In the spirit of former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who isunder investigation for politicizing the Department of Justice, J.B.Van Hollen may be using our state attorney general’s office forpartisan political shenanigans. The Republican Party has spent the lastseveral years unsuccessfully trying to find evidence of coordinatedvoter fraud in Wisconsin, and especially in Milwaukee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for southeastern Wisconsin and the MilwaukeeCounty District Attorney’s Office have found no evidence of coordinatedvoter fraud. Now Van Hollen has a new trick. He filed a lawsuit toforce the Government Accountability Board (GAB) to run ID checks on newvoter registrations dating back to January 2006 rather than the Aug. 6date that the GAB proposed. This will cause massive confusion at thepolling areas and end up discouraging many people from voting.
Thequestion is whether Van Hollen was coordinating with the RepublicanParty about this lawsuit. Van Hollen denies any contact with GOPofficials about this suit, yet at the Republican National ConventionVan Hollen discussed this issue while addressing the Wisconsindelegation and told the delegates that they would be hearing more aboutit from the state Department of Justice (DOJ). In addition to thesestatements at the convention, it has been revealed that the state DOJand GOP attorneys conferred about this suit before it was filed. HasVan Hollen stooped to the level of Alberto Gonzales and politicized theWisconsin Department of Justice?
Hero of the Week:Len Zubrensky
Len Zubrensky is truly a hero for being one of the leading progressives in Wisconsin for more than 50 years.
Zubrensky will discuss his political autobiography, Let the Hi-Jinks Begin: The Memoir of a Democratic Activist, atthe Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop in Shorewood at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct.14. Don’t miss it. He’s a great storyteller and his life provides manygreat stories. He was legal counsel to Gov. John Reynolds, campaignmanager for Bill Proxmire when he ran for governor in 1952, and a majorplayer in the open-housing struggles in Milwaukee. Wisconsin needs more Len Zubrenskys.
Jerk of the Week: Rep. Jeff Stone
Afterfailing to build a case for voter fraud in Milwaukee, Rep. Jeff Stonehas developed a new tack to thwart the democratic process. TheGreendale Republican, an apparent believer in “free-speech zones,” isdevoting his energies to blocking street theater performances at urbanpolling places. The nonpartisan pieces by My Vote Performs, sanctionedby the Government Accountability Board, are intended to celebratevoting as an act of citizenship and encourage more people to vote. Withthe electorate moving steadily toward Obama, Stone’s actions clearlyreveal him as a pawn in statewide Republican efforts to discouragevoter participation.
Blog of the Week
(www.620wtmj.com/shows/jeffwagner)
The Shepherd seldom agrees with WTMJ’s Jeff Wagner, but in this case we completely concur.
“Frank’s Folly: Tearing Down the Hoan?”
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary FrankBusalacchi’s trial balloon about tearing down the Hoan Bridge is anidea thatif it were any dumberwould bark! The fact that Busalacchihas just blown $175,000 in taxpayer money for a “study” designed tojustify the plan doesn’t make it any better. Itsimply makes Busalacchi look even more irresponsible.
This new “study”produced by a consulting outfit called HNTB and commissioned by the DOTat a cost of $175,000 (!) claims that tearing down the Hoan Bridgewould lead to $5.7 billion in development on land under the Hoan andthe creation of over 8,000 jobs. Rightand I promise that I’ll love youin the morning.
Bythe way, HNTB executives are enormous campaign contributors to JimDoyle. I’m certain though that any link between these contributions andthe fact that Busalacchi chose HNTB to be the beneficiary of $175,000in taxpayer largess was purely coincidental. By the way, did I rememberto tell you that I promise to love you in the morning?
The basic ideais that if you tear down the Hoan Bridge and install streets,commercial and residential development will flock to the area under thebridge. This is the same area that is, of course, in the immediateproximity of Milwaukee’s sewage treatment plant. Forgive me if I’msomewhat skeptical about the number of people wanting to purchase$500,000 condos in the shadow of Jones Island.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK“Ithink God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to getthat gas pipeline built. So pray for that… I can do my job there indeveloping my natural resources. But all of that doesn’t do any good ifthe people of Alaska’s heart is not good with God.” Sarah Palin, addressing the Wasilla Assembly of God Church in 2008.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Milwaukee's Unseen Art, by Lynn A. Allen
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