Badger men stay classy

The Badger men's basketball team's success goes deeper than the court. They could be cocky and arrogant, but they aren't. They respect the skill levels of their opponents and don't talk trash. They give their team and teammates credit first before acknowledging their personal accomplishments.

They are a class act and great representatives for Wisconsin. Bo, you know how to pick 'em!

-- Kim Conway, Janesville

For the past two months I've read editorial after editorial in the State Journal advocating for the appointment of Supreme Court justices. Your argument assumes that in any group of candidates there is one person who obviously is most qualified.

I've been waiting for you to define selection criteria, and every week there is silence.

You should have shown the merits of your proposal by making a thorough analysis of the qualifications of Justice Louis Butler and Judge Michael Gableman. Yet you decided not to do that in a race where the qualifications of the two candidates support an easy merit decision.

One candidate has served ably as a Supreme Court justice, and the other candidate has no appellate judicial experience. Either you are not truly interested in seeing the most qualified candidate serve on the Supreme Court, or the criteria of selection are not so easily identifiable.

Regardless, by not endorsing in this election, you have weakened your argument and proven yourselves to be no better than a politician who campaigns on a pledge to reduce taxes but refuses to tell you how he will cut spending.

-- Carla Draper, Madison

Questions rural school referendums

Regarding the March 16 article, "41 school districts to ask voters for money," the 30 percent-plus increase in the mill rate being sought by the Weston School District is out of line.

No amount of money will change the fact that rural school districts are facing extinction because of declining enrollment.

Despite Weston's fine educational track record and the dedication of its teachers, the student body will continue to shrink because of an anemic tax base that won't support the needed improvement in coming years. This area is not going to be blessed with an influx of new jobs to attract workers with school-aged children.

During the first community meeting to discuss the referendum, a resident said school consolidation wasn't necessarily a good idea because residents only "inherit someone else's debt."

While that may be true, I see no other solution but consolidation. Enrollment is not going to increase, and the level of state funding the district once could count on is not coming back.

At the end of this meeting, Weston School District Superintendant Tom Andres asked if people could afford the increase. The answer is no, we can't. My wife and I are on fixed incomes. Even if we weren't, we couldn't afford to throw our money into a bottomless pit.

On April 1, we will vote "no" on the Weston referendum. It's time that homeowners got some meaningful help from a tax-crazy state that needs to do much more than pay lip service to education.

-- Dave and Joanne Gorak, LaValle

Wright flap offers glimpse of leadership

The way Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton have each handled negative, inappropriate remarks from their supporters is telling.

Again and again Clinton has downplayed or excused these types of remarks while the supporters have rarely apologized or retracted such remarks, James Carville and Geraldine Ferraro being the most recent examples.

On the other hand, Obama has condemned such remarks and his supporters have apologized, resigned from their positions, or both. These differences say a great deal about the candidates and the type of leadership they offer.

From Clinton we can expect more of what we've had from the Bush administration and the Bill Clinton administration -- excuses or refusal to admit mistakes or errors in judgment while attacking those with different views.

I fear that's what we 've come to expect from our politicians, but we should demand more from those who sit in the highest office in this nation.

Obama offers a presidency and an administration that will conduct itself with dignity, respect other views and deal with mistakes and criticism in a mature and respectful way. That's the type of presidency our nation needs and deserves.

-- Sarah Pratt, Madison

GOP in trouble if McCain's 'best shot'

John McCain is the Republicans' "best shot?" The United States needs an exit strategy from Iraq. President Bush and John McCain did not have an exit strategy when they chose to invade Iraq. Their tactic now is to "stay the course" until "victory" is achieved, in other words, a decent interval of fewer U.S. casualties.

The McBush tactics are designed to vindicate their immoral, illegal and geopolitically unsound invasion and occupation of Iraq. They knew, or should have known, that Iraq was no imminent threat to our country.

Bush administration officials hyped the danger, and McCain encouraged it. Theirs is a self-serving policy to cover leadership failures. And it's dangerous, making friends into enemies, developing new havens for terrorists and undermining the security of the United States.

-- Morris Waxler, Madison

Butler no friend to victims, enforcement

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race presents an opportunity for voters to have a direct impact on our criminal justice system.

One of the candidates is Louis Butler, a former public defender who was appointed to the court after failing to win a contested election. Butler's decisions since he has been on the court demonstrate that he has been no friend to law enforcement or crime victims.

Butler has cast the deciding vote to reverse murder and sexual assault convictions, suppress evidence, limit police ability to investigate crimes and overturn a law that gave prosecutors the ability to block the early release of violent criminals, sex offenders and drug dealers.

Butler was also the only judge to vote against the admission of a murder victim's letter in the much publicized Mark Jensen trial. Butler's votes on the court have made our communities less safe and allowed criminals to escape justice.

Judge Michael Gableman, Butler's opponent, is a former district attorney who has the bipartisan endorsements of more than 50 sheriffs (compared to only five for Butler) as well as the majority of district attorneys in Wisconsin.

In addition to being a tough-on-crime judge, Gableman has established a drug and alcohol court to help those who want to change their criminal lifestyles. Judge Gableman is the clear choice for Supreme Court.

-- Gerald A. Urbik, assistant district attorney, Janesville

Gableman demeaned by misleading ads

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Michael Gableman has been pilloried for his lapse of legal ethics and judgment in authorizing an untruthful political ad attacking incumbent Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler as soft on crime.

A host of attorneys, former judges and even a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice have pointed out that the ad is factually dissembling and misrepresents the law.

As a former criminal prosecutor in Rock County and long-time Wisconsin lawyer, I join my colleagues in condemning the Gableman ad.

Deceitful political attack ads have no place in any political campaign, particularly judicial races where integrity and ethical conduct are of particular importance. These ads pervert a more reasoned approach, and demean the candidate on whose behalf they are sponsored, as in this case.

As a State Public Defender appellate lawyer prior to joining the court, Butler was known as a formidable and ethical defender of the accused persons he was assigned to represent, insisting that they be granted their constitutional rights.

Since joining the Supreme Court, Justice Butler has distinguished himself as a legal scholar who understands that the function of the court is to do justice -- fairly, ethically, responsibly, honestly -- by judging each case on its facts and applicable law.

Like many of my attorney peers, law enforcement officers and citizens statewide, I am proud to support the return of Justice Louis Butler to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

-- A. Henry Hempe, Madison

Hylbert best bet for Dane County Board

If you share our view that regional planning and coordination are important, whether for economic development, urban services through the new Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission or transportation through the creation of a Regional Transit Authority, join us in support of Nancy Hylbert for County Board supervisor in District 33.

Hylbert understands the need for effective regional structures to review and approve expansion of urban services (CARPC) and to plan and fund regional transportation infrastructure and facilities (RTA).

Now while economic development leaders are stressing the need to advance our regional economic identity, we need openness to regional planning on the County Board.

Now while our ground and surface waters are threatened by urban development and when transportation is eating more time, money and land, we need people willing to support regional problem-solving. Vote for Hylbert.

-- William and Nancy Horns, Fitchburg