२१ मे, २००६

Tommy Thompson and "the three little T's."

It's funny that a guy with the initials TT -- does he drive a TT? -- seized upon the rhetorical device of "the three little T's" to denounce Governor Doyle:
Thompson, [gubernatorial candidate Mark] Green and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, who bowed out of the race earlier this spring, heaped scorn on a governor they characterized as a tool of the state teachers union, the trial lawyers and tribal gambling interests ("the three little T's," Thompson called them).

"We believe in the big T that trumps all those other Ts. That's you, the taxpayer," Thompson said. "This T is going to spend my summer and fall making sure you taxpayers know that."...

Green accused Doyle of "selling out" the state to special interests by vetoing legislation that would have limited corporate liability, opposing expansion of Milwaukee's school choice program and fighting legislative oversight of tribal gambling compacts.
Unfortunately, Green seems to be a hardcore social conservative. He favors making abortion illegal except to save a woman's life.

१६ टिप्पण्या:

Troy म्हणाले...

I've always laughed at the irony of those who accuse pro-lifers of being single-issue voters. It would be interesting to find a good lib dem who just happened to be anti-abortion and see what happens -- today -- not back when Casey was active. The fact that that almost seems an impossibility speaks volumes about the Dem. Party.

Would you vote for (or seriously consider it) Green if he's the best candidate? I'm sincerely curious, since I don't think you'd be a single-issue voter.

Dad29 म्हणाले...

"Unfortunately..."??

Really.

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

It's hard to vote for someone who tells a child pregnant by a rapist to just tough it out and have the kid.

Green also smells of DeLay to me.

Derve Swanson म्हणाले...

Is abortion necessarily a single issue, Troy?

Or does it say something bigger about who makes decisions, and the role and size of government?

Troy म्हणाले...

Nice bit of sophistry Mary. Abortion involves many "issues". Water is wet.

I'm not the one who's saying it's a single issue. I made the observation that pro-lifers are often tagged (not by Ann) -- pejoratively -- as single issue voters. Ann made the comment that Green seemed like an otherwise acceptable candidate except he was pro-life. Question to Ann... I am sincerely curious. It's not quite the level of nude walks (Chris triggered bad health club flashbacks!), but nonetheless I'm curious.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Mary said..."Is abortion necessarily a single issue, Troy?"

Good point. I think such an extreme position on abortion suggests all sorts of other positions that I disagree with. Note that the final paragraph of my post has two sentences. The second sentence is presented as evidence of the statement in the first sentence.

My assumption is that I can't trust Green. I don't like Doyle either.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Troy: What's the question? Would I vote for Green is he's the "best candidate"? Obviously, I'll vote for whoever I think is the best candidate. Do you mean do I think someone who's antiabortion could ever be the best candidate? The answer to that question is yes.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

CB: It refers to personal injury lawyers. It's what they call themselves too, so it's not just a pejorative, though it's often used as if it is.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

On the plaintiff's side.

Bissage म्हणाले...

Ann and CB: True. But "trial lawyer" is also used in contradistinction to "litigator," in which case it is roughly synonymous to "barrister."

In some firms, litigators work the case until it goes to trial (if it must) whereupon the file is handed off to a trial lawyer (usually a partner) who then works his or her special magic.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Bissage: That's not how I've seen the 2 terms used. It has more to do with the type of client and the side you're on.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

CB: Well, it's the person's capacity to fight that makes you want to avoid a fight with him.

Re verification words: if you can't read it, just hit publish, and you'll get a different one. I just reject them until I get one that's easy to see.

Bissage म्हणाले...

Ann: Yes. I'm agreeing with you. My point is that there is another (obscure) usage.

CB: I think it stems from pi lawyers' general tendency to see themselves as champions of the little guy. For example, many pi lawyers also practice criminal defense, and not just because the clents are the same.

Many of these lawyers see themselves as David's who won't run from a fight. In this sense, to call one's self a "trial lawyer" is to think of one's self as a gladiator in the ring. It is an honorific and a threat: "You'd better pay my demand because I'm not afraid to try this case. I'm a trial lawyer."

P.S. The foregoing is merely descriptive, not snarky. I worked for a pi guy who said this about himself, almost word for word. And he was the nicest guy I ever met. And a good lawyer. And he settled a lot of cases.

Bissage म्हणाले...

Oops. Look's like Ann beat me to it. Oh, well.

displaced ched head म्हणाले...

'UNFORTUNATELY" that is your insight into the candidates position on a human life?
I guess Green smells of Delay as Doyle smells of Jefferson.
Sophistry thy name is this blog. Lawyers fawning all over each other; trying to define the definition of is. Wow, how about another post on American Idol, better yet The Dixie Twits are on Letterman tomorrow night blog that. Its all the same to me, law, lawyers, t.v., pretentious dinner parties. Give me a break.

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

I guess Green smells of Delay as Doyle smells of Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson? Jefferson County?

I do think the Republican Party erred in nominating Green. Seemingly all the Legislative leaders of the TT era have been imprisoned on various corruption charges, and now the Republicans offer up someone tied up with corruption in DC and Texas? Anything Doyle has done is flying below radar at the moment. Granted, this is on the west side of Madison. Maybe my relatives in Waukesha County hear something else.

Anyway, for a voter fatigued by scandal (again), Green is not a breath of fresh air.