PARTY WITH MAYOR TONIGHT

Mayor Barrett's campaign put out an invitation telling us to join the great man as he watches the televised returns from the New Hampshire primary tonight, Tuesday, January 8th, 2007, at Monica's, 1228 N. Astor St. [The mayor's crew got the address wrong, and placed Monica's about 6 blocks to the north, but after a couple of changes they managed to get it right.] The Barrett / Obama campaign will offer free soda and snacks. (I'll bring the lollipops!)
Yesterday over 100 supporters showed up at Cafe Hollander to cheer on Third District Aldermanic candidate Sam McGovern-Rowen. Judging from the crowd, you'd think the chairmanship of the powerful Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee went by right to the third district alderman, although it is highly unlikely that a freshman alderman would be exalted to such a lofty position. But it is worthy of note that McGovern-Rowen was able to attract some of the city's most powerful developers, including Boris Gokhman, Walter Schuh, John Burke (can it be a party without him?), Jim Wiechmann and Bob Monnat of the Mandel Group.
Also in the audience was Sonya Jongsma Knauss who says she is wrapping up her duties at MKE newspaper prior to taking on a new job as the letters editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. ... Former Shepherd Express staffer Dennis Shook has left that paper. We'll see how long it takes Louis Fortis to yank his name from the masthead, and his stories from the website ... Patrick Flaherty, a rival for the third district seat, has challenged McGovern-Rowen's signatures on his nomination papers, an error on the part of a paper circulator that can be easily remedied by affidavit. [Update -- The Election Commission has since rejected Flaherty's complaint. -- Ed.]... The Flaherty camp says they made the objection since McGovern-Rowen makes such a big deal about being on-the-job already due to his work as Ald. D'Amato's aide.
Lena Taylor continues to be everywhere, including the Cafe Hollander event. She said the Journal Sentinel's "No Quarter" column by Dan Bice on Sunday, January 6th, 2008 erred when it postulated that she voted in favor of a Police Union-sponsored bill hoping to get the union's endorsement.
In fact, she said she knew the union had already endorsed incumbent Scott Walker and that she voted for the bill as an attempt to get some kind of law on the books subject for later compromises once the democrats control both sides of the legislature. She also said that Sen. Tim Carpenter gave her a hard time in the capitol hallway accusing her of casting her vote in hopes of securing the already-granted endorsement. "He has issues," she added. Les Johns, who helps Taylor keep campaigning practically every hour of the day, says the Milwaukee County Election Commission did not have all nomination papers certified by 5:00 p.m. yesterday, as required by law, and that the campaign has sent a letter to the State of Wisconsin Elections Board complaining.
Well, I better run if I want to get the fluffiest pillow at the Mayor's slumber party. See you there!
Michael Horne