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GOP: Obama visits Madison to save sinking ship

November 4, 2009 By

Republicans still believe the President is visiting Wisconsin for one reason only.

Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Reince Preibus says both President Barack Obama and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle realize how important it is to help convince the undecided Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to jump into the state gubernatorial race.

“In my view this is nothing more than an attempt to get Mayor Barrett into this governor’s race while the Democrats in Wisconsin are sucking for air. They’ve just got beat out east, they don’t have a governor candidate in the state of Wisconsin, they don’t have many legislative candidates to speak of, and now Barack Obama comes into town to try to save the day.”

Obama discusses education at Wright Middle School in Madison, and promotes the Race-to-the-Top initiative, but if the goal is to push the former Congressman from Milwaukee into the race, why not just go to Milwaukee? Preibus says Obama is in Madison under the guise of education, saying the race-to-the-top funding is just a cloak behind the attempt to save a sinking ship.

“Quite frankly, Barack Obama isn’t doing so great around the country and if New Jersey is any indication … we’d love to have Barack Obama come to Wisconsin every week because it seems like every time he makes an appearance the folks that he’s trying to help are sinking further and further in the toilet.”

Preibus referring to New Jersey’s election, in which Obama has campaigned heavily for Governor Jon Corzine, but the Democrat was ousted by voters who opted for the GOP candidate. The same is true for Virginia.

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Supreme Court rejects registry challenge

November 4, 2009 By

The State Supreme Court has declined to hear a constitutional challenge to a law creating a domestic partner registry for gay couples.

The high court denied a petition for original action from Wisconsin Family Action, which claims the registry violates a state Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage or any similar status.

Lester Pines, the attorney representing the state in the case, says it’s not the end of the road for the challenge. He says the lawsuit will just have to start at the Circuit Court level instead. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Obama challenges states: compete for education dollars

November 4, 2009 By
President Barack Obama at J.C. Wright Middle School

President Barack Obama at J.C. Wright Middle School

President Barack Obama outlined his Race To The Top education funding initiative at Madison’s J.C. Wright Middle School Wednesday. In a speech before an invited audience of politicians, parents, teachers and students, Mr. Obama challenged the nation’s educators to reverse the status quo in American schools.

“This status quo has held back our children,” said the President. “It’s held back our economy, and it’s held back our country for too long. It’s time to stop just talking about education reform, and start actually doing it. It’s time to make education America’s national mission.” Obama was accompanied by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for the speech at Wright, a charter school located on Madison’s south side, with an enrollment of about 250 students.

Obama said $4 billion will be available through Race To The Top, and he challenged states to compete for the money. “It’s not just going through the usual political formulas,” he said. “We challenging states to compete for it. And I have to tell you, this was not an easy thing to get through Congress. This is not normally how federal dollars work.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Politics & Government

Hudson woman dies from H1N1

November 4, 2009 By

The H1N1 virus has taken the life of a Hudson woman.

48-year-old Debbie Johnson Lindstrom died on Tuesday at Mayo Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota brought on by the virus.

Lindstrom became ill last week and was taken to a Hudson hospital, where she was diagnosed with the flu. She was then transferred to a hospital in the Twin Cities, and finally the Mayo Hospital where she passed away.

Contributed by Kurt Mayer, WXCE.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Madison students ready for the President

November 4, 2009 By
J.C. Wright School welcomes President Obama

J.C. Wright School welcomes President Obama

Students at a Madison school get ready to greet president Obama. It’s the first presidential visit to Madison since the Harry Truman administration, and student Shurone Carter is looking forward to being a part of history at J.C. Wright Middle School. “I feel very excited,” said the 7th grader at the school on Madison’s south side. “This is my first time seeing a president.

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:55 MP3)

He also hopes to hear words of encouragement from the president, a thought echoed by Wright student Jacel Schwartz. “I hope he talks about kids needing to read more,” she said, adding that she has a couple of friends – though not in Wisconsin – who can’t read.

The president, accompanied by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, will make a speech on education in the school’s gym. He’ll also meet in the library with forty students. Wright is a charter school, with a diverse student population drawn from all over the Madison school district. Lynette Clark is definitely excited too – but beyond that? “Well, I really don’t know. I’m just excited to see him come.”

Filed Under: Education, Human Interest, Politics & Government
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