Opinion

So desperate were the outgoing governor and state legislative majority to pass what amounted to a sweetheart deal for some of their biggest political backers that they did what was until then unthinkable—they sprang Jeff Wood from jail so he could vote.

The activities of American office-holders after they have been voted out of office have vexed incoming politicians since at least the “Midnight Judges” appointed by John Adams in March of 1801, much to the consternation of President Thomas Jefferson. It’s rough politics—unsavory and often untoward—but it is not unprecedented, and it is not a usurpation of power.

One of the trends we identified as part of our Undemocratic: Secrecy and Power vs. The People series for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism was the increased fast-tracking of bills under Gov. Scott Walker.

Ambassador Tom Loftus, ambassador to Norway, 1993-1998, was the keynote speaker at an event entitled "Statesmanship" Nov. 27 at the Madison Club. It was jointly sponsored by the Wisconsin Education Association Council and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. These are his remarks.

Here we are 17 years later and still bogged down in Afghanistan, even though that day FDR said would live in infamy should have taught us something about picking our fights — that we should know the enemy and how to beat him.

Perhaps it is simply human nature that our appreciation often comes too late. Every generation is born ungrateful and our memories are selective and shaded by our own self-regard. But it was the singular misfortune of the Greatest Generation to be succeeded by that most self-absorbed of generations, the Baby Boomers, my own generation.

A century ago, Wisconsin was famous for progressive thought. Now the state makes national headlines for its horror stories – Making a Murderer, Slender Man stabbings, Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, the state GOP. The last spent painful hours Dec. 4 and 5 joining the horror parade by refusing to accept the results of the Nov. 6 election.

Details in lame duck bills show disdain for democracy by Vos and Fitzgerald.

The central problem with SSDI is that for disabled workers who could reasonably make a return to the labor force through training or rehabilitation, there are few incentives and often not enough support.

All signs point to Walker signing most if not all of the secretly-crafted 141-page elevation of legislative power awarded to Republican legislators at the expense of the Governorship from which voters ejected him.

If anyone is unsatisfied with the results of an election, the remedy is not to change the rules, it is to try and win the next election.

The conservative revolution in Wisconsin has come to an end. Now it is time for Republicans to protect the gains we made.

It might seem unfair to some that the students were sidelined by the actions of other citizens who were trying to stop anti-democratic actions in the Legislature. But that is the frothy side of our political process in action.

Evers announced Dane County Supervisor Jamie Kuhn will be one of his policy advisors. Kuhn is in her second stint as a county supervisor, after she caused a stir her first time as an office holder when she refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at county board meetings.

Besides $4.1 billion subsidy, it seeks IP rights of students, faculty, other companies.