We need to talk. No, no, this has nothing to do with what Student Council did. Yeah, I heard about Barack’s interview, but that’s not the issue here. No, it’s not Walker either. Just listen! Badger Herald, … I’m leaving you. … It’s over. Don’t get me wrong; Things have… Read more »

Leadership is not a quality easily taught; it’s just not for everybody. The fact is though, all too often those not suited for leadership are thrust into the role. This column is not about those people. This column is about the people who had the potential to do great things… Read more »

When this whole mess started over a year ago, I was thrilled. I lived a block and a half from the biggest action in the state, thousands upon thousands of protestors circling the Capitol, genuine outrage, creative signage; what wasn’t to love? It was an exciting time to live in… Read more »

Just as some words seem to lose their meaning if you say them too often (deadline … deadline … deadline … ), so too do some facets of the political process. As a recovering recall fiend, I have made my share of transgressions of reason, but this whole recall schtick… Read more »

Students of this university are fortunate to live in such close proximity to government. A lively state Legislature, a passionate and active City Council — we’ve got it all here. What makes this proximity to government most unique however, is that we’re recognized with dedicated student seats at a number… Read more »

Since the kickoff of recall efforts against Gov. Scott Walker on Nov. 15th, I’ve been nothing short of rock hard for the range of Democratic hopefuls looking to steer Wisconsin to port. I mean, you have What’s-her-face, Fireman Union Guy, Sen. Guy-from-near-Madison-who-went-to-Illinois-that-one-time, Rep. Kenosha-guy-who-just-kept-yelling-in-the-Assembly and U.S. Reps. Who? and Huh?… Read more »

When Republicans approved redistricting plans this summer, there was understandably a bit of a fuss over the maps benefiting GOP legislators. Now, with the recall shitstorm looming on the horizon, at least one Republican is looking to strengthen that advantage by putting the new districts into effect this month. The… Read more »

Wisconsin is not a state naturally averse to guns. Although a historically blue state, our penchant for progressivism doesn’t trump our love for firearms, be it deer season, turkey season, Christmas, what have you. It comes as little surprise, then, how relatively calmly Wisconsinites accepted legislation leaving Illinois the lone… Read more »

There are certainly times when not disclosing information makes sense: ‘Where did those worrisome-looking stains came from?’ or ‘why did I wake up covered in glitter and hot sauce?’ Political campaign contributions though? Not so much. State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend — ever the defender of all that is… Read more »

Lips, snouts and assholes, my father used to tell me. These are the integral parts of what we know as America’s signature sausage: the hot dog. So after Justice Patrick Crooks compared open Supreme Court deliberations to making sausage, is it so much the lips and snouts we have to… Read more »

When first made aware of Sen. Herb Kohl’s coming retirement, I, no doubt along with many Wisconsin residents, expressed a common sentiment: Oh yeah, that’s right, Wisconsin has another senator beside the doofus that beat former Sen. Russ Feingold. Kohl, the state’s senior senator, is wrapping up his tenure after… Read more »

Every decade, states are required to redraw voting districts to account for population changes with the results of the latest U.S. Census. In the last 10 years, the state of Wisconsin gained around 320,000 residents, a shift that is not enough to increase our representation in Congress, but substantial enough… Read more »

The 2008 presidential primary was the first election I ever cast a vote in. And while myself and 900 or so other Wisconsinites who wanted our politics a little more senile, a little more ballsy and a little more crazy may not have won out, it’s the principle of being… Read more »

Waukesha County and the state of Florida have a number of things in common. They are both considered Republican-leaning. They both have at least one airport. But most importantly, they have issues with counting. What was supposed to be a hard-fought underdog story of striking back at Gov. Scott Walker… Read more »

Depending on your thoughts as to how truly disgusting union-busting is, there has been a disturbingly common trend among GOP legislators to propose sweeping cuts or outright eliminations of funding and programs so often held dear to their Democratic counterparts. All this in the name of responsibility and shared sacrifice.… Read more »

Unemployment hovers around 9 percent nationally. Our nation’s debt lurks at just over $14 trillion. But fortunately for all of us, millions of Americans took it upon themselves to rise up, head to the polls and throw out the bums who caused all this mess. The way toward a prosperous… Read more »

In a city like Madison, comparisons of Tea Partiers to children are not infrequent. Chalk it up to our elitism, our progressive chauvinism or mere observance, but in our fair city, those of the strict-Constitutionalist persuasion certainly aren’t widely respected. As a movement, the grassroots style, accessibility and notion of… Read more »

As students prepare for another semester, the individuals at the other end of State Street are working yet again to determine exactly how valuable our education is and what the state should do about it.Under the leadership of Gov. Scott Walker, and with the help of Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater,… Read more »

“I think it’s tempting not to negotiate with hostage-takers, unless the hostage gets harmed.” When Patty Hearst, granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, assumed the role of an urban guerrilla after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, many throughout America were baffled as to why one raised in… Read more »

For the third time in almost six months, classified documents pertaining to the affairs of the United States’ abroad were released by the “media” organization WikiLeaks. The implications of this release will not be seen fully until the complete series of documents are vetted, analyzed and released by a select… Read more »

Now, after the election two weeks ago, I was left in a bit of a daze. I was mourning the loss of Russ Feingold, and lamenting how Tom Barrett, despite his overwhelming lack of redeeming qualities, was defeated by Scott Walker, a man of perhaps even fewer of the aforementioned… Read more »

It’s like riding a bike. The idiom gets tossed around to imply something easily remembered, something innately familiar. Seems simple enough, right? Yeah, well, when one never really learns to ride a bike in the first place, things get a little complicated. Just fewer than 60 percent of voters in… Read more »

With one of the worst economic climates in this nation’s history, it’s understandable for job creation and stimulating a stagnant economy to be at the forefront of the platforms of those looking to represent the citizens of Wisconsin. These are dire times, and the notion of a candidate being able… Read more »

College media generally lends itself to a precarious position within the greater scheme of modern journalism. Your average college newsroom is a place of learning. Young people with little to no experience in the tools journalism requires are able to hone these talents into marketable skills that, at least in… Read more »

I’ve followed politics at least somewhat closely since George W. Bush’s first foray into the presidential scene. After 2004’s questionable victory by W, I developed a strong cynicism concerning all things political. Nowadays, politics is arguably a sham, dominated by individuals seeking to oust “career politicians” and somehow recapture an… Read more »

The Colt M1911, the Heckler & Koch MP5, the Winchester Repeater and the Butter Burger. Do any of these items seem conspicuously out of place? If you answered that the Heckler & Koch MP5 is not an American invention, huzzah my friend, the Union yet stands! Americans, as a people,… Read more »

My personal love for politics is being rekindled once again, not because I‘m more active, but because I have something to complain about. It’s like being in middle school, sitting down with some Marx and giving half-assed critiques of capitalism in a Che Guevara T-shirt for the first time all… Read more »

The right to cast one’s vote may not be the most glamorous of rights, but it should go without saying that it is an integral part of the democratic process. And regardless of whether America’s current conflicts abroad tickle your fancy, surely the men and women fighting in the service… Read more »

Mark up another one for some of the most reviled and feared individuals in this city, but be sure to wash it off after because you already know you’re going to get shafted on that security deposit. Last week, the city’s Housing Committee shot down a proposal to push back… Read more »

There’s really no better way to start a new school year than by realizing your dreams are unattainable and the craft to which you aspire is worth no more than the paper your degree is printed on. This is exactly what a number of prospective journalism students at the University… Read more »

Every day tens, if not dozens, of albums are sold in record stores across America. And yet the average American musician represented by a major record label is forced to scrape by on only millions. Their only fault: Being born talented and with a marketable face. They are forced to… Read more »