Opinion

If you think voters should choose their representatives rather than the other way around, you should vote in the Nov. 6 election.

Halloween is around the corner, but that’s nowhere near as scary as the dark money flowing into Wisconsin once more.

Family farms need real assistance to deal with low prices and oversupply.

Democrats must emphasize bread and butter issues.

Vote your heart and pocketbook. Wisconsin needs change.

Ford came across as credible, emphatic and “nobody’s pawn”. Kavanaugh’s denial was fiery, partisan and unhinged. Gone was any pretense of judicial demeanor.

The stock market lost nearly 1,400 points over two days due to fear of rising interest rates on top of soaring deficits and a Trump-initiated global trade war.

Homeowners in 148 school districts across Wisconsin will be getting an unexpected tax cut next year, but many of those districts would prefer to keep that a secret – and backfill those savings with new spending.

Many rightly lament increasingly polarized judicial races in Wisconsin. But this is inevitable when judges assume a role in public life not consistent with our constitutional order.

Tough sanctions are a vital tool that allow the U.S. to pressure hostile regimes without jumping to a military option. Baldwin’s opposition to tough sanctions against a clearly hostile power limits the nation’s ability to bring all instruments of power to bear on the Iranian problem.

End of county bus routes 61 and 6 means no connection to jobs in other counties.

Madison turnout high, new Milwaukee system attracts bigger early vote.

Most effective water reclamation in the nation and a global innovator.

Suit he joined stopped 165,000 Wisconsin workers from getting overtime pay.

Advocates hope their Supreme Court case -- now being rewritten -- will succeed.

He was going to get tough on Medicaid, now runs away from the issue.

Problems may go back a decade and mayor deserves much blame, some alderman say.

Her campaign seems to ignore poll data showing most disagree with her stands.

His suddenly changing policies make for a confused campaign.

The reality is they can’t create an alternative way to cover pre-existing conditions.

In Congress, I’ll bring Wisconsin-style solutions to make education accessible for workers so they can earn the degrees and learn the skills they need to be successful.

Trumpism (if not Trump himself) has given oxygen to some of the ugliest impulses among us. Anti-Jewish narratives grow and thrive in environments rife with conspiracy theories and no one has done more than the current president to bring them into the mainstream of our political discourse.

Because the GOP has cast its lot so thoroughly with Trump, he has succeeded in a remarkably short period in moving the window of acceptability in our politics, especially on the right. As a result, the rules of the game have changed in ways that are still hard to grasp, as conservatives accept behaviors and ideological shifts that would have been unacceptable a few years ago.

On the Daily Standard Podcast, Weekly Standard senior writer Michael Warren joins host Charlie Sykes to discuss the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, what it means for the midterm elections, and what might come of UN Ambassador Nikki Haley's unexpected resignation.

On today's Daily Standard Podcast, Weekly Standard senior writer Michael Warren joins host Charlie Sykes to discuss Senator Elizabeth Warren's DNA ad and whether or not it will help her chances in 2020.

On the Daily Standard Podcast, host Charlie Sykes joins Weekly Standard senior writer Michael Warren and chief elections analyst David Byler to discuss the recent mail bomb attempts and Gov. Scott Walker's re-election battle.

Wisconsin employers face health insurance premium increases of more than $370 million beginning in 2020 if Congress does not act once again to delay the Health Insurance Tax this year.

Historically, the attorney general has exercised limited authority in Wisconsin. But under Schimel, the Department of Justice has expanded its practice of filing amicus curiae or “friend of the court” briefs in courts across the country, even in cases where Wisconsin residents do not have a direct or remote interest.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Act 10 is the most widely discussed and debated piece of state legislation in a generation. Seven years after the contentious passage, the protests, and the recall elections, the landmark collective bargaining reforms are still a hot button issue.

Over the past seven and a half years Wisconsin has experienced quite the turnaround and the future looks bright.

By giving districts that financial flexibility and also pumping more state money into their coffers, while simultaneously holding the line on state taxes through what Walker calls the “prosperity dividend” of his restoration of fiscal sanity in Wisconsin, the state’s education budget is healthier than ever … and it no longer needs to rely on federal handouts.

The Wisconsin Building Trades support the expansion of youth apprenticeship when done carefully and as a stepping stone to a registered apprenticeship when a person reaches the age of 18. But the more practical way to expose Wisconsin students to trade and technical careers is to actually fund K-12 education, specifically industrial-arts and technical-education programs in middle school and high school.

For all its flaws, The Wilderness podcast takes what I found was a serious and pretty honest deep dive into the history, mistakes and promise of the Democratic Party and of the political left.

Politics in this country has rapidly degenerated into all-out tribal warfare. Everyone talks about the base. This game was once about addition, but now it’s about multiplication.

Greed knows no bounds in the pharmaceutical world. They're going to get their share plus billions more even if folks need to die to make it happen.

If a new report by TRIP, the organization estimated last month that deteriorated state roads and bridges are costing Wisconsin motorists a total of $6.8 billion annually.

For 21 years, Couper brought to Madison a whole new philosophy on how policing ought to be done in a rapidly changing world.

I've witnessed some bizarre attempts by government officials to keep information from the public they're supposed to serve — but the one that's currently dragging on in Racine County clearly takes the cake.

After committing more than a billion dollars to widen to six lanes the interstate between Madison and the Illinois line — a distance of more than 45 miles — the state now wants to save about $14 million by keeping the northbound lanes at the interchange at two lanes.

While the UW's leadership is working to solve the perennial diversity problem with ambitious and expensive recruitment programs, there are many smaller efforts that go unnoticed, but might just turn out to be as effective in the long run.

No, it's not the spot that suggests Walker's opponent Evers coddles teachers who like pornography, although that one is particularly abhorrent. The really misleading one is the commercial of the farmer who laments that Evers will raise all kinds of taxes that affect Wisconsin farmers who, we all know, are struggling to survive.

To the surprise of no one who pays attention to tax plans, we once again are witnessing the failure of the GOP's fascination with "trickle-down economics."

How Trump's presidency might lead to the end of Walker's governorship.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. “Sometimes you have to live someone...

Freedom of Information Council survey gets little response from GOP candidates.

For 12 years Wisconsin has been deprived of a people’s lawyer at the top of its justice ladder, lacking a clear defender of open records, civil rights and basic access to justice for everyday people.

A powerful blue wave still has a strong likelihood of kicking Mitch McConnell and his ilk to the curb – and a powerhouse turn in the electorate is essential to truly blocking Trump.

Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature are depending on an old reliable friend to stay in power – ignorance.

When I received a call from Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Sheila Harsdorf asking me to serve on the Dairy Task Force 2.0, I was pleased to say yes.

My qualifications are clear: I have done the job very well for many years. I have fought the moves by Republicans to transfer duties to the control of the governor. My priorities are to provide good service to the public that require information despite the stripping of the office of staff and responsibilities.

The diplomatic outrage in much of the West and the Mideast may have been immediate -- except for Trump. The U.S. Congress is anxious to step in and force the White House to act, but foreign affairs remain an executive priority.

Instead of thinking long-term about the needs of a nation so deeply split over politics, or a senate confirmation process that pains anyone willing to let go of tribalism along enough to ponder it, this White House hunkered down and placed pride and power over reason and the call of history.

After allowing the tail to wag the dog to the point the legislative branch in Washington looks bedraggled, Ryan finally found his strong voice this week. In a forthright fashion Ryan broke with Donald Trump concerning citizenship conferred on babies born in the United States.

Soglin will have the gravitas and institutional memory that we can use and count on—resources that are lacking with too many others who seek leadership in this city.

We need to remove the temptation from a politically minded person, be they Democrat or Republican, to use this selection to sway policy for anything other than what is in the best interest of the natural resources we treasure.

In the interests of Wisconsin’s "homeland security," our governor should demand that all Wisconsin Guard members remain in Wisconsin.

The Madison Common Council has targeted Confederate monuments. As October marks the 154th anniversary of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s infamous “march to the sea,” Are there any other uncomfortable reminders of the 19th century the Common Council might want to eradicate?

His main weapon has been the formerly science-based and conservation-defined Department of Natural Resources converted into a defacto Department of Commerce and directed by business leaders and insiders as the 'chamber of commerce mentality' agency he demanded.

Blogger James Rowen wraps up his 21-part series critical of Gov. Scott Walker's environmental record.

RightWisconsin Editor James Wigderson joins Steve Scaffidi to talk about the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races and the list of high-profile Democrats visiting the state.

Wigderson and Scaffidi discuss Wisconsin's top races.

Wigderson and Scaffidi discuss the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and whether Gov. Scott Walker is really behind in the guv's race.

According to the latest Marquette University Law School Poll results, we have a dead heat in the race for governor while little has changed in the race for U.S. Senate.

Who are you going to believe, your eyes or the mainstream media? The latest discussion is whether Democratic “mobs” are behaving badly.

When it comes to student achievement, the school scored 9.2 out of a possible 100. The statewide average score is 60.2 out of 100. The school “fails to meet expectations” when it comes to graduation rates, closing the racial achievement gaps and post-secondary readiness.

The Democrats got what they wanted. They got an FBI investigation, the seventh investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's professional life. And, as we expected, nothing new was found.

While the media and the Democrats will find a few cases that Schimel handled to try to nitpick, Josh Kaul’s record will go unexamined.

An objective observer will tell you that Vukmir still fared well in the debate. However, she not only had to prevail over her election opponent, she also had to deal with the bias of the panel’s questions.

We need to solve the problem of an office with a salary and nothing to do. As long as La Follette remains in office nothing will change and the taxpayers will continue being ripped off.

Most Wisconsin voters support more choices on the ballot and want all qualified candidates to be included in debates. Other polls have indicated that voters would prefer more than two choices, not less. That is not how the Wisconsin Association of Broadcasters sees it. As it has in previous years, the WBA is planning to exclude all candidates except the Democratic and Republican nominees from their televised debate for candidates for governor while still calling it a “Gubernatorial Debate.

When it comes to the Wisconsin economy, there’s very little to attack Governor Scott Walker on. The unemployment rate is at three percent. Wages are rising above the national average. International investments from companies like Foxconn are transforming Wisconsin into a modern, 21st century economy. Even a writer in the New York Times admits the economy is a “hurdle” for Wisconsin Democrats.

John Imes, executive director for Wisconsin Environmental Initiative, shares insights from the Verge18 conference in Oakland. The three-day conference and expo brings stakeholders together to explore ways to accelerate the clean economy through technology and sustainability.

Gov. Walker has shown more support for apprenticeship and careers in the skilled trades than any other governor in our lifetime.

The attorney general of Wisconsin is an all-in Trump man who refers to his office as “a strong partner” with the Trump administration.

On Thursday, Sept. 27, Kavanaugh appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as an enraged man. He did not merely respond to the powerful testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, he condemned everyone who had demanded that he respond. It was an out-of-control performance that unsettled everyone who still takes seriously the notion that our courts should be fair and impartial arbiters.

Vukmir's talking points on "Medicare for All" come straight from the president, who is now claiming that building on the successful model of Medicare “would eviscerate Medicare.”

In a poll, 64 percent of Wisconsin voters supported ending cannabis prohibition. Scott Walker opposes it. Tony Evers supports medical marijuana and is open to legalizing recreational use.

State attorneys general are the key to holding the White House to account—and Democrats are making a strong showing in several races.

Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Leah Vukmir flew to Washington on the eve of Thursday’s hearing and, before either Dr. Ford or Kavanaugh had testified, joined a rally calling for rapid confirmation of the nominee.

While Scott Walker is embracing the worst of Donald Trump’s destructive politics, Tony Evers is upholding the values of the state that my immigrant family has called “home” for almost two centuries.

Could political reforms improve the state and national political system?

He respects no one, maybe not even himself, and never seeks win-win outcomes.

Walker administration blames director who left in 2012, but four audits in six years show problems persist.

While emotions run hot in our current political environment, I still think it is important to sound some public support for AG Schimel’s mental health training initiative for educators.

Madison school district touts graduation rates, but academic proficiency in question.

My hopelessly misguided opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Tammy Baldwin, has failed tremendously by not supporting President Trump’s efforts to ensure border security.

What we’re seeing today with the Kavanaugh nomination are the same intimidation schemes those on the left implements whenever their ideas don’t win at the ballot box.

Treatment of principles in Kavanaugh hearings is unconscionable.

In a new TV and printed ad campaign, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has launched a scurrilous attack on State Superintendent Tony Evers.

Once again Congress defaulted on passing the farm bill, and once again, it results in nearly 40 important programs being left without an authorization, which means without funding.

The Kavanaugh nomination proceedings have sent women and survivors of sexual violence a harmful message — that if you’ve been harassed or assaulted, your pain doesn’t matter if it gets in the way of a man’s goals.

The inconvenient truth for progressives is that expanding Medicaid has been a costly proposition for taxpayers, costing some truly in need the medical benefits they could use.

The blatant effort in Georgia to disenfranchise people of color is now being challenged in court, as it should be.

In "Two Minutes with Mitch" Madison radio personality Mitch Henck gives his two cents on how taxes are affecting the Wisconsin governor race between Tony Evers and Scott Walker.

It is impossible for me to imagine two more dissimilar humans in Presidents Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump.

In the gubernatorial race, it seems clear that — after eight years of Walker — people are not getting what they want and need from state government.

National attention made the governor care more about his standing in the GOP than about the people of Wisconsin.

Vote Republican. We’re accomplishing too much to turn back now!

The sense of wounded entitlement Kavanaugh expressed in his temper tantrum before the Senate Judiciary Committee reminded me of the attitudes of the disaffected jocks at Yale.

Wisconsin can’t afford to have Tony Evers as governor. There appears to be a real disconnect with the reality we can’t pay for all his lofty goals, and we can’t risk the further creep of an ever more controlling government.

Looking ahead, I know our positive vision for the future will keep Wisconsin on the right path. My opponent is focused on taking Wisconsin back to the failed policies of the past and protecting the big government unions.

Walker and Evers promise increased spending for roads and schools, but haven’t said how to pay for them.

Number of prisoners rose from 4,867 to 20,536 under Gov. Thompson. Now he wants reform.

Just 12% of all ballots in 2004, could hit 33% in 2020.

But will it mean compromise -- or deadlocked government?

Under Governor Walker's leadership, bipartisan support by the Wisconsin Legislature and flexibilities granted by the Trump Administration, Wisconsin created the Health Care Stability Plan – a program intended to reverse the double-digit increases in Wisconsin's individual insurance market under the Affordable Care Act.

What change does Tony Evers offer? A citizen governor, a back to the Founders' idea of public education and modesty.

Public and private campuses in Wisconsin are finding ways to attract and better educate students, advance research priorities and assist businesses with problems to solve. It’s a trend that can help the state and beyond.

Wisconsinites deserve a committed leader who uses common sense and puts our state ahead of personal political goals. I have the record and the willingness to start putting Wisconsin first, and can actually follow through on the promises I make to this state.

Charter schools excel and the racial and economic achievement gap remains.

Polls from all sources over the past months have underscored the dread, and even alarm that voters are feeling about tariffs. The tariffs that the Trump White House have placed on a number of products ranging across many countries have not only made headlines, but for some companies created shaky bottom lines.

The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take up whether Democrats can win any Republican congressional seats in the state this fall. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

With a few weeks left before the November elections, the WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, consider whether the hearings to appoint Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will have an impact on the outcome. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, discuss whether money or momentum are more important to winning this year's elections. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

The WisOpinion Insiders, Jensen and Chvala, analyze the possibility of ticket-splitters helping both Scott Walker and Tammy Baldwin to victory this fall. The last...