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State Debate: Superdelegates should back Obama, says Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

a 5/8 roundup of editorials from state papers

The Capital Times  —  5/08/2008 11:09 am

Superdelegates should come out for Barack Obama and end the bloodletting, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"We had urged superdelegates to wait until the Democratic National Convention to commit. But it makes little sense to wait that long now."

The number of uncommitted superdelegates (about 270) exceeds the number of delegates at stake in the remaining six contests (217) through June 3. Because the delegates will be divided proportionately, there is no way either Obama, who is roughly 184 delegates shy of securing the nomination, or Hillary Clinton can win enough to put either over the top.

The superdelegates should do what they were created to do -- act in the interest of the party to choose a nominee in the event of deadlock. We're at that point.

Obama, who has earned the title of presumptive nominee, should be their choice.

"Superdelegates: Call the game, and let's get on with the series."

Mosinee High should drop Indians nickname, says the Wausau Daily Herald.

Mosinee High School's halls were a little quieter than normal Tuesday as students there took part in a Day of Silence sponsored by the Diversity Club. Except for required speaking in class, about 70 students -- and some teachers -- were silent.

Students scheduled the day to coincide with a presentation on bullying and peer pressure.

There's no better place for such a protest than Mosinee, one of the handful of schools in Wisconsin that persists in using a race-based nickname for its sports teams.

In 1994, Mosinee School Board members voted 7-2 to retain the Indians name. In 2006, the vote was 5-4. Maybe if students and adults break their silence, the next vote will end the discrimination.

Pay close attention to the health care reform debate, says the La Crosse Tribune.

Wisconsin residents want everyone to have access to affordable insurance, even if the state has to run the program, according to a recent University of Wisconsin Badger Poll. Sixty-one percent wanted the current private health care system replaced with one administered by state government, covering all residents.

"The United States is alone among other industrialized democracies in relying on private insurers and employer-based plans, rather than plans with more government involvement. How long will businesses be able to compete on a global market when health care costs make up a big part of the cost of their products?"

"Consumers need to be reading about the issues, checking online and other sources. Don't let candidate sound bites or special interest groups decide the issue for us."

Showing photo ID to vote makes sense, says the Appleton Post-Crescent.

"We accept the need to show a photo ID for lots of things, large and small. Buying something with a check, renting a movie, buying a six-pack of beer -- they all could require us to show an ID.

"So why should voting be any different?"

Opponents argue that a law would disenfranchise voters who don't already have a photo ID, such as senior citizens, minorities and the poor. Another argument against a voter ID law is that it would create longer lines at the polls.

"Voting should be as easy as possible. But we also need to be able to trust the process. Strengthening its integrity outweighs any possible inconvenience or burden caused by needing to show a card we show for many much less meaningful things."

The Capital Times  —  5/08/2008 11:09 am