Damn, They're Dumb

Speaking Truth to Power, or Toeing the Line?

Ever wonder if those encrusted with the mantle of "progressive" are more open-minded and rational than political rightwingers?

Here's some evidence that many calling themselves progressive are just as bone-headed as the neocons. See the commentary responding to a piece in Uppity Wisconsin on the Dane County Executive's race at http://www.uppitywis.org/cap-times-civil-liberties-yes

The arguments made against presenting facts on Kathleen Falk's (and former Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler's) joining the War on Drugs and the Fourth Amendment boils down to this: Pointing out the facts on policy, judicial campaigns catering to self-proclaimed impartiality and bad government administration is bad for Democrats and progressives, hence not to be spoken or written.

Vis:

- ... Perhaps you can disclose whether you are paid by the Mistele campaign or the Republican party for the service you are doing for them in attacking Falk. ... It's shocking you can call yourself a progreessive after attacking Butler and now Falk.

- You slammed Louis Butler last year ...

Unconvincing.

Cap Times: Civil Liberties, Yes

It's about time someone spoke up against Kathleen Falk's bone-headed approach to addressing the issue of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) and the non-issue of Wisconsin's alleged drinking "culture" problem.

Falk's criminalization and anti-civil liberties OWI agenda drew reproach from her opponent, Nancy Mistele, at the first debate (January) between the two likely candidates for Dane County Executive in the general election in April.

Mistele hit the statist, heavy-handed Falk program by pointing out that personal responsibility and private action were critical vis a vis government's involvement of changing the "culture," to a round of groans from Falk supporters.

Today's Captial Times hits Falk's approach, though not naming Falk as a leading advocate; [wish they had].

... But the drinking culture of Wisconsin -- rooted as it is in the state's broader culture -- is not the problem. There is nothing wrong, per se, with a drinking culture -- especially if it is rooted in good fellowship and good times. ...

But no moves should be made to implement or fund wrongheaded proposals to permit law enforcement authorities to establish checkpoints on Wisconsin roadways.

No matter how they are operated, checkpoints where motorists are forced to pull over even where there is no indication of impaired driving are a form of unreasonable search and seizure that cannot be sanctioned in Wisconsin. Other states, with less regard for basic liberties, may allow checkpoints. But there is insufficient legal or scientific justification to warrant such an intrusion by state and local authorities in a state that has always set a higher standard when it comes to protecting the right to privacy. ...

Checkpoints draw the attention of law enforcement authorities away from the offenders they say they are out to catch and turn it toward citizens who would not be under suspicion.

Wisconsin can crack down on drunken driving without cracking down on the Constitution.

Myself, I'm waiting for Falk to advocate mandatory arrests for being German, Irish or being in college at UW-Madison.

That ought to fix this alleged drinking "culture" problem.

Kathleen Falk's screw-ups on the 911 Center and UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann murder alone disqualify her from this voter's choice for Dane County Executive. The fact that Falk chooses to advocate chopping away at what little is left of the Fourth Amendment just closes the deal to give Falk the boot. Proust!

Dane County Exec Kathleen Falk’s Tenure Should End

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has joined the let’s-set-up-police-roadblocks-(sobriety checkpoints) bandwagon.

See, Falk—she of the let’s-cover-our-asses-fast reaction to the Dane County 911 Center’s widely reported screw-ups leading to the murder of Brittany Zimmermann—says she wants to change the attitudes towards and culture of Wisconsin drinking.

Gee, changing the culture, that's an interesting if unenlightened, proposed role for politicians and elected officeholders.

Anyway, let’s set up “checkpoints,” she advises our governor.

After thinking you see, Falk “… quickly realized that steps must be taken on the level of state policy to help curb the tide of alcohol abuse," Falk writes to Gov. Doyle, it is reported in the State Journal (Matthew DeFour) this morning.

A “tide” in the culture that we must address by draconian measures like "checkpoints" and criminalization?

Is this the precise, sober analysis that we can expect if we reelect Falk?

How about some checkpoints between Kathleen's Falk's administration, Dane County citizens and the 911 Center; you know that emergency thing that is supposed to work during, like, emergencies?

What I see from Falk is a tide of incompetence and bad judgement that led to a young woman’s murder, and now proposed opportunistic police measures better suited to the roadblock-loving folks of Indiana and the Fourth Amendment-hating Bush Department of Justice.

Maybe she’s hoping her tough-on-drinking stands will cover her incompetence and that of her lackey, Joe Norwick, her political appointment, whom she handpicked to run the 911 center in the first place. But Falk says her opponents should not make "political hay" of the Zimmermann tragedy.

Falk, a liberal with whom I generally agree on policy stands, is displaying either an ignorance or apathy of the propriety of checkpoints and criminalization (we need more people in jail), but I think her long screw-up on the Zimmermann case alone earns her the boot.

And I wish the Zimmermann family well in its wrongful death lawsuit against Falk, which I'm sure Falk will go to considerable lengths to dispute. It's Falk political career that's really important, don't you know?

In any event, much as I despise Nancy Mistele’s (Falk's likely opponent this spring) policy stands and am appalled at the thought of at seeing Mistile for four years in the Exec's seat, it’s time to dump Kathleen Falk, because what's really important is the death of a young woman and the liberties and safety our community exists to defend.

On that score, Falk has fallen down on the job.