Orioles VP Delivers Gettysburg-Like Perspective For Our Times

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The executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles, John Angelos, spoke out about the rioting happening in Baltimore (the 1st day) and after expressing frustration over the looting and violence, he gave a deeply profound summary on our elite-controlled government rigging the system against the wage-earning working class population.

It's not perfect, but it's an amazingly good read.

John Angelos Perspective:

Brett, speaking only for myself, I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy, investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.

That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good, hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.

The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, and ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importances of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ballgame irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.

~ end

Despite Angelos being a platinum-spoon-fed one percenter, he gets it more than some of the 99ers I've heard in Janesville who support and defend the legislative agenda of the elite class Angelos describes.

With the punishing revenge style social media response trending lately on those who bring truth to power, I would not doubt it if an establishment player like Angelos will be forced to retract the whole thing.

John Doe Prosecutor Won't Back Down, Asks Gov. Scott Walker To Join Him

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By now you've probably seen how political operatives juiced up their propaganda last week in hopes of delivering a final crushing blow to the judicial process of the John Doe investigation involving Gov. Scott Walker. Their main defense is built on accusing district attorneys of partisanship by engaging in a political witch hunt to revenge anti-union legislation enacted by Wisconsin republicans and Scott Walker.

There is also no question that for the past three years, special interest conservatives including Walker have repeatedly labeled the John Doe prosecutors as partisans and accused a plethora of Wisconsin law enforcement officials of engaging in what amounts to be an active conspiracy, without producing a single piece of evidence. All they have are just the machinations and memes from desperate but creative political propagandists.

The problem is, they have gone way beyond accusing a law professional or two of unknowingly misinterpreting state statutes or haphazardly overlooking the Constitution. At the same time, their attacks have gone well beyond the typical sniping stage of political theater. They have repeatedly leveled serious allegations against the district attorneys and I think most observers would agree that in this case, they're also past the time to shut up. It's too late for that. It's time to put up. The other point is, those allegations of partisanship and conspiracy against the law professionals should not be left dangling for eternity.

With all that in mind, it appears John Doe Special Prosecutor Francis Schmitz has finally had enough. He refuses to back down from the series of punishing vicious attacks delivered by the faux-media political vigilantes and has now asked Gov. Scott Walker to join him in setting the record straight.

JS Online Excerpt:
"I invite the governor to join me in seeking judicial approval to lawfully release information now under seal which would be responsive to the allegations that have been made," his statement said. "Such information, when lawfully released, will show that these recent allegations are patently false."

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, the one who is most often framed as the "Democrat" prosecutor by Scott Walker and his political operatives, said he agrees with Schmitz' statement.

"The truth is always a defense, so let's get the truth out in a legal manner, not through lies, distortions and misrepresentations."

And, who would argue with that?

Note: By the way, what happened to the Wisconsin Reporter dot com domain and all their phony articles about the John Doe investigation? It looks like the site has been scrubbed from the Web and its url redirected to its Bradley Foundation parent affiliate, Wisconsin Watchdog.Org.

url = wisconsinreporter.com

ADDITIONAL:

Democurmudgeon - Walker now talking John Doe details, oozing confidence Activist Supreme Court will apparently let him off w/videos.

CapTimes - Morning briefing: Prosecutor suggests Scott Walker could be charged for lying

PicToon: Koch Candidate Scott Walker

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Click image to embiggen.

Parallel In Tactics Seen To Defeat Recall And The John Doe Investigation

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Here's an interesting perspective from Truth-Out/Buzzflash about the Koch brothers recent admission to donors that they think Scott Walker could be their candidate. But this segment in the article caught my eye ...

“During the 2012 recall elections, David Koch’s Americans for Prosperity spent $10 million supporting Walker, which included at least 70 paid staffers flown into Wisconsin, plus bus tours, rallies, town hall meetings, phone banks, and canvassers, not to mention the months of TV ads.”

As if that spending wasn’t enough, Fischer reported that “A mysterious group called ‘Coalition for American Values’ poured $400,000 into a barrage of last-minute ads that made a unique appeal: instead of promoting Governor Scott Walker or attacking his opponent, the ads attacked the premise of the recall itself.”

To the surprise of many, Walker prevailed. “CMD discovered that all of Coalition for American Values' known contributions came [from] the Koch-tied Freedom Partners.”

I immediately thought those are the exact same tactics they are using to defeat the second John Doe investigation.

Those alleged to have committed wrong-doing are not debating the allegations or trying to prove their innocence. Instead of promoting evidence contrary to the prosecution's case file, they are attacking the premise of the entire John Doe process and smearing those who carried out due process of the law. That appears to be their final defense against the allegations.

On the other hand, there are some smart respected legal experts that have poured over the evidence made available to the public and believe Scott Walker and his dark money donor base broke state laws as they are currently written.

But just like in the final days of the Recall election, those in question are making the same "unique" appeal to win sympathy by convincing those remaining, for the Recall it was voters, for the John Doe it's public opinion and the state supreme court, to disregard the record and the nuts and bolts of the allegations. That, it's the process that is wrong and they are merely innocent victims of a flawed system abused by partisan operators. The same accusations they made of process and opponents during the recall.

Am I reading too much into this and does it matter? Well, it's the same players involved defending the same prize and they were convincing enough using those tactics to win the last time.

Sorry to say, but with justice out of way in today's politics, that is all that counts.

Nincompoop Ron Johnson Dedicated To Destroy Obamacare, Now Leads Bill To Extend It

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This comes from a guy who for the past five years wasted one of Wisconsin's congressional senate seats hellbent on destroying Obamacare,

now wants to extend it past the 2016 elections ...ahem, to protect Americans from its damaging effects. For freedom. For the moochers.

I couldn't make this stuff up no matter how hard I tried.

TPM Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — The Senate's top five Republican leaders have cosponsored legislation to extend until 2017 the Obamacare insurance subsidies that may be struck down by the Supreme Court this summer.

The legislation, offered by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), one of the most politically vulnerable Senate incumbents in 2016, would maintain the federal HealthCare.gov tax credits at stake in King v. Burwell through the end of August 2017.

Washington Post - Tea Party Senator accidentally reveals absurdity of GOP stance on Obamacare. [ ... ] The Johnson plan would keep subsidies going — for everybody across the country who would be adversely impacted by a Court ruling — until September of 2017.

Sen. Ron Johnson's Web Page - Johnson Introduces Bill to Protect Americans from Further Damaging Effects of Obamacare: Preserving Freedom and Choice in Health Care

THE IRONY: By extending Obamacare, Johnson IS preserving freedom and choice in health care.

Madison Institute 2015 Spring Forum: What's Left?

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The Madison Institute presents Our 2015 Spring Forum

What’s Left? - Reflections on the Decline of Progressive Politics.

A panel discussion with John Nichols, Ed Garvey, Stan Gruszynski, Peg Lautenschlager, Barbara Lawton & Matt Rothschild

Friday, April 24, 7:30 PM to 9 PM

UW-Madison Pyle Center
Room DE 235
702 Langdon St.
Madison, WI

Partisan Hacks Run Amok With Easily Debunked Story About "Partisan" Prosecutors

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Several stories running on the coattails of one posted at the National Review have been making the social media rounds lately. All of them are half-baked attempts using old partisan attacks against prosecutors to neutralize the criminal scandals swirling around Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Besides their obvious politically tainted journalism, the National Review sadly attempts to take advantage of the recent national fervor surrounding the wrongful deaths of suspects at the hands of police officers by pushing Wisconsin law enforcement officials working the case under the same bus. Yes, they do "guilt by association" extremely well and in doing so, further demonize the prosecutors and law enforcement professionals in hopes to finally collapse the John Doe case under the weight of total chaotic nonsense.

But their primary goal to neutralize Walker's scandals on the eve of his expected presidential campaign announcement isn't complete until they whip out the old victim card by re-framing Scott Walker and themselves as victims of a witch-hunt carried out against conservatives by "democrat" partisan prosecutors.

However, typical of the National Review, their expertise in alarmist hack-style writing combined with their sloppy investigative reporting left them with no choice but to omit a key element of the John Doe II investigation from their attack story to make it work as intended. It is the "partisan" element of their rambling story you can easily debunk by simply opening up your browser search box on each web page and input the name "Schmitz." You'll find that name appears nowhere in their text.

Why is that important? Well, because Schmitz is for Francis Schmitz and he happens to be a respected 30-year federal prosecutor appointed Special Prosecutor in the John Doe II investigation.

If you're an informed Wisconsin voter, you probably know Schmitz filed a sworn declaration of statements pertaining to his "partisanship" with the U.S. District Court. Schmitz stated he voted for Scott Walker in the 2012 Recall Election, joined the Republican Party when he was being considered for a judicial appointment by President Bush, has no issue with Act 10 and said he has absolutely nothing personal against Scott Walker.

JS Online Excerpt:
"In my role as a special prosecutor, while I have sought input and counsel from others involved in the investigation, I have made the final decisions on what actions to take and the content of pleadings and other filings," Schmitz wrote.

So, debunking the partisan element of their story is as simple as that. Without including Schmitz, it's not the prosecutors but the writers of those stories who expose themselves as unhinged attack dog partisans. Plus, false stories fabricated through omission is the oldest trick in the book.

My main point should be obvious. If you're going to get partisan over the prosecutors, which by the way is a ridiculous and extremely poor defense against documented evidence of wrongdoing, make sure to include all of them, particularly those in lead roles. Otherwise, you are the partisan you're projecting onto others.

Related:
JS Online - John Doe prosecutors allege Scott Walker at center of 'criminal scheme'

JS Online - Exhibit C: Prosecutors lay out the case against Scott Walker

PRwatch - Was John Doe Raid Led by Republicans?

Local Tax and Spend Fiscal Phonies Lobby Madison On Tax Day

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So the local Walker-booster club Forward Janesville held their "lobby" day in Madison on "Tax Day" Wednesday. A very fitting day for their annual junket, although April Fools would have been more accurate.

But did they go to Madison to lobby lawmakers to reform the state aid funding formula making it more equitable for municipalities in the post-2008 recession economy? Nope. How about more funding for public schools? Nope. How about more funding to repair and maintain our existing local roads? Noooo, not at all.

In this story at the Janesville Gazette, none of the pressing needs listed above are mentioned. Instead, as the story goes, they were in Madison to preserve funding for the Interstate expansion and to plant seed for a new idea. Hmmm.

As in previous years, this group of special interest lobbyists was in Madison on behalf of their membership and their all-important and highly political road companies. That's it. Period. These folks are like the Halliburton of Rock County. They need a constant stream of profits and without government collectivist public works, they're completely sunk.

In fact, Forward Janesville was thee central player in a behind-closed-doors deal for the interstate expansion that shifted hundreds of millions in state/federal dollars away from maintenance of Wisconsin's existing rural and city roads. So of course they're pushing local taxpayers for tax and spend referendums. They want that too. That's who they are. It's about their vision and other people's money.

I can hear some folks asking, "but don't you want to expand our roads, build new bridges and infrastructure?" Sure I do, but not at the expense of defunding existing roads, bridges and infrastructure. You want something new? Go out there and create new funding mechanisms first - not steal resources from existing needs. To put it another way, they're saying since we don't have funding or can't afford to maintain the windows on our 100-story skyscraper today, lets build 20 more stories of windows on the top. That'll impress everyone. * eyeroll *

None of Forward Janesville's backward lobby priorities surprises me because all of this comes after they got theirs. "Theirs" being state income tax cuts for their membership, low-wage conservative right-to-work regulations, TIF District modifications, enterprise zones, tax credits, portable and transferable tax credits. They've even set up a taxpayer funded slush cache allowing businesses that created jobs but could not claim the credits because of the way they file taxes, to essentially barter the tax credits for goods or services or sell those credits to their big-profit business pals like they're black market food stamps. Good deal, uh? All legal. They figure, hey, why let that welfare money go to waste.

But there they are in Madison looking to lock up public dollars for the interstate expansion while much greater needs go unfunded and oh, I almost forgot ...their "new idea." It's called Vision Wisconsin. Purportedly spun off from an Iowa program for funding quality-of-life improvements. It certainly appears that Forward Janesville, after stating Janesville faces a "death spiral" if we don't increase our local tax obligations, have taken their high tax demands state-wide.

Keep in mind however this group along with the Janesville Gazette remained silent during the passage of low-wage right-to-work, have shown no support to raise the minimum wage and again are absent on a position regarding the end of prevailing wage provisions. Yet they claim to want to attract young people to Wisconsin?

Had they shown support for the proper side of those top-flight quality-of-life issues first, maybe some folks wouldn't think they're nothing more than tax and spend fiscal phonies.

ADDITIONAL:

RNR - Divide and Conquer Club: Without Higher Taxpayer Obligations, Quality Of Life Could "Death Spiral"

RNR - At The Crossroads, Paul Ryan's Hometown Facing a Death Spiral. But Where's Ryan?

RNR - Local Walker Cartel Gear Up To Provide "Cover" For Political Cronies

Special Interests Should Recuse From Janesville City Council Or Resign

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At Monday's Janesville city council meeting, a resident spoke out about what he said is an issue of fairness. Spurred by a advisory recommendation opposing the issuance of a liquor license by the city's alcohol advisory committee, the resident noticed that a member of the board of directors of a local issue advocacy group JM4C (Janesville Mobilization for Change) also sits on the city committee. He said she should have recused herself from voting on the committee's recommendation. It should be noted that Janesville's advisory committees are just that, they are advisory and don't have the decision making power the council holds.

However, sitting on Janesville's seven-member city council are two individuals with very close ties to the hyper-partisan Walker-booster group Forward Janesville. Council member Richard Gruber is on FJ's board of directors and Marklein Builders (Doug Marklein) is listed as a member in its directory.

Not only as an issue of fairness, but also one of trust, I think those two council members should recuse from council discussion and voting on every resolution and agenda item that involves economic development, business incentives, contracts, bids, licenses, and public private partnerships OR resign from the council. And, not just recuse on council legislation involving fellow Forward Janesville members, but also on agenda items that involve non-members as their council position can be used to squelch or defeat market competition to their business allies.

Note: The group Forward Janesville said its overriding goal is to advance the interests of its members and is deeply involved in partisan politics.

Note: The group JM4C describes its advocacy as "Creating a Safer, Healthier Community for Our Youth."

You can watch the resident speak about the advisory committee here. It begins at the 00:50:50 time mark.

ADDITIONAL:

RNR - Political Business Group Suffering Identity Crisis?

Scott Walker's Campaign Saves Big Money! But Not At Menards

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Scott Walker's trip to Great Britain in February cost Wisconsin taxpayers $138,200

JS Online Excerpt:
Madison — On the eve of another foreign trip, Gov. Scott Walker's administration disclosed Thursday that Wisconsin taxpayers paid $138,200 for his February trip to Great Britain — a trade mission laden with political overtones from his likely 2016 presidential bid.

Walker is all packed up and ready to do it again.

JS Online Excerpt:
Walker leaves on Sunday on a state-sponsored trade mission paid by Wisconsin taxpayers to the cities of Hannover, Germany; Bilbao, Spain; and Montpellier, France. In another sign of his all but certain presidential run ...

...and I'm so wrong because everyone knows Scott Walker would never allow anything to get in the way of his dedication to the state of Wisconsin ...

...he is expected to cut off his participation in the trip several days before the other state officials to join other likely GOP contenders for the White House for a New Hampshire event on April 17 and 18.

But ...but Obama something.

Janesville Incumbents Stay On Council, Battle Of The Write-Ins Is Over

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Contrary to what I believe some "progressives' are thinking, the decisive re-election wins by incumbent Janesville council members Sam Liebert and Doug Marklein represent huge wins for the corporate status quo Walker-booster club Forward Janesville and the Janesville Gazette. Three of four of the candidates pushed by the Gazette won seats on the city council.

To be clear, the council's seemingly new make-up and expected shift to the center wouldn't have changed much regardless of which candidates were elected because the council's "conservatives" were vacating city hall and the replacement field was slim. The theory here is, the Janesville establishment wants to impose new local fees and push tax hike referenda on property taxpayers to make up for shortfalls in state aid, but the existing (previous) city council of state-agenda conservatives would not deliver. So they had to exit to allow Forward Janesville's local tax and spend agenda to take root.

Sadly, Tuesday's local election results remind me of the last several state-wide elections in Wisconsin. The people are not matching major issues that affect them to the candidates they elect, but instead are voting a popularity contest.

But the big message sent by Janesville voters was their loud approval of council incumbents who operated just short from having a scandal-a-month. They worked behind closed doors, appointed a Forward Janesville board member to the council, shut down citizen petitions just because, and refuse to lock-in street repair language on a tax hike referendum they insist is for street repairs, just to name a few.

The people appproved! yeAY!

In a bit of a surprise, council candidate Billy McCoy failed to attract the 3,500 supporters he garnered for his petitions on the fire station. McCoy picked up slightly more than 2,000 voters, but even if he captured 3,500 votes, that wouldn't have been enough to win a seat. After watching a few council candidate forums, McCoy in my opinion, for whatever his reasons, did everything a candidate would do - to not win. Just lots of bad optics and a non-existent campaign.

The Janesville School Board election was yet another political fiasco delivered by the Gazette's partisan protection plan of establishment actors like school-super Karen Schulte's cover up of inadequate candidate petitions and school board member Bill Sodemanns' witch hunt into a candidate's publicly-held emails. But if you read the Gazette during the run-up to election, it was like none of that ever happened except for the newspaper to successfully project their own partisanship onto their perceived political opponents.

In the final weeks, the Gazette threw another dirtball at candidate Carla Quirk in hopes to bring her down a notch and also published a final editorial reminding readers how terrible the union was for finding inadequate petitions, while completely omitting their own hand in downplaying the cover-up and retaliatory witch hunt.

But perhaps the best part of this nightmare is in the result as it appears the state's teachers union endorsed candidates of Ardrey, Quirk and Huth have won the seats on the Janesville school board. That leaves Janesville residents with only the hyper-partisan "nonpartisan" school administration officials, a newspaper and a politically active special interest group masquerading as a business group to contend with. But again, judging by how Janesville voters previously dealt with scandal and deception, y'all may as well take a long nap till the next election.

View Rock County Election Results for 4/7/15 here.

Community Quotes #5

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On Janesville School District:
✦ The Gazette's hit and run job on the Janesville school district candidate to damage her reputation should have been expected considering Sodemann's epic fail searching her county emails for democrats. They always double-down and go ballistic after an embarrassment.

✦ If you look at the Board and you look at what Superintendent Schulte has been doing . . . her agenda is the corporate education reform agenda. They want to turn education into an assembly line. They want to treat teachers as if they are factory workers and judge them based on their production and that's not how education should be.

On Partisanship?
✦ Hilarious reading the Sunday Gazette editorial about partisanship in local races without one word that Bill Sodemanns' despicable witch hunt (including their own) for partisan involvement in a candidate's campaign ...turned up empty. You want lessons in partisanship? Just watch the Gazette, they drive the local partisans clown car.

✦ If you think the local labor union is partisan because they only have signs of certain candidates for school board and city council on their lawn when these are supposed to be nonpartisan races, but the Gazette endorsement lineup banner and recommended ballot for write-in candidates of certain candidates when these are supposed to be nonpartisan races - is NOT partisan - you might need lessons in your "despicable."

Ever wonder:
✦ Ever wonder why Eric Levitt, Jay Winzenz or Vic Grassman are gone while Otterstein, Arft (retiring) and Karen Schulte are still hanging around and Army Colonel Freitag was anointed Janesville City manager?

✦ Ever wonder why a candidate for local office would announce their support (without being asked) for a special interest group like Forward Janesville during their candidacy statements? Pro tip: Candidates should tread lightly when alluding to those who support them, and almost never mention groups THEY support. Afterall, who's the candidate seeking support for office? If Forward Janesville is so good then, I'll write them on the ballot instead, since you endorsed them.

✦ Ever wonder why Forward Janesville does not endorse candidates when they are the most politically active special interest group in Janesville? Hearing candidates endorse them however is pandering and pathetic. I won't vote for those candidates no matter how "progressive" they think they are.

On the Janesville Gazette:
✦ The self-described democrat liberal progressives staffing the Janesville Gazette endorsed chokemeister David Prosser in 2011, Scott Walker three times and now James Daley for State Supreme Court. LOL

✦ The Gazette recently went through some major changes including a new editor. If you thought they were a newspaper of paycheck apologists covering for GOP partisan hacks before, read their paper now. Exactly the same but without the apologists. They should just rename it "GOP Rock County Central" and be done with the lame masquerade.

✦The GOPzette wants a progressive community for their own back yard but not at the state level and certainly not on the local school board. They want progressives only on the city council because they know tea party types want no part of Forward Janesville's local tax-jacking agenda and wild spending ideas, while progressives tend to cave on amenities. Local Progressives are missing the signals of this campaign. They're being used. The WMC-GOPzette however can never cut enough from the state and the public school system. That's where they want conservatives.

On Council Candidates:
✦ The Walker-loving Janesville Gazette just put the kiss of death on four city council candidates with their endorsement of Marklein, Liebert, Tidwell and Williams. But since there are only six candidates for four seats, at least two will make the cut.

✦ Judging by the Gazette's endorsement editorial, they are extremely high on and apologetic for good 'ol boy Doug Marklein.

✦ If you're voting anti-incumbent, you'll want to avoid Liebert and Marklein.

✦ When you think about it, there is little difference between council incumbents Sam Liebert and Doug Marklein on their positions and council votes ...except on one major issue - public campaign financing and by extension, Citizens United. Liebert sponsored introducing a modest public campaign financing system for local office and it went opposed by the council, including Marklein. Liebert also sponsored a Citizens United council discussion for a non-binding referendum. That also was rejected, but by a different (earlier) council. If you're looking for a degree of separation between the two, that is it.

✦ When a politician says he's a defender of the taxpayer, yet opposes public campaign financing with low strict caps, but is OK with special interests throwing unlimited money into their campaign - is the moment you know they stink really bad.

From the candidate forums:
✦ Recently, I watched several Janesville candidate forums for local offices and heard a few candidates state how much they "love" Janesville, with some directly implying other candidates do not. Shame on them for deliberately casting such nasty dispersions on their neighbors simply because they don't agree with them. SMH

✦ Funny hearing council candidates talk about the importance of listening to those with different ideas and embracing diversity, while treating one candidate with noticeable indifference. Apparently, it's not that "diversity" they mean.

On Election Day:
✦ Has anyone ever heard of a congressman holding town hall meetings on Election Day Tuesday? Paul Ryan is. He'll be in Dousman and Mukwonago.

On Supreme Court Candidate:
✦ Judge James Daley of Rock County, a candidate for State Supreme Court, claimed himself a DEFENDANT not a plaintiff, in the Scott Walker/Club For Growth John Doe II dark money/coordination scandal. Chew on that one.

Boycott Worked Persuading Indiana To Change Law

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The GOP-majority Indiana state legislature did something republican legislators in Wisconsin would consider unthinkable. They "scrambled" to change a carefully engineered right-wing law designed to provide government sanction for discrimination under the umbrella of religious freedom, and did it in less than a week's time.

Granted, supporters of Indiana's so-called religious freedom RFRA law are laughably claiming Gov. Pence sold out, while those on the other side are saying it wasn't enough, that the law should be repealed. Regardless of my view on the law, one thing is certain. The risk posed by a state-wide boycott, particularly when a few big businesses got involved, was too much for the single-party ruled state to ignore.

Even if it meant fixing the law with damage-control lip service to appease the backlash like Indiana appears to have successfully done. Now juxtapose that with the last five years in Wisconsin where dozens of amendments by democrats to fix bad legislation were flushed down the toilet, and where petition after petition and tens of thousands of Wisconsinites protested their hearts out only to be completely ignored. Nothing moved Wisconsin legislators to change course, much less to consider even a minor fix.

But the specter of a boycott taking off on social media, without one protest, march, paid lobbyist or petition was enough to move the needle in Indiana and Arkansas, and THAT is what counts. Maybe not exactly in the direction to bring true reform or compromise (how do you compromise the 1st Amendment?), but enough to change course and expose inconsistencies in expected future wrong-headed policy.

Once more. Beyond the huge problems left in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby and Citizens United decisions, in a time when mountains of private money can smother voices and buy elected public officials operating in permanent campaign mode, this needs to be hammered home: Bad policies and bad politicians force boycotts.

Labor unions and grassroots - learn the lesson, take notice and proceed. But with due diligence.