Views on News, wispundits • February 22nd, 2011

The real Scott Walker

by Chris Lato

I was wondering when this was going to happen. This seems to be the ideal time for the GOP to run a whole lot of legislation through the Senate unimpeded. And now there’s talk of layoffs too. 

One larger question: has the Wisconsin Left found its ‘Obamacare’ – that is to say, the issue they can use as a rallying cry to drive supporters to the polls? How much of what has happened in Madison over the past week is true, grassroots reaction to Walker’s bill? Some GOP legislators may have something to worry about. Republicans in the more purple areas of the state are very likely vulnerable to recalls.

more »

No Comments »

Views on News, wispundits • April 29th, 2009

Specter switches

by Chris Lato

I know I have been long overdue in writing something….it’s been a busy stretch lately, thankfully. But when Arlen Specter pulled an utterly cynical move to expand his own power base and advance his political career, handing Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate (assuming an Al Franken win in Minnesota is finalized sometime this decade) and a free pass to do whatever it wants…well, I had to speak up.

I am not typically a fan of party-jumpers, as my comments not too long ago about Libertarian-turned-Republican-turned-whatever State Rep. Jeff Wood will prove. For every party-jumper who claims to be ‘taking a principled stand,’ dig a little deeper and you will typically find opportunistic reasons for the switch. And Specter’s move is particularly craven. It is difficult to pin down the areas where Specter has had political courage to stand on principles. As one Specter staffer anonymously admitted about the switch, “It is all about him.”

So what else is new? Isn’t self-preservation what most politicians care about? Maybe so, but Specter is an exceptionally vivid example of a career politician - a onetime Democrat who jumped over to the GOP in the past when it became clear he couldn’t win as a Dem. He’s now jumping back because polling indicates he can’t win re-election next year as a Republican.

What’s particularly galling is that Specter himself warned against giving one party too much power just a few months ago, in explaining why he was going to stay a Republican. How can Specter’s constituents trust anything that comes out of his mouth? He effectively disillusions Republicans, while Democrats can rightly argue that Specter is not truly one of their own. The middle is left to wonder whether Specter is going to wear his red tie or his blue tie depending on which way the wind is blowing that day.

Specter really wants to hold onto his job and has proven he’s willing to pay any price. And after 29 years in the US Senate, politicians like Arlen Specter are poster boys for a term limits movement.

No Comments »

Views on News, wispundits • February 19th, 2009

Raiding the penny jar

by Chris Lato

Interesting. Gov. Doyle is proposing to get rid of the state’s film tax credit program.

Gov. Doyle may be stinging from the criticism of the tax credits, which brought the upcoming Christian Bale/Johnny Depp flick “Public Enemies” to Wisconsin for filming in 2008. After all, critics - including the state Commerce Department - questioned whether the big tax breaks were worth the resulting economic bump.

Doyle may also be smacking his lite guv down a notch after Barbara Lawton after she stepped into the limelight with very vocal public support of the film tax credits.  

more »

Comment (1) »

Views on News, wispundits • December 18th, 2008

Enabling the enablers

by Chris Lato

Recently, the Journal Sentinel ran a big series on Wisconsin’s culture of alcohol and the resulting devastation on our roadways. In an editorial, the paper calls for tougher penalties including making at least a third OWI a felony. They call out legislators as ‘enablers’ who support the culture of drinking to excess.

Then, this week one of the editors suggests Rep. Jeff Wood, who has a history of drunk driving and was caught last week, loaded and urinating on the side of the road with two baggies of pot and a pipe on his person, should hang around the Legislature and push for anti drunk-driving legislation.

more »

No Comments »

Views on News, wispundits • December 5th, 2008

Week in review

by Chris Lato

In lieu of fresh bloggy goodness today, I’d ask that you check out my appearance this morning on Wisconsin Public Radio’s ‘Week in Review,’ hosted by Joy Cardin. As always, a pleasure to appear.

One question, though – unfortunately, the discussion about the Brittany Zimmermann murder and the Madison 9-1-1 system’s response to her call was cut short. I will plug the latest column by Bill Lueders, who was my friendly opposition on Joy’s program today. Hats off to Isthmus for staying on this story.

I am curious to know more about just how difficult it is to get rid of the ‘bad apples’ that are contributing to the problems at the 9-1-1 center – whether it is the union, general mismanagement, or whatever. I guess that will have to be a conversation for another time.

No Comments »

wispundits • December 1st, 2008

‘Tis the season…to say no

by Chris Lato

Here’s a fascinating piece just in time for the holiday shopping season about how parents and advocacy groups are blaming marketing for having to say ‘no’ when their kids want the biggest, priciest toys for Christmas.  

So what else is new?

Is it sometimes hard to say no to kids? Anyone who has kids will say ‘of course.’ My daughter has too many Build-A-Bears and Barbie dolls as it is.  I get suckered into stuff regularly despite my pledge that I won’t get fooled again. But isn’t it the job of a parent to establish boundaries, to help kids understand that they can’t always get what they want?

 I’m starting to quote a lot of classic song titles here but you get the picture.

more »

No Comments »

Views on News, wispundits • November 26th, 2008

Random bits

by Chris Lato

With the holidays right around the corner, this l’il blog will be going dark for a few days as I venture off to spend some quality time with the family.

But before I go, a couple little tidbits…

I’m late to the party on this one, but holy cow. The stuff being unearthed about spending at MPS will make your head hurt.  It makes one wonder how, in difficult economic times and with Milwaukee Democrats shut out of legislative leadership positions, whether this is going to be a real showdown in Madison in the coming weeks. I don’t know exactly how MPS can spin its way out of the massive pile of bad press it’s been getting. Something’s gotta give.

Man, the Cap Times has it in for Wisconsin’s newest Supreme Court Justice. The author seems to forget that when it comes to McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, groups on both sides of the political aisle were not fans of the law.

Was letting Brett Favre go to the Jets a mistake? After how things played out this week for the Pack and the Jets, it’s getting harder to argue that it wasn’t…despite the fact that Favre’s conduct surrounding the whole will-he-stay-or-will-he-go mess was thoroughly unbecoming.

Still, wins are wins. It is up to Packers management to make decisions that will win games. And right now, things aren’t looking promising for the Pack.

And, last but certainly not least, a colleague has a baby daughter hospitalized and struggling right now. Our thoughts are with him and his family – you can read more about it here.

No Comments »

Views on News, wispundits • November 24th, 2008

Did ‘Public Enemies’ rob Wisconsin?

by Chris Lato

Hollywood comes to Wisconsin and takes the Badger State for a ride.

At least that’s the sound of it from this Associated Press story, which contends that in hard dollars, the recent film ‘Public Enemies’ spent just slightly more than it saved in tax breaks when filming in Wisconsin this year.

Others are taking issue with that assessment, arguing the residual impact on tourism and national attention on Wisconsin was worth the effort.

more »

Comments (2) »

Views on News, wispundits • November 14th, 2008

Freaky Friday

by Chris Lato

Gov. Doyle got a call from the Obama team? Shocker! I trust we’ll be hearing a lot more about what was discussed, and how Doyle is (or isn’t) preparing for a potential Washington move in the days to come. I’ve been saying all along that if I was a bettin’ man, I’d put money down that the guv is heading east, but time will tell.

Milwaukee represents…on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, that is. We’ll see whether that is enough to address concern that Milwaukee will not get its due in the upcoming legislative session.

Dan Shelley vs. WTMJ. This is fascinating on so many levels.

more »

Comment (1) »

Leadership, Messaging, Strategic Blueprints, Views on News, wispundits • November 13th, 2008

Let the turf war begin

by Chris Lato

Interesting stuff...the first real sign that as Democrats take over the Legislature, it’s still going to be a bumpy ride.

Locking Milwaukee lawmakers out of leadership roles sends a message, suggesting that it will be a Milwaukee vs. the-rest-of-Wisconsin session as the new majority grapples with a multi-billion-dollar budget hole.  

The Assembly Speaker will be Mike Sheridan, a rep from Janesville who used to be a UAW president. Other Dem Assembly leaders come from Kaukauna and Wausau.

more »

Comment (1) »