to love your country?"

Hmmm, good point. I can't really remember the last time I heard Obama say the word "patriotism" -- so clearly, he's an America-hating subversive.

But wait! Teh Google tells me that Obama says the word "patriotism" all the time. Whew.

snip:

"When Democrats do speak of patriotism, it is usually as a means of finding fault with Republicans, corporations or America itself. Hence the irony that questioning the patriotism of liberals is a grievous sin, but doing likewise to conservatives is fine."

Now I'm totally confused.

I thought we had established: (1) Obama, like other Democrats, never talks about patriotism. (2) Not talking about patriotism makes you unpatriotic, whereas talking about it proves you're patriotic. But now we've got, (3) Democrats talk about patriotism to say mean things about Republicans; therefore (4) Democrats are in fact, according to (2), patriotic.

Go read....enjoy....

A Message from Russ...

Dear Wisconsin Progressive,

As the Democratic Presidential contest continues to chug along throughout our country, it’s important to remember that whoever our nominee and eventual Democratic President is come January 2009, he or she is going to need a Democratic Congress to work with to get our country back on track.

And while much of the talk has been about building on our gains in Congress this election cycle, we cannot forget about the strong Democrats who were elected last time and who now face stiff challenges this November. Here in Wisconsin we need not look any further than Congressman Steve Kagen in the 8th CD.

Since coming to Congress, Congressman Kagen has been a leader on a variety of issues - including advancing our combined effort of making universal access to affordable health care a top priority.

He’s refused to cave in to the Bush administration’s fear-mongering tactics by not immediately passing a flawed extension of the so-called "Protect America Act" – legislation that would weaken privacy protections for American citizens and provide retroactive immunity to telecom companies. In fact, a phony issue group has run television ads that accuse Congress Kagen and other freshman Democrats of being weak on national security issues – when nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s up to all Democrats in the 8th CD and across the state of Wisconsin to stand and fight for Steve Kagen leading up to this election. I’m going to continue to fight to keep him Congress and I hope you will join me. For more information, or to join our effort to support Congressman Steve Kagen, please contact the Kagen campaign at 800-255-9355 or brad@kagen4congress.com.

With high hopes,


Russ Feingold
United States Senator
www.russfeingold.org

Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

Thanks to our fellow Wisconsin Blogger and DGL (damned good liberal), ColdH2O who runs the blog BillyCreek, we get a look at a story that has been all but buried in the press. In addition, he gives us links to OneWisconsinNow who has been all over this story from the beginning.

Here's the gist of it:

Former Republican Governor Scott McCallum admitted Thursday he manipulated the judicial appointment process established by his own executive orders in order to appoint Republican Party official Mike Gableman, a McCallum donor and fundraiser, to the Burnett County Circuit Court.

Republicans linked with money and corruption? Nah.....say it ain't true!

and another snippet:

“Governor McCallum confirmed what we already knew, that Mike Gableman got his job as a judge because that’s what McCallum wanted for his donor and fundraiser,” said Scot Ross, Executive Director of One Wisconsin Now. “Why are there no state documents showing that Gableman ever formally applied for the job, that he was ever interviewed for the job, or that he ever answered the extensive questions designed to indicate his qualifications and competence to have the job?”

Cool.....I wish somebody would give me a job I didn't even apply for.....

He also points out something I missed in the land of GreaterBlogSylvania: Here's the link and a snippet:

We had to suffer the bullshit of the right's attack on President Clinton in the '90s. I, for one, was happy we had a President who actually had an active sex life. All the money spent to impeach him, what a fucking waste of time. However, when Bill says stuff like this is really pisses me off.

And then he painted this scene: “She and John McCain are very close,” he said. “They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history and they’re afraid they’d put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other.”

I can tell you I'm not at all happy about that quote although I haven't seen it published anywhere else...but there IS this picture.

Go to the link and read the whole site. And also put BillyCreek in your favorites file!

Wow! Hillary made a comeback!

I'm going to suggest (at the risk of getting flamed) that the political landscape is strewn with the corpses of pundits who have underestimated (misunderestimated?) the Clinton's ability to campaign until they drop and the overwhelming desire.....make that obsession...for winning. She pulled it off last night winning both Texas and Ohio and also Rhode Island. From what I understand, she ended up with a net gain of about 10 delegates but nobody knows how the Texas Caucaus vote will settle out.

It ain't over yet!

Respect for Conservatives?

I wrote a pretty good tribute (I think) to William F. Buckley over on my own blog the day after he passed away. Although some of Buckley's positions were repulsive (Praise of Joseph McCarthy for one thing) he was the most eloquent speaker the Conservative movement ever had and he alone came closest to providing a true philosophical basis for the Conservative movement.

But it seems our "friends", the modern neocons who have managed to completely trash Buckley's vision of the true conservative movement, are none too happy with ANY praise or respect we liberals (known to the right as DFHs, or dirty f**king hippies) give to conservatives.

Our friend Thers over at Whiskey Fire Buzzards has a great post....Here's the link

And here's the "money shot".

"
"The strange new respect liberals have for Ronald Reagan would be another."

That would be a very strange phenomenon indeed, were it to exist. Reagan is "respected" by liberals only to the extent that he was no George W. Bush, which is like saying that snot is "respectable" because it's not diarrhea."

Read the whole link...you'll enjoy it.

Lots to catch up on

Lots of things to talk about.

It looks like primary season and the "brickbats" thrown between the Hillary Camp and the Obama Camp may shortly come to an end....at least maybe after the Texas and Ohio primaries.


The Repubs aren't wasting much time though. They've already started attacking Barak Obama on just about every word that comes out of his mouth. Like this Bill Kristol article yesterday (by way of Digby) snip:

But Obama chose to present his flag-pin removal as a principled gesture. “You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we’re talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest.”

Leave aside the claim that “speaking out on issues” constitutes true patriotism.

Yep, that certainly does remind me of the painful scene in Office Space where Jennifer Anniston was criticized by her boss for not wearing enough "flair" on her uniform. She eventually gave the guy the finger and quit....Pretty snide huh? I'll bet we haven't seen anything yet!


And then there's (Saint) John McCain....it seems that the "Straight-Talk Express" is really powered by lobbyist money and McCain apparently never met a lobbyist he didn't like...and one in particular, he seemed to "like" A WHOLE LOT! But because the story was broken by the New York Times, you know that "liberal rag", and never mind that the ultra-conservative Washington Post also broke the story, the right wing Wurlitzer is buzzing in defense of the nominee apparent. So Rush and Ann are now firm McCainenites...(sarcasm/on)who would have guessed? (sarcasm/off)

On the local level....I apologize for missing the announcement of the regular Monthly meeting last Thursday night. I had another civic obligation to attend (actually two in addition to our meeting) and couldn't attend...that should end in April though...


I hear that the meeting got a little....ummmmm....let's see....ummmm .....

frisky?

Rowdy?

Contentious?

Adversarial?

I'm looking for the right words here folks...anybody want to join in?