Blogging Blue

Thanks to a phone call campaign coordinated by Peace Action Wisconsin, a virtual urban warfare game that allowed Summerfest goers as young as 13 to climb into a Humvee simulator and fire machine guns at life-size people displayed on a computer screenhas been shut down by Summerfest officials. Obviously I’m glad the folks from Summerfest came down on the right side of this situation, because it seems a little odd to allow a 13 year old to be able to jump into a Humvee and simulate shooting a killing people, given the fact that a video game of that nature would surely be restricted to Mature audiences due to the violence, blood, and gore that I’m sure were a part of the simulator.

Putting aside the issue of letting 13 year olds take part in such a violent simulation, I just think it’s hypocritical to attempt to glorify war when war is often far from being glorious. Though I’ve not personally had any experience serving in combat, I’ve read enough accounts to know it doesn’t seem glorious at all. Bert over at folkbum summed it up best when discussing Chuck Sykes’ reaction to the situation:

Shorter Sykes #2: This virtual war game, where kids as young as 13 suit up and ride a humvee to shoot with automatic weapons at images of “the enemy”, is good because it teaches this country the realities of war.
My question #2.a: How would you or I know the reality of war, since we have never come close to experiencing it?
My question #2.b: If it is important that the citizenry know more of the reality of war (I agree, by the way) since we are fighting two at the moment, did you ever criticize the White House policy to forbid images of our dead soldiers’ caskets? Did you ever applaud reporters for showing death on either side during these wars, or did you instead support more news about privates handing out candy to children?

As I said, kudos to Summerfest for doing the right thing.

The folks over at Pundit Nation have more on the situation, and whallah! has more on the all-too-predictable reaction from Chuck Sykes and his band of follo…I mean, listeners.

No Comments »

Recently it was my pleasure to have the opportunity to sit down and chat with Glen Brower, the Democratic candidate running against Rep. Mark Honadel in Wisconsin’s 21st Assembly District. Upon meeting and speaking with Mr. Brower, I was struck by two things: his obvious passion for serving the public as well as his desire to fundamentally change the way our state government works.

Our interview started with the question all candidates should be able to answer without hesitation: “Why are you running for office?” When asked the question, Brower responded that he was running for the Assembly because he was outraged at the course our nation and our state had taken in recent years, and he noted he wanted to make an impact on the issues affecting Wisconsinites as a member of the State Assembly. Brower also noted his lifetime of service, both as a member of the United States Army and as a public servant, and he stated he wanted to continue to serve the public and contribute to the community as a member of the Assembly.

Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Who will it be?

Speculation has already begun in earnest, and while I don’t proclaim to be an expert on the inner workings of Obama’s VP search, here’s my thoughts on some possibilities.

General Wesley Clark - Maybe I’m crazy, but I see Wesley Clark as more of a Secretary of Defense in an Obama administration than as the Vice President. Clark has a lot of great military/defense experience, but I don’t see him bringing much to the table as a campaigner.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson - Let me preface this by saying Bill Richardson was my initial pick out of the entire Democratic field. However, as much as I love Bill Richardson as the Vice President on Barack Obama’s ticket, he did make some pretty critical mistakes on the campaign trail, and he never really came across as being as funny and charismatic as I’ve heard he can be. I think Richardson would be an interesting choice for Secretary of State.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer - Brian Schweitzer’s star is on the rise. He’s a hugely popular Democratic governor of a red state, he speaks fluent Arabic, and he has some expertise when it comes to energy issues. I think he’s a dark horse, but he’s someone who bears serious consideration.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius - Sebelius has a good record of bipartisanship in Kansas, and her presence on Obama’s ticket might help Obama shore up his numbers with women.

Virginia Senator Jim Webb - Senator Webb would bring some defense credentials to the table and could possibly help swing Virginia, which is already trending blue, into the Democratic column in November. Webb’s main drawback is his propensity for saying what’s on his mind without first thinking about what he’s saying. He’d be a good “attack dog,” but at the same time, you don’t want your campaign’s attack dog going off the reservation.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton - Yeah, I went there. Now I’ve not been a fan of the kind of campaign Clinton has run during the primaries, but I still can’t deny the tenacity and proven skills as a campaigner and fundraiser that she’d bring to the table as Obama’s Vice President. Obviously there’s a lot of baggage that would need to be sorted out, namely Bill Clinton’s role if Hillary were offered the VP spot, but she certainly wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world.

3 Comments »

I’d just like to thank Cory Liebmann and the rest of the folks at One Wisconsin Now for naming Blogging Blue one of their “Wisconsin Featured Blogs.” It feels good to be included along with blogs like Whallah!, Badger Blues, and Pundit Nation, just to name a few. It feels good to be included in such great company, especially given the fact that I’ve not yet been blogging a year.

And heck, maybe this will expand my reader base from three loyal readers to four or even five loyal readers.

No Comments »

Now sure, I only drank water, but I still drank liberally. I had a great time at the Sugar Maple, and I met some great folks, including the king of the hate left, who I daresay has quite the fanclub. I also got to meet a truly great gal and a mercenary sociologist, and I also ran into a ‘bum. I also met a couple of aspiring photographers, and I had a really great time with a BM. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to stay long enough to spend some time chatting with the illustrious illusory tenant, but I was pleased to meet him nonetheless.

I think a great time was had by all, and it’s definitely nice to finally be able to put faces with the names I’ve come to know and respect.

7 Comments »