What the wingnuts miss about the Lockerbie guy

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Thursday August 20, 2009 · 1:33 PM PDT

2009/08/20 · 13:33

Today Scotland set free the terminally ill Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who had been convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103. The warrenterror wingnuts are, of course, up in arms that a man who has maybe weeks to live will be living those weeks with his family rather than in a jail cell. (Or gaol cell, as the case may be.)

folkbum

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Monday June 15, 2009 · 7:11 PM PDT

2009/06/15 · 19:11

x-posted from my hmbl blg

I can't believe we're back to this point again. It seems like every ten or fifteen years this book issue rolls around, and the socialists/ collectivists/ communists/ leftwingwackopinktardliberals are once again insisting on overhauling America's book system--the best book system in the world!--for no good reason.

OUR BOOK-DELIVERY SYSTEM IS NOT BROKEN--American advancements in technology keep improving it, in fact--and I don't want those big-government knuckleheads controlling what I can and cannot read! SAY NO TO SOCIALIZED READING!

folkbum

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Thursday April 02, 2009 · 8:28 PM PDT

2009/04/02 · 20:28

(mostly x-posted from my humble blog)

Some prologue: I am a teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools and a long-time critic of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the nation's oldest most-watched school voucher program. In the 20 years since the program began, there have been changes, mostly to make the program bigger. As it expanded, it became a magnet for abuse, as you might expect when the state is handing out free money to just about all comers.

The state's Department of Public Instruction has had, for many years, few options for dealing with bad schools. One of the most powerful involves paperwork--paperwork. DPI cannot shut down a voucher school for being bad, but if they miss a deadline--watch out!

Presently, some 20,000 of Milwaukee's 100,000 school-age children attend a private school on the taxpayers' dime. This diary is about 244 of them at one school.

folkbum

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Monday December 22, 2008 · 5:12 PM PST

2008/12/22 · 17:12

You guys just about had me convinced that by selecting Rick Warren to give the convocation at his inauguration, Obama was signaling that the gay and lesbian community that supported him would get nothing from his administration but a giant Bronx cheer.

So what's this?

folkbum

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Tuesday August 19, 2008 · 2:16 PM PDT

2008/08/19 · 14:16

I am a Democrat.

Most people in the country have no idea who I am, let alone what I stand for. My name may bring some vague bubbles of memory to mind, but I have not been well known on the national stage. The polling about my spot on the ticket has been a mixed bag. Some pundits think I will do well for the ticket; others are sure I will not help at all.

My home state is considered a swing state by some, but others believe it is safe and my place on the ticket won't make any difference. The position I will be leaving to serve as vice president--as I am sure that Barack Obama and I will be able to win in November over McCain--is a significant one, but my absence, and the person who will replace me, is not so vital that it precludes my running.

folkbum

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Tuesday April 01, 2008 · 3:08 AM PDT

2008/04/01 · 03:08

There may not be any primary contests today in the presidential race, but there is a key vote happening today in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin elects its state Supreme Court judges, and today the balance of power on the court is up for grabs. If you live in Wisconsin, you must head out to vote today, and you must vote to retain Justice Louis Butler over his scamp of a challenger, Michael Gableman.

Find your polling place and a sample ballot here--more below.

folkbum

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Tuesday February 05, 2008 · 3:56 AM PST

2008/02/05 · 03:56

I have been at dKos for more than five years now, and I find all your petty bickering about Clinton and Obama to be both embarrassing and nothing close to the fire-breathing hell-screeching hissy fits of the 2004 campaign. I look at the diaries nowadays and I think, jebus, I hope these kids get inside before they break curfew.

I feel old.

I have been pretty steadfastly adamant about not endorsing anyone during this primary season. This is in large part because I felt, for a long time, that when the time came to cast my vote on February 19, the Democratic Party would have its nominee. That's still possible, but it seems less and less likely, and, two weeks from now when I fight my way through the inevitable blizzard to vote (seriously--can the Midwest have a week sometime without 10 inches of snow?), I may have to make up my mind for someone.

I'll cross that bridge when I get there. In the meantime, let me assure my readers in states that vote today that they should make the right choice, and vote Democrat.

folkbum

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Sunday January 27, 2008 · 11:19 AM PST

2008/01/27 · 11:19

x-posted

I am the furthest thing from an expert on such matters, but I am noticing two trends related to the Democratic primary process so far.

The polls of primary states (New Hampshire, South Carolina) have been way off from actual results, while polls of caucus states (Iowa, Nevada) have been dead-on. This is the opposite of how things usually go.

The negative campaigning seems to be failing--and that may well be what has caused number one.

folkbum

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Monday June 11, 2007 · 1:21 PM PDT

2007/06/11 · 13:21

x-posted

Have you seen the YouTube going around of Michael Moore trashing George W. Bush? It's awesome. He is funny, straight to the point, and he pulls no punches. I mean, this is great stuff:

I present the following with no due respect, sir [. . .]

folkbum

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Tuesday April 24, 2007 · 4:22 AM PDT

2007/04/24 · 04:22

What do you get when you mix a non-partisan political website, about a dozen loud-mouthed commentators and bloggers, a retired news anchor, and free snacks?

You get the WisPolitics Blog Summit 2007, of course--a free (that's right! free!) event being held this Saturday at Marquette University's law school in Milwaukee, and featuring your humble folkbum as a panelist.

This is the second annual Blog Summit, after the very successful (80+ attendees!) 2006 version. It is not too late to register. Did I mention it's free?

And then join us for the after-party at Caffrey's down the street from the event (not sponsored by WisPolitics).

The full agenda is below the fold.

Poll

9 votes Show Results

Are you going to the Blog Summit?

9 votes Vote Now!

Are you going to the Blog Summit?

Yes

3 votes

0 votes

Maybe

0 votes

Will there be strippers?

6 votes

Only to the after-party

0 votes

Pie!

0 votes

Who shot who in the what now?

0 votes

Saving Wisconsin's SeniorCare--and what you can do

folkbum

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Monday March 19, 2007 · 4:36 AM PDT

2007/03/19 · 04:36

x-posted.

Thursday afternoon I had the chance to do a "blogger conference call" with Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton. The topic was Wisconsin's SeniorCare program, which is not exactly my usual issue. But these blogger conference calls so seldom get scheduled for a time when I can actually do them, I wanted to Reward Good Behavior and do the call.

Anyway, if you're not familiar with the deal, Wisconsin has the, as in sole and only, alternative supplemental drug coverage program for seniors anywhere in the country--alternative to Medicare Part D, that is. Medicare Part D is probably the single biggest domestic boondoggle initiated by the Bush Administration, and, things being what they are, that's an incredibly damning assessment.

But Wisconsin's got something a little different, offering better coverage for seniors' prescription drugs for about half the cost. But our waiver to do SeniorCare, in lieu of Medicare Part D, expires on June 30. And there's a real fear that a new waiver won't be granted. This despite SeniorCare's clear advantage.

Poll

12 votes Show Results

What are you doing to save SeniorCare?

12 votes Vote Now!

What are you doing to save SeniorCare?

Calling my Congresscritter

6 votes

Calling Mike Leavitt

4 votes

Using my clout as former HHS Secretary and current presidential candidate to pressure Bush (Tommy Thompson only)

1 vote

Sending this diary to all my friends in Wisconsin

1 vote

Nothing . . . yet

0 votes

Guess Who's Coming to Drinking Liberally? (Milwaukee-style!)

folkbum

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 28, 2007 · 2:08 PM PST

2007/02/28 · 14:08

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett:

The Mayor is scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28. Please show up early if you can. His office said the Mayor will discuss "the State of the City" with us. You can read his 2007 State of the City speech here, and please bring your questions for him as well.

Drinking Liberally is Milwaukee's social club for folks of the liberal persuasion. There's no cover charge or membership fee (although voluntary donations to help the national organization offset their costs are gratefully accepted!). People of all stripes come together at Drinking Liberally for a lively evening of socializing and social lubricant.

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What the wingnuts miss about the Lockerbie guy

On books: We don't need a public option!!!!!

"Children were getting their arms bent as far up their backs as they could go"

Wait, I thought Obama hates the gays now. What's up with this?

I am Barack Obama's Running Mate

No Fooling: Wisconsinites Need to Vote Today

Have a Super Tuesday: Vote Democrat

Are we seeing the death of negative campaigning?

Michael Moore rips Bush: You've got to watch this! Funnnn-eeeee!

WisPolitics.com Blog Summit 2007

Saving Wisconsin's SeniorCare--and what you can do

Guess Who's Coming to Drinking Liberally? (Milwaukee-style!)