Viewers of Keith Olbermann's Countdown show on MSNBC are going to start wondering what's wrong with Wisconsin. Wednesday night's program included three Badger state stories, none of them flattering.
Republican Senate candidate Ron Johnson got the most attention, a 10-minute-plus segment for his opposition to the Child Victims Act, a bill removing the statute of limitations in cases of sexual abuse of children.
Johnson was a member at the time of the finance council of the Green Bay Catholic Diocese, which was being sued for covering up pedophilia by priests -- but he neglected to mention that in his testimony last January at the state capitol, which Olbermann aired its its entirety. Johnson's testimony had been reported earlier, but the video just surfaced. Johnson speed-reads his testimony, in what Olbermann described as "high speed sophistry," arguing that the law would hurt non-profit groups trying to do good, among other things. Olbermann termed it "some pretty mediocre arguments against protecting kids from pedophiles."
Todd Merryfield, one of the victims of a priest from the Green Bay diocese, appeared on the show and said he had been a "huge Johnson supporter" until learning of his position on the issue on Tuesday. Merryfield and his brother have sued the diocese, and testified in a criminal case against John Feeney, a priest who has now been defrocked and sent to prison.
The diocese knew of Feeney's actions, but transferred him 14 times in 14 years and allowed him to continue in positions where he had contact with children.
Merryfield and other victims called on Johnson to support their efforts to get the diocese to release the names of 51 priests accused of sexual abuse. Johnson issued a statement calling for "compplete transparency" by the diocese, but Merryfield said it was a very weak statement and he would expect more from Johnson, if Johnson had not known what was happening at the time of his testimony.
Some of the accused priests may still be serving now, Merryfield said. "Someone may be being abused right now."
Johnson still has some explaining to do.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner also was featured in a segment for his desire, if Republicans take control of the house, to chair a House committee formed to deal with global warming issues and turn it into a venue to challenge whether climate change is the result of human activity. Sensenbrenner is a non-believer who thinks the entire climate change issue is a fraud, and that the earth is flat.
Finally, there was a brief item on the Milwaukee parking enforcement person who ticketed a number of cars -- including a hearse -- while they were parked outside a funeral in progress.
If you wanna be a Badger, just come along with me.