Sunday, July 6, 2025
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Sunday, July 6, 2025

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The First Debate Was a Hot Mess

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That debate was a hot mess.

Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a clown (twice), a fool, a racist, the worst president in the country’s history, and literally told him to shut up, but it’s Trump who’s being labeled non-presidential.

In truth, though, no one looked good in this debate, and Trump, who couldn’t stop interrupting, surrendered a chance to definitively define Biden to the country as the weak torchbearer of a party that’s trending toward socialism and enabling rioters. After all, what are we all talking about? Not that.

Left to his own devices, Biden will shoot himself in the rhetorical foot every time. But Trump got in the way. You know it wasn’t a good debate when everyone watching it ended up with a migraine.

It’s unclear what we all expected, though. We already knew that Trump is pugnacious, uncouth, and a junkyard dog street fighter who plays by his own rules. We already knew that he refuses to “act presidential” in conventional terms. Trump was just being Trump. It’s worked for him so far. Did anyone really expect him to be nice? C’mon. Trump doesn’t do nice. That’s not why we elected him.


First Debate Expectations

Biden had the lowest of expectations due to all of the dementia talk. All he needed to do was make marginal sense and not babble incoherently on stage, and he would outperform them.

Biden has a habit of making exceptionally goofy (scratch that, ridiculous) remarks, from references to lying dog-faced pony soldiers to tales of gang members named Corn Pop. He lost it a few times during the debate to be sure, sounding angry and crotchety. That seemed to be Trump’s goal. He approached Biden like an aggressive prosecutor would go at a defendant on the stand, hoping to provoke an eruption or mistake. That did happen.

Sean Hannity was calling Biden “cranky” within minutes of the debate’s conclusion, but the other cable news channels were in full anti-Trump lather. Biden also dodged answering several important questions, such as whether he supports packing the Supreme Court. But no one will remember much of that because Trump’s interrupting style is the story today and his comments on white supremacists will be the story tomorrow.

Did Trump refuse to condemn white supremacists? The mainstream media narrative is that he did.

Asked if he would condemn them, Trump said, “Sure, I’m willing to do that. I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing. I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace”

“Then do it, sir,” said Wallace.

“Give them a name,” said Trump. When Wallace mentioned the Proud Boys, Trump said, “stand back and stand by,” and pivoted to Antifa and the left. “This is not a right wing problem. This is a left wing problem.” Biden said Antifa was an “idea, not an organization.”

The exchange, however mischaracterized, gave the media an issue to flog for days. Condemn them more explicitly. It’s not that hard. We do. They’re talking about Trump’s personality tonight, but they’re going to be talking about white supremacy and the Proud Boys tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that too. This angle will overshadow Biden’s record on the 1994 crime bill (although we support that, lots of his supporters don’t), and his ridiculous comments on race over the years (When accused of being a racist, Trump might have brought some of those up, especially the comment Biden once made about not wanting his kids to grow up in “a racial jungle.”)

Look. Here’s the bottom line.

Trump is right on most of the issues. He supports law and order as cities burn. He’s pro police and supports our nation’s veterans. He’s made a great nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court after two other great picks. He’s better for business and the economy and tax policies. He’s supportive of pro life measures. The stock market prefers him. He’s done more for the Black community than he gets credit for. He’s right that the country can’t afford to shut down again. He’ll be better at bringing back jobs. Biden’s party is weak on rioting, derisive of police, hateful of the military, and awful to the unborn. They’d like to remake the American economic system. They want to change America as we know it and create a state of dependence on government. It is true that Trump, by dominating the debate with his personality, prevented it from being dominated by something else; say, COVID-19 deaths. He was dominant, which is better than being weak. But there’s a thin line between dominance and obnoxiousness here.

Trump needs to get out of the way next time. Let Biden be Biden. Let the contrast be on the issues, not personality.

 

Will this debate change many voters’ minds? It might make people want to sit this one out or wish for a viable third-party candidate. However, a month is a lifetime in politics, as they say. People are so polarized on the issues, and the contrasts are so clear here, that it’s probably unlikely to move the needle much with people who have already made up their minds. Fence sitters? Neither candidate looked good, really. In all truth, Biden looks one step out of the nursing home.

When it comes to Trump, the old cliché comes to mind: “He may be a bastard, but he’s our bastard.”

Does this country want or need nice? We want someone to restore order and the economy, get tough with Antifa and stop our cities from burning to the ground.

It will probably take a bastard to do that. In that way, Trump delivered.

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(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”