For those nay-sayers out there who say that politics is never fun, I would direct you to the press release issued today by Representative Kagen's campaign. Even though "tensions are high," politics can be lighthearted and enjoyable!

Tensions are high on Capitol Hill - and it has nothing to do with politics.

Monday’s Packers game against the Broncos is pitting roommate against roommate,
imperiling domestic tranquility for Green Bay’s Congressional representative.

Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. shares his Washington rental with Congressman Ed Perlmutter – the representative from suburban Denver, and a devoted Broncos fan.

The two have a gentleman’s wager riding on the outcome of Sunday’s game. “When
the Packers win, my esteemed colleague from Colorado, the Honorable Ed
Perlmutter, will deliver a case of Coors beer. In the unlikely event the Broncos
prevail, he will receive a case of Miller. My staff is looking forward to
enjoying the Coors,” Congressman Kagen said.

I just wanted to post a quick one today to congratulate the winners of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Eleanor Roosevelt Awards. These women are all so truly deserving. They have given their time, their talents, and their energies to making sure that Democrats are elected up and down the ballot.

So congratulations go out to:
- Marlys Matuszak, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kira Brenner, Rising Star Award (side note: Kira is also the College Democrats of Wisconsin Chair!)
- Representative Tamara Grigsby, Elected Leader
- Janice Tobak, Grassroots Activisit
- Dian Palmer, Statewide Impact

We are so proud of all you do! Congratulations!

At the end of every day I take a look at The Wheeler Report online to see what people said in Wisconsin politics for the day. I love being able to look directly at the press releases from various officials and organizations. Today, I found one that I wanted to share with all of you from State Representative Tamara Grigsby which can be found here.

The press release certainly had some good news, but it also had some bad news. First the good stuff! Wisconsin students in grades 4 through 8 ranked above the national average according to the 2007 National Reading Report Card. This is great to see that the next generation of voters is ahead of the national curve.

Unfortunately, it isn't all sunshine and happy days. Wisconsin, according to the press release and the report, ranked highest in the achievement gap between black and white students. This is an alarming fact! Here in Wisconsin we had the highest.... I will repeat HIGHEST..... achievement gap between white and black students.

I'm not really sure how to respond to this. I know that it means we need to invest more money into the public school system to help get students to the next level. I think that we also need to pay attention to legislation before both the State Legislature and Congress. With items such as No Child Left Behind up for reauthorization, it is vital that we include provisions that will close that gap.

I know this is a short post, but I just wanted to share that little fact with you. So thank you Representative Grigsby for bringing it to our attention. Hopefully in the 2008 report card Wisconsin will have no achievement gap.

The GOP has announced their stellar new health care proposal. It sounds like the greatest thing since privatized social security. As if there wasn't enough of a problem with health care coverage in this country, the Republican party is now suggesting we eliminate employer provided health care. That way each individual would be responsible for obtaining their own health care. The government would then compensate by providing tax breaks for those receiving health care.
WOW. So where to even begin with the problems with this one.....
Well for starters, this proposed tax break for health insurance would undoubtedly be offset by the impending tax increase to cover our insurmountable defense costs. Additionally,
people working minimum wage jobs, living pay check to pay check who have their benefits automatically taken out of their paycheck are highly unlikely to use their increased take home money for health care.
Furthermore, all this will cause the insurance companies to do is raise their premiums even higher.Perhaps most important, nothing in this plan suggests this shift in policy would provide health care for a greater number of people. Rather it has been suggested that the number of people who live without health care would be unlikely to really change. In which case, what exactly is the point of shifting to a consumer choice system of health care? Such an adjustment is likely to cause a greater hassle for many people struggling alone to find a health care system suitable to themselves.

In his landmark speech to American University, President John F. Kennedy said the following:
"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

Apparently Republicans in Congress are disputing the second to last condition of similarity of all human beings. The Democratic Congress has rightly decided to expand SCHIP, or the State Children's Health Insurance Program which offers health insurance to underprivileged children.

President Bush has vowed a veto, saying it is a step towards national health care and used more scaremongering about 'socialized medicine'. I never thought it possible for President Bush to be a worse drag on the Republican's Congressional ticket across the country, but the man likes to defy expectations.

While some Republicans have rightly flipped from the dark side, many are sticking with the President and refusing to get into the last lifeboat from the sinking U.S.S. Bush. Republicans aren't used to being in the minority, and don't feel like playing nice even on a bipartisan cause of making sure kids see doctors. What's next, we won't agree on troops being able to stay at home between deployments? Oh, that's right the Webb Amendment was killed by Senate Republicans. How about a bipartisan compromise to fix the open border and the labor shortage? Nope, also killed by the radical Republicans in the Senate.

It seems that nothing is safe from the Republicans' attachment to partisanship, even soldiers and children. For the sake of the congress and the country, it is time to come together on the few things we can agree on instead of giving into bitter divisiveness. Perhaps we don't all cherish our children's future.

Voter fraud in Indiana??
Have you heard of any big scandals of voter fraud in Indiana, because to the best of my recollection there hasn't been any. Why is the GOP so set on Voter ID? I honestly don't understand why. However, to me voter identification is another way in getting people to not vote, especially those in the lower income brackets.
Getting an ID can cost money and time. One would have to set time aside to get one and drive to the nearest location that gives one out. Agree with me or not, these are luxuries that not all of us can afford. I know right now with my more than three jobs and school, I have no time to run to the nearest DMV to get an identification of any sorts.
Lucky for me though I have a car. What about those that don't. Is the Indiana government going to supply a service to transport people to the DMV for those who can't get to one? They would have to, or else they are just suppressing more voters.
America needs to be done with this whole idea, its just another literacy test to the GOP.
Lets just hope that our highest court sees it as I do.

(sorry for the late post all) supresant

As chair of the College Democrats of Wisconsin, I've been going to a lot of kickoff meetings over the past few weeks. I've been to meetings at UW-Oshkosh, UW-Madison, and St. Norbert's, and a few more next week. In addition to putting a lot of miles on my car, I've been hearing about all the great things that College Dems across the state are planning on doing this year. At Oshkosh, everyone was excited about reelecting Rep. Gordon Hintz, who was elected to the State Assembly last year. In Madison, we heard from Rep. Mark Pocan about how great is is to be a College Democrat. And at St. Norbert's, I got to meet a group of really excited College Dems who are working to change their campus.

College Dems across the state are working to make Wisconsin a better place to live, work and go to school. What's your chapter doing? Let us know--leave your ideas and plans in the comments.

The Democratic Leadership deserves a round of applause for their efforts in passing the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The question is, will the Republicans in Wisconsin’s State Legislature make our students educationally bankrupt?

With college costs rising more than 40% in the last five years and more students taking out loans at high interest rates, times are more difficult than ever for students. Do to the hard work of the Democrats in congress the students have finally been provided with relief.

According to a Statement Released by the House Education and Labor Committee, The
College Cost Reduction Act of 2007...

Is the single biggest increase in College Financial Aid since the GI Bill at no additional costs to tax payers.

Cuts interest rates in half on subsidized student loans over the next five years.

Increases federal loan limits to provide borrowers with additional assistance in paying
for college and to help them rely less on costlier private loans.

Increases the maximum Pell Grant scholarship by at least $500 over the next five years,
ultimately reaching a maximum scholarship of at least $5,200.

These are just some of the great items included in the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.

Democrats know how important it is to help their younger generation get through college… so they did something about it. We can only hope that the President signs the bill when it arrives on his desk. Out of all the issues that need prioritizing, it’s Education. Education is what prepares for the future. It is our knowledge base. It is the base stood upon in the real world. A world of increasing competition. America and its future generations need tools to continue the growth of the economy and keep America strong. We need to think about future benefits received from education when we consider its cost. The current cost is irrelevant when compared to the nations future. A nation or state that doesn’t aid to education will deprive students of their future, thus depriving the nation of its future. The continuation of this cycle will lead the nation into educational bankruptcy

This concept is fully understood by Governor Doyle and the Democrats in the State Legislature. I only hope some of the Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature are listening. Maybe then students in the State of Wisconsin will have educational assets to flourish in the 21st century.

I was at the grand opening of the new Milwaukee County Democratic Party headquarters last night. It was a great event filled with some wonderful speakers. One of them, Mayor Tom Barrett, said something to really struck me. He said that we are just three seats shy of taking back the State Assembly, three seats! That means we are three seats from being able to pass a budget that provides an increase in financial aid for students. That means we are three seats from being able to make necessary improvements to the UW system. That means we are three seats from being able to enact legislation to guarantee health care for all citizens.

Back in 2006, thanks to the hard work of college students around this state, we were able to elect three new Wisconsin State Senators: Pat Kreitlow, Kathleen Vinehout, and Jim Sullivan. Now all we need to do is get focused, get active, and get three new State Assemblypeople elected. Can we do it? We can and we must. We are just three seats away from having the ability to make Wisconsin great again!

Last evening President Bush addressed the nation from the oval office for the 8th time on the subject of the War in Iraq. This week in a small chapel in rural Wisconsin, the family of Cpl. Kieth Numberg is laying their son to rest, at the same time the Department of Defense has not confirmed 5 American deaths, which means that soon, perhaps tonight their families will be getting a terrible knock in their door. The President is again asking us to be patient, to wait just a little longer and then we will start to see the measure of progress in Iraq. Yet the facts on the ground are sobering, the Iraqi government after taking the month of august off, still cannot govern, the Iraqi army cannot defend iraq, tribal war lords are still in control of most of the provinces.

The President's plan is to have hundreds of thousands of American boys and girls occupying Iraq, for what he has admitted will be long after his Presidency, an unending war in the middle east. Thankfully Republicans and Democrats in Washington are standing up to the White House and demanding an end to the occupation. People all across the country are finally asking "why?" Why my son or daughter, why my nephew or neice, why my former student?

Nearly 100 Wisconsinites and 3,780 Americans have been killed, get involved on your campus, help end the war, help make sure that no other families have to have that knock on their door.