… resorts to the Kavanaugh smear

Blaska Policy Werkes likes its political debate robust and plain-spoken. Nuance is for girlie men. We do give the other side their say — free speech is like that tree in the forest, without ears to listen it makes no sound. But  also because, half the time, our adversaries knit their own rope if you just let them.

That’s no excuse for the hateful bile The Capital Times threw at Ron Johnson, one of the most decent fellows in government today. A real Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Never clambered up the greasy pole by pushing others down. Never tried to play it both ways. No wonder Wisconsin voters returned the man to the U.S. Senate even after national Republicans thought he was toast, stick a fork in him, etc.

by permission of Tom Stiglich, MediaNews Group/Creators Syndicate www.TomStiglich.com

Which drives Progressives barking mad. That’s the only reason we can muster for The Capital Times’ egregious and mean-spirited hit job on Senator Ron Johnson. Perhaps my former employers were looking for a way to do a belly flop into the murky waters of the New York Times’ flimsy “exposé” of an incident that the  alleged victim says she can’t remember and her friends say never happened on the word of a former Hillary fixer.

That incident being that Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself at a college party. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine (or an aide) calls it “an accusation without an accuser.” (More here.) The Capital Times:

If you’re mad about Kavanaugh, take it out on Ron Johnson

Critics of the Kavanaugh nomination pleaded with the senators to take more time to investigate whether Trump’s pick was telling the truth. Instead, Ron Johnson and his colleagues rushed to judgment. We do not know how Sen. Johnson can look himself in the mirror. But we do know that the voters of Wisconsin should be wary of this reckless and destructive partisan.

“Reckless and destructive partisan!” Sheesh! Talk about spittle flecked! “Rush to judgement”? After TWO FBI investigations and marathon congressional hearings?

The indentured servants here at the Stately Manor sleep much better knowing that Ron Johnson serves in public life as opposed, to say, a game-playing partisan like Mark Pocan.

At long last, progressives, have you no …

Ron Johnson is so highly thought of that he began on the board of directors of a Catholic school well before his election — even though the senator is Lutheran.

Ron Johnson was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, unlike Tammy Baldwin. Growing up RoJo delivered newspapers, worked as a caddy at a golf course, baled hay on his uncle’s dairy farm, and worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant (according to Wikipedia). One more thing: He’s not from Madison!

RoJo doesn’t signal his virtue by unleashing government to redistribute other people’s hard-earned success. Johnson works with the Joseph Project to train unemployed persons — most of them racial minorities and many with criminal records — for meaningful jobs. The senator uses his prestige to encourage employers to hire Joseph Project graduates.

The irony is that elsewhere, Capital Times editor Paul Fanlund praises Ron for participating in its Idea Fest “in the heart of Madison before a Cap Times crowd — not exactly his political base — to talk issues and exchange ideas.” 

Knitting their own rope #2— Arizona Democrats will vote to censure fellow Democrat Sen. Krysten Sinema for insufficient partisanship. Her sins? She voted to confirm David Bernhardt (Who?), Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary of the Interior (Oh!), as well as her vote to confirm William Barr as attorney general, the news outlet notes, and her resistance to joining fellow Democrats in trying to reinstate net neutrality rules. (WHAH?)

⇒ Ann of Althouse asks “Why does Arizona have a Democratic Senator? Isn’t it because she is a bit more like a Republican?” 

Knitting their own rope #3 — Faithful reader and champion tomato grower “The Gotch” tells us he was watching Fox Nation when “Reality Check’ host David Webb asked the former DNC Chair Donna Brazile if she thought The Donald was a racist. (Following all that?) Her response?

⇒ “Do you know that I get in trouble when I don’t say that [the president is racist]?”

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Makes us wonder how some Progressives sleep at night.

What do YOU think?