For political junkies, The Wheeler Report is must reading. Of course, the lead stories Monday were the arrest of State Rep. Jeff Wood, I-Bloomer, for getting thoroughly oiled while driving. BTW, the "I" stands for intoxicated, not independent. Here is Wheeler's story line-up Monday:
- Rep. Jeff Wood. Statement apologizing for his arrest for OWI and possession of marijuana. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story.
- Assembly Speaker-elect Sheridan. Statement regarding arrest of Rep. Wood.
- Wisconsin Radio Network. Busted legislator gives interview.
Now, just a few entries down, are two more stories - stories that take on added significance.
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Editorial: Drunk driving: People are dying, legislators must take a principled stand.
- The Capital Times. Editorial: Legislators are drunk on perks.
"Drunk on perks" and maybe baked on Maui Wowie.
I was wrong
Jon Hochkammer, mayor of Verona, is not running for Dane County Executive. In a previous blog [Not Quite All In] I oversold the possibility that he would make the race. I wrote:
... the only reason he has not already announced: he would have to take a leave of absence [from his day job] to make the plunge. So, there remains a chance he will not make the race. A small chance.
As it turned out, a not so small chance. Dane County is the poorer. The deadline for filing candidacies is January 6. This is no dissatisfaction with Nancy Mistele at all, only recognition that democracy is strengthened by choices.
A quirk
One of my compulsions is counting how many different isotherms are represented in the Wisconsin State Journal's daily weather map. Sunday, I counted six, all banded with a different color. A tiny portion of single digit temperatures showed pink just outside of Grand Rapids, Minnesota in the northwest corner of the map. Across the south, in a band extending from Des Moines to Chicago, a dark green band foretold of temperatures in the 60s.
Six! I think that's a record.
