This morning’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinal carries an article on the upcoming Senate race in Wisconsin, Kohl gears up for battle against unknown.
He’s starting 2006 with $4 million in his campaign account. His campaign is already well staffed. His people have put together a DVD touting his political virtues and plan to distribute up to 100,000 of copies of it across Wisconsin. They’re lining up endorsements from business owners, veterans, nurses, you name it. They’re planning to open campaign offices around the state.
then
Three people have notified the state election commission that they intend to be Republican candidates. They are Marc Gumz of Baraboo, Robert Gerald Lorge of Bear Creek and David Redick of Madison. None appears positioned to launch a major campaign.
No mention of my Primary challenge. I’m seeking letters to the JS, reminding them of the presence in the race of Kohl’s best known declared challenger, yours truly. Please include my email, bmasel@tds.net . The article’s author, Alan J. Borsuk: aborsuk@journalsentinel.com , and the letters to the editor page: jsedit@journalsentinel.com .
Ben is a tireless advocate of the voiceless. I will simply post his recent reportage on the campaign trail as a small example of his considerable efforts for a better planet.
It seems that the WisPolitics website witnessed one of his exchanges, reporting:
Howard Dean and veteran Madison marijuana advocate Ben Masel faced off in an impromptu hallway debate on medical marijuana Friday night.
“It’s hard to be the peace guy and blow off the potheads,” Masel reflected Saturday.
Masel fills in the blanks for Big Left Outside, writing:
The Governor used the occasion to “clarify’ his position. He opposed the Vermont medical marijuana bill because he does not believe “Medical decisions should be made by Legislatures.” (old position.)
He would, as President, “on the day I take office direct the FDA to take a fresh look at the existing studies, and issue a report in 60 days.” He would then implement the report. (New “clarification.”)
He added that “speaking not as a Candidate, but as a physician,” he would “expect the report to recomend marijuana be approved for Chemotherapy and AIDS, but not for Glaucoma, because we have new medications for Glaucoma that are even better. And no medication is completely safe.”
On to Senator Kerry. No audience this time, it’s a quarter to six in the morning in the parking lot. He’s waiting for his ride, I’m awakened from a short night in my car by hundreds of squawking seagulls.
He doesn’t recall my Contra/Cocaine article from ’86, cited extensively in his Committee Report.
We move to US complicity in the present day Afghan Heroin trade. He’s sure it’s going on, would consider making it a campaign issue, but hasn’t looked at the evidence. His ride arrives.
…In Masel’s case, I know him. To my knowledge, he was the first gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin history to campaign, one day, naked. Now, that’s what I call full disclosure!
link
A modest suggestion that the Kohlrabi (Kohlrobber) become the campaign’s official vegetable (or alternatively the Kohlrabbit because Kohl runs and hides). Perhaps if the JS received bunches of kohlrabi with Masel’s name imprinted on each one from dozens of readers then they would take notice.
Cheers,
Hal C
Dunno what impact it would have for me here in VA to send a letter to WI paper- do they screen for email addys at the paper?
A Senator you can afford!! Best campaign slogan I have ever heard.(did you get my dollar Ben?)
Got it, thanks.
The J/S does print out of State letters. wouldn’t hurt if they noticed my campaign has “gone national.”