Happy Birthday George Will

Happy Birthday to Chicago Cubs fan, conservative columnist, and television personality George Will. My brush with greatness, or my biggest geek moment:

I was in New Orleans for the Republican National Convention in 1992. I got on the elevator at the Superdome and there in the back of the elevator was George Will. And he saw that I recognized him. I wanted to say something, anything, but the only words that came to mind were, "You're George Will." And of course, since he already knew that, I didn't bother telling him.

So we just kinda stared at each other until it was time to get off the elevator. Then I turned to someone with whom I was going to the convention and said what were still the only words that came to my starstruck mind, "That was George Will."

And she said, "Who's George Will?"

I vote for a later primary date

Paul Soglin gives a preview of what Wisconsinites can expect between now and February 19th.

February 19 will produce the most interesting Wisconsin primary since 1968, when the weekend before the votes were cast, Lyndon Johnson, withdrew in the face of a pending debacle. In the meantime, the national press core will celebrate the Dairy State for two weeks as they descend on the cow pastures and the court houses, the university campuses and the small town grills.

Some candidates will kiss babies, the smart ones will pose for photos with cheeseheads.

We wanted attention; we're about to get it. Robocalls, Tom Barrett sightings, local politicians making meaningless endorsements, radio ads, television ads, spooky music backgrounds, Bill Clinton (hide your daughters!), Eugene Kane columns about Barack Obama, Joel McNally discussing the black experience, Mayor Larry Nelson actually staying in Wisconsin, Barbara Lawton sightings, Illinois residents making a nuisance of themselves (usually they wait until the weather is nicer), national media showing pictures of cows, stupid sports references, George Will wearing a cheesehead, Owen Robinson columns, endless citizen interviews, local television fawning over whatever candidate deigns to speak with them, twisted political metaphors using the words "frozen tundra", newspaper and television references to Kennedy campaigning here in 1960, gratuitous references to Wisconsin's "progressive" tradition which have nothing to do with the Progressives, endless amounts of junk mail, schools allowing students to campaign on class time, teachers taking students on political "field trips", rallies at Serb Hall, B & C class Hollywood celebrities (hide your daughters!), unwashed hippie protestors, and endless amounts of Russ Feingold.

A presidential primary in June would've spared us all this.