Thank God for Republican Balls

Capitol Briefing

Led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the long-shot anti-war candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, scores of Democrats were joined by scores of Republicans in initially supporting a Kucinich resolution that would have prompted a full debate on impeaching Cheney.

While it seems many Democrats are still running around as castrated fools, thank god the Republicans were able to give Kucinich theirs. It looks like Dennis’ impeachment resolution will at least be discussed in committee, after the castrated Dems failed at tabling his resolution indefinitely.

The Republican voted against tabling the motion because they wanted it discussed in front of the full congress. Geeze, if only we had some Democrats with that can do attitude. But no, voting to censure a truth telling Democratic congressman is entirely acceptable, but voting to impeach a back stabbing, constitution burning, freedom hating, CIA outing, citizen spying Vice president is intolerable.

Every time I turn around the Democrats are becoming more and more pathetic. I am just holding my breath. Tomorrow the Peru Free (Not) Trade Agreement comes up for a vote, will the Democrats sell out one more time, or will they grow some balls.

Doyle’s Healthcare Incompetance

The Daily Page – Cut off from BadgerCare, again

Twice in the last year, Ochs and her son have been kicked off of BadgerCare. Both times, she says, it was through no fault of her own.

I lean towards a single payer, universal health care system. I have also thought, because of the complete incompetence at the federal level, the state might be the best mechanism to deliver this universal, single payer health care system.

The righties always like to point out that government is incapable of running our health care. It seems like they may have a valid point after all. This is not the only case, it is rather typical for families to lose Badger Care two or three times a year.

A visitor to this site about a year ago explained it was so bad she had to call her case manager before taking her child to the doctor. The on again – off again was so common that she never knew when her and her son would be covered. Like the women in the Isthmus story, not checking could be a costly mistake.

If Democrats want the people of Wisconsin to trust them on health care, the need to be the bug up Doyle’s ass that will force him to fix Badger Care. We can start by getting rid of these silly premiums which tend to be a primary cause of folks getting kicked out of the program. Then, put the burden of proof on the state, in which a formal hearing must take place before someone can be removed from Badger Care.

At this time even a socialist leaning guy like me has deep reservations about trusting the Doyle administration with something as precious as our state’s health care.

Right Side of Wrong

Are more cops really needed?

The meeting was a shocker. One after another, people rose to ask for more police. But except for a Hispanic man who said crime was on the rise in Vera Court since the neighborhood officer was taken away, no one talked about crime. Instead, they spoke about their perceptions of crime.

My natural tendency is more not less police. I have no problem adding 30 more police officers in this city, and frankly a few in the schools would not be the worst idea. Perception or reality, folks white, black, and brown or rich, middle class, and working class want to feel safe in their persons.

In all honesty the perception vs reality line of argumentation reminded me of the 1980’s when gangs did not, could not, would not exist in wholesome Madison, Wisconsin. One important reform from that time span was community policing. As a delinquent teenager at the time it had an important impact. 

The whole perception vs reality has the stench of closeted liberals who never veer out of their isolated island. Quite frankly, if the so called progressive response is a debate between crime as perception vs crime as reality, they are going to lose.

Vicky Selkowe hit the progressive argument on the head.

Last year, residents of the Truax neighborhood did a great deal of organizing in an attempt to keep their neighborhood police officer. Despite their tremendous efforts, they lost the officer. Worthington Park (where I live) is losing its neighborhood police officer in 2008. We all are aware of the policing needs in Allied – what about Vera Court? Kennedy Heights? Todd Drive? Badger Road?

It should not be an issue of more or less police officers, but the equity in which they are distributed. At the same time there is discussion adding officers, in certain communities neighborhood officers are being cut.

The whole rationale of the 1980’s community policing was preventing rather than responding to crime. Those were different times, Madison was more segregated, white and middle class. In the end it may take more police officers to implement the neighborhood policing model  in 2007.