Gard - Kagen Rematch

From the Appleton Post-Cresent:

Former Assembly Speaker John Gard is expected to announce Sunday that he intends to run to unseat U.S. Rep Steve Kagen, D-Appleton.

Gard, 44, who was narrowly defeated by Kagen in 2006, was backed by the Republican National Committee in his previous run for Congress.

Gard's campaign spokesman Mark Graul declined to say Thursday whether Gard was the party's pick this time around.

"The only 'pick' that John Gard is concerned about is that he's the pick of the people of northeastern Wisconsin," he said.

Graul said Gard, who lives in Suamico, has spent much of his time since August talking with voters about support for him running again.

Gard will make his announcement at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bay Beach Park main pavilion in Green Bay, and at 3:30 p.m. in the Pierce Park picnic pavilion in Appleton.

Gard certainly isn't making TWO announcements on Sunday to say he intends NOT to run against Kagen.

Surely, the people of the 8th District will get it right this time.


"If our children are healthy, they'll develop into their full potential and become wonderful tax-paying citizens sometime."


"Then I go to [President Bush's] wife, 'Hi Barbara, how are ya?' I did that because I learned on the campaign that the meanest thing you can say to another gentlemen is, 'he's a fine fellow,' and you then refer to his spouse by a different name."

--STEVE KAGEN

Steve Kagen a Perfect Zero

According to Wisconsin Right to Life, Congressman Steve Kagen is perfect.

Kagen is a perfect ZERO on Right-to-Life issues.

Kagen's accomplishments:

--Voted to withhold life-saving medicines from the elderly.

--Voted to allow the cloning of human embryos for the purpose of killing them in medical experiments.

--Voted to force taxpayers to pay for the destruction of human embryos for research.

--Voted to undermine the Mexico City Policy, a policy which protects taxpayers from subsidizing oversears organizations that perform or actively promote abortion.

--Voted to provide federal family planning dollars (YOUR tax dollars!) to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.

Kagen is a model soldier in the war on the Culture of Life.

Feingold and Kagen and Obama

One more Wisconsin super delegate declared his support for Barack Obama -- Steve "Injun time" Kagen.

Russ Feingold still won't commit to Obama but he indicated that he might be inclined to support Obama maybe.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama picked up the support of Rep. Steve Kagen and the likely backing of Sen. Russ Feingold on Thursday, following the presidential candidate's victory in Wisconsin earlier this week.

Kagen, a freshman Democrat from northeast Wisconsin, followed through on his promise to back the candidate who won the most votes in his congressional district. Feingold, meanwhile, said he was "inclined" to support Obama because of the state primary results but withheld a final endorsement.

Obama carried Wisconsin over Hillary Rodham Clinton by 17 percentage points.

"As a strong believer in representative government, it is my responsibility to support the winner of Wisconsin's 8th district, and that candidate is Sen. Barack Obama," Kagen said in a written statement.

Obama has inspired a new generation of voters and "earned my strongest support," he said.

While Feingold declined to say definitively that he would support Obama, he seemed to be moving in that direction.

"It obviously was a very impressive win for Sen. Obama to win all of the congressional districts, and 62 out of 72 counties," Feingold said in a telephone interview. "It's quite a victory, and very helpful to him and his drive to the nomination."

..."As I've said, who won the state and how significantly they won it is a very important factor, and it does cause me to be inclined to support him," Feingold said of Obama.

The senator said he'll also consider "my general opinions about whether somebody is the right person to run for president, whether the person can win. But the largest thought on my mind is what the people of the state indicated."

If the "largest thought" on Feingold's mind is "what the people of the state indicated," then he should declare his support for Obama right now.

Maybe Feingold is having trouble deciding because his heart belongs to John McCain.

Agatha Christie, Steve Kagen, and Ten Little Indians

UPDATE: School to perform play NAACP had opposed
_____________________

In Liberty Township, Ohio, the decision was made to cancel a school play, under pressure from the local NAACP.

LIBERTY TWP. -- A widely performed school play has been canceled by Lakota officials after a recent meeting with a local NAACP official.

The internationally acclaimed play - Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" - was to be performed by students at Lakota East High School this weekend.

But Gary Hines, president of the local NAACP branch, recently complained to Lakota officials that the play, based on Christie's 1939 mystery novel, was inappropriate for a school production.

Hines said the book's original title and cover illustration used for its initial publishing that year in England was a racial slur toward blacks and included a cover illustration of a black person and a hangman's noose.

"The original title was 'Ten Little (N - - - - - -),' and it is important to say that because that was the actual title," Hines said Monday.

The title of the international bestseller was widely changed after 1939, and school theater productions in America have performed the murder mystery play as either "Ten Little Indians" or "And Then There Were None" for decades since.

Hines claims that a lack of racial diversity among Lakota's students and teachers allowed the play to be chosen despite the history surrounding its original title.

"It's a lack of diversity knowledge on their part. Diversity is not a way of life in Lakota," Hines said.

But Hines, who operates GPH Consultants - a diversity training company - in West Chester Township, said that despite his strong protest, it was Lakota officials' idea to cancel the play in response to his complaints.

"After learning of the play's origins and the hurt that it caused, we had hoped to use the performances as a way to create a discussion about diversity of all kinds in our community. However, students and staff continued to raise issues, and it was quickly obvious that bad feelings about the play were much more widespread and strong than originally thought. The best action seemed to be to switch to a different play," Weidlich said.

Keith Kline, Lakota East principal, said: "Certainly, it was a tough decision but one that needed to be made.

We must be sensitive, unless we're talking about Democrats.

Take Steve Kagen.

As a candidate for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, he said:

"I want to thank you for driving me around the district this morning. I really appreciate you getting me here almost on time," he says to laughter. "Our excuse, uh, in Oneida was, well we are on injun time. They don't tell time by the clock. Our excuse here is I'm a doctor and we're never on time."

He, of course, was elected.

Take Robert Byrd.

As a U.S. senator, in March 2001, appearing on FOX News Sunday, he said:

"There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time. I'm going to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I'd just as soon quit talking about it so much."

Ex-Klansman Byrd, of course, is the longest-serving senator in the history of the United States.

But the NAACP must not let a high school production of an Agatha Christie play go forward.

Yes, the group must speak out against her racism.

Forget about bigoted comments made by Dems currently serving in the U.S. House and Senate.

Steve Kagen and Brett Favre

NEW, October 10:

Congress honors Packers' Brett Favre for charitable works

__________________

Hell must be freezing over.

I support something that Steve Kagen initiated in Congress.

Steve Kagen is among the sponsors of a Congressional Resolution to honor Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

"Green Bay Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers, and quarterback Brett Favre have a great deal in common. They’re hard working, dedicated to the community, and believe in competing with – not against - one another to bring out the best performance possible from everyone, both on the team and in the community,” Congressman Steve Kagen said.

“Today, the United States House of Representatives offers its praise to Brett Favre, his family, the Green Bay Packers, and to the people of Wisconsin – who together own the most storied team in professional sports," Kagen added.

"Whether it is his record career NFL touchdown passes, most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks, most career pass completions, or most career pass attempts, Brett Favre has shattered records and, in the process, made Green Bay fans proud,” Congressman Bart Stupak said. "I am pleased to co-sponsor this legislation, which not only pays tribute to Brett Favre's football career, but also honors the compassionate work of Brett and Deanna off the field."

Here is the resolution.

Globetrotter Gwen Moore

As a member of the U.S. Congress, what has Gwen Moore accomplished in Washington?

I know she co-sponsored H. Res. 635.

I guess it would be wrong to criticize Moore for not getting much done in D.C. She's not there all that much. Moore spends lots of time on the road, often at the expense of taxpayers.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two words for Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore: frequent flier.

During the past five months, Moore has traveled at taxpayer expense to 12 foreign countries, one of them, Liberia, twice.

Moore, 56, a Democrat, entered the House in 2005.

She's made four overseas trips since April, taking in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Morocco and Uganda in Africa; Belgium, England, Spain and the Ukraine in Europe; and Egypt, Israel and Lebanon in the Middle East.

Moore sits on the House Financial Services Committee and the Small Business Committee.

The Journal Sentinel examined reports on trips taken by the Wisconsin congressional delegation dating to 2006. The delegation tallied:

• Expenses totaling at least $174,177

• 23 foreign trips

• 11 domestic trips

• About three dozen foreign countries visited, some more than once

Moore's travels this spring and summer outpaced even those of Jim Sensenbrenner, the House Republican from Menomonee Falls whose name generally shows up high on overall lists of congressional globe-trotters.

...Moore also declined a request for an interview about her travel, but issued a statement saying:

"My congressional trips here and abroad help me to better understand the issues affecting our country so that I can more effectively represent my constituents in Congress. I believe that to be an effective leader I must not put on the blinders that so many in Washington wear, but instead learn first-hand about critical global and domestic issues."

Give me a break!

Blinders?

What is she talking about?

She has blinders when it comes to her son Sowande Omokunde. She didn't know that he was part of an effort to disenfranchise Milwaukee Republican voters.

She doesn't have to travel abroad to help her better understand that issue. She merely has to go home.

Since April, she's been to Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Morocco, Uganda, Belgium, England, Spain, the Ukraine, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon.

That's a lot of travel.

Moore should let her constituents know what she learned on her travels that enables her to better represent them.

She should write papers: "What I did on my trip to Ghana," "What I did on my trip to Spain," etc.

Moore should offer constituents specifics. The blinders crap is way too vague.

Moore's trips during the two years have cost $8,912, and the expenses of two have yet to be reported.

While Moore's official trips this year have been to foreign destinations, her trips in 2006 - and there were five - were domestic. Her party did not control Congress then.

Her trips closer to home were to San Juan, Puerto Rico; Boston; Denver; and New York City (twice). All in 2006 were underwritten by outside entities.

So once the Dems took control, Moore's travel itinerary became more extravagant.

Interesting.

Like Moore, most of Wisconsin's federal lawmakers went abroad during the past 20 months. Only two chose not to go overseas on congressional business: Sen. Herb Kohl and Rep. Steve Kagen of Appleton, both Democrats. Kagen is a first-term lawmaker whose seat Republicans hope to regain.

I don't have a problem with lawmakers going on trips.

I have a problem when the travel becomes excessive.

Moore's travel seems to be excessive.

I think it's hilarious that Kohl didn't go overseas to do any congressional business, but he just got back from China to carry out personal negotiations with representatives of Yi Jianlian.

Actually, it's not hilarious. It's pathetic.

Way to serve the people!

Does Kohl put the future of the Bucks ahead of the future of the country? Yes.

And Kagen, who knows what motivates him?

Maybe he's afraid to fly. He did promise to personally take out terrorists aboard planes.

Remember?

During a debate with John Gard, Kagen said:

The enemies are intent on destroying America. They're intent on hurting us, killing us. We are their evil one, but let's understand who the real enemy can become if we become too fearful.

I'm... I'm not afraid. I'll put my foot down and stand up if I'm on a plane with a terrorist – I’ll take him out right there.

We need leaders that are tough. We need leaders that are smart. Unfortunately, we've got the tough part right. We just don't have the smart part.

It's best that Kagen not travel. He could cause an international incident.

...Feingold made four foreign trips in the period reviewed: two to Africa, one to Asia and one to the Middle East. He is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chairs its African Affairs Subcommittee and sits on its East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee. He also sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Feingold, in a statement defending his trips, says his priority was "working to ensure the safety and security of Americans at home and abroad." He said the trips gave him a chance to examine places with groups sympathetic to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists; places in need of strengthened democratic institutions; and places crippled by violence for decades.

Feingold spent so much time on the road during his failed campaign for the presidency that I'm surprised he had time to squeeze in some trips out of the country.

If Feingold wants to examine places crippled by violence, he should visit Milwaukee, Gwen Moore's district.

Rag Kagen Rag

I don't think Steve Kagen is capable of keeping a low profile.

He's definitely the class clown among the freshmen of the 110th Congress.

We know that he's racially insensitive. He's a braggart. He's a liar or a rude slob or both.

We also know that he's a nut, a law-breaking nut.

(AP) WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials have warned freshman Rep. Steve Kagen that his Wisconsin allergy practice is in apparent violation of federal law for manufacturing and selling allergy shots without a valid license.

According to a letter sent to Kagen by the Food and Drug Administration, Kagen manufactured a variety of ragweed and grass allergen vaccines from commercially distributed pollen and sold the shots to patients at his clinic and in at least 24 other states.

The FDA letter, which was dated Dec. 18 but wasn't posted online until Thursday, said that Kagen, D-Wis., did not have a valid license required for introducing a biological product into interstate commerce.

At issue are products marketed by Kagen's clinic such as Poly RW, Super Ragweed, Poly Grass and Super Grass. Kagen is a medical doctor.

So Kagen has been selling Super Grass without a license.

That's not good when a lawmaker is a lawbreaker.

...The FDA letter says that the products appear to be drugs as defined by federal law "because they are intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease." The agency cites as evidence an article published by Kagen in which he claimed to have safely used the vaccines in 55,000 injections in 500 allergy patients.

The letter does not make reference to any action it is contemplating against Kagen, but says that it is Kagen's responsibility to make sure products marketed by his firm are in compliance with federal laws and regulations.

Gee, do you think the FDA would allow me to make and distribute a drug product if I didn't comply with the law?

Do you think I would just get a little warning letter reminding me to stop breaking the law?

No chance.

After being told to cease and desist, Democrat Kagen announced that he will no longer be acting in violation of federal regulations.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Steve Kagen, who recently turned over the daily operation of his four allergy clinics to his brother, says the clinics will no longer create certain products used in allergy shots for his patients.

Kagen's announcement, in a statement issued Tuesday, comes on the heels of last week's announcement by the Food and Drug Administration that the substances appear to be drugs regulated by the agency and, as such, require the clinic to file an "investigational new drug application."

In addition, the FDA said the shipment of those treatments for sale in at least 24 states requires the clinics to obtain an FDA biologics license. Kagen's clinics do not have a biologics license for interstate shipment of drugs, nor have they filed an investigational new drug application, according to an FDA letter dated Dec. 18 and released last week.

I wonder how much money Kagen made by marketing his Super Weed, in violation of federal law.

I would guess quite a bit.

Ignoring the law and government regulations isn't somthing to be proud of but it can be lucrative.

Kagen is probably not pleased that he got his wrist slapped by the FDA. His clientele probably aren't too happy either.

What will they do without their Super Weed?

Ah-choo!

Flip Flop on Kagen

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is a joke.

In a today's editorial, "Grow up, Congressman," the Board chastises 8th Congressional District Rep. Steve Kagen for his immaturity and questionable judgment.

Democrat Steve Kagen, the Appleton allergist elected in November to succeed Mark Green in the 8th Congressional District, is again in political hot water because of something he said. Or, to be more specific, something he told some supporters he said during a reception at the White House.

But the fact is that it's not clear exactly what was said because Kagen apparently was making much of it up. The behavior, odd beyond question, calls into question both Kagen's judgment and maturity.

The Board can see clearly now, post-election.

It was evident that Kagen was a nut during the campaign. His White House tales should come as no surprise.

Was the Board blind to Kagen's odd behavior prior to Election Day?

Of course not.

The JS Editorial Board gave Kagen a pass in spite of his bizarre comments and racist remarks because he's a Dem.

The Board didn't tolerate Kagen. THE BOARD ENDORSED STEVE KAGEN.

Perhaps a retraction is in order. Perhaps the Board owes an apology to its readers.

It started when Kagen met with a group of anti-Iraq war activists Dec. 19 in Appleton. His comments were reported in the January issue of The Scene, a monthly Fox Valley arts tabloid under the headline, "Kagen introduces a little levity to the White House."

Among other things, Kagen told the group after talking about Iraq that he confronted presidential adviser Karl Rove in a White House men's room, blocked his exit and said, "My name's Dr. Multimillionaire, and I kicked your ass." He was apparently referring to besting a GOP candidate for whom members of the administration, including President Bush, had personally campaigned.

He also related how he deliberately insulted Laura Bush by greeting her as "Barbara" when Kagen and his wife later met the president and the first lady.

Kagen is a disgrace to the people of his district and to all Wisconsin residents.

...Kagen told reporters at a news conference Sunday in Green Bay - and his communications director repeated it Tuesday - that Kagen did not insult the first lady, that he and his wife were thrilled to meet the president and his wife and "at no time was any disrespect shown on anyone's part."

OK, so why did he say it happened?

Asked by the Fox Valley newspaper and TV reporters if he confronted Rove and told him he "kicked his ass" in the election, Kagen was evasive: "I didn't block the door, but I did have a very playful experience in the White House," Kagen said.

When reporters rightly pressed Kagen for a more definitive answer, he appeared to become annoyed and said the media should focus on serious matters such as the war in Iraq. When we asked about the Rove incident Tuesday, Kagen's communications director declined to comment.

A deputy White House press secretary told the Appleton Post-Crescent last week that Kagen's "version of events is not the way it happened at all."

...The congressman owes his constituents an explanation, but bottom line: The incident raises sobering questions about Kagen. Especially in light of other things he has said, namely his use of a racially insensitive term for American Indians during the campaign.

I agree.

Kagen owes his constituents an explanation.

He's unbalanced.

The Journal Sentinel owes its readers an explanation.

The paper considered Kagen to be worthy of its endorsement, in spite of his racially insensitive "injun time" line. That was overlooked, no big deal.

NOW the Board is raising questions about the guy's maturity and judgment?

What about the Board?

Kagen's White House storytime not only brings his poor judgment and immaturity to light.

It also calls the Board's judgment and maturity into question.

GROW UP, JOURNAL SENTINEL EDITORIAL BOARD.

Boorish Steve Kagen

"Hi Barbara, how are ya?"

Steve Kagen is adding to his highlight reel. Is there no end to his idiocy?

How embarrassing!

It's bad enough that Wisconsinites in the 8th Congressional District sent Steve Kagen to Washington. That's a disgrace in itself.

It's not like we didn't know what an odd guy Kagen was before the election.

We knew that rich Dr. Steve "Injun time" and "terrorist slayer" Kagen behaves like a mook.

Being elected to Congress hasn't changed Kagen. During freshman orientation, Nancy Pelosi apparently didn't crack her whip and instruct him to conduct himself with dignity.

That new era of civility that Pelosi promised is obviously a promise broken. No surprise there.

Read about the disgraceful Kagen's antics here and here and here.

So what's the truth?

One version of the truth according to Kagen is that he dissed Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, and insulted Mrs. Bush.

While meeting last month with a group of area peace activists, then Congressman-elect Steve Kagen told a story of his first visit to the White House that shows a feisty and humorous side to our new man in Congress.

He told the group one of the first lessons he learned in Washington is to never pass up a rest room because you don’t know when you’ll see one again.

He’d already had a long day of freshman orientation when he and his wife, Gail, were expected at the White House. Upon arrival, he asks a Marine where he can find a rest room, and is sent down a long flight of stairs, to another Marine, who directs him to a rest room.

“It’s a small room ­– two spots on the wall, one stall one sink. I see in the mirror the door opens, and who walks in, Karl Rove (Bush’s deputy chief of staff who was charged with orchestrating strategies for the 2006 general election).”

After Rove washed his hands (“At least he’s a hand washer,” Kagen said), he attempted to leave, but Kagen prevented his departure by holding the door closed and said, “You’re in the White House and you think your safe, huh? You recognize me? My name’s Dr. Multimillionaire and I kicked your ass.”

Kagen expected to make Rove squirm, but said acted like it was a tennis match and simply said, ‘Oh, congratulations.’

“We’re walking up these long steps, I stopped him and said, ‘Look, the race is over. We’re here to do the people’s business. I want you to join me on something, but you can’t steal it, I’ve got the trademark, ‘No patient left behind.’ He goes, ‘I like the sound of that.’ We get to the top of the steps and there’s Vice President Cheney with a glass of white wine and a hand in his pocket. So I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. Gail wasn’t there to hold me back. ‘Mr. Vice President, thank you for your service to the nation, and thank you so much for coming to Green Bay and campaigning against me. I couldn’t have won without your help.’

He then asked Cheney to enunciate his vision for Iraq.

“ ‘Well, Id like to see a stable government that could take care of itself and its people.’ I said, ‘at what price?’ He said, ‘I don’t understand your point.’ I walked away. Then we had an opportunity to take a picture with the president and his wife. I was feeling real good at this point.

“I said to my wife, ‘Honey, just follow my lead.’ She said, ‘Steven, it’s the president.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but he’s not any taller than I am.’ So the cameraman’s here. We’re introduced by a Marine. I said, ‘Mr. President , thank you for coming to Green Bay. My name is Dr. Multimillionaire. That was before the race. Now they call me Doctor Thousandaire. I couldn’t have won without you coming.’”

He said Bush gave one of his smiles and said, ‘I’ve lost a lot of money in my life, too.’ Then I go to his wife, ‘Hi Barbara, how are ya?’ I did that because I learned on the campaign that the meanest thing you can say to another gentlemen is, ‘he’s a fine fellow,’ and you then refer to his spouse by a different name.”

Now that Kagen's own stories of his boorish behavior have received national attention, he's backing off. "No comment."

I guess the rich doctor isn't so proud anymore.

One thing is clear: Kagen exemplifies the personality of the new Dem Congress -- classless, lying, incompetent.

The "brilliant" Dr. Kagen has disgraced himself and the people of Wisconsin.

Way to go!

Kagen, thy name is buffoon.

Kagen: Will the Trains Still Run on INJUN TIME?

Steve Kagen, representative-elect for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, didn't get the committee assignment he wanted.

WASHINGTON -- Rep.-elect Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, has missed out on his first choice for a plum committee assignment next year.

Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday that Kagen will serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee next year.

Kagen, a physician specializing in allergies who partly ran on a "No Patient Left Behind" platform, had hoped to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee because of its jurisdiction over health care policy.

However, no freshman Democrats were selected for that panel except for Rep. Baron Hill of Indiana, who has six years of previous service in Congress. He was elected to a seat he lost several years ago.

Dr. Kagen must be disappointed.

Oh, well.

Perhaps he can do some good as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Kagen should focus on Amtrak reform and get those trains off INJUN TIME.
________________________________

Read Kagen's statement.

He doesn't want you to forget that he's a medical doctor -- STEVE KAGEN, M.D.

I wonder if he kept his patients lingering in the waiting room.

Did he stay on schedule, or did his office run on INJUN TIME?

Will Kagen Take Him Out?

"I'm... I'm not afraid. I'll put my foot down and stand up if I'm on a plane with a terrorist – I'll take him out right there."

--Steve Kagen

And how will Kagen deal with his son's illicit drug use?

APPLETON (AP) -- One day after his father won a fiercely contested congressional seat, Tommy Kagen, the son of Steve Kagen, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, authorities said Thursday.

Tommy Kagen, 21, received a $168 ticket after a security screener at the Outagamie County Regional Airport found a marijuana pipe in his bags, said Sheriff's Capt. Mike Jobe.

Steve Kagen was not with his son at the time, according to authorities who said the incident occurred Wednesday around 5 p.m.

This has to put a damper on the Kagen victory celebration. A drug-related charge in the family can do that.

...In a statement, the elder Kagen said he was "very disappointed" with his son's actions.

"It shows a lack of respect for the law and our family," he said.

That's a very good response to his son's law-breaking.

But he also criticized the media's coverage, telling WLUK-TV in Green Bay the incident didn't deserve such scrutiny.

"When there's 650,000 dead in Iraq, and a news editor thinks this belongs on television, that's a sad commentary" on the media, he said.

Kagen should have stopped while he was ahead. He was doing so well, then he blew it.

His subsequent statements attempt to deflect attention from his son's misdeeds.

He tries shift the focus and dodge responsibility.

Of course the incident deserves scrutiny. Kagen's son is 21-years-old. He's not a child who needs to be protected from the spotlight. He's the adult son of a soon to be U.S. Representative.

The Bush daughters weren't granted media immunity for their underage drinking.

Kagen has to understand that this is part of being a public figure. He and his family are under the microscope now.

I think "terrorist slayer" Kagen is being awfully wimpy.

Expressing disappointment in his son was appropriate. Iraq is not relevant to this matter.

Steve Kagen?

What were the people in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District thinking?

The race between Steve Kagen and John Gard should have been a no-brainer for voters.

Did new voting machines malfunction? There must be some explanation.

A majority of the voters could not have knowingly picked Kagen over Gard.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Steve Kagen, a millionaire doctor new to politics, won Wisconsin's only open U.S. House seat Tuesday after a campaign promising to bring change to Washington and to the policy in Iraq.

"We already have too many professional politicians in Washington. Thank you so much for giving someone new a try," he told cheering supporters in Appleton after defeating veteran Republican state legislator John Gard. "We needed a positive change and a new direction. I think we found it this evening."

Then he added, "There's a doctor in the House."

Before Tuesday, according to the Congressional Quarterly, only 12 licensed physicians were serving in Congress -- 10 in the House and two in the Senate.

Kagen's win gave Democrats another seat in their effort to gain a House majority. With the high stakes, the race became the most expensive campaign in state history for a two-year job in Congress.

Kagen's margin of victory was slim.

Who cares? A win is a win and a loss is a loss.

It's amazing to me that given the choice between someone nutty like Kagen and a highly qualified, experienced, committed individual like Gard, Kagen would come out on top.

It took a while for Kagen to come out and address his supporters to deliver his rambling victory speech.

No doubt, he waited for Gard to call and concede.

Because the race was so close, it took a long time before Kagen was willing to claim victory.

Then again, Kagen could have been slow to do his victory dance because he operates on "Injun time."

Good grief.

What is this guy doing in the House of Representatives?

Elect John Gard

Here's the bottom line in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District race:




Simply put, John Gard represents the values of Wisconsinites.

Steve "Injun time" and "terrorist slayer" Kagen does not.

Vote for John Gard.

Kagen Riding on Injun Time

About a month ago, I learned a new word -- "macaca."

I had never heard it before. I didn't know it was a slur or an offensive word.

Thanks to The Washington Post, days of front page coverage of Sen. George Allen's use of the term raised my consciousness of the inappropriateness of the horrible M-word.

The Left went bonkers over macaca, like it was the worst affront imaginable.

Eleanor Clift declared that Allen's "macaca" remark had destroyed his chances of ever becoming president. It was such a serious offense.

Obviously, no apology could salvage his tattered political career.

Today, I expanded my vocabulary again, sort of.

I had never heard the expression "injun time."

I'm still not sure that I really know what it means.

Democrat Steve Kagen, candidate for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, used the phrase at an Aurora Healthcare forum.

Hear Kagen on tape.

From WisPolitics:

Dem 8th CD candidate Steve Kagen apologized today for apparently saying he was on "injun time" to describe his reason for arriving late to a forum.

According to a recording of the remarks, Kagen opened by introducing a staff member.

"I want to thank you for driving me around the district this morning. I really appreciate you getting me here almost on time," he says to laughter. "Our excuse, uh, in Oneida was, well we are on injun time. They don't tell time by the clock. Our excuse here is I'm a doctor and we're never on time."

"Injun time."

Isn't "injun" a derogatory term?

I think most people would recognize it as unflattering.

Kagen not only used an offensive word, he was apparently referring to an offensive stereotype when he used it.

STOP THE WASHINGTON POST PRESSES!!!

We have a racist candidate!!!

We need this splashed on the front page of every publication in the country and leading every news broadcast.

...Christine Mangi, spokeswoman for Kagen opponent John Gard, said the quote was "unfortunate."

"We don’t like to see slurs like this taking place," she said. "In this day and age, we would expect people wouldn’t use words like that."

Kagen is a racist, insensitive buffoon.

So where is the outrage?

It's reserved for Republicans, of course.

Kagen said he was sorry that some people may have been offended.

Here's the statement that Kagen released. I think it's intended to be an apology, even though he doesn't come out and say that he's an offensive oaf.

"I did not mean any harm by my words, and I humbly apologize if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. Instead of words, however, let's talk about actions. I have been a great supporter of Native American issues during this campaign and am proud of the strong relations I have with Native American communities in the 8th Congressional District. John Gard, meanwhile, has repeatedly taken aim at Wisconsin's Native Americans, working to dismantle tribal sovereignty, targeting Indian economic development, and shamelessly using the tribes as a political pawn against the Governor." -Dr. Steve Kagen

So when Kagen is caught on tape making a slur, we're all just supposed to drop it and pretend it didn't happen.

Kagen's Indian remark was one of several "outlandish" statements he's made in the campaign, including a debate line about how he'd personally "take out" a terrorist if he ever encountered one on an airplane, Gard said.

I would call Kagen's statements "outlandish," wouldn't you?

Rather than staging protests to condemn Kagen, Dems and tribal leaders wanted everyone to know that they aren't very bothered by Kagen's remarks.

Several tribal leaders came to Kagen's defense, saying other issues were more important and the expression "Indian time" was not offensive. Use of the term "injun," however, was called derogatory by one tribal leader.

Menominee Tribal Chairwoman Karen Washinawatok said the term "Indian time" is commonly used among Native Americans, whose concept of time traditionally was much different from European settlers.

"It's not at all derogatory... it's the time we were meant to be there," she said. Washinawatok, however, said the word "injun" was derogatory.

Oh, okay. I've got it.

"Injun time" is a problem, but "Indian time" is not at all derogatory.

So it would be acceptable for me to say that an airline runs on "Indian time."

Or, the concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm, but it didn't. It was that darn "Indian time" again.

That works for me. I wouldn't want to offend any Native Americans, but since it's perfectly alright to say "Indian time," I'll be glad to use it often.

Oneida Tribal Chairman Gerald Danforth said "Indian time" was "one of those cliches for why you might be late for an event." Danforth said he thought it was humorous that Kagen had used the term.

"I had to laugh. I didn't give it much more thought than that," Danforth said.

Funny. Really?

REALLY???

I think it's funny that these leaders are focusing on "Indian time" rather than what Kagen actually said, "INJUN TIME."

I would think that would make an enormous difference in terms of how forgiving they want to be.

The National Republican Congressional Committee today blasted Kagen for "his racially insensitive comments" and forwarded a critical press release from a South Dakota Republican congressional candidate, Bruce Whalen. WTMJ-AM talk radio host Charlie Sykes accused Kagen of essentially making a racial slur.

And why would that happen?

BECAUSE KAGEN USED A RACIAL SLUR.

It's on tape. He said "injun."

Why are the tribal officials giving Kagen a pass?

This is why:

Danforth and Washinawatok said there were many more important issues to the tribes than the Kagen remark.

Washinawatok said Kagen had visited the Menominee reservation many times and that she supports his candidacy. Danforth said the Oneida tribe had taken no official position on the congressional race.

Gard's push to give the state Legislature a say in approving Indian gambling compacts was objectionable to Washinawatok. Gard lead role in criticizing tribal gambling deals negotiated by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle in 2003 also put him at odds with many Wisconsin tribal officials.

It's hard to respect Danforth and Washinawatok.

By going easy on Kagen, they appear extremely hypocritical. Do they want the dignity of Native Americans to be upheld or not? Do they sincerely care?

Do you think that they would react in the same manner if John Gard was caught on tape talking about "injun time"?

How about Mark Green?

What if he picked up on the phrase?

Would that be alright with Danforth and Washinawatok, or would they be on the warpath ready to scalp him?

Oops! Is that offensive?

I'm sorry. Let's pass the peace pipe and let bygones be bygones. Let's talk about what a racist scumbag George Allen is.

Have No Fear, Kagen is Here!

Democrat Steve Kagen: "Here I come to save the day."


Last Friday night, a debate between Republican John Gard and Democrat Steve Kagen, candidates for the 8th Congressional District in Wisconsin, revealed in the clearest terms the fundamental difference between Republican and Dem philosophies in waging the War on Terror.

Gard spoke of the need to take the fight to the terrorists, to be proactive rather than reactive, to be tough.

Kagen was a spokesmen for the appeasement approach touted by presidential wannabe Russ Feingold and the "Let's frame the Bush administration as evil and President Bush as Public Enemy #1" crowd.

WisPolitics has the debate video.

It's worth watching how the candidates address terrorism and the Patriot Act.

This exchange occurs about forty minutes into the debate:

MODERATOR JEFF ALEXANDER: Thank you, Mr. Gard. We’ll start with you for our next question. What do you think of the Patriot Act? How will you vote?

GARD: I believe in the Patriot Act. I think my highest responsibility is to keep you, your family, and our nation safe. ...There is a difference here between me and my opponent. The choice could not be clearer. I believe he underestimates the tenacity of the enemy. I do not. ...I think we need to do whatever we can to give law enforcement the tools and our troops the tools to track down terrorists and fight them over there before we fight them over here.

I do not want to react to a terrorist attack. I want to prevent a terrorist attack. And that is the difference. The Patriot Act helps us do that. ...I think it is critical that people understand: We are not the enemy. The terrorists are. ...

MODERATOR: Mr. Gard, thank you. Dr. Kagen, same question to you. What do you think of the Patriot Act? How will you vote?

KAGEN: Well, I believe in giving the President all of the tools necessary to defend us. I believe we can’t make mistakes in this time, but we may not have the right leader. The Patriot Act is law and I will obey it, but at the same time we must seek ways to modify it if necessary to guarantee that we retain our constitutional rights.

...I agree with John. The enemies are intent on destroying America. They're intent on hurting us, killing us. We are their evil one, but let's understand who the real enemy can become if we become too fearful.

I'm... I'm not afraid. I'll put my foot down and stand up if I'm on a plane with a terrorist – I’ll take him out right there.

We need leaders that are tough. We need leaders that are smart. Unfortunately, we've got the tough part right. We just don't have the smart part.

MODERATOR: Dr. Kagen, thank you. Mr. Gard, your one minute rebuttal.

GARD: I don't ever want a terrorist to get on an airplane, and that's the difference.

Well.

Now we know how the Dems will protect us from terrorists.

If you're on a hijacked plane and lucky enough to have tough guy Steve Kagen on board, he promises to put his foot down and take the terrorists out.

Feel more secure?

As long as Kagen is around, we can relax.

Why bother worrying about terrorists when Kagen can just take 'em out?


Ready to take out the terrorists: Kagen puts his foot down, and his knee.


Unbelievable!

It's really funny that Kagen would say something so lame, but the matter is deadly serious.

This is the Dem approach to fighting terrorism: Kowtow to radical Leftists that believe the U.S. is the enemy. Mislead Americans into believing that the government is abusing its power and listening to their phone calls. Scare people into thinking that someone is monitoring their use of public libraries.

The Republican approach? Use all LEGAL means possible to find the terrorists, monitor them, and break up plots BEFORE they occur.

I see a little problem with the Dem plan.

Kagen can't be on every flight.



h/t Charlie