McCain Turns His Back on Soldiers

Whose elitism is worse?

It is hard to blame John McCain for mocking Barack Obama as an “elitist” following that silly remark about bitter folks who cling to guns and religion. Rarely does the Arizona senator—one of the wealthiest members of Washington’s most exclusive club—

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Keeping the Waterways Clean

Fontarome case shows the power and limits of environmental regul

What’s the best way to ensure that local industries are not sending a harmful amount of chemicals into our sewerage system? If you’re a river-watchdog group, you want the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to force businesses to stay within the guidelines by levying fines and penalties on...

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Stalled Water Compact Progresses

Compromise is more like a few small tweaks

A new draft of the Great Lakes Basin Compact has been tentatively agreed to by Gov. Jim Doyle, Senate Democrats and once-reluctant Assembly Republicans. Heralded as a “compromise” when it was announced last week in New Berlin...

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Are We Closer to “Victory”?

McCain’s remedy is more destruction

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the American forces in Iraq, is more candid than his publicity agents. Unlike the senators and editorial writers who claim that the glorious “surge” should be hailed as one of the most successful military campaigns in history, he warns that the escalation’s achievements are mixed at best—

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Politics and the Olympics

There are actually some cranks grousing that politics should be kept out of the Olympics. But how are you ever going to keep world politics out of world politics? Anyone who thinks the Olympics represent some kind of pure athletic competition that is above politics hasn’t been paying attention for, oh, an entire lifetime.

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Was Hmong Driver’s MPD Beating Justified?

Koua Moua’s arrest sparks questions

Before the investigations were completed, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn declared that Officer Kelly Parker was justified in beating Koua Moua while arresting him for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

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Could MPS End Busing?

Director Bonds says it makes sense

Milwaukee Public Schools’ longtime busing program could be drastically reduced if MPS Director Michael Bonds has his way. Bonds, who has sponsored a resolution to phase out most busing services within four years, says the $58 million spent on transportation each year could be better utilized...

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He’s “McSame” on Social Security, Too

McCain supports Bush’s privatization scheme

The most puzzling aspect of John McCain’s political persona is his habitual attraction to George W. Bush’s bad ideas. Their shared enthusiasm for invading Iraq and then escalating the war is why “McSame” will soon become the new shorthand for the Arizona Republican, replacing “maverick”—but that isn’t the only reason.

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Unrest in Tibet Hits Home

Milwaukeean Has a Personal Connection to Protests

The recent uprising in Tibet, where civilians and Buddhist monks are protesting the 50-year occupation of their land by China, may seem far away and difficult to comprehend. KT Rusch, a Milwaukee musician, has a personal connection to the protests. Rusch has sponsored and exchanged letters with an exiled Tibetan monk for 14 years.

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Should She Stay Or Should She Go?

Wisconsin’s Dems assess Clinton’s viability

While many Democrats are both fascinated with and terrified by 2008’s extended presidential nomination process, some of Wisconsin’s diehard Democrats are not too worried about the deadlocked race between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

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