Ain’t afraid of no ghosts!

Posted on February 15, 2023 by David Blaska

Nikki Haley and Tim Scott aren’t spooked!

Perhaps you heard the huzzahs emanating from Blaska Stately Manor. Nikki Haley is running for President! She will soon be joined by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. Nikki is the daughter of immigrants from India; Tim descends from enslaved Africans. Favorably, South Carolina is an early GOP primary state. Would be a great ticket except that the Constitution requires the President and veep to come from different states. 

Nikki and Tim have the WOW! factor. So does Tr•mp, for that matter. Whereas Ron DeSantis, Mike Pompeo, and Mike Pence do not. Kar-IS-ma! Magic! JFK and Ronald Reagan had it; Nixon did not. Rebecca Kleefisch has it; Tim Michels not. Can win without it — Jim Doyle proved that. But personal magnetism gives extra mileage.

"I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels." — Nikki Haley

Haley and T. Scott ain’t a-feared of no ghosts from campaigns past. Think back to 2016: of the horde of Republican hopefuls, who escaped most of Tr•mp’s mean-spirited brickbats? That’s right: Dr. Ben Carson. Tr•mp did not dare! Nikki and Tim have the same advantages. They share Tr•mp’s willingness to do battle without his vengeful toxicity. Rich Lowry of National Review says the game is over for #45 when his own former press secretary, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, “didn’t dare mention him by name in her response to the State of the Union.”

If the voters believe the choice is between a rickety Joe Biden and the party of a yowling Marjorie Taylor Greene, they’re going to pick Biden every time.

— Rich Lowry, National Review

Speaking of yowlers

Carrying water for Tim Michels, Milwaukee-based blogger Paris Procopis denigrated Becky Kleefisch at every opportunity. Now he’s promoting election-denier Janel Brandtjen for the Waukesha County seat vacated by State Sen. Alberta Darling. Note Mr. P.’s juxtaposition: “Robin Vos, Devin LeMahieu, Adam Kinzinger, and Liz Cheney team up to defeat Janel Brandtjen in a snub to conservatives.”

Janel Brandtjen, currently a state rep., is no Alberta Darling. Janel orbits in the alternate reality with Adam Steen, Mike Gableman, and Timothy Ramthun. Their national counterparts are Paul Gosar, Steve Bannon, and Lauren Boebert. Conspiracy mongering, anti-vaxxing, open carrying, QAnon cultists will doom us yet. Democrats are actually promoting her candidacy in the special Republican primary as the most likely to lose in the general election. That strategy worked in the 2022 mid-terms. Janel isn’t conservative, she’s crazy.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Tr•mp is not invincible and the candidacies of Nikki Haley and Tim Scott show it. The danger of course, is that Sore Loserman once again slides through a crowded field with a mere plurality. The man is enough of a narcissist to run as a third-party candidate if he doesn’t get the nomination. Then we shall see who are the Republicans In Name Only.

What are the odds Nikki will be our first female President?

Posted in Donald Trump, Republicans, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

By your friends shall ye be known

Posted on February 14, 2023 by David Blaska

Can tell a lot about a candidate by who endorses them!

If you’re happy with Madison public schools, clap your hands, because you will want to vote Satya Rhodes Conway for mayor. School board president Ali Muldrow has endorsed the mayor. The furthest left alders are also on board: Common Council president Keith Furman, vice president Jael Currie, alders Nikki Conklin, Julianna Bennett, Sabrina Madison, Yannette Figueroa Cole, and Tag Evers. Remember former alders Robbie Webber and Bert Zipperer? They’re on board, too.  

Gloria Reyes’ endorsements tend to fall on the moderate spectrum, with the likes of Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, former mayor Paul Soglin, former Madison police chief Noble Wray. Add to that moderate alders Sheri Carter, Barbara Harrington McKinney, and candidate Ike Knox. Oh, and Kaleem Caire and Susanne Voeltz of Downtown Madison Inc.  

Mayoral spring pre-primary finance reports *

Satya Rhodes-ConwayGloria Reyes
Reporting period$39,162 $17,535
To date39,16236,269
Cash on hand8,38128,802
Biggest donorLPAC  $5,000Richard Gebhardt $2,000
Full finance reportLinkLink
* Candidate Scott Kerr is not raising money

Blaska’s Bottom Line is going with Scott Kerr as a protest vote. The guy is very personable and, after 42 years as a city employee, knows where the bodies are buried. His “Commonsense Solutions and Fiscal Responsibility” website lists no endorsements. My kind of candidate!  

Who do YOU endorse?

Posted in Election 2023, Madison city government | 8 Comments

Dane County poised to bend over for government workers

Posted on February 14, 2023 by David Blaska

From the county that can’t build a jail!

Sore backs are an occupational hazard for the full-on Woke because there’s no end of kowtowing to the ever-growing number of special interest groups lobbying for special favors. To the unwhite, immigrant, poverty-stricken, homeless, LGBTQ+, differently abled, indebted college student, and otherwise oppressed add the downtrodden government employee. Everyone but the taxpayer, of course.

Dane County Board of Supervisors to the rescue! Its 37 members are set not merely to allow, nor only to govern, but to encourage its taxpayer-supported government employees to join and participate in a labor union. They would make it easier to grieve county work rules. They would set up a panel of “impartial hearing officers.” If that panel failed to assuage the disgruntled employee, s/he could appeal (Griswold family drum roll again) to the Dane County Board of Supervisors itself! 

Just what we need! A county board that cannot build a sorely needed jail will instead sit in judgement of the nit-picky complaints of the mailroom employee grieving the lack of KitKat bars in the break room vending machine.

Don’t take the Werkes Werde for it (although you should). Wade through the arcane jungle of the proposed rewrite of the county’s civil service policy. As Chief Brody might say on Captain Quint’s boat, we’re going to need more bureaucrats to administer this monster.  

A nightmare of bureaucracy! 

Thank the sweet baby Jesus for the one true conservative serving county government. Supv. Jeff Weigand calls the Chapter 18 amendment:

 “Dangerous, unethical and potentially illegal.”

Weigand says:

Supv. Weigand

Ordinance Amendment 59 would, among other things, allow any Dane County employee the opportunity to spend unlimited amounts of time on union activity. 

This will allow all county staff, included staff that work in our 911 call center or nurses that care for our seniors with physical, behavioral, emotional, or psychiatric disorders to simply notify their boss that they won’t be working today because they have union activity.  

The Amendment also changes Dane County’s policy on union membership to now “encourage interested stakeholders to participate in work related associations and activities” with no reduction on pay. Weigand alleges this is a potential violation of Wis. Stats. 111.70 which explicitly states that employees have the right to refrain from union activity. 

Let the County Board know where you stand!

Weigand notes that the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty brought lawsuit over a similar policy promulgated by Milwaukee public schools. WILL said the Milwaukee policy “amounts to compelled speech because it forces Milwaukee taxpayers to subsidize labor union activities.”  

Blame this monstrosity on Supervisors Elizabeth Doyle, Heidi Wegleitner, Mike Bare, Yogesh Chawla, Michael Engelberger, Kierstin Huelsemann, Jeff Hynes, Andrew Schauer, and Michele Ritt.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: From the proposed rewrite of the county’s civil service policy one would never know that Act 10 governs governmental labor union activity. The so-called “employee benefit handbook” becomes a labor union contract.

Do you even know who your supervisor is?

Find them here.

Posted in Act 10, Dane County Board, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Big money for the great progressive hope

Posted on February 13, 2023 by David Blaska

Janet P, the California candidate!

We are about to learn just how sincere our liberal … acquaintances are about that supposed bane of good gummint: Out-of-state money from high-roller donors. Because their favorite candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court is making the big haul in her bid to flip the court to a 4 to 3 progressive advantage.

In just the last week since 02-07-23, pro-abortion, pro-union candidate Janet Protasiewicz raked in $195,501 in 58 donations of at least $1,000 each. Only six of of those checks were postmarked Wisconsin for a total of $7,500. Two made out checks for $20,0000 — one each from Luis and Lee Lanier who live on Bellagio Road, Los Angeles. In fact, 27 of the 58 big-dollar gives came out of California; 8 more from New York state. Outside of Wisconsin, none came from the Midwest.

The other progressive candidate, Everett Mitchell, tallied only two big checks in the special reporting period, totaling $3,500. Both out of state. The WI Democratic Party threw in another $7,550. Guess Protasiewicz didn’t need it.

On the conservative side, former justice Dan Kelly took in one lonely $1,000 check from a donor in Waukesha WI. Send that man a valentine card!

Jennifer Dorow cast a larger net. The Waukesha circuit judge hauled in $50,300 from 20 donors in the last week — all of them from Wisconsin! Michael Grebe, former state party chairman, is the most notable name on Dorow’s list. By state law, from Feb. 6 on, candidates must also report any donation over $1,000 from a single source. 

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Do NOT under-estimate how bad coastal liberals want to control Wisconsin’s highest court.

Who are you putting YOUR money on?

Posted in Election 2023, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Who did Jesus pick in the Super Bowl?

Posted on February 13, 2023 by David Blaska

And why would progressives call him fascist?

Not that the world is awaiting our verdict, but the Faceless Bureaucrats at Blaska Policy Werkes have declared a winner. Or two winners; it’s a tie. Our favorite Super Bowl #57 commercials are (Griswold family drum roll here): the two “Jesus Gets Us” spots: “Be Childlike” and “Love Your Enemies.”

Not that we’re all that religious here at the Stately Manor. (Forgive us, Father. But our last confession was before Vatican 2.) But the two spots — “Childlike” at 30 seconds and “Enemies” at 60 — were well produced: clean, effective, a montage of all kinds of people in black and white living the Savior’s message. A welcome message in a world of broken glass and shouted insults. Maybe not seen on primetime American television since A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965?

Is it possible to sell love and tolerance amid the most violent sport except for boxing? In a commercial field dominated by beer, nachos, and horsepower? Where the halftime “entertainment” shows dancers fake humping the singer Rihanna?

This being the USA 2023 (or MMXXIII), Love Thy Neighbor is a controversial subject. Where does He stand on January 6? On the 1619 Project? On Alex Baldwin? What are His (?) pronouns? The Anglican Church would like to know.

The help thy neighbor image of a little boy standing on another little kid so he can reach the urinal — controversial?

We’re seeing caviling that the big bucks spent on airing 90 seconds during the Super Bowl could have fed Somalia for a week. (Admittedly churlish, our attitude toward earthquake victims in Syria is: Let Russia help them.) Being largely financed by the Hobby Lobby people, some on the divisive Left denounce Jesus Gets Us as right-wing propaganda! Leave it to A.O.C. to widen the culture gap by declaring: “Something tells me Jesus would *not* spend millions of dollars on Super Bowl ads to make fascism look benign.”

The Werkes would like to know exactly WHAT that “something that told her” was!

For the record, our other favorites: 

• “Let’s Say ‘Thank You’ to Canada” The spot were music rocker David Groh promotes all things Canada, from Martin Short, to poutine (cheese and gravy on french fries!), to Crown Royal whisky. 

• Premature Electrification is worth talking about —  the take-off of … well, you know … for Ram trucks..

• The lonely dog trashing the house after his people leave every morning — saved by the Amazon delivery of … another dog for companionship.

• Young couple (Miles Teller and wife) enjoying a frisky dance while awaiting an interminable Please Hold, Your Call Is Important to Us. For Bud Lite.

• Eve, cheek bulging, telling Adam “I might have taken a small bite” in the garden for Mexican avocados.

Oh, and what a great game! Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs XXXVIII, Philadelphia Eagles XXXV.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Anyone remember when Barack Obama claimed Democrats worshiped “a powerful God”? 

Who do YOU pick?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 23 Comments

Git ‘er done!

Posted on February 12, 2023 by David Blaska

Blaska demands fighting in the war room!

Amazes the irascible bloggeur that he entered first grade only 10 years after Hiroshima. For perspective, Obama/Biden entered their second term 10 years ago. Growing up, kids were connoisseurs of WW2 military hardware. The Head Groundskeeper affixed airplane glue to Revell plastic models of WW2 fighter planes. (The instruction sheet never mentioned huffing.) Bedroom ceilings swarmed with squadrons of attack planes.

Americans are getting a crash course of the weapons of war, thanks to the doughty Ukrainians, who refuse to succumb to tyranny — a trait that strikes a power chord in the American psyche.

What did Barack Obama send to Ukraine after the seizure of the Crimea? Warm blankets — that’s what the U.S. sent. At this point, does it not seem we are slow-walking victory? Rambo is asking Richard Crenna, “Do we get to win this time?”  

German Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger 2s, American M-1 Abrams. Stryker and Bradley “fighting vehicles” — faster, more mobile than tanks. Patriot missile systems capable of hitting targets within 62 miles, the S-300 air defense, UK Starstreak missiles, Himars GPS-guided rocket launchers, M777 Howitzer cannons, Turkish Bayraktar drones flying 25,000 feet up, anti-tank guns. What’s missing?

The latest: the UK is training Ukrainians on Royal Air Force Hawk and Typhoon combat jets. Why train on them if they’re not going to supply them?

Everything we’ve read says get prepared for a long, punishing, debilitating war — much of it fought against civilian infrastructure. So here is the ultimate in chutzpah. This over-age, draft-dodging coach potato proposes European boots on the ground, armed and ready to retaliate. 

Not to attack Russia but to defend Ukraine.

Poland, send several battalions to Kyiv and Lviv. Czechs and Slovaks, a brigade or two to Kharkov. France and Brits, several regiments just to the west of Donetsk. Finland and the Balts, companies of troops to the frontiers of the Donbas. You are free to act independently of holdout Turkey.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Do the Ruskies want to lob missiles that might kill NATO members or their aspirants? Do they really want to widen the war? Notice to America Firsters: A shorter war is a cheaper war.

Is Vladimir Putin really that suicidal?

Posted in Ukraine, Uncategorized | 11 Comments