TonyPalmeri.Com Update For July 17, 2004
1. Shoddy Coverage of 54th Forum: AFSCME Locals 48 and 579 sponsored a forum last Tuesday night featuring candidates running in the 53rd Assembly District (LuAnn Bird, Steve Dedow, Dick Spanbauer), the 54th Assembly District (Tony Palmeri, Dan Carpenter, Gordon Hintz), and the 6th Congressional District (Carol Rittenhouse, Jeff Hall). The Oshkosh Northwestern coverage of the 54th District race was especially bad. Incumbent Gregg Underheim did not show up, yet his picture was in the story. This would not be so bad except for the fact that Independent Dan Carpenter WAS at the forum and yet his picture did NOT make it into the paper. Worse, the first quote in the story is attributed to me and yet it was said by Carpenter (they still have not corrected this error in the web addition of the story).. And in the print copy of the paper, the page C2 headline states Underheim's position on an issue as if he was an equal participant at the forum.
The 54th District race provides the Oshkosh community with a rare opportunity to get a variety of different views on how to handle the crucial problems facing the district. It is now clear that the Oshkosh Northwestern has no intention of taking advantage of that opportunity. Therefore, it will be up to independent media producers like Melanie Bloechl and Cheryl Hentz of Eye on Oshkosh, Gordon Doule of Vox Pop, the UW Oshkosh Advance-Titan, and Bob Knudsen of WRST-FM radio to bring some integrity to the coverage of the race. If anyone would like to write about the 54th or the other local races for TonyPalmeri.Com, I am more than willing to publish the pieces. The readership is much higher than you might think.
Let me be clear that I am not complaining about the way I am personally covered in the Oshkosh Northwestern. I'm happy just to get my name spelled correctly. Here's the Northwestern story: http://www.wisinfo.com/northwestern/news/local/stories/local_16896339.shtml
The forum will be broadcast of Oshkosh Cable Access Television on dates and times TBA.
2. Palmeri Vox Pop Appearance to be Rerun: Host of Oshkosh Cable Access Television's Vox Pop, Gordon Doule, told me last week that my appearance on his show from early June will be rerun this week. It can be seen on Channel 2 in Oshkosh on Monday, July 19th at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, July 21st at 12:30 p.m.; Thursday, July 22 at 6 p.m.; and Saturday, July 24 at 12 p.m.
3. Trippi's Trip: Howard Dean's former campaign manager Joe Trippi (the one who always looks like he hasn't washed his hair in a week) has just come out with a new book (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything). The line getting the most press is this one: "An amazing thing happened in the presidential contest of 2004: For the first time in my life, maybe the first time in history, a candidate lost but his campaign won." Here's an excerpt of the book from Alternet: http://www.alternet.org/election04/19197/
4. Reich and Galbraith on Corporate Power: Great Society-ish liberal Robert Reich and New Deal liberal John Kenneth Galbraith have had strong words for corporations lately. Reich, Clinton's first-term Labor Secretary who is rumored to have coined the phrase "corporate welfare," says that "Maybe you didn't know that this Congress is owned -- lock, stock and pork barrel -- by corporate America".: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=8099
Galbraith says that "corporate power is the driving force behind US foreign policy--and the slaughter in Iraq"http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0715-06.htm
A few years ago I wrote a review of Galbraith's book Name Dropping: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/commentary/galbraith.htm
5. The New Republic on Bush's July Surprise: This is lengthy but worth the read: http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20040719&s=aaj071904
6. GOP Golden Boy Scott Walker in Trouble: Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, widely rumored to be a possible challenger against Jim The New Democrat Doyle for governor in 2006, is facing a scandal involving what appears to be favorable treatment given to an investment banking firm with political connections to him. Let's see if Milwaukee-based Citizens for Responsible Government, the "nonpartisan" organization that led a successful recall against former Democratic County Executive Tom Ament (and is now mobilizing a mean spirited recall campaign against Democratic Senator Jeff Plale because they didn't like his vote on the Republican Tax Freeze Plan), is as quick to pounce on Walker the Republican. Here are some stories:
Bond Deal Records Missing: http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul04/243754.asp
Answers Sought on Bond Deal: http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul04/244056.asp
Bond Deal Records Discovered: http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jul04/244080.asp
7. Letter--The Plutocrats and the War: TonyPalmeri.Com reader Drew Hunkins submitted a letter: http://www.tonypalmeri.com/dh1.htm
8. New Time For Tony Photos:
Note: Because Wisconsin's election laws are completely rigged in favor of the Republicrats, it will be almost impossible for me to get any public financing for my assembly campaign. Thus, I must rely on the generous contributions of supporters and friends in order to run a competitive campaign. Would you like to donate to the Time For Tony campaign? Make checks payable to "Palmeri For Assembly" and mail to:
Palmeri For Assembly, 212 W. Parkway Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54901
Peace!!
