I'm sorry, so sorry. Please accept, my apology.
Ever since Tricky Dick Nixon declined culpability for Watergate, elected officials have taken the cue to apologize for their egregious behavior no matter how disingenuous it sounds for them to do that.
It’s similar to Jeff Skilling and other insiders cashing in stock options before the collapse of Enron . . . to Spend More Time With the Family.
George W. Bush has been saying he’s sorry a lot.
Bush apologized to the fired attorneys.
Today he apologized for the shoddy conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and promised during a visit to the facility for war veterans that "we're going to fix the problem."
Critics questioned the timing of Bush's visit six weeks after poor conditions and neglect of veterans were exposed there.
Maybe another trip to New Orleans to apologize for Katrina failures and mismanagement of FEMA will clear up the air.
There's a lot to be sorry for in Bush’s gross failures and frustrations. Not the least of which is the Iraq war.
The idea that the Bush administration is going to have an Iraqi force trained to defeat an enemy the U.S. can’t defeat stretches the imagination.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Who do you know wants to be mayor?
While Ray Allen unveils his plans for the city, he quietly continues taking advantage of the state system: Allen is currently deputy administrator of the division of corporate and consumer services in the Department of Financial Institutions and has declined to move up to administrator's job, an appointee position that had been vacant for a while, because he doesn't want anything to interfere with his state benefits.
The division has both administrator and deputy administrator positions. Allen is the current deputy, a post he has held for several years. Supposedly he wasn't interested in the administrator's job because that post is a political appointment and subject to dismissal at the whim of the governor's office. The division left the administrator's position unstaffed for several years, until recently filled by a political appointee.
Can a state employee take a leave of absence if elected mayor?
Regarding the mayoral race: there are people gratified that Allen challenged the city to do something concrete to alleviate and improve the conditions for the city's poor. Practically speaking, his plan appears to be unrealistic with respect to its funding, but this wealthy community should understand that there are a class of its citizens that struggle to survive financially. Therefore, the city ought to have an aggressive summer employment program for those of its young people that want to participate.
Meanwhile Mayor Dave Cieslewicz probably doesn’t have to worry about joining the homeless at the Grace Church shelter in downtown Madison anytime soon if challenger Allen beats him in the mayoral race on Tuesday, as Dianne Cieslewicz, Mayor Dave’s spouse, has one of four high paying jobs answering the phone for Fred Risser in his state Capitol office.
Mayor Dave can afford to buy bottled water.
Low rent lobbying
High-paid lobbyist Joe Strohl was spotted recently in the proximity of a Madison Metro bus advertising the Dejope Gaming casino on the outskirts of the city or “A little Vegas, right here in Madison.”
While Ray Allen unveils his plans for the city, he quietly continues taking advantage of the state system: Allen is currently deputy administrator of the division of corporate and consumer services in the Department of Financial Institutions and has declined to move up to administrator's job, an appointee position that had been vacant for a while, because he doesn't want anything to interfere with his state benefits.
The division has both administrator and deputy administrator positions. Allen is the current deputy, a post he has held for several years. Supposedly he wasn't interested in the administrator's job because that post is a political appointment and subject to dismissal at the whim of the governor's office. The division left the administrator's position unstaffed for several years, until recently filled by a political appointee.
Can a state employee take a leave of absence if elected mayor?
Regarding the mayoral race: there are people gratified that Allen challenged the city to do something concrete to alleviate and improve the conditions for the city's poor. Practically speaking, his plan appears to be unrealistic with respect to its funding, but this wealthy community should understand that there are a class of its citizens that struggle to survive financially. Therefore, the city ought to have an aggressive summer employment program for those of its young people that want to participate.
Meanwhile Mayor Dave Cieslewicz probably doesn’t have to worry about joining the homeless at the Grace Church shelter in downtown Madison anytime soon if challenger Allen beats him in the mayoral race on Tuesday, as Dianne Cieslewicz, Mayor Dave’s spouse, has one of four high paying jobs answering the phone for Fred Risser in his state Capitol office.
Mayor Dave can afford to buy bottled water.
Low rent lobbying
High-paid lobbyist Joe Strohl was spotted recently in the proximity of a Madison Metro bus advertising the Dejope Gaming casino on the outskirts of the city or “A little Vegas, right here in Madison.”
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Water, Water, Everywhere; and not a Drop to Drink!
Polluted drinking water could sink Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s reelection bid if the buzz downtown is any indication of that.
Amid flushing mains a supporter of challenger Ray Allen held up a glass of clear water intoning, “Before Mayor Cieslewicz.” And then held up a glass of crud that resembled iron and manganese (heavy metals) contaminated water in the other hand, commenting, "After Mayor Cieslewicz.”
Ostensibly, blaming environmentalist Mayor Dave for icky water that also stains clothing.
Although it’s unlikely you’ll see these ads on TV since Allen's campaign staff declined to take advantage of the suggestion.
Polluted drinking water could sink Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s reelection bid if the buzz downtown is any indication of that.
Amid flushing mains a supporter of challenger Ray Allen held up a glass of clear water intoning, “Before Mayor Cieslewicz.” And then held up a glass of crud that resembled iron and manganese (heavy metals) contaminated water in the other hand, commenting, "After Mayor Cieslewicz.”
Ostensibly, blaming environmentalist Mayor Dave for icky water that also stains clothing.
Although it’s unlikely you’ll see these ads on TV since Allen's campaign staff declined to take advantage of the suggestion.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Is there a doctor in the house?
While staunch Republican Frank Lasee and his state-paid office staff joyfully take potshots – for probable cause – at state spending in the Doyle administration, Frank should inquire why part-time state administrative employees receive the same health care and related benefits that full-time state employee receive not only for themselves, but for their spouses who work in the private sector.
While staunch Republican Frank Lasee and his state-paid office staff joyfully take potshots – for probable cause – at state spending in the Doyle administration, Frank should inquire why part-time state administrative employees receive the same health care and related benefits that full-time state employee receive not only for themselves, but for their spouses who work in the private sector.
Live from the exclusive Madison Club where the informed Moose sits high atop the downstairs bistro
Where is in the world is Nick Hurtgen these days now that AUSA is reviewing THE opinion of a U.S. District judge and considering its options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals?
Federal Judge John Grady dismissed charges against Hurtgen, a business dude accused of helping a state official influence a suburban hospital to hire a favored contractor for a $113 million project.
Hurtgen, "a former managing director in the Bear, Stearns & Co. Chicago office and also a one-time aide to then-Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, faced three counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of extortion in the federal investigation of corruption involving the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board."
Attorney Ronald Safer told the news media the government had done "a very worthy investigation -- this was a corrupt scheme" . . . but Nick Hurtgen wasn't part of it, he said.
Do Nick and his wife, Catherine, have a camper parked in his brother-in-law Phil Prange’s driveway in Maple Bluff, while they're looking for news digs in Madison?
Is Phil bagging big donors for TGT while Jeff Meyers spins Iowa press reports on TGT’s chances in pursuit of the Oval Office?
WWW Profound Political Satire
Where is in the world is Nick Hurtgen these days now that AUSA is reviewing THE opinion of a U.S. District judge and considering its options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals?
Federal Judge John Grady dismissed charges against Hurtgen, a business dude accused of helping a state official influence a suburban hospital to hire a favored contractor for a $113 million project.
Hurtgen, "a former managing director in the Bear, Stearns & Co. Chicago office and also a one-time aide to then-Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, faced three counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of extortion in the federal investigation of corruption involving the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board."
Attorney Ronald Safer told the news media the government had done "a very worthy investigation -- this was a corrupt scheme" . . . but Nick Hurtgen wasn't part of it, he said.
Do Nick and his wife, Catherine, have a camper parked in his brother-in-law Phil Prange’s driveway in Maple Bluff, while they're looking for news digs in Madison?
Is Phil bagging big donors for TGT while Jeff Meyers spins Iowa press reports on TGT’s chances in pursuit of the Oval Office?
WWW Profound Political Satire
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Musser apologizes for wearing seed corn cap
Madison - The Assembly vice-chair of the powerful agriculture committee said today he refused to accept the seed corn cap that Rep. Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls, offered to hand over after Musser admitted he sold his dairy cows and his barn burned down sometime after the Vietnam war.
Vice-chair Lee Nerison, R-Westby, said Musser "plants enough corn and alfalfa" and served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the 1960s, so there is "no one who is better qualified" to wear a seed corn cap.
In a recent statement, Musser said he "wore the hat on his farm, however, I don’t milk cows any more. I will immediately notify (Rep.) Bobby Gronemus (D-Whitehall), to avoid any further confusion."
“I have been too busy with my own personal jihad against the raccoons that are raiding my granary," Musser said in a statement.
His official biography says Musser is authorized to wear a Farmall tractor T-shirt.
Madison - The Assembly vice-chair of the powerful agriculture committee said today he refused to accept the seed corn cap that Rep. Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls, offered to hand over after Musser admitted he sold his dairy cows and his barn burned down sometime after the Vietnam war.
Vice-chair Lee Nerison, R-Westby, said Musser "plants enough corn and alfalfa" and served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the 1960s, so there is "no one who is better qualified" to wear a seed corn cap.
In a recent statement, Musser said he "wore the hat on his farm, however, I don’t milk cows any more. I will immediately notify (Rep.) Bobby Gronemus (D-Whitehall), to avoid any further confusion."
“I have been too busy with my own personal jihad against the raccoons that are raiding my granary," Musser said in a statement.
His official biography says Musser is authorized to wear a Farmall tractor T-shirt.
Parker Bros. Capitol Staffopoly Board Game
FREE STAFFING:
At the beginning of the Senate and Assembly session, the clerks place huge amounts of cash in office accounts. Any expenditure by any of the leggies during their time in elected office is deducted from the replenished accounts. Whoever lands on Free Parking gets all of the money in the account to spend on many staffers and newsletters and franked envelopes. The account is then restocked with more money.
DICE ROLLING:
1. If a leggie rolls a pair of ones, they get two staffers.
2. If a leggie like Scott Fitzgerald rolls a pair of sixes, he gets up to seven staffers, or Judge Judy rolling boxcars gets up to eight staffers. At least one of the staffers in blowhard Mike Ellis’ office, who has four employees dusting chalkboard erasors there, and one in Jeff Plale’s office, can enjoy no-show jobs while the press obligingly looks the other way. Constituent work is the codes words although you’d have to be Bob Zukowski listening to polka tunes to know there isn’t campaigning going on. One of the unwritten rules in a legislative office is that a leggie must hire former staffers that have worked for multi losing politicians that were once incumbents.
3. A leggie may, at any time, choose to roll only one die instead of two. However, if they roll a 1, they go to jail, at least according to Brian Blanchard’s rules.
BORROWING MONEY:
1. Senate and Assembly leggies get immunity from debt for having so many staffers on the payroll simply because the state taxpayers pick up the tab.
2. Leggies can spend seemingly unlimited amounts of money on staffers by paying them astronomically high salaries.
3. Leggies may at any time take money from the office account, and for the next times they pass Go, collect even more money.
JAIL:
1. A leggie in jail may conduct any business before they are released on their own recognizance, including lobbying.
2. A leggie who lands in court may immediately pay money to avoid any punishment at all, they simply go to "Just Visiting".
3. If you go to jail, you must remain there for at least one turn or longer depending on Blanchard and a Dane County circuit judge.
Whoa. If any player lands directly on Go, they collect thousands of dollars of even more state taxpayer money.
FREE STAFFING:
At the beginning of the Senate and Assembly session, the clerks place huge amounts of cash in office accounts. Any expenditure by any of the leggies during their time in elected office is deducted from the replenished accounts. Whoever lands on Free Parking gets all of the money in the account to spend on many staffers and newsletters and franked envelopes. The account is then restocked with more money.
DICE ROLLING:
1. If a leggie rolls a pair of ones, they get two staffers.
2. If a leggie like Scott Fitzgerald rolls a pair of sixes, he gets up to seven staffers, or Judge Judy rolling boxcars gets up to eight staffers. At least one of the staffers in blowhard Mike Ellis’ office, who has four employees dusting chalkboard erasors there, and one in Jeff Plale’s office, can enjoy no-show jobs while the press obligingly looks the other way. Constituent work is the codes words although you’d have to be Bob Zukowski listening to polka tunes to know there isn’t campaigning going on. One of the unwritten rules in a legislative office is that a leggie must hire former staffers that have worked for multi losing politicians that were once incumbents.
3. A leggie may, at any time, choose to roll only one die instead of two. However, if they roll a 1, they go to jail, at least according to Brian Blanchard’s rules.
BORROWING MONEY:
1. Senate and Assembly leggies get immunity from debt for having so many staffers on the payroll simply because the state taxpayers pick up the tab.
2. Leggies can spend seemingly unlimited amounts of money on staffers by paying them astronomically high salaries.
3. Leggies may at any time take money from the office account, and for the next times they pass Go, collect even more money.
JAIL:
1. A leggie in jail may conduct any business before they are released on their own recognizance, including lobbying.
2. A leggie who lands in court may immediately pay money to avoid any punishment at all, they simply go to "Just Visiting".
3. If you go to jail, you must remain there for at least one turn or longer depending on Blanchard and a Dane County circuit judge.
Whoa. If any player lands directly on Go, they collect thousands of dollars of even more state taxpayer money.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Mainstream Media
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper drinking game
Take a drink every time bureau chieftain Steve Walters quotes Kitty Rhoades.
Take two drinks every time Kitty mentions “budget buddies”.
Hop in your car with a designated driver at the wheel and head to the nearest liquor store if you take a drink every time Kitty and Frank Lasee whine about property taxes paying for services that neighborhoods are accustomed to receiving.
Don't they know that Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert recently bought a chunk of farmland in Crawford County, Wis., not Crawford, Texas?
And that pompous Newt Gingrich is another Wisconsin property owner. He owns real estate in Trempealeau County, because of low taxes in the state.
Pop Quiz!
Is Wisconsin State Journal editor Ellen Foley on crack cocaine?
It's a fair question since she's turned the newspaper into fluff stories aka People Magazine.
Coverage of Wisconsin politics is anathema to the new and improved State Journal.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper drinking game
Take a drink every time bureau chieftain Steve Walters quotes Kitty Rhoades.
Take two drinks every time Kitty mentions “budget buddies”.
Hop in your car with a designated driver at the wheel and head to the nearest liquor store if you take a drink every time Kitty and Frank Lasee whine about property taxes paying for services that neighborhoods are accustomed to receiving.
Don't they know that Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert recently bought a chunk of farmland in Crawford County, Wis., not Crawford, Texas?
And that pompous Newt Gingrich is another Wisconsin property owner. He owns real estate in Trempealeau County, because of low taxes in the state.
Pop Quiz!
Is Wisconsin State Journal editor Ellen Foley on crack cocaine?
It's a fair question since she's turned the newspaper into fluff stories aka People Magazine.
Coverage of Wisconsin politics is anathema to the new and improved State Journal.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Defense lawyer Ron Safer pulls a rabbit out of the hat
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
While many were hoping for the best they were expecting the worst. Indeed.
Anyway at least Phil Prange's brother-in-law, Nick Hurtgen, was finanly revealed for the kind of person he is.
What's the comment of the hospital CEO, since she wore the wire and met Hurtgen, Stuart Levine and Jacob Kieferbaum in the diner.
"As for glad they persued this kind of corruption . . ." it's too bad they aren't doing the same kind of investigation in Wisconsin, where Flambeau River Papers - a Hurtgen Company - got millions last August from the Doyle administration.
Nothing seems to change . . . except observers all know the truth about Hurtgen and hopefully he will be on the governments radar for a long time.
What does Hurtgen' plan on doing after moving back to Madison, Wis., away from the harsh realities of Chicago, Ill., a pesky federal prosecutors. Maybe Prange will apoint Hurtgen as "director" of something or maybe a huge partisan law firm will provide him gainful employment.
WWW political satire gleaned from the good seat near the moose over the bar in the exclusive Madison Club
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
While many were hoping for the best they were expecting the worst. Indeed.
Anyway at least Phil Prange's brother-in-law, Nick Hurtgen, was finanly revealed for the kind of person he is.
What's the comment of the hospital CEO, since she wore the wire and met Hurtgen, Stuart Levine and Jacob Kieferbaum in the diner.
"As for glad they persued this kind of corruption . . ." it's too bad they aren't doing the same kind of investigation in Wisconsin, where Flambeau River Papers - a Hurtgen Company - got millions last August from the Doyle administration.
Nothing seems to change . . . except observers all know the truth about Hurtgen and hopefully he will be on the governments radar for a long time.
What does Hurtgen' plan on doing after moving back to Madison, Wis., away from the harsh realities of Chicago, Ill., a pesky federal prosecutors. Maybe Prange will apoint Hurtgen as "director" of something or maybe a huge partisan law firm will provide him gainful employment.
WWW political satire gleaned from the good seat near the moose over the bar in the exclusive Madison Club
Charges against Hurtgen dismissed health planning board case
CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed charges against a businessman accused of helping a state official pressure a suburban hospital to hire a favored contractor for a $113 million project.
P. Nicholas Hurtgen, a former managing director in the Bear, Stearns & Co. Chicago office and also a one-time aide to then-Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, had faced three counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of extortion in the federal investigation of corruption involving the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.
U.S. District Judge John F. Grady's 22-page decision dated Tuesday represented a setback for the government's investigation of state-government corruption, which has been focusing on kickbacks involving big-money state boards.
"We are reviewing the opinion and will consider our options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals," said Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.
Stuart Levine, an attorney and major Republican contributor, pleaded guilty last October to using his seats on the health facilities board and another state board to collect millions of dollars in kickbacks.
Approval from the Health Facilities Planning Board is necessary if hospital building projects are to go forward.
But Hurtgen maintained he was innocent of taking part in a Levine scheme to pressure Naperville-based Edward Hospital to hire construction contractor Jacob Kiferbaum for a planned $113 million expansion project.
In dismissing the extortion charges against Hurtgen, Grady said the indictment "does not allege that Hurtgen knew that Levine was favoring Kiferbaum for a reason having nothing to do with Kiferbaum's qualifications to do the work."
Grady also found that the mail and wire fraud charges against Hurtgen didn't specify exactly what the former investment banker did that was illegal.
Attorney Ronald Safer said the government had done "a very worthy investigation -- this was a corrupt scheme."
"But Nick Hurtgen wasn't part of this," Safer said Wednesday as he left the federal courtroom where he is defending a former executive of the Hollinger International newspaper company at the Conrad Black trial.
"Nick and I are very happy that the government has pursued this corrupt scheme and that the court has granted our motion," he said.
Kiferbaum pleaded guilty to extortion in June 2005 and admitted Levine was to get a kickback from him in the Edward hospital deal. Prosecutors claimed that Hurtgen was to arrange the financing.
Levine, a major Republican contributor who switched sides and backed Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, also has admitted using his former post on the board of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System to squeeze payoffs out of companies seeking to do business with the big pension fund.
His guilty plea in the case led to the indictment of businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a key contributor to Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians. Rezko has pleaded not guilty and his awaiting trial.
CHICAGO (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed charges against a businessman accused of helping a state official pressure a suburban hospital to hire a favored contractor for a $113 million project.
P. Nicholas Hurtgen, a former managing director in the Bear, Stearns & Co. Chicago office and also a one-time aide to then-Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, had faced three counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of extortion in the federal investigation of corruption involving the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.
U.S. District Judge John F. Grady's 22-page decision dated Tuesday represented a setback for the government's investigation of state-government corruption, which has been focusing on kickbacks involving big-money state boards.
"We are reviewing the opinion and will consider our options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals," said Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.
Stuart Levine, an attorney and major Republican contributor, pleaded guilty last October to using his seats on the health facilities board and another state board to collect millions of dollars in kickbacks.
Approval from the Health Facilities Planning Board is necessary if hospital building projects are to go forward.
But Hurtgen maintained he was innocent of taking part in a Levine scheme to pressure Naperville-based Edward Hospital to hire construction contractor Jacob Kiferbaum for a planned $113 million expansion project.
In dismissing the extortion charges against Hurtgen, Grady said the indictment "does not allege that Hurtgen knew that Levine was favoring Kiferbaum for a reason having nothing to do with Kiferbaum's qualifications to do the work."
Grady also found that the mail and wire fraud charges against Hurtgen didn't specify exactly what the former investment banker did that was illegal.
Attorney Ronald Safer said the government had done "a very worthy investigation -- this was a corrupt scheme."
"But Nick Hurtgen wasn't part of this," Safer said Wednesday as he left the federal courtroom where he is defending a former executive of the Hollinger International newspaper company at the Conrad Black trial.
"Nick and I are very happy that the government has pursued this corrupt scheme and that the court has granted our motion," he said.
Kiferbaum pleaded guilty to extortion in June 2005 and admitted Levine was to get a kickback from him in the Edward hospital deal. Prosecutors claimed that Hurtgen was to arrange the financing.
Levine, a major Republican contributor who switched sides and backed Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, also has admitted using his former post on the board of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System to squeeze payoffs out of companies seeking to do business with the big pension fund.
His guilty plea in the case led to the indictment of businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a key contributor to Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians. Rezko has pleaded not guilty and his awaiting trial.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Nick Hurtgen skates
Federal judge dismisses criminal charges against Hurtgen in political corruption probe involving alleged kickbacks requiring state approval for the construction of hospitals
On March 20, U.S. District Judge John Grady granted defendant P. Nicholas Hurtgen's motion to dismiss the counts of the federal indictment in which Hurtgen was named: Counts One through Six and Count Twenty-four of the superseding indictment were dismissed.
The court had under consideration Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of extortion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago is reviewing Grady's opinion and will consider its options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, a spokesman said.
Nick Hurtgen was charged with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of extortion.
Dismissing the charges, Grady cites case law from United States v. Bloom, 149 F.3d 649 (7th Cir. 1998), because of its clarity and the fact that it was decided after Congress enacted § 1346 in response to the Supreme Court decision in McNally v. United States, 483 U.S. 350 (1987): as “honest services” cases continue to arise, the requirement of personal gain and personal gain.
Another case making clear that financial gain is necessary for a § 1346 violation is United States v. Hausmann, 345 F.3d 952 (7th Cir. 2003).
The Sufficiency of the Mail and Wire Fraud Counts
Grady: We think it is obvious enough that to be guilty of a violation of § 1341, Hurtgen would have had to know that a kickback of money to Levine was expected from Kiferbaum. Nothing by way of a factual allegation in the indictment states that he had such knowledge.
Grady: We conclude that the mail and wire fraud counts against Hurtgen must be dismissed for failure to allege an offense.
The Extortion Count
Grady: County twenty-four does not allege that Hurtgen knew that Levine was favoring Kiferbaum for a reason having nothing to do with Kiferbaum’s qualifications to do the work. Therefore, pursuant to Rule 7(c)(1), Count Twenty-four will be dismissed as to the defendant Hurtgen for failure to allege an offense.
Conclusion
The motion of the defendant Hurtgen to dismiss, as to him, those counts of the indictment in which he is named is granted. Counts One through Six and Count Twenty-four of the Superseding Indictment are dismissed as to the defendant P. Nicholas Hurtgen.
Certificate of Need
The principal figure named in the indictment is Stuart Levine, who was a member of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, a commission of the State of Illinois whose approval (in the form of a “Certificate of Need,” or “CON”) was required before any hospital, medical office building or other medical facility can be built.
The indictment alleged that Levine, Hurtgen and a third defendant, John Glennon, devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud the State of Illinois of its right to the honest services of Levine as a member of the Planning Board by requiring certain entities, in order to obtain Planning Board approval of their construction projects, to hire Kiferbaum Construction Company, owned by Jacob Kiferbaum, to do the construction work.
It was a part of the scheme that Kiferbaum would inflate the cost of each of the construction projects to include an amount of money that he would then pay as a kickback to Levine. (Indictment ¶ 3 at 8-11.)
The kickback for the construction of an addition to the Chicago Medical School (“CMS”) was approximately $700,000 and, for the CMS student dormitory, another $1 million.
Hurtgen, a lawyer and investment banker allegedly participated in the same fraud scheme to obtain multi-million dollar contracts for their businesses through construction kickbacks or other fraudulent deals.
Levine and Hurtgen were arrested by federal agents. Kiferbaum cooperated with the investigation and was not arrested. All three were charged with various counts of fraud and extortion in a 28-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in March 2004.
Hurtgen was one of the first to be nabbed. He is a former top aide to Republican Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and a secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush.
Since federal charges of extortion and mail and wire fraud in the hospital construction portion of the case against Hurtgen were dismissed before trial, there’s joy in the exclusive Madison Club tonight!
Who knows? Maybe Nick will get swept up in the euphoria of Tommy G. Thompson setting up an exploratory committee for a possible presidential bid.
The Moose at the Madison Club contributed to this report.
Federal judge dismisses criminal charges against Hurtgen in political corruption probe involving alleged kickbacks requiring state approval for the construction of hospitals
On March 20, U.S. District Judge John Grady granted defendant P. Nicholas Hurtgen's motion to dismiss the counts of the federal indictment in which Hurtgen was named: Counts One through Six and Count Twenty-four of the superseding indictment were dismissed.
The court had under consideration Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of extortion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago is reviewing Grady's opinion and will consider its options, including an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, a spokesman said.
Nick Hurtgen was charged with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of extortion.
Dismissing the charges, Grady cites case law from United States v. Bloom, 149 F.3d 649 (7th Cir. 1998), because of its clarity and the fact that it was decided after Congress enacted § 1346 in response to the Supreme Court decision in McNally v. United States, 483 U.S. 350 (1987): as “honest services” cases continue to arise, the requirement of personal gain and personal gain.
Another case making clear that financial gain is necessary for a § 1346 violation is United States v. Hausmann, 345 F.3d 952 (7th Cir. 2003).
The Sufficiency of the Mail and Wire Fraud Counts
Grady: We think it is obvious enough that to be guilty of a violation of § 1341, Hurtgen would have had to know that a kickback of money to Levine was expected from Kiferbaum. Nothing by way of a factual allegation in the indictment states that he had such knowledge.
Grady: We conclude that the mail and wire fraud counts against Hurtgen must be dismissed for failure to allege an offense.
The Extortion Count
Grady: County twenty-four does not allege that Hurtgen knew that Levine was favoring Kiferbaum for a reason having nothing to do with Kiferbaum’s qualifications to do the work. Therefore, pursuant to Rule 7(c)(1), Count Twenty-four will be dismissed as to the defendant Hurtgen for failure to allege an offense.
Conclusion
The motion of the defendant Hurtgen to dismiss, as to him, those counts of the indictment in which he is named is granted. Counts One through Six and Count Twenty-four of the Superseding Indictment are dismissed as to the defendant P. Nicholas Hurtgen.
Certificate of Need
The principal figure named in the indictment is Stuart Levine, who was a member of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, a commission of the State of Illinois whose approval (in the form of a “Certificate of Need,” or “CON”) was required before any hospital, medical office building or other medical facility can be built.
The indictment alleged that Levine, Hurtgen and a third defendant, John Glennon, devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud the State of Illinois of its right to the honest services of Levine as a member of the Planning Board by requiring certain entities, in order to obtain Planning Board approval of their construction projects, to hire Kiferbaum Construction Company, owned by Jacob Kiferbaum, to do the construction work.
It was a part of the scheme that Kiferbaum would inflate the cost of each of the construction projects to include an amount of money that he would then pay as a kickback to Levine. (Indictment ¶ 3 at 8-11.)
The kickback for the construction of an addition to the Chicago Medical School (“CMS”) was approximately $700,000 and, for the CMS student dormitory, another $1 million.
Hurtgen, a lawyer and investment banker allegedly participated in the same fraud scheme to obtain multi-million dollar contracts for their businesses through construction kickbacks or other fraudulent deals.
Levine and Hurtgen were arrested by federal agents. Kiferbaum cooperated with the investigation and was not arrested. All three were charged with various counts of fraud and extortion in a 28-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in March 2004.
Hurtgen was one of the first to be nabbed. He is a former top aide to Republican Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and a secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush.
Since federal charges of extortion and mail and wire fraud in the hospital construction portion of the case against Hurtgen were dismissed before trial, there’s joy in the exclusive Madison Club tonight!
Who knows? Maybe Nick will get swept up in the euphoria of Tommy G. Thompson setting up an exploratory committee for a possible presidential bid.
The Moose at the Madison Club contributed to this report.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Lift and view
While Phil Prange’s upstart Wispolitics charges subscription rates up to $1,500 a year for quotes' czar Jeff Mayers’ spin on Wisconsin politics, the state’s daily newspapers lag far behind in what they charge for their political news coverage.
Maybe that’s why bureau chieftain Steve Walters serves up lame “Just a bill” and “. . . by the numbers” entries the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives away including its other political news pieces posted daily by the Wheeler Report and Wispolitics.
At least passalong readership actually involves buying a newspaper.
Meanwhile Ellen Foley continues to advertise the Wisconsin State Journal - a paper that doesn’t have political coverage to speak of - for $1 a week.
Enronian
Now that the cable guys with WisconsinEye have spent all the startup cash on Enronesque habits (excessive salaries) over the past eight years, when does that C-SPAN style coverage of state government begin?
While Phil Prange’s upstart Wispolitics charges subscription rates up to $1,500 a year for quotes' czar Jeff Mayers’ spin on Wisconsin politics, the state’s daily newspapers lag far behind in what they charge for their political news coverage.
Maybe that’s why bureau chieftain Steve Walters serves up lame “Just a bill” and “. . . by the numbers” entries the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives away including its other political news pieces posted daily by the Wheeler Report and Wispolitics.
At least passalong readership actually involves buying a newspaper.
Meanwhile Ellen Foley continues to advertise the Wisconsin State Journal - a paper that doesn’t have political coverage to speak of - for $1 a week.
Enronian
Now that the cable guys with WisconsinEye have spent all the startup cash on Enronesque habits (excessive salaries) over the past eight years, when does that C-SPAN style coverage of state government begin?
The custody of former Wisconsin state Sen. Gary George, 53, has been transferred from the federal prison in South Dakota where he was incarcerated to the community-based correctional program in Chicago: COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS OFFICE, 200 W. ADAMS ST, RM 2915, CHICAGO, IL 60606
Friday, March 16, 2007
Herr Klauser stepping down from Wisconsin Energy
After a 9-year run there as senior veep, Jim Klauser departs Wisconsin Energy April 1. Recall that Klauser was longtime state Department of Administration secretary in Tommy G. Thompson’s administration. (Pop Quiz: How many facilities in the state does Tommy have named after himself?)
Klauser actively serves as a board member of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, the Milwaukee School of Engineering board of regents and the Carthage College board of regents. He is not seeking full-time employment as a consultant, lawyer or fund-raiser for TGT 2008 presidential bid.
Herr Klauser plans to be in Spain next month for the Americas Cup sailing championships. (On Klauser's last day in office during the Thompson administration he had the German flag flown over the North Wing of the state Capitol.)
The Cable Guys
A video bill by Jeff Plale and Phil Montgomery would eliminate municipal cable franchises and shift the approval process to the state.
After a 9-year run there as senior veep, Jim Klauser departs Wisconsin Energy April 1. Recall that Klauser was longtime state Department of Administration secretary in Tommy G. Thompson’s administration. (Pop Quiz: How many facilities in the state does Tommy have named after himself?)
Klauser actively serves as a board member of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, the Milwaukee School of Engineering board of regents and the Carthage College board of regents. He is not seeking full-time employment as a consultant, lawyer or fund-raiser for TGT 2008 presidential bid.
Herr Klauser plans to be in Spain next month for the Americas Cup sailing championships. (On Klauser's last day in office during the Thompson administration he had the German flag flown over the North Wing of the state Capitol.)
The Cable Guys
A video bill by Jeff Plale and Phil Montgomery would eliminate municipal cable franchises and shift the approval process to the state.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Ziegler backer speculates that Clifford might have a much bigger potential conflict if she sat on the Supreme Court
BTW: What about Linda Clifford? While her opponent Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Annette Ziegler is being roasted on potential conflict issues, Clifford decides to attend a fundraiser organized by Doug Burnett. The very same Doug Burnett of Caucus scandal fame . . . not only was he into it up to his eyeballs he was Brutus to Julius Caesar Chvala.
Ziegler, West Bend, is running for Supreme Court against Clifford, a civil law attorney for a Madison law firm. The election is April 3.
Burnett is currently the state director of Progressive Majority Wisconsin.
http://progressivemajoritywisconsin.org/index.php/about_people/
BTW: What about Linda Clifford? While her opponent Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Annette Ziegler is being roasted on potential conflict issues, Clifford decides to attend a fundraiser organized by Doug Burnett. The very same Doug Burnett of Caucus scandal fame . . . not only was he into it up to his eyeballs he was Brutus to Julius Caesar Chvala.
Ziegler, West Bend, is running for Supreme Court against Clifford, a civil law attorney for a Madison law firm. The election is April 3.
Burnett is currently the state director of Progressive Majority Wisconsin.
http://progressivemajoritywisconsin.org/index.php/about_people/
Spat over who gets to work at home changes batting lineup in Jeff Plale’s office
Miffed that Katy (Heringlake) Venskus works at home because her hubby is on the job in Milwaukee and they split the commute between Madison and Milwaukee, Susie Schooff has turned to lobbying.
Telecommuting or having a no-show job in the statehouse isn't a new phenomenon as other staffers "work" at home, most notably Kurt Schultz of blowhard Mike Ellis' office. Schultz is Ellis’ personal driver when Ellis points his old Mercedes or pickup truck in the direction of Madison to collect per diem.
Another Democratic staffer jumps ship
Since mid-February, Mindy Walker, the guv’s former appointments secretary, is lobbying with Scott Stenger’s group these days: Miller Brewery, Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Tavern League of Wisconsin, Verizon Communications and Wireless and Wisconsin Athletic Trainers Association.
"It's difficult for me to perform my job as an elected official,” said local yokel “soap opera star” state Rep. Leon Young, D-Milwaukee
Falsifying per diem could be a felony. Just ask Brian Burke. Prosecutors dismissed those charges. Still, it caused plenty of consternation for Burke. But that doesn’t seem to deter Leon Young from phoning in his per diem from the inner city district he’s supposed to represent in Milwaukee.
Did Young collect per diem on the state dime while jetting on the three-way junket to Las Vegas recently.
If the mainstream media puts two and two, er, three together it might have a news piece.
Recall Young couldn’t garner the minimum 200 nomination signatures from a densely populated urban area or at a Juneteenth celebration in the past election, but, fortunately, for Leon at least, the State Elections Board ruled on the incumbent’s behalf and Leon kept his job, which he owes to Marsha Coggs and Spencer.
Miffed that Katy (Heringlake) Venskus works at home because her hubby is on the job in Milwaukee and they split the commute between Madison and Milwaukee, Susie Schooff has turned to lobbying.
Telecommuting or having a no-show job in the statehouse isn't a new phenomenon as other staffers "work" at home, most notably Kurt Schultz of blowhard Mike Ellis' office. Schultz is Ellis’ personal driver when Ellis points his old Mercedes or pickup truck in the direction of Madison to collect per diem.
Another Democratic staffer jumps ship
Since mid-February, Mindy Walker, the guv’s former appointments secretary, is lobbying with Scott Stenger’s group these days: Miller Brewery, Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Tavern League of Wisconsin, Verizon Communications and Wireless and Wisconsin Athletic Trainers Association.
"It's difficult for me to perform my job as an elected official,” said local yokel “soap opera star” state Rep. Leon Young, D-Milwaukee
Falsifying per diem could be a felony. Just ask Brian Burke. Prosecutors dismissed those charges. Still, it caused plenty of consternation for Burke. But that doesn’t seem to deter Leon Young from phoning in his per diem from the inner city district he’s supposed to represent in Milwaukee.
Did Young collect per diem on the state dime while jetting on the three-way junket to Las Vegas recently.
If the mainstream media puts two and two, er, three together it might have a news piece.
Recall Young couldn’t garner the minimum 200 nomination signatures from a densely populated urban area or at a Juneteenth celebration in the past election, but, fortunately, for Leon at least, the State Elections Board ruled on the incumbent’s behalf and Leon kept his job, which he owes to Marsha Coggs and Spencer.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Moose Talk Radio
Broadcast from the exclusive Madison Club
Just when Wisconsinites thought that the state was moving forward on an “ethics bill" and there were investigations into the Doyle administration and people were concerned about "cleaning up Wisconsin" a prodigal son returns from alleged dirty politics, political graft and corruption.
No. Not Phil Prange’s brother-in-law?
Yes.
Say it isn't so!
The Madison Club is fraught with rumors that Nick Hurtgen is moving back to Madison, and that he is currently looking at houses in town.
Katie, bar the statehouse door.
That's Katie bar the statehouse door as in, Katie Boyce, Jim Doyle’s fund-raiser and now the governor’s deputy chief of staff. Check with Susan Goodwin.
Broadcast from the exclusive Madison Club
Just when Wisconsinites thought that the state was moving forward on an “ethics bill" and there were investigations into the Doyle administration and people were concerned about "cleaning up Wisconsin" a prodigal son returns from alleged dirty politics, political graft and corruption.
No. Not Phil Prange’s brother-in-law?
Yes.
Say it isn't so!
The Madison Club is fraught with rumors that Nick Hurtgen is moving back to Madison, and that he is currently looking at houses in town.
Katie, bar the statehouse door.
That's Katie bar the statehouse door as in, Katie Boyce, Jim Doyle’s fund-raiser and now the governor’s deputy chief of staff. Check with Susan Goodwin.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Judge John Grady left open the date for a status conference in the Nick Hurtgen case. Grady will set a new status after he issues his ruling on the motion to dismiss.
Unlikely that Grady will dismiss. However, the indictment gives reason to pause as to Hurtgen’s culpability. If there are tapes – the speculation is that Hurtgen is in trouble and will be cooperating with federal prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge John Grady left open the date for a status conference in the Nick Hurtgen case. Grady will set a new status after he issues his ruling on the motion to dismiss.
Unlikely that Grady will dismiss. However, the indictment gives reason to pause as to Hurtgen’s culpability. If there are tapes – the speculation is that Hurtgen is in trouble and will be cooperating with federal prosecutors.
WisChuckleheads.com Stock Report
Ups And Downs In Wisconsin Politics As Collected By WisChuckleheads.com Staff
Wisconsin Capital Journal :: LOCAL :: D7
Sunday, March 11, 2007
RISING
BATTLE OVER CASINO HEATS UP
The effort to put an off-reservation casino in Kenosha has dominated the headlines for the past two weeks, thanks largely to the troubles of former partner Dennis Troha.
MIXED
RYAN NO STRANGER TO TROHA
A rising star in conservative circles, Janesville Republican Rep. Paul Ryan got caught up in the Dennis Troha controversy after it was reported his campaign took a good chunk of change from the Kenosha businessman and his family.
After initially saying he would wait to see how the federal case against Troha turned out, Ryan changed course last week and announced he would donate $58,882 to the Kenosha Boys and Girls Club to divest his campaign of money he received from Troha and family.
Chuckleheads.com “Insiders” say Ryan's role in the controversy has been overshadowed by the much larger pot of cash given to Gov. Jim Doyle. They also say his decision to dump the cash helps cut his losses.
As usual, Gov. Jim Doyle fares much worst than Republican leggies, at least according to the spoon-fed information from Chuckleheads.com insiders.
FALLING
DOYLE DINGED BY TROHA CHARGES
A media feeding frenzy (that Chuckleheads.com Web site contributed to) erupted over indicted Dennis Troha's connections to the Doyle administration.
The frenzy forced Team Doyle to go into damage control mode -- putting Gov. Jim Doyle on TV to calm the waters, dumping hundreds of pages of documents at his Department of Transportation for media review and sending out the DOT legal counsel (with his own Troha connections to defend) for a Friday news conference.
The major controversy of the week was Troha's dealings with the DOT in an interstate tax dispute involving his trucking company, which the agency and governor defend as totally proper. Doyle defenders also grumble the media attention has unfairly cast their guy in a negative light while downplaying evidence everything was above board.
Ups And Downs In Wisconsin Politics As Collected By WisChuckleheads.com Staff
Wisconsin Capital Journal :: LOCAL :: D7
Sunday, March 11, 2007
RISING
BATTLE OVER CASINO HEATS UP
The effort to put an off-reservation casino in Kenosha has dominated the headlines for the past two weeks, thanks largely to the troubles of former partner Dennis Troha.
MIXED
RYAN NO STRANGER TO TROHA
A rising star in conservative circles, Janesville Republican Rep. Paul Ryan got caught up in the Dennis Troha controversy after it was reported his campaign took a good chunk of change from the Kenosha businessman and his family.
After initially saying he would wait to see how the federal case against Troha turned out, Ryan changed course last week and announced he would donate $58,882 to the Kenosha Boys and Girls Club to divest his campaign of money he received from Troha and family.
Chuckleheads.com “Insiders” say Ryan's role in the controversy has been overshadowed by the much larger pot of cash given to Gov. Jim Doyle. They also say his decision to dump the cash helps cut his losses.
As usual, Gov. Jim Doyle fares much worst than Republican leggies, at least according to the spoon-fed information from Chuckleheads.com insiders.
FALLING
DOYLE DINGED BY TROHA CHARGES
A media feeding frenzy (that Chuckleheads.com Web site contributed to) erupted over indicted Dennis Troha's connections to the Doyle administration.
The frenzy forced Team Doyle to go into damage control mode -- putting Gov. Jim Doyle on TV to calm the waters, dumping hundreds of pages of documents at his Department of Transportation for media review and sending out the DOT legal counsel (with his own Troha connections to defend) for a Friday news conference.
The major controversy of the week was Troha's dealings with the DOT in an interstate tax dispute involving his trucking company, which the agency and governor defend as totally proper. Doyle defenders also grumble the media attention has unfairly cast their guy in a negative light while downplaying evidence everything was above board.
Bad news lawmakers for the districts they’re supposed to serve
"It's difficult for me to perform my job as an elected official,” said local yokel “soap opera star” state Rep. Leon Young, D-Milwaukee.
State Reps. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, and Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, both legislators promoting the use of ethanol and the purchase of cars that run on an 85% blend of the corn-based fuel have financial ties to the ethanol and automotive industries.
"It's difficult for me to perform my job as an elected official,” said local yokel “soap opera star” state Rep. Leon Young, D-Milwaukee.
State Reps. Eugene Hahn, R-Cambria, and Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, both legislators promoting the use of ethanol and the purchase of cars that run on an 85% blend of the corn-based fuel have financial ties to the ethanol and automotive industries.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Narrowcasting political messages and marginalizing the political opposition
Jeff Mayers spins your Sunday paper
Wispolitics is undercutting its own deeply discounted prices.
Is it doing that to stay afloat financially?
For example, the state Assembly offices can buy a six-month silver subscription to the Web site for $125, although not on a per e-mail address basis offered before.
The basic price includes the Rising, Mixed, Falling spin cycles of Jeff Mayers published in the Stock Report, which is also available for free in Sunday’s Wisconsin State Journal.
Gold and platinum subscribers pay more for alerts that others in the news biz receive as well as postings beyond the Friday report, which offers the kind of spin that politicos find themselves accustomed to – except, as paid political fund-raiser and one of the site’s investors, Phil Prange, says, I don’t do editorial content.
Friday's opinions and observations are more of a gossipy nature and the sort of punditry that inspires snorts of derision.
A lot of the content and quotes are from daily newspaper coverage.
In order to attract newcomers the Web site must have low barriers to entry.
The price is right
The Wheeler Report charges about $150 for six months, with the finance edition costing extra.
Since individual office accounts in the state Capitol are not budgeted to allow subscriptions to both of these websites, politicians and their staffers must pick and choose.
Discovering new sources of political news
The Hamilton Consulting Group site on the Internet is run by lobbyists and also offers legislative, regulatory and information services including political tidbits, legislative updates and a calendar of events.
www.hamilton-consulting.com
And the Foley & Lardner homepage also posts the latest news and listings of events as well.
www.foley.com
The mainstream media is in the discount mode, too. The State Journal advertises its newspapers for $1 a week.
And the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel political coverage is available online, of course, and it offers other subscriber services.
Jeff Mayers spins your Sunday paper
Wispolitics is undercutting its own deeply discounted prices.
Is it doing that to stay afloat financially?
For example, the state Assembly offices can buy a six-month silver subscription to the Web site for $125, although not on a per e-mail address basis offered before.
The basic price includes the Rising, Mixed, Falling spin cycles of Jeff Mayers published in the Stock Report, which is also available for free in Sunday’s Wisconsin State Journal.
Gold and platinum subscribers pay more for alerts that others in the news biz receive as well as postings beyond the Friday report, which offers the kind of spin that politicos find themselves accustomed to – except, as paid political fund-raiser and one of the site’s investors, Phil Prange, says, I don’t do editorial content.
Friday's opinions and observations are more of a gossipy nature and the sort of punditry that inspires snorts of derision.
A lot of the content and quotes are from daily newspaper coverage.
In order to attract newcomers the Web site must have low barriers to entry.
The price is right
The Wheeler Report charges about $150 for six months, with the finance edition costing extra.
Since individual office accounts in the state Capitol are not budgeted to allow subscriptions to both of these websites, politicians and their staffers must pick and choose.
Discovering new sources of political news
The Hamilton Consulting Group site on the Internet is run by lobbyists and also offers legislative, regulatory and information services including political tidbits, legislative updates and a calendar of events.
www.hamilton-consulting.com
And the Foley & Lardner homepage also posts the latest news and listings of events as well.
www.foley.com
The mainstream media is in the discount mode, too. The State Journal advertises its newspapers for $1 a week.
And the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel political coverage is available online, of course, and it offers other subscriber services.
Friday, March 09, 2007
The Daily Cardinal scoops the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on stem cell research, again
http://www.dailycardinal.com/news/warf-signs-national-stem-cell-patent-rules.html
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Keep court records accessible
Scott Suder is right on the money that court documents and other public records on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (CCAP) website should remain free and accessible to the public.
Current budget language, however, would allow a CCAP tax collection, which is an item that Suder wants deleted during Joint Finance Committee deliberations.
The CCAP program has been a free public service since 1999.
Scott Suder is right on the money that court documents and other public records on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (CCAP) website should remain free and accessible to the public.
Current budget language, however, would allow a CCAP tax collection, which is an item that Suder wants deleted during Joint Finance Committee deliberations.
The CCAP program has been a free public service since 1999.
Recognizing a good cause doesn't require a political label
Genial political icon George McGovern spoke to a packed house at a benefit for the Teresa McGovern Center Wednesday night at the Inn on the Park.
The decorated former World War II bomber pilot and now elder statesman, McGovern, gave examples at the fundraising benefit for the Teresa McGovern Center, a substance abuse treatment facility that operates in Monona as Tellurian, of just how much a small fraction of the more than $500 billion spent on the Iraq war could provide school lunch programs, health care, and, among other things, help pay for treatment for AODA patients who cannot cover their own expenses.
McGovern said he is also proud of the fact that people describe him as a bleeding heart liberal for his humanitarian point of view.
Master of ceremonies Madison Police Chief Nobel Ray put in plain words how alcohol, drugs and depression – and desperation - are factors involving many of the people that police officers must deal with on a daily basis.
Jonathan Barry, a farmer, businessman and former public official who also works part-time as the development director for Operation Fresh Start, a non-profit, working with at risk youth, “building people and houses” also spoke of the necessity for intervention on behalf of youth and the societal aches and pains and ailments they face in a community.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Hansen, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Monona Mayor Robb Kahl, Wisconsin Merchants Federation lobbyists Chris Tackett and Dave Storey, businesswoman Lisa Nelson and former news editor Jim Rowan made guest appearances.
Wal-Mart was one of the business sponsors of the sold-out event. And the presence of the huge retailer and other corporate sponsors and guests is proof that recognizing a good cause doesn’t require a political label.
Genial political icon George McGovern spoke to a packed house at a benefit for the Teresa McGovern Center Wednesday night at the Inn on the Park.
The decorated former World War II bomber pilot and now elder statesman, McGovern, gave examples at the fundraising benefit for the Teresa McGovern Center, a substance abuse treatment facility that operates in Monona as Tellurian, of just how much a small fraction of the more than $500 billion spent on the Iraq war could provide school lunch programs, health care, and, among other things, help pay for treatment for AODA patients who cannot cover their own expenses.
McGovern said he is also proud of the fact that people describe him as a bleeding heart liberal for his humanitarian point of view.
Master of ceremonies Madison Police Chief Nobel Ray put in plain words how alcohol, drugs and depression – and desperation - are factors involving many of the people that police officers must deal with on a daily basis.
Jonathan Barry, a farmer, businessman and former public official who also works part-time as the development director for Operation Fresh Start, a non-profit, working with at risk youth, “building people and houses” also spoke of the necessity for intervention on behalf of youth and the societal aches and pains and ailments they face in a community.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Hansen, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Monona Mayor Robb Kahl, Wisconsin Merchants Federation lobbyists Chris Tackett and Dave Storey, businesswoman Lisa Nelson and former news editor Jim Rowan made guest appearances.
Wal-Mart was one of the business sponsors of the sold-out event. And the presence of the huge retailer and other corporate sponsors and guests is proof that recognizing a good cause doesn’t require a political label.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Remember to take your meds
Steve Busalacchi who once upon a time could be heard doing political news stories from the state Capitol on Wisconsin Public Radio in the 80s has a new book at www.whitecoatwisdom.com he is doing in his spare time that’s quite exciting. It’s scheduled for release this fall.
The book relies on a lot of different medical personnel for their expertise.
Steve Busalacchi who once upon a time could be heard doing political news stories from the state Capitol on Wisconsin Public Radio in the 80s has a new book at www.whitecoatwisdom.com he is doing in his spare time that’s quite exciting. It’s scheduled for release this fall.
The book relies on a lot of different medical personnel for their expertise.
How to Steal an Election: The Inside Story of How George Bush's Brother and FOX Network Miscalled the 2000 Election and Changed the Course of History
-David W. Moore
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/reviews/353
-David W. Moore
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/reviews/353
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Moose Talk Radio or Barrel Roll -
Unloading the beer for a hangar party
Jeff Mursau, R-ATVer, apparently, wasn’t interested in similar legislation when J.B. Van Hollen crashed his light plane in the cow pasture airport near the only Waunakee in the world.
Not that there was any evidence or indication from FAA reports that Van Hollen was quaffing an adult beverage at the time or did anything remotely wrong other than pilot error in landing on the wrong end of the runway, but now Mursau wants to ticket drunken pilots that crash.
Picky, picky!
A bill coauthored with Peggy Krusick, D-Invisible, if passed, would do just that and make lawmakers in Madison appear bipartisan and diverse with a lot of idle time on their hands.
There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
-Chuck Yeager
Unloading the beer for a hangar party
Jeff Mursau, R-ATVer, apparently, wasn’t interested in similar legislation when J.B. Van Hollen crashed his light plane in the cow pasture airport near the only Waunakee in the world.
Not that there was any evidence or indication from FAA reports that Van Hollen was quaffing an adult beverage at the time or did anything remotely wrong other than pilot error in landing on the wrong end of the runway, but now Mursau wants to ticket drunken pilots that crash.
Picky, picky!
A bill coauthored with Peggy Krusick, D-Invisible, if passed, would do just that and make lawmakers in Madison appear bipartisan and diverse with a lot of idle time on their hands.
There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
-Chuck Yeager
Courtside
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the lead attorney in the investigation that led to the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby conviction and verdict that puts focus on the White House, returns to federal court in the Northern District of Illinois about the same time court proceedings against federally indicted P. Nicholas Hurtgen and others charged get underway.
Not that Fitzgerald has been out of touch with the home office, since he is the U.S. attorney in Chicago who is ultimately responsible for all matters in that office including the supervision of considerably more than 100 assistant U.S. attorneys.
Unlike the Libby case, however, Fitzgerald has never appeared personally in the Hurtgen case nor is he handling the case personally, instead a team of several assistant U.S. attorneys are doing the job in the Jacob Kiferbaum, Hurtgen, John Glennon proceedings.
Jacqueline Stern, lead attorney from the U.S. Attorney's office at 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago; Christopher Niewoehner; James Barz of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, 71 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago; and Kaarina Salovaara of the U.S. Attorney's office are handling the case.
As of Feb. 28, U.S. District Judge John Grady was still reading the filing of Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss the indictment. He is expected to issue a ruling sometime within the next several weeks.
Grady did not set a date or commit to date for a ruling or a new status conference, but would set one via mail.
Next status date will take up setting trial dates.
In other words, Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss is under advisement with Grady and he didn’t set any date last month to rule or for further status but said he will do so by mail in the next few weeks and take up setting a trial date at the next status conference.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the lead attorney in the investigation that led to the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby conviction and verdict that puts focus on the White House, returns to federal court in the Northern District of Illinois about the same time court proceedings against federally indicted P. Nicholas Hurtgen and others charged get underway.
Not that Fitzgerald has been out of touch with the home office, since he is the U.S. attorney in Chicago who is ultimately responsible for all matters in that office including the supervision of considerably more than 100 assistant U.S. attorneys.
Unlike the Libby case, however, Fitzgerald has never appeared personally in the Hurtgen case nor is he handling the case personally, instead a team of several assistant U.S. attorneys are doing the job in the Jacob Kiferbaum, Hurtgen, John Glennon proceedings.
Jacqueline Stern, lead attorney from the U.S. Attorney's office at 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago; Christopher Niewoehner; James Barz of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, 71 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago; and Kaarina Salovaara of the U.S. Attorney's office are handling the case.
As of Feb. 28, U.S. District Judge John Grady was still reading the filing of Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss the indictment. He is expected to issue a ruling sometime within the next several weeks.
Grady did not set a date or commit to date for a ruling or a new status conference, but would set one via mail.
Next status date will take up setting trial dates.
In other words, Hurtgen’s motion to dismiss is under advisement with Grady and he didn’t set any date last month to rule or for further status but said he will do so by mail in the next few weeks and take up setting a trial date at the next status conference.
Libby found guilty in CIA leak trial
WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity.
Libby is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s. The conviction focused renewed attention on the Bush administration's much-criticized handling of weapons of mass destruction intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.
"The results are actually sad," Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said. "It's sad that we had a situation where a high-level official person who worked in the office of the vice president obstructed justice and lied under oath. We wish that it had not happened, but it did."
Libby was convicted of one count of obstruction, two counts of perjury and one count of lying to the FBI about how he learned Valerie Plame's identity and whom he told. Prosecutors said he learned about Plame from Cheney and others, discussed her name with reporters and, fearing prosecution, made up a story to make those discussions seem innocuous.
"It's about time someone in the Bush Administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
Perino would not discuss Reid's pardon concerns.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered a pre-sentencing report be completed by May 15. Judges use such reports to help determine sentences. Libby will be allowed to remain free while awaiting sentencing.
Yes, but.
Is George W. Bush set to pardon Libby on Bush's last day in the White House?
WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity.
Libby is the highest-ranking White House official to be convicted of a felony since the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s. The conviction focused renewed attention on the Bush administration's much-criticized handling of weapons of mass destruction intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.
"The results are actually sad," Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said. "It's sad that we had a situation where a high-level official person who worked in the office of the vice president obstructed justice and lied under oath. We wish that it had not happened, but it did."
Libby was convicted of one count of obstruction, two counts of perjury and one count of lying to the FBI about how he learned Valerie Plame's identity and whom he told. Prosecutors said he learned about Plame from Cheney and others, discussed her name with reporters and, fearing prosecution, made up a story to make those discussions seem innocuous.
"It's about time someone in the Bush Administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
Perino would not discuss Reid's pardon concerns.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered a pre-sentencing report be completed by May 15. Judges use such reports to help determine sentences. Libby will be allowed to remain free while awaiting sentencing.
Yes, but.
Is George W. Bush set to pardon Libby on Bush's last day in the White House?
Sunday, March 04, 2007
All Opinion All The Time
"I don't do any content. I don't have any input into the editorial”
Some lawmakers are grumbling about the placement of the usual suspects in the Wispolitics spin cycle of Wisconsin politics.
Today, for instance, J.B. Van Hollen shows up in the ‘Rising’ column of Jeff Mayers Stock Report, that Platinum subscribers pop for and Wisconsin State Journal readers receive as a feature in their Sunday paper.
Predictably, Gov. Jim Doyle is either in the ‘Mixed’ or ‘Falling’ category, except, today’s he’s in both. Democrats usually show up in the column when they screw up again.
Phil Prange, Tommy G. Thompson's former paid fundraiser, and federally indicted Nick Hurtgen's brother-in-law (Has Hurtgen invested in WP?), is some of the dough behind Wispolitics. But Prange scoffs at the Monday morning quarterbacking. "I don't do any content. I don't have any input into the editorial," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In fact, Prange may be too busy with his hand out for pledges to raise mega bucks to help send Thompson to the Oval Office.
He said, he said daily opinion service
The State Journal should do a disclaimer when it publishes the Wispolitics.com Stock Report or the Ups And Downs In Wisconsin Politics, As Collected By Wispolitics.com Staff, or else put it on the Opinion page where it belongs.
Mayers, editor of Wispolitics, is in charge of the political opinion and online media. He oversees editorial content. The editorial “department” of the website is the same as the political news service and Mayers answers directly to the publisher, Prange, of Wispolitics Publishing, Inc. and Gateway Ventures, Inc.
JavaScript
Smatterings of staffers and unpaid interns with IT experience routinely post polling results, Mayers’ opinions and stories from the mainstream media.
Disclaimer
The information, opinions and analysis contained in the Stock Report are based on Mayers’ sources found milling around the Assembly speaker’s office and other likely politico hangouts. But the 200 core subscribers to the political news know what to expect, and, perhaps more importantly, at least to them, know what they want from the service.
The musings of the Stock Report reflect Mayers current judgment. The subscribers from time to time may get either a long or short position in news content or the constantly fluctuating results about which politicians are rising or falling on a given day. Still, the mainstream media asks the most significant and probing questions.
In other words, the website doesn’t report the news so much as spin what the mainstream media has already done. It is one person’s opinion after conferring with Platinum “insiders” for example, lobbyists for realtors, grocers and past or present aides from leadership offices.
The Prange and Ed Aprahamian, of Gateway Ventures, and Mayers triumvirate.
Still, it doesn’t seem to matter a whole lot to Ellen Foley, since she has completely transmogrified the State Journal into People Magazine and the National Enquirer by selling the fluff and chatty gossip of former Isthmus protégé Melanie Conklin as news.
At least there's always a snear from columnist Scott Milfred, who reconstitutes political opinion in the paper.
WWW Profound Political Satire
"I don't do any content. I don't have any input into the editorial”
Some lawmakers are grumbling about the placement of the usual suspects in the Wispolitics spin cycle of Wisconsin politics.
Today, for instance, J.B. Van Hollen shows up in the ‘Rising’ column of Jeff Mayers Stock Report, that Platinum subscribers pop for and Wisconsin State Journal readers receive as a feature in their Sunday paper.
Predictably, Gov. Jim Doyle is either in the ‘Mixed’ or ‘Falling’ category, except, today’s he’s in both. Democrats usually show up in the column when they screw up again.
Phil Prange, Tommy G. Thompson's former paid fundraiser, and federally indicted Nick Hurtgen's brother-in-law (Has Hurtgen invested in WP?), is some of the dough behind Wispolitics. But Prange scoffs at the Monday morning quarterbacking. "I don't do any content. I don't have any input into the editorial," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In fact, Prange may be too busy with his hand out for pledges to raise mega bucks to help send Thompson to the Oval Office.
He said, he said daily opinion service
The State Journal should do a disclaimer when it publishes the Wispolitics.com Stock Report or the Ups And Downs In Wisconsin Politics, As Collected By Wispolitics.com Staff, or else put it on the Opinion page where it belongs.
Mayers, editor of Wispolitics, is in charge of the political opinion and online media. He oversees editorial content. The editorial “department” of the website is the same as the political news service and Mayers answers directly to the publisher, Prange, of Wispolitics Publishing, Inc. and Gateway Ventures, Inc.
JavaScript
Smatterings of staffers and unpaid interns with IT experience routinely post polling results, Mayers’ opinions and stories from the mainstream media.
Disclaimer
The information, opinions and analysis contained in the Stock Report are based on Mayers’ sources found milling around the Assembly speaker’s office and other likely politico hangouts. But the 200 core subscribers to the political news know what to expect, and, perhaps more importantly, at least to them, know what they want from the service.
The musings of the Stock Report reflect Mayers current judgment. The subscribers from time to time may get either a long or short position in news content or the constantly fluctuating results about which politicians are rising or falling on a given day. Still, the mainstream media asks the most significant and probing questions.
In other words, the website doesn’t report the news so much as spin what the mainstream media has already done. It is one person’s opinion after conferring with Platinum “insiders” for example, lobbyists for realtors, grocers and past or present aides from leadership offices.
The Prange and Ed Aprahamian, of Gateway Ventures, and Mayers triumvirate.
Still, it doesn’t seem to matter a whole lot to Ellen Foley, since she has completely transmogrified the State Journal into People Magazine and the National Enquirer by selling the fluff and chatty gossip of former Isthmus protégé Melanie Conklin as news.
At least there's always a snear from columnist Scott Milfred, who reconstitutes political opinion in the paper.
WWW Profound Political Satire
“I used bad judgment"
One of the peccadilloes of Russ Decker, D-Bricklayer, is that he vicariously politics through Barb Worcester who likes to think she runs the 29th Senate District.
More recently, Decker was rude and crude to a young woman who was in town for Superior Days.
During the evening's festivities at a hotel bar, boozy Decker told the woman he was going to expletive deleted with any efforts of the world’s biggest retailer to add additional retail space in the district near Wausau.
OWI
Middleton police picked up Decker on University Avenue for drunken driving after the Tavern League of Wisconsin shrimp party in April 2005.
"I used bad judgment," Decker’s statement reads. "I cooperated fully with law enforcement officials and will continue to do so through the legal process. I would like to sincerely apologize to my family, the people of the 29th Senate District and my colleagues."
The police report says a Senate aide, Carole J. Schaeffer, 31, of Madison, was a passenger in Decker’s car at the time. Schaeffer formerly worked as an aide to Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin.
After the OWI bust, Decker was released to the custody of Aaron J. Perkins, who listed the same address as Schaeffer, according to the report.
Decker lost his license for six months and paid a $250 fine, but kept the drunk driving arrest off his record.
One of the peccadilloes of Russ Decker, D-Bricklayer, is that he vicariously politics through Barb Worcester who likes to think she runs the 29th Senate District.
More recently, Decker was rude and crude to a young woman who was in town for Superior Days.
During the evening's festivities at a hotel bar, boozy Decker told the woman he was going to expletive deleted with any efforts of the world’s biggest retailer to add additional retail space in the district near Wausau.
OWI
Middleton police picked up Decker on University Avenue for drunken driving after the Tavern League of Wisconsin shrimp party in April 2005.
"I used bad judgment," Decker’s statement reads. "I cooperated fully with law enforcement officials and will continue to do so through the legal process. I would like to sincerely apologize to my family, the people of the 29th Senate District and my colleagues."
The police report says a Senate aide, Carole J. Schaeffer, 31, of Madison, was a passenger in Decker’s car at the time. Schaeffer formerly worked as an aide to Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin.
After the OWI bust, Decker was released to the custody of Aaron J. Perkins, who listed the same address as Schaeffer, according to the report.
Decker lost his license for six months and paid a $250 fine, but kept the drunk driving arrest off his record.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Moose Talk Radio Blast from the Past
All Lawyered Up
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 15, 2005
SPIVAK & BICE
State's new law firm? Nada, Nix & Zilch
CARY SPIVAK
You just have to wonder: Why does the state bother having a ton of lawyers on its payroll when there are so many politically connected law firms willing to handle cases for a fee?
Take, for example, a tax case involving a New Jersey company called the Newark Group.
When the state lost the first round in its fight over what type of properties are considered tax-exempt waste-treatment facilities, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager balked at pursuing the matter further. Gov. Jim Doyle responded last summer by giving the case to Axley Brynelson, a Madison firm that happens to employ Richard Petershack, a very special pal and big-time contributor to the governor.
By the way, the governor's No. 1 favorite law firm, Foley & Lardner, which has collected about $1 million in fees from a quasi- state agency on an unrelated matter, couldn't touch this case because it represents Newark.
The Newark case ended this year, and Axley billed the state $80,811.
What did the taxpayers get for their money?
Not a victory, that's for sure.
Dane County Circuit Judge James L. Martin ruled against Doyle's Department of Revenue and said Newark's property was tax-exempt. He tossed the state a bone by overturning an earlier order that it pay Newark's $23,000 costs.
"No one expects you're going to win every single case," Dan Leistikow, the governor's top flack, said Friday.
True, but the state did more than lose. Martin's 20-page opinion makes it clear that the state's arguments got under hizzoner's skin.
"The Court finds the Department's first argument too inadequately presented to require substantial consideration," Martin wrote. "It is aggravating, to say the least, that the Department makes its argument without so much as attempting to set forth an appropriate governing standard against which the Court should weigh its argument."
The state hired outside counsel for that?
Lautenschlager's minions while trying not to gloat are chuckling over the latest chapter in the never-ending bickering between the state's top two Democrats.
When the Justice Department agreed to let the Revenue Department handle the case on its own, nobody said an outside firm would be hired, said Lautenschlager aide Mike Bauer. Rather, Bauer said, he thought Revenue would keep the case in house.
Had he known, Bauer said, Justice might have kept the case, though with a caveat:
"In order to save the taxpayers money, we would have pursued all non-frivolous arguments. If, in the end, Revenue insisted on making frivolous arguments and we refused, they could have hired special counsel."
Now don't get the wrong idea here. Lautenschlager is not above hiring outside lawyers herself. Just last summer, she tapped Miner, Barnhill & Galland home of veteran Democrat and Lautenschlager adviser/contributor Bill Dixon to handle a potentially lucrative suit against drug-makers. Dixon's firm aced out Axley, which was vying for the case.
Buffalo Bill Dixon, you’ll recall, is the toothy, grinning hyena and political know-it-all with bowel problems that WPR used to trot out once a week to inspire derision snorts of punditry. He makes his living as an ambulance chaser double billing gullible union folks, although the carpetbagger from Buffalo, N.Y., has never personally paid any union dues in his life. But he has consulted on national campaigns for losing candidates.
Even in defeat, Doyle's folks contend they made the right call in the Newark case. Leistikow said Lautenschlager should have shown more interest in the matter since the courtroom loss could ultimately take $1.8 billion worth of property off tax rolls. That could cost taxpayers $100 million annually, he said.
Said Leistikow: "Even if the chance of winning was less than 50 percent, we had hoped that the AG would be on the side of residential taxpayers and help us make the best possible argument."
Leave it to a couple of top Democrats to use a complex tax case to snipe at each other.
Name-dropping
Much to his chagrin, political heavyweight P. Nicholas Hurtgen's name just keeps popping up in places he'd prefer to avoid.
On Monday, Hurtgen a close ally of ex-Gov. Tommy Thompson was all over the news when he was busted on seven felony counts in connection with an Illinois influence-peddling scheme. Hurtgen left a high-paying job at Bear, Stearns & Co. last summer when his name came up in the probe.
On Thursday, Hurtgen's name was heard in a Kenosha courtroom during a civil trial involving shareholders in Nii-Jii Entertainment, the Chicago firm behind a failed effort to turn Dairyland Greyhound Park into an Indian casino. (Dennis Troha, a Nii- Jii investor, is behind a new bid to open a Kenosha Indian casino.)
The Nii-Jii deal died amid doubts it would win federal and gubernatorial approvals.
Which brings us back to Hurtgen, who through Bear, Stearns hoped to arrange financing for the $200 million project.
On Thursday, Nii-Jii founder and ex-Chicago congressman Morgan Murphy Jr. testified that Hurtgen's wife, Catherine, received a bunch of free Nii-Jii stock securities that court records indicate would have been worth up to $2 million had Murphy pulled off the casino deal.
Murphy, however, made it clear that the shares he gave Catherine Hurtgen (paid political fund-raiser Phil Prange's sister) had nothing to do with clout or politics. Rather, he provided a much more simple explanation.
Murphy said he valued Catherine Hurtgen's opinion on "interior decorating."
That's his story, and he's sticking to it.
Yes, but.
At some point in time the Hurtgen case in federal court in Chicago has to begin moving forward. Is Hurtgen relying more on his Chicago lawyer Ron Safer and cutting Madison lawyer Stephen Hurley out of the picture?
U.S. District Judge John Grady was the judge in a police corruption and really “laid the wood” to the defendants.
All Lawyered Up
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 15, 2005
SPIVAK & BICE
State's new law firm? Nada, Nix & Zilch
CARY SPIVAK
You just have to wonder: Why does the state bother having a ton of lawyers on its payroll when there are so many politically connected law firms willing to handle cases for a fee?
Take, for example, a tax case involving a New Jersey company called the Newark Group.
When the state lost the first round in its fight over what type of properties are considered tax-exempt waste-treatment facilities, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager balked at pursuing the matter further. Gov. Jim Doyle responded last summer by giving the case to Axley Brynelson, a Madison firm that happens to employ Richard Petershack, a very special pal and big-time contributor to the governor.
By the way, the governor's No. 1 favorite law firm, Foley & Lardner, which has collected about $1 million in fees from a quasi- state agency on an unrelated matter, couldn't touch this case because it represents Newark.
The Newark case ended this year, and Axley billed the state $80,811.
What did the taxpayers get for their money?
Not a victory, that's for sure.
Dane County Circuit Judge James L. Martin ruled against Doyle's Department of Revenue and said Newark's property was tax-exempt. He tossed the state a bone by overturning an earlier order that it pay Newark's $23,000 costs.
"No one expects you're going to win every single case," Dan Leistikow, the governor's top flack, said Friday.
True, but the state did more than lose. Martin's 20-page opinion makes it clear that the state's arguments got under hizzoner's skin.
"The Court finds the Department's first argument too inadequately presented to require substantial consideration," Martin wrote. "It is aggravating, to say the least, that the Department makes its argument without so much as attempting to set forth an appropriate governing standard against which the Court should weigh its argument."
The state hired outside counsel for that?
Lautenschlager's minions while trying not to gloat are chuckling over the latest chapter in the never-ending bickering between the state's top two Democrats.
When the Justice Department agreed to let the Revenue Department handle the case on its own, nobody said an outside firm would be hired, said Lautenschlager aide Mike Bauer. Rather, Bauer said, he thought Revenue would keep the case in house.
Had he known, Bauer said, Justice might have kept the case, though with a caveat:
"In order to save the taxpayers money, we would have pursued all non-frivolous arguments. If, in the end, Revenue insisted on making frivolous arguments and we refused, they could have hired special counsel."
Now don't get the wrong idea here. Lautenschlager is not above hiring outside lawyers herself. Just last summer, she tapped Miner, Barnhill & Galland home of veteran Democrat and Lautenschlager adviser/contributor Bill Dixon to handle a potentially lucrative suit against drug-makers. Dixon's firm aced out Axley, which was vying for the case.
Buffalo Bill Dixon, you’ll recall, is the toothy, grinning hyena and political know-it-all with bowel problems that WPR used to trot out once a week to inspire derision snorts of punditry. He makes his living as an ambulance chaser double billing gullible union folks, although the carpetbagger from Buffalo, N.Y., has never personally paid any union dues in his life. But he has consulted on national campaigns for losing candidates.
Even in defeat, Doyle's folks contend they made the right call in the Newark case. Leistikow said Lautenschlager should have shown more interest in the matter since the courtroom loss could ultimately take $1.8 billion worth of property off tax rolls. That could cost taxpayers $100 million annually, he said.
Said Leistikow: "Even if the chance of winning was less than 50 percent, we had hoped that the AG would be on the side of residential taxpayers and help us make the best possible argument."
Leave it to a couple of top Democrats to use a complex tax case to snipe at each other.
Name-dropping
Much to his chagrin, political heavyweight P. Nicholas Hurtgen's name just keeps popping up in places he'd prefer to avoid.
On Monday, Hurtgen a close ally of ex-Gov. Tommy Thompson was all over the news when he was busted on seven felony counts in connection with an Illinois influence-peddling scheme. Hurtgen left a high-paying job at Bear, Stearns & Co. last summer when his name came up in the probe.
On Thursday, Hurtgen's name was heard in a Kenosha courtroom during a civil trial involving shareholders in Nii-Jii Entertainment, the Chicago firm behind a failed effort to turn Dairyland Greyhound Park into an Indian casino. (Dennis Troha, a Nii- Jii investor, is behind a new bid to open a Kenosha Indian casino.)
The Nii-Jii deal died amid doubts it would win federal and gubernatorial approvals.
Which brings us back to Hurtgen, who through Bear, Stearns hoped to arrange financing for the $200 million project.
On Thursday, Nii-Jii founder and ex-Chicago congressman Morgan Murphy Jr. testified that Hurtgen's wife, Catherine, received a bunch of free Nii-Jii stock securities that court records indicate would have been worth up to $2 million had Murphy pulled off the casino deal.
Murphy, however, made it clear that the shares he gave Catherine Hurtgen (paid political fund-raiser Phil Prange's sister) had nothing to do with clout or politics. Rather, he provided a much more simple explanation.
Murphy said he valued Catherine Hurtgen's opinion on "interior decorating."
That's his story, and he's sticking to it.
Yes, but.
At some point in time the Hurtgen case in federal court in Chicago has to begin moving forward. Is Hurtgen relying more on his Chicago lawyer Ron Safer and cutting Madison lawyer Stephen Hurley out of the picture?
U.S. District Judge John Grady was the judge in a police corruption and really “laid the wood” to the defendants.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Moose Talk Radio
The way to be a successful political hack is to be something more than a hack
Another day, another Nick Hurtgen hearing, and another indictment, only this time it’s in Wisconsin.
Scandal heads north
The question is: just how politically "connected" is Dennis Troha? Maybe because he's in the trucking business he might not be the kind of person a white collar investor dude like Hurtgen is accustomed to hangin' with.
Yes, but.
Politics tends to be the great societal equalizer at least when things are going good. But, maybe, when indictments start to fly they all reach for attorneys while others reach for an adult beverage?
No matter, most political observers and insiders, naturally, wouldn't trade places with Hurtgen in the eyes of Troha for all the sippin' whiskey in Tennessee or malt scotch from Steve's Liquor.
More conspiring thought
Troha just got indicted in Wisconsin.
Troha and Hurtgen are friends. Hurtgen put Troha's crew in the same room with Marc Marotta and Jim Doyle in Chicago. They played the big room together. Paid political fund-raiser Phil Prange is or was JB Van Hollen's campaign manager.
Hurtgen and Troha go back to the Nii-Jii Entertainment Corp.casino deal with Oval Office aspirant Tommy G. Thompson.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=373981&format=print
There, presumably, probably aren’t many secrets between Prange and Hurtgen as they are brother-in-law, fellow frat rats, etc.
Troha gets investigated by the feds.
Imaginably, Hurtgen knows all of Troha's dealings as does Prange so, by proxy, do Van Hollen.
If the feds don't use Troha to get Hurtgen that means they used Hurtgen and Prange to get Troha.
If Hurtgen gets off that is a total travesty of justice.
Of course, a Platinum portion of this is alleged and highly speculative.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=572359
Meanwhile All Aboard! Mayor Dave’s trolley cars as lobbyists in Madison gripe about the incessant coverage of Tommy G. Thompson on the Wispolitics website and correctly point to the fact that Phil Prange, Thompson’s former paid political fund-raiser, is the money behind the opinionated, narrow-casted political messages that 200 core subscribers receive.
Definitely WWW Profound Political Satire
The way to be a successful political hack is to be something more than a hack
Another day, another Nick Hurtgen hearing, and another indictment, only this time it’s in Wisconsin.
Scandal heads north
The question is: just how politically "connected" is Dennis Troha? Maybe because he's in the trucking business he might not be the kind of person a white collar investor dude like Hurtgen is accustomed to hangin' with.
Yes, but.
Politics tends to be the great societal equalizer at least when things are going good. But, maybe, when indictments start to fly they all reach for attorneys while others reach for an adult beverage?
No matter, most political observers and insiders, naturally, wouldn't trade places with Hurtgen in the eyes of Troha for all the sippin' whiskey in Tennessee or malt scotch from Steve's Liquor.
More conspiring thought
Troha just got indicted in Wisconsin.
Troha and Hurtgen are friends. Hurtgen put Troha's crew in the same room with Marc Marotta and Jim Doyle in Chicago. They played the big room together. Paid political fund-raiser Phil Prange is or was JB Van Hollen's campaign manager.
Hurtgen and Troha go back to the Nii-Jii Entertainment Corp.casino deal with Oval Office aspirant Tommy G. Thompson.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=373981&format=print
There, presumably, probably aren’t many secrets between Prange and Hurtgen as they are brother-in-law, fellow frat rats, etc.
Troha gets investigated by the feds.
Imaginably, Hurtgen knows all of Troha's dealings as does Prange so, by proxy, do Van Hollen.
If the feds don't use Troha to get Hurtgen that means they used Hurtgen and Prange to get Troha.
If Hurtgen gets off that is a total travesty of justice.
Of course, a Platinum portion of this is alleged and highly speculative.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=572359
Meanwhile All Aboard! Mayor Dave’s trolley cars as lobbyists in Madison gripe about the incessant coverage of Tommy G. Thompson on the Wispolitics website and correctly point to the fact that Phil Prange, Thompson’s former paid political fund-raiser, is the money behind the opinionated, narrow-casted political messages that 200 core subscribers receive.
Definitely WWW Profound Political Satire
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