Rumors of a Russ Feingold Return?

The rumors are flying and the Democrats seem to be set on a return of Russ Feingold?

Russ Feingold? 

Seriously I am not sure what the left could possibly be thinking if they are trying to resurrect the career of former Sen. Russ Feingold.

Feingold was once considered a career politician in Wisconsin.  He was thought to have the senate in the palm of his hand and in control of his career.  Right up until the point that he was beaten by Sen. Ron Johnson.

Wisconsin has since continued to tilt more to the right and has done so in amazing fashion. 

For the Democrats to try and go back to the well and resurrect the career of a politician who was way left seems to be a desperate attempt at a hail marry.

Republicans have to be thrilled at the prospects of a rematch between the former Senator and the Senator who beat him.  Johnson won 52%-47%. 

This should be an interesting watch as the election cycle comes more into focus.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin Under Fire as VA Scandal Grows

Sen. Tammy Baldwin for the most part has pretty much just enjoyed being in Washington DC collecting a paycheck.  She really hasn't appeared to do much for her constituents in the state of Wisconsin.  Going with the flow and being a reliable vote for the Democratic Party.

Now as a new allegation at the Tomah VA has surfaced, Baldwin again appears to have tried to deflect her responsibility.

Right Wisconsin:

"I would have thought that given the circumstances and the scrutiny she has been under, she would have done more," said Candace Baer-Delis, whose father died last month after suffering a stroke as he waited to be seen at the urgent care clinic at the Tomah medical center.

Baer-Delis wrote to the Madison Democrat and to Oshkosh Republican Sen. Ron Johnson on Jan. 28, two weeks after her father's death – and one week after Gannett Wisconsin Media reported Baldwin had a damning inspection report on the Tomah facility but did not act on it for months.

Baer-Delis said she outlined what happened to her dad, Thomas Patrick Baer, 74, of Marshfield, noting that he waited hours for treatment, suffered two strokes, and received no anti-clotting medications and no CT scan because the center's CT scanner was broken.

Later follow-up by Gannett Wisconsin Reporter Donovan Slack on the situation uncovered that when Baldwin reached out to Baer family, they hung up on the senator essentially telling her it was ‘too little, too late.’

The Media Bias with Brian Williams

So NBC has announced the suspension without pay of Anchor Brian Williams.

I find it amazing that these news organizations only react to the pressure of the public instead of doing the right thing because it is the right thing.

You have countless news organizations out there who on a regular basis report bad information and/or just make things up.  Very rarely is there any consequences to those acts until there is a major uproar from the public.  Heck, Brian Williams has been telling this story for a decade and it takes a backlash from Stars and Stripes and the Public to finally intervene before NBC did anything about it.  Sadly even NBC reportedly had told Williams to quit telling the story prior to this, so they must have already known something. 

What happened to the days of these organizations just reporting on the news and letting us form our own opinions?  Now it seems to be all about selling their philosophy on us and spinning the news to make their points.  It no longer really is about the news. 

Now you have networks who devote their entire newscasts to selling one political party over another.  You have networks who won't report news that makes their chosen party look bad or the other party look good.  It isn't about the raw news anymore.  

Menomonee Tribe/Hard Rock Offer Up $220 Million for Bucks Arena

In a brilliant move by the Menomonee Tribe and the Hard Rock folks, offering up $220 million to pay for the Bucks new arena if Gov. Walker approves their new casino. 

What a smart move.  The $220 million is exactly what the state was expected to bond out to help pay for the arena.  They have essentially taken the state out of the mix, if Walker approves their new casino.

I don't know all the workings of the pacts and agreements that former Gov. Jim Doyle agreed to, but it makes sense to approve the new casino. 

It will add jobs, revitalize an area of the state that has been hard hit for years economically.  Lastly it will provide competition to the Potawotami casino.  Competition is always good for the customers. 

Not to mention the way that the Potawotami have gone about opposing the new casino has been nothing short of a child throwing a temper tantrum.  Withholding funds owed to the state, kicking and screaming.  All of that after they were allowed to expand onto their casino.

Illinois Governor Follows Walker Lead and Faces Off With Labor Unions

Illinois has been the poster child for the worst way to do things for years.  Now they are starting to make changes that could put them back on a path out of the abyss they are in.

FOX News:

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner struck a first official blow on Monday against the public sector labor unions he has frequently criticized by ordering an end to a requirement that workers pay dues even if they decide not to join a union.

His executive order sets up a fight with the state's powerful labor unions, a key ally of members of the Democratic-led Legislature, just as Illinois has begun divided government for the first time in more than a decade. Unions immediately lashed back, while top Democrats questioned the legality of Rauner's action and said their legal teams would review it.

Rauner, a wealthy businessman and self-described admirer of governors in Wisconsin and Indiana who've championed anti-union policies, said 6,500 state employees are paying so-called "fair share" dues, or an average of $577 a year per worker.

Rauner frequently criticized organized labor during his campaign for governor, saying they hinder economic growth by stifling competition and have far too much political influence in President Obama's Democratic-leaning home state.

"These forced union dues are a critical cog in the corrupt bargaining that is crushing taxpayers," Rauner said, adding that forcing non-union employees to pay union dues requires them to fund political activity they don't agree with.

Rauner said he took action after a U.S. Supreme Court decision last July that found state labor law violated the First Amendment by mandating home health care workers have union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks.

Obama Ready for Congress Approval on ISIS

In the face of growing criticism about ISIS, the President is preparing to seek authorization from Congress on using Military against ISIS.

Obama is finally going to seek the proper authority?

The problem for the Administration is, they may not get the authority from Congress. 

It isn't that Congress isn't ready to take out ISIS, the problem is the Obama Administration.  They have no plan to deal with the growing threat from ISIS.  Their plan is to keep dropping bombs. 

Every expert has said that it will take ground troops to destroy the threat.  It doesn't necessarily have to be our ground troops, but we do have to be a leader and rally the forces. 

Brian Williams of NBC News Makes Up Story

It seems that NBC Newsman, Brian Williams has been doing a little more than embellishing a story.  He has flat out lied.

He has on multiple occasions told a story of how he was involved in a situation in the Gulf War in 2003.  The event involved a Helicopter he was supposedly on being shot down. 

However, now the truth is coming out.  He was never on the Helicopter, nor was he ever in grave danger.  People who were actually involved have come forward and told the real story. 

As Paul Harvey would put it, "Now for the rest of the story"

Williams was actually on a different Helicopter that arrived at the scene of the incident after the fact and that he was never in any real danger. 

I guess that doesn't make for as good a story.

Then to make matters worse, Williams failed attempt at an apology.  He claims he didn't remember the story right. 

Really?  You didn't remember that it wasn't your helicopter being hit with an RPG and fire? 

Obama Getting It from All Sides on ISIS

As Obama continues his no plan on ISIS, Both Republicans and Democrats are on the full attack to get aide and in some cases even troops to Jordan to go after ISIS.

This could be a defining moment in the battle against ISIS and the Lawmakers know it. 

Obama doesn't seem to understand that yet.

FOX News:

McCain and the rest of the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee later urged the administration to do more -- specifically, to help Jordan in its own military campaign after a captured Jordanian pilot was burned alive by the Islamic State.

Jordan's King Abdullah II has vowed to strike back, and already has launched airstrikes against ISIS over Syria in response. Reports from the Middle East said the latest strikes killed 55 members of ISIS, including a senior commander known as the "Prince of Nineveh."
According to U.S. lawmakers who met with Abdullah on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the king has asked for more military assistance from the U.S.

"They literally need ammo, bombs, and they need fuel," Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., told Fox News on Thursday. He also urged the Pentagon to embed troops with the Jordanian military and other fighting forces, so they could help call for U.S. airpower as needed.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi also said Thursday the administration should "move quickly to give more capacity to the Jordanians."

Republicans and Democrats alike are pressing the Obama administration to move swiftly to provide aircraft parts, night-vision equipment and other weapons to Jordan.

Obama Failing against ISIS

As we watch ISIS continue to Terrorize the World with the Videos of people captured and tortured, we are still content with dropping Bombs.

Every report and indication is that this group is the bad of the bad when it comes to terrorists and we are taking a more hands off approach. 

No one wants to go to war and send American Lives in harms way, but it doesn't appear that the Strategy by the Obama Administration is making much headway.

What is our next move?

Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman Putting Our Safety at Risk

Alderman Bob Bauman is the man in charge of issuing licenses for Cab Drivers.  He chairs the Public Works Committee and he thinks they are doing a good Job.

Really?

TMJ4 took a look and it doesn't appear Alderman Bauman cares much about our safety.

TMJ4:

MILWAUKEE - The next time you are in the back seat of a city-licensed taxi, you could be sharing a ride with a convicted felon or a driver with a checkered history behind the wheel.

For more than a year, the I-Team has been keeping track as a city committee responsible for weeding out troubled taxi drivers approved all but one person to appear before them.

 

Alderman Bob Bauman chairs the Public Works Committee, and believes it has been doing the job well.

 

"Are we vetting people? Absolutely," Bauman said.

 

Bauman's committee comes into play when Milwaukee Police object to a public passenger license application.

 

Those objections happen for a variety of reasons, including criminal violations or driving infractions.

 

In 2014, the I-Team watched as police raised objections to applications made by drunk drivers, sex offenders, even a man convicted of a felony fatal hit and run.

 

Of the 79 applications where police objected and the prospective driver appealed to the committee, the challenge was overruled and the license granted all but once.

 

"We look at the nature of the offense, we ask the applicant to explain the circumstances, we evaluate their credibility, and in most cases we do grant the license," Bauman said.

 

What this means is drunk drivers and sex offenders were all approved to drive a taxi in the city of Milwaukee.