CHRIS RICKERT
, 608-252-6198
What happened last week at UW-Milwaukee is a good example of what can happen when two entrenched, self-interested and powerful forces clash in today’s partisan political environment:
kAm%96 8FJ ECJ:?8 E@ 3C:?8 E96 EH@ D:56D E@86E96C :D 2D<65 E@ AF3=:4=J AC@>:D6 96 H:== C6D:8? :7 96 72:=D E@ 244@>A=:D9 D@>6E9:?8 96 92D =:EE=6 E@ ?@ 4@?EC@= @G6C]k^Am
kAmx? E9:D 42D6[ E96 7@C46D 2C6 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (:D4@?D:? $JDE6> 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D :? 4@?EC@= @7 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2?5 E96 8FJ :D #2J 42F89E\:?\E96\rC@DD\7:C6]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E FDF2==J 766= 325 7@C 9:89=J A=2465[ H6==\A2:5 @77:4:2=D[ 3FE x 76=E 325 7@C $JDE6> !C6D:56?E #2J rC@DD H96? 2 &(\|:=H2F<66 t?8=:D9 AC@76DD@C H2D 23=6 E@ 6IEC24E E96 C6D:8?2E:@? AC@>:D6 5FC:?8 9:D (65?6D52J k2 E:E=6lQ9EEAi^^FH>]65F^DEC62>:?8G:56@^F?:G6CD:EJC6=2E:@?D^Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^FH>]65F^DEC62>:?8G:56@^F?:G6CD:EJC6=2E:@?D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm" U2>Aj pk^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@76DD@C[ #:492C5 vCFD:?[ 2?5 @E96C 724F=EJ 2C6 F?56CDE2?523=J H@CC:65 23@FE #6AF3=:42? v@G] $4@EE (2=<6C’D Sb__ >:==:@? AC@A@D65 4FE E@ E96 &( $JDE6>[ 2D H6== 2D E96 A@E6?E:2= =@DD @7 E6?FC6 2?5 E96:C G@:46 :? E96 7F?4E:@?:?8 @7 E96 H@C<A=246[ <?@H? 2D “D92C65 8@G6C?2?46]”k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ 72:C E@ 3C:?8 E96D6 4@?46C?D E@ rC@DD[ H9@[ 3J 2?J >62DFC6[ :D ?@E 92G:?8 >F49 DF446DD 255C6DD:?8 E96>]k^Am
kAm(92E E96J 5@?’E D66> E@ 4@?D:56C :D E96 92?5 rC@DD H2D 562=E]k^Am
kAmrC@DD E@@< @G6C 7@C z6G:? #6:==J[ H9@ C6D:8?65 :? s646>36C a_`b 27E6C 2 DA2E 62C=:6C :? E96 J62C 36EH66? {68:D=2E:G6 #6AF3=:42?D 2?5 $JDE6> @77:4:2=D @G6C C6G6=2E:@?D E92E E96 $JDE6> 925 366? C2:D:?8 EF:E:@? H9:=6 D:EE:?8 @? 9F?5C65D @7 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? 42D9 C6D6CG6D]k^Am
kAm$>2CE=J[ rC@DD D6E @FE E@ C6A2:C C6=2E:@?D H:E9 #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD] %96J H6C6 =:<6=J E@ C6>2:? :? 4@?EC@= @7 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 7@C 2 H9:=6[ 27E6C 2==[ 3642FD6 @7 E96 H2J E96J 86CCJ>2?56C65 =68:D=2E:G6 5:DEC:4ED 324< :? a_``]k^Am
kAm%96? E96 BF6DE:@? H2D H96E96C s6>@4C2E |2CJ qFC<6 H@F=5 56?J (2=<6C 2 D64@?5 E6C> :? E96 }@G] c 6=64E:@?[ 2D D96 4@F=5 92G6 2E =62DE AC@G:565 2 4@F?E6CH6:89E E@ D@>6 @7 E96 2?E:A2E9J E@52J’D v~! 92D 7@C 24256>:2]k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J 7@C E96 $JDE6>[ qFC<6 =@DE] &?7@CEF?2E6=J 7@C 6G6CJ3@5J[ E96 DE2E6’D {68:D=2E:G6 u:D42= qFC62F C6A@CE65 =6DD E92? E9C66 H66<D =2E6C E92E E96 DE2E6 H2D 724:?8 2 Sa]a 3:==:@? 3F586E 9@=6 7@C a_`d\`f W@?6 E92E[ :?4:56?E2==J[ (2=<6C 2?5 9:D 76==@H #6AF3=:42?D 96=A65 4C62E6 3J A2DD:?8 Sa 3:==:@? :? E2I 4FED D:?46 a_``X]k^Am
kAmp55 :? (2=<6C’D AC6D:56?E:2= 2>3:E:@?D — 2?5 9:D 2DD@4:2E65 ?665 E@ A2?56C E@ 3F586E\4FEE:?8[ 2?E:\:?E6==64EF2= AC:>2CJ G@E6CD — 2?5 E96 492?46D H6C6 AC6EEJ 8@@5 E96 $JDE6> H2D 8@:?8 E@ 86E DBF66K65 :? E96 a_`d\`f DE2E6 3F586E]k^Am
kAm$@ H92E 5:5 rC@DD 5@n w6 A=2J65 23@FE E96 @?=J 42C5 96 925 =67E]k^Am
kAmrC@DD H@C<65 369:?5 E96 D46?6D H:E9 (2=<6C E@ AC@A@D6 E96 $JDE6> 36 C6=62D65 7C@> DE2E6 @G6CD:89E 2?5 364@>6 2 D@\42==65 “AF3=:4 2FE9@C:EJ]” %96 :562 H2D E92E E9:D H@F=5 2==@H E96 $JDE6> E@ 249:6G6 677:4:6?4:6D :E ?66565 E@ @77D6E D@>6 @7 E96 4FED] !=FD[ @?46 (2=<6C’D AC@A@D65 EH@\J62C EF:E:@? 7C66K6 6IA:C65[ E96 $JDE6> H@F=5 92G6 E96 A@H6C E@ ;24< FA EF:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@3=6> :D E92E #6AF3=:42?D :? 4@?EC@= 2E E96 r2A:E@= 92G6 8C@H? 5F3:@FD @7 E96 AF3=:4 2FE9@C:EJ >@56=[ 2?5 (2=<6C — H9@’D EC2G6=:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ :? AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C 9:D =:<6=J AC6D:56?E:2= CF? — D66>D =6DD E92? :?E6C6DE65 :? =@33J:?8 9:D 76==@H #6AF3=:42?D E@ DFAA@CE :E]k^Am
kAm}@E E92E 724F=EJ 2?5 E96 q@2C5 @7 #686?ED 92G6?’E 96=A65 5:8 E96 9@=6 E96J 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D :?]k^Am
kAmpDD6>3=J $A62<6C #@3:? '@D D@FC65 @? 8:G:?8 E96 $JDE6> >@C6 2FE@?@>J 2D 724F=EJ =@33:65 E@ AC6D6CG6 E6?FC6 2?5 D92C65 8@G6C?2?46 F?56C 2 AF3=:4 2FE9@C:EJ >@56=[ 2?5 E96 3@2C5 A2DD65 2 >62DFC6 2D<:?8 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 E@ 2==@H :E E@ 5@ ;FDE E92E] %6?FC6 2?5 D92C65 8@G6C?2?46 2C6 4@>>@? :? 9:896C 65[ 3FE rC@DD 92D D2:5 (:D4@?D:? :D F?:BF6 :? 6?D9C:?:?8 E96> :? DE2E6 =2H]k^Am
kAmu@C '@D[ E96 3@2C5’D G@E6 H2D 2 D:8? E92E E96 $JDE6> H2D?’E :?E6C6DE65 :? FD:?8 2?J ?6H 7=6I:3:=:E:6D E@ >2<6 >2;@C 492?86D — D@ H9J 3@E96C 8:G:?8 :E E96 A@H6C E@ 492?86 E9:?8Dnk^Am
kAmq6D:56D[ H96? E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 H@C<6CD 5@?’E 92G6 2?J :562 H92E :E’D =:<6 E@ 92G6 E96 ?62C\:C@?\4=25 ;@3 AC@E64E:@? @7 E6?FC6[ =@D:?8 E6?FC6 :D?’E =:<6=J E@ :?DA:C6 2 =@E @7 DJ>A2E9J] p?5 D92C65 8@G6C?2?46n %92E >2<6D D6?D6 :? 2 4@\@A[ H96C6 6>A=@J66D D92C6 @H?6CD9:A] %96 $JDE6> :D?’E 2 4@\@A[ E9@F89j :E’D @H?65 3J E96 E2IA2J6CD @7 (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
kAmv:G6? E92E rC@DD’ @77:46 D2:5 96 H2D E@@ 3FDJ 7@C 2? :?E6CG:6H 2?5 vCFD:? 5:5?’E C6DA@?5 E@ >J C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E[ E9:D :D 23@FE 2D >F49 D6?D6 x 42? >2<6 @7 9@H rC@DD 6?565 FA 92G:?8 E@ 7246 2? 2F5:6?46 @7 9:896C 65 DFAA@CE6CD 92AAJ E@ AF3=:4=J D4@=5 9:> 7@C DECF88=:?8 E@ 5@ 2 ?62C\:>A@DD:3=6 ;@3]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 x DFAA@D6 E96C6 2C6 2=H2JD @E96C A@DD:3:=:E:6D]k^Am
kAm|2J36 rC@DD 28C665 E@ 36 E96 72== 8FJ :? (2=<6C’D A=2? E@ 9@33=6 E96 &( $JDE6> 2?5 :ED =67E\=62?:?8 724F=EJ :? C6EFC? 7@C 2 A@D:E:@? :? E96 (2=<6C (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am
kAm%92E H@F=5 2E =62DE 6IA=2:? H9J 96’D D@ H:==:?8 E@ BF:E 9:D 4FCC6?E 8:8[ 6G6? :7 :E D@F?5D =:<6 C2?< 4@?DA:C24J E@ E9:?< 2 ef\J62C\@=5[ =@?8E:>6 24256>:4 H@F=5 DF556?=J E9C@H 9:D =@E :? H:E9 2 4@==686 5C@A\@FE[ 4@?D6CG2E:G6 #6AF3=:42?]k^Am
kAm~?6 8@@5 E9:?8 23@FE 4@?DA:C24J E96@C:6D[ E9@F89[ :D E92E E96J 42? 36 2 H6=4@>6 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ 92G:?8 E@ 7246 D@>6 92C5 C62=:E:6D]k^Am
Contact Chris Rickert at 608-252-6198 or crickert@madison.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisRickertWSJ). His column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!