News from back home...

Jambo, my wife Liz and myself all hail from a small town in Northern Wisconsin right on the shores of Lake Superior. This quiet, quaint little town is now all over the newspapers because the DA for Ashland County, WI, Mr Sean Duffy suddenly saw light at the end of his tunnel.

Representative David Obey (D-WI) is finally going to hang it up after serving as the Representative of the Wisconsin 7th District since 1969. That is a LONG time in office, kids... he took the seat after Laird quit to become Nixon's SecDef less than a year after I was BORN.

The man that had planned on fighting for Obey's seat is Sean Duffy (campaign site HERE), who could very well be someone my sister knew from her school days (although he went to a rival high school), as they are nearly the same age. A very successful DA (91% success rating in criminal convictions) and former Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Convention... and a Catholic, too!

So, after 41 years of Democratic control of this particular seat, we now see another possibility for GOP gains in the House. Obey is a name I am very familar with (his wife was my music teacher in school), and I can't say I didn't support much of what he did for the District. Like Taylor in MS, he is very good about making sure his District is his first priority... but his roles in the House have sometimes caused me to slap my head. As Chariman of Appropriations for the last three years, he has sponsored some less-than-ideal positions for the Dems, and his "Yes" votes have routinely caused me pain (he is a supporter of the Democratic "Puerto Rico" plan that Ryan loves so much). Still, he's managed to maintain a Catholic position on abortion and other moral issues (mainly by voting "present" when the issue comes up it seems) over his 41 years, and that has to be worth something. None the less, he's a Democrat that supports Obama and Pelosi, so he is part of the roblem, not part of the solution.

Duffy is a professional athlete, TV celebrity and ESPN commentator... so he should have some real flair to bring to the election. He has a solid and measurable record to stand on, and lots of support for the local GOP machine. Aside from his unfortunate association with the Hayward Hurricanes (we were Oredockers), I think he's a solid candidate and has more than a good chance of winning.