Uppity Wisconsin

In the United States Senate, doing nothing is protected as a point of historical pride. It is the privilege of a U.S. Senator to do nothing and the do-nothing gang does not want this august legislative body to lose its harrowed privilege.

As Gail Collins puts it this morning: "There is a stupendous lack of real enthusiasm in the Senate for doing anything as dramatic as eliminating the senators’ right to stop things."

“It’s beyond the breaking point,” said Senator Tom Harkin, referring to the U.S. Senate's obstruction-as-usual, holds on nominations, filibusters, the whole paralysis of a sick legislative body. Harkin will introduce a bill to eliminate the Senate filibuster next week.

Even reformers like Sen. Russ Feingold defend the filibuster. Maybe Feingold and the Senate will have a change a heart, feeling that the problems facing Americans are so serious that a decaying institution's relics and undemocratic rules must change for the good of the citizens of our republic.

Popular New York Times columnist Gail Collins hits our state slogan, "Live Like You Mean It,” today.

Wisconsin has unveiled a new official state slogan, much to the dismay of some Wisconsinites who wondered why their tourism department spent $50,000 to come up with a catchphrase that used to be in a Bacardi Rum ad campaign. ...

I know, I know. Don’t write to me, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. I don’t want to hear about how you have so much original thinking and creativity it’s sloshing over the border. Tell it to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

I went to school in Wisconsin, and it never struck me as the sort of place where people were worried about living like they meant it. But they were so deeply into being the nation’s dairy capital that they once banned the importation of margarine across state lines.

Then, in 1985, Gov. Anthony Earl of Wisconsin decided America’s Dairyland' was boring and sponsored a contest for a new state slogan, which drew an avalanche of suggestions. A screening committee declined to consider the popular favorite: 'Eat Cheese or Die.' I truly believe that nothing has gone right for Wisconsin on the slogan front ever since.

Update: Most observers mention Palin’s less-than-two-year administration of Alaska's National Guard as a sardonic reference to her stunning lack of credentials to become commander-in-chief, but not Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville); Ryan hypes it.
 
Said Ryan in a statement: "As the head of Alaska's National Guard and mother of a soldier she understands the importance of supporting our brave men and women in uniform. …  I look forward to giving everything I've got to help the McCain-Palin team win in Wisconsin, so they can bring the right kind of change to Washington." (MJS, Aug. 29, 2008) The GOP looks like some desperate dudes. Can you imagine any Democratic nominee for president or vice-president touting his/her credentials by pointing to heading the Alaska National Guard for less than two years?

Like a modern-day Santiago, the politically ailing John McCain battles the titanic forces of Barack Obama and spears his GOP the largest catch of his political life: The great marlin in the form of Governor Sarah Palin.