Wisconsin

UPDATES WITH LINK TO RESPONSE POST BY GRETA VAN SUSTEREN: After watching coverage of the Wisconsin recall, I am convinced more than ever that it's time for a major press gut check. We have been in real trouble for a long time with cable TV news, but we truly have reached a new low of partisanship at MSNBC and Fox News -- and confusion at CNN. It's the confusion part at CNN that has me truly worried these days. Monday night after watching cable TV, I wrote about being "dismayed" by the polarized place that MSNBC and Fox News had come to. Scott Walker, the Republican governor, wouldn't talk to MSNBC, and Tom Barrett, the Democratic challenger, wouldn't come on Fox. Who could blame them?

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's victory in Tuesday's recall election doesn't mean President Barack Obama is going to lose his re-election bid - or even that he will lose Wisconsin. But it clearly shows that organized labor is a seriously weakened political force that needs to reinvent itself for its sake and for the nation's. The vote was widely billed as a preliminary skirmish in the November election between Mr. Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, but there is good reason to conclude that its predictive value is low. For starters, exit polling showed that even as voters handed Mr. Walker a convincing 53 percent to 46 percent victory over Milwaukee's Democratic mayor, Tom Barrett, a solid majority of them would have voted for Mr. Obama over Mr. Romney.

Democrat Tom Barrett's defeat in Wisconsin is also a loss for Gov. Martin O'Malley and his Democratic Governors Association which poured about $3.2 million into the attempt to topple Republican Gov. Scott Walker. O'Malley noted in a statement that Democrats were outspent "ten to one" in Wisconsin. He looked for the silver lining of last night's election results in Wisconsin, saying in a statement that "Republican governors across the country are on notice" and "The people of their states will not tolerate partisan overreach.

The Rocky Gorge Rugby Football Club, of Columbia, mounted a second-half comeback to win the Emirates Airline USA Rugby DII Men's Club National Championship on its first crack at the title. The club had made an appearance in the round of 16 last year before elimination. Having topped Santa Rosa in a lightning-delayed match on the first day of the championships, Rocky Gorge was out to prove a point on the second day. Rocky Gorge faced off against a Wisconsin club that was riding high of a last-second victory in the semifinals.

UPDATED Tuesday 1: 30 p.m. with confirmed reports of voter-suppression robocalls. While I have had many issues with the partisan nature of Ed Schultz's coverage from Wisconsin in the last year, I have to admit that Monday night the MSNBC host appeared to be providing an important public service to voters of that embattled state. During an interview with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall vote, Schultz asked about reports of robocalls telling potential voters that if they had signed petitions to recall Walker, there was no need to go to the polls Tuesday, because their votes were already registered.

Gov. Martin O'Malleyis going to Wisconsin to assist in the efforts to recall Gov. Scott Walker, but as usual The Sun failed to report his trip on Friday ("O'Malley to stump in Wisconsin for Walker foe," May 30). I guess "Light for All" simply applies to your liberal agenda. Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a governor who could do as much as Mr. Walker has done to turn the state of Wisconsin around in just a few short months? Even better, that the citizens of Maryland could have the same recall provisions that the citizens of Wisconsin enjoy?

Virginia Gov.Bob McDonnell launched a missile over the Potomac yesterday, displaying a video on his Republican Governors Association website attacking MD Gov. Martin O'Malley's record of raising taxes. The two neighboring governors lead their receptive party's governors associations but have pledged to cooperate on local issues as they pour money into oppositing sides of campaigns around the country. But both man has a competitive streak. And it seems to be emerging as the fierce gubernatorial race in Wisconsin heads into the final days.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, continuing to build on his high national profile as head of the Democratic Governors Association, will travel to Wisconsin Thursday to campaign for the challenger in the effort to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Colm O'Comartun, executive director of the DGA, said O'Malley will make a one-day trip to the Badger State to support Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the hard-fought contest. O'Malley will follow that trip with a three-state swing through New England.

Edwin Roger Fitzgerald, a retired professor had taught in the Johns Hopkins University's mechanics and materials department for nearly 40 years and whose hobby was farming, died May 11 of complications from a stroke at Gilchrist Hospice in Towson. The Parkton resident was 88. The son of Irish immigrants — his father was a principal and mother a teacher — he was born and raised in Oshkosh, Wis. He was 16 when he graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1939, and then entered Oshkosh State Teachers College for a year before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Each day this week leading up to Thursday's NFL draft, we will highlight one prospect whom the Ravens could draft with the 29th overall pick. Today's player is Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, who started 36 games at right guard for the Badgers. He is seen as the draft's second-best guard behind Stanford's David DeCastro. Background: Born and raised in Wisconsin, Zeitler, 22, was a two-time letter-winner in wrestling in high school and also participated in track and field. He became a fixture at right guard at Wisconsin, starting 36 of a possible 40 games in his final three seasons (he didn't start in four games in 2010 due to a high ankle sprain)