Bill Richardson of Middleton, the media coordinator for the Dane County Republican Party, greeting the news that Wisconsin will get $810-million for a rail initiative linking Madison and Milwaukee:


"Trains are a 19th century wonder," Richardson said. "To offer a train in the 21st century is like offering the public a telegraph instead of an iPhone."

Richardson must not get out much -- not even as far as Chicago, let alone the northeastern US, France or Japan.


Someone is indeed living in the dark ages, but it's not the railroads.