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Opinion: Hits and misses from the headlines

From the March 21, 2010 CSI Walworth County Sunday "The Way we see it" column:

Following is a rundown of newsmakers who have made an impression — for good or ill — in recent days.

Hit: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, continues to burnish his reputation as a Republican foil for the acolytes of ObamaCare.

Every time he weighs in on health care, Ryan demonstrates, much to the chagrin of Democrats, that real reform can be achieved without the government takeover envisioned by the president.

Miss: State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, issued a “Legislative Alert” on her government e-mail account earlier this month to inform cosmetically challenged constituents of a beauty seminar in a nearby district.

Desperately needed information on skin creams, tummy tucks, nose jobs and various other “augmentations” was offered.

Taylor aide Eric Peterson, in a statement that suggests a career change may be in order, noted that many of his boss’ constituents are deeply concerned about skin care.

Hit: Kudos to state Rep. Jeff Wood, the serial drunken driver who reminded Wisconsin residents that they have been represented in the Legislature by a long line of reprobates.

Wood, a liberal independent, told the Assembly’s Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct that some 30 miscreants had committed various felonies and misdemeanors since the mid-1970s and were allowed to remain in the Legislature. By that measure, the besotted Wood deserves the lavish state pension he seeks. Assembly Democrats, who covet his vote, apparently agree, since he remains on the job.

Miss: Obama administration functionaries proudly announced that this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll will feature environmentally friendly eggs made of paperboard, which uses no wood fibers. And happily, the inks used to color the eggs will be made of vegetable oil.

Shockingly, the event remains an Easter egg roll. Expect that oversight to be corrected in time for next year’s Vernal Equinox Paperboard Embryo Retrieval.

Hit: A huge high five to Liz Cheney, who helped spearhead the creation of an Internet ad asking Attorney General Eric Holder to identify seven Department of Justice lawyers who represented al-Qaida terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is being pilloried by Holder apologists and misguided civil libertarians who are appalled that lawyers for terrorists wouldn’t be part of the nation’s most important law enforcement agency.

Consider the Gitmo Bar appointments a window into the soul of an administration that seems at least ambivalent about the country it governs. Holder, after all, had his pick of the nation’s most talented attorneys, yet opted for a dozen who once represented killers committed to the destruction of the United States. The public now has a right to know whether these legal busybodies are involved in wartime policy-making decisions that might affect national security.

Miss: Actor Sean Penn, apparently unaware of something called the First Amendment, said this month that journalists who refer to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez as a “dictator” should be jailed. They are, of course — in Venezuela. Penn is a fool, but in the interest of lively writing, we remind reporters that the socialist strongman Chavez also qualifies as a despot and a tyrant.

Hit: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi inadvertently exposed the essence of the Democratic approach to passing health care legislation, when she told a gathering of local officials that Congress “(has) to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it ...”

Indeed.

Read more on the Outlook and Perspective pages of CSI's Walworth County Sunday e-edition on pages 8A and 9A. and add your comments below.