State Journal's Chris Rickert Goes Joe McCarthy

 From the 1894 report of
the U.W. Board of Regents

The Wisconsin State Journal columnist, Chris Rickert has found that the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a fountain of ideas, including those that Rickert finds objectionable.

And Rickert is not happy, writing under today's headline, UW is chummy with lefty groups.

For example, Rickert notes the inception of ALICE as a public policy antidote to ALEC.

For over 150 years, Rickert, Joe McCarthy, and various other know-nothing Wisconsin legislators have had a problem with the UW's ideas.

So, with today's GO-Tea Party gobbling up serious bucks from the pipeline to extremist billionaires, Rickert figures he can get some publicity out of his column, and maybe land a gig and grab some of that rightwing money himself.

Good luck with that; Rickert is a decent-enough stylist.

Sure, the substance of Rickert's column is pathetic, but worth a mention for reasons that are obvious.

As for the UW's history of standing up to the imbecilities in various incarnations over the years, Rickert may wish to give the words from a famous 1894 UW Board of Regents rejoinder a glance:

Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe that the great State University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found

But readers, we ought not kid ourselves: Ideas and free inquiry are not what Rickert is after. Just publicity and some cash from the Kochs.

Rickert gives UW Professor Joel Rogers' Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) a hit as well.

I met Rogers several times, and have read many of his books and pieces over the years. Thinking perhaps Gunner Chris has a point: Joel is a small farmer-loving, workers' rights-advocating, public infrastructure-advocating, entrepreneurial-loving lefty with big ideas on stimulating the economy and generating high-wage jobs.

Rogers sounds like a central-planning lefty, likely associating with Jewish, trouble-making, out-of-state types.

Maybe we should bring back HUAC—the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities—and call Rogers to account for spreading his ideas and find out precisely with whom Rogers is holding meetings.

Though in fairness to Rogers, I would note he often seems kind of distracted in coversations.