Boys, Boys

A bill that would require voters to show a photo ID has touched off an unusually nasty feud between two veteran Democratic legislators who represent the same south side Milwaukee voters.

Rep. Pedro Colón criticized Sen. Tim Carpenter for voting for the photo ID bill (AB 63). If the measure becomes law, Colón said, it would suppress the votes of the poor, minorities and elderly. [. . .]

Responding, Carpenter noted that he at least voted on the issue this time. Colón was not present when the state Assembly passed the voter ID bill on Feb. 24.

Carpenter knows how I feel; I'm with Colón on this one.

But what ticks me off most is the infighting. It's this kind of internecene fighting (and, really, how many of us knew the word internecene meant before the Democratic primary last year?) that makes Dems look like losers. We need not just to be united, but also to shut up about each other. The position we are in right now means that anything that makes us weaker must be stopped. Frankly, that includes voting against measures that will keep Democratic voters from the polls. Tim Carptenter is in one of the safest districts in the state, and can afford to take a stand.

Speaking of which, there is some buzz that maybe Colón would mount a primary challenge to Carpenter. Again, I think that would be unbelievably stupid; Democrats cannot afford some kind of Grothman-Panzer mess in 2006. Besides, if anyone is going to replace Carpenter in the state senate, it should be Josh Zepnick, so then I can run for Josh's seat . . . (Just kidding, dear.)