Recently both campaigns put out press releases about their financial situation. Darling’s went out first saying that she had our raised Alberta Darling by $18,000 and for the third straight fundraising period in a row. From January 1 until June 30, Darling pulled in $106,457, bringing her war chest to $270,247. In the same time period Wasserman raised $88,420.

In 2007, Darling raised $251,559 to Wasserman’s 2007 total of $85,883. Since January 2007, Darling has raised $358,016. Wasserman entered 2007 with $215,887 in his war chest, which he augmented with public financing dollars even though he often had only token opposition.

Well Sheldon has gone and done it again and probably come up with the most ridiculous statements to date:

“Solid financial planning, prudent campaign spending and the support of over 1000 donors give me a strong overall advantage,” said Rep. Wasserman. “As the long time incumbent and member of the committee that writes the state budget, it is no surprise that Senator Darling out raised me in big money and special interest donations. She talks about being a fiscal conservative but has squandered her campaign resources. The only thing I can be accused of overspending on is shoe leather. I’ve worn through eight pairs since I first began going door to door and meeting with people in the 8th Senate District over a year ago.”

First off, I want Sheldon to come up with some proof that Alberta has in any way squandered any of her money. I haven’t seen any proof of that so far, and I highly doubt anyone else has. Second of all, if you’ve gone through eight pairs of shoes, then you’re taking the idea of fiscal conservatives the wrong way, because cheeping out on shoes isn’t the way to go son. I’ve had the same pair all summer and they haven’t failed me. I’m surprised he didn’t say he’s gone throw 168 pens because of all the times he’s wrote “Nice Door,” “Love your House,” or “Great Landscaping” on his lit. I think he sent out his press release with “love your door” written on it.

Wasserman, who knocked on 735 doors last week, has visited over 18,500 homes. “My opponent likes to tell people she is ‘out knocking on doors.’ But the voters know the difference between riding in a car watching staff drop off taxpayer-funded road maps that people did not even ask for and actually knocking on doors and talking to people,” added Wasserman. “I run my campaign like I run my Assembly office, with a strong focus on personal service and fiscal responsibility.”

Again just blatant lies from Sheldon. Alberta is knocking on doors. She isn’t watching her staff members while she rides in the car. I’ve been an avid Darling volunteer out doing doors with Alberta three to four days a week and I’ll admit, she’s got more energy and is willing to walk farther and visit more people than I do. All Sheldon is doing here is making a backhanded attack about her health again. The doctor won’t give that up, will he? As for the tax-payer funded road maps, well Sheldon knows that is a lie too. Wasserman might be confusing the taxpayer funded maps, that he’s accusing the Darling campaign of handing out, with his OWN literature since he’s using around $25k of taxpayers’ dollars from the state on his campaign. Now Alberta is going door-to-door handing out lit which she describes the quality work she’s been doing for the senate district. And in her lit she doesn’t lie about her record or need to lie about how conservative she is. And for a matter of fact she doesn’t write on her lit and lie about a constituents door, landscaping or yard.

Darling issued a statement of her own:

“I take great offense to Sheldon Wasserman’s false accusation that I am not actually knocking on voters’ doors, and his continued insinuation that I am too sick to run for office and restricted to campaigning from a car.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m physically fit and in very good health despite what Sheldon Wasserman would lead people to believe. I knock on hundreds of doors every week. My campaign helpers can all attest to this fact, the thousands of voters’ whose doors I’ve knocked on can attest to this fact, and even numerous Assembly candidates whom I’ve run into while doing doors can attest to this fact.”

This is in fact, very true. I am fairy certain that the campaign has run into two if not all three of the democrat candidates for Wasserman’s old seat as well as the candidates for Jeskewitz’s assembly seat. And like I’ve said before Alberta has wanted to continue to do doors even after the other volunteers are too tired to do so.

“Furthermore, Sheldon Wasserman levies a serious charge that I am handing out ‘taxpayer-funded road maps’ after the May 31, 2008 deadline for legislators to discontinue distribution of state materials in quantities of 50 or more. Wasserman’s charge that I have done something illegal is absolutely false and frivolous. On behalf of voters everywhere who denounce this sort of negative campaigning, lies, and smear-tactics, I call on Sheldon Wasserman to come clean by retracting his statement and follow my lead by pledging to run a positive campaign based on the issues.”

GOP3’s Northwoods correspondents report that the head of TCN has been up in the 8th recently, attending community events with Cong. Kagen and getting photo material for the campaign ahead. Expect to see more of the same from a premier Democratic attack firm.

This coming weekend is the US Bank Golf Championship at Brown Deer Golf Course –link-. As a promotional feature, the Championship held a long drive challenge for area celebrities on Tuesday. Two of the celebrities involved in the event were State Senator Alberta Darling and her opponent in the upcoming race, Democrat Sheldon Wasserman.

Here is an overview of Charlie’s and his listener’s comments:

Alberta, who is over 60 years old, out-drove Sheldon 153 yards to 135 yards. She kicked his butt. Normally this won’t be a big deal except for one thing…

A while back, The State Senate Democratic Committee in Wisconsin spread rumors that Alberta was too sick, too feeble, and not fit enough to run against Sheldon and shouldn’t continue in political office. They lied that she was so weak that she wouldn’t be able to knock on any doors during this campaign season. When confronted, Wasserman claimed that, as a doctor, he would never say anything so vile about a cancer survivor. But the fact is that Democrats did spread false rumors about the health of a breast cancer survivor, and it was a sleazy, nasty thing that their finger prints were all over. And then, of course, they lied about spreading the lie. “Citing health reasons,” Democrats lied, “Darling recently admitted that she wouldn’t be able to knock on any doors this cycle.”

When you spread rumors that your opponent is too frail and feeble to campaign, make sure she doesn’t have the strength to out-drive you.

From everything I understand, Alberta was upset that she didn’t get her best shot either. She didn’t think a 150 yard drive was that good for her.

Also to be noted, I logged on to the DSCC WI web page to see if they were still stupid enough to leave the release they wrote about her health. Instead I found a rather lame poll bashing Alberta…

–UPDATE–
Mark Belling brought up this issue on his Late Afternoon Show. Dowload part five of the podcast, it’s in the very begining. Belling explained slimy acts the Democrats did to spread lies about Alberta’s health, enouraging lobbiests to stay away from her. Belling called Darling one of the most phyiscally fit people he knew and that she did pilates more often that Wasserman scratches his back. Listen to the first 5 minutes of the podcast to hear everything Belling had to say on the circulating story.
I just wish he would have mentioned gop3 outright

There is some question whether Judge Dugan will be confirmed before the Senate’s current session ends in January 2009. Senator Russ Feingold seems to think that the mythical “Thurmond Rule” may prevent that from happening. As it is, Cong. Sensenbrenner said that the White House hoped to nominate the Eastern and Western district judges together (J. Shabaz is also retiring), but the Senators were dragging their feet on the matter (though the White House reportedly has an inkling for Judge J Mac Davis). Apparently the WH decided to quit waiting to submit a pair and went ahead with just the ED of WI for the moment.

We’ll see if Judge Dugan gets a hearing from the Senate Judiciary Committee - 21 other judicial nominees are ahead of him in line for the chance to get grilled. Still, there’s reasonable hope because Feingold and Kohl are both on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ultimately, it will be their call whether to pressure Chairman Leahy to schedule a hearing soon, or if they want to wait for a potential President Obama administration to make a nomination…

My personal opinion on the issue is Brett Favre should not be wearing a Packer jersey come September, not because his asking for release makes him a traitor, or that he’s throwing Packer Nation under the bus, but because it’s time for a the team to move in a new direction, which should continue to focus on youth. Brett Favre is now a distraction to the team and is going to cause more harm than good to the organization. Though I would prefer a trade, I think that is impossible and his unconditional release is the best thing for both parties. Brett can’t be traded because he’s owed $39 million on the last three years of his contract and there aren’t a whole lot of teams out there that Favre would want to go to (a.k.a. a Super Bowl contender) where he would start and could afford him. However, if the Packers could trade #4, I don’t think it would be too hard to get a second or third round pick for him.

The last thing on the Packers execs mind should be to allow Brett to be welcomed back with open arms, since the Packers have allowed Brett to become the single biggest distraction in the NFL. Yes, he’s a bigger distraction that T.O. and Randy Moss… probably combined. If the team decides to bring him back, they’ll be faced with a quarterback that will probably quit on the team mid-season if the team starts off 2-5. They’ve invested a lot of time in Aaron Rodgers and its evident that that the team is committed to having Rodgers be the starting quarterback. I’m not saying he’ll be able to lead the team like Brett, I’ll reserve that honor for Brian Brohm, but it’s time to move in a new direction, if for nothing more than the truth that comeback or not, Brett is at the end of his career. Ted Thompson is the type of person that values youth in an organization and the last thing the team needs is a 38 year old Brett Favre, that can’t make up his mind to play or not, to take away snaps from a younger player that deserves a shot. If the Packer brass is stupid enough to bring back Favre this season, all of Packer Nation will have to go through this same process again next off season and the process will drag itself our further, while other capable quarterbacks are forced to wait.

Am I the only one that remembers when Brett slapped Javon Walker around for not honoring his contract and threatening to hold on and demanding to be traded? Three years later Brett becomes the whiney boy that isn’t having fun so he wants to take his ball and go elsewhere. Well I’m sure Javon needs someone to go to the LA clubs with now.

Many other quarterbacks have tried to revive their diminishing careers after the teams that they made their careers established they did not want them. Joe Montana went to Kansas City, Warren Moon had to go through Seattle and Kansas City before he knew to hang it up, Joe Namath went to the Los Angeles Rams to die, and even Johnny Unitas finished his career off in San Diego. Brett should probably take a page out of the books of these quarterbacks and realize that the sun is setting on his career and probably hang it up before he embarrasses himself. But if he doesn’t , I’m sure the Bills, Dolphins or Raiders could want him.

Turning to fans that want Brett back, I think most of them are fools. Holding rallies like the one in West Allis are a complete waste of time and are just silly. The AP did an informal poll on Brett’s return.

Here’s Brett’s interview from On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, in case you missed it last night. I got a few questions on why he would go on Greta instead of a sports station, but Greta is an undying Packer fan from Appleton.

Rumor has it that in tonight’s interview Brett will be trashing Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy.