Center Stage, with Milfred and Hands

Milfred and Hands size up the candidates for Wisconsin's top job, including those who have declared bids and others who are likely to follow. Our political podcasters agree that one Democrat and one Republican are best positioned for success in party primaries, now that incumbent Gov. Tony Evers has announced he won't seek a third term. So much can happen between now and November 2026, and key to christening a GOP nominee will be President Donald Trump's endorsement.   

Milfred and Hands test drive Madison's "20 is Plenty" edict that feels cementy when you actually try to drive that slow -- not that many if any people ever will for very far. Sure, driving so slow in theory makes it easier for a car to stop. But "slow speeders" aren't the problem. Real speeders are. And that requires more traffic enforcement, not feel-good laws pretending motorists will drive slower in cars than many bicycles do on the city's bike paths.

Milfred and Hands tout U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's resistance to the House-passed "big, beautiful bill" that would further burden our children and grandchildren with debt. But he's only half right in focusing on spending while mostly ignoring the cost of tax cuts.

Milfred and Hands get the bottom of Wisconsin's long-overdue legalization of medical marijuana and the stubborn Republican resistance to pot for recreational use -- even though GOP President Donald Trump is for it.

Milfred and Hands dissect Elon Musk’s impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race last week and look ahead to next year’s midterm elections in the swing state and beyond. President Donald Trump's billionaire buddy spent more than $20 million trying to elect Judge Brad Schimel to the Badger State's top court. Musk and Schimel failed in a blowout to Justice-elect Susan Crawford, who won by a quarter-million votes. A left-leaning majority will now hold the court until at least 2028, which would keep abortion legal and force changes to Wisconsin's congressional districts. Musk's lottery-like antics and fake-cheese persona turned off more voters than it charmed.

Milfred and Hands analyze Gov. Tony Evers' prospects for a third term, should he decide to run for governor again next year. Only one governor in state history -- Tommy Thompson -- has served a third (and part of a fourth) term. Milfred thinks Evers could be well-positioned as the antithesis to President Donald Trump. Hands isn't so sure, suggesting the left is hungry for new faces and younger blood. Evers recently met with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board, talking about his future, school testing and cellphone distractions.

Milfred and Hands impugn U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden's impeachment ploy. The Prairie du Chien Republican wants to throw a federal judge out of office for daring to stall one of President Donald Trump's priorities in court. The New York judge paused the Trump administration's attempt to scour the Treasury Department's payment system, which houses the Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americas. Van Orden's incredibly low bar for impeachment is that the judge "may have" been politically biased. It doesn't look like Van Orden's absurd proposal is drawing much support, even from fellow Republicans. The real goal appears to be pleasing Trump and his billionaire buddy Elon Musk, who could make or break Van Orden's reelection bid next year. Hands praises Van Orden's waredrobe. Milfred wonders if Van Orden is a lumbersexual. 

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, calls tariffs a tax. President Donald Trump says they'll make Americans rich and powerful. It's a tale of two tariffs. Milfred and Hands break down the (so far) polite fray on trade between Wisconsin's senior senator and his party's president who backed off -- for at least 30 days -- on imposing 25% tariffs on trading partners and neighbors Canada and Mexico.

Milfred and Hands play clips from the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's meeting last week with Jay Rothman, the "change agent" president of the Universities of Wisconsin. Rothman touts his $855 billion request for increased funding from the Legislature. In many ways, his business-like pitch should resonate with the GOP. Milfred asks about President-elect Donald Trump slamming "Marxist maniacs" on campus. He also gets Rothman's take on multimillion-dollar payouts to fired college football coaches. Hands gives the president advice on talking point and ponders the fate of legendary losing football coach Don Morton.

Milfred and Hands analyze Donald Trump's comeback win for the White House and why Wisconsin voters also chose progressive U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who in many ways is his polar opposite. Our political podcasters try to temper lefty Madison's loss by talking up checks and balances as well as states' rights. Milfred loves Trump's flip-flop on electric cars, now that Trump's bromance with Elon Musk has blossomed. 

Milfred and Hands unpack the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement meeting with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who is being challenged by her seat in the Nov. 5 election by Republican businessman Eric Hovde. The race in this closely watched swing state could decide control of the Senate. Baldwin touts the bill she is pushing with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance to demonstrate her bipartisan cred. She also criticizes her opponent as an out-of-touch , out-of-state wealthy banker.

Milfred and Hands play audio clips from and comment on the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's endorsement meeting with U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde.

Milfred and Hands interview Brian Reisinger, the Sauk County author of "Land Rich, Cash Poor," who worked for big-name Republicans such as Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. He offers a clear-minded assessment of rural economics, politics and culture, based on his own family's challenges.

Milfred and Hands assess the Middle America cred of both presidential candidates's salty surrogates. Both VP picks visited Eau Claire, talking guns, drugs, inflation, freedom and what's really weird. Our political podcasters play clips and comment each candidate's points and provocations. Wisconsin is giong to be seeing a lot more of these two, who play better here in many ways than either of their Coastie leaders.

Milfred and Hands play clips from and analyze Vice President Kamala Harris' speech last week in West Allis. They also assess her chances of winning Wisconsin in November, now that she's the Democrats' presumptive nominee. Harris is a far better campaigner than Joe Biden had been in recent months, bringing some needed energy to the ticket. Yet she faces skepticism from many Midwestern voters. 

Milfred and Hands play audio clips from the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's meeting with Madison's new school superintendent, Joe Gothard. The Madison native, former La Follette coach and principal who left the Capitol City for Minnesota and ran the bigger St. Paul, Minnesota, school district. Now he's back for the top job here. Gothard talks about prioritizing all-day 4K, making Madison a "destination district" for families, and says he'll have zero tolerance for guns in school. "Zero tolerance isn't zero care about a human being. But it is about holding people accountable for the rules and expectations we have in school. And I want to be very clear about that."

Milfred and Hands analyze the impact of Donald Trump's guilty verdicts on his bid to win the crucial swing state of Wisconsin this fall. Trump had been slightly ahead of President Joe Biden in the latest Marquette Law School poll of statewide voters. Will Trump's convictions for falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star hurt or help his campaign? Hands, who drew a "Make America Guilty Again" cartoon for Sunday's Wisconsin State Journal, recounts the time he was confined in a police car. 

Milfred and Hands analyze the two candidates for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat, including their recent ads, positions on key issues, and Hovde's dip into a frozen Lake Mendota. Milfred is surprised Hovde is polling so well. Hands needs a haircut and pledges to never grow a mustache like the challenger.

Milfred and Hands react to Donald Trump's first visit this year to Wisconsin, the crucial swing state he badly needs to win in November. Hands compares his hardcore devotees to a Grateful Dead following. Milfred counters Trump's dark take on Whitewater -- both its accuracy and political impact. Our political podcasters play clips from the rally and react to Trump's familiar schtick.  Our political podcasters won't count him out, though they hate to imagine him getting back in.

Milfred and Hands tackle the integrity of Wisconsin's elections with top municipal clerks from Kohler and Sun Prairie. The two clerks rank the security of your vote on a scale of 1 to 10.

Milfred and Hands highlight last week's discussion at the Edgewater Hotel about the future of State Street. Prominent landscape architect Ed Freer and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway offer their visions as the city plans to test the concept of a true pedestrian mall on the bottom half of State Street this summer. Buses no longer roll down and crowd the three blocks closest to the UW-Madison campus. So the possibilities are ripe for a grand promenade and urban park similar to Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. Milfred and Hands play clips from and react to the Edgewater forum, including Freer's playful suggestion for yoga in the middle of the street.

Milfred and Hands react to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's social media event with Elon Musk on Musk's digital platform X. They sought to undermine the U.S. Senate's bipartisan support for military aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression. Hear clips from Johnson and Musk, who insist Ukraine can't win and Russian President Vladimir Putin can't lose. Milfred and Hands aren't buying it.

Milfred and Hands 'go condo' by urging state and federal officials to encourage more condo development, rather than favoring endless apartment buildings. Despite Madison's rapid growth, virtually no condominiums have gone up in the capital city in recent years. And that's true across much of the country. Regulatory and legal rules favor rentals -- especially following the Great Recession. Nobody wants another financial crisis like 15 yeas ago. But it's time to update our laws and let more people buy and build equity in their homes. Condos generally cost less than single-family homes. Our political podcasters highlight a recent Madison resolution proposed and steered through the City Council by Ald. Derek Field. Milfred and Hands play and comment on audio clips from Field and a Keller Williams real estate specialist. They also speculate on where Hands might live once he's an empty nester.