Star Wars Day links

by folkbum

Too busy to write, but May the 4th be with these:

• Arne Duncan says he appreciates teachers. Teachers disagree in comments there. Another great response is here.
• The best obit of Ben Masel I've seen so far.
• A parent's guide for making sense of the MPS massacre.
• Kudos to Steve Doyle.
• I'll be missing the Milwaukee Democracy Addicts "tweetup" tonight, but you don't have to.

RIP, Ben Masel

by folkbum

Activist and former contributor to this blog, Ben Masel, has died. Cancer still sucks.

UPDATE: Local story here.

Man-Savage, indeed

by folkbum

Barry Orton, about friend-of-the-blog Ben Masel, suing:

Previously unreported details that came out at the trial included the fact that officer Michael Mansavage first missed Masel and instead peppersprayed his partner John McCaughtry, who was holding Masel by the arm at the time. Apparently, once McCaughtry and Mansavage had wrestled Masel into a face-down position on the ground, with McCaughtry's knee on Masel's back, Mansavage then peppersprayed Masel in the face. Mansavage also threatened to use a Taser on Masel for not putting his arm behind his back to be handcuffed fast enough, when the arm was, in fact, trapped under Masel's body.

News today: hung jury. Suing the Powers That Be for violating his civil rights is Ben's primary source of income; I hope take two is more successful for him.

US Senate, the folkbum endorsement: Ben Masel

Is Herb Kohl the worst Democrat in the United States Senate? Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike can agree that the answer to that question is indeed no, though for different reasons. But has Kohl's time in the Senate been so distinguished and so extraordinary that he does not deserve a viable challenger? Again, most of us would probably say no.

Unfortunately, it looks like the most serious challenge to Kohl will come this year from Green Rae Vogler; Robert Lorge's 30% or so will come mostly from Republicans reflexively voting that way, not because they support him. But if you're voting in the Democratic primary--as I am--you can't also vote for Vogeler. Therefore, I recommend my friend and professional troublemaker Ben Masel.

Yes, I know, that's a MySpace page. Ben doesn't have one of them fancy websites with the bells and the whistles and the forms for signing up to get a yard sign or anything. This is primarily because he isn't making much money at this gig; he's accepting maximum $1 contributions to his campaign. If I remember right, he's collected somewhere around $500 so far (Ben will likely jump in to the comments below with the up-to-date figure).

It's a safe bet, then, he will be massively outspent by Herb Kohl.

That doesn't mean that Kohl shouldn't hear about the things that we don't like about him. His support for the Iraq War Resolution remains one that sticks in my craw, as well as his vote for the bankruptcy legislation that privileges credit card companies over working families. Ben Masel would not have supported either of those measures.

In the end, am I going to worry if Kohl is re-elected? No; he is, most of the time, a perfectly reliable Democratic vote. But he's not a leader, and he's unwilling to stick his neck out to protect the people of Wisconsin the way Russ Feingold does. Or the way Ben Masel would.

House vote to ban Myspace from schools, libraries.

by Ben Masel

The House of Representatives Wednesday night passed legislation mandating that schools and libraries receiving federal funds or discounted rates under the Universal Access statutes block social networking sits such as Myspace, Friendster, and Xanga.

Dubbed the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), the bill gives the Federal Trade Commission 120 days to enact rules further defining "Social Networking Sites" but it's my first impression that the prohibition would kick in immediately on passage in the Senate and signing by the President.

The 410 "Ayes" included all of Wisconsin's Representatives, with only 15 Democrats voting against. rollcall

Some interesting snips from the floor debate

MR DINGELL:...
The simple fact of the matter is this legislation was sprung on us. I am told that it was written last night. We barely saw it before the process on the floor started. And the committee process, which enables us to look at legislation in a sound and responsible way, and the committee process, which enables us to work together to put good legislation on the floor, legislation which is carefully thought out and which the wisdom of all of the Members is brought to bear on the question, is not something which we find in the process in which we are now engaged.

So now we are on the floor with a piece of legislation poorly thought out, with an abundance of surprises, which carries with it that curious smell of partisanship and panic, but which is not going to address the problems.

We have a piece of legislation on which we have less than an hour to talk, and we have no opportunity whatsoever to amend the proposal. We can vote ``yes'' or we can vote ``no.'' Well, most Members, I suspect, will do the politically wise thing, and I will join them in it, and that is, I am going to hold my nose and vote for this legislation in the full awareness that it is not going to address the problem at all and that it is a political placebo for a very, very, serious problem...

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5319, the Deleting Online Predators Act, because it sends the wrong message to our children, our parents, teachers and librarians. The bill would curb Internet usage as a means to protect children, a counterproductive method to achieving such an important goal.

Rather than restricting Internet usage, parents, teachers and librarians need to teach children how to use our ever changing technology. The information age in which we live offers so much potential to our children, if they know how to use it...

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H.R. 5319, the Deleting Online Predators Act...

...It is easy to see why networking Web sites are popular among teens. A recent poll by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 87 percent of those aged 12 to 17 use the Internet on a regular basis. Of this 87 percent, approximately 61 percent report having personal profiles on networking Web sites like MySpace, Facebook or Xanga.

Presuming Mrs. Biggert (an Illinois Republican) is correct, why would Dem Representatives want to alienate over half of todays teens, who after all, will be joining the electorate soon? This bill would not stop any sexual predator from finding victims. At best, by limiting access to those teens who log on from locations other than schools and libraries, it would make them work incrementally harder to find kids willing to meet them. Measure this against the cost of restricted access, and there's no real benefit.

Earlier this week I created a Myspace presence for my campaign, and have found it quite effective, with several bands contacting me with offers to distribute campaign literature at their shows, etc.

With just a week left before the campaign season adjournment, it may be possible to stall this assault on free speech in the Senate, but only if someone there is brave enough to use the available procedural tricks to slow it down. Russ? Herb? C'mon, this one's not as tough as the Flagburning Amendment.

cnet story slashdot discussion

Guest Post from US Senate candidate Ben Masel

Jay promised you guest blogging from a statewide candidate, and you weren't really expecting Mark Green, were you?
I'm jumping in quick to promote a mudwrestling match tonight, I've goaded Jessica McBride into having me as a guest on her show on WTMJ at 8:15.

In other news, the criminal charges I'd faced for collecting ballot access signatures at the Memorial Union at UW Madison on June 28 have disappeared. I showed up for my scheduled court date Monday and found nothing on the calendar. I headed to the District Attorney's office, where DA Brian Blanchard (who's unopposed for re-election) came out himself to let me know he wanted no part of the action.

I'll be filing civil actions against the Union, for violation of my campaign's free speech rights, and the individual UW Police officers for excessive force (pepperspray) and false arrest.

The Wisconsin Union Directorate has always held themselves out as a "private membership organization," able to exclude whoever they wish, and any activity they wish. It'll be interesting to see whether they hire private counsel, or as is their usual practice, avail themselves of taxpayer salaried University attorneys.

Your humble folkbum and US Senate candidate Ben Masel

Hmmm . . . . Two people who will not be at this weekend's Democratic Party of Wisconsin Convention!

I can't be there because of other obligations--like having to speak at my high school's graduation Friday night, and trying to finish grades before Monday's start of exams. There's just no way I could get to Lacrosse and back and do what I need to get done at the job that pays the bills.

Ben's speaking! See update below. (To clarify, Ben will be there, but not speaking.) Ben Masel won't be there because Joe Wineke lied to him:

On February 23, I asked Wisconsin Democratic Chair Joe Wineke if, as a candidate for the US Senate, I'd be afforded a podium slot at the State Convention, set to take place next weekend. He asked if my dues were paid up, as it was policy to require Candidates seeking to speak to be Members. As it happens, I'd just lapsed, but he assured me if I renewed, I'd be afforded the opportunity to address the Convention. Lacking forms, he declined to take my renewal on the spot. A few days later, I stopped by the Party HQ, and paid my $25.

Next I saw Joe, a few weeks later, I told him I'd renewed, and he assured me I'd still be speaking. Repeated a couple times since.

Now, I find a full schedule in a press release at Wheeler Report (pdf) and I'm not included. Primary challengers to the Attorney General and Secretary of State, however, appear.

The Democrats both nationally, and here at the State level, have been telling folks who are tempted to vote for 3d Party candidates that they should instead participate inside the Party, that there's a new openness. Put this to the test, it would seem the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has failed.

There's no excuse for this. None at all.

You can let the party know that all candidates should have the same opportunity to speak:

Chair: Joe Wineke joew@wisdems.org
(608) 255-5172 (voice)

1st Vice Chair: Lena Taylor lenataylor@wisdems.org
(608) 255-5172 (voice)

2nd Vice Chair: Jef Hall
jef@jefhall.com

Be polite in your emails and calls, but demand that Wineke make good on his promises. From Ben's comments:

UPDATE: Just spoke with Exec. Dir. Mike Murphy, I'm on, first after the Saturday lunch break.

Further update: Phone call with Party Chair Wineke, he takes responsibility for forgetting to tell staff about his commitment to me.

WI-Sen: Debate!

Yes, in fact, there is a debate scheduled in the 2006 Wisconsin Senate race. Herb Kohl may not be there, but it sounds like the majority of his challengers will be. I probably won't make it (I don't want to make the drive to Madison), so one of you will have to go and tell me what happens.