October 31, 2009

J-S columnist's fan base exposed

Patrick McIlheran, Kent Hovind honored as co-fabulists

"All conservative thinking is based in a principled and proven ideology": Vapor canopy theorist explains McIlheran's appeal.

(Scroll to the comments, where hilarity ensues.)

Make Pelosi speaker for life

Said Mr. Gingrich. Douglas L. Hoffman lives outside of the district, close by the remparts of the Democratic People's Republic of Québec.

Demons remove CBN Halloween column

We're sorry, the page you have requested cannot be found.

The Undertones* — Mars Bar

I have the scariest Halloween decoration in the neighborhood out on the front lawn: a Fox "News" set with Charles Krauthammer, Ann Coulter, and Cal Thomas. Only the bravest children dare approach.

* I love these drummers.

October 30, 2009

Fox News: Attack on Jesus!

Larry's meds explain a miracle (YouTube, 5:31). I hope to Hell that Wild Bill Donohue finally gets a life once he ascends to Heaven.

(Don't tell him about "The Christ Nail.")

Study cited approvingly by study's outlier

MU professor puzzled as to why liberals ignore Glenn Beck

Couldn't be because he's a complete idiot, could it.

We already got your informed Republicans right here.

It's little wonder Prosser lit into McCabe

Some observers made note of a testy exchange Wednesday between Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser and activist Mike McCabe, at the court's public hearings on rules for judicial recusals.

Justice Prosser teed off on Mr. McCabe over several items the latter had published at his "Big Money Blog," which is part of McCabe's Wisconsin Democracy Campaign project (a useful resource, btw).

The justice was annoyed — to put it mildly — by McCabe's suggestion last June that Prosser was to sit in judgment of former State legislator Scott R. Jensen's criminal appeal, even though the record clearly shows as early as the preceding February that Prosser wasn't participating in the case.

Prosser and Jensen are estwhile colleagues in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where they served consecutively as speaker.

To make matters worse, after being notified by the Supreme Court, McCabe printed a correction the next day which, instead of leaving bad enough alone, sarcastically wondered whether Prosser was planning on appearing as a "character witness" on Jensen's behalf.

(At least, I assume it was sarcastic. Either that or McCabe believes "character witnesses" regularly appear at oral arguments before the State's highest appellate court. They do not.)

While it's true that Justice Prosser was a witness during Scott Jensen's trial at Dane County in 2006, Prosser was doing so under a subpoena — that is, an order of the court — to appear. The more serious problem with McCabe's sarcasm is that he quoted from the Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules, in particular a passage forbidding judges from "testify[ing] voluntarily as a character witness."

McCabe's implication — at least — is that Justice Prosser violated the code of judicial conduct in 2006 and was by McCabe's insinuation preparing to violate it again in 2009. One generally needs evidence for those sort of accusations, or at least supporting documentation that someone credible has made them.

But unfortunately McCabe didn't reproduce the comment below the rule (SCR 60.03(2)), which notes, "A judge may, however, testify when properly summoned." Which is to say, there is a considerable legal (and, by extension, ethical) distinction between testifying voluntarily and testifying after having been properly summoned.

And had McCabe undertaken one of those "Google is your friend" adventures, he would have easily discovered Justice Prosser telling then-Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporter Steven Walters, "I've been subpoenaed as a witness in a criminal trial, and witnesses are expected to cooperate."

Indeed, they are. At risk of contempt.

Moreover, and while I admit I don't follow these things as closely as many others do, it's not clear to me that Prosser was specifically called as a "character witness," although he reportedly fielded a question or two concerning Scott Jensen's character.

I could be mistaken, but it appears that Justice Prosser was solicited as a witness primarily to testify generally about so-called political campaigning* by lawmakers and their aides during his tenure as a Republican leader in the State Assembly.

That's another important distinction Mr. McCabe should have taken into consideration and I would distrust (both intuitively and from vast experience) any and all press descriptions of Prosser's status as a "character witness" — which is a legal term of art as it appears in the Supreme Court Rules — without more support.

I'm all for criticizing politicians (and, sad to say, judges in Wisconsin are undeniably also politicians) but when one ventures into substantive allegations, one had best do one's homework in advance.

And, unfortunately, at least one other local blog has repeated similar allegations of wrongdoing against Justice Prosser, and it's hoped that correctives are issued in light of the foregoing.

That would serve to defuse Prosser's larger point, which was that some of those who are purportedly concerned about public perception of fairness in Wisconsin courts are themselves occasionally engaged in unwarrantedly undermining that very perception. It's a fair cop.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I can't say I blame Justice Prosser one bit for blowing his stack at what quite obviously and evidently justifiably appear to him to be Mr. McCabe's sloppy reporting and insinuations of impropriety. So would anybody.

* I say "so-called" because there exists a reasonable difference of opinion as to what constitutes political activity within the context of attempts to codify its definition. At one end of the continuum are those whose view is that practically everything elected officials do counts as political activity. I'm sympathetic to those observations.

Which is one of the reasons why it seems to me that electing judges is not the most compelling among other potential mechanisms.

I believe I'm in alignment with the Federalists on that account (the actual, original Federalists, that is, not the "Federalist Society").

AlsoProsser and McCabe: One more thing

Even a libertarian could understand

A quick lesson in economics.

October 29, 2009

Your Bradley Foundation dollars at work

The other day Marquette University visiting professor of law Richard Esenberg enthused about how the Bradley Foundation "funds" the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, a tank where thinking is done.

The following bit of think tankery is currently on WPRI display:
Three liberals [sic] on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are ... essentially trying to get one of their colleagues un-elected. Their shady effort to force Justice Mike Gableman to recuse himself from criminal cases is merely a veiled attempt by his ideological opponents on the Court to nullify the [2008] election.
Blockbuster stuff, yes? Unfortunately, one searches in vain throughout the attendant verbiage for any support to these claims.

In reality, an attorney filed a motion with the court seeking Gableman's recusal from hearing a criminal matter. The case was scheduled for oral argument last week, on October 21.

A few days prior to that, three justices reportedly made a statement expressing a perfectly legitimate procedural concern over whether oral argument should go forward, in light of the fact that no disposition on the party's motion in the case had yet issued.

The court, on a voice vote, decided that the arguments should proceed despite the still-pending motion. One of the judges who voted to continue to the substance of the case's sentence credit issues without ruling on the motion was Michael Gableman.

He sat and listened, but refrained from question or comment.

That's about the size of it. Now if Mr. Christian Schneider of the Bradley-funded Wisconsin Policy Research Institute has any evidence whatsoever for the "shady" conspiracy which he's accusing three sitting justices of participating in, he'd probably do well to present it.

Quote of the Day

Do as I say, not as I do:
"Having been a contestant in one of those [recent] campaigns, I think there's room for improvement in the tone and tenor of campaigns." — Michael Gableman
Ya think?

"One particularly base and deceptive attack ad." — Hon. Diane Sykes
"We're sinking to new lows." — Hon. Janine Geske
"You elect Supreme Court judges?!" — Hon. Alien Visitor to Earth

October 28, 2009

Well, this sure cleared that up

Or: A rule of law, you say? Depends who's asking.

Michael Gableman: Was Caperton a unanimous decision?

Hannah Renfro:* No, it was not.

Gableman: What was the vote?

Renfro: It was a, um, a 5-4 vote, I believe.

Gableman: And were the five members of the majority able to articulate a rule that would carry forward outside of the particular facts of Caperton v. Massey Coal Company?

Renfro: No, they were not. In fact that was emphasized by the dissent.

Shirley Abrahamson: They stated no rule at all, Ms. Renfro?

Renfro: Well, they stated a rule ...

Abrahamson: They stated a rule that you might not think is effective; the dissent didn't think it's effective. But that's the purpose of a dissent, to knock it around. Right?

Renfro: Yes.

Abrahamson: So they did state a rule, right?

Renfro: Yes.

Abrahamson: And what was the rule?

Renfro: The rule in that case was that due process requires a judge to recuse where the judge's impartiality is in question. And in that case, the rule there is that a court must take into account all of the facts and the circumstances surrounding — whether it's spending or a contribution — or whatever other facts are present that are challenging that judge's ability to be impartial.**

Abrahamson: An objective, reasonable person standard.

Renfro: Yes.

Abrahamson: Not only actual bias but the appearance of bias.

Renfro: Yes.

* Attorney for the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

** Initiating the solicitation of this response was not exactly a bold strategic move by Gableman, under the circumstances. (However, his attempts at divining the shadowy presence of George Soros in the courtroom were likely a big hit with the tea ceremonialist crowd.)

The Chief Justice, on the other hand, is one sharp cookie.

Bonus Question: Was Coulee v. LIRC a unanimous decision?
Bonus Answer: What in the world difference does it make?

Why so touchy?

Justice Michael Gableman was downright hostile to the group, which says the rule is a necessary reform amid skyrocketing spending in judicial campaigns.

Gableman attacked the League of Women Voters as a left-wing group trying to limit campaign speech and have government regulators, not voters, hold judges accountable for ethical lapses. He scoffed at the idea that judges would "be willing to throw a case for $1,000."
And what's he worried about? He's been rewarded for ethical lapses.

Janesville (WI) Gazette

I have lost confidence in the sources

'Now, I certainly can't personally vouch for the following completely unsubstantiated, anonymously-sourced heaping helping of potentially widely damaging sexual innuendo but, hey, this obscure right-wing radio guy insists it's "facts" so GET A LOAD OF THIS EVERYBODY!'

Good piece by Erik Gunn on this scurrilous feeding frenzy. Unfortunately it only identifies a couple of the Usual Puritans.

I suspect we may have seen the last time Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel calumnist Patrick McIlheran begins a sentence with, "As Dad29 says."

There's some comedy gold having to do with Charlie Sykes's dismay at "complete fabrication" in there as well. Nope, we can't have that.

Ninety percent fabrication, not a problem. That's just entertainment.

Ultimately, Lt. Gov. Lawton's stated disinclination at seeking the governorship couldn't have been more aptly demonstrated: Who would care to offer themselves up to these circling vultures.

Many of us saw it coming after Kenneth Starr's lawyers deposed the president of the United States on the appearance of his genitals. I remember watching that live on national teevee in a coffee shop at O'Hare Airport. I couldn't believe my eyes. I guess I still can't.

That would be one improvement

"If it adopts the WMC rule, the court would basically be thumbing its nose at the U.S. Supreme Court," said McCabe.
We're more used to WMC thumbing its nose at the Constitution. Another improvement would be strict adherence to the Code of Judicial Conduct. The latter shouldn't be too much to ask.

Money isn't the problem; it's the lying the money underwrites.

October 27, 2009

Armey of one dick

No, not all politics is local:
Douglas L. Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate for [New York State's] 23rd Congressional District, showed no grasp of the bread-and-butter issues pertinent to district residents in a Thursday morning meeting with the Watertown Daily Times editorial board.

In a nearly hour-long session, Mr. Hoffman was unable to articulate clear positions on a number of matters specific to Northern New Yorkers rather than the national level campaign being waged in a three-way race for the vacant seat of now-Army Secretary John McHugh.

Coming to Mr. Hoffman's defense, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, who accompanied the candidate on a campaign swing, dismissed regional concerns as "parochial" issues that would not determine the outcome of the election.
parochial, adj. : of or relating to NY's 23rd Cong. Dist.

Read the Daily Times's previous day's editorial. Hoffman complained because he hadn't been provided the board's questions in advance.

The best interview question ever

Do you believe that your Galactic Emperor called Xenu brought his people to Earth 75 million years ago and buried them in volcanoes? Do you believe that? — Martin Bashir
ABC News Nightline (Play Tommy Davis off, Keyboard Cat!)

What if Bashir got to sit down with the Pope.

WTAQ: All you need to know

Check out this veritable Mount Rushmore of liars and buffoons:

Pictured: 1320-AM WTAQ's stable of on-air "personalities." All the greats.

Stay classy, radio wingnuts. And, more to the alleged point, MYOFB.

eta: The Chief is not amused (and rightly so).

Rep. Barrett voted yes to 2000 abortion ban

Directly contrary to what you will hear from local conservatives:
Dad29:* Does voting FOR partial-birth abortion count? Because [then-Congressman Tom Barrett] did so.

Kilkenny: I did confirm the partial-birth abortion vote Barrett made. That’s pretty damning.
Remarkably, Kilkenny's own link also clearly records Barrett having



That's what's pretty damning.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett hasn't even decided whether to run for Wisconsin governor, and the local wingers are fabricating his record already. You'd think they might at least wait until he does decide.

But evidently they just can't help themselves. Or else they got confused by the presence of two alternate Barretts** in the 106th Congress. Either way, it doesn't look real good for the over-enthusiastic wingers' credibility, does it. Nor, sadly, is it surprising in the least. Hell, even Republican judges do it.

Maybe that's what made it respectable.

h/t WisOpinion.

* A widely trusted source, where "widely" = Patrick McIlheran.
** Our Barrett voted with the "longtime Republican activist."

Newt the Magic RINO

GOP will eat itself.

What does that say for Newt's Scott Walker cheerleading, if the ideologically pure detect a taint in Mr. Newt's endorsements.

I caught a bit of this Doug Hoffman's act on Faux News last night. He sounded just like some guy addressing a convention of actuaries.

You know what an actuary is, right? An actuary is somebody who didn't have enough personality to become an accountant.

Cap Times hammers Gableman some more

Gableman's bias is showing:
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman proved with his crass and cowardly 2008 campaign that he has no shame.
They're not real big fans over there.
Despite credible calls for his recusal, Gableman participated in arguments on a case where his bias has already been well established.
He didn't participate any more than did the groups of local high school students present in the Supreme Court gallery. Rather, Gableman wisely remained silent throughout the proceedings.

October 26, 2009

Baby Rush in MKE

Last week medium-wave radio squawker and laissez-faire martyr Rush Limbaugh told a New York Times reporter to go kill himself.

This evening the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's "right-wing guy" Patrick McIlheran likens a Madison, WI film festival to Jonestown, where more than 900 people dosed themselves fatally with cyanide at the behest of a fanatical Christian preacher, whose followers also shot a Democratic Congressman and several others to death.

Did you know the Republicans are a serious party, with serious ideas? And that the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is a real newspaper?

"Jerk of the Week" pretty much writes itself, don't it.

Making decisions is what judges do

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine P. Geske joins WISN-12's Mike Gousha yesterday evening: Up Front (video, 7:45). And at the root of each of the separate but related controversies they discuss is, obviously, Michael Gableman's ill-advised decision making.

Had he the foresight, he might have sacrificed personal political ambition for the continued integrity of the State's judicial system.

But as in an ancient tale, those temptations proved irresistible.

Freud slipped ici

While former U.S. president George W. Bush's speech was mostly eloquent and free of the language gaffes he admits he is famous for, he said he regretted appearing in front of a "Mission Impossible" sign during a televised address in 2003.
À Ville de Montréal, avec les chaussures.

Alderman demoted to "blogger"

That's not a very nice headline, now is it.

"Blogger" is only slightly more complimentary than "thug."

Not quite full disclosure

Marquette University visiting professor of law Richard Esenberg, in the course of delivering an effusive bouquet to Bradley Foundation chairman Michael W. Grebe, helpfully notes:
By way of full disclosure, Bradley funds the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute and I have a relationship with them.
The WPRI is what's known as a conservative "think tank."

Now perhaps it depends on what one means by "full disclosure," I suppose, but what Prof. Esenberg deigns not to disclose is that the Bradley Foundation also donates generously to the Alliance Defense Fund and Esenberg has a relationship with them as well.

Esenberg's co-counsel on the case of Appling v. Doyle, a challenge to Wisconsin's domestic partnership law,* includes two ADF attorneys, Austin Nimocks and Brian Raum. Both lawyers hail from ADF HQ in Scottsdale, AZ, but presumably have an interest in Wisconsin affairs.

One indication of that interest may obtain from the title of a 2003 tome authored by the ADF's chairman, Alan Sears: The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. (The Homosexual Agenda was revealed to begin at 6 a.m. every day.)

Among the ADF's mottos is "Without Christ, we can do nothing."

The non-adherent is advised to bear the latter admonition in mind when considering offering oneself up as a potential ADF plaintiff.

Ms. Julaine Appling, who has long engaged in a frightful battle of wits against Satan and all of His minions, undoubtedly qualifies.**

This is easily available public knowledge, of course, but Prof. Esenberg's selective revelation doesn't appear to satisfy his own invocation of "full disclosure." They are the words he chose, after all.

Also worthy of helpful note is the fact that the Bradley Foundation recently forked over a check for $250K to The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, whose student division's deputy director*** turned up at the same law school faculty blog last week to distribute an edition of a FedSoc newsletter containing this comically antiseptic description of Mike Gableman's celebrated teevee spot:
The one television ad run by the challenger’s campaign drew national media attention for its aggressive tone.
Well, sure, that's one decidedly passive way of putting it. Another is to say it amounted to a statement deliberately misrepresenting the record of his political opponent, contrary to both the letter and the intent of Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule SCR 60.06(3)(c).

Yet another is to portray it bluntly as has the Wisconsin Judicial Commission: Gableman lied. Furthermore, the FedSoc employee in question failed to disclose his own whimsical shenanigans in service of none other than Mike Gableman and his political ambitions.

However, that's perfectly understandable, for a variety of reasons.

* Ain't it just so typical of those scheming liberals to short-circuit the democratic process and head straight into court. In this case, straight into the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the lower court finders of fact be damned (no pun intended; please see the following footnote).

** The named defendants being resistant to service of process, thus the selection of Gov. James Doyle et al as their corporeal stand-ins.

*** That is, a compensated FedSoc employee, not simply a member.

No, you could not consider it

[Whether a person goes to church is] an indication as to their moral values, whether they know the difference between right and wrong and whether or not they respect people ... and in looking at the mitigating circumstances ... you could consider that under any one of [the sentencing factors].
State v. Fuerst, 512 N.W.2d 243, 247 (Wis. Ct. App. 1994).

It never ceases to amaze me that anybody — particularly a learned judge — could actually believe that "indication" only works one way.

Remember, for example, Enron Corp. CEO Kenneth Lay's first public appearance following his indictment was emerging from a church.

That was an indication of nothing more than cynical lawyering.

October 25, 2009

You don't say

Patrick McIlheran's column on the economist John Maynard Keynes is factually wrong in too many ways to address in a letter to the editor (Perspectives, Oct. 22).
Huh. And economics is supposedly Patrick McIlheran's forte.

Letters, 10/25/09.

Can you imagine the outrage?!?

Um ... no. Fox "News" again.



What, now they want a marriage certificate too?* However, according to Rebecca Rapp St. John, an assistant attorney general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, "baby mama" can mean your wife, the mother of your children. Which is probably news to most people.

* Page nine: NSFW.

Hooters & Hooters LLP

Classy. Must be one of those fishnet stocking law firms.

Which reminds me (Play Loud).

Between a cold cut platter and infinity



Maybe that's AP style but it looks funny. Not as funny as the hyperventilating gang of wingnuts trashing the woman, mind you.

Rick Santorum, seriously? He's back now? Desperate times.

God is bad for women

Yes, it's unfortunately true, says Karen Armstrong.

It might help if she stopped referring to it as "He."

October 24, 2009

News to 33.5 million former British subjects

As for [health care expenses] bankrupting people, that is infrequent, but it does happen, just like in Canada.
h/t capper.

Also: "Sore Loserman" covets Canuckian vaccine inventories

Never mind Afghanistan

Get to work replacing these USAs.

Also, filling just two of 90-odd federal judicial vacancies in nine months seems a less than impressive executive accomplishment.

What other point is there to being president?

Wear two sweaters, save on popcorn

It is rumored Bjork became so unhinged filming [Von Trier's] "Dancer in the Dark" she ate her own cardigan.
Lars Von Trier's Antichrist an atrocity

Sounds like fun for the whole (Manson) family.

U R Ex-Gay

"Right-wing guy" Patrick McIlheran is moaning that a library has reportedly* refused free copies of some "ex-gay ministries" claptrap.

I say put them up on the shelf, cheek by jowl with Wilt Chamberlain's classic autobiography, Naughty Memoirs of a Former Heterosexualist.

* By — surprise! — Fox News, in its latest manufactured controversy.

October 23, 2009

More phony thesis confirmation bias

Rush Limbaugh noted later on in his show that it seemed the excerpts were fake, though he said he didn't care, both because of a series of quotes falsely attributed to him recently and because, "I know Obama thinks it."
Priceless. Or, to coin a phrase, "breathtaking inanity."

P. McIlheran, reporting from the internets

Or, at least, that one part of the internets he favors: nut-right.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel "right-wing guy" Patrick McIlheran, citing medium-wave squawker Charlie Sykes's citation to ... Fox News, gets all discombobulated with his various government departments:
Meanwhile, the rest of the press stands up to the White House bullying, and hurrah for that.
Well, no, it was somebody at the Treasury Department, not the White House, who'd made a list of the networks which had requested an interview with Kenneth Feinberg. Fox hadn't made a request.

When the teevee pool reporters noticed Fox's oversight, they made Treasury aware, which checked with the "bullying" White House, and the White House said, 'Yeah, Fox needs to be on there.' Big bullies.

Because the networks have a compact among themselves.
A network bureau chief familiar with the situation was surprised that Fox was portraying the news as networks coming to its rescue.
Jack Lord only knows what's surprising about that, eh?

*Sniff, sniff* ... do I here detect a whiff of burning martyr?

Said a Treasury official:
There was no plot to exclude Fox News, and they had the same interview that their competitors did. Much ado about absolutely nothing.
Watch Major Garrett's report here, and pay particular heed to the other Fox News character couching his probing inquiries to Garrett with several 'perhapses' and an 'it appears.'

Which somehow became a hard news item for both Pulitzer Prize "nominee" Charlie Sykes and ace reporter Patrick McIlheran.

This is exemplary of why Fox is occasionally denied the nomenclature "news organization": because they just unilaterally invent shit.

And the Journal-Sentinel's P. McIlheran draughts deeply from it.

Q. For this they laid off Tom Strini?

Related: "Fox Nation" duped by Obama thesis parody

Now that is funny. Michael Ledeen holds a doctorate in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That's not so funny.

How far nut-right do you have to be ...

To describe a Republican candidate as a "radical leftist"? Jaysus. Dennis Kucinich and Bernie Sanders aren't even "radical leftists."*

Polls show conservatives pulling a Nader and electing the Democrat.

* Well, maybe Jaysus was.

Mr. Tenant is utterly clueless

Here's a fun little blast from the past:

Patrick McIlheran's hilarious defense of "intelligent design."

On teh web: Worse than stupid.

Enemies list

Is there not an important distinction between consciously behaving in such a way as to deliberately create enemies and simply pointing to those who've independently and of their own accord already long since identified themselves as one's enemies up front? Of course there is.

However, martyrs do tend to bask in their martyrdom.

October 22, 2009

Thank you, Auntie Beeb

The BNP does not allow non-white members.
Fortunately they only get a few random annual days of sunshine over there, otherwise they'd all have to resign every summer.
BNP leader Nick Griffin used the Times interview to describe US President Barack Obama as an "Afrocentric racist bigot."
Hmm. Where have I heard that sort of thing before.*

* WARNING: Linked image may frighten children and small animals.

My solution: Televise them

Complete with color commentary by Nancy Grace.

Fewer journalists are available to watch people dieNYT

It seems to me counterintuitive that due process of law allows at once the deprivation of a person's life but not their right to privacy.

Fred Kessler has it right

Wisconsin Governor James E. Doyle, a former attorney general, said taking arrestees' DNA is no different than taking their fingerprints or mug shots.
If that is really the case, then presumably Gov. Doyle's own reaction would be the same whether he was getting his photo snapped or having his personal bodily material forcibly scraped away from the inside of his mouth with a plastic tool by the government.

The latter activity appears pretty clearly to be a seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. And its reasonableness, a constitutional requirement, is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

Furthermore it's not correct to say that "21 States allow DNA to be taken when people are arrested for some crimes." In several of those States DNA may only be collected following a probable cause hearing before the judicial branch, not at booking by law enforcement, which is what some in the Wisconsin legislature are proposing.

One of the very few States that has so far imposed a questionably broad and sweeping regime of DNA collection similar to the one now being contemplated in Wisconsin is California.

For a preview of what can inevitably be expected here if this bill becomes law, please enjoy some thought-provoking edification in the form of a class action complaint (.pdf; 26 pgs.) filed by the American Civil Liberties Union only a few days ago in the Golden State, where "approximately one-third of the hundreds of thousands of persons arrested for felony offenses in any given year are ultimately never convicted of any crime whatsoever."

That is, according to 2007 figures, 101,000 innocent persons would have had their personal biological material forcibly seized from inside their body cavities by a former Austrian weightlifter without a warrant and without a probable cause hearing in front of a judge.

Mindful of this fact alone, I would submit that whatever remains of the Framers' own DNA is rotating centrifugally in their sarcophagi.

October 21, 2009

Rush Limbaugh, that poor sod

"This might be funny, in a sad way, if it weren’t for the fact that my mailbox is already heaped with hate mail."
Recounts New York Times environmental reporter Andrew Revkin, after wildly popular radio personality and Beloved [unofficial] Leader of the Republican Party Rush Limbaugh told him to just go kill himself and help the planet by dying.

Which warranted hate mail — addressed to Revkin. Makes sense.

Apparently Mr. Limbaugh was simply exasperated after years of his logically rigorous arguments based in meticulous scientific research having fallen on deaf ears. Also quite understandable, of course.

The multimillionaire medium-wave "entertainer" was recently the object of an outpouring of heartfelt conservative grief and sympathy when some National Football League bigwigs decided he might be a detriment to the corporation's marketing objectives were he allowed to join their private ownership club.

The Earth's population is doubling every fifty years or so and to the extent that the resources that sustain that population are non-renewable or otherwise unable to keep pace with population growth, catastrophe is inevitable. That's just a fact.

It may not be during Rush Limbaugh's or any of his devoted fans' lifetimes but that doesn't make it any less of a reality.

Meanwhile Limbaugh's tea ceremonialist disciples claim to be concerned about their grandchildrens' inheritance of artificial economic constructions such as "national budget deficits" and too many resource-devouring Mexicans entering the United States.*

So evidently they are vaguely aware of the future. That's a start.

* Rush Limbaugh would prefer they stay right where they are.

October 20, 2009

Who cares about Meghan McCain's breasts?

This Young Patriot, who doth protest waaay too much.

h/t Instaputz.

Former AK Gov butt of J-S blogger porn gag

Sarah Does MilwaukeeEugene Kane

Please. Have some respect.

eta: Today (10/21) the headline reads, "Palin Visits Milwaukee."

Godless reprobate mates for life

Outbreeds famed Antipope "Wild" Bill Donohue
Isn't this the crazy guy I see yelling on television from time to time? He's not exactly Fulton J. Sheen, is he?
— Comment below Wild Bill's insane WaPo screed
He's one of several crazy guys you see yelling on teevee. Crazy yelling guys on teevee is one of America's few current growth industries.

Wrong wing-guy

Poor old Patrick McIlheran, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel calumnist who still can't come to grips with the free market's invisible hands throttling his hero Rush Limbaugh. Fine. But why does he have to lie?
Didn't like the way Sonia Sotomayor said Latinas just made better judges than white guys? Then you're a racist.
Except that isn't what she said and, to her credit, she never backed away from what she did say. But Sotomayor did acknowledge that axe-grinding hacks like Patrick McIlheran may have misunderstood.

Subtlety and mindfulness of context not being among your garden-variety conservative Republican calumnist's strongest suits.

Blatant hypocrisy is, however. Exhibit A: Witness McIlheran's complaints that Limbaugh was pilloried for things he never uttered.

Moreover, contrary to Patrick McIlheran's revisionist victimology, it was Rush Limbaugh who loudly condemned Sotomayor as a racist.

And for this they laid off Tom Strini?

October 19, 2009

I'm Against It

Six of seven justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court say they support some kind of public funding for high court elections. Justice Michael Gableman does not.
I'm Against It (Live at the RNC)

Are they for real?

Thirty bucks to listen to this pair of twits?

Exclusive: Advance copy transcript.

Also on Nov. 6: Tracy Jane Comer, NO COVER.

"Gableman's an embarrassment."

Is what it says right here.

It's labeled "opinion," but it could be "fact." What it's not is "news."

Whatever happened to all of Gableman's bigtime defenders* and supporters, I wonder. Remember, the ones who promised he'd restore "traditionalism" and "restraint" to the Supreme Court. They've been awfully quiet. Whatever methods it took to justify their ends, evidently. Maybe that's who Ed Garvey means by moral eunuchs.

* Apart from the illustrious Mr. James Bopp, that is.

Balloon Warrants may issue

Balloon Mom in on scam; cops allege Balloon Conspiracy.
Earlier: Balloon Sanctity of Traditional Balloon Marriage.
While the secular progressives have tried to take Christ out of Christmas, supported and bolstered by the ACLU which is waging its own Jihad against Christianity, the majority of Americans, including those living in Larimer County and Ft. Collins, recognize and value our Christian heritage.
Balloon Sheriff Jim Alderden
Palin/Alderden 2012!

Gableman could be hazardous to your health

New scientific evidence connects wily political shenanigans* of Wisconsin's most controversial judge with male pattern baldness:


h/t Google Bots Blog Search.

* "I am proud of the campaign we ran," Gableman said. — AP

That is truly the most remarkable "statement" of them all.

October 18, 2009

October 17, 2009

Facts no barrier to sound scholarship

Prof. McAdams presents his latest research.

Thesis:
Principals and school boards are used [to] being scared of secular forces (unually [usually? unusually? annually?] including the ACLU), and in the past have seldom had trouble from people defending relgious [sic] freedom.
Argument I:
The Christian Post is an objective source for this sort of thing.
Argument II:
Valerie Burch, a staff attorney with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the student’s T-shirt represented political speech, the most protected form of speech, even inside schools.*
Argument III:
Liberty Counsel et al only very seldom litigate.
Conclusion:

Prof. McAdams teaches political science at Marquette University.

Seriously.

* In fact it's right-wing conservative Republican hero Associate Justice Clarence Thomas who says that no such protection exists.

Reification fallacy


CNN

Think of the children, he says. In that case, there should be more "interracial" marriages so eventually everybody is the same color.

And I'm here to help: Holla back, Aïssa Maïga.

Even the wingers are weary of Sykes

"Right-wing guy" Patrick McIlheran, advertising tomorrow's appearance with a bunch of other "right-wing persons" on Charlie Sykes's low-rent squawk-fest Sunday INCITE!, is garrulously chided:
You have Obama turning the country socialist and you clowns get distracted by shiny objects. Why not spend a day talking about Balloon Boy and American Idol while you are at it.
— A. Conservative
American Idol is already Ann Althouse's bag, I believe. "Is the NFL better off" for its rejection of their hero, Rush Limbaugh, wonders McIlheran and his right-wing pals. Considering Sunday INCITE! goes head to head with Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN, I'd say, yeah.

As is the television viewing audience.

Methinks it is like a weasel ... still

Once again creationists — who call themselves "intelligent design theorists" nowadays — effectively demonstrate their dishonesty:
I considered hard whether I should address Behe's argument or ignore it. I am well aware that Behe and his supporters might portray my response as an indication that there is scientific debate over the possibility of adaptive protein evolution: "Look, an evolutionary biologist who actually does scientific research is arguing with me; let’s teach this controversy in public schools!" Because Behe has grossly misinterpreted the results of my research to support his position, however, I feel some responsibility to set the record straight.
Creationists do this all the time and have been for years. The so-called "controversy" is an invention of Republicans and lawyers.

Read: The Blind Locksmith.
The corrupt ideologues of the Discovery Institute don’t realize ... it’s not Darwin that makes Christians atheists. It’s self-described Christians who are shown up as liars, shills, and perjurers who inspire other Christians to discard their faith.
The latter comes from the comments section. He's got a point, although it would more rigorously follow to first condemn the shills and the liars and the perjurers rather than reject Christianity in toto. Even so, the creationist hypocrisy really is something to behold.

And Jesus was no great admirer of hypocrites, is what I've heard.

Disoriented Scalia turns up in London

Worshiping at a temple of foreign law with an Anglican bishop.

Also present: the Royal Successor to Great Britain's King George III.

Peak wingnut

March 7, 2011 — Yesterday Sarah Palin was spotted helping to take out several Hamas warriors who were guarding Rahm Emanuel. Rahm was able to escape thanks to yet another suicide bomber who blew himself up.
Er, isn't Rahm Emanuel Jewish?

A new video game for domestic terrorists.

lol@militias run by Brent Bozell.

And H.W. Bush says Rachel Maddow is a sick puppy.

October 16, 2009

Federal government waste

White House spokesman Bill Burton makes $113,000 per year. Presuming it took him about 30 seconds to answer that question, it cost taxpayers around ten cents. Not much, but not nothing, either.
Watch: American Gielgud.

Gableman's various travails continue

The Journal-Sentinel's Patrick Marley reports.

And reports some more.

On Tuesday at Dodgeville, the court is set to hear oral arguments in State v. Landray M. Harris, the celebrated Milwaukee County "Baby Mama" sentencing appeal, in which Michael Gableman, who is currently operating under his own personal appearance of bias cloud, will get to adjudicate in an appearance of bias case. Intriguing.

That oughta reinforce Mr. Harris's confidence in the system.

Maybe he would like to buy the Falcons

Most influential American conservative, sez Torygraph.

Sanctity of traditional marriage update

"My family and I, we do this all the time."

Dad's first reaction is to make sure there's no puke on his shoes. His next is to get back to the interview after that annoying interruption.

Let the missus mop it up: "I'm so glad my wife was born in Japan."

So remind me, once again, who it is exactly that is "undermining the 'conjugal model' of marriage":
[The people of Wisconsin] intended to prohibit the creation of a marital-like status for relationships that, while similar in some ways, differ from marriage in ways that will, over time, alter key cultural and legal components of marriage stemming from the unique nature of opposite-sex relationships and, therefore, undermine the "conjugal model" of marriage.
Petition to Take Jurisdiction of Original Action at 21, Appling v. Doyle, No. 2009AP001860* (Wis. July 23, 2009).

Oh, right, it's those darn gays.

* Why is lead counsel's address still listed as Marquette University Law School? That should have been corrected a long time ago.

No religious test

"Look at who runs all the convenience stores." — Rep. Sue Myrick*

* Superfluous, goes-without-saying footnote: (R-NC).

Praise God

"The odds that Jon Gosselin soon could slip into obscurity
are increasing." — The Scoop
No such luck for Rush Limbaugh, whose crucifixion continues apace.

October 15, 2009

Interesting choice of words

"Journalists [sic] have been flogging bogus quotes in their effort
to blacken the conservative talk show host." — Charlie Sykes

Shouldn't that be, "whiten"?

Also: Sykes's BFF Patrick McIlheran is quite upset! that some people repeated falsehoods without confirming their veracity. Priceless.
And they dare call themselves "progressive."
Harrumph! D'you see: McIlheran occupies the moral high ground.

Pro victim Rush Limbaugh, naturally, blamed "Obama's America."

America loves Balloon Boy!

Wife Swap

Why would anybody vote for a liar?

Rep. Steve King (R-IA). What is it, the 'R'?

And this clown sits on the House Judiciary Committee.

Prayer trial parents speak

Judge not misled, say Neumanns — Stevens Point (WI) Journal
Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard sentenced the couple to six months in jail and 10 years of probation for reckless homicide in the death of their daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann.
As a point of clarification, that six months is to be served in 30-day annual increments apportioned over six years and in any event those periods of incarceration, which are a condition of probation, remain unimposed while the Neumanns appeal their convictions.

In the meantime, Marquette University professor of law Rick Esenberg says "perhaps Wisconsin has it right" as for the application of State law to circumstances resembling those of the Neumann case(s), correctly noting that the legislature has provided a black-letter exemption for the complete faith healing defense:
State law prohibits charges of child neglect based solely on healing by prayer. But it provides no such exemption for more serious charges such as reckless homicide.
While this claim is true as far as it goes, the provision in question prevents convictions for acts far more egregious than the relatively passive crime of "child neglect." It also prohibits the successful prosecution of "intentionally caus[ing] great bodily harm to a child."

Esenberg goes on to suggest that the State's interest in prosecuting "does not become compelling until it inflicts the more substantial injuries that support a charge other than child abuse, such as reckless homicide or the infliction of substantial bodily injury."

We can stipulate to the reckless homicide element, loss of life being among the ultimate injuries available to be suffered.*

Rather, the fundamental defect in Prof. Esenberg's premise is that according to Wisconsin law, great bodily harm describes not less but considerably more severe injuries than does substantial bodily harm, so his argument quite plainly doesn't make any sense.

Perhaps another point of clarification is in order.

* I'm not being glib. It's always seemed to me that, for example, the lifelong trauma inflicted on victims of rape can be a far worse fate.

Not to mention the fact that the occasionally well-deserved homicide arguably makes reasonable policy from a Darwinian perspective.

Clarence Thomas was a Black Panther

According to David Duke a.k.a. Dorothy Vanderbilt, in this 1992 encounter between him/her and Scott Walker, then a Wisconsin Republican Party functionary and now a GOP candidate for governor.

The video resurfaced after Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway compared Walker to the erstwhile Louisiana Klansman.

It purports to underscore Walker's reasoning in attempting to keep Duke from challenging then-chief executive George H.W. Bush on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Wisconsin.

Scott Walker couldn't have done a very convincing job at that, because all of the dozen or so telephone calls moderator Joe Smith fields are in favor of Duke's being free to exercise his democratic rights, regardless of what the callers think of Duke's views.

At one point Walker likens David Duke to Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious serial murderer. "Shame on you, Scott Walker," says Duke.

Times sure have changed for Wisconsin Republicans. Back in the day, they sought to prevent the candidacy of a man based on that man's own odious personal opinions, but more recently they embraced the campaign of another man who smeared and lied about his opponent, and whose supporters spent millions doing exactly the same thing.

"Forward!" their motto.

Market speaks to Limbaugh

From The Chief, a sharp lesson in laissez-faire.

Also, grumps remembers Redskins running back John Riggins.

October 14, 2009

A taste of the Bizarro World

Charles Krauthammer tells us Obama hasn’t decided what to do about Afghanistan. In fact, Obama has already rejected the idea of a draw-down, so the only question that his team is deliberating is how large the new contingent of troops will be. That contrasts with the Bush-Cheney team, which received a comparable appeal for more troops from its Afghanistan commanders in April 2008, and decided to ignore it.
Liz Cheney — America must 'dominate the world.'

And Santa Claus is, also

Local "right-wing guy" Patrick McIlheran shills for Dennis Prager, a self-ordained "cultural warrior" who rails against "secular leftists" and who McIlheran evidently admires for his "clear thinking."

"Clear thinking is coming to town," announces McIlheran of Prager's visit to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Lest you think Prager is just another right-wing AM radio buffoon, McIlheran emphasizes that Prager is "yeshiva-trained," whatever that's supposed to mean.

Presumably Patrick McIlheran's enthusiasm might be tempered somewhat were the UWM guest speaker "daar-ul-uloom-trained," which Dennis Prager most certainly is not.

Mr. Prager, it might be instructive to recall, filled up several pantloads to overflowing when Keith Ellison, a member of the U.S. Congress from Minnesota and a Muslim, declared that he would take his oath of office whilst swearing on a Qur'an.

On Thomas Jefferson's personal copy, as it turned out.

Prager, apparently forgetting that America was founded on a premise of religious freedom, was incensed. Wikipedia has a very thorough and entertaining account of the controversy, which was rather embarrassing for Mr. Prager and revealingly indicative of his "clear thinking" methodology, not least by dint of his risible ignorance of American history but especially of certain provisions of the United States Constitution, in particular its "No Religious Test" Clause.

Dennis Prager is "not what you'd expect," gushes Patrick McIlheran, at once approvingly reproducing Prager's characterization of the Nobel Peace Prize committee as "moral idiots."

Yes, that's exactly what you'd expect.

Earlier: McIlheran, tinpot philosopher

October 13, 2009

Limbaugh martyrdom gains impetus

The NFL has shot down controversial figures before. Notably, in 1999, the league's owners voted down an $800 million bid — a record offer for any professional sports franchise at the time — from New York real estate mogul Howard Milstein, in part because of Milstein's abrasive style and business relationships.
Irsay joins anti-Rushing game. Come on guys, football fans haven't had a good enough reason to hate the Rams since Kurt Warner left.

Glenn Beck analogy inapt

When they're done with Fox, and you decide to speak out on something. The old 'first they came for the Jews,* and I wasn't Jewish.'
Fox "News" "personality" Glenn Beck
Except Martin Niemöller was speaking of intellectuals, not morons.

* Actually, it's "First they came for the communists." Then the socialists, the trade unionists, and lastly the Jews, who the Nazis rounded up and exterminated, much like the "journalists" at Fox.

It is said that many people in America take Glenn Beck seriously.

Something really good just happened

You can tell because Orrin Hatch is "disappointed."

You down wit GOP?

Good grief.

Some clever nicknames in the comments, e.g.:

Ol' Dirty Golfing Partner
LL Cool Bean
Mos Tone Def
Lil' Hayek
KStreetRS-One
Galt-N-Pepa

Thus is cynicism an impediment to post-racialism.

Further:
One of the people listed as a "great Republican" is baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who actually identified himself as an independent. In fact, Robinson spoke out about the "hatred" he saw at the 1964 GOP convention, where Barry Goldwater won the nomination. He called it "one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life."
Oh dear.

October 12, 2009

VA Gov. hopeful plays the Regent U. card

Early and often, from the sounds of it.

He should be careful. They probably love Pat Robertson down there.

I wonder what Glenn Grothman would do if he found out he attended the 173rd most liberal law school in the country. Jump for joy.

Mysterious cabal silences "right-wing guy"

Suffering 10 days of withdrawal, a McIlheran disciple wonders:
Did they finally get tired of having a conservative call them out all the time for their lies and can ya Patty?
He actually wrote a pretty good feature on the weekend. Why doesn't McIlheran do more of that, rather than the embarrassing hack work?

It's never too late to go legit and, who knows, maybe even recover some of that squandered credibility. Recovering all of it would most likely be an insurmountable challenge.

Scenes from the class struggle in Otter Creek

A "citizen candidate," sure. She understands the common man and will fight Obama and Decker and the Democratic plans to nationalize the common man's art collections.
A potential Wisconsin voter responds to today's announcement of the candidacy of Dr. Pam Galloway, a Republican who is challenging Democrat Russell Decker for the State's 29th Senate District in 2010.

Dr. Galloway is pictured in Wausau with her art collection.

Stop it, Sykes, yer killin' me

Whoop it up, they explained:



This being precisely why they canceled the "Half Hour News Hour."*

* But see:
r C. gave it a 10 out of 10 —
Loved the show ... sorry it's off the air. The fact [sic] that the Libs don't get it, even makes it better. They don't get the Bible either.
Except the Bible's not supposed to be funny.

Overwhelming dislike.

Also on teh web, also: Diagnosis, preexisting cerebral hypoxia?

The only note of dissent

Came from Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend).

My goodness gracious, what an astonishing surprise.

The savings of millions of dollars to the counties, presumably, are realized by transferring appointments made by the circuit courts, appointments that are reimbursed at up to $70/hour, to the State Public Defender, which pays $40/hour* for the identical services.

Why wouldn't Glenn Grothman support that? Is Glenn Grothman less concerned with saving money than protecting constitutional rights?

It's enough to make a fiscal/social conservative's brain asplode.

One might reasonably expect Glenn Grothman to instinctively seize at every available opportunity to penalize "trial lawyers." But, no.

Incidentally, could Glenn Grothman win an election anywhere other than in Washington County, WI, or maybe someplace in Oklahoma?

* It's not that the SPD is stingy, it's that that's the law.

eta: Grothman attended 8th most liberal law school in U.S.

Glenn Grothman was reported to be "disappointed to hear the news of the ranking." What, he's only just figuring it out now?

Petri dish full of Kool-Aid

"We know that even a troubled marriage with two parents is better for children," said Wisconsin 6th Congressional District Republican Tom Petri.
Via Playground Politics.

Nothing yet from Randy Koschnick's "War Against Christianity" panel.

A classic Sharkian backtracking

Marquette professor of law Rick Esenberg, musing once again on the topic "Obama is a joke," was apparently troubled by my suggestion that that windy aficionado of Puerto Plata fauna Rush Limbaugh, by throwing in his lot with the views of America's enemies, might in former times and in reversed partisan context have been accused of something less than complete allegiance to his country:
We have to [celebrate Obama's Nobel Peace Prize] — at the risk of suggestions of treason — because ... why?
The embedded link is to this item. The italics are Prof. Esenberg's.

Not only had I not said a single word about celebrating anything, but as commenter AnotherTosaVoter perceptively observes:
Your party has no credibility when it comes to outrage over being called traitorous for disagreeing with the President. You know it — though for partisan reasons you may not admit it on this blog — to be true that your party used patriotism as a political cudgel without giving a second thought from 2001 to, well, now.
To which Prof. Esenberg responds:
I acknowledge that people on my side of the political divide have unfairly criticized opponents as unpatriotic ...
Just not as often as ATV thinks, or something. So what was the point of all that, who knows. But the complete retraction is appreciated.

Now perhaps when President Obama is conclusively demonstrated* to have adjusted U.S. foreign or military policy to the specific pleasures of the Norwegian parliament, that might be somewhat interesting.

* A nut-right blogger shrieking at a tea party doesn't count.

eta: Liz Cheney — America must 'dominate the world.'

Talk about a chip off the ol' Marvel supervillain block.

October 11, 2009

Shorter Bill O'Reilly*

No scientist can explain everything to my personal satisfaction, therefore is the entire New Testament proven to be literally true.

* Mr. O'Reilly is a popular teevee host and philosopher of cosmology.

Celebrate Jesus of the Gaps with a Bill O'Reilly holiday ornament.

Pennsylvania's Neumanns

Homicide by ignorance plus fantasy:
When 2-year-old Kent Schaible became ill in January, his parents did what they always did: They prayed.

Herbert and Catherine Schaible prayed for 10 days, and when Kent did not improve, they called their pastor to pray with them. When that failed, they called the funeral home.

The parents, members of the First Century Gospel Church, do not believe in seeking medical care.

Herbert Schaible, who has only a 9th grade education, is a teacher at the Church's school. His wife also dropped out of school after the 9th grade.
At the couple's arraignment, the judge observed that they apparently do believe in seeking legal care for themselves, as the first thing they did when they found out they were in trouble was call a lawyer.

The child grew progressively ill and died over a period of ten days.

h/t Religion Clause.

October 10, 2009

There will be very little shooting

For the children. That seems dreadfully tasteless. But, who knows, maybe it's what she would have wanted. Do this, in memory of me.

By the numbers

Louis Butler received 402,798 votes from the citizens of Wisconsin last time he ran. Jim Sensenbrenner* got 47,144.
h/t Xoff.

* (R-Sendik's Premium Roquefort).

'We all agree with Iran' — Rush Limbaugh

Iran Plans to Execute Three Election Protesters

So the next time somebody mentions Jeremiah Wright et al, be sure to remind them that it's possible to concur with one thing a person might have said without concurring with everything they ever said.*

And tell 'em the unofficial leader of the Republican Party sent ya.

* Assuming Limbaugh doesn't endorse executing political opponents.

Nobel Peace Prize meaningless, meaningful

Yesterday was a banner day in collective cognitive dissonance.

A whole lot of people spent a whole lot of energy claiming — at exactly the same time — that the Nobel Peace Prize is completely meaningless since either Jimmy Carter, Yasser Arafat, or Al Gore won it but also pregnant with profound significance.

And all of the above in spite of* its current recipient declaring that he was both surprised by and undeserving of the award.

But the most important event for observers of American politics was Rush Limbaugh, the unofficial leader of the Republican Party, confirming that he aligns himself with the Taliban in his oft-voiced desires for the failure of the President of the United States.

In former times such sentiments might have been considered treasonous. Except for Rush Limbaugh and his legions of admiring constituents they're emblematic of just another day at the office.

* Literally, which is at bottom what this is about.

October 9, 2009

Famous blog fight!

"I've deleted comments that contain the n-word." — Althouse

In that case, Sullivan has good grounds to be pissed. Althouse's contemptuous dismissal of the Isthmus is pretty amusing too.

When's American Idol back on?

eta: Down the Althouse memory hole.

For GOP, Breast Cancer Obliviousness Month

Wow, there's a few guns left that Obama hasn't confiscated:
During a weekly meeting of the Southeast Broward Republican Club held at a weapons range, Robert Lowry, a Republican vying to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, fired an assault rifle at a full-body silhouette with her initials written next to its head.

Wasserman Schultz made headlines earlier this year when she announced she had secretly been battling breast cancer.
You stay classy, Republicans. That's a winning strategery right there.

Got your elitism right here

Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas are the only ones who have any concept of what the Constitution is supposed to be.
Republican Congressman Paul Broun.

It's supposed to restrict him to a two-year term, and this is why: The Framers feared a convocation of buffoons like Rep. Paul Broun.

After comparing Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, Rep. Broun clarified, "The point I tried to make is he is extremely liberal." Hitler, too, being extremely liberal. Yes, a regular old flower child, that Hitler.

:headdesk:

So are appellate court decisions

Legislation is sometimes complicated, dense and lengthy. It’s often dry to read, and can be filled with a lot of jargon.
Jim's Weekly Column.

What I'd like to know is whether or not F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Allen Edmonds Classic Collection) has ever actually read any of Louis Butler's opinions for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

That requirement would seem to be reasonably related to his nonsensically irrelevant criticisms of Butler's nomination to the federal district court. Rep. Sensenbrenner has 72 hours to skim maybe 10 or 15 of them and report back his findings.

He might start with this one.

Shorter* Prof. Esenberg

Jonah Goldberg, who believes Woodrow Wilson was a Fascist dictator, is correct to complain about not being taken seriously.

Wingnuts tapped for Nobel Crazy Prize

Just as soon as they get a load of this.

Analysts said the move was calculated to enhance the stock price of Forest Laboratories, Inc., the Missouri-based manufacturers of Bystolic™ tablets. The medication is popular among RedState.com "tweeters" and their followers as well as millions of "tea party protesters," many of whom obtain their drugs through Medicare, the United States government's popular socialized health care program.

Abstinence-only works

But only with people not half your age.
Police said the 25-year-old man was using his work as an abstinence-promoter to gain access to teenage girls.*
h/t capper.

* As in, 14.

October 8, 2009

Lee Holloway sure picked the wrong Nazi

MKE County Exec Scott Walker faced down David Duke in '92

Whoops. Did that ever backfire. Walker looks like a champ today.*

America:
Come for the reckless Nazi metaphors, stay for the Party politics.

* Well, mostly: "Hot Red In Bed and the Stock Exploder."

eta: lolz

A Cross on the tombstone of a Jew

"The cross doesn't honor non-Christians who fought in the war?" Scalia asked, stunned.
He's a piece of work. Does that count as "good behaviour"? It may well be honoring non-Christian war dead, but that is hardly the point.

Time to enjoy Scalia's famed Edwards v. Aguillard dissent. Follow the logic of Senator Keith's testimony, if you dare, below the header II A.

Scalia concludes: "We have no way of knowing, of course, how many legislators believed [sic] [that] testimony." True, but we have a variety of ways of knowing what complete and utter shite it was.

Except for Justice Scalia, at least, who apparently found it compelling enough to reproduce in its entirety. Thanks for that, anyway.

Wonder where they got that idea

Sensenbrenner also missed the fact that Butler is representing only the Western District of the State, and Butler received more votes than Gableman in that area.
Hmm. Thus do we labor in unacknowledged obscurity.

See also: Jerks of the Week.

Hot debate? Just get rid of it.

The following complete defense to felony child abuse appears in the current edition (2007-08 [A.D.]) of the Wisconsin statutes:
A person is not guilty of an offense under this section solely because he or she provides a child with treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone for healing in accordance with the religious method of healing permitted under s. 48.981(3)(c)4. or 448.03(6) in lieu of medical or surgical treatment.
The latter citations make reference to the exercise of so-called "Christian Science" which, under the present circumstances, is breathtakingly oxymoronic in the worst possible sense of the term.

They should be gotten rid of as well. Or else expand their language to include "Zoroastrian Necromancy" and whatever other phantasies.

The exemption applies to, among other crimes, "intentionally caus[ing] great bodily harm to a child." In other words, one may intentionally cause great bodily harm to a child and not be held accountable for that harm simply because they were "praying."

Those of us familiar with the expression "Nothing fails like prayer" might be surprised to learn that one of prayer's most formidable successes is its insulating perpetrators of intentional child abuse from criminal prosecution in the State of Wisconsin.

But I expect few voters would attribute that purpose to prayer, including most of those who are inclined to testify to its efficacy.

According to this report from WBAY, there is to be a "hot debate" in the Wisconsin legislature over this provision in the wake of the cases of Leilani and Dale Neumann. They consulted an online "faith healer" rather than submit their 11-year-old daughter for medical attention while during the course of several weeks the child became grievously sick, lapsed into a diabetic coma, and died, all before their eyes.

I can't imagine* what the "hot debate" will concern.

This might be the 21st century, but it's not the 21st century B.C.

* Meaning, of course I can imagine the imaginings. They're actually memorialized in and given binding effect by the Wisconsin statutes.