This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Week-ends
A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...
HEROES OF THE WEEK
US Airways Flight 1149 crew.........and the rescuers.
Jayne Soliman...an incredible must-read story.
VILLAINS OF THE WEEK
Racine mayor Gary Becker (Becker was scheduled to attend the inauguration on your dime)
Marcelino de Jesus Martinez
Marcus Schrenker
Duck killer
These thugs
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."
"As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11 -- but I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe."
"There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."
"In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people. Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife Michelle and their two beautiful girls.”
"And so, my fellow Americans, for the final time, "good night."
President Bush in his farewell address to the nation.
"As the din of debate and argument fades, things that were once thought to be impossible are remembered years later as, well, inevitable. That is why, Mr. President, history's judgment is rarely the same as today's headlines."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, predicting history will be kind to President Bush.
“We were getting to the point where I felt very comfortable. The flight attendants began shouting ‘tuck and brace' over and over again. And then I looked at a co-pilot, who was sitting behind me. I asked if we were crashing. And (he) nodded, yes.I thought I was dead. And, then, we hit the water.”
Denise Lockie, one of the survivors of Thursday's crash of US Airways Flight 1549.
“The flight attendants started chanting in unison, ‘Lean forward and brace yourselves.' It was actually pretty calming (and) got everybody focused on what we needed to do.I just told people to grab your seat. I grabbed my seat and went out the left side door over the wing. I looked up and realized we were in the Hudson. I just got on the wing. Some crazy people jumped into the water."
Lee Fazzi, another US Airways Flight 1149 survivor.
"There were people talking behind me who thought we hit birds, but I dismissed that because it was harder than that. I actually thought we might have grazed another plane. Next thing you know, we're over the water and the pilot said, 'Brace for impact.' I was thinking -- no, I was positive -- we were all going to die. The stewardesses started chanting, 'Lower your head! Brace for impact!' You could smell smoke. We couldn't see smoke, but we could smell it. The engine on my side of the plane was shaking. The whole thing was shaking. I thought it was going to fall off. It was making a horrible noise. People on the right side, they could see flames coming out. We hit the water. The stewardesses in the front of the plane were fantastic. They deployed the raft. Because I was in the first row, I was first in. I jumped into it as it was inflating. The pilot was a stud. He was the last one into the raft. He was calm, processing everything. He asked us to do a head count (they counted 34). He was just a stud. It was clear he was in control, clear he knew what he was doing. We all got out orderly. When the boat came, we helped people up the netting -- women first, then the guys who'd been in the water. It was like we'd done it before. It was really a miracle."
US Airways Flight 1149 survivor Paul Jorgensen.
"We're crashing. This is it. I just want to tell you I love you, I love the kids, I love you, I love you, I love you."
US Airways Flight 1149 Vicki Barnhardt's voicemail left to her husband, Mike.
"That's it, I'm a single parent. Half your life is gone in one fell swoop. It's not something you wish on your worst enemy."
Mike Barnhardt's reaction to his wife's message."Just as an instinct, I erased it. It's not something you want to hear again. It's just nauseating to hear something like that, I'm glad I erased it."
"I've never quite been in this situation before of getting a massive pay cut, no bonus, no longer allowed to stay in decent hotels, no corporate airplane. I have to stand in line at the Northwest counter. I've never quite experienced this before. I'll let you know a year from now what it's like."
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz in an interview with NPR
"....seducing all age females into being hot sluts."
Racine mayor Gary Becker describing his interests duirng an online chat with an undercover investigator posing as a 14-year-old girl. Becker agreed to meet at the mall, saying, "It will be hard to keep my hands off u in public" and "I would luv to get a hotel room and have lots of fun with u."
"We've maxed out our credit cards and now we're turning to our 'rich"'Uncle Sam and asking for his credit card to bail us out for the next two years.Suppose we get our share of the $500 billion to pay for ongoing educational and other programs. What happens when the federal funding runs out?"
State Senators Michael Ellis (R-Neenah) and Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) on Wisconsin's structural deficit and a propsoed federal stimulus package to the states.
"Forty-six years ago this month, President John F. Kennedy told members of Congress that: 'It is no contradiction - the most important single thing we can do to stimulate investment in today's economy is to raise consumption by major reduction of individual income tax rates.' He was right. And it worked for President Ronald Reagan. In 1983, the year that the Reagan tax cuts went into effect, the national economy started the largest peacetime economic boom in American history. During this time, 5 million new businesses and 20 million new jobs were created. Tax reductions led to economic prosperity. Even President-elect Barack Obama is now calling for tax cuts."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker in a column last Sunday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
Gary Becker undoubtedly is at the top of the list, but don't forget these items:
Governor Doyle wants to build high speed rail linking Chicago to Minneapolis.
The state fired, then re-hired a tech expert for a six-figure salary.
MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK
Dear mainstream media: Disgraced Racine mayor Gary Becker (see VILLAINS OF THE WEEK above) is a Democrat.
MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK
American (yawn) Idol is back.
STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK
I triple dog dare you!
REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.