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Those Who Sided With Viktor Orban Will Be Damned, Authoritarianism Is A Loser
I spent some time this afternoon upstairs looking for a column in a back issue of Foreign Affairs. I knew it contained the essence of what I wanted to stress in this column. That followed the most welcome news that Peter Magyar’s center-right Tisza party was projected to win Hungary’s parliamentary election, bringing an end… Continue reading
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Senator Ron Johnson Makes Us Stop And Think
The Wisconsin State Journal wrote this weekend in an editorial that, “When (Wisconsin Senator Ron) Johnson, a fan of conspiracy theories, is the voice of reason, you know things are bad. Some found that sentence all too true, given the absurdity that has been unleashed by Donald Trump’s Iran war; others surely laughed. I have… Continue reading
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Madison TV News Story About Grocery Prices Was Seriously Tone Deaf
If one were looking to report on the impact of high grocery prices on the wallets of Madisonians, it might be assumed a reporter would head to Hy-Vee, Metcalfe Market, or a Woodman’s store. But when the WKOW news team chose the story, they went to Whole Foods. Or, as it is comically referred to,… Continue reading
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COVID Shot Benefits Report Undermined By Robert Kennedy Jr., Propagandist With No Credibility
When I hear Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name, a basic thought instantly comes to mind about what he is doing as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He purposely sows disinformation, creating public confusion that then undermines evidence‑based policymaking. His long, ridiculous record of promoting lies about vaccines, outrageous claims repeatedly debunked by scientists, medical… Continue reading
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If Illinois Can Do It, Why Can’t Wisconsin? Stop Pistols From Easy Conversion To Automatic Weapons
The news from Illinois regarding gun control measures is, once again, uplifting. State lawmakers are weighing another measure aimed at the firearms industry: requiring some gun manufacturers to redesign pistols so they can’t be easily converted into automatic weapons. The latest effort by Illinois, long a national leader on gun control, mirrors legislation California passed… Continue reading
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Humphrey History Minute: Gay Relationships In American History That Never Bloomed
Using two examples from American history, one from 1832 and the other from 1904, the question is raised about what happens when young men who form emotional connections with other young men are not allowed to blossom and come to fruition. We can only imagine what the lives of Henry Ward Beecher, and John Foster… Continue reading
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Jeff Weigand, Anti-Trans Dane County Bd Member, Ousted By Voters In April Election
I need to write a much-needed column about the electoral rejection of Jeff Weigand in yesterday’s spring election. Paula Brandmeier beat the conservative bigot by 655 votes. Many pople had pined for his removal in the last election, so the removal of him from the county board was a tonic for the soul. My ire… Continue reading
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Iran’s New Strength, Trump’s Weakness: “Please, Please. It’s Too Much Winning. We Can’t Take It Anymore”
My first favorite author was Allen Drury, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Advise and Consent. As a teenager, I ate his books up, thrilled by their political and international stories with a continuous batch of colorful characters. But nothing…I mean nothing…that Drury could make up in his brilliant writing comes close to a plot line… Continue reading
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Walter Cronkite Is Smiling With Artemis II Astronauts, “Oh, Boy”
Did you feel like a little kid at some point on Monday as the images from Artemis II were sent back to Earth and the four astronauts on board traveled further and deeper into space than anyone has ever done? Watching the news about this event, my mind raced back to the man who made… Continue reading
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Another Win For 2013 Illinois Law Prohibiting Concealed Guns On Public Transportation
I applauded the Illinois state legislature and Governor Pat Quinn in 2013 for passing and signing the concealed carry bill. Good politics makes good policy and strong laws. Today, yet another vindication of that fact was registered by the Supreme Court in relation to the failed attempt by three overly litigious people in Illinois to… Continue reading
