M. Taylor Columns

… there’s only one thing we can do! By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (1/22/18) Everyone needs a hobby — especially in the frigid depth of winter — and republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has offered up a great one: Letter writing; emailing and telephone messaging. Late last week the Arkansas Times reported the highly sensitive senator whined that he was getting so many letters from Ozark Indivisible progressives that he was looking into siccing the Capitol Police on citizens exercising their right to express their opinions to an elected public employee whose salary and cushy health insurance plan they…

Some good articles [11/9]. But please give us more articles on how we analyze and organize to recover from years of disastrous neglect of our base (Let’s define and refine) and swing voters. Anti-Trump is not enough, except for our core liberal supporters. Peace, Dr. James R. Anderson ***** Editor Reply: Hey, Jim:  I’ll keep an eye peeled and please send along anything you find of interest.   Did you read the piece on the recent “Autopsy” of the Dems 2016 campaign? There is a good executive summary but I would urge you to read the entire 33-page report. It’s…

  By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (11/13/17) It’s early afternoon and I’m sitting in the Urgent Care waiting room. Among the collection of people waiting to see the nurse is a mother and her sick middle school kid sitting nearby. The kid is both listless and restless in the way of sick kids. She leans on her mom’s shoulder as the two quietly play a game on the mom’s phone. She wants her mom to stay home with her after the appointment. There is a pleading tone to her voice. The mom explains that she has to get back…

Principle Over Party By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (10/16/17) Democratic candidate for governor Mike McCabe was in La Crosse Saturday evening for a fundraiser. Despite the blustery rainy night over 60 people came and went – but mostly stayed – for the whole event. The chili packed a solid wallop and the political talk was even better. Unlike most democratic party gatherings these days, the evening with McCabe was upbeat, positive and plucky. Oh sure, there were the occasional comments about the latest burp of Trumpland insanity or disbelief about the most recent dystopian outrage cooked up by…

  By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (9/28/17) Any progressive worth his subscription to The Nation knows there are (at least) two John McCains. There is the American war hero McCain who endured five years of imprisonment, torture and solitary confinement in North Vietnam, refusing an early release ahead of other comrades based upon his father’s rank and connections. Then there was the John McCain of the bipartisan 1989 Keating Five corruption scandal. Then there was the presidential candidate John McCain who publicly rebuked a supporter’s racist comments about Barack Obama in the midst of a heated campaign. There…

  By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (6/15/17) Much will be learned about the Wednesday morning shooting during a republican congressional softball practice in Alexandria, Virginia that left five wounded, including Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). Keep in mind much of the news that comes out in the first 24-48 hours after these kinds of all-too-common American events eventually prove to be wrong. One hopes for the recovery of both body and mind of the shooting victims and those who witnessed the eruption of all-American gun violence. Working in the mental health field with survivors and witnesses of trauma I…

By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (3/27/17) Given the steady flow of sludge from the Trump White House and usual flow of delusion and deceit from deep inside Scotty “Bucky Weasel” Walker’s fur-lined burrow a fella’ needs to spend some time with friends when he can and this past Saturday somewhere north of 200-plus progressive friends journeyed to Mazomanie for the 9th Annual Wisconsin Grass Roots Festival. The annual event is put on by Wisconsin Grassroots Network. WGN Nate Tim and a small army of local volunteers always put on a hell of a gathering. Folks from all across…

By Mark L. Taylor The Commoner Call (1/26/17) First, let me make it clear the headline above is not my wish but a sad prediction. Following just weeks after a disastrous Democratic Party national campaign grounded on negative advertising, complete lack of vision and a “lesser of two evils” strategy I received the following email press release from Democratic 32nd District State Sen. Jennifer Shilling’s office:   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2017 Statement on Gov. Walker’s proposed work restrictions MADISON – After years of Republican policies that have cut family wages, shrunk the middle class and increased student loan…