As the mid-term election looms, my thoughts run to three over-arching realities about Wisconsin politics.

Republicans have blamed Joe Biden and Democrats for the high price of gas, but the price is a worldwide phenomenon.

The most blatant political abuse of power during the COVID epidemic came from Attorney General Josh Kaul, who specifically targeted religious and private schools for closure at the behest of Madison’s teachers’ union.

The ideas that will win this November.

Republicans like Abraham Lincoln and Francis McGovern had a better idea. Wisconsin should follow their lead of a progressive income tax rather than Michels’ proposal, which would be a huge gift to himself.

Four years ago, on October 27, 2018, the country and the world saw the traumatic consequences that the spread of antisemitic hate speech can have on a community.

Inside LuAnn Bird’s remarkable and unconventional State Assembly campaign that might just save democracy in Wisconsin.

More focus on research and development is the key.

Why state has $4.3 billion surplus, what it means and how should it be handled.

Republican Derrick Van Orden is going up against Democrat Sen. Brad Pfaff for the congressional seat held by Ron Kind for more than two decades.

Key fact: a vast difference in political views between those under and over age 40.

There is ample reason to believe women are motivated and energized to vote because of the overturning of Roe.

Despite unprecedented recent flooding in eastern Kentucky, unrelenting Western wildfires and a broad swath of destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian, climate change has fallen off most prospective voters’ radar.

Right after scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, came out, Wisconsin’s chief public school regulator, state Superintendent Jill Underly, issued a press release headlined, “Wisconsin elementary school students buck national trends in ‘National Report Card’ release.” This is not true: Wisconsin’s scores fell by every measure since the last time children took the test, in 2019, just as scores fell for every other state.

Nearly a year after he plowed his SUV into Waukesha’s annual Christmas parade killing six people and injuring dozens more, Darrell Brooks Jr. was found guilty Wednesday on all 76 counts against him. But the people behind Milwaukee County’s revolving door criminal justice system that freed the career violent criminal on $1,000 cash bail days before the parade have yet to be held accountable.

The gubernatorial debate accomplished one thing: It established the important fact that Michels is a habitual liar with absolutely no plan to improve the lives of working families.

There are so many important issues at stake in this fall’s elections — the future of free elections for one — that it would be a pity if the results are determined by misleading, nasty and often patently false TV attack ads aimed at instilling fear.

Paying no state income taxes on trust fund that pays for his million-dollar home.

Politicians who ignore what Wisconsin women care about do so at their own peril. The message is loud and clear: women care about their rights and will vote to protect them.

Gov. Tony Evers wants to increase spending by $2 billion; challenger Tim Michels wants to expand private school voucher program.