Wisconsin Debate Coverage

Click below to follow my raw coverage of the Wisconsin debate.

UPDATE: Welcome InstaPundit readers. Glenn, thanks for the link.

Posted 5:48

Kerry gets question on Bush's National Guard duty:

"Not qualified to answer." Bush hasn't learned lessons of Vietnam War. Bush "rushed" to war. Have suggested to Democrats to stop using the AWOL charge.

Edwards: "Disconnect" between what administration told country about war, and what was found. [Not right.]

Borger: Stupid process question about how Bush is using Dean's criticism of Kerry in a commercial.

Dean: President Bush is "looting the American treasury" in drug and energy bills. Weird references to old Wisconsin politicians like Bob LaFollite and William Proxmire.

Kerry: Fought against "Nixon's war" in Vietnam.

Kerry, in vague reference to the Drudge affair rumor, will stand up to any attack. He vaguely blaming Republicans for the rumor, "resorting to the personal."

Sharpton: "Where's bin Laden?" "Why didn't we put all our energies into finding him?" Iraq is a "distraction" to the war on terrorism. Iraq is an "imagined threat."

Wisconsin has lost 90,000 manufacturing jobs since the 1990s.

Kerry: Bush administration has refused to used trade side agreements. Doesn't regret signing NAFTA, but regrets lack of enforcement.

120 day review of all trade agreements. Won't sign Central American and Free Trade for the Americas trage agreements unless it has

Edwards: Opposes NAFTA. He'll "stand up and fight" for those lost jobs, but offered nothing of substance.

Dean: Free trade agreements are justified. Labor and environmental rights haven't been "globalized." What does that mean? Dean willing to force people to pay more for goods by dumping bad trade agreements.

---

Posted 5:55

Kucinich: Would dump NAFTA and the WTO and go back to bilateral trade agreements based on workers' rights.

Sharpton: Would cancel NAFTA too. Was against it in the beginning. "Indecent" to pay foreign workers such low wages.

Edwards: "Some of these jobs are gone." Will wake up everyday in the White House to fight for jobs.

---

Posted 6:17

Dean: Middle class never got tax cuts. Repealing Bush tax cuts don't amount to a tax increase. Thinks balancing the budgets would create jobs.

Kucinich: Number one domestic priority is creating a "non-profit" health care system.

Kerry: Will tax the rich and close loopholes to pay for 97% of all Americans in three years. Extend Congressional health care plan to everyone.

Edwards: Wants states to import drugs from Canada. Can only afford to "start down road to universal health care." Have to lift 35 million out of poverty.

Holt asks hard question about Kerry's waivering on No Child Left Behind and PATRIOT ACT.

Kerry: Bills isn't the problem, bad enforcemnt and John Ashcroft are the problems. Won't promise to balance the budget, because he doesn't think it can be done.

Kucinich: "Create wealth by putting people to work."

Sharpton: Vouchers don't help everyone. [Just means vouchers should be extended to all.]

Kerry: Would have government pay for 4-year in-state tuition if person works in local community for 2 years.

---

Posted 6:28

Dean: Supported Gulf War I, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. Congressmen and Senators are responsible for sending troops to war. National Guardsmen and reservists shouldn't spend 12 months in combat. [How else to have enough troops to fight?]

Kerry: "President choose the wrong way" to fight the Iraq War. Doesn't think Bush did enough to build international backing. [What about the many countries who joined the coalition? Interested more in process over knocking off Saddam and his threat.]

Edwards: Accepts responsibility for voting for the war. We're fighting the war alone. [Once again, what about the Brits, the Poles, and others.] Thinks NATO could and should guard Iraq boarders while Americans focus on the Sunni Triangle.

Kucinich: Thinks the administration knew Iraq had nothing to do with the Islamist War. "President lied to American people" about the war. Doesn't know why. [Got applause for his anti-war stance.]

Sharpton: "Clearly he lied." "Absolutely it was a lie." "Why do people lie? Because they are liars?" [Doesn't know the difference between lying and just being wrong. Sharpton then got a bunch of cheers.]

---

Posted 6:43

Dean: Gave three trillion dollars to his pals. Administration hasn't bought enriched uranium. Still stands behind his "America isn't safer with Saddam's capture" statement. Capturing bin Laden would make America safer. Bush hasn't gone after him and al-Qaeda.

Kerry: Sees himself first as a jobs President. Bush has ignored North Korea. Has ignored AIDS. Will develop more global cooperation on fighting terrorism.

Kucinich: Iraq War "wasn't necessary." Will dump all nuclear weapons and hog-tie the country with international treaties.

Dean: Ends don't justify the means with regard to Iraq. "We don't know how history will just the war in Iraq."

Kerry: Used affirmative action while prosectutor in Massachusetts.

Sharpton: Fought all his life for diversity. [Including Tawana Brawly?] Thinks D.C. Congressional representation is a civil right issue.

---

Posted 6:54

Kerry: Personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but is for civil unions and partnership rights. Let states decide their own policies. [Smells of moral relativism.]

Edwards: Has "seen up close" how losing a job effects people. Kerry and Dean have "good hearts."

Sharpton: Rich can be compassionate; poor can be cold-hearted. "Clarance Thomas is my color but not my kind." [Not black enough?]

Another Gloria Borger lame process question.

Dean: Will support Kerry if/when he gets the nomination. "We have changed the face of campaigning." Won't owe anyone anything if sent to D.C. [Would Dean be happy with a rich, Perot-type to self fund a winning campaign?]

Kucinich: Got the E Pluribis Unum translation right; better than AlGore.

Kerry: He said the most boring "I'm a fighter" I've ever heard.

Show Me the Money

Ed Cone seems to be the only reporter willing to ask the biggest question surrounding Howard Dean, M.D.'s campaign: Where did all that money go? Ex-campaign manager Joe Trippi doesn't know and wasn't responsible for knowing.

[via InstaPundit]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 05:18 PM | Comments (0)

Almost Debate Time

UPDATE: InstaPundit readers, my coverage is here.

It's less than one hour until the Democratic Presidential Debate in Milwaukee. This will be the last important debate until this fall when (presumably) Sen. John Kerry will take on President Bush. With word surrounding the Dr. Dean campaign that he'll quit Wednesday after losing (again) to Kerry, this is his last chance to stop the Kerry momentum and give him a few shots. Dr. Duck denies this saying, "In fact, we are staying in the race. The forum we will use to stay in the race remains to be seen." I don't think even Dean, M.D. knows what he's going to do. I'm guessing a suspension of the campaign, an eventual (weak) endorsement of Kerry (probably at the convention), and the creation of a liberal advocacy organization (think an Internet-powered lefty version of the Christian Coalition). Sen. John Edwards is teetering as well, but he might not want to slug it out with the Vietnam war protester because he's on the short list for VP.

TAM will be weblogging the debate. Afterword, there will be post-debate analaysis, links, maybe even a Duck Hunt.

"Debate Spotlight Brighter, Narrower"

"Dean to Advisers: 'We Are Not Bowing Out'"

"Dean has Given Wisconsin His Best Shot"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Wisconsin at 04:57 PM | Comments (1)

Huh?

I go to Sheboygan often. Green Bay Packers football, hunting, fishing, beer and bratwurst come to mind, but not rich, single men (not that I'm looking).

"Report: Eligible Bachelors Abound in Sheboygan"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Wisconsin at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2004

Why Michele is Cool

Reason #46:
From a normblog interview:

Who are your sporting heroes? > Thurman Munson. Mike Bossy. Bret (sic) Favre.

[via InstaPundit]

UPDATE: I think I used "sic" incorrectly. I think it's fixed, but my future career as a copy editor has run into a big roadblock.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 11:36 PM | Comments (3)

Duck's Done Wednesday

It looks like Howard Dean, M.D. will be ending his campaign after getting plucked here in Wisconsin. Wednesday, he goes back to Vermont to "regroup and assess his strategy" to use Reuters' words. Then there's this from the Boston Globe:

His calendar for next week is not booked beyond Wednesday, when he plans to return home to Burlington, Vt.

His staff, some of whom are already planning to leave his headquarters for good on Wednesday, has not sought a new contract with the main air charter company that has been flying him around the country, aides say.

Dean himself said yesterday he does not know whether he will continue campaigning in a manner resembling the appearances that have filled his calendar for the past two years.

One of Dr. Duck's staff, chief weblogger Matt Gross has left the campaign due to "family medical reasons." The American Prospect got him to answer a few questions, but I can't wait until when he talks about when and how the campaign collapsed. While Gross and I disagree most thinks political, I agree with him that the long-term effect of the Dean, M.D. campaign is to turn these operations into "their own media channels."

"Dean Bid Shows Signs of Ending"

"As Fortune Changes, So Has Dean's Campaign"

[via Political Wire]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

Once in a Lifetime

Google is a weird contraption. If you want the dirt on Sen. Kerry's so-called affair you'd go to Drudge, right? Then why does Google have TAM ranked higher? I'm not sitting on any breaking news. Like others, I'm waiting for Drudge to drop another bombshell.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

That "Other" Duck Hunt

James Joyner clued me into this time waster.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

Cheesey

Steven Taylor has his pre-Wisconsin Toast-O-Meter up. As for my man/duck Dr. Dean, it's looking really, really bad. Taylor has declared him "Burnt Limberger Cheese Toast." (Note: There is only one place left in America that makes limburger, and it's in Wisconsin. It's near Monroe to be exact.) Here's how bad it's gotten for Dean, M.D.:

Democrat Howard Dean faced scores of empty chairs in a half-empty hall on Saturday as he neared an anticipated defeat in Wisconsin's primary next week that could end his White House hopes.

In stark contrast to the massive crowds and stand-up passion he generated just months ago as the party's front-runner, the fading anti-war, anti-Washington maverick drew only a few hundred people who remained in their seats and applauded politely.

Maybe he can surprise us all with a dominating performance in tomorrow's debate, but the track record of these tame events makes me doubt it.

"Dean Faces Empty Seats as He Nears Possible End"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2004

Live from China

Matthew Stinson is in China and is posting. Nice! He has some pictures and a post on three American staples, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and KFC.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Foreign Affairs at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)

Bush's Guard Records

Another question: What are the Democrats really looking for by demanding to see every scrap of paper dealing with President Bush's National Guard service? They might just be desparate and have no particular item in mind. However, I'm guessing they're trying to dig into Bush's wild days when rumor has it he had a drinking problem. Heck, they might just be trying to find some hint that Bush was arrested on a cocaine charge. Whatever it is the Democrats are looking for, Steve Verdon is right, it is a "fishing expedition."

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 10:36 PM | Comments (1)

Why?

I'm still in the question asking mood. What was the point of a group of governors visiting Iraq? Sure it was nice of them to visit soldiers from their own states, but what do the governors have to offer in winning the peace? What it looks to me was that this was nothing more than a chance for people outside the Bush administration to defend the administration. That's pretty expensive PR. There is this funny story Gov. Tim Pawlenty told:

Pawlenty said Americans should measure progress in Iraq against conditions that existed there a year ago.

He told the story of a Baghdad shopkeeper who complained to the U.S. delegation that he did not have electricity 24 hours a day. When asked if he used to have electricity 24 hours a day, the shopkeeper said, "Well, no, but we want it now."

To plagerize Glenn Reynolds, "Heh!"

"Pawlenty, Other Governors, Brief Bush on Iraq Trip"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

'Riders Selling Shares

I found another story mentioning the Packers' unique ownership. This time it was used right. The CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders want to sell shares to their fans to pay off debt and improve their facilities. No mention was made of a government buying the team. Shares will just be sold to fans. Like the Packers, what it is is a convoluted form of charity.

"Cash from Shares Aimed at Upgrades"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2004

Meta Thoughts on Kerry "Affair"

Only in the blogosphere can webloggers constantly complain about John Kerry's affair. By doing so they just perpetuate the story.

What's with Wesley Clark? Will he actually endorse a man who he has tried to destory? What's he up to?

Will the Deaniacs go crazy thinking their bird is more like a phoenix than a waterfowl?

What's going to happen at Sunday's debate? The Wisconsin primary now is important again.

When I look at Bush's "AWOL" and Kerry's "affair" it reminds me of the really nasty politics of the 19th century. The American body politic survived those times, and it will survive this one.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 10:50 PM | Comments (5)

Packers Myth

It's give sports fans warm fuzzies to know the Green Bay Packers are owned by their fans. Sometimes people misconstrue the actual ownership structure of the team. Gary West, executive director of the Bowling Green (OH) Area Convention and Visitors Bureau thinks the city of Green Bay owns the team. He's using the Packers as an example of how the ownership of a possible minor league baseball team could be organized. Let me set the record straight: The Packers are not some form of sports socialism. They are a private company owned by shareholders, not the City of Green Bay, Brown County, nor the State of Wisconsin. A governmental body was created to fund the remodeling of Lambeau Field. To do that, a tax on Brown County sales was created. That is about as close to socialism as the Packers get.

"City May Try to Lure Baseball Team"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 10:09 PM | Comments (4)

A Question

Some reporters have acknowledged that Wesley Clark (Weasley in the Kerry campaign) said off the record that Sen. John Kerry has an "intern problem." Yet in the Plame affair the White House is accused of trying to pass on information to a number of reporters. None of them have come forward to admit to the White House leak. Some sense of honor in the journalist crowd. Since Clark is a has-been candidate his confidence can be violated, but when it comes to access to the White House all lips are sealed. Am I missing something besides the fact that the whole Kerry affair (pun intended) is a hoax?

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)

Michele's Mistaken

No offense to Michele, a top-notch weblogger, but how can she write that she has no idea what the Presidential candidates stand for? Being a weblogger, she reads lots of stuff everyday. Heck, she even helps run a news weblog where part of it is devoted to covering the Presidential election. Sure, the stands of all the candidates aren't firmly spelled out. We don't know every candidates' position on every issue. We probably aren't happy with the positions of our favorite candidates. However, we certainly can get a pretty good idea of what they are for by reading the newspapers and browsing through campaign websites.

"On Special Request: Electioneering, V.2"

UPDATE: I want to be fair to Michele. She reminded me that the post I linked to was from pre-primary season. What got me worked up about it is I've heard the comment from people that they don't know what the candidates stand for. If all they hear about the campaign is the junk on tv news I can understand, but all you have to do is read a newspaper a few times a week to be fairly up to speed. I can't stand whining when there's an easy solution in plain sight.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 09:15 PM | Comments (1)

Lecture Next Friday

Barring some unforseen event, I plan on attending a lecture given by Austrian economist and Foundation for Economic Education president Dr. Richard Ebeling. If you're in the Milwaukee area at that time contact me. The event should provide some good intellectual fodder over drinks or a late meal. If it turns out to be awful, I should have some juicy material for a few Paleowatches.

"On the Road with FEE: Winning Freedom"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 07:01 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2004

Black Wednesday

South Korean scientists have "mined" stem cells from a human embryo. Mark today as a historic date when a whole class of human beings began to be created and destroyed to satisfy the needs, desires, and whims of others. Sure many may benefit, but even the pleasant facade Antebellum South was built on the backs of African slaves.

"Stem Cells Mined From Human Embryo Clone"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture of Death at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

Comcast Wants to Grow Ears

This smells of AOL-TimeWarner. At the time, I thought it was some business innovation of historic proportions. What was I smoking? For the most part Comcast is a hardware company while Disney is a software company. They have two different cores. How does having lots of cable help Disney make more successful movies like Finding Nemo and Miracle? What X factor should make this combination work? If Comcast wanted exclusive access to Disney content they could negotiate individual contracts. What kind of economy of scale do they hope to achieve? If I was a gambling man I'd short the combo if they actually merge.

For more reading, check out Professor Bainbridge's take on the situation.

"Comcast proposes to buy Walt Disney" [via Wizbang]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 02:45 PM | Comments (2)

I Smell a Conspiracy

Not really, but it's very coincidental for Howard Dean, M.D. to be out of the state on the only day of the week I'm not working. He claims it's because of his son's hockey game. It's obvious he's dodging me. He fears the Duck Hunt, I just know it.

Alright, enough of my delusion of grandure. It's off to bed for me.

"Dean Bounces Across State Rallying Raucous Support"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 03:51 AM | Comments (0)

Galactica is a Go

Thirteen episodes of Battlestar Galactica, sweet!

"Battlestar Galactica Greenlit for Series"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 03:43 AM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2004

Click Here

I'll be at work the rest of the day and night so no posting until really late. But since you're here fell free to help build my Kings of Chaos army (just a few clicks are needed) and GoaticusMaximus' army too.

Thanks.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)

Creativity and Maddness

Harvard researchers have found that people who don't/can't ignore irrelevent data (low "latent inhibition") and have "exceptional flexibility in thought" are more susceptible to mental illness and great creative accomplishments. One of the researchers said,

Getting swamped by new information that you have difficulty handling may predispose you to a mental disorder. But if you have high intelligence and a good working memory, you are more likely to be able to combine bits of new information in creative ways."

There may be a few webloggers shuddering after reading this.

"Creativity Tied to Mental Illness"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)

Myth Buster

Who you gonna call? Steven "PoliBlog" Taylor. He takes on some political myths and comes out triumphant.

"Political Myth Busting"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 12:06 AM | Comments (1)

February 09, 2004

Flying Past Wisconsin

Howard Dean, M.D. will not let a probable Wisconsin loss stop his pursuit of the nomination. That's what he told reporters in Green Bay today.

This announcement certainly deflates the importance of Wisconsin. The 02.17 primary just doesn't have the same "last stand" drama if Duck, M.D. says he'll continue even if he loses. Dean, M.D. knows it's not likely he'll get the nomination. If he really thinks he still has a shot then he's as delusional as some of his Deaniacs. Sure it's possible Sen. John Kerry could do something to blow up his smooth path to the nomination. Steven Taylor writes, "Kerry would probably have to shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die, to lose the nomination at this point." Of course, he thought Dean, M.D. was going to get the nomination (heck, so did I).

What doesn't help is AFSCME dropping their support for Dr. Dean. That means fewer workers on the front lines calling voters and other get out the vote activities. It also doesn't help that 34% of poll respondents said they don't want Howard the Duck as the nominee.

Strangely, there is no mention of Dean, M.D. backing away from his make-or-break statement on the campaign website. It's like they don't think their supporters who read the weblog read any other news.

"Dean Now Says He Will Stay in Race After Wisconsin"

"Commanding Lead for Kerry"

"Major Union Withdraws Support for Dean" [via PoliBlog]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)

"Living in Wisconsin"

Oh, I love this:

We're pretty much going to be living in Wisconsin until February 17th.

Look's like I have a new neighbor. Monday's schedule is set, while Tuesday's is still to be determined.

UPDATE: In an interesting twist, the Duck, M.D. campaign is letting the raft pick a commerical to be run in the state. The two I watched (the first one, "Max," wasn't working for me) were kinda cute and reminded me of the winning ads run by Sen. Russ Feingold. Will they save Dean, M.D.'s campaign? Probably not.

UPDATE II: A poster at Daily Kos (possibly first and only link to that weblog) just rips on the ads calling them "the most disappointing, unprofessional, inept, lame move ever made by the spectacularly unsuccessful Dean media team, led by Steve McMahon."

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 02:00 AM | Comments (2)

A Request

Kings of Chaos has been restarted. I'm staring from scratch. That means I'm asking you to click to build my army. It's easy, it's not that much fun, but since I don't have any tip jars for you to fill, it's one way of showing your love for TAM.

Oh, and click to build GoaticusMaximus' army too.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 01:39 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2004

Pontificating at the Grammys

The head of the Grammys gave his traditional speech tonight during the ceremony. This year it was about music education and digital downloading. The argument is that reducing music and arts education in schools is harmful to children.

The Recording Academy of Arts & Sciences doesn't seem to understand the basic economic idea of tradeoffs. Because Man has unlimited wants he has to decide which are most important. A middle income family can choose to go either to Disney World or Yellowstone. They can't afford to go to both. A growing company can choose either to spend their advertising budget on an expensive Super Bowl commerical or a farther-reaching direct mail campaign. They can't choose both. When it comes to education, schools have limited financial resources and time. If a school is failing to teach its students to read and write other less important subjects have to be sacrificed. It isn't a question of not considering music and art important. It's just a question of priorities. If the Academy really wants to help schools, they should be promoting effective, efficient reading methods so money and time can be spent on enriching music and art classes. Ripping on President Bush for not finding WMD in Iraq doesn't solve the problem.

The next topic was digital downloading. Recording Academy president Neil Portnow announced the debut of What's the Download a website focused on informing the public about music downloading issues. Will it help clarify some of the confusion surrounding downloading? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure opponents of Big Music will have a field day ripping apart the website.

For more Grammy coverage there are few better places than Blogcritics.org.

UPDATE: For a more lighter re-cap, there's the Journal Sentinel's Dave Tianen

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Music at 11:21 PM | Comments (1)

February 07, 2004

Oops

I have made a mistake. I've been thinking that since the Democrats were having a primary in Wisconsin on 02.17 then the race to decide the Republican challenger to Sen. Russ "I Hate the First Amendment" Feingold. I was wrong. That primary won't be until September. That explains why I've heard or read zero coverage. I don't feel bad in not covering the race. There's plenty of time.

"Russ Darrow: Doing Retail Politics"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Wisconsin at 05:43 PM | Comments (1)

Clark in Racine Sunday

Gen. Wesley Clark will be in Racine, WI tomorrow at the Racine Labor Center, 2100 Layard Ave. He will be the guest of Gov. Jim Doyle. Doors open at 1:30 and the event will be from 1:45 to 3:00. I'm thinking about checking it out.

As for my man bird: Howard Dean, M.D. won't be back to Wisconsin until late Sunday night. Also, at one of his Milwaukee events he called the weird farm-workers union (according to Dave Winer) call a "Badger yell." I'll let you be the judge, but I think his scream most resembles "The Wail." It fits since, "the wail is the call of an infant in distress."

"Dean Casts for Votes in Milwaukee"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Wisconsin at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)

Don't Forget that Other Dictator

Let me help the Commissar with his quest to build up a Bush=Stalin meme.

"Equal Time for Stalin"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2004

Still Silence

As of this morning there's still no mention of Roy Neel's backpeddling from Dr. Dean's do-or-die Wisconsin statement on the Dean, M.D. weblog.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 05:58 AM | Comments (0)

China or Bust

Matthew Stinson is off to China. Wish him luck.

"Departing Thoughts"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 05:51 AM | Comments (0)

February 05, 2004

Clark and Edwards Coming to Wisconsin

Sen. John Edwards will be coming to Milwaukee Saturday. A rally at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee is set for 12:30. This coincides with the ad he's started running here today. An Edwards staffer called the Wisconsin primary the "Super Bowl."

Gen. Wesley Clark is scheduled to be in Racine on Sunday. I found no details at the campaign website. Here's an interesting bit with regards to the general:

Two officials close to Clark, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the retired Army general considered dropping out of the race Tuesday night after scoring a single victory, a nail-biter in Oklahoma. They said his wife, Gert, helped talk him into staying in the race against the advice of some backers.

Let's see what happens if he does poorly on 02.17.

All the candidates are expected to be in Milwaukee on 02.15 for a debate to be held at Marquette University.

"State Primary is a Political Crossroads"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Wisconsin at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

Dean's Last Stand: Wisconsin

Howard Dean, M.D.'s statement places Wisconsin at the center of his campaign. He told his followers, "[W]e must win Wisconsin." The response has been very, very good. He's raised over $700,000, enough to run ads here. (Oh, joy, I can't wait to see them.)

Most news reporters interpeted Dr. Duck's statement as meaning he's done if he loses on 02.17. Roy Neel, the campaign's CEO, begged to differ. He didn't read the message the "same way you [reporters] are interpreting it." It's interesting that Neel's version of Dr. Dean's statement isn't on the campaign's weblog.

Yes, Jay, I'm happy about this announcement. A win for Dean, M.D. means more issues of the Duck Hunt. A loss means I will have to think of something clever for Sen. Kerry. (And it won't be half as much fun picking on him.) If there wasn't a Republican U.S. Senate primary race and my belief that only Democrats should choose the Democratic Presidential nominee, I'd be really, really tempted to vote for Dean, M.D. just to keep him around.

I don't know what Dr. Dean's schedule is tomorrow. A "roundtable discussion on jobs and the economy" is planned for tomorrow, but I don't know where or when. And with this snowstorm who knows if anybody (including Duck, M.D.) will be able to attend.

"Dean Shifts Campaign Focus to Wisconsin"

"Wisconsin or Bust"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

Like We Didn't Need Anymore Proof

Dr. Dean's operation is more cult than campaign. Here's a quote from one die-hard Deaniac, Jim Moore:

Giving is the sacrament that brings the Dean community together.

I'm glad Duck, M.D. is raking in the dough. That means he'll stay in the race longer, and that means the Duck Hunt still has a pulse.

"Right now DeanforAmerica.com Speeding Toward Campaign Daily Fundraising Record" [via InstaPundit]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

Janet and Breast Feeding

There have been a couple comments decrying the complaints over Janet Jackson's exposed breast. Their argument is since Americans accept breast feeding we shouldn't complain about Janet's bare boob. This canard must have its head knocked off. First, I don't know what anyone else was watching, but breast feeding was the last thing on Justin Timberlake's mind when he copped a feel and ripped off part of Janet's costume. The stunt was about titilation and shock, not the caring of a baby. Second, even if Janet were breast feeding a very, very young Justin, halftime of the Super Bowl is not the appropriate time and place to show that. I've never seen a mother whip out her breast in a public place feed her child. So, it seems to me most breast feeding mothers have the decency and respect for others that Janet and Justin didn't.

As a local talk radio yapper said last Monday, this incident isn't the end of the world. American culture isn't permanently scarred. The stunt was the straw that broke the camel's back. Many people are tired of the increasing sexualization of media. It's not that we're all prudes. In fact, I'm very confident that behind closed doors of the loudest critics very kinky thinks go on that would put the Janet-Justin stunt to shame. But that's just it: they do it in private and not flaunt it in the faces of everyone else.

[This post has been added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 09:08 PM | Comments (1)

February 04, 2004

What a Team

The Packers are the third most Ultimate Team according to ESPN.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 11:42 PM | Comments (1)

Duck: Chocoholic

If Howard Dean, M.D. had much money left I'd be offering him some local product for his campaign. The AP reports he spent almost $7,000 on Vermont chocolate. I wonder how much Ben & Jerry's was purchased?

"Dean Campaign Spent $7, 000 on Chocolates" [via Political Wire]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)

Janet's Apology

In a video taped apology, Janet Jackson took responsiblity for the Super Bowl stunt. She claims the "shocking moment" went "wrong." Alright, so the intention wasn't to expose her right breast to the world. Then what was her intention? To just let Justin Timberlake cop a feel in front of millions? If everything would have "gone right" it still would have been inappropriate.

CBS isn't taking any chances with the Grammys. Janet's been dumped and a five-minute delay will be in place.

"Janet Speaks!"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 07:11 PM | Comments (1)

Target: Wisconsin

In Dr. Duck's latest message to his believers supporters he writes,

We took a risk in Iowa by trying to win this race early. We were disappointed after a full assault by the other candidates and the special interest groups, but we picked ourselves up and got stronger. Now, as the field of candidates narrows, we continue to build toward a win in Wisconsin—setting up a clear choice for the voters.

Sounds like he's written off Washington State and Michigan. Dean, M.D. is coming back to Wisconsin on Friday (no details yet), and he's declared the state "up for grabs." He also said, "Let's pay all the taxes we had when Bill Clinton was president." Those tax cuts you've gotten the past few years, they'd vanish under a Duck, M.D. Presidency.

And Dean? For America? is sad.

"Message from Howard Dean"

[via Discount Blogger]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)

Good for Traffic

No wonder TAM's been swamped with people Googling for Janet Jackson's boob. As of this moment TAM is #3 for the keywords "janet jackson's breast pic."

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 04:18 PM | Comments (2)

Bashing Bush from the Right

John Hawkins on ripping on President Bush:

But, that doesn't mean we should hold our tongues when Bush, on certain issues at least, acts more like Ted Kennedy than Ronald Reagan. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm a conservative first and a Republican second and if conservatism is best served by going after a Republican, it doesn't bother me one bit to do it.

The point about criticizing the President is to nudge him into getting his act together. I'm sure if the choice is between Sen. John Kerry and President Bush, Hawkins will vote for the latter. He, like me, hopes he doesn't have to hold his nose doing it.

"Conservatives Should Criticize Bush When He Deserves It"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)

Look Beyond the Numbers

A Little Aardvark makes an awfully perceptive point about racial profiling by police:

So the big news last night is that most police departments in Texas are two to three times more likely to stop blacks and Hispanics than other folks and when stopped, they are much more likely to do vehicle searches on cars driven by blacks and Hispanics. On the face of it, it looks like, gasp, RACIAL PROFILING. And unfortunately, that's as far as most people will get. What they don't tell you is WHERE and WHEN the stops occur, and what the crime rate is, and what the racial mix is, and what percentage of crimes are committed by each racial group. If the Hispanics/Anglo mix of the local populace is 50/50, but 75% of the crimes are committed by Hispanics, shouldn't the police be looking at a ratio of 3:1 in stops (75/25) instead of 1:1 (50/50)? I can tell you the three highest crime areas in Fort Worth: Stop Six - predominantly black, Northside - predominantly Hispanic, Como - predominantly black. Guess where the police spend a lot of time? So if they are patrolling Como, and see a car full of teenagers at 3:00 in the morning, they should just ignore them? If the racial profilers have their way, the answer is 'yes'.

"I'm Always Amazed"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 02:23 PM | Comments (1)

How Could They Be So Wrong?

Bush needs to get out front and tell the public that given the information available and the past actions by Saddam Hussein it was reasonable to conclude that there were WMD in Iraq. Getting absolutely conclusive proof is a metaphysical endevor. Even in a court the standards of proof are "reasonable doubt" (in criminal cases) and "preponderance of the evidence" (in civil cases). With the data and analysis available at the time what would a Democratic President have done? A sensible one would have come to a similar conclusion: Saddam was a WMD threat. How to respond may have been different. A President Gore may have let U.N. inspections go on while his diplomatic team tried to get backing from Russia, France, and Germany.

However, President Gore might have chose to go war even sooner. The Iraq War took place at a time only 1 1/2 years after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. For decades, Democrats have been viewed by the public as soft on military issues. They trust Republicans more to fight wars. After a swift victory in knocking off the Taliban and liberating Afghanistan, easing up on Saddam's Iraq would have brought up the spectre of a Democrat getting weak again on war. Perception wouldn't necessarily equal reality, but deep-seated views like this slowly change.

Here in the real world we have to deal with probablities and possibilities. Mistakes were made, but no one can seriously claim Iraq, the region, and the world aren't safer with Saddam Hussein removed from power. In the case of Iraq, over-estimating the threat was prudent.

This intelligence failure is a bipartisan issue. Robert Einhorn, who worked at the State Department in both the Clinton and Bush administration said, "If we were massively wrong, we were all massively wrong. Everybody."

"A Desert Mirage: How U.S. Misjudged Iraq's Arsenal"

[This post has been added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 01:55 PM | Comments (4)

February 03, 2004

Exit Polls

After the 2000 election I take exit polls with a small grain of salt. That being said, here are some from Political Wire:

South Carolina: Edwards 44, Kerry 30, Sharpton 10

Oklahoma: Edwards 31, Kerry 29, Clark 28

Missouri: Kerry 52, Edwards 23, Dean 10

Delaware: Kerry 47, Dean 14, Lieberman 11, Edwards 11

Arizona: Kerry 46, Clark 24, Dean 13

Kerry's doing well, Edwards has plenty of fight in him, and Dr. Dean is being crushed. Guess that's what happens when you abandon today's states to make a last-stand in Wisconsin.

[via OTB]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)

Pickin' a Fight

John Cole just blasts Joshua Micah Marshall over the President Bush AWOL claim.

"The Weird World of Josh Marshall"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)

"Intent" Justified War

Colin Powell told reporters,

I think it was clear that this was a regime with intent, capability and it was a risk the president felt strongly we could not take and it was something we all agreed to and would probably agree to it again under any other set of circumstances.

Maybe I missed it but I would feel better about my pro-war support had Saddam's WMD intents have been emphasized more.

And why does George Tenet still have a job?

"Powell Says Invasion Justified by Iraqi 'Intent'"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 01:56 PM | Comments (1)

Call the Fire Department

Outside the Beltway is hosting this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2004

Duck Hunt #9

DH is back. Even though Dr. Dean lost New Hampshire, dumped his campaign manager-turned-rock star, Joe Trippi, and blew through $30 million with only a third and second place to show for it we here a DH HQ persevere. Jon Chait has stopped his Dean-bashing weblog, but since Dean, M.D hasn't thrown in the towel neither will TAM. Dean, M.D. has to come back just for sheer entertainment value, and so I have a reason to buy a Mean Dean talking doll [Thanks, James].

The most interesting Dr. Duck story today is the campaign started paying its workers again. Part of it is from raising $200,000 a day, and part of it is from laying off some of the staff. I hope those ex-employees got a good severence package. Yeah, right. At least they can have the satisfaction of knowing they're only a URL away from the campaign.

Now, on to the blogosphere:

• Dr. Dean put his foot in his mouth again, as Matthew Stinson points out.
  
• Alright, this isn't a weblog post, but James Lileks is a weblogger. Close enough. He writes about the hoopla surrounding Dean's Net strategy and how it failed:
  

  Lesson: Sometimes a bunch of kids sharing their enthusiasm on a Web page is just that, and little more.

  
  
• Rosemary found a Dr. Duck number problem.
  
• BushBlog points out how ticked Joe Trippi was last Tuesday night. His week only got worse.
  
• Dan Conley has little faith in Dean, M.D.'s fiscal acumen:
  

  Giving money to the Dean campaign today is like giving an IMF loan to Russia in 1993 ... you might as well throw your money down a well.

  
  
• D.C. Thornton doesn't trust Dean, M.D. with the federal budget since he blew through his campaign funds like he was Paris Hilton shopping on Rodeo Drive.
  
• Patterico describes Dr. Dean as a "Monday Morning Quarterback."
  
• Dean, M.D. sympathizer Dave Winer rips campaign CEO Roy Neel.
  
• Doc Searls, another Dean, M.D. sympathizer, wants the real story behind the campaign's flame out.
  
• Since Joe Trippi's campaign firm handles(handled?) Dr. Dean's ad buys and at least $7 million was spent on ads that adds up to a nice chunk of change. Clay Whittaker wonders "If someone could find an instance where Dean said he was for a cap on executive pay, this would be particularly ironic." I found something along that line. In an answer to a question on the AFL-CIO website, Dr. Duck said,
  

  As President, I will pursue policies that address the growing gap between executive pay and worker salaries. For example, I would explore proposals to limit the tax deductibility of grossly disproportionate executive compensation.

  
  I'm guessing Dean, M.D. didn't think Trippi's cut was "grossly disproportionate." [I'm not ripping on Trippi's commission. That may be standard practice in campaigns. I'm pointing out Dr. Dean's inconsistency. It's more evidence for why he's all wet.]
  

Join in by linking to the Duck Hunt. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

Secret War

Like the incredible story told by Bill Safire, it will be years and years before the public finds out about some of the successful secret operations in the Islamist War. That makes it hard for the public and politicians to measure its progress. The best measurement we have is to note that there haven't been any al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. since Sep. 11.

"The Farewell Dossier" [via VodkaPundit]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 09:08 PM | Comments (2)

KM Links to TAM

Thanks go to Kevin's Mind for having the good sense to put TAM on his blogroll. Go there to read a good post on WMD intelligence.

"Endorsing The Commission?"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)

New URL

No, not for TAM for Dan Wismar's Wizblog. Change blogrolls and bookmarks accordingly.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

The Naked Truth

Blogcritics.org has plenty of posts to satisfy your interest in "wardrobe malfunctions."

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)

More Breasts

Dave Winer on Janet Jackson't halftime peek-a-boo:

For the record, I missed Janet Jackson's breast because I was writing something at halftime yesterday. Women's breasts are great. I think there should be a requirement that all women bare their breasts if they want to when they're on television. It should be a choice thing. It might be more comfortable. It's unbelievable that Michael Powell is having a hissy fit over this. More breasts, not less. That's my opinion.

I'm guessing Dave doesn't have kids.

UPDATE: This is only one little sliver that shouldn't represent all kids, but these eighth-graders give me hope that they saw through that "crass" Justin-Janet halftime stunt.

While some kids seem to comprehend the outrage, Howard the Duck is cluesless.

"Local 8th-Graders React To Justin-Janet Stunt" [via Drudge]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 06:49 PM | Comments (2)

February 01, 2004

Duck in Milwaukee

Howard Dean, M.D. has found God outside the South. When attending a church in Milwaukee today, he told the congregation, "I am blessed, I am grateful and I thank you. Praise the Lord."

And here's the Meet the Press transcript of Duck, M.D. vs. Tim Russert. I haven't gotten through it yet. When something interesting pops out at me, I'll let you know.

"Dean Seeks Support at North Side Church"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Howard the Duck at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

Super Bowl Ads Review

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tim Cuprisin reviews the commericals. Here's his funny take on one of the anti-smoking ads:

What if we could get through one Super Bowl without one sledgehammer subtle anti-smoking ad? Yes, they're so annoying that it makes some of us non-smokers want to light up.

He also writes about Janet Jackson's breast.

"Super Bowl Halftime's Breast-Baring Stunt Spurs CBS Apology"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 11:20 PM | Comments (2)

Janet Exposed

Immediately after seeing it, I knew Janet Jackson's breast would be on the Net. Wizbang didn't let me down. Is she wearing a pasty? And will CBS get fined?

Oh, by the way, the New England Patriots won.

"In Case You Missed The Game Nudity"

UPDATE: Links and a pic from Oliver Willis.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)

BlogMadness Update

TAM's getting crushed. It looks like elimination, but there's still a chance to vote for me. I'd appreciate it.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

Beware of the Seven of Spades

The Commissar is has put together a deck of cards for Blogistan. TAM is the seven of spades. That makes me slightly more dangerous than Poliblog and slightly less dangerous than Outside the Beltway.

"DemCom Deck of Cards for Operation Bloggi Freedom"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)

That's Not Wisconsin Chili

I don't know where Cold Spring Shops got his chili recipe, but I'm sure it wasn't from Northeastern Wisconsin. His recipe has too many peppers in it. I'd love to try his sometime, but the chili I grew up with (30 miles south of Green Bay) consisted of kidney beans, ground beef, tomato sauce, elbow macaroni, water, and spices (no cayanne) cooked for a long time. When I was growing up, we never heard of a habanero. The only heat from that stuff was from it cooking on the stove.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

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