College Democrats of Wisconsin Blog Feed

Who Said Politics Can't Be Fun?

2007-10-29T12:20:00.000-06:00

For those nay-sayers out there who say that politics is never fun, I would direct you to the press release issued today by Representative Kagen's campaign. Even though "tensions are high," politics can be lighthearted and enjoyable!

Tensions are high on Capitol Hill - and it has nothing to do with politics.

Monday’s Packers game against the Broncos is pitting roommate against roommate,
imperiling domestic tranquility for Green Bay’s Congressional representative.

Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. shares his Washington rental with Congressman Ed Perlmutter – the representative from suburban Denver, and a devoted Broncos fan.

The two have a gentleman’s wager riding on the outcome of Sunday’s game. “When
the Packers win, my esteemed colleague from Colorado, the Honorable Ed
Perlmutter, will deliver a case of Coors beer. In the unlikely event the Broncos
prevail, he will receive a case of Miller. My staff is looking forward to
enjoying the Coors,” Congressman Kagen said.

Congratulations!

2007-10-15T20:09:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick one today to congratulate the winners of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Eleanor Roosevelt Awards. These women are all so truly deserving. They have given their time, their talents, and their energies to making sure that Democrats are elected up and down the ballot.

So congratulations go out to:
- Marlys Matuszak, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kira Brenner, Rising Star Award (side note: Kira is also the College Democrats of Wisconsin Chair!)
- Representative Tamara Grigsby, Elected Leader
- Janice Tobak, Grassroots Activisit
- Dian Palmer, Statewide Impact

We are so proud of all you do! Congratulations!

Some Good News, Some Bad News

2007-10-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

At the end of every day I take a look at The Wheeler Report online to see what people said in Wisconsin politics for the day. I love being able to look directly at the press releases from various officials and organizations. Today, I found one that I wanted to share with all of you from State Representative Tamara Grigsby which can be found here.

The press release certainly had some good news, but it also had some bad news. First the good stuff! Wisconsin students in grades 4 through 8 ranked above the national average according to the 2007 National Reading Report Card. This is great to see that the next generation of voters is ahead of the national curve.

Unfortunately, it isn't all sunshine and happy days. Wisconsin, according to the press release and the report, ranked highest in the achievement gap between black and white students. This is an alarming fact! Here in Wisconsin we had the highest.... I will repeat HIGHEST..... achievement gap between white and black students.

I'm not really sure how to respond to this. I know that it means we need to invest more money into the public school system to help get students to the next level. I think that we also need to pay attention to legislation before both the State Legislature and Congress. With items such as No Child Left Behind up for reauthorization, it is vital that we include provisions that will close that gap.

I know this is a short post, but I just wanted to share that little fact with you. So thank you Representative Grigsby for bringing it to our attention. Hopefully in the 2008 report card Wisconsin will have no achievement gap.

GOP Healthcare Plan

2007-09-27T21:58:00.000-05:00

The GOP has announced their stellar new health care proposal. It sounds like the greatest thing since privatized social security. As if there wasn't enough of a problem with health care coverage in this country, the Republican party is now suggesting we eliminate employer provided health care. That way each individual would be responsible for obtaining their own health care. The government would then compensate by providing tax breaks for those receiving health care.
WOW. So where to even begin with the problems with this one.....
Well for starters, this proposed tax break for health insurance would undoubtedly be offset by the impending tax increase to cover our insurmountable defense costs. Additionally,
people working minimum wage jobs, living pay check to pay check who have their benefits automatically taken out of their paycheck are highly unlikely to use their increased take home money for health care.
Furthermore, all this will cause the insurance companies to do is raise their premiums even higher.Perhaps most important, nothing in this plan suggests this shift in policy would provide health care for a greater number of people. Rather it has been suggested that the number of people who live without health care would be unlikely to really change. In which case, what exactly is the point of shifting to a consumer choice system of health care? Such an adjustment is likely to cause a greater hassle for many people struggling alone to find a health care system suitable to themselves.

Partisanship Carries to Children

2007-09-26T22:13:00.000-05:00

In his landmark speech to American University, President John F. Kennedy said the following:
"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

Apparently Republicans in Congress are disputing the second to last condition of similarity of all human beings. The Democratic Congress has rightly decided to expand SCHIP, or the State Children's Health Insurance Program which offers health insurance to underprivileged children.

President Bush has vowed a veto, saying it is a step towards national health care and used more scaremongering about 'socialized medicine'. I never thought it possible for President Bush to be a worse drag on the Republican's Congressional ticket across the country, but the man likes to defy expectations.

While some Republicans have rightly flipped from the dark side, many are sticking with the President and refusing to get into the last lifeboat from the sinking U.S.S. Bush. Republicans aren't used to being in the minority, and don't feel like playing nice even on a bipartisan cause of making sure kids see doctors. What's next, we won't agree on troops being able to stay at home between deployments? Oh, that's right the Webb Amendment was killed by Senate Republicans. How about a bipartisan compromise to fix the open border and the labor shortage? Nope, also killed by the radical Republicans in the Senate.

It seems that nothing is safe from the Republicans' attachment to partisanship, even soldiers and children. For the sake of the congress and the country, it is time to come together on the few things we can agree on instead of giving into bitter divisiveness. Perhaps we don't all cherish our children's future.

Voter ID/ Voter Supresant

2007-09-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

Voter fraud in Indiana??
Have you heard of any big scandals of voter fraud in Indiana, because to the best of my recollection there hasn't been any. Why is the GOP so set on Voter ID? I honestly don't understand why. However, to me voter identification is another way in getting people to not vote, especially those in the lower income brackets.
Getting an ID can cost money and time. One would have to set time aside to get one and drive to the nearest location that gives one out. Agree with me or not, these are luxuries that not all of us can afford. I know right now with my more than three jobs and school, I have no time to run to the nearest DMV to get an identification of any sorts.
Lucky for me though I have a car. What about those that don't. Is the Indiana government going to supply a service to transport people to the DMV for those who can't get to one? They would have to, or else they are just suppressing more voters.
America needs to be done with this whole idea, its just another literacy test to the GOP.
Lets just hope that our highest court sees it as I do.

(sorry for the late post all) supresant

CDW Across Wisconsin

2007-09-21T10:50:00.001-05:00

As chair of the College Democrats of Wisconsin, I've been going to a lot of kickoff meetings over the past few weeks. I've been to meetings at UW-Oshkosh, UW-Madison, and St. Norbert's, and a few more next week. In addition to putting a lot of miles on my car, I've been hearing about all the great things that College Dems across the state are planning on doing this year. At Oshkosh, everyone was excited about reelecting Rep. Gordon Hintz, who was elected to the State Assembly last year. In Madison, we heard from Rep. Mark Pocan about how great is is to be a College Democrat. And at St. Norbert's, I got to meet a group of really excited College Dems who are working to change their campus.

College Dems across the state are working to make Wisconsin a better place to live, work and go to school. What's your chapter doing? Let us know--leave your ideas and plans in the comments.

A round of applause for the Democrats on Education!

2007-09-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

The Democratic Leadership deserves a round of applause for their efforts in passing the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The question is, will the Republicans in Wisconsin’s State Legislature make our students educationally bankrupt?

With college costs rising more than 40% in the last five years and more students taking out loans at high interest rates, times are more difficult than ever for students. Do to the hard work of the Democrats in congress the students have finally been provided with relief.

According to a Statement Released by the House Education and Labor Committee, The
College Cost Reduction Act of 2007...

Is the single biggest increase in College Financial Aid since the GI Bill at no additional costs to tax payers.

Cuts interest rates in half on subsidized student loans over the next five years.

Increases federal loan limits to provide borrowers with additional assistance in paying
for college and to help them rely less on costlier private loans.

Increases the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by at least $500 over the next five years,
ultimately reaching a maximum scholarship of at least $5,200.

These are just some of the great items included in the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.

Democrats know how important it is to help their younger generation get through college… so they did something about it. We can only hope that the President signs the bill when it arrives on his desk. Out of all the issues that need prioritizing, it’s Education. Education is what prepares for the future. It is our knowledge base. It is the base stood upon in the real world. A world of increasing competition. America and its future generations need tools to continue the growth of the economy and keep America strong. We need to think about future benefits received from education when we consider its cost. The current cost is irrelevant when compared to the nations future. A nation or state that doesn’t aid to education will deprive students of their future, thus depriving the nation of its future. The continuation of this cycle will lead the nation into educational bankruptcy

This concept is fully understood by Governor Doyle and the Democrats in the State Legislature. I only hope some of the Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature are listening. Maybe then students in the State of Wisconsin will have educational assets to flourish in the 21st century.

Three Seats Away

2007-09-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

I was at the grand opening of the new Milwaukee County Democratic Party headquarters last night. It was a great event filled with some wonderful speakers. One of them, Mayor Tom Barrett, said something to really struck me. He said that we are just three seats shy of taking back the State Assembly, three seats! That means we are three seats from being able to pass a budget that provides an increase in financial aid for students. That means we are three seats from being able to make necessary improvements to the UW system. That means we are three seats from being able to enact legislation to guarantee health care for all citizens.

Back in 2006, thanks to the hard work of college students around this state, we were able to elect three new Wisconsin State Senators: Pat Kreitlow, Kathleen Vinehout, and Jim Sullivan. Now all we need to do is get focused, get active, and get three new State Assemblypeople elected. Can we do it? We can and we must. We are just three seats away from having the ability to make Wisconsin great again!

War without End

2007-09-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Last evening President Bush addressed the nation from the oval office for the 8th time on the subject of the War in Iraq. This week in a small chapel in rural Wisconsin, the family of Cpl. Kieth Numberg is laying their son to rest, at the same time the Department of Defense has not confirmed 5 American deaths, which means that soon, perhaps tonight their families will be getting a terrible knock in their door. The President is again asking us to be patient, to wait just a little longer and then we will start to see the measure of progress in Iraq. Yet the facts on the ground are sobering, the Iraqi government after taking the month of august off, still cannot govern, the Iraqi army cannot defend iraq, tribal war lords are still in control of most of the provinces.

The President's plan is to have hundreds of thousands of American boys and girls occupying Iraq, for what he has admitted will be long after his Presidency, an unending war in the middle east. Thankfully Republicans and Democrats in Washington are standing up to the White House and demanding an end to the occupation. People all across the country are finally asking "why?" Why my son or daughter, why my nephew or neice, why my former student?

Nearly 100 Wisconsinites and 3,780 Americans have been killed, get involved on your campus, help end the war, help make sure that no other families have to have that knock on their door.

2007-09-14T12:32:00.000-05:00

More time. Shocking. People should stop deluding themselves in the notion that some sort of concrete timeline will ever be given for troop withdrawal. The fact of the matter is that we are in too deep. While General Petraeus may be revered by both politicians and the media, as strong and intelligent, the fact of the matter is he is just another Washington big shot who will be taking the fall for the continuous problems in Iraq. But even then, who are we to believe? General Petraeus dragged on arguing that the situation in Iraq truly has improved, and that the number of civilian casualties is down from what it was a year ago, yet he fails to include Shiite-on-Shiite violence or Sunni-on-Sunni violence. Are those deaths not worth as much that we simply don’t need to even report them in our figures? The Iraqis themselves do not feel safer thanks to the surge. “More Iraqis say security in their local area has gotten worse in the last six months than say it’s gotten better, 31 percent to 24 percent, with the rest reporting no change,” ( Rothschild, http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/12/3787/) The bottom line is it has become impossible to believe with any certainty any of the reports. How can we trust what we are being told when even the most basic figures are being manipulated?

A Somber Anniversary Exploited

2007-09-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

None of us will ever forget the horrendous acts and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September the 11th, 2001. Just as those who went through Pearl Harbor and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert will never forget where we were when the fateful event took place, neither will we. What we should also never forget is that Machiavellian political minds will never cease attempting to exploit our national tragedy for their own gain. Republicans used the electoral strategy of scaring people into thinking an attack was imminent and that the only salvation was a Republican Congress. With the Congress and the presidency, however, they refused to implement the bipartisan 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to make America safe. In 2007, the first act the Democratic House did was to introduce and pass House Resolution 1, which implemented those recommendations. Instead of pursuing the war against the terrorists and their allies the Taliban in Afghanistan, President Bush led the country to war with Iraq, distracting us and diluting our forces for the War on Terror.

No one has the claim to September 11th.

Despite their strategy coming apart almost as fast as the Bush Administration, they haven’t quit using demagoguery and scare tactics. A conservative organization called the Young America’s Foundation is coordinating a national effort to get all College Republicans to organize a flag-planting and recognition ceremony of those who fell on September 11th. While this, in and of itself is a noble goal, the strategy guide they give reads like a campaign how-to manual, talking about building alliances with other conservative groups, getting conservative talk show hosts to plug the event, and getting a conservative speaker on campus. (http://students.yaf.org/activists/911/) What kind of organization wouldn’t get behind recognizing our innocent fallen civilians on that horrendous day?

After seeing the event for the first time last year and after becoming President of the College Democrats of UW-Eau Claire last Spring, I thought that if there was an event that College Republicans and College Democrats could participate on, it would be remembering September 11th. My invitation to offer both a sponsorship to the event as well as volunteers was turned away by our UWEC College Republicans, presumably because they want to own the tragedy just as the national Republican Party has tried to do. A co-sponsorship, even if symbolic would at least indicate that despite this country’s divisions we can agree on one thing, that those who died on that ominous morning must be remembered, and that the terrorists who caused it must pay.

It is time they realize that national tragedies such as September 11th, 2001 are not the tool of one party or another to use, not a ploy to win votes, and not a way to exploit people’s patriotism for political gain. It is time that we declare a truce on political warfare on the day where all in this great land are not Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, but all of us, Americans, somber and solemn in our remembrance of the fallen.

Can Oprah Make Obama Happen

2007-09-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

Last year Oprah told CNN's Larry King that she is for Obama. The famed daytime talk show host is now throwing her support behind presidential hopeful Senator Barrack Obama. In the past politicians have strayed away from having celebrities publicly support their campaign for fear of the association with celebrities day to day life. However, why is Obama letting Oprah show her support with this luxurious fundraising event? Is Oprah different somehow? Does her queen of the day time talk shows status give her more credibility? With her television audience of 10 million (according to Nielsen Ratings) can her support get out the vote? Oprah is known for her control of her audience. They read the books she reads and they buy things she buys. Will the vote the same way? Since Oprah has such a large following and could potentially gather the female/thirty something crowd to go out and vote. An increase in female voters could really help him against the other candidates. In this very unique election year we have already seen many records broken and many unprecedented campaigning activities.

However, could this be the start of the downfall of Obama? This whole situation could backfire on Obama. People may get mad at Oprah and say “How dare you tell me how to vote.” However we will just have to wait and see.

If I had $133 million...

2007-09-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things I'd do with $133 million. Shoes come to mind, but that's just me...

One thing I'm certain I would not do with $133 million is take it away from the UW System. In fact, I’d be inclined to give that money to our Universities. Our public education has been one of the best nationwide, and is consistently home to high-quality professors and students. We have a tradition in Wisconsin of providing quality public education to as many people as possible at an affordable rate. It only makes sense to invest in an education system that benefits people statewide, especially when the benefits are so apparent. Why would anyone cut funding to one of our most valuable assets?

Cutting funding is exactly what the Republican version of the Budget would do. $133 million proposed cuts to the UW System, which, when added to the $294,405,300 in cuts that have been proposed since 2003, shows how little Republicans care for our education. As a public institution, the University System depends on these funds to function. These cuts would make our Universities less accessible and reduce the quality and affordability of education. This is not the tradition of excellence in education that Wisconsinites hold dear.

I may not have $133 million, but the Republicans do, and I’d like my money, please.

Budget Cuts, by the Numbers

2007-09-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

It’s said that a picture speaks a thousand words. I think, on some occasions, that numbers speak even more than that. So look at the Republican plan for UW System funding, and see what type of picture you get.

Highlights from the Assembly Republicans’ Proposed Cuts to UW Funding:
• $4.8 million from UW-Whitewater,
• $4.7 million from UW-Stout,
• $6.5 million from UW-La Crosse,
• $5.4 million from UW-Eau Claire,
• $4.5 million from UW-Stevens Point,
• $19 million from UW-Milwaukee, and
• $49.5 million from UW-Madison

And that’s not all the funding they’re cutting. They also plan to cut $4million from a fund to keep our best professors at our universities, and programs to keep students of color enrolled in school.

Not such a rosy picture, now is it.

Cut Pizza, Not Education

2007-09-04T17:57:00.000-05:00

Keeping in tradition with the long-held Republican belief that our public education system is both sinister and socialist, our GOP friends in the Wisconsin State Assembly are slashing and burning everything in sight. From Eau Claire to Madison over to Milwaukee up to Green Bay and down to Parkside, the cuts are in the millions of dollars. They know they will never be able to do away with the public school system, so they do the next best thing: suffocate it of all funding. While other states are busy providing for their respective public schools, our Republican assembly has decided that it would be more productive to destroy it. To destroy the free education that all Wisconsites are entitled to. To destroy the future of this state. And to destroy the credibility and integrity of the Wisconsin State Assembly. The time has come for all college students across the state to stand up to this Republican assault on education and reject their attempts to deprive us of an essential right.

Governor Doyle is Correct on Gun Control

2007-08-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

While starting my day, I came across the press release from Governor Doyle regarding his new initiatives regarding crime in Milwaukee and around Wisconsin. The text of the press release can be found here.

Among the highlights:
- Requiring ballastic fingerprinting
- Prohibiting sale of firearms to those involved with misdeamoners involving a firearm
- Closing the gun show loophole

These are pivotal steps forward to increase safety in Wisconsin. I applaud Governor Doyle for his leadership on gun control and his work to make this a better state and community.

John McCain and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

2007-07-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

Remember being a kid and reading Judith Viorst’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Well, I’m sure the title gives it away but it is about Alexander and his bad day. After just glancing at the headlines, I think I have the title of a similar project. Here is a little piece I just wrote called:

John McCain and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
by Jason Rae

There once was a man running for President named John McCain. With his name came a lot of fame. Everyone thought that he was the man to beat. Well surely, that would be a difficult feat.

Until one week, one very bad week, when everything just seemed to go wrong. His campaign just seemed to have gone on too long. And then, John McCain had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. A terrible horrible, no good, very bad week.

To start, the money he raised just wasn’t too great. I think that started to seal his fate. He had to say goodbye to some of his staff. First was the campaign manager and a deputy too. And then to a whole bunch, he had to say shoe.

Next up was raising some money in a not so good place. (You sure need a lot of money to compete in the race.) The law says no to campaigning in the Capitol, you see. Was he not one of the authors of that decree?

Before too long, one more problem appeared: because of his Florida co-chairman of Florida , his name was now smeared.

And these are all the mistakes we know of right now; I think it is enough to signal a farewell bow. Time to wave goodbye to all the fans, pack up the campaign supplies and head out in the vans.

It was fun well it lasted, to say the least. McCain’s campaign is now simply deceased. The outlook for his winning the White House now is fairly bleak. This is all because of John McCain and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.

Website

2007-07-05T14:02:00.001-05:00

Take this as a sign that something's up in website development world:

What do you want to see added to this website? What that's already here should be changed? How so? What that is here should be axed? Why?

Please comment below.

A Great Day to be a Democrat

2007-07-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

For much of the modern political era, Democratic candidates have been vastly outspent by Republican special interests, out-of-touch wealthy donors, and other sources of campaign cash that don't put ordinary citizens first.

However, as our exciting, experienced, and competent field of Presidential candidates released their overwhelmingly successful fundraising numbers over the past few days, one fact is very, very clear.

It's a great day to be a Democrat.

While some of the numbers are still out, Democratic candidates have amassed nearly 80 million dollars in this quarter alone. Senator Obama led the pack with 32.5 million, shattering previous records. Senator Clinton also turned in a strong quarter, raising 27 million. Former Senator Edwards raised 9 million, with Governor Richardson close behind at 7 million. Senator Dodd also turned in a respectable 3.25 million, with information for Senator Biden and Gravel and Represenative Kucinich not yet unavailable.

The total raised by all the Democratic candidates in the first six months of this race? Over 150 million.

Certainly, money isn't everything. But the Republican advantage in cash has for too long allowed them to drown our our message, distort the facts, and buy election after election. It's unfortunate, because we see where their stewardship of the country has taken us. While our candidates represent change and hope, one might argue that Republicans stand for deficit, death, division, and deceit. While the race is still young, a refreshing change is underway, and it looks like they won't be able to buy their way out of the electoral mess they've created for themselves in 2008.

Indeed, look at recent headlines about some of the Republican frontrunners. No one is talking about their fundraising prowess, or how they're engaging and exciting voters.

Instead...

Today, John McCain announced poor fundraising numbers and more staff cutbacks.
In the past week, Mitt Romney's campaign has been dogged about his abuse of a family pet (as well as his staffers illegally pretending to be law enforcement officials).

Money talks. Democratic voters are showing their enthusiasm and backing it up with contributions, large and small, to their preferred candidates. It's been pretty clear all along that we're fired up about our choices.

And the Republicans? Well, when the top three options are a Dog Torturer, Philanderer, and a Serial Divorcee...

Like I said. It's a great day to be a Democrat.

Cross-posted on the UW-Madison College Democrats Blog.

While Seated

2007-06-28T00:11:00.001-05:00

From While Seated:

In September 2006, a group of African American high school students in Jena, Louisiana, asked the school for permission to sit beneath a "whites only" shade tree. There was an unwritten rule that blacks couldn't sit beneath the tree. The school said they didn't care where students sat. The next day, students arrived at school to see three nooses (in school colors) hanging from the tree.

The boys who hung the nooses were suspended from school for a few days. The school administration chalked it up as a harmless prank, but Jena's black population didn't take it so lightly. Fights and unrest started breaking out at school. The District Attorney, Reed Walters, was called in to directly address black students at the school and told them all he could "end their life with a stroke of the pen."

Black students were assaulted at white parties. A white man drew a loaded rifle on three black teens at a local convenience store. (They wrestled it from him and ran away.) Someone tried to burn down the school, and on December 4th, a fight broke out that led to six black students being charged with attempted murder. To his word, the D.A. pushed for maximum charges, which carry sentences of eighty years. Four of the six are being tried as adults (ages 17 & 18) and two are juveniles.

Yesterday, I was in Jena for the first day of the trial for Mychal Bell, one of the Jena Six. The D.A., perhaps in response to public pressure, tried to get Bell to cop a plea. Bell refused, and today, jury selection began. After today, we'll know whether or not the case will be tried in front of an all-white jury. Jena's 85-percent white, and it remains to be seen whether or not the six can get a fair trial.

Both off-the-record and on, Jena residents told me racism is alive and well in Louisiana, and this is a case where it rose above the levee, so to speak.

In the next few days, I'll be posting a few photos from Jena that are related to the case, as well as linking to a multimedia piece I'm working on. CNN began reporting on the story today, following the lead of the BBC, who crafted an excellent hour-long documentary that can be found on P2P networks.

Use the linked blog to follow along at home.

Cross posted on the UW-Madison College Democrats blog.

Remember, the CIA Only Did Bad Things a Long Time Ago!

2007-06-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

From Wonkette:

Some intelligence experts suggested on Tuesday that the release of the documents was intended to distract from the current controversies.
Wow, you think? Sure, the CIA is involved in a few “controversies,” but certainly noting serious such as:
Using a fake corporate fleet of private jets to shuttle people to torture prisons in places without laws, such as Poland or Malta.

That massive domestic electronic spying machinery installed on every major U.S. Internet hub in the United States, a hugely illegal operation put into place by the CIA’s current chief and ex-NSA director.

Because there’s no apparent way to sue the CIA, the ACLU is currently suing a Boeing subsidiary for providing flight services for more than 70 CIA torture flights.

In Italy this month, the criminal trial of twenty-six CIA agents began.

Meanwhile in Germany this week, Interpol arrest warrants were issued for another nine CIA agents — including sinister characters like “Uncle Bud,” the former Green Beret accused of kidnapping someone in Macedonia and shooting them up with dope on a flight to Afghanistan.

Oh, and this month a half-dozen human rights groups revealed that the agency “disappeared” 39 people from various countries for torture interrogations, including children.

Cross posted on the UW-Madison College Democrats blog.

Senate Dems "Healthy Wisconsin" Initiative

2007-06-25T11:56:00.001-05:00

From Seth Zlotocha's In Effect:

As of this morning, the Senate Dems have released the major points of their universal health care plan, called "Healthy Wisconsin," and here's what can be gleaned from them:
Payer structure (see UPDATE below): Although it's not completely clear from what's been released so far, the payer structure under the Healthy Wisconsin initiative would mimic the structure under the Wisconsin Health Care Partnership Plan, in which a single plan would be created through a public-private trust that would negotiate directly with providers. Private insurance still would be available, but at a "nominal cost."
Funding mechanism: There would be a 4 percent assessment on employee Social Security wages (i.e., wages up to $97,500) and a 10.5 percent assessment on payroll for employers. Aside from preventive care and care for children, all visits and prescriptions would involve co-pays and a deductible set at $300 for individuals and $600 for families.
Bottom line: Based upon a Lewin Group study, the plan would save the state $1.3 billion, which would most likely come from reduced public worker benefit costs. The plan would use this money for property tax relief for households and businesses.
Republicans are jumping all over the funding, calling it the "largest tax increase in the history of the state," even though that soundbite ignores what employers and employees are already paying for health care -- which, on average, is a lot more than what they'd pay under the Healthy Wisconsin initiative -- and the property tax savings that would come under the plan.

The tax increase line is a predictable point of opposition to start with since it's an easier sell than what I think will ultimately be the biggest roadblock for this plan (aside, that is, from the Republican Assembly), which is the payer structure. Even though the plan isn't explicitly single payer, it looks quite close (unless I'm misreading the info that's been released on the plan, thus far -- look for an update later in the day if that's the case).

While single payer has great promise in terms of administrative efficiencies and putting payers back in a strong negotiating position with an increasingly consolidated provider side, it also has the political baggage that comes with shutting out an entire industry and the ideological heat that comes with involving the government directly in health care negotiations, even if those negotiations take place through a public-private trust.

It would help if the plan allowed for direct private competition in a similar way as John Edwards' national proposal, which lets consumers choose between a public plan and an array of private plans. Or the public plan could provide basic coverage while private plans are relied upon for supplemental coverage, which is essentially how the French do it. Any way you slice it, the Dems need to find some place for private plans, and it remains to be seen if allowing them at "a nominal cost" is enough.

The details will be telling, and -- since this is by no means a final offer -- so will the discussions that take place between now and when something actually gets passed, which -- as I noted last week -- won't happen before 2009, at the earliest.

UPDATE: The full text of the Healthy Wisconsin bill is out (the meaty details start on page 22).

Importantly, the text of the bill makes clear that this proposal is NOT single payer. The "health networks" it refers to are -- based on my reading -- private insurers who submit bids to the public-private trust. Based upon cost and coverage, the trust will determine the "low cost" networks and everything else will be categorized as a "higher cost" network. If people opt for one of the low cost networks, the trust will cover the entire cost of premiums. If people choose one of the higher cost networks, they will be reponsible for the premium cost difference between that network and the low cost network rate.

This is similar to how the tiering works under the Wisconsin Health Plan, which is the system currently used for state employees.

This is an important point because it avoids the political pitfalls of single payer and ensures that the direct negotiations between payers and providers will be a market endeavor rather than one that's overly-dictated by the state.

I figured his post was well written and informative and made good points I agree with so I figured I wouldn't bother to write my own.

Cross posted on the UW-Madison College Democrats blog.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

2007-06-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

I’ll admit that sometimes I get sick of the whole polling game. However, there is one poll that I don’t mind seeing on occasion. The following is an excerpt from a CNN.com story on the approval numbers for President Bush.

More poll problems today for President George W. Bush. The president’s approval rating stands at 29% in a new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey out last night. That’s the lowest mark ever for Mr. Bush in their poll.

The president fares little better in today’s poll of polls computed by CNN. We took the president’s approval ratings from the six most recent national polls, and the average comes to 32%.

“Bush’s approval first dropped to this level more than a year ago,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “His approval rating has been below 40% in every single national poll conducted this year, and in six of those polls he has dropped below 30%.”

Ouch! To be below 30% in six polls is bad for anyone. I just hope this is a continuing sign that the policies and agenda of this administration are not favored by the American people and that come January 2009 we will be welcoming in a Democrat to the Oval Office.

Farewell, Senator Thomas

2007-06-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post a quick note to express my condolences to the family of Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY).

I woke up this morning and checked my email, like always. And then I went to CNN.com, like always. I browsed the top news of the day when I stumbled upon the headline "Senator Craig Thomas Dies." I stopped for a moment and couldn't think. I was stunned and saddened. Sure, I disagreed with most of Senator Thomas' views, but he was still a person who shared a similar vision of doing one's public service.

Back when I was a Senate page, I had an opportunity to get to know Senator Thomas. I didn't interact with him often, but I do remember him being a sincere, humble man. Everyone seemed to like him. He never was out for the limelight. Instead, he quietly worked behind the scenes to advance his legislation. He cared deeply about wanting to ensure that the people of Wyoming had their voices heard.

In a day filled with so many other headlines, it easily got lost that Senator Thomas had left this world. The Senate paid tribute and then quickly continued doing its work. Other news stories came up and replaced the top headlines on CNN.com.

Even though other things have happened and will continue to happen in this busy world, I do ask you to take a moment to pay your respects to Senator Thomas. Sure, we may have disagreed with him, but we shared one common goal: wanting to make America a better place.

God rest your soul, Senator Thomas.