Mar 19, 2007Doyle touts projects benefiting Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle touted more than $13 million in proposals that he said Monday would support research, improve health and increase economic development in Milwaukee.
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Mar 8, 2007Baldwin's Web site named one of best
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Tammy Baldwin's congressional Web site was honored today by the Congressional Management Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan management consulting and research organization in Washington, D.C., for being one of the best in Congress.
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Feb 28, 2007Lawmaker petitions to save SeniorCare
MADISON — People who like the state's SeniorCare program have a chance to tell the federal government it's worth saving.
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Feb 23, 2007Obey outlines new domestic budget for ‘07
Health care, higher education, medical research and the war on Iraq took center stage in Seventh District U.S. Rep. Dave Obey's (D-WI) presentation Wednesday at Nicolet College.
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Feb 23, 2007Feingold: Presidency in reach for blacks, women
The United States is ready for either a black president or a female president, Sen. Russ Feingold said Thursday, but he's not necessarily endorsing the candidates that fit those descriptions — yet.
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Feb 23, 2007Lawmaker gets message: War major concern
DAYTON — U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said Thursday he shares some constituents' concerns that the Bush administration would bypass Congress to launch military action against Iran, broadening an already unpopular war.
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Feb 20, 2007Obey discusses Iraq war during visit to UWMC
About 50 people sat in the University of Wisconsin Marathon County dining room Monday to hear U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, discuss issues including the war in Iraq.
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Feb 19, 2007New co-op to provide insurance to farmers
More than three years after state officials passed legislation designed to help lower health- care costs for agriculture producers, a health insurance cooperative has been established to cover individual Wisconsin farmers as one group.
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Feb 18, 2007Doyle: End limit on teachers' pay
For the third straight time Gov. Jim Doyle has called for eliminating a controversial limit on teacher compensation in his two-year state budget proposal.
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Feb 15, 2007Kaplan: Feingold pushes to end war
Sen. Feingold has introduced legislation to "prohibit the use of funds to continue the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq six months after enactment". Hopefully, Feingold will continue to be open to other bills opposing escalation.
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Feb 15, 2007Editorial: Baldwin's war wisdom
Four years into a war that should never have been fought, a nonbinding gripe from Congress is not enough. To her credit, Tammy Baldwin recognizes this fact.
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Feb 15, 2007Doyle wants to increase state land purchases
HALLIE — Gov. Jim Doyle is proposing a major increase in funding for the state’s Stewardship program, a state bonding program for the purchase of wild lands, going from the present $60 million per year to $105 million per year.
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Feb 15, 2007Doyle seeks land funds
Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal to provide more funding for a state land purchase program will heap an estimated $1.6 billion in new costs on taxpayers in the next 10 years of the initiative.
The spending represents a dramatic increase in the size of a popular program that has helped protect more...
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Feb 14, 2007Editorial: Doyle takes us forward
Wisconsin's motto is "Forward." And, despite the wrongheaded efforts of conservative legislators to turn their petty bigotry into public policy, Gov. Jim Doyle has chosen to keep Wisconsin in step with forward-thinking states on the question of how to treat same-sex couples.
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Feb 13, 2007Doyle pushes affordable education at UWGB stop
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student Erin Stache on Monday praised Gov. Jim Doyle's pledge to make college more affordable to lower-income families and first-generation students.
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Feb 12, 2007Doyle wants tax on oil companies
Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle will unveil a tax on oil companies on Tuesday but will bar the firms from passing it on to consumers.
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Feb 11, 2007Obama Declares His Candidacy
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 10, 2007 — - Standing outside the Historic Old State Capitol building where Abraham Lincoln gave a famous speech condemning slavery and calling for the United States to unite, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a 45-year-old with two years of federal legislative experience under...
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Feb 11, 2007Doyle budget expands classes for 4-year-olds
From pregnant mothers to the elderly, Gov. Jim Doyle is proposing more than $120 million in new spending to help the state's most vulnerable residents.
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Feb 10, 2007Governor Doyle seeks partner benefits
Gov. Jim Doyle will propose offering group health insurance benefits to domestic partners of all state employees - including University of Wisconsin faculty and staff - when he presents his 2007-09 state budget to lawmakers next week.
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Feb 10, 2007School money in budget
Gov. Jim Doyle will maintain in his upcoming budget proposal the state's commitment to funding two-thirds of the cost of public schools - the state's single biggest expenditure and the largest source of revenue for most schools, a Doyle spokesman confirmed Friday.
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Feb 8, 2007Doyle announces multimillion plan to invest in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - Gov. Jim Doyle announced a strategy Wednesday to improve Milwaukee's schools, law enforcement and infrastructure as part of a multimillion dollar initiative to make the state's largest city Wisconsin's economic hub.
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Feb 8, 2007Doyle unveils $80 million in initiatives to help Milwaukee
Gov. Jim Doyle put a sharp focus Wednesday on Milwaukee, but the future of his wide-ranging plan to boost spending for the area will depend more on whether lawmakers from outside the area like what they see.
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Feb 7, 2007Doyle vows to increase aid
Gov. Jim Doyle announced Tuesday he will increase financial aid by $44 million in the state budget next week to support his Wisconsin Covenant program.
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Feb 7, 2007Doyle wants increase in student financial aid
FITCHBURG - When Gov. Jim Doyle asks eighth-graders to make a promise to complete high school, maintain at least a B average, take college preparatory classes and stay out of trouble in return for a college education, that's only half of the Wisconsin Covenant.
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Feb 7, 2007Governor calls for increased funding for local government
Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday called for increased funding for court services, child support collection, transportation and aid to municipalities during a Wisconsin Counties Association Annual Legislative Exchange.
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Feb 5, 2007Breakfast program may be on tap for schools
MADISON — Hilbert is one of dozens of area schools that doesn't offer a school breakfast program. It is considering joining the ranks that do.
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Feb 5, 2007Senator: Troops need to go
MERRIMAC — The United States should get most of its troops out of Iraq, and concentrate on Afghanistan where terrorist Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold said Saturday.
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Feb 4, 2007Feingold touts cut in Iraq funds
WYOCENA — A wind chill below zero Saturday did not deter U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold from fielding hot questions from constituents.
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Feb 4, 2007Democratic candidates vow to end war
Washington - One after another, the Democratic Party's presidential hopefuls marched before a crowd of party officials and activists Friday and Saturday and promised to do everything they could to end the Iraq war.
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Feb 3, 2007Candidates strive to stand apart on Iraq
Washington - On the eve of a historic war debate in Congress, the Democratic Party's leading presidential contenders provided a vivid display Friday of their own differences over how to get out of Iraq.
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Feb 2, 2007Doyle talks terms with students on college aid
College has always been in the future for 14-year-old Shaunte Needham, but it could become even more of a reality for the eighth-grader with some financial help.
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Feb 1, 2007Doyle: Stem cell policy untenable
Washington - Gov. Jim Doyle met with Democratic lawmakers Wednesday to push for expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, an issue on which Congress and the White House appear headed for another standoff.
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Feb 1, 2007Doyle: Stem cell policy untenable
Washington - Gov. Jim Doyle met with Democratic lawmakers Wednesday to push for expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, an issue on which Congress and the White House appear headed for another standoff.
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Feb 1, 2007Doyle calls on Congress to pass stem cell legislation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Declaring that the political debate is over, Gov. Jim Doyle is calling on Congress to pass legislation expanding government-financed embryonic stem cell research, despite President Bush's promise to veto it.
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Feb 1, 2007A New Day For Doyle
Gov. Jim Doyle proclaimed a "new day" for Wisconsin in his State of the State speech Tuesday night, but he could just as easily have been speaking of his own political fortunes.
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Feb 1, 2007Governor thinks big on health care
Proposals announced by Gov. Jim Doyle Tuesday amount to the biggest overhaul of the state's health-care safety net for poor children and families in more than a generation, experts said.
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Feb 1, 2007War hero gets State of the State recognition
MADISON-Ray Hubbard has never been one for the limelight, but he found himself in it again Tuesday night during Gov. Jim Doyle's State of the State address.
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Jan 31, 2007Health care for all, Doyle says
Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday called for reforms to provide affordable access to health care to nearly every Wisconsin resident and to retool the state's public colleges and universities with new investments.
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Jan 31, 2007Doyle, offers agenda for health care, UW System
Only hours after bipartisan votes for a sweeping ethics reform package Tuesday, Gov. Jim Doyle used his State of the State speech to reach out to Republicans and Democrats in a newly divided Legislature and propose perhaps his most ambitious agenda.
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Jan 31, 2007Senate shifts to anti-war tone
Washington - In yet another sign of how the political ground has shifted on Iraq, the U.S. Senate held a hearing Tuesday under the title "Exercising Congress's Constitutional Power to End a War." Presiding was arguably the most aggressively anti-war voice in the Senate, Wisconsin Democrat Russ...
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Jan 22, 2007Governor Doyle Lauds Lakeshore air
MADISON — Manitowoc County is among eight eastern Wisconsin counties that have attained cleaner air and deserve a new regulatory status, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Sunday.
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Jan 21, 2007N.M. Governor Enters White House Race
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A self-described underdog in the crowded 2008 presidential race, Democrat Bill Richardson begins the difficult task of proving he can raise enough money to be a serious contender for the party's nomination.
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Jan 18, 2007Editorial: Feingold, Kohl and generics
Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold have taken the lead, along with several other lawmakers, in promoting legislation that would prohibit brand-name drug manufacturers from using payoff agreements to keep cheaper generic equivalents off the market.
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Jan 18, 2007Baldwin bill gives states flexibility in health care
WASHINGTON - Rep. Tammy Baldwin and other lawmakers from both parties have unveiled legislation that would provide federal money to states that develop their own health care plans.
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Jan 18, 2007House slashes interest rates on student loans
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democrat-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to cut interest rates on need-based student loans Wednesday, steadily whittling its list of early legislative priorities.
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Jan 10, 2007Kagen appointed to Agriculture Committee
U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, will serve on the Agriculture Committee. A major responsibility of the Agriculture Committee in the 110th Congress is reauthorization of federal farm programs in the Farm Bill, Kagen’s office said in a news release.
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Jan 9, 2007Feingold, Obama push ethics package
WASHINGTON - Sen. Russ Feingold introduced legislation with Sen. Barack Obama on Monday to strengthen ethics laws for members of Congress, getting an early start as the new Democratic majority in the Senate takes up the issue.
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Jan 9, 2007Editorial: Kagen on right foot in Ryan rebuke
WASHINGTON - Newly elected U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, got off to a great start with his first speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.
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Jan 9, 2007Editorial: Risser sets U.S. mark
Congratulations are in order for Madison's own Fred Risser, who is now the longest serving active state legislator in the nation.
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Jan 8, 2007Risser's career aging well
Fred Risser jokes that he's been in the Wisconsin Legislature so long, the state is tearing down buildings that he voted to construct.
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Jan 7, 2007Steve Kagen column: Voters spoke, I listened; now it's back to basics
This past November, people voted for positive change and a new direction for our nation. As your Representative in the 110th Congress, I will be working hard to deliver the change we need, as we get back to basics and put partnership ahead of partisanship.
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Jan 7, 2007Assemblyman Andy Jorgensen sworn in at Madison
MADISON – Andy Jorgensen suspects some of his former classmates at Omro High School may have fallen off their chairs when he was sworn in last week in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
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Jan 6, 2007Editorial: A woman in charge
It is not just women who should feel more hopeful for a better future. When Pelosi replaced the lamentable Denny Hastert as speaker, all Americans had reason to feel more hopeful.
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Jan 6, 2007Kagen calls for fiscal discipline
WASHINGTON — Rep. Steve Kagen delivered his first speech Friday on the floor of the House of Representatives during the debate over two budget reforms Democrats say will help restore fiscal responsibility.
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Jan 6, 2007Madam Speaker: Pelosi First Female House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, 66, was sworn in Thursday as speaker of the House, becoming the highest-ranking woman in U.S. government in history. She jokes that she's cracked the "marble ceiling."
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Jan 5, 2007It's Ms. Speaker now
Washington - Nancy Pelosi made history Thursday, becoming the first woman to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives as the 110th Congress opened with Democrats newly in charge.
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Jan 5, 2007Rep. Kagen vows to be an independent voice
WASHINGTON — Moments after he was sworn in, U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen said he will not accept health insurance coverage he is entitled to as a federal employee.
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Jan 5, 2007Obey now in control of House Appropriations
WASHINGTON — Rep. David Obey showed visitors his new patio Thursday, a long balcony on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol with a commanding view of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.
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Jan 5, 2007Jubilant Democrats Assume Control on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 — In a day of transition and pageantry, exultant Democrats on Thursday took control of both houses of Congress for the first time in a dozen years and elected the first woman to be speaker of the House.
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Jan 4, 2007Kagen says Congress can do more than raise minimum wage
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep.-elect Steve Kagen said Wednesday that Democrats must do more to help working Americans than raise the minimum wage, one of their top early priorities upon taking over Congress.
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Jan 4, 2007Lehman joins Senate majority
MADISON - Four Democrats were sworn into the state Senate to begin serving their first terms on Wednesday - enough to give their party control of the chamber after four years in the minority.
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Jan 4, 2007Doyle Recalls Aaron Visit
Gov. Jim Doyle’s says his favorite day of last fall’s election campaign was his time spent in Eau Claire with his boyhood idol — baseball’s home run king Hank Aaron.
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Jan 3, 2007Doyle seeks health care for all children
Madison - In the first public speech of his second term, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle said "much more remains to be done for the hard-working families of Wisconsin," including making sure every child has health care.
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Jan 3, 2007Doyle: In Wisconsin "Every Child Can Be Great"
Citing goals like providing health care for every child in the state, ensuring access to post-high school education for hard-working students, and pursuing stem cell research and renewable energy resources, Gov. Jim Doyle focused firmly on the future as he took his second oath of office today in...
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Jan 3, 2007Doyle says technology, growth put state on right track
As Gov. Jim Doyle sees it, Wisconsin stands on the verge of a golden age in which legions of well-educated, tech-savvy workers will find high-paying jobs in the emerging fields of health care, high-tech manufacturing, biotechnology and alternative energy.
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Jan 3, 2007Doyle lists 'kids first' for his second term
MADISON — Education and health care are expected to be the focus of Gov. Jim Doyle's inaugural address today, according to a member of the governor's inaugural team.
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Jan 3, 2007Health care top Doyle priority
MADISON — Gov. Jim Doyle begins his second term today with a priority to expand health-care coverage in Wisconsin for children, working families and businesses.
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Jan 3, 2007Doyle’s priorities: funding education, healthcare
Gov. Jim Doyle put the emphasis on education and child healthcare during a stop in Superior today, part of a four-city tour leading up to his Wednesday inauguration. The tour also includes stops in Milwaukee, La Crosse and Beloit.
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Jan 2, 2007Editorial: Baldwin delivers
Luckily for the 2nd District's rural communities, we are represented in Congress by someone who delivers: Tammy Baldwin.
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Dec 18, 2006Kagen interview: healthcare, Iraq remain priorities
Congressman-elect Steve Kagen talked about challenges at home and abroad in an interview with Wisconsin Radio Network. The Appleton physician who'll represent northeastern Wisconsin in D.C. says health care reform remains a primary goal, including reform of Medicare Part-D.
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Dec 16, 2006Fair Wisconsin to stay in the fray
Though defeated at the polls, the statewide group that led the fight against Wisconsin's recently approved constitutional ban on gay marriage intends to build on its expanded statewide membership base and stay a force in Wisconsin politics.
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Dec 16, 2006Governor Doyle plans inaugural event in Beloit
After ringing in the new year, Stateline residents can mark their calendars for another celebration at the beginning of January. Gov. Jim Doyle has plans to be in Beloit on Jan. 2 for his 2007 inauguration.
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Dec 15, 2006Health care a hot topic at Feingold listening session
WRIGHTSTOWN - Health care prompted the most comments offered to U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold as he concluded his 1000th "every county, every year" listening session.
Nearly 50 people jammed the training room at the Village of Wrightstown Fire Station today to participate in the final session of...
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Dec 15, 2006Doyle, leading lawmakers agree on ethics overhaul
Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle and legislative leaders from both parties said Thursday that they backed an agreement for bipartisan ethics reform that the Legislature is to consider in a January special session.
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Dec 15, 2006Governor Doyle's inaugural events announced
Madison -- One Wisconsin. One Future. One Web site.
Gov. Jim Doyle's inaugural committee launched a Web site today for those who want to take part in the swearing-in ceremony, which will take place on Jan. 3. The website is www.inauguration2007.com.
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Dec 14, 2006Kagen's help wanted on wages, health care
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep.-elect Steve Kagen is being courted by organized labor to endorse proposals such as an increase in the minimum wage and universal health care coverage. For Kagen, an Appleton allergist, it's a no-brainer because both proposals are issues he supported during his campaign.
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Dec 14, 2006Shift in Congress could aid state farmers
The switch to Democratic control of Congress could give Wisconsin Holsteins a hoof up in the perpetual struggle over agriculture funding. ... Wisconsin farmers are happy to see the chairmanships of the Senate and House agriculture committees change from the South to the North with Sen. Tom Harkin...
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Dec 13, 2006Kind named to powerful panel
WASHINGTON, D.C. - When the new Congress meets in January, House Democrat Ron Kind will have a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and incoming Democrat Steven Kagen will take a place on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
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Dec 11, 2006Obama dips his toe deeper into presidential waters
Manchester, N.H. - When Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the first political sensation of the 2008 campaign, made his first trip Sunday to New Hampshire, home of the nation's first primary, the result was a perfect storm of attention.
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Dec 11, 2006In New Congress, Seniority Takes Back Seat to Spirit
The young Democrats played an important role in helping their party take control of Congress, and now they are beginning to reap the benefits. Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who will become speaker of the House when her party assumes control of Congress next month, is making room for these...
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Dec 11, 2006Doyle continues push to expand health coverage
Madison - Michelle Laskowski works at a good job as a manager of a pizza place that pays her enough to care for her two children, but it doesn't provide health insurance - something she can't afford on her own. Gov. Jim Doyle says families like Laskowski's would have better access to health care...
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Dec 11, 2006Editorial: Lena Taylor's leadership
... every once in a while a legislator displays the vision, the courage and the commitment that Wisconsinites have a right to expect from their elected officials. Such is the case with state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, who has taken on the task of raising awareness about the threats posed to...
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Dec 10, 2006So, his mom sells guns at Wal-Mart
When Phil Garthwaite, 34, raises his right hand to take the oath of office Jan. 3, he'll be the first Democrat to represent the county in the state Assembly since 1913.
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Dec 9, 2006State's spirit in Governor's Mansion trees
MAPLE BLUFF - If your holiday humor has more humbug than cheer, take a break from the shopping, wrapping, baking and decorating for a Madison tradition: The annual Christmas tree tour at the Governor's Mansion.
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Dec 8, 2006Lehman to head up Education Committee in State Senate
RACINE - State Sen.-elect John Lehman, D-Racine, will put his three decades of teaching experience to work in his new appointment to the Senate's Education Committee.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, picked Lehman to chair the committee, which is responsible for the...
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Dec 6, 2006Doyle seeks local input on state budget
Gov. Jim Doyle trekked to Green Bay on Tuesday to ask residents about their priorities for the state's biannual budget.
As part of a campaign to visit communities throughout Wisconsin as budget discussions get under way, Doyle addressed about 50 people on Tuesday at Howe Elementary School in...
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Dec 6, 2006Obey to head key committee
WASHINGTON — Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, received official word from fellow House Democrats Tuesday that he will, as expected, serve as chairman of the Appropriations Committee when Democrats take majority control in January.
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Dec 6, 2006Feingold faults Bush policy on Somalia
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Returning from a trip to Africa, Sen. Russ Feingold faulted the Bush administration for what he called a failure to develop a policy on Somalia, even as the Wisconsin Democrat praised U.S. efforts to combat AIDS on the continent.
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Dec 6, 2006Editorial: Baldwin saw folly in Iraq
History is finally vindicating Baldwin for taking a stand that attracted a good deal of criticism at the time.
It is also vindicating Wausau Democrat David Obey, who joined Baldwin, former U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, and U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., in opposing the legislation that...
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Dec 6, 2006Iraq Study Group: Change Iraq strategy now
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States must change its military and diplomatic strategies to tackle the "grave and deteriorating" situation in Iraq, according to a report from the Iraq Study Group released Wednesday.
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Nov 8, 2006Democrat Kohl wins expected fourth term in Congress
Mingling with a happy crowd of several hundred at a victory party at the Lakefront Brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St. in Milwaukee, Kohl said he hoped the size of his victory showed that "the people of Wisconsin are happy with the job I have done."
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Nov 8, 2006Obey: The night is incredible for Democratic party
Cruising to an easy victory, 7th District Congressman Dave Obey is ready to take over the job as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee when he is sworn to a new term in January.
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Nov 8, 2006Baldwin calls win part of larger victory
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is celebrating not just her own victory over Republican challenger Dave Magnum, and not just the Democratic Party's achievement in winning a new majority in the House of Representatives.
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Nov 8, 2006La Follette keeps post as secretary of state
With 42 percent of precincts reporting, Democratic incumbent Douglas La Follette had 542,291 votes, or 59 percent, while Republican Sandy Sullivan had 327,549 votes, or 36 percent, according to unofficial returns.
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Nov 4, 2006Editorial: Kohl for Senate
Our endorsement goes to Democrat Herb Kohl, with hopes that he will soon serve as part of a new majority in the Senate.
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Nov 3, 2006Editorial: Doyle has clear vision for Wisconsin
Democrat Jim Doyle has a vibrant picture of what Wisconsin can be in the next 20 years or so, and for that reason we back his re-election on Tuesday over Republican challenger Mark Green.
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Nov 3, 2006Editorial: For governor, re-elect Doyle
IT'S A CLOSE CALL - one of those rare times, actually, when either candidate is likely to do a good job - but, on balance, we believe Doyle has earned re-election. The Daily News endorses Jim Doyle for a second term as governor.
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Nov 2, 2006Editorial: Vote Baldwin for Congress
Baldwin's dedication to impacting the lives of students should remain unquestioned. Tammy Baldwin deserves another two years in Congress.
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Nov 2, 2006Assembly endorsements: Jorgensen and Parisi
Assembly seats don't come open all that often in Assembly
District 37 in eastern Dane and western Jefferson
counties, so the race to replace veteran state Rep. David Ward should be an
exciting one.
Democrat Andy Jorgensen, a former radio personality with
deep roots in the district,...
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Nov 2, 2006Editorial: Experience factor favors Van Akkeren
Terry Van Akkeren has been a quiet, yet responsive, representative for the 26th Assembly District and should be returned to Madison to continue representing Sheboygan and Kohler.
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Nov 1, 2006Wisconsin State Journal Endorses Jorgensen
Andy Jorgensen is the best choice to represent the many farms and small towns in eastern Dane and western Jefferson counties at the Capitol.
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Nov 1, 2006Endorsements: Hilgenberg, Ringhand, Yost
51: Hilgenberg
To say that the state Legislature is a mess would be one of
the epic political understatements of our time. A good case can be made for
sweeping out every incumbent who has not been at odds with the status quo.
The place to begin is with Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore...
more...
Oct 31, 2006Editorial: Falk for AG
There is a thin line between proactively representing state interests and using the AG position as a pulpit for partisan maneuvering. We believe Ms. Falk is best prepared to navigate that divide and provide principled, disciplined leadership for the Department of Justice.
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Oct 31, 2006Wisconsin State Journal Endorses Yost
Meagan Yost has the energy and smarts to give Columbia and northern Dane counties a higher profile at the state Capitol.
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Oct 31, 2006Editorial: Doyle for governor
Over the past four years, no governor in the United States has more consistently and effectively challenged the agenda of the Bush administration, its congressional allies and their amen corner in the state legislatures than Wisconsin's Jim Doyle.
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Oct 30, 2006Editorial: Give Kohl another term in U.S. Senate
Though a multimillionaire who essentially finances his own campaign, Sen. Herb Kohl connects well with Wisconsinites and the three-term Democrat deserves to be re-elected on Nov. 7.
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Oct 30, 2006Editorial: Keep Doug La Follette
We've always backed La Follette in his runs for secretary of state, and this year we are again urging his re-election.
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Oct 29, 2006Editorial: State better off with Doyle
Wisconsin is better off than it was four years ago. That's a simple yet powerful reason for re-electing Gov. Jim Doyle to a second term.
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Oct 29, 2006Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Endorses Kennedy
We recommend...Democrat Bryan Kennedy. He will be a competent, thoughtful congressman who can restore a sense of dignity and balance to the 5th District. It's time for that after years of folly from Sensenbrenner.
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Oct 29, 2006Bush's refusal to see his war isn't working puts American security at risk
This has been an especially violent and deadly month in Iraq, with U.S. casualties at their highest levels in two years. This tragic loss of life has caused a number of prominent Republicans to acknowledge that the administration's "stay the course" approach isn't working.
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Oct 28, 2006Kohl brings positive voice to campaign ads
In his latest TV spot, Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl tells how he was taught the value of education at an early age from his parents. Tuesday he begins running his fifth and final TV ad about his vision for the future.
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Oct 27, 2006Editorial: Send Baldwin back to House
In a Congress characterized by nothing so much as the lack of courage and conviction, Tammy Baldwin is the remarkable exception.
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Oct 27, 2006Kind seeks sixth term in Congress
In the past 10 years, Ron Kind has learned that a willingness to listen and the ability to identify shared interests, despite party affiliations, are among the skills that make a good congressman.
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Oct 27, 2006Bloomberg, Urban back Democrat
Calling state Sen. Tom Reynolds an "embarrassment," former Republican state Rep. Frank Urban and his wife, ex-Brookfield Mayor Kate Bloomberg, Friday endorsed Democrat Jim Sullivan in the 5th District race for the state Senate.
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Oct 26, 2006Doyle gets cheers from teachers
Chanting "four more years," about 3,000 members of the state's largest teachers union gave Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle a rousing reception at their annual convention today at the Coliseum.
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Oct 26, 2006Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Endorses Kind
The decision for voters in the 3rd Congressional District in the western part of the state should be a slam dunk. Democratic incumbent Ron Kind is head and shoulders above his opponent, who has resorted to dubious campaign tactics.
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Oct 26, 2006Obey tells students Congress must work together
Local college students had a chance to talk with U.S. Rep. David Obey, D-Wausau, about their role as voters and the importance of checks and balances.
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Oct 26, 2006Baldwin, Ringhand make the rounds on Monroe's Square
MONROE -- Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, shook dozens of hands Wednesday afternoon as she introduced herself to constituents and out-of-district voters eating lunch at restaurants on Monroe's downtown Square. Janis Ringhand, Democratic challenger in the 80th Assembly District, joined Baldwin on...
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Oct 25, 2006Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Endorses Baldwin
The public is usually well-served when incumbents, no matter
how well they have performed, face competition for re-election. Take, for
example, the 2nd Congressional District, where Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a liberal
Democrat, is being opposed by Dave Magnum, a moderate Republican who offers...
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Oct 23, 2006Editorial: Moore for re-election
Gwen Moore, a Democrat in Congress for just one term, easily deserves re-election in Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District, which encompasses Milwaukee, St. Francis, Cudahy, South Milwaukee, West Milwaukee and part of West Allis.
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Oct 22, 2006Editorial: Doyle deserves vote
Based on what we know about how Jim Doyle handled the job — and what we don't know about Mark Green would handle the job — Doyle gets our vote. He deserves yours, too.
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Oct 21, 2006Editorial: Falk best-suited to perform all duties of job
Referring to the state attorney general as "Wisconsin's top law enforcement official" is accurate, but implies it's a job with a narrow duties when, in fact, it carries a wide range of responsibilities.
Democrat Kathleen Falk is better suited to handling those responsibilities than Republican...
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Oct 20, 2006Aaron stumps for Doyle in city
Children have heroes, and Gov. Jim Doyle got to stand next to one of his Thursday — Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
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Oct 19, 2006Editorial: Nelson serves constituents well
In two years — and at the relatively young age of 30 — Tom Nelson has learned something that many politicians never learn: Serving your constituents matters most.
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Oct 18, 2006Editorial: Listen to Feingold
President Bush and his Republican allies intend to make an election issue of their support for the Military Commissions Act, a measure that is all but certain to be overturned by the Supreme Court.
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Oct 18, 2006Esquire Magazine: Endorses Herb Kohl
Kohl is the rare politician who doesn't like the sound of his own voice. A shy, earnest man, he seeks the center-left on national issues and economically beneficial legislation at home.
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Oct 14, 2006Editorial: Green doesn't understand
It was - deep sigh - only a matter of time before illegal immigration became an issue in the gubernatorial campaign. Rep. Mark Green is raising it, demonstrating anew that he seriously misunderstands the topic.
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Oct 12, 2006Editorial: Kohl's right about Korea
Of the many official responses to claims by North Korea that it had conducted a nuclear test, we were particularly impressed with the clarity of U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl's response. While others engaged in saber-rattling platitudes, Kohl's statement was wise, focused and specific.
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Oct 10, 2006Editorial: Green's got it so wrong
Of all the outrageous statements made in Friday evening's gubernatorial debate by Republican Mark Green - and the list really is a long one - the worst was his unfounded claim that women casually opt for abortions.
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Oct 10, 2006Poll Shows Strong Shift Of Support to Democrats
Democrats have regained a commanding position going into the final weeks of the midterm-election campaigns, with support eroding for Republicans on Iraq, ethics and presidential leadership, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
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Oct 7, 2006In House Races, More G.O.P. Seats Seen at Risk
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 — At least five more Republican Congressional seats are now in serious contention, analysts said Friday, an unwelcome development for Republicans as they begin to confront a political environment further darkened for them by the Congressional page scandal.
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Oct 6, 2006Editorial: Green's new money woes
How is U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, handling the scandal surrounding Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who sent sleazy e-mails and instant messages to teenage congressional pages but whose actions appear to have been kept secret by Republican leaders in the House?
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Sep 29, 2006Editorial: Kohl right on tribunals
We want to note that Feingold's colleague, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., who is often a more moderate player, has also spoken well and wisely on this fundamental question.
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Sep 26, 2006Jessica Doyle talks about the Wisconsin Covenant
Jessica Doyle, wife of Gov. Jim Doyle, made a stop at Perry Tipler Middle School to speak with students about the Wisconsin Covenant, an initiative that guarantees students with good grades a place in the Wisconsin higher education system.
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Sep 25, 2006Choice of governor could affect research complex
As voters select a governor this November, architects will be drafting plans for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, a $150 million research complex at UW-Madison.
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Sep 24, 2006Doyle campaigns amid 'Culture' crowd
MANITOWOC — Gov. Jim Doyle voiced amazement Saturday at the political debate over stem cell research, labeled his opponent an extremist and said he disagrees "totally" with Bob Ziegelbauer's endorsement of Republican congressional candidate John Gard.
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Sep 21, 2006Editorial: Keep Away the Vote
America has a proud tradition of opening up the franchise to new groups, notably women and blacks, who were once denied it. It is disgraceful that, for partisan political reasons, some people are trying to reverse the tide, and standing in the way of people who have every right to vote.
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Sep 20, 2006Editorial: Huebsch's big lie campaign
Anyone who was not already cynical about politics should be turned toward skepticism by this development from the 2006 campaign trail:
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Sep 19, 2006Editorial: Mark Green's lawlessness
When the late, great Madison lawyer Edward Ben Elson ran for a judgeship some years ago, he suggested that citizens should "only obey good laws."
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Sep 15, 2006Editorial: A graceless display
Irascible. Cantankerous. Crusty.
Crotchety.
All words used to describe Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) over the years.
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Sep 15, 2006Editorial: Falk strikes right note
In asking Democrats to join her at the Unity Rally that U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold is hosting today in Green Bay, Kathleen Falk listed the "great Democratic leaders" who will be present. Included on the list was the name of Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, whom Falk defeated in last Tuesday's...
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Sep 9, 2006Green raises $200,000 from PACs over summer, filing shows
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green raised $200,000 from political action committees during an eight-week stretch over the summer, a new filing shows, potentially putting him far over the state limit for such donations.
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Sep 8, 2006Editorial: Don't waste green on Green's scheme
What Wisconsin should not do is bend to Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green's wishes. Green wants to pour $25 million of state money into risky, unnecessary research that could actually slow efforts to boost medical understanding and treatments.
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Sep 8, 2006Editorial: Green's near-empty proposal
Green's proposal to use $25 million in state money to finance research to look for procedures in which embryos will not be destroyed appears overly optimistic and possibly unrealistic.
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Sep 5, 2006Governor Spotlight - Jim Doyle
Welcome to the DGA Governor Spotlight. Each month, the DGA features a different Democratic governor to show how we are moving states forward and making progress on the issues most important to everyday Americans. Republicans in Washington, D.C. have failed to get results on important issues, and...
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Aug 30, 2006Elections Board Gives Green 10 Days to Dump PAC Money
BROOKFIELD - The state Elections Board today ordered Mark Green to divest his campaign of any contributions from PACs that were not registered in Wisconsin when the donations were made.
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Aug 22, 2006Democracy Campaign blasts Green PAC cash
Madison - The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, the campaign-cash watchdog group, said this morning its study of political action committee donations to Mark Green, the Republican candidate for governor, found that $467,844 of it came from groups not registered in Wisconsin.
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Aug 21, 2006Green often voted with GOP on ethics before this year
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who has made ethics reform a centerpiece of his campaign for governor, repeatedly voted with the House GOP leadership against tougher ethics rules during his first seven years in Congress, an Associated Press review has found.
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Aug 15, 2006Editorial: Gard's loyalty won't rest with voters
At a time when the U.S. House of Representatives is widely viewed as a dysfunctional institution that serves as little more than a rubber stamp for the Bush White House, the question that thinking Americans must ask when they head to the polls this year is: Will my representative in Washington...
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Aug 15, 2006Editorial: Ross is right on election role
Scot Ross, who is mounting a spirited Democratic primary challenge to Secretary of State Doug La Follette, wants to restore the traditional role of the office as the manager of elections in Wisconsin.
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Aug 15, 2006Report says revenue increases will cover state budget shortfall
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Revenue increases will more than cover an estimated $1.5 billion budget shortfall over the next two years, according to a report by Gov. Jim Doyle's budget director released on Tuesday.
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Aug 14, 2006Green's education plan mirrors similar proposal attacked by PTA
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- An education plan that Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green said would free up $295 million to hire more teachers has been lambasted nationally by the PTA and others as being ill-conceived and bad for schools.
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Aug 14, 2006FBI has no info indicating terrorist ties for men in cell arrest
CARO, Mich. (AP) -- The FBI said Monday it had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any direct connection to known terrorist groups.
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Aug 10, 2006Poll: 60 percent of Americans oppose Iraq war
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sixty percent of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Iraq, the highest number since polling on the subject began with the commencement of the war in March 2003, according to poll results and trends released Wednesday.
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Aug 9, 2006Editorial: Abramoff, Ney & Green
Three months ago, back when Republicans were dismissing the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and this whole "culture of corruption" thing as a Democratic fantasy, Ohio Congressman Bob Ney earned a standing ovation from members of the House Republican Caucus after he announced that he had no plans...
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Aug 9, 2006Ross vows to defend same-day registration
A proposal to eliminate same-day voter registration in Wisconsin would have kept more than 48,000 Dane County residents from voting in 2004, Democratic secretary of state candidate Scot Ross says.
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Aug 8, 2006Kohl visits farm, discusses fuel costs, markets
HOLMEN, Wis. — With already near-record gas prices expected to climb even higher in the coming days, now is the time for the country to get serious about developing alternative fuels, said U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl.
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Aug 7, 2006Rep. Bob Ney Will Not Seek Reelection
Rep. Robert W. Ney, the six-term Republican congressman from central Ohio implicated in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, announced this morning that that he will not seek re-election.
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Aug 3, 2006Editorial: A cynical election ploy
Balking at raising the minimum wage for years, congressional Republicans have shifted tactics this election season. They will throw the working poor a pay hike if, and only if, they can dish out yet more tax cuts to multimillionaires.
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Aug 3, 2006Bad legislation, clever politics
Sometimes Congress’ Republican leadership can be, as the Brits would say, too clever by half. Broadly, the Republicans support slashing the estate tax and oppose increasing the minimum wage, and Democrats, the opposite. The House Republicans came up with a way to force Senate Democrats to either...
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Aug 3, 2006What’s the real federal deficit?
Congress has written its own accounting rules — which would be illegal for a corporation to use because they ignore important costs such as the growing expense of retirement benefits for civil servants and military personnel.
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Aug 2, 2006Stem-Cell Issue Enters Debate Over Values
Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker John Gard (R) arrived in his state Capitol office recently to find a surprise gift: 1,400 used syringes.
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Jul 31, 2006Fooling the Voters
The two bills passed by the House last Friday and Saturday reflect a single Republican electoral strategy. Representatives want to appear to have accomplished something when they face voters during their five-week summer break, which starts today, and at the same time keep campaign donations...
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Jul 28, 2006Democrats launch 'Six for '06' agenda
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate's top Democrat says 1994's "Contract with America," the Republican campaign agenda the year the GOP regained control of Congress -- was an "urban myth."
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Jul 27, 2006Editorial: A healthy beginning
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, are both supporters of sweeping reforms to the American health care system. Both express sympathy for the single-payer system employed by most other developed countries a model that has seen Canada and other countries...
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Jul 26, 2006Poll: Majority of public disapprove of Bush's stem cell veto
WASHINGTON - A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's veto of a bill expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, though they say they believe he did so on principle, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows.
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Jul 24, 2006Dave Zweifel: No need to ask if Bush has no shame
I really do try hard not to dislike George W. Bush as a person.
But then he pulls a stunt like he did last week in vetoing a bill that would have allowed researchers in this country to get more help in exploring the many promises of stem cells.
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Jul 21, 2006Doyle outpaces Green in fundraising in first half of 2006
MADISON, Wis. - Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle continues to enjoy a $2 million financial advantage over his Republican challenger, even though he did not raise as much in the first half of the year, reports filed with the state on Thursday show.
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Jul 21, 2006Stem-Cell Issue: Republicans' Undoing?
While Mr. Bush's position cheers religious and social conservatives in the Republicans' base, nationwide it has alienated many moderates and has some questioning their fealty to a party increasingly defined by its cultural conservatism in emphasizing its opposition to issues such as gay marriage...
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Jul 20, 2006Republicans Say Bush's Veto Is Risky
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After waiting 5 1/2 years to make good on a veto threat, President Bush used his first to underscore his politically risky stand against federal funding for the embryonic stem cell research that most Americans support.
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Jul 20, 2006Gay marriage ban would be mistake
When a Madison business organization this week decided to oppose the proposed state prohibition on gay marriage, the group highlighted what may be the most practical of the many reasons voters should reject the measure: A constitutional ban on gay marriage would harm Wisconsin's economy.
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Jul 20, 2006Stem cell veto wrong
We don't know when life begins, but it's more likely in the womb, closer to viability, when a fetus develops differentiated cells, than in a refrigeration unit, destined for spoilage and unceremonious dumping.
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Jul 19, 2006President Bush Again Denies Hope To Millions of Americans
Washington, DC - Today, in a move that will appease his right-wing political base, President Bush exercised his veto power for the first time in five years. Bush's veto blocks crucial legislation that would further life-saving stem cell research, and in the process, denies hope to millions of...
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Jul 19, 2006Downtown group fears ban may hurt economy
A Madison business group says a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions in Wisconsin would be a blow to economic development.
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Jul 16, 2006Dean's List
DIAMONDHEAD, MISS.--Here's what the front line of Howard Dean's revolution looks like: two dozen senior citizens seated inside this gated community's clubhouse listening intently as operatives from the state Democratic Party pitch them on becoming precinct captains.
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Jun 20, 20061 more year, Feingold says
Wisconsin senator joins John Kerry to pitch 2007 Iraq withdrawal deadline
Posted: June 19, 2006
Washington - Sen. Russ Feingold, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq who long has sought to have U.S. troops out by the end of the year, on Monday endorsed a new deadline: July 1, 2007....
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Jun 20, 2006Voters are ready to send a message
By Dave Zweifel
Capital Times
June 20, 2006
Those who are privy to some of the private political polling being conducted around the state this election season say that the people out there are more than angry over the scandals in Wisconsin government. They're furious.
It is no myth that...
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Jun 19, 2006Legislature,Doyle find common ground
By Tom Sheehan | Tribune Capitol bureau
MADISON — Demo-cratic Gov. Jim Doyle and some of the state’s more conservative Republicans often aren’t of the same school of thought, especially when it comes to “social legislation.”
That’s one reason voters this fall will face a proposed...
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Jun 19, 2006Banding Together
Madison – Talk about a coordinated campaign.
Nine northwestern Wisconsin Democrats running for election to the Legislature this fall have joined forces, at least electronically, and pooled their message about narrowing the Republican majorities in the Legislature. Republicans currently hold 19...
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Jun 17, 2006Faith factor offers no guarantees to gubernatorial candidates
Voters to consider death penalty, gay marriage
Posted: June 17, 2006
With the issues of gay marriage and the death penalty on the ballot, when state voters go to the polls Nov. 7 they might feel like it's a Sunday, not a Tuesday.
Although the twin ballot proposals might add a religious...
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Jun 15, 2006Editorial: Wineke's Leadership
OK, so Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Joe Wineke is not a metrosexual.
The former state senator representing rural Dane and Green counties maintains his reputation as a beer-and-brats kind of guy who has little time for fashion statements or the latest trend. Indeed, he would probably...
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Jun 2, 2006Green fouls out on curveball question
It was a simple question, one that U.S. Rep. Mark Green should have been expecting.
Obviously he wasn't - and now his opponent in the governor's race has an issue to throw at him.
During a May 19 interview for Wisconsin Public Television's "Here and Now" news show, anchor Frederica Freyberg...
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Jun 2, 2006A pardon for Scooter from Gov. Green?
It seems like a pretty simple, straightforward question. Wisconsin Public Television's Frederica Freyberg asked Mark Green whether, if he were elected governor, he would pardon his old friend and cohort, Scott Jensen.
Jensen, the former Assembly Speaker, was convicted of felonies for abusing...
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Jun 2, 2006Gov. Doyle, Milwaukee Mayor Barrett: Announce State Action to Help Keep Milwaukee Safe this Summer
MILWAUKEE - Governor Jim Doyle today announced action the state is taking to assist the City of Milwaukee in addressing the increased violence witnessed over the Memorial Day weekend. Joined by Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee Police Chief Nannette Hegerty, Governor Doyle directed $500,000 for the...
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Jun 2, 2006Medicare needs an overhaul, Obey says
U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, is not a fan of the controversial Medicare Part D drug plan. He sympathizes with seniors who are having trouble choosing the plan that is best for them and he is frustrated the bill forbids the federal government from negotiating with the pharmaceutical companies...
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May 31, 2006Minimum wage goes up Thursday
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin's minimum wage will go up 80 cents Thursday, closing the books on a nasty political struggle that gripped the state Capitol for months.
The state's minimum wage for adults will jump from $5.70 an hour to $6.50. The state Department of Workforce estimates about 200,000...
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May 31, 2006WisPolitics: Kind Says Troops Should Leave Iraq in Event of Civil War
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind said Wednesday that if the situation in Iraq deteriorates into all-out civil war, U.S. troops would need to be pulled out.
“I don’t think it’s our troops' mission to be there and babysit a civil war,” he added.
Kind said the barrage of Iraq images and news stories...
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May 26, 2006GOP search for Kohl opponent continues
GOP search for Kohl opponent continues
The Nov. 7 election is just over five months away, the date to start circulating nomination papers is next week (June 1) and the state Republican Party held its annual convention – a launching pad for the fall campaign – last weekend.
That means it is...
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May 8, 2006Bush approval rating hits new low
WASHINGTON - President Bush's approval rating has slumped to 31% in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the lowest of his presidency and a warning sign for Republicans in the November elections.
The survey of 1,013 adults, taken Friday through Sunday, shows Bush's standing down by 3 percentage points...
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May 2, 2006Doyle urges cap on oil profits But critics say the industry is unfairly targeted
Brookfield - Gov. Jim Doyle called on federal lawmakers Monday to cap oil company profits, return "excessive" profits to Americans and repeal $10 billion in tax breaks to oil companies, saying the moves would lower gas prices for struggling Wisconsin families.
Doyle also announced a joint Web...
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May 2, 2006WisPolitics: 8th CD Republicans Tackle Ethics, TPA in Low-Key Debate
GREEN BAY -- A couple flinty remarks from the 8th Congressional District Republican candidates failed to spark a fiery debate between GOP state Reps. John Gard and Terri McCormick Monday night.
McCormick took a series of subtle jabs at Gard, questioning his leadership in the state Legislature,...
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May 2, 2006Why We Need A State Ethics Bill
Last week, Assembly Republicans decided to kill the ethics bill. The decision was a blow to good government and may come back to haunt party stalwarts like Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Green and Speaker John Gard.
Gard and other Republicans pointed to the recent...
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May 1, 2006Poll: Gas Prices, Iraq Weigh Down Bush
May 1, 2006
(CBS) With gas prices sky-high and no end of the Iraq war in sight, President George W. Bush's approval rating hits an all-time low in a new CBS News poll.
Only 33 percent approve of his job performance, Mr. Bush's lowest approval rating yet in CBS News polls. A majority – 58...
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Apr 27, 2006Elected Officials Taking Action Against High Gas Prices
Wisconsin Ag Connection
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Fueled by higher and higher energy costs, Wisconsin's lawmakers are beginning to do what they can to find out what's going on with the skyrocketing gasoline prices. On Wednesday, Governor Jim Doyle joined fifteen other governors in sending a...
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Apr 27, 2006Republicans Sag in New Poll Bush and Congress Get Perilously Low Marks As Gas Prices Rise
Rising gas prices have intensified discontent with Washington and handed Congress a frightening midterm election backdrop: a deeply pessimistic electorate, despite a robust economy.
A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll underscores a striking gap between Americans' mood and the nation's...
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Apr 26, 2006Wineke Statement on ‘Part-Time Congressman Mark Green’
MADISON – Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke released the following statement today on the announcement from Mark Green that he will return his taxpayer-paid congressional salary for the days he plans to miss work in Washington in order to campaign in Wisconsin:
“For years,...
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Apr 26, 2006Green: Trust me on budget, I don't have a clue
You won't be surprised to hear that Wisconsin still has a budget deficit.
The good news is that it is "only" $1.5-billion, less than half of the $3.2 billion budget hole Gov. Jim Doyle inherited after 16 years of Republican budgets.
The deficit dominated much of the debate in the 2002...
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Apr 26, 20068th CD Dems Debate Campaign Fundraising, Ethics
GREEN BAY -- Allergist Steve Kagen, who has poured more than $1.4 million of his own money into the race for the Democratic nomination in the 8th CD, defended his large contributions Monday night in a debate, saying he was the one candidate who “can not be bought.”
Kagen, making his first bid...
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Apr 26, 2006Forum set May 3 for Congress candidates
APPLETON — The public will get a chance to hear the Democratic candidates for Congress from 7 to 9 p.m. May 3 at the Appleton Public Library, 225 N. Oneida St.
Appearing will be 8th District candidates Steve Kagen, Nancy Nusbaum and Jamie Wall, who are running for the seat currently held by...
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Apr 26, 2006Block price gouging, state officials say
Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager on Tuesday renewed her call on the state Legislature to adopt legislation to protect citizens from getting gouged at the gas pump.
Lautenschlager supports Senate Bill 373, sponsored by state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, which would protect...
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Apr 25, 2006Campaign records muddy disclosure for Green’s travel
MADISON — Travel records show that in the third quarter of 2003, U.S. Rep. Mark Green took seven road trips in and around Wisconsin to talk about issues he faces in Congress.
But taxpayers didn’t pay for the travel, assures the Republican from Hobart. His campaign did.
Among the trips was...
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Apr 25, 2006Bush's approval ratings slide to new low. Poll: Only one-third say he's handling his job well
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's approval ratings have sunk to a personal low, with only a third of Americans saying they approve of the way he is handling his job, a national poll released Monday said.
In the telephone poll of 1,012 adult Americans carried out Friday through Sunday by...
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Apr 25, 2006Cost of Gas Puts Pressure On GOP
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, April 25, 2006; A01
President Bush and congressional Republicans are under mounting public pressure to reduce gasoline prices, but they have few if any policy choices that would cut them over the next few months...
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Apr 25, 2006Doyle talks up interest in GM Overtime has begun in Janesville as demand grows for SUVs
Janesville - General Motors' top manufacturing executive heard a pitch Monday from Gov. Jim Doyle and local plant and union leaders.
At a meeting in Detroit, Doyle expressed thanks that the Janesville assembly plant, the struggling automaker's oldest factory, was spared when a round of plant...
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Apr 25, 2006Feingold travels to Iowa this week
WASHINGTON Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold says he'll travel to Iowa this week to give a speech and hold fund-raisers for Democratic congressional candidates.
The move may have presidential implications. Iowa's caucus is the first contest for presidential candidates and Feingold is a potential...
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Apr 25, 20068th Congressional District Democratic debate is Tuesday at UW-Green Bay
GREEN BAY - The first debate at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay involving candidates for the 8th Congressional District seat will take place Tuesday (April 25).
Democratic congressional candidates Steve Kagen, Nancy Nusbaum and Jamie Wall will respond to questions from a panel of state...
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Apr 25, 2006Waupun man to run against Rep. Petri
WAUPUN — Touting himself as a "working-class congressman for the working class," Waupun resident John Curry has thrown his hat in the ring to run against incumbent Tom Petri in the race for the Sixth Congressional District this fall.
Curry, 48, made the announcement earlier this month after...
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Apr 25, 2006Doyle to launch stem cell initiative
In an effort to reaffirm the state’s commitment to stem-cell research, Gov. Jim Doyle will be making a major announcement today at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
“Wisconsin has been a national stem-cell leader, and the governor will make an announcement that will help to cement...
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Apr 25, 2006Dems to filibuster if ethics reform ignored
Three state lawmakers announced Monday their plan to filibuster legislative session today if Assembly leaders refuse to schedule an ethics reform bill for passage.
The measure, known as Senate Bill 1, would combine the state’s existing Ethics and Elections boards to create a new Government...
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Apr 25, 2006Spencer Coggs Supports Cleaning up Poll Lists
I wonder if he's thought this through. Because I think his idea only reinforces the fact that the poll list situation in Wisconsin is a farce. (Which is a huge part of the argument in favor of requiring voters to prove who they are on election day).
State Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) has...
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Apr 24, 2006WI Democrats Want To Take Action On Gas Prices
MADISON – In Wisconsin, a pair of local Democratic lawmakers want to take action on rising gas prices.
State Representative Tom Nelson and State Senator Dave Hansen say a set of bills must be pulled out of committee.
The bills would give the attorney general the power to prosecute wholesale...
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Apr 24, 2006Ron Kind's Hi-Octane Chutzpah
During a roundtable discussion with area farmers in West Salem on Thursday, Ron Kind said, "I believe it is time our nation commits itself to kicking the fossil fuel import habit by replacing Middle East oil with Midwest grain and other 'home grown' renewable alternatives, such as ethanol and...
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Apr 23, 2006Democrats Contour November Strategy Meeting of DNC Focuses on Way To Unseat GOP
NEW ORLEANS, April 22 -- Democratic Party officials continue to assemble the pieces for their midterm election strategy, but questions about the party's overall message, differences on Iraq, reservations about their leaders, and debates about campaign tactics contribute to concerns that they may...
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Apr 22, 2006Citizens vent concerns about health care Democratic lawmakers hear thoughts on easing crisis
Racine - Marcelina Rodriguez of Racine talked about how her older children must pay for her $3,000-a-month prescription drug bills because she has been out of work since September and doesn't qualify for any state or local health programs.
"You have to decide between putting food on the table...
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Apr 22, 2006Editorial: GOP fiscal extremists
There is one good thing that comes with Republican hegemony: Proof positive that the Grand Old Party no longer even feigns interest in fiscal responsibility.
Complete Republican control of the White House and Congress has unleashed a pork-barrel spending spree of unprecedented proportions....
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Apr 21, 2006Attorney general unveils environmental-protection bill
Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager used her appearance at a local conference to announce new legislation aimed at environmental protection.
The attorney general was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership held at the KI Convention Center, 333 Main St....
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Apr 21, 2006Obey makes Earth Day visit
MERCER, Wis. -- Global warming is the most important long-term problem facing the country, a disciple of the great environmentalist Gaylord Nelson said Thursday in Mercer.
"Gaylord was my mentor and teacher for many years," U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, told the government class at Mercer...
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Apr 21, 2006GOP front group launches negative media
Just the other day, Republican operative Brian Fraley was sounding the alarm about negative media campaigns sure to come soon against Mark Green, from those bloated (hence the illustration from his post) left-leaning groups:
I have no confirmation that this will happen. No little birdie...
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Apr 21, 2006Lawmakers seek probe of possible price gouging by oil companies
Washington - Congressional leaders made plans Friday to ask President Bush to order investigations into possible price gouging by oil companies as crude oil prices hit new highs on world markets and average gasoline prices blew through the $3-a-gallon mark.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert...
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Apr 20, 2006Doyle signs bill increasing financial aid awards
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A state financial aid program can award low-income students a maximum $3,000 under legislation signed by Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday.
The law will increase the maximum award for the Wisconsin Higher Education Grant program by $500. The program gives need-based aid to...
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Apr 20, 2006Wisconsin's Feingold gets big spike in PAC donations
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Russ Feingold's call for censuring President Bush appears to have paid dividends for the Wisconsin Democrat's political action committee.
Feingold's leadership PAC, the Progressive Patriots Fund, pulled in $282,000 last month, according to a report filed with the...
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Apr 20, 2006Falk offers plan for ethics, campaigns Says comprehensive reforms are needed
Democratic attorney general candidate Kathleen Falk unveiled a package of proposed campaign finance and ethics reforms today. But watchdog groups said her plan doesn't address how to get big money out of Wisconsin politics.
The Dane County executive's proposal calls for limits on when and how...
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Apr 20, 2006Union targets Downtown workers
Bartenders, servers, baristas and others who work Downtown could soon be carrying more than your food or drinks. They may also be carrying union cards.
Local organizers for the Industrial Workers of the World union hope to sign up some of the over 4,000 Downtown Madison employees, many of them...
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Apr 20, 2006Scoop-minded Ron Kind’s Scoop Scooped!
Ron Kind, a self-described "budget hawk" and member of the House Budget Committee, said he recently returned $76,000 from his office budget to the U.S. Treasury amounting to $765,000 returned over the last nine years.
“Ron Kind is the first guy to break this story every year,” said 3rd...
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Apr 20, 2006FOX Poll: Gloomy Economic Views; Bush Approval at New Low
NEW YORK — More Americans disapprove than approve of how George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Congress are doing their jobs, while a majority approves of Condoleezza Rice. President Bush’s approval hits a record low of 33 percent this week, clearly damaged by sinking support among Republicans....
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Apr 20, 2006State helps pave road to Discovery
If all goes as planned, the University of Wisconsin may see the on-campus construction of a premier biotechnology research institute begin as soon as next December.
In a 7-1 vote, the state Building Commission gave Gov. Jim Doyle permission Wednesday to go ahead with his plan to build the...
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Apr 19, 2006Obey says it's time for Rumsfeld to go
Attacking Iran is out…but so should Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. That from Congressman Dave Obey Wednesday. Danielle Kaeding reports.
Obey spoke to UW-Superior students about the possibility of the Bush administration taking action against Iran. “Anybody who thinks that we have the...
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Apr 19, 2006Feingold Internet ad targets surveillance
Washington - A new Internet ad by Senate Democrat Russ Feingold portrays George Washington as an opponent of domestic surveillance.
Feingold wants to censure President Bush over the once-secret government surveillance program launched after the Sept. 11 attacks.
In an Internet video...
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Apr 19, 2006Senator calls for an end to price gouging
The state Senate is being called to take up anti-price gouging legislation when lawmakers return to the Capitol next week. With gas prices nearing three-dollars a gallon again in Wisconsin, State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) says now is the time to act on legislation penalizing businesses...
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Apr 18, 2006Wineke: A worry we wish had come to fruition
Guess what the big worry about oil was three years ago?
The experts were worried then that a victory in the Iraq War might send oil prices plummeting and thereby ruin the economies of Alberta and Texas, both oil-producing regions.
"Fortune" magazine wasn't worried; it predicted the falling...
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Apr 14, 2006Poll shows Doyle leads in 2006 race
A poll conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has found that Gov. Jim Doyle holds an 11 percent lead over his challenger, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis, according to a report released Thursday.
The survey, conducted by trained students, also questioned 471 Wisconsin residents about...
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Apr 13, 2006Doyle creates ID theft office, State division will assist victims, push for harsher penalties
Fitchburg - Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday launched an effort to help victims of identity theft fight back and will push lawmakers to create stiffer penalties for those who commit such crimes.
In a news conference, Doyle said a newly created state office will help victims find information about...
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Apr 13, 2006Isthmus: Hurtgen Case Profile The Rise and Fall of a Golden Boy
Peter Nicholas Hurtgen entered Wisconsin government fresh out of college in 1987, getting in on the ground floor of Tommy Thompson's extraordinary 14-year tenure in the governor's mansion. Over the course of nearly a decade on Thompson's staff, he rose to become the No. 2 man in the Department of...
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Apr 13, 2006John Nichols: Bush's coalition of unwilling exits Iraq
"We have won, and now we have to start working to implement our program and unify the country," Romano Prodi proclaimed to Italians. Prodi's center-left coalition had just deposed the government of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had allied Italy with George W. Bush's foreign...
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Apr 13, 2006Bush approval in state drops, poll says
Fewer than one in three Wisconsin voters approves of the job President Bush is doing, according to a new statewide poll by a Republican firm that has been tracking public opinion in the state since 2004.
Bush's approval rating has slid since January, and support for a timetable for withdrawal...
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Apr 13, 2006U.S. Rep. Green: Statement on Lower Fox River Cleanup Partial Settlement Wednesday
GREEN BAY – U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay) issued the following statement Wednesday after a partial $30 million settlement was reached with NCR Corp. and Sonoco-U.S. Mills, Inc. to begin cleaning up and restoring the Lower Fox River.
“This agreement represents some progress in our...
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Apr 12, 2006An Open Letter To John Gard
Waukesha County Democrats
AN OPEN LETTER TO JOHN GARD
Dear Mr. John Gard:
I am the Chairman of the Waukesha County Democratic Party. You remember Waukesha County. That's where my partisan counterparts boast is Republican Country! This is the County you always rely upon to...
more...
Apr 12, 2006Green out of step on abortion stance
Mark Green's campaign likes the new Strategic Vision poll, done by a Republican firm, which shows him in a close race with Jim Doyle.
This result may give him some pause, as he touts his brand new endorsement from Wisconsin Right to Life:
6. Would you like to see the United States Supreme...
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Apr 12, 2006Memo to Brett and Tommy: Know When to Fold Em
We have become the Land of the Waffling Prima Donnas.
Brett Favre continues his Hamlet-like indecision about returning to the Packers. All eyes remain fixed on the solitary man on the tractor in Kiln, Mississippi, wrestling with his destiny. Or not. Who knows? Maybe he just likes pulling the...
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Apr 7, 2006DEMS HYPE VETERANS RUNNING FOR OFFICE
In a strange April twist, the state’s non-partisan spring elections gained national attention this week as 32 communities weighed in on an issue that is traditionally decided by top brass at the Pentagon.
Supporters dubbed the rare showing of referendum-driven democracy a mandate on the war,...
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Apr 7, 2006Kinsman launches campaign against Huebsch
ONALASKA, Wis. - Who's this guy taking on Mike Huebsch?
Democrat Jim Kinsman of Onalaska introduced himself to the news media Thursday, kicking off his campaign against the six-term incumbent and Republican majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
"I'm just a hardworking family...
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Apr 7, 2006Candidates for 8th District seat to debate issues at UW-Green Bay
Candidates for the 8th Congressional District seat will take questions from local and state journalists in upcoming debates at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
The first debate — involving Democratic candidates Steve Kagen, Nancy Nusbaum and Jamie Wall — is scheduled for April 25....
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Apr 7, 2006Cheney's Aide Says President Approved Leak
WASHINGTON, April 6 — Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff testified that he was authorized by President Bush, through Mr. Cheney, in July 2003 to disclose key parts of what until then was a classified prewar intelligence estimate on Iraq, according to a new court filing.
The...
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Apr 6, 2006Doyle says state should review standards for charity program
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle called for a review Thursday of standards used to determine whether charities can participate in a state-run program allowing employees to automatically donate part of their paychecks.
A coalition of faith-based groups filed a federal lawsuit against state...
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Apr 6, 2006The Green money trail
Seems no one wants to keep money associated with Tom Delay.
Congressman Mark Green apparently still has about thirty thousand dollars associated with the former house majority leader. He says he can't give it to charity because that's illegal under state campaign finance laws.
Although...
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Apr 6, 2006Doyle signs sex offender bill allowing life term
Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Thursday that could send two-time sex offenders to prison for life.
The bill (AB 708) gives judges the authority to send criminals to prison for life if they have been twice convicted of first-degree sexual assault. The previous maximum penalty for a...
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Apr 6, 2006Dems Open Up Battlefront Over Military Veteran Voters
With issues such as the Iraq war and terrorism ranking as high priorities for most voters, Democratic officials have spent much of the past two weeks trying to persuade the press and the public that they are better-equipped to deal with national security and military veterans than the Bush...
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Apr 5, 2006Bush's Nightmare on Main Street: Wisconsin Says, "Out of Iraq"
The votes are in and Wisconsin spoke clearly. From Madison to wealthy Milwaukee suburbs, from northern Ladysmith to Evansville, Wisconsin voters made it abundantly clear that the Second Bush picked the wrong war at the wrong time.
These were not tepid resolutions that allowed for staged...
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Apr 5, 2006Doyle pushes health care reinsurance Governor talks with business leaders from Wausau area
Gov. Jim Doyle came to Wausau on Tuesday to talk to people like Debbie Flood, who owns Melron Corp.
The small foundry in Schofield, which makes window and door hardware, struggles with rising energy and materials costs, competition with businesses in Asia and skyrocketing health care costs....
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Apr 5, 2006Wineke: It's Green's turn to get rid of tainted money
The state Democrat Party says Mark Green should return his tainted money, just like his Republican colleague Paul Ryan did. US Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) is giving away the $27,500 in campaign money he got from former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, following the announcement that Delay will...
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Apr 4, 2006California Cheese Wheys In On Green Campaign
Mark Green has been tied to convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the state Capitol caucus scandal, indicted former GOP House leader Tom DeLay and some shady Illinois donors.
But what could really get him in trouble around here is taking campaign cash from a California cheese maker....
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Apr 4, 2006Feingold opposes ban on same-sex marriage
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said he strongly opposes the constitutional amendment that will be on ballots statewide in November to ban same-sex marriage and "substantially similar" relationships from being recognized in Wisconsin.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Feingold called the amendment a...
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Apr 4, 2006Hammered: DeLay gives up House seat
When he was making his name in American politics, as House Speaker Newt Gingrich's political enforcer, Tom DeLay was confronted by fellow Republicans who urged him to embrace a bipartisan budget compromise.
Using an expletive later attributed to Dick Cheney, DeLay growled, "F-- that, it's time...
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Apr 4, 2006John Nichols: Walker's exit could give Falk a boost
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's decision to exit the competition for the Republican nomination for governor is Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
If Walker had stayed in the race, the GOP gubernatorial contest between him and U.S. Rep. Mark Green...
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Apr 3, 2006U.S. Rep. Green: Voters with Driver's Licenses Should Bring them to Polls Tuesday if Possible
For additional information or comment from Rep. Green, contact:
Luke Punzenberger (office) 202-226-7385
(pager) 800-759-8888 PIN 1754041
Green warns that new State Elections Board rule allowing all voters to register using partial Social Security numbers may not comply with federal...
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Apr 3, 2006Governor's race just became a yawner
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker has dropped his bid to be the Republican gubernatorial candidate for 2006, saying he was unable to raise enough money.
His decision leaves the nomination to U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay. It also eliminates any serious Republican primary campaign for...
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Apr 1, 2006Angus Reid Global Scan : Polls & Research Doyle Has Five-Point Edge in Wisconsin
April 1, 2006
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Jim Doyle remains the frontrunner in the Badger State’s gubernatorial election, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 45 per cent of respondents would support the incumbent, while 40 per cent would vote for Republican United States congressman Mark...
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Mar 31, 2006Ex-DeLay aide pleads guilty to fraud
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former senior aide to Rep. Tom DeLay pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to fraud conspiracy, saying he joined a scheme with lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others to enrich themselves and illegally influence members of Congress.
In a deal with federal prosecutors, Tony...
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Mar 31, 2006In '06, 'values' debate will include stem cells
People are starting to take notice of Wisconsin’s push-and-pull on stem cell research.
Gov. Jim Doyle has taken a firm line on promoting the research, pioneered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as an important economic development tool for the state that could also contribute to...
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Mar 31, 2006Green covers his butt
For one of the first times in memory, Rep. Mark Green, an assistant Republican House whip, voted against his party leadership today, on a resolution calling for an investigation of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's ties to House members and their staffs. Green, whose staffers have accepted...
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Mar 30, 2006What you'll need to register on Tuesday
Going to register at the polls on Tuesday, when you vote in the spring general election?
There's a lot of new and conflicting information out there, some of it false. And there have been enough changes so some of the people working at the polls may not know the rules, either.
Be sure you...
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Mar 30, 2006War vet seeks Leibham's job
MANITOWOC — In May 2004, State Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, verbally saluted a returning Iraq war Army veteran.
Leibham called Jamie Aulik "an honorable young man ... who should serve as an example to all of us."
Now, Aulik, 26, wants Leibham's job.
"I want to give all of you a voice,...
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Mar 30, 2006Wisconsin lieutenant governor promotes home heating aid while in La Crosse
Qualifying moderate-income families could get between $200 and $400 for their heating bills, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said Wednesday in La Crosse.
“The warmth of spring doesn’t melt away” winter’s heating bills, Lawton said at a news conference to encourage people to apply for help from the new...
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Mar 30, 2006Taxation discussed without taxpayers Public not invited to meeting on revenue amendment
Germantown - Two state senators held an invitation-only meeting Wednesday that largely excluded the public from discussion of a constitutional amendment that would clamp strict limits on government spending.
The Republican lawmakers, Glenn Grothman of West Bend and Alberta Darling of River...
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Mar 30, 2006Feingold asks Dean to testify on censure
Washington - Watergate figure John Dean is one of two witnesses tapped by Sen. Russ Feingold to testify at a hearing Friday on Feingold's resolution to censure President Bush.
Dean was White House counsel under President Nixon at the time of the Watergate scandal, and he testified before the...
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Mar 29, 2006College Dems laud debate stirred over Feingold censure
Sen. Russ Feingold’s call for a censure of President Bush over the National Security Agency’s wiretapping has not received broad support nationwide, but Wisconsin’s College Democrats are hopeful for what this action could mean in the long run.
While some members, much like the Democratic...
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Mar 29, 2006Baldwin listens
SAUK PRAIRIE - With Congress on recess, Rep. Tammy Baldwin used the time to travel around her district to listen to people's concerns.
She stopped at the Sauk City Public Library on the afternoon of March 22.
"What's on your mind?" she asked. "What should or should we not do?"
Medicare...
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Mar 29, 2006State Buys 65,000 Northeastern Acres
More than 100 square miles of northeastern Wisconsin forest land will be protected forever by a land sale Governor Jim Doyle announced Wednesday.
The Wild Rivers Legacy Forest Project includes almost 65,000 acres of forest, lakes, streams, and shoreline in Marinette, Forest, and Florence...
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Mar 29, 2006Groups, Dems urge Doyle to veto rent-to-own bill
MADISON, Wis. - Key Democrats and consumer groups are urging Gov. Jim Doyle to veto a bill that would create new rules for rent-to-own stores while allowing them to conceal the interest rates they charge consumers.
Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, joined critics such as Senate Minority...
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Mar 29, 2006Feingold reports no ground made against insurgency
Washington - Sen. Russ Feingold, after a weekend trip to Iraq, said Tuesday that in many ways, he found the security situation "significantly worse" than when he first visited in February 2005.
"I heard nothing to believe the insurgency is weaker than a year ago," he said.
Feingold was in a...
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Mar 29, 2006Doyle takes credit for luring Abbott Tax change attracted firm to state, he says
The decision by global pharmaceutical group Abbott Laboratories Inc. potentially to create thousands of jobs in southeastern Wisconsin hinged on a reform in the corporate tax code that Gov. Jim Doyle championed after taking office in 2003, the governor said Tuesday.
In an election year when...
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Mar 29, 2006State sees cut in federal aid for low-income students
The flow of federal aid to help educate low-income children in Wisconsin will be reduced for next year, federal education officials say, and that has state and Milwaukee school leaders concerned.
Funding under what is called Title I grew substantially in the first several years of the Bush...
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Mar 27, 2006Mark Green's phony 'pledge'
Have you ever noticed how it's always the candidate with less money who proposes a campaign spending limit?
Today it's Mark Green, challenging Jim Doyle to sign a "clean campaign pledge" that is more about helping Green financially and politically than it is about cleaning anything up.
in...
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Mar 26, 2006Some say time is right for political reform in Wisconsin
With several Wisconsin legislators headed to jail, speakers at a Democracy Forum held in La Crosse on Saturday said the time is ripe for ethics and campaign finance reform in Wisconsin.
“The planets are lined up,” former Republican Assembly representative Dave Martin told about 30 people...
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Mar 26, 2006Obey speaks for Social Security
HURLEY -- The battle to keep Social Security from being privatized is far from over, U.S. Rep Dave Obey told senior citizens at the Iron County Aging Unit Thursday.
The Wausau Democrat said that, without fanfare, the president requested money in his budget to implement that plan at a cost of...
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Mar 24, 2006National GOP chairman visits state, calls Doyle vulnerable
Madison - Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is the most vulnerable governor in the country of either party, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said Thursday in Madison.
Mehlman, who was in Wisconsin to help raise money for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said the state's race for...
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Mar 24, 2006Rob Zaleski: Finally, a Democrat with cojones
Though I don't claim to be an expert on these matters, that appears to be the general reaction of liberal Democrats - and more than a few moderate Dems - to Sen. Russ Feingold's resolution to censure President Bush for authorizing what Feingold says is an illegal wiretapping program and for...
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Mar 24, 2006Bush censure idea, Medicare Part D hot topics at Feingold listening session
COLUMBUS -- Last week, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold stood alone in Washington when he called for a censure of President Bush. Wednesday morning one citizen stood up in a room largely full of Feingold supporters and told the senator he was out of line.
"I disagree with your call to censure the...
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Mar 24, 2006Democrats to GOP: Let's get things done
State Democratic representatives called on the Republican-controlled Assembly to forget about the “fringe issues” they say lawmakers have focused on and spend the final days of the legislative session on measures that will make a difference for middle-class Wisconsin families.
State Rep....
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Mar 24, 2006Grim U.S. debt demands action
The United States owes a staggering $8.2 trillion to foreign countries and other investors. That's more than $27,000 for every man, woman and child in this country.
And instead of finding sustainable ways to pay off the debt, the Senate last week chose to increase the borrowing limit to $9...
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Mar 24, 2006Democrats Say Bush Violated Constitution
WASHINGTON (AP) -House Democrats want President Bush to say whether he knew of what they call a "fundamental constitutional problem" with the $39 billion deficit reduction package he signed last month.
A letter to Bush, signed by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman of...
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Mar 24, 2006U.S. Sen. Feingold: To Make Second Trip to Iraq
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will be traveling in Iraq as part of a delegation that includes Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and John Thune (R-SD). This is Feingold’s second trip to Iraq. Feingold toured the country in February 2005 with Senator McCain as well as Senators Hillary...
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Mar 23, 2006DNC: Mehlman Brings Politics of Distortion and Distraction to Wisconsin
Washington, DC - Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman is in Wisconsin today for GOP fundraisers in Madison, Green Bay and Spooner. Mehlman is expected to continue the Republican strategy of ignoring the facts, cherry-picking information and misleading the American people to defend...
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Mar 23, 2006Obey: Congress must police itself
While school children and college students enjoy their spring break either on the beach, at the Boys & Girls Club or just hanging out at home, Congressman Dave Obey (D-Wausau) is taking his week off from sessions of Congress to speak to groups throughout his district.
"Last Wednesday, the...
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Mar 23, 2006Here’s a health care proposal: Insure everybody
A proposed remedy for soaring health care costs in Wisconsin can be summed up in a few words: everybody in the pool.
That means everybody gets a basic insurance plan that includes free preventive care, incentives for staying healthy, prescription drug coverage and $500 per year in a health...
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Mar 22, 200632 Communities Voting on Iraq Withdrawal
On Monday, the third anniversary of the U.S. war with Iraq, President Bush called on Americans to look beyond the continuing violence for signs of progress. But some people in Wisconsin see that violence -- and also that progress-- as reasons enough to end the war.
In two weeks, voters in more...
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Mar 22, 2006New state law will help develop manure gases as renewable energy
MARSHFIELD -- Cows might soon power local farms, especially in Clark County.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewables Act signed by Gov. Jim Doyle last week supports the development of agricultural digesters to convert manure gases into energy, said Dan Ebert, Public Service Commission of...
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Mar 22, 2006Doyle touts ethanol at GM plant
Gov. Jim Doyle reiterated his commitment to ethanol Tuesday on a Rock County stage where he said the flexible fuel would boost two of the county's largest industries.
"It all comes together in Janesville," Doyle said in reference to the county's agriculture and automotive industries.
Doyle...
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Mar 22, 2006For ’08 win, target Wis., Ohio now
Much as we might like to deny it, voters are creatures of habit.
In only 13 of the 51 states (including the District of Columbia) did Bush’s two-party margin in ’04 vary by more than three points, either way, from his 2000 showing. In just four states — Alabama, Tennessee, Hawaii and Rhode...
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Mar 21, 2006Feingold connects at home, Rural listeners applaud senator's resolution
Belle Plaine - Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold wants to make one thing perfectly clear - he's for wiretapping terrorists.
He just wants it done legally.
That was the message Feingold carried to this corner of rural Wisconsin Monday during two listening sessions with constituents....
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Mar 21, 2006John Nichols: Bush costly, even for conservatives
Republicans who gathered in Wauwatosa last week for the annual Future Wisconsin conference got an unexpected dose of reality from a former Badger State politico who has made it big in national conservative circles.
American Conservative Union President David Keene, who as a GOP wunderkind...
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Mar 21, 2006Voting changes coming in April New federal law makes registration lists mandatory
MADISON — Voters in Wisconsin's smallest communities will have to do something new before they can cast ballots in next month's spring election: register to vote.
State law does not require towns and villages with populations under 5,000 to maintain voter registration records, affecting...
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Mar 21, 2006Jensen leaves door open He quits office but won't rule out public service role
Madison - In a resignation letter Tuesday, state Rep. Scott R. Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield) says he might never again hold elective office after convictions for felony misconduct, but he won't "give up on the dream of public service."
The resignation was effective at the end of Tuesday, which...
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Mar 21, 2006Governor Signs Bill To Help Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome
Gov. Jim Doyle has signed a bill to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The governor said Tuesday that about one-half of the people who shake a child don't realize the potential harm.
The bill requires the production of brochures and materials on the dangers of shaking a child.
It also...
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Mar 21, 2006Grassroots agree with Feingold on censure
In case you needed another sign that Washington politicians are out of touch with the mainstream in this country, consider this:
Washington - The Republican National Committee says it will begin airing an ad on talk radio shows in Milwaukee and Madison this week criticizing Wisconsin Sen. Russ...
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Mar 21, 2006Feingold decidedly in the middle
The full version of the story noted just below about the ads running against Russ Feingold brings in the Newsweek poll on censure:
In a nationwide Newsweek Poll of registered voters conducted March 16 and 17, 42% supported censure and 50% opposed it. Among Democrats, 60% supported censure and...
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Mar 20, 2006GOP Struggles To Define Its Message for 2006 Elections
Republican efforts to craft a policy and political agenda to carry the party into the midterm elections have stumbled repeatedly as GOP leaders face widespread disaffection and disagreement within the ranks.
Anxiety over President Bush's Iraq policy, internal clashes over such divisive issues...
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Mar 20, 2006Wind power may get stronger in state
Evco Plastics in DeForest uses more than $1 million worth of electricity every year, President Dale Evans figures.
It's a standard cost of doing business, but Evans still laments how much of his cash flow leaves the Wisconsin economy and ends up in the hands of far-off coal and natural gas...
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Mar 19, 2006Huh? Feingold's the careless, reckless one? In Washington, crazy is normal, and normal is crazy.
President Bush and his people adopt a lunatic theory about preventive war, conjure out of Saddam Hussein's non-existent nuclear arsenal a paranoid vision of an imminent mushroom cloud over an American city, start a real war with make-believe planning (and disastrous consequences), keep giving the...
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Mar 19, 2006Feingold defends his effort to censure president
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold says he has received thousands of communications from Wisconsin constituents over the past week, with a large majority supporting a resolution he introduced in the U.S. Senate to censure President George W. Bush.
And while he's not surprised that Minnesota Democratic...
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Mar 19, 2006Further fisking Feingold
While I think (but I am biased) that much of the weaknesses in Feingold's position can be discerned by reading his and my op-eds in yesterday's paper, here's a more detailed fisking of what he has to say.
Russ: When a New York Times article exposed the National Security Agency program, the...
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Mar 18, 2006War bellwether: state leads way on anti-war referendums
Wisconsin will blaze a trail in April when, for the first time, voters will go to the polls as part of a statewide effort to pass referendums opposed to the war in Iraq.
"We see the Wisconsin campaign itself as a bellwether of national opinion," said Karen Dolan, a fellow at the Institute for...
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Mar 17, 2006McCabe says Jensen conviction doesn't end Capitol clean up
A political watchdog says a lot more has to happen to clean up Wisconsin politics in the wake of the Capitol corruption scandal.
Scott Jensen's conviction may have closed one chapter in the ongoing saga of cleaning up what happens under the dome, but Mike McCabe with the Wisconsin Democracy...
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Mar 17, 2006Jensen seat will await fall election
Madison - There will be no special election to fill the vacancy created by the expected resignation next week of state Rep. Scott R. Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield), officials said Thursday.
In a statement, Gov. Jim Doyle said the November election in the 98th Assembly District will fill the...
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Mar 17, 2006Walker: The Manchurian Candidate
It’s got to be the most bizarre campaign strategy for governor in the history of state politics.
In the midst of his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker has sounded a public alarm that his county will require a major state bailout to...
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Mar 17, 2006Years of war alter mood in Baraboo Positions vary, but all support troops
Baraboo - Chris Nielsen drove through tears that day last August. He was a cop and a dad, behind the wheel of a police cruiser, leading a three-bus convoy filled with troops from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry.
His son was on one of those buses. So...
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Mar 17, 2006Anti-war voices will ring out Saturday March kicks off at 12:30 p.m. at UW Library Mall
As the war in Iraq grinds into its third year, anti-war activists plan to be out in force this weekend to call for its end.
The highlight in Madison promises to be a march on Saturday, culminating in a rally that organizers hope will draw up to 1,000.
"I think it's going to be a big...
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Mar 17, 2006Editorial: Bush and his war
George Bush's approval ratings have hit a record low, according to a new poll released Monday night, but what does that really mean?
Well, consider this:
Bush's approval rating has fallen to 36 percent, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
By comparison, 38...
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Mar 17, 2006“Volume, Man; Volume!”
What’s puzzled me throughout the five years of the dishonest and incompetent Bush presidency is how he’s gotten away with it, given the scores of coverups, the out-and-out lies, the conflicts of interest, the financial scandals, its attempts to turn science into Bible study, its seemingly...
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Mar 15, 2006State Democratic chair predicts '06 will be a banner year for his party
MANITOWOC — State Democratic Party Chair Joe Wineke is not going to take sides in any primary showdown between incumbent state Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer and challenger Anne-Marie Woznicki.
But on a recent visit to the Lakeshore area, he was willing to make a few predictions and observations.
"I...
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Mar 15, 2006Unions ask judge to dismiss staffer's indictment for fraud
MADISON — Unions representing state employees asked a judge Tuesday to dismiss an indictment against a state worker accused of steering a travel contract to a company whose executives donated money to Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign.
The unions argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that prosecutors...
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Mar 15, 2006Schooff will head Doyle's campaign
Former state Assembly member Dan Schooff of Beloit has become the point man in Gov. Jim Doyle's re-election bid.
Schooff's appointment as Doyle's campaign manager was announced today.
"Dan Schooff is a proven leader and is well respected as a former legislator and as a former member of my...
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Mar 15, 2006Schultz to leave GOP job, party official says
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A state Republican Party fundraiser convicted of illegally raising money for the GOP while a state employee will leave her post, a party official said Tuesday.
Rick Wiley, executive director of the state GOP, said the party and Sherry Schultz "have mutually agreed to part...
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Mar 14, 2006Dems Say National Mood Aiding Gubernatorial Races
WASHINGTON - Democrats, hoping their success on the state level may help catapult them to the White House in 2008, have set their sights on grabbing a majority of governorships this fall for the first time since 1990.
Republicans now hold a 28 to 22 majority among the governors, but they are...
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Mar 13, 2006Anti-war movement has big weekend planned
The anti-war movement in Wisconsin is alive and expecting a busy weekend, if the schedule of vigils and pickets, rallies and gatherings everywhere from Hayward to West Bend to the Wisconsin Dells is any indication.
While the efforts of various anti-war groups have not drawn the sort of large...
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Mar 13, 2006State to battle Medicare D fraud AG, coalition join to help senior citizens
The state attorney general and the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups today announced a "Medicare D Watch" effort to combat fraudulent practices and coverage problems affecting senior citizens regarding the new federal prescription drug program.
"We are running into significant problems with...
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Mar 11, 2006Feingold calls for Bush's censure
Washington - U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold this morning called for the
censure of
President Bush for what the senator called the "illegal wiretapping" of
Americans.
The Wisconsin Democrat, speaking on
"This
Week with George Stephanopoulos" on ABC News,...
more
Mar 10, 2006Joel McNally: Bucher's political tactics vile, dishonest and wrong
Remember Willie Horton, previously the all-time low in vicious political advertising employing the criminal mug shot of a scary black man to stir up racial fears among the voters to elect a totally shameless candidate?
Now imagine Willie Horton multiplied over and over. Imagine a glowering...
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Mar 8, 2006Candidate plans brat fry Monday
Jamie Wall, Democratic candidate for Congress, will host a Lunch for Change brat fry at his campaign headquarters to counter Vice President Cheney's visit Monday to Northeastern Wisconsin.
As Cheney raises money for state Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, in De Pere, Wall, state Assembly candidates,...
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Mar 8, 2006Prosecutors say Jensen lied
Prosecutors on Tuesday pointed to several instances in which they say former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen lied when investigators interviewed him in 2001 about possible illegal campaign activity at the Capitol.
But Jensen, testifying on his own behalf Tuesday, said investigators...
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Mar 8, 2006Adelman Travel: defense documents rip charges against Thompson
The lawyer for indicted state employee Georgia Thompson says there was no bribe, no financial loss, no crime committed by his client in her evaluation of proposals for a state travel contract. Attorney Stephen Hurley also disputes the notion of an intangible "right" to "honest services."...
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Mar 7, 2006Editorial: Focus on science, not politics
A proposal to provide $2.5 million in state seed money to promote collaborative bio-medical research between the Medical College of Wisconsin and four other colleges in the region is in trouble because of concerns about what the money might be used for. Namely, embryonic stem cell research.
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Mar 7, 2006Wispolitics PM Update on Wineke-Graber Forum
The chairs of the two major state parties dueled at the WisPolitics.com luncheon at the Madison Club today over gubernatorial ethics, school choice, and the potential outcomes of 2006 elections.
Dem Party Chair Joe Wineke and state GOP Chair Rick Graber traded rhetorical punches that suggested...
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Mar 7, 2006AGs question natural gas price spikes
Skyrocketing natural gas prices can't be blamed solely on Hurricane Katrina, a cold winter or other traditional supply-and-demand factors, according to a report released today by Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and three other attorneys general from the Midwest.
Instead, the report...
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Mar 6, 2006Appleton woman eyes Assembly, Bernard Schaber challenges Wieckert to represent district
MADISON — An Appleton woman who is a longtime environmental activist plans to run as a Democrat for the 57th Assembly District.
Penny Bernard Schaber, 52, a physical therapist in the Oshkosh Area School District, said she decided to get in the race because change is needed in the Legislature....
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Mar 6, 2006Falk to fight for A.G. position
MANITOWOC — The state attorney general's priorities trump personal behavior. That is why Sheriff Ken Peterson is endorsing challenger Kathleen Falk over the incumbent, Peg Lautenschlager.
"With Falk we would see more focus on the crime labs. With the backlogs we encounter when investigating...
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Mar 6, 2006Jensen's Job, Paycheck Safe For Weeks
A state official has told 27 News Republican lawmaker Scott Jensen will be able to remain in office and draw a paycheck, even if Jensen is convicted of a felony crime in his misconduct trial.
Legislative Reference Bureau Analyst Dan Ritsche told 27 News, if Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield) is...
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Mar 5, 2006Jensen trial may hurt the GOP
Chuck Chvala? He's yesterday's news.
Brian Burke? Never heard of him.
But Scott Jensen: Isn't he the guy who put all those state employees to work on campaigns? He and all his Republican friends?
As the trial of the former Assembly speaker heads into its third week, with its daily...
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Mar 4, 2006Walker, lawmakers meet State may be little help in fiscal crisis
After meeting Friday with Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, six state lawmakers agreed that a county fiscal crisis looms and demands painful solutions, but they disagreed sharply on taxation issues and warned that a strapped state budget could offer little help.
Four of the legislators...
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Mar 4, 2006Jensen v. Jensen
This little zinger by the prosecution in the Scott Jensen trial certainly poses a dilemma for Scooter, whose defense begins on Monday.
Jensen has argued in the past that doing political campaign work was just part of the job of being a state legislator, an inseparable part of his duties. Every...
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Mar 3, 2006Wineke: Are we prepared for next disaster?
What did the president know and when did he know it?
Sen. Howard Baker made that question popular during the Nixon hearings 30-some years ago, and we would all be better off if he hadn't done so.
It's now a question we ask of every president whenever he gets into some kind of trouble....
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Mar 3, 2006Editorial: Lawton, arts & the economy
Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton has done more with the state's No. 2 job than any of its previous occupants. In fact, she's done more good than a lot of governors have.
Lawton gets her highest marks for recognizing that Wisconsin's future depends on broadening our ideas about economic development....
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Mar 2, 2006Walker, Green exchange criticisms
Walker, Green exchange criticisms
The two Republican candidates for governor traded barbs today over who would be the true tax-cutter, setting aside the nice-guy mutual admiration that has marked the contest so far.
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker launched radio ads airing today...
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Mar 2, 2006It's Walker's vision that's bankrupt
"Help! Help! Emergency!" Milwaukee County's going bankrupt -- but it's not my fault." -- County Executive Scott Walker.
Darn that Tom Ament. And those public employees. And those state legislators. And the County Board.
They've all ganged up on Milwaukee County to make Scott Walker look bad...
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Mar 2, 2006Same-sex marriage ban will take away rights — and not only for gays
I got a phone call from a woman in a rural county. She had read a recent guest column by Bill Steffenhagen, who argued against a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
She had a lot of questions, and I referred her to a gay rights group in Madison. Since she found out that...
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Mar 1, 2006Democrat calls voters to action
The time has come for the Democratic Party to stand up to Republicans and set the tone of the discussion heading into the 2006 elections, the party's chairperson told a group of students and residents Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Joe Wineke was in town to promote what...
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Mar 1, 2006Democrat chair names three key party issues in Rapids visit
Health care, education and home heating assistance are three topics state Democrats plan to emphasize as the spring and fall election seasons begin, said the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, during a Tuesday visit to Wisconsin Rapids.
Democrats should debate their opponents on those...
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Mar 1, 2006Jensen aide testifies in misconduct trial
Madison - Six of seven staffers for former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen spent some time stuffing envelopes with campaign and fund-raising material, one of those aides testified today.
Brian Dake, who continues to work for the Town of Brookfield Republican, said he and others spent 30 minutes...
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Mar 1, 2006Jensen held money meetings Lobbyist details GOP solicitations
Madison - Former Assembly Speaker Scott R. Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield) and other GOP leaders summoned lobbyists to a May 20, 1999, meeting to ask them to arrange $58,000 in campaign contributions from their clients to Republican campaign groups, according to evidence introduced Tuesday in...
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Mar 1, 2006Doyle comments on gay marriage amendment
Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle this morning predicted a "pretty thorough debate" statewide in the next eight months leading to the November referendum on whether the state Constitution should be changed to prohibit gay marriage.
"Voters of Wisconsin will now make the decision," the Democratic...
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Mar 1, 2006Don't cut Guard funds, forces, Doyle, governors tell president
Washington - Gov. Jim Doyle on Monday joined governors from other states in urging the Bush administration not to cut spending or manpower for the National Guard.
"There's pretty strong skepticism among the governors about the plan," said Doyle, who attended meetings of the National Governors'...
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Mar 1, 2006Wineke: Amendment doesn't protect but stirs pot
Supporters say the constitutional amendment we will be asked to evaluate in the November election will protect the institution of marriage against a supposed threat by gay lovers.
It does no such thing. For better or worse, the institution of marriage will be the same the day after the...
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Mar 1, 2006Energy efficiency nonpartisan, could be shot in arm
We applaud the leadership of state Sen. Rob Cowles and state Rep. Phil Montgomery.
They have marshaled the recommendations of Gov. Jim Doyle's Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables into a very robust energy bill, with a portfolio of short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions...
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Feb 28, 2006Ex-worker says Jensen oversaw all details of campaign work
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Rep. Scott Jensen oversaw every detail of Assembly Republicans' election campaigns, including recruiting candidates, distributing funds and helping write TV commercials, a former director of the taxpayer-funded Assembly Republican Caucus testified Monday.
Jason...
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Feb 28, 2006SeniorCare is Job 1Doyle: Getting federal renewal a priority
WASHINGTON (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday he has made renewing SeniorCare, Wisconsin's popular prescription drug program for low-income seniors, a top priority in dealing with the federal government this year.
The program expires in June 2007 and faces an uncertain future because of the new...
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Feb 28, 2006Editorial: No to warrantless wiretaps
Disclosures that the federal government has been eavesdropping on the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens generated a wave of outrage that included demands for a legislative response. One such response has now emerged, in the form of a reform bill sponsored by Sen. Arlen...
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Feb 27, 2006U.S. Rep. Moore: To Discuss Poverty in Milwaukee with Senator John Edwards
Forum Open to Public and Press
WHAT: POVERTY IN MILWAUKEE:
Its Cause, Its Impact, & How to Leave It Behind
WHEN: Monday, February 27, 2006, 10:30 - 11:30am
WHERE: Hillside Family Resource Center
1452 N. 7th Street,
Milwaukee, WI
MILWAUKEE, WI - Congresswoman Gwen Moore will be...
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Feb 27, 2006Witness: Jensen told me to do campaign work
Madison A former Assembly Republican Caucus worker testified this morning that he worked full-time on the unsuccessful November 1996 campaign of state Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) in the weeks before the election, after being pulled off a La Crosse-area race that party leaders concluded could...
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Feb 27, 2006Tom Sheehan: Inside the caucus scandal
MADISON — Reporters covering the caucus scandal have always had to be careful to draw a distinction between legislative staff caucuses and political party caucuses.
Turns out the distinction may have been overstated, based on court documents filed in defense of state Rep. Scott Jensen,...
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Feb 27, 2006Former Caucus Director Details Involvement in Candidate Recruitment
As former caucus director Ray Carey testified on Friday, Kratochwill said part of the ARC director job was to act as director of the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.
Kratochwill said beginning in 2000, he was very involved in candidate recruitment for the fall election. Some weeks he...
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Feb 27, 2006Former GOP employee testifies about campaign work on state time
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Employees of Assembly Republicans were told to take steps to shield their work on campaign materials from others, including locking the doors to their office while stuffing mailings for GOP candidates, a former worker testified Thursday in the misconduct trial of a state...
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Feb 27, 2006Jury is told of caucus capers Man who campaigned on state time says he learned from Jensen
Madison - The former director of the Assembly Republican Caucus told jurors Friday that he learned how to do his job - which included campaigning on state time - from Scott Jensen, the former Assembly speaker accused of directing aides to campaign on the taxpayer's dime.
Before Jensen was...
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Feb 27, 2006Governors seek answers on Guard, other issues from Bush
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush thanked the nation's governors Monday for their support of National Guard troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, even as state leaders are warning Bush's budget plans will cut Guard strength and leave states less able to respond to homegrown emergencies.
The...
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Feb 27, 2006Bill Spevacek: A grand strategy on ending poverty could separate Dems from GOP
In a recent speech in Washington, Gen. Wesley Clark called for an American grand strategy to replace the Cold War strategy that held the world together for a half century after World War II. Good idea.
Even some Republicans are now privately admitting the failure of their party's grand...
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Feb 27, 2006Eighth Congressional District candidates to debate at UW-Green Bay in April
GREEN BAY - Republican and Democratic candidates competing for Congressman Mark Green's seat in Northeastern Wisconsin have agreed to a debate series at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Republican candidates John Gard and Terri McCormick have agreed to debate on Wednesday, April 12, and...
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Feb 27, 2006Governors hear assurances from Bush, Rumsfeld over National Guard
WASHINGTON - President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered private assurances to the nation's governors over plans to restructure the National Guard, but some governors said Monday they were still worried.
Republican and Democratic governors said discussions are just...
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Feb 27, 2006Jensen trial: Jensen knew, witness says Links former speaker to caucus activities
Prosecutors opened the second week of the Capitol corruption trial today by producing direct evidence linking former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, to use of state-paid staff and state resources for political campaigns.
Former Assembly Republican Caucus director Jason Kratochwill,...
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Feb 26, 2006Dems still see blue in Oshkosh Republican-led communities full of potential
There's a bulls-eye painted on Oshkosh, and it's "blue," not "red."
State Democratic leaders preparing for a Wisconsin-wide battle for power in Madison this fall are making no bones about the fact that long, Republican-led communities like Oshkosh are full of Democrat-potential in the looming...
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Feb 26, 2006Democrats See Hope of Winning Governors' Seats
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 — At a time when considerable political attention is focused on the Democrats' uphill struggle to recapture Congress, leaders of both parties say Democrats appear to be in a much stronger position on another pivotal battlefield this November, the contests for governors....
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Feb 26, 2006Feingold clicks with blog fans Senator tops online polls, but can that win him the presidency?
Washington - When Gallup polled Democratic voters this month on the party's 2008 hopefuls, it didn't even offer Russ Feingold as a choice.
But in one corner of the Democratic universe - the readers of liberal Web logs - the Wisconsin senator has emerged as a political favorite.
In an...
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Feb 26, 2006GOP faces a difficult year in gubernatorial races
WASHINGTON -- Republicans face a potential upheaval in the states this November, with Democrats positioned to capture a majority of the governorships for the first time since 1990 and seize an early advantage in the 2008 presidential contest.
While the battle for control of Congress has drawn...
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Feb 24, 2006Mark Green comes up in caucus trial
In The past two days, the names of gubernatorial candidate Mark Green and two of his staffers have surfaced in the official misconduct trial of former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, adding fuel to the already heated debate over ethics in the governor's race.
Former Assembly Republican Caucus...
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Feb 24, 2006Caucus workers describe coverup Ex-staffers testify about elaborate measures
Madison - Assembly Republican Caucus workers took elaborate steps to avoid being caught producing campaign materials on state time, witnesses in the criminal trial of former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen (R-Town of Brookfield) testified Thursday.
Former caucus staff members Rhonda Baker and...
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Feb 24, 2006What price to save Jensen? Trial's dirty laundry has GOP furious
In his bid to clear his own name and salvage his political career, former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, is apparently ready to sacrifice the two Republican candidates for governor.
During Jensen's corruption case this week, former legislative staffers have implicated aides to both...
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Feb 24, 2006Dave Zweifel: Wineke makes the case for Dems
Joe Wineke, the former state senator from western Dane County and now the chairman of the sate Democratic Party, has embarked on a whirlwind trip this month visiting newspaper editorial boards around the state to remind them that not only is his party very much alive, but it has a plan to prove...
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Feb 24, 2006State team tracks 436 unregistered sex offenders State's compliance rate reaches 88%, Doyle says
Oak Creek - More than 400 convicted sex offenders who have evaded the state's registry have been tracked down during the first five months of Wisconsin's Sex Offender Apprehension and Felony Enforcement Initiative, Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday.
"Because of the SAFE Initiative, law enforcement...
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Feb 24, 2006Doyle denounces Republican silence on heating issues
Gov. Jim Doyle decried Republican leaders' lack of legislative action on home-heating assistance for low-income families Thursday, according to a statement from his office.
Doyle called for a special Legislative session Feb. 14, asking lawmakers to pass a $6 million dollar emergency...
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Feb 24, 2006Senator Kohl Against U.S. Port Deal
Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl says he'll join a number of lawmakers maneuvering to sink a White House plan to put an Arab company in charge of managing some American ports.
"Just as we don't farm out security for our airlines or for our airports, we should not be farming out security for our...
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Feb 24, 2006The Bush 2007 Budget Quiz Do you know what your president is planning?
Budgets are all about priorities, what you think is worth investing in and what you decide to put off until some date far off on the horizon. In President Bush's proposed $2.77 trillion (that's trillion with a T) budget for 2007, his priorities come through loud and clear. More than $439 billion...
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Feb 24, 2006Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind cautions against port deal
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., criticized the pending deal to cede control of several eastern-U.S. ports to Dubai Ports World Thursday. DPW is a state-owned company of the United Arab Emirates, which has the support of President Bush.
Bush is receiving bipartisan scrutiny for security concerns....
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Feb 24, 2006The Family Values Crowd Fails Average Families
Since the Republicans are in control of every branch of the federal government, they are responsible for everything as well. They keep talking about how great this economy is doing but for whom? When I look around at my own situation and that of the hard workers around me, times are very hard!...
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Feb 23, 2006Green cares for the rich, not students
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., is certainly not pinning his gubernatorial hopes on the votes of Wisconsin's college students.
Green, one of the Republicans challenging Gov. Jim Doyle in November's election, voted earlier this month to slash student aid subsidies by an unprecedented amount....
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Feb 23, 2006Arian Seifoddini: These Republicans aren't that clean A letter to the editor
Dear Editor: I see the Republicans are trying to be inscrutable in their races. Mark Green and Scott Walker are trying to be squeaky clean, incorruptible and fiscally responsible. Not one claim is true.
Mark Green came to Milwaukee in November with Bob Ney, R-Ohio. Ney went golfing on Jack...
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Feb 23, 2006The Attorney General and Homeland Security
Paul Bucher seems to be a decent guy, but I am growing concerned that he apparently doesn’t understand the job description for the elected office he is seeking. Specifically, his lack of knowledge of the office as it pertains to fighting terrorism is troubling.
At a forum in Downtown...
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Feb 23, 2006Energy bill the right move
The Ashland The Senate gave a big "yes" to alternative energy sources Tuesday in approving a bill requiring 10 percent of Wisconsin's energy to come from renewable resources by 2015. While 10 perent might not seem like a high percentage, it more than doubles the current 4 percent rate....
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Feb 23, 2006Caucus web snares Green, Walker staffers The Xoff Files
The plot thickens, the web gets a little more tangled, and Mark Green and Scott Walker go to new lengths to avoid talking to reporters.
We're talking, of course, about the caucus scandal, a subject on which Green and Walker have both taken "See no evil, hear no evil" approaches and claim they...
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Feb 22, 2006President’s budget gets cool regional reviews
The proposed federal budget’s dairy assessment and reductions in supports spurred backlash by leaders of Upper Midwest agricultural organization leaders and some politicians.
The budget proposes a 3-cents-per-hundredweight assessment on milk as a means of helping pay for dairy support...
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Feb 22, 2006Kohl holds campaign 'pre-kick-off'
With an event he called "sort of a pre-kick-off" of his re-election campaign, Sen. Herb Kohl made it clear Tuesday that he would run a full-speed campaign for a fourth term in the Senate - not that any major candidate has emerged yet to challenge him.
Several hundred Kohl supporters joined him...
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Feb 22, 2006The trial of state Rep. Jensen, former aide begins
A prosecutor in the official misconduct trial against state Rep. Scott Jensen said Tuesday the case boils down to this: "It's about duty. It's about money. It's about deception."
Assistant Attorney General Roy Korte told the 15 newly impaneled Dane County jurors that Jensen, the former...
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Feb 22, 2006Editorial: A very bad compromise
It is said that when one compromises with the devil, they still get hell and surely that observation applies to any deal that is done with Assembly Speaker John Gard.
The Peshtigo Republican is the worst combination that can be found in the Capitol a man whose power exceeds his principles....
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Feb 21, 2006Bush sees energy ideas at work Tour of Johnson Controls highlights battery research
Improved batteries for hybrid cars, new nuclear power plants and greater use of ethanol can help break America's addiction to oil, President Bush said here Monday.
Visiting both Milwaukee area offices of Johnson Controls, a corporation that helps companies save energy, Bush said the federal...
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Feb 21, 2006Bush: Nation is on verge of energy technology breakthroughs
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would "startle" most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil.
Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United...
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Feb 21, 2006In Milwaukee Bush pushes ethanol, hybrids; says major energy breakthrough around the corner
In an area of the state staunchly against the mandated use of ethanol in all gasoline Pres. George Bush Monday made a call for greater use of ethanol as a way to wean the nation from its dependence on foreign oil.
"The more ethanol we use, the less crude oil we consume. And using ethanol has...
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Feb 21, 2006Baldwin: Get rid of Bush
Some federal lawmakers are pushing for the president's impeachment. A couple dozen US Representatives have signed on to a bill that demands an investigation into whether there's enough reason to impeach President George W. Bush or at the very least, force his resignation. Madison Democrat Tammy...
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Feb 21, 2006Senate passes energy, restaurant bills
Madison - The state Senate passed bills today that would require the state to generate 10% of its energy from renewable sources by 2015, bar people from suing restaurants for making them fat and grant a special exemption from environmental regulations for a Kewaunee County resident.
The bills...
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Feb 21, 2006Jensen trial evidence will go back to 1988
Prosecutors will be able to present evidence that partisan political work was rampant in the Assembly Republican Caucus when former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, ran the operation as caucus director in 1988, Dane County Circuit Judge Steven Ebert ruled today.
Ebert's ruling came...
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Feb 21, 2006Democrats hear from Lawton
While looking at the future of the Democratic Party, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton emphasized her goals of making the state a better place during the Jefferson/Dodge Democratic Party's 13th annual President's Day Dinner at Plattdeutscher Hall Sunday evening.
Lawton, the first woman to...
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Feb 21, 2006Greater Wisconsin Campaign: Radio Campaign Urges Green to Open His Eyes to Scandals
The Greater Wisconsin Committee, an issues advocacy group, has launched a statewide radio campaign asking Congressman Mark Green to open his eyes and take note of ethical scandals plaguing government in both Washington and Madison during his time in office.
“The corruption and scandals, and...
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Feb 20, 2006Vote delays possible for primary Many have yet to register under new state election law
Assuming voter turnout is reasonably high Tuesday, a new requirement for voter registration may cause a bit of a bottleneck at some area polling places.
A new state law requires that all voters be registered and on a state database before they will be allowed to participate in any elections...
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