"Politics of Fear": Darn Right

From the NY Times:

As she sought to spark a comeback in the Democratic nominating contest, Mrs. Clinton warned voters not to “take a leap of faith or have any guesswork” when they cast ballots Tuesday.

The Obama campaign accused her of employing “the politics of fear.”

I am the last person who is going to defend Hillary Clinton, but Obama's response is interesting.

Liberals frequently use the phrase "politics of fear" when conservatives want to implement policies to fight terrorism, to ban gay marriage or to protect us from violent criminals. However, they never use that term for their own policies.

Don't liberals employ the "the politics of fear" when they try to convince us that the Earth is in danger from man made global warming? Or when they argue that practical safety measures will be the first step toward removing our civil liberties?

Both sides employ the politics of fear. It makes sense to some degree. Government's primary role is to keep us safe. Of course, it becomes little more than pandering when politicians overstate their case, but demagoguery has been a part of politics at least since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Aristotle tried to classify the fallacies of orators and politicians over 2,300 years ago.

But to dismiss fears is another form of fallacy. There is nothing logical or rational about ignoring those things which most concern voters or society as a whole.

We are going to hear a lot about the "politics of fear" from now until November. If so, great. If Hillary's comments were the "politics of fear," I hope and trust that McCain will try to scare the heck out of us. Obama scares the heck out of me (although Hillary does not exactly give me the warm fuzzies either).

Applying for a Job: You're Excited?

A quick tip for those of you applying for a job: never, ever use the word "excited" in your cover letter (unless you're a porn star).

I spent a great deal of time over the past few days reviewing dozens of resumes and related materials. Some idiot somewhere told these kids that they need to convey enthusiasm. So, about half of the cover letters begin something like this: "I was excited to learn that [insert company name] is looking for [insert job description]."

Employers want to hire practical, hard working, level-headed, smart people. Excited and excitable people need not apply.

PS There are lots of other ridiculous things people say in these letters, and they are from some really smart people. For example:

• "I am sincerely interested..." Are your other expressions insincere?
• "Enclosed please find..." Is your stuff hidden?
• "My passion for [insert job field]..." Come on, are you that geeky?

Doyle Announces That Wisconsin Government is Overtaxing Residents by at Least $100 Million

From the Governor's Press Office this week:

Governor Jim Doyle today announced the recipients of more than $100 million worth of affordable housing tax credits throughout the state...

Wisconsin has about 5.6 million people. That means that we are spending about $17.86 per person. I support three people. That means I am contributing a little over $50. I want it back.

CC's Wisconsin Hall of Fame #5: Who is He?

HINT #1: Integrated circuit.

Another Best of the Blogs Omission Corrected: James T. Harris

Love him or hate him, there is no denying that James T. Harris speaks his mind and brings a unique perspective to the Milwaukee political discourse. I have been a fan ever since a friend of mine was harassed for reading James' "Ten Commandments for Economic Justice in Milwaukee in public.

He should have been on the "Best of the Blogs" list long ago. He is now.

By the way, check out his current post "Geraldine Ferraro was right?" Great stuff.

Beware: What John McCain Wants to Give Back, Jim Doyle Will Try to Take Away

Presidential candidate John McCain proposed, in a speech at Carnegie Mellon University this morning, that the federal government help to stimulate the economy by not collecting gasoline taxes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon (24.4 cents per gallon of diesel). A good idea.

But beware. Considering the state's budget shortfall, and Jim Doyle's penchant for raising gas taxes, it would come as no surprise if Doyle or his friends in the Senate push to increase the state's gas tax by the amount of the savings. After all, the result would be a no net loss to Wisconsin consumers. It would, however, push Wisconsin from the 8th highest taxing state when it comes to gas taxes to the highest.

McCain's Senate colleagues should ensure that any such legislation offered in the Senate contains a provision that the gas tax moratorium would not apply in any state that raises its own gas tax in the year of the moratorium. McCain's proposal is intended as an economic stimulus, not a federal revenue sharing program.

Perhaps We Should All Write-In "God"

James Taranto makes a truly profound comment.

The comment that impressed me most is in the midst of a post in which he, like so many others, takes Obama to task for belittling people of faith, gun owners and people who have strong views on illegal immigration and other cultural issues. Of course, as he usually does, Taranto articulates this much better than everyone else. I won't add more to it except to note, as I did in the following post, that Obama is out of touch and way outside the mainstream of American thought. Each of us should fear a candidate who has so little respect for so many (I believe the majority) of Americans.

What I want to point out, however, is this gem buried in Taranto's piece:

Obama said in Indiana, "They don't vote on economic issues because they don't expect anybody's going to help them." He went on to explain that they should vote for him because if elected, unlike all previous presidents of either party, he will improve their material well-being.

Obama's promise rests on a false premise: that it is within the power of the president to restore the Rust Belt's luster. Every incumbent president in living memory has sought at least one additional term, and the Keystone State has for decades been a key electoral battleground, both large and closely contested. If presidents had the power to make Pennsylvania's declining towns wealthy, don't you think one of them would have done so by now?

In truth, the decline of industries is simply a fact of life, like old age, sickness and death. Yet just as new generations supersede the old, a free economy produces innovation that gives rise to new industries. And while some places have declined, the nationwide economy has grown impressively for most of the past quarter-century.

If politicians could come to grips with this concept - that they can't control or manage the forces of the economy and, with respect to most matters of the market, they are powerless except to screw things up even more - we would be more free and more successful. Freedom and success lead directly to fairness and compassion.

Those Stupid, Narrow-Minded Religious Rubes...

I don't as a general rule discuss social issues on this site. But I do cover elections. Can a politician do anything more stupid (yet alone more bigoted) than criticizing working families for having religious beliefs?

What was Obama thinking? He really is that out of touch, isn't he?

I have never been a Clinton fan, and question their honesty, but I have always believed the Clintons generally fall somewhere within the mainstream of the Democratic Party. Obama once again is proving that he is way outside the rather broad confines of mainstream.

Sheldon Wasserman: A Winner and Loser in April's Election

Last week, voters convincingly took away the Governor's Frankenstein veto after years of abuse.

Prior to announcing he was running against Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), Rep. Sheldon Wasserman opposed attempts to put the Frankenstein veto issue on the ballot. After announcing that he was running, Wasserman supported the constitutional amendment to remove this gubernatorial power.

Darling issued a press release a few months ago pointing out this flip-flop. If her campaign proves to be adept, and I expect it will (even Democrats admit that Darling's campaigns have been well-run), we will hear more about this issue as the election approaches.

Wasserman's fiscal conservatism has been, at best, opportunistic. Voters will see through the veneer of this election-time facade Wasserman has tried to build.

Liberal Blogs I Read

I added a new feature tonight. A (rather short) list of liberal blogs I read. There is a benefit to reading with the "other side" is saying (even when it is only an angry rant or a personal attack).

I read more than the four I posted; however, some of them are hard to take seriously. I think the four I selected are fairly representative.

Democrats and Darling's Health: Is This the Kind of Sleaze We Can Expect?

According to MJS:

[A] news item in Milwaukee Magazine ... reported that [Darling] was "struggling" with health problems. When the item appeared, Darling said, she asked the magazine to give her side, so the magazine did an online update quoting Darling as saying she is in good health and will "campaign aggressively for re-election."

"I haven't talked about (her health), and I didn't even know that Senator Darling had breast cancer," Decker said.

The Milwaukee Magazine story was mentioned at an April 2 briefing the Wisconsin State Senate Democratic Committee had for about 90 lobbyists who are interested in the campaign, said Jason Childress, director of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee.

During a presentation on the race, Childress said, either he or political director Kory Kozloski mentioned the article in passing during a discussion about Wasserman's campaign efforts and work ethic. Childress also sent an e-mail to a couple hundred lobbyists with a reference and link to the magazine story.

Darling said she later called Decker to ask why Democrats were using false health rumors against her. Childress said the committee won't raise the issue again.

It is shameful they raised it in the first place.

Darling had breast cancer seven years ago, and back surgery 13 years ago. Anyone who has seen her in the past few years knows she is fit as a fiddle. She is only 63 years old. She trained for a marathon, walks in parades and makes numerous appearances. Like her or not, she is certainly physically capable.

Besides the falsity of the rumor, do Democrats really believe that having had breast cancer is a negative? Has anyone noticed that breast cancer research is a favorite charity of the North Shore?

Spreading rumors about non-existent health issues is way beyond sleazy. Attacking a woman for having had, and survived, breast cancer is just plain dumb. If Democrats run that kind of campaign, it will certainly backfire.

Wisconsin Halls of Fame: When You Have a "Rest Area Maintenance Program Hall of Fame," What Else Do You Need?

I have been posting pictures of famous Wisconsinites and asking readers to guess their identities. When there are no guesses, I give hints. The first three have been identified. The fourth has had no guesses (even though, for bloggers, he is darn important).

I debated what to name my list. With some trepidation, I settled on CC's Wisconsin Hall of Fame. People have become accustomed to "Halls of Fame" for lists of historic figures (even when there is no hall).

But is the phrase over-used? I searched to find Halls of Fame located (either actually or figuratively) in Wisconsin. Was I surprised.

Various groups try to honor the people from Wisconsin who have made their little corner of the world better. Some of those efforts are admirable, while some are simply silly. How many of these "Halls of Fame" have you visited, or even heard of?

Wisconsin Association of Future Farmers of America Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Auctioneer's Association Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame
Wisconsin's Rest Area Maintenance Program Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame

And that is just a partial list.

We also have Halls of Fame that portend to be national or international in scope, or that honor particular industries or activities beyond the boundaries of Wisconsin, including:

Forestry Hall of Fame
International Clown Hall of Fame
National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
Paper Industry Hall of Fame
Snowmobile Hall of Fame
Wood Tick Hall of Fame

Of course, there is one Hall of Fame that, for most of us, is a true shrine to greatness:

Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame

Most of these places, however, honor the big fish in their own small ponds. Wisconsin seems to forget that it has a rich history of truly great people. We forgot to honor many of them, and some of them we have totally forgotten. That is why the Croc has established CC's Wisconsin Hall of Fame.

Credit for Eugene Kane Where Credit is Due (Sort Of)

Eugene Kane wrote a rather poignant article today in which he notes that the failure of Wisconsin black students is not just a failure of the kids, but also of the parents and teachers of those kids. He is right, although I am a bit more forgiving of the teachers. There are good teachers, but they are operating in a bloated system with many students who don't want to be there and parents who, unlike Kane's own parents, do not insist on achievement. But there is no doubt that the biggest influence in any child's life is her or her parents and, if they insist on success, the odds of success are much higher.

Kane, of course, couldn't write an entire column without taking a swipe at white conservatives (stating that the failure is a "self-fulfilling prophecy that confirms their prejudice"). Too bad, because it was otherwise a darn good column. Kane needs to recognize that many or most of us on the Right hope and pray that people of all ethnic backgrounds succeed. A rising tide raises all ships - Wisconsin as a whole has had a pretty low tide for a while. Moreover, a more educated citizenry results in safer cities, better elections, prosperity, more taxes generated, and better lives for all of us. We also do not believe that black kids are preordained for failure. Instead, we truly believe that most of the black kids who do not succeed fail because most of the adults in their lives have failed them.

Otherwise, Kane makes a good point.

Free Beer on Beer Day?

I don't think this was what Mayor Tom Barrett meant by "Beer Day":

From Channel 4's website:

MOUNT PLEASANT - Mount Pleasant police need your help to find a lot of stolen beer. Someone ripped off a trailer with 1,600 cases of Miller Beer from a trucking company. The beer is worth $24,000. Police say someone stole a tractor from Illinois and hitched it up to the trailer of beer.

CC's Wisconsin Hall of Fame #4: Who is He?

HINT: He invented something we all use every day. In fact, I can almost assure you that you have used it today.

HINT: QWERT

Paying My Taxes Tonight

Despite the good weather, I spent the day today working on my taxes (I have a terrible cold, so I just wasn't up to doing anything fun). If I wasn't sick before, I am certainly sick now.

I recognize an obligation to pay taxes. I believe it is part of the price of living in a free country.

However, when I think about the vast number of people who pay little or nothing in income taxes, I become angered. I am even more angered when I think about those portions of my taxes that (a) are wasted, (b) go to support people who are unwilling to contribute or who do not need support, (c) go to pay for things for which the government has no business involving itself, or (d) pay for services that should be paid for by state and local governments. Finally, I become angered when I realize that I am ineligible for many deductions and credits precisely because I pay a lot of taxes.

Personally, however, I am even more frustrated by the amount of time I need to invest to prepare the returns necessary for the privilege of paying taxes. Sure, I could pay someone else to do them, but that adds salt to the wounds suffered in paying the taxes in the first place. I hate to pay people for things that I am perfectly capable of doing myself.