Terrence Wall’s Shameless Lies About Feingold’s Senate Record

Terrence Wall, Republican candidate for Senate made all sorts of false and outrageous claims about Senator Russ Feingold in a recent WisPolitics interview. Wall won’t officially kick off his campaign until late January or early February, but in the interview he comes out swinging with the cheap shots.

Wall attacks Feingold as being “Dr. No”  on Afghanistan, alleging Feingold has done nothing in the realm of creating an exit strategy. Wall questions;

“Where is his positive suggestions, where his proactive approach to creating an exit strategy…what has he actually done to help resolve it? I’m not aware of anything.”

Your ignorance will get you nowhere Mr. Wall.

In the Wall Street Journal Sen. Feingold proposed a flexible timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan, while sustaining targeted strikes on Taliban and al Qaeda leaders. The timetable includes pursuit of diplomatic efforts that incorporate all countries in the region.

Wall actually revives the domino theory when he posits a US troop withdrawal leading to al Qaeda and Taliban control of Afghanistan spreads to Pakistan’s government, and Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. Wall also accuses Feingold of failing to use his status as a Senator to assess the conflict.

During an April 2009 Foreign Relations Committee hearing Feingold questioned retired Army colonel Andrew Bacevich, who acknowledged an escalation of forces may be more destabilizing to Pakistan, driving Afghan militants across the Pakistani border.

Wall also questions Feingold’s independence claiming;

“He votes exactly how Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership tell him to vote. He’s not the independent he claims to be.”

Really? Only 9% of the Senate votes against the majority of their party more than Russ Feingold. Not to mention that Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House…

But Wall’s most outrageous statement in the interview by far is;

“After eighteen years…what has [Feingold] done for Wisconsin? If you can identify anything let me know.”

How about protecting our civil liberties, ensuring proper care for our veterans, reducing wasteful government spending, supporting our law-enforcement officers, and preserving the family farm? Not to mention visiting each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties to hold a listening session once a year, every year, since 1993.

Terrence Wall — In your attempt to characterize Russ Feingold as a do-nothing, constituent-ignorant, rubber-stamp for Dem leadership you have instead exposed yourself for the “too-lazy-to-research and when-facts-are-inconvienent-lie” hack you are. If the interview was any indication of your approach to campaigning, save yourself some money and embarrassment, Wisconsinites will see right through the lies.

Pretty Important…On Liberty (and Conservative Manifestos)

WisOpinion (check out the new layout) tipped me off to a Richard Esenberg piece for the Wisconsin Promulgation of Republican Interests. Considering the battle for the soul of the Republican party, the article reads like a conservative manifesto.

As expected from a modern conservative manifesto, measurable hypocrisy is present;

“No single individual or organization can ever know enough or be trusted to recognize and to impose the conditions for the good life.”

Yet the Republican party has no problem executing individuals. The GOP supports a judicial system presuming to “know enough” to pass judgment rescinding the first unalienable right from the Declaration of Independence, life.

The American military, under a Republican commander-in-chief,  was directed to impose the “good life” in two formerly sovereign nations. Unfortunately at great cost to that first unalienable right of American soldiers, I might add (and to be fair Democrats are not off the hook in this mess).

I believe the government needs to do something about health care because of those unalienable rights. One cannot have life or liberty, much less the opportunity to pursue happiness, without health. Esenberg echoes my sentiments;

“The role of the state is to do only those things individuals and private organizations cannot do.”

With far too many citizens failing to receive necessary care, it is clear voluntary associations, from the times of Tocqueville to Esenberg, have failed. In defense of life and liberty, the government must step in.

I’m a liberal, and I’m all for limited government. Out of the uterus, out of the bedroom. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Out of the drug war too. All I desire from my government is just enough regulation to keep me from harm.

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Pardon the likening of conservatives and Republicans. Esenberg makes little distinction, nor do I.

How the GOP Can Defeat Russ Feingold

Tommy Thompson is enjoying the attention he’s receiving by considering a Senate run but he doesn’t want to damage his political legacy by losing a race to Feingold. With the health-care debate, Tommy prefers to enjoy his renewed relevance.

That leaves Terrence Wall as the feasible GOP candidate. Wall doesn’t have much to run on.  He’s been throwing his political ideology around with a monthly column for In Business since long before he announced his bid for the Republican nomination. I’ve been reading it. What have I learned?

You can trust a businessman, but politicians don’t even trust themselves. Businessmen trust others “because they themselves are trustworthy, so they project that trust onto others…politicians don’t trust business people, because many of them see themselves as being untrustworthy.”

On the topic of business, Wall doesn’t care about the small ones.  In April he chastised Doyle for “trying to tax the profits of out of state branches of businesses headquartered in Wisconsin.” This component of the state budget passed. Now small businesses that cannot afford a mailbox and a receptionist in Delaware (like Wall’s) no longer bear the tax burden of larger businesses that can.

Wall is a fearmonger. He misrepresents the health-care debate, attempting to frighten people with his experiences in France. Of course none of the health-care bills in Congress were remotely similar to the government run health-care system in France. So? Wall doesn’t mind using scare tactics to maintain the “excellent care that 85% of us already receive.”

Wall is fond of accusing Democrats of raising taxes, “causing businesses to collapse and stop creating new jobs.” Feingold recently proposed a jobs tax credit for employers hiring, expanding hours or raising pay.

How are Republicans going to beat a tax cutting, deficit reducing, bipartisan working, health care supporting Wisconsin legend?

They better convince us he’s a Bears fan.

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The GOP thanks Tim for the photoshop real picture.  Now to spread the news…

Links on Health Care and the Kennedys, Bachmann and MATC Part-time Faculty

With the health care debate moving to the Senate floor, a NY Times blog has a piece on Ted Kennedy’s widow and what the bill would mean to Ted. Meanwhile Kennedy’s son Patrick claims a Catholic bishop has prohibited him from receiving communion over his public support of abortion rights.

The MATC part-time faculty now has a twitter account to keep you updated on their quest for more equitable pay disbursement.

Democurmudgeon tipped me off to an interesting City Pages article about Michele Bachmann, my favorite fellow Winona State University alum. The article definitely highlights her wackiness, but without going overboard MSNBC-style, making her a conservative martyr.

Ed Garvey on WPR and New “That’s Debatable” on WisOpinion

Ed Garvey, editor of FightingBob.com and PI favorite was on The Week in Review with Joy Cardin this morning (Nov 20, 8am). Unfortunately you need Real Player to listen, hopefully WPR moves out of the 90′s in terms of audio technology in the future.

WisOpinion has a new “That’s Debatable” on the federal stimulus bill. I love these, check it out.

Good luck deer hunters. And send me some venison, I’m hungry.

Taxes Aren’t Killing Wisconsin, but Brett Davis is Trying

Not that “Wisconsin-taxes-are-too-high-and-killing-business” wasn’t a popular talking point from the right before the Pew Center Report, but its all over now. A Journal-Sentinel blog (always a beacon of intelligent thought) laments our tax burden and fleeing businesses. Perhaps the author missed Republic Airlines relocating 800 jobs to Milwaukee?

Wisconsin has some budgetary problems, no doubt, and the fed money isn’t going to be there next time around. Thankfully we’ve got legislators with no shortage of brilliant ideas.

Lieutenant Governor candidate Brett Davis wants the DOT to stop printing maps for free distribution at WI visitor centers. Democurmudgeon points out that telling tourists to “get lost” might not be the best idea for the state.

Davis has another bad idea to offer the state, zero-based budgeting. Davis (and Leah Vukmir, current rep and aspiring senator) wants state agencies to justify each component of their budget, instead of “cost-to-continue” being assumed each budget cycle.

Jimmy Carter implemented a version of zero-based budgeting. The result was excessive amounts of administrative time wasted justifying each line in a budget, much of which couldn’t be removed (entitlements, etc). Ronald Reagan ended the practice shortly after taking office.

Davis is 0-2 for good ideas solving Wisconsin’s budget problems. Anyone care to place a bet on the Lt. Gov race?

President’s Bow Leads To End Of America

Feingold: He’s Got a Lotta Money

In his campaign chest, that is. The Journal-Sentinel discussed Russ Feingold’s campaign finances in an article yesterday, noting the three-term Democrat is raising and spending money at a furious pace.

In typical, classy Feingold fashion the campaign is building grassroots support through small donors. One must spend money to make money, collecting small donations is expensive, but ensures a clean election and legislative process.

The article briefly comments on Republican assertions of Feingold’s heavy fundraising being due to concerns over reelection prospects, an expected political jab. The attacks continue from likely Feingold opponent Terrence Wall;

“Liberals like Russ Feingold continue to support spending that’s going to place this country in financial trouble,” said Wall, who argues that there are too many lawyers and career politicians in Washington.”

To give the JS credit, the next paragraph acknowledges Feingold’s budget-reducing Control Spending Act, aimed at reducing wasteful federal spending. Wall conveniently ignores the fact so he doesn’t have to stray from the usual “liberals-taxing-and-spending” GOP rhetoric.

Republican Party of Wisconsin stuntman Mark Jefferson characterizes Feingold as an “opportunistic politician who tries to cast himself as a maverick but sides with his party on a majority of votes.” This from the executive director of a political party, which by definition organizes candidates and legislators for strength in numbers to advance an agenda.

I bet Jefferson has never disparaged Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner for siding with his party on 90.3% of House votes. Compare that to Feingold’s 76.7%. No judgment is passed on the basis of a legislator voting with their party, only on Jefferson’s hypocrisy and sheer stupidity selecting the member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation who votes with their party the least.

That’s the RPW for you… Go get ‘em Russ.

Barrett’s Reasonable Positions on Gun Control Will Appeal to Wisconsin Voters

Jill at Liberty’s Logic posted Monday emphasizing Tom Barrett’s reasonable positions on guns and gun control, as evidenced by America’s 1st Freedom, a publication from the National Rifle Association.

That’s how I interpreted the post, though the author was going for a “Barrett-hates-the-second-amendment-and-wants-your-guns” characterization of the candidate for Governor. How so?

Barrett supports a law to;

Require felons to stay 1,000 feet from gun stores, shooting ranges and gun shows, and … declare “straw buying” of guns to be a felony and failure to report stolen guns a crime.

Why the law? I would assume after one gun store being traced as the supplier (through straw buys) of all guns used to wound Milwaukee police officers in the last two years, Barrett wanted to prevent future shootings. Not so, according to the NRA;

“Barrett is exploiting the two fatal shootings of Milwaukee law enforcement officers … to push his own anti-gun agenda.”

Barrett is active in Mayors Against Illegal Guns a group with a mission of “preventing criminals from illegally obtaining guns and using them” and “support[ing] the Second Amendment and the rights of citizens to own guns.”

With the statement:

“Even though Barrett himself was attacked and beaten with a metal pipe last August, which he is still recovering from, he does not support concealed carry in Wisconsin.”

The author implies Barrett’s reaction as a victim should be to arm himself.

Barrett’s continued opposition to concealed carry in light of the attack only bolsters his position. The Violence Policy Center’s recently released numbers of people killed by permit holders with legally concealed handguns reinforces the point.

Like Barrett, I fully believe in the right of private citizens to own firearms. I know laws won’t prevent every criminal that wants a gun from getting a gun. On a controversial subject Barrett strikes a reasonable balance, while the NRA takes an extreme position, putting the public in danger.

This match goes to Barrett.

Waiting Until November to Announce a Run Good for Barrett’s Campaign

Barrett announces he is in the race, and Republicans start slinging mud. Anyone surprised?

The Walker campaign hit first, charging “Tom the Taxer” with being a spend-happy Doyle Jr.

The Republican National Committee insults Wisconsin’s economy but doesn’t say much else.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin, in addition to the usual tax rhetoric, insinuates Barrett doesn’t really want to run for governor.

The “Doyle-as-reluctant-candidate” attack has been popular among the right. Republicans claim that Barrett waiting until a year before the election to declare his candidacy shows the Mayor isn’t really up for the job. Neumann and Walker have been at it for months, why didn’t Barrett enter the race earlier?

Immediately after Barrett declared himself a candidate, the Republican attacks began. Had Barrett announced his candidacy six months ago, six months of attacks would have been levied by GOP opponents. Barrett would have spent six months campaigning instead of governing, adversely affecting the citizens of Milwaukee.

More on governing…

A Journal-Sentinel article questions what an all-Milwaukee race would mean for governing in Milwaukee:

Patrick Curley, Barrett’s chief of staff, and Mordecai Lee, professor of governmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said they don’t expect either Barrett or Walker would let politics interfere with the relationship between the city and the county. Walker campaign spokeswoman Jill Bader said Walker’s governing style wouldn’t change.

True, as Walker has been running Milwaukee county like a candidate for governor for some time. Take yesterday’s effective veto of domestic partner benefits. Walker has the Republican base to consider in the primary, he can’t do anything that could be construed as supporting gay rights.

Barrett has plenty of time to convince the citizens of Wisconsin he is the best candidate for governor. Between that, taking care of Milwaukee and ducking the mud from Walker and RPW stuntmen Jefferson and Priebus  he’ll have his hands full. Good luck Mr. Mayor.