I'm sure he gets better advice than mine...

but I do not understand why Senator Obama highlights relatively innocuous aspects of Hillary Clinton's history like service on Walmart's board (is that a crime?) when there is so much else to choose from.

Ms. Clinton burst on to the national scene in 1992 when she insulted American women who choose to stay home and raise their children (remember her "bake cookies" comment?).  Then we learned about her involvement in FileGate and TravelGate.

Ms. Clinton later made preposterous statements to the press about a "vast right wing conspiracy" when asked about her husband's peccadilloes which were already well chronicled.  One could go on and on.

Now she criticizes Senator Obama for the quality of clients he represented while in private practice.  I bet Ms. Clinton would much prefer to discuss her board memberships than many other issues that stained her political dossier.  Why does Senator Obama choose Walmart?

Behaving un-presidential

I'm intrigued by all the disapproval of former President Bill Clinton's recent speech-making. When Senator Ted Kennedy is unhappy with the Clintons, it's an unusual time. 

Some have criticized Mr. Clinton's bare-knuckled comments to promote his wife's candidacy as "un-presidential" and ask what happened to ex-Presidents and a long tradition of a muted retirement.

I've long been enamored with Mr. Clinton's intelligence, his command of complex issues and I believe he cares about the average citizen.  He's also a fine speaker, gifted politician and a Dem with some fiscal moorings.  After all, we haven't seen a surplus since Bill Clinton left the White House. His peccadilloes aside, one must give him some credit for those balanced budgets. 

On the other hand, he used the Oval Office like a sex parlor, deceived the American people about it, lied under oath, rented the Lincoln bedroom, pardoned billionaire tax cheat Mark Rich and one could go on.  How consistently did he behave in a "presidential" manner while in office?

I was disappointed by his indiscretions because I'd hoped Bill Clinton would be a Democrat I could admire without reservation.  He is different from the tax and spend pack he runs with.  

A toast to South Carolina

The Palmetto state makes me proud tonight.  I love its motto: Dum Spiro Spero (while I breathe, I hope).

South Carolina state flag

Consider the beginning to tonight's Republican debate in Myrtle Beach -- a chorus of men in suits and women in lovely white dresses all singing the Star Spangled Banner.  

My, how radical.  For me, it was a perfect start to the debate.

State of Wisconsin flubs identity handling (redux)

Haven't we seen this movie before?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that a state mailing may have compromised the identities of thousands of Wisconsinites because of Social Security numbers that were inadvertently printed on mailing labels.

I published a column last year in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after approximately 171,000 taxpayer social security numbers adorned the front of tax booklets. I also mentioned in that column, another breach (not cited in today's Journal Sentinel story) by a human resources aide who mishandled social security numbers of state assembly members.

In the midst of all of this carelessness, the State Department of Health and Family Services and Governor Doyle's spokesman, Matt Canter, are feigning indignation in order to place the blame squarely on the vendor, EDS.

I remember the Mea Culpa letter last year from the printer that accompanied a similar letter from the Department of Revenue explaining and taking responsibility for that debacle. At least, there was a semblance of accountability.

In today's JS story, the Governor's spokesman Matt Canter, suggests that there is a big difference between last year's data goof and this new one because last year, the printer had no use for the data compromised, but EDS needed the data to do it's processing this year.  How does that make State government any less responsible? In both cases state government provided the data files containing our social security numbers to a vendor. 

Here's the first step for a patient to heal thyself - admit you have a problem and stop blaming the vendor. Next, examine your processes and what went wrong- then implement new controls and test them, again and again - to ensure they are working.  We don't need to have someone's head - just take responsibility, analyze it and fix it.

Also announced today was Governor Doyle's effort to expand tax incentives for research and development at Wisconsin companies.  If only one could persuade his administration to research and develop better state processes for handling sensitive data.

Public education and "choice"

Some public education voices extol a right to choice that includes free-from-faith learning environments.  Public Teachers Unions have also historically chosen to fight performance standards intended to hold their members accountable.  

Office.com clip art

Yesterday’s blog post from Patrick McIlheran is spot on.  Mr. McIlheran makes the point that when parents choose alternatives to public education for their children, the principle of free choice often vanishes from teacher unions' consciousness and they behave as though they are the victims.  

I'll always choose to support a strong public education system, but I also choose to reject the views of those who are antagonistic, if not hostile toward alternative education.  We also need adoption of reasonable and enforceable performance standards for public school teachers.  

Hillary Clinton declares cause of US debt

freepik image

Hillary Clinton has now identified "Republicans" as the sole cause of America's national debt. Yes, it's all a vast right wing piracy.

Stumping yesterday in Maquoketa, Iowa in town hall style, Ms. Clinton addressed the causes of America's political, social and economic woes and explained them with one word - "Republicans."

During Ms. Clinton's diatribe against all things Republican, she actually said to her audience...

"They have driven us into nine trillion dollars of debt."

Note: She didn't say "Congress" nor did she cite any spending complicity on the other side of the aisle - she said "they" i.e. Republicans.

At the conclusion of the event, Ms. Clinton listened intently to one admirer and then enthusiastically replied...

"Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely...totally partisan, totally ideological, that is not the way to get things done in America."

Indeed, Senator.  

Go see The Kite Runner

My family and I usually go to the theater this time of year and yesterday I went along with no advanced knowledge of the movie we were going to see.

I rarely recommend a new film because I believe so few are worth seeing, however, I make an exception for The Kite Runner.  If it doesn't capture your attention, enlighten you about the Middle East in some way, or stir your emotions -- I'll be surprised.

This film is based upon Khaled Hosseini's popular novel of the same title that tells a terrifying but ultimately redemptive tale that is set in Kabul, Afghanistan. The timeline takes us from Afghan life in the late 1970s under corrupt, albeit relatively stable rule, to the horrors of the Taliban in 2000.

The stylish opening when credits are still rolling suggested that this would be no ordinary production, but I didn't expect how effectively the film's creators would capture the depth and dimensions of both evil and goodness in that part of the world.

Suffice it to say that a "Best Picture" nomination must be in the offing and perhaps other nominations including best cinematography, best actor and best supporting actor.