A Liberal Lives In Wisconsin

     Hate crimes are a very real danger here in Northeast Wisconsin. That became quite clear this month, when a judge rejected an atrocious plea deal that would have let an atrocious criminal off the hook.       I can't think of any case in which letting someone who threw another individual into a fire plead down to a misdemeanor is appropriate. That becomes even more true when it is a man throwing a woman into a fire, when that man is a corrections officer who should know better as someone whose job it is to protect others, and when that attack is an apparently random one in which the only plausible reasoning was the sexual orientation of the victim.      Still, DA David Lasee, a Republican who apparently hates gay people, was willing to let Shane Nolan, a 31-year-old bigot with a temper, off with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist at best, to allow him to live a normal life while the victim suffered permanent physical and emotional damage, without even consulting the victim or

     President Biden has already achieved a lot in terms of building back America's judiciary better. He appointed the most qualified nominees in a generation, saw Democratic judges outnumber Republican ones on the federal bench, ended the racial disparity for black Americans and Asian Americans on the federal bench, appointed more Native American federal judges than any president in history, appointed the first Muslim men and women to the bench, appointed the first black woman to the Supreme Court, renominated a number of appointees Mitch McConnell refused to consider under President Obama, prioritized public defenders and civil rights attorneys over corporate lawyers, appointed LGBT2SQIA+ and Hispanic judges at an unprecedented rate , extended this impact to the D.C. judiciary , and much more.      The most important action President Biden can take right now is filling appellate court vacancies. He has already flipped the Second, Third, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits, and can

     Republicans have a history of helping causes they're trying to hurt with overblown, hyperbolic, theatric rhetoric. A prime example was during the confirmation hearings of Ketanji Brown Jackson, when Ted Cruz tried to paint her as racist toward white people (Rafael Cruz is not even white) by holding up children's books teaching something he apparently sees as controversial: racism is bad. When he read those books, sales exploded to the tune of millions of dollars, all of which went toward progressive authors.      The master of this craft, however, is Matt Gaetz. He made a remark on Twitter about "overeducated women" being a threat to society after the leak draft of the SCOTUS decision overturning Roe v. Wade  was released in May of 2022. In response to these abhorrent remarks, activists started a website called overeducatedwomen.com  that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for six different women's rights groups. That wouldn't be the last time M

     There's a lot of action going on in Washington, D.C. right now. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, a $280 billion investment in manufacturing, science, innovation, clean energy, competition with China, and much more. To allow this bill to pass, Senators Schumer and Manchin gave the appearance that discussions over the next bill I'm going to mention were over in order to stop a blockade by Mitch McConnell. Meanwhile, Congress is also trying to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that would cut carbon emissions by 40 percent, slash the costs of prescription drugs, lower Affordable Care Act premiums, and cut the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars by forcing the wealthy to pay their fair share and not raising taxes on those making under $400,000 per year. Whether or not this bill will pass hangs on the will of Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who appears to want to delay it again. Then, there's the Honoring Our PACT Act, a $400 billion bill to support veterans

     Cheri Beasley. Raphael Warnock. Mandela Barnes. Charles Booker. John Fetterman. Evan McMullin. Maggie Hassan. Catherine Cortez Masto. Mark Kelly. Val Demings. Trudy Busch Valentine. The Democratic slate for Senate is the most diverse, youngest, and most progressive slate of Senate candidates ever run, with four black men and four women-- two white, one black, and one Hispanic-- out of these candidates alone. In a historic move, the Utah Democrats have endorsed Evan McMullin, an independent candidate who would be the first independent to serve in the Senate and would drastically shift the game in Utah, a candidate who is virtually tied in the polls with GOP Senator Mike Lee.      It is going to be an uphill battle, but Democrats are working to keep the House. That in itself would be enough, while the Senate is going to be a much different beast. Democrats are going for more than keeping the Senate or picking up a seat or two: at best, Democrats earn a 56-1-43 majority in the Senate

     Republican Representative Joe Scarborough wrote a book profiling Democratic President Harry S. Truman. While James Monroe, the 5th president, was the first whose priority was national security, it would be Truman, the 33rd, who would lay the foundation for America's modern military and national security measures and institutions.         Aside from founding NATO and the United Nations, Truman, on July 26th, signed the National Security Act of 1947. This landmark law combined the Departments of the Army and the Navy into the current Department of Defense while also creating the Air Force, codifying the Marine Corps as an independent military branch, and creating the National Security Council and the CIA.      The first Secretary of Defense was appointed on September 8th of that year, a major victory for Truman's military and foreign affairs agenda, which would define his legacy, as the conservative coalition dominating congress blocked the implementation of almost all of hi

     Michigan is one of the most beautiful states in the country-- almost as beautiful as Wisconsin. All kidding aside, I consider myself fortunate to wake up every day living just a short ride away from Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that are home to 95 percent of North America's fresh water. That's why I make protecting the environment, my environment, a priority in my fight to build a better America.      With the Manchin Project, we're working to address one of the primary issues facing humanity, and maybe THE primary issue-- climate change-- by addressing the damage caused by coal power. Michigan is a perfect example of the progress that can be made in this regard. Michigan, until roughly the turn of the century, ran almost entirely on coal power. After all, Michigan has been the heart of America's auto industry and a place home to proud manufacturing families more broadly. Since 1996, 21 of Michigan's coal plants have closed down while a 22nd was destro

     Whether for misdemeanor or felony charges, the arrests for the Capitol insurrection never get less disturbing as the months go on, even if the more high-profile arrests have already been made. The overwhelming majority of these people were affiliated with or sympathetic toward extremist groups like the Proud Boys and fringe ideologies like the QAnon conspiracy theory, a disproportionate number were former military and law enforcement, most had some history of crime or financial difficulties, and they all believed that the 2020 election was stolen. The "ordinary people caught up in the moment and deceived by the president" narrative doesn't sit well with me, although that doesn't negate the former president's legal and moral responsibility for what happened that day.      Just in the past few weeks, for example, the arrests have included: Bernard Sirr, a nuclear worker from Rhode Island who was involved with the crowd interfering with and assaulting law enforc

     Ted Cruz is one of the most laughable yet dangerous human beings in the United States of America. He ate a booger, left his constituents and his dog "Snowflake" behind when he flew to Mexico during a deadly snowstorm before blaming his daughters, campaigned for the man who insulted his wife, boosted sales for children's books about race while trying to use them to discredit Ketanji Brown Jackson, accidentally liked a porn tweet, and much more.       So, when Ted Cruz calls the video of Senator Josh Hawley running "gotcha politics" but something that he sees as "somewhat humorous," you know that's embarrassing. The January 6th Committee deserves major props for this one. There was no relevant reason to play a clip of a lawmaker running from the January 6th mob; the running was justified and every lawmaker did it. However, the juxtaposition of Josh Hawley inciting the mob that day with a fist pump and him later that day running for his life like

     President Biden and Democrats in Congress are on track to deliver unprecedented results to expand healthcare across the United States in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden and Vice President Harris have launched an unprecedented effort to expand maternal health with executive and agency actions bolstered by funding provided in the historic American Rescue Plan Act. This law also reduced the uninsured rate in the United States to just eight percent, the lowest rate in American history, with increased subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.       The proposed Inflation Reduction Act will continue these subsidies, which have made healthcare affordable for millions of additional people, for years to come. This bill, which could be signed into law as soon as mid-August, would also allow Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, cap drug costs for seniors, prevent companies from increasing prescription prices higher than inflation, and much more, which would

     Recently, Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council under President Biden, highlighted the progress made on President Biden's executive order on competition in the economy. This historic executive order called for virtually every federal agency to come together and implement dozens of different policy changes, from cracking down on overdraft fees in banking to blocking hospital mergers and allowing hearing aids to be sold over the counter. While many of these changes have been achieved by federal agencies, the order also led to something that hasn't happened in nearly a century: real momentum on antitrust legislation in Congress.      Congress has already passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, empowering the Federal Maritime Commission to crack down on unfair shipping practices that drive up prices for consumers. Seven more landmark bills are waiting in the wings of Congress, bills aimed to break up monopolies with a focus on cracking down on Big Tech. The Merg

     In June 2022, California made history with its announcement that it would partner with other nations, starting with New Zealand and Canada, to come up with innovative solutions to combat climate change. Governor Gavin Newsom, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are to thanks for this, and all three have demonstrated leadership in combating climate change.      In the United States, California has been a leader in the fight to develop renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality. However, one literal black spot remains on California's climate record: the Argus Cogeneration Plant.      Regardless of state policies, coal has been dying across the United States for nearly a decade. In that time, the number of coal plants has gone down from 600 to less than 180. During the Trump administration, for example, nearly 200 coal plants closed while only one plant was built, and that is in spite of Trump "digging" coal. Maintaining century-old infr

       Who could it be, GOP? Your 2024 nominee is looking PROMISING! Speaking of promises, I know Joe Biden did a good job of keeping them, and that pisses you off, but that doesn't mean we can't set that aside and look at some of your winners.       Could it be Monotone Mike Pence from Indiana, the stereotypical "GOD HATES F*GS" Republican?      Could it be Lady Lindsey Graham, the senator who has gone absolutely nowhere in 40 years?      Could it be Mario Kart Mitch McConnell, the dead ringer for a turtle who nicknamed himself "The Grim Reaper" but probably keeps himself alive with poison apples?      Could it be Macho Madison Cawthorn, the serial rapist who plays victim?      Could it be Noisy Nikki Haley, who twists herself into a pretzel to please Master Trump while somehow saying nothing of value?      Could it be Don, Jr., the elephant poacher with a shit-for-brains brother, an odd attraction to his sister, a legally-dead wife?      I really like peop

     I saw an article urging President Biden to act more quickly on appointing federal judges to the bench, and my reaction was simply to shake my head in dismay. Since taking office, President Biden has appointed 120 judges to the federal bench, a faster pace than any president in U.S. history. As we enter the second half of the year, President Biden is picking up the pace of nominations to ensure as many as possible can be confirmed by the end of the year. Just last week, President Biden announced 17 more nominations to the federal bench. 70 of his nominees have already been confirmed; for reference, Donald Trump confirmed 85 judges in his first two years as president. The record is currently held by Bill Clinton, who confirmed 128 federal judges in his first two years as president. If President Biden makes just one or two more nomination announcements and all of his nominees are confirmed, President Biden is on track to break that record and undo Trump's damage to every court sa

     Just in time for my birthday tomorrow, we've gotten some good news in the fight to punish QAnon crazies across the country. Firstly, Lauren Boebert is in more financial trouble after it was revealed that her landlord decided not to renew the lease for her restaurant, Shooters Grill. I'm not giving the landlord any props on this one: a restaurant called "Shooters" where waitresses serve food with weapons on their hips is only owned by one type of person; it was simply the national spotlight of having a gun-toting, racist moron in their building the landlord didn't like.      Here in Wisconsin, a much less infamous but equally crazy "entrepreneur" is facing much more serious consequences than Boebert. I've already highlighted how this QAnon follower has been in jail for many months after a high-speed chase with law enforcement in which they were forced to deploy spike strips, how she sued the police who arrested her and the judge who used to pres

     Governor Laura Kelly is quite possibly the best governor in Kansas history. Last week, the Democratic Governor's Association did a profile on the record $9 billion in private sector investments in Kansas during her tenure, and it's easy to see why. She has balanced the state budget and begun to pay off the state debt while still managing to fully fund the state's schools and other critical services for the first time in years, invest in infrastructure, and deliver historic middle class tax cuts, most notably when she phased out the food tax that was unique to only a handful of states. Once considered a below-average state for business, Kansas is now considered above average as its unemployment rate drops to just over two percent, the lowest in its history and among the lowest in the nation, and it wins the prestigious Golden Shovel Award for the second year in a row after winning the Silver Shovel in 2020 and not even qualifying before Governor Kelly took office.      

     Those blaming President Biden for the infant formula shortage are among the worst of the worst human beings on the planet or the most idiotic idiots in the United States of America, which is saying a lot. The Abbott Infant Formula Company's Michigan plant was closed down in February after at least 10 infants were killed and hundreds more injured by a bacterial outbreak in the facility. If any other facility under FDA jurisdiction had seen the same thing happen, the FDA would have had the same response. The idea that the facility being shut down was "government overreach" is insane, as it implies (or, in some cases, people have directly declared) that dozens or hundreds more infants should be allowed to die, an acceptable cost of free market capitalism. I also find it funny that the people who claim to support small government are the same ones blasting the government for not doing enough. The "small government" argument is a farce; they want a hands-off gov

     As we speak, President Biden is in Israel. This is not his first time in the nation; as a matter of fact, it is his tenth. He has known every Israeli leader since Golda Meir, who I am proud to say grew up right here in Milwaukee, and has long been among Israel's most vocal defenders.       More than words, President Biden is delivering action. When he entered office, his predecessor had signed agreements between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and negotiated agreements between Israel and Morocco and Sudan. President Biden, and, more specifically, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, immediately began reviewing the latter two agreements with plans to hold a signing ceremony in the near future. Formalizing his predecessor's actions is not something concrete, but the further expansion of relations certainly is, as is the negotiation of a new agreement with Saudi Arabia, possibly the most significant agreement that can be reached in this process. Just as he lande

     It's fairly rare today, but we have good news to report on abortion rights. An ungerrymandered Michigan could be a happy Michigan and it could be a just Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer launched a historic lawsuit to overturn Michigan's pre-Roe abortion ban. It has gone before Michigan judges who have sided with the governor, allowing abortions to remain safe and legal statewide for the time being. However, county and local officials have become confused over the status of abortion's legality in Michigan, which is why Governor Whitmer has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to take up her lawsuit immediately and permanently overturn this century-old ban. Michigan's Supreme Court has a wide Democratic majority, which means the ban will likely be overturned if the Supreme Court takes up the case.      This lawsuit is part of a two-pronged approach to protect abortion access in Michigan. Today, voters submitted a staggering 750,000 signatures for a ballot initiative t

     In the past few years, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and New York have completely rid themselves of the scourge of coal. Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, and Delaware have declared their intent to do so before 2030, which should bring the total to 12. There are six more states that are down to just one functioning coal plant each, and these six states could easily join the other 12, with or without any government action, to bring the total to a minimum of 18 states that ditch coal before 2030: California currently powers much of the LA area with the Intermountain Power Plant in Western Utah. However, this plant has announced it intention to transition entirely to a mix of natural gas and hydrogen by 2025 and eventually to 100 percent hydrogen. This leaves the Argus Cogeneration Plant in San Bernadino County, a small coal plant that is the last in California and, if still open in 2025, would be the last on the West Coast. Idaho , a deep r

     Pennsylvania rejected Ms. Barnette immediately, as did Doctor Oz. In a real "leopards ate my face" moment, he claimed that Barnette was unfit for office after she made Islamophobic comments. Who's gonna tell him that the man who endorsed him called for the creation of a Muslim registry, banned Muslims from the United States, and falsely claimed that Muslims in New Jersey, Oz's own state, cheered on 9/11? Anyway, they didn't reject Mr. McCormick as quickly. A legal and PR battle worth several million dollars ensued over the next few weeks before McCormick finally conceded to Oz.      After 2016, I've learned to stop saying it is impossible for people to win elections. However, between the two, Dr. Oz is the easier to take down. Sure, he can run on "I'm the first Muslim Senate candidate of a major political party," but he and his fellow Trumpublicans have made it clear they want to run on the economy. Seems easy enough. However, John Fetterman

     This session, the Supreme Court solidified its place as a human rights violator, a threat to American democracy, a pariah in terms of the legitimacy of the judicial system, a body more interested in Christian nationalism than the U.S. Constitution, and a million other vile things I would go to jail for putting into words. However, amidst all of that, there was one positive: the Supreme Court finally allowed the Biden administration to end Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy.       The judges beneath SCOTUS who ruled that President Biden could not repeal Remain in Mexico are disgraces to their profession. The policy mandated that immigrants who wished to apply to immigrate to the United States remain in Mexico while their cases were heard, a move that made things much harder, much more dangerous, and much more contentious for people coming to the United States in search of a better life. The idea that President Trump could instate a policy via executive action and Presi

     Independence Day 2022 turned into a nightmare thanks to a Trump supporter and possible anti-Semite who had planned this attack very far in advance. Seven were killed and at least 40 injured when he climbed onto a rooftop and shot into a parade in Highland Park, Illinois. To clear up one bit of misinformation, I would like to thank the police in this scenario: they may not have killed him, but they did shoot him pretty severely; this wasn't a case of a white mass shooter getting taken to Burger King afterward. FOX News was among the first agencies to report the shooting, hoping it would fit their "Chicago is a crime-ridden liberal hellhole" narrative; they held their horses when what was revealed had the opposite effect.      Robert "Bobby" Crimo III's uncle Paul claimed he "never could have seen this coming." In Daniel Tosh's Netflix special "People Pleaser," he says, "there's nothing more disrespectful" than doing

     Today is Independence Day; let's celebrate by declaring independence from coal. As negotiations continue on the second third of the Build Back Better Agenda, one that aims to reduce the deficit and fight climate change through hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy investments offset by taxes on the wealthy, I am launching the Manchin Project. Sorry, Senator Manchin, but coal is dying. The Manchin Project is dedicated to speeding up the process in response to the petty political tactics of the senator from West Virginia who has made himself rich at the expense of people and the planet alike.      This first announcement is a positive one. In March, New Jersey announced that it would be closing its last two coal plants within a few months. Now, just weeks later, the promise has actually been kept. New Jersey, as part of its commitment to be carbon-neutral by 2050, has closed the Logan Generating Plant in Logan Township and the Chambers Carneys Point Cogen Generating Pl