Barrett To Run, Taking Soglin Off Hook

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Dan Bice is reporting that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will run for Governor next year, taking Paul off the hook well before his Thanksgiving deadline.  Whew.

Not that there wasn't a tidal wave of interest and debate here this last week over the possibility.  After comrade John Nichols gave the "Soglin for Governor" campaign some Old Media traction, breathlessly calling the prospect "not unappealing,"  Dave Blaska felt it necessary to parry "Havana Paul" with some snark of his own:

Havana Paul is actually calling for higher taxes (that is what "investment” means in LiberalSpeak) — and that it be spent on schools and "infrastructure.” Not roads, presumably. Probably commuter rail. "Based on sound economic AND social principles?” How is that not "political ideology?”

So with John Nichols with us and Dave Blaska against us, the "Soglin for Governor" campaign was on the right track and gaining steam. But now, with Barrett in the race and the bandwagon pulling away from the dock, all the air is out of the Soglin balloon and the bubbly is getting warm and flat.  However, the political future of Wisconsin looks a lot brighter than it did yesterday.

Here's Waxing America's early endorsement: Soglin Barrett for Governor in 2010.

- Barry Orton

Comments

[R.J.]

Holy metaphor whiplash!

"on the right track...gaining steam...in the race...bandwagon pulling...dock...balloon"

Barrett's Hail Mary will be on the ropes, ultimately striking out, as Walker hurdles the media's uneven playing field in the home stretch to bring home the cup.

[Ed Leavitt]

Walker schmucks are the talk media that schmoes like you use a "the only news sources that matter". If you lived out of your Republi-bubble you'd know that.

Fortunately, no one with any semblance of guts or IQ buys Walker's tired Bush/Reagan routine. Throwing a bunch of junk at the wall and hoping it sticks is not leadership or reform, and the thinking peole in this blue state know it. When you're making ti known that you sought out Sarah Palin for advice, you're the one trying the Hail Mary.

[R.J.]

The voters gave you guys an inch and you took a mile. Walker reforms government back down to 1/2 mile and you guys are still ahead...be happy and show some gratitude.

Funny how that tired Bush/Reagan routine worked when Diamond Jim was running.

[Alderman Steve]

I'll know the republicans are serious about getting elected when they finally figure out that the agenda of right talk radio hosts (namely, generating ratings from the angry-white-guy demographic) might not coincide so neatly with the needs of republican political candidates who need to attract votes from political moderates.

The fortunes of the barking heads of right wing radio will do just fine with the sliver of the population who tune in to their programs. After all, ClearChannel doesn't need a majority of the population to tune in and buy their advertisers' wares to make a profit. They will thrive as the voice in the wilderness.

And judging from the internecine warfare being waged by the Teabagger movement, plus the oath of fealty being demanded by the Club For Growth folks, this 20%--noisy as they are--will make it surpassingly difficult for any GOP candidate to move to the center.

Which is sad, because the republic really could use a sane opposition party that has something to offer besides stale and discredited free market fundamentalism...

[R.J.]

Jobs, stability, a sense of ownership truly are stale concepts these days. But, as long as Sweden and Spain think we're atoning for success, it's all good.

[Christopher Branski]

I'm a former resident of Milwaukee, and I don't plan on returning there. While I'm not going to endorse Scott Walker, I'm not going to endorse Barrett either for the simple reason that much of Milwaukee is comnpletely dysfunctional.

Barrett did a good thing by helping to bring Ed Flynn on board as police chief. But much work remians to be done in Milwaukee, for example job creation and their wretched schools. And the desires of those who don't live in overpriced condos Downtown need to matter as much as those who do. There are things Barrett can't do for Milwaukee, but the former need to be accomplished before he even thinks of running for governor.

[Alderman Steve]

"Jobs, stability, a sense of ownership truly are stale concepts these days."

I don't think these are the things folks outside the right wing bubble associate with the Republican brand after eight years of George W. Bush. No, these days the GOP brand brings to mind tax cuts for the rich, off-budget wars, the collapse of our financial system, lawless torture of prisoners, the elevation of rank stupidity over competence, and administrative incompetence and corruption on an epic scale.

Oh...that and white southern congressmen shouting "you lie" to the President of the United States as he addresses congress.

But hey! Sarah Palin can field dress a moose!

[Brian]

This could be good for Milwaukee Public Schools. If he's busy running for statewide office, presumably he has less time to screw up MPS worse than it already is.

On the other hand, if he does win the governorship, then we have four more years of crummy ed policy statewide.

Hard to find a silver lining in these two education dark clouds.

Actually I'd like to see the Tom Barrett who was a solid progressive in the U.S. Congress. What happened to that guy?

[Art Hackett]

It's too bad that Wisconsin won't have a governor who would be mistaken (at least in terms of appearance) for Einstein. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[jrc]

@Art Hackett

I definitely agree, but one of Paul's most endearing traits would also be his downfall. As he posted earlier, he struggles with staying on message. I'm not sure I've ever heard Paul make a point without the conversation branching off at some point into at least three other stories.

@Brian

Barrett's gubernatorial campaign aside, I think that your anger is misdirected. You're blaming Tom Barrett -- the man who has for years advocated mayoral control of MPS from a parochial school board -- for a public school system that has been in tatters for decades? ...for an MPS budget that is now strained by costly pension decisions school board members made more than a decade ago?

While there isn't any empirical evidence suggesting that mayoral control of MPS is the clear answer, the antithesis is true as well. It can't certainly can't hurt what has long been a black-eye among the State's otherwise largely reputable public school districts.

In Barrett at least Milwaukee would have oversight by someone representing more than 4% of the electorate (1/4 or approx ~6,100 of which are MPS teachers) and with more motivation to make tough administrative budget decisions. MTEA might cringe, but I'd welcome COM Comptroller Wally Morics take a crack at solving some of the district's budget issues!

[mgm]

As for me, I'll write in Soglin for Governor in the 2010 primary, just to see how write-ins work in the Optical Scan era.