Milwaukee's Anti-ICE Insanity

John Daly here. You know what day it is? Neither do I. I live life daily. That's why I only spend on Modo Casino. Modo's got daily free bonuses, daily tournaments, new slots out of daily. And the best part, guaranteed daily jackpots. You can't beat that. So today's the day you're gripping and spend it with me on Modo. America's Social Casino. Play for free on moto.com. If you're someone who's tracking your sleep, your steps, and your macros, then you already know that what you eat is kind of everything. You should also know that Sprouts Farmer's Market can help make eating for longevity easier. Sprouts has all the high-quality, nutrient-dense, organic foods and cutting-edge supplements you need. So whether you're focused on protein, gut health, or optimizing how you feel day-to-day, it's all there. And here's what no other grocery store can offer. An in-store wellness expert to help you find exactly what you need. So whether you're after longevity or on any other health journey, it's easier at Sprout's Farmer's Market. Jampack show for you on this Wednesday afternoon. Let's get right into it. Welcome in, welcome in, welcome in. Three hours of conservative thought and not just talk. On the way here on the Dan O'Donnell show, leaders in Milwaukee go absolutely insane over the mere possibility that ICE agents could one day at some unspecified point come to the city. Pitchers and catchers report and much, much more here. On the Dan O'Donnell Show, we will cover it all for you. If you'd like to join us, 414-799-1130 on our advent knows.com talk and text line. You can also reach us toll-free. 1-800-838-9476. Email me, DoD at iHeartMedia.com. And a reminder that if you are a candidate in the spring election, a conservative or someone who is supporting conservatives in the spring election and wants to let me know who it is that we should be including in the ultimate conservative voter guide that we are putting together and will have online probably in the first week of March, email me with the name of the candidate or candidates if you are a county party chair. We would like to have your entire list of recommendations. DoD at iHeartMedia.com. We need the county. We need the name. We need the municipality. And we need the specific office sought, say Aldermanic District number five. Once again, email those to me, DoD at iHeartMedia.com. I am not kidding. We had several dozen already yesterday when we debuted the ultimate conservative voter guide, and we expect many more, many more today and in the coming days. So please do so. If you'd like to watch the show or follow us on social media, we are streaming live. Facebook.com slash Dan O'Donnell Show at Dan O'Donnell Show on X, on YouTube, on Instagram, pretty much.

Anywhere and everywhere that you can find us. Stories we are following this hour. Turn down the radio if you don't want a big Olympic spoiler, although it is the top story across local media kioskums Jim Jordan Stoltz as won his first Olympic gold medal crushing the Olympic record in the thousand meters in a time of 106. His win was the biggest margin of victory in the Olympic event since 1984. Stoltz, who is just 21, is also competing in the 500, the 1,500, and the mass start. He is considered by far the best speed skater in the world. Brewers, pitchers, and catchers reported to spring's training in Arizona today for their first workout team president, Rick Schlesinger, is going to join us at 335 to talk about that, the team's new TV contract and what it means. you in watching the Brewers in 2026 and whether or not there will even be a 2027 season because of a potential lockout. President Trump meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today. The president posted on Truth Social that he insisted that negotiations with Iran continue more coming up in the daily Trump date at about 4 o'clock. Then right after that, New employment report out today shows non-farm payrolls increasing by 130,000 jobs blowing past the expected total of 55,000 to 70,000. Now notably, private jobs increased by 172,000. Government payrolls dropped sharply by a net total of 42,000 jobs. What exactly does that mean we will discuss coming up at about 410? State Senate Republicans are proposing a massive income tax rebate to all Wisconsin taxpayers spending $1.6 billion of a projected $2.4 to $2.5 billion surplus on tax relief. More on that, coming up at about 425. Then coming up at 506, political observers across the state are all but writing off Republican chances of keeping the state Senate this year, but the math doesn't really support that. Could Republicans actually be favored to keep their slim majority in the Senate? We'll dive into the numbers right after the 5 o'clock news. Finally, some sad news to report today. I don't want away.

Actor James Vanderbeek has died. He was best known for playing the title character on the 90s teen drama Dawson's Creek. He also starred in a number of films, such as Varsity Blues. Vanderbeek had been battling colorectal cancer. He was just 48 years old and leaves behind a wife and six children. James Vanderbeek, a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, believe it or not, dead. at the age of 48. And by the way, as somebody who was 15 years old when Dawson's Creek premiered, I was right in that wheelhouse. This one hits close to home. And yes, he was extremely young. And in his final couple of years after his diagnosis, he was a fierce advocate for getting yourself checked for colon cancer. Make sure to get those colonoscopies, screenings if necessary. I will add my own personal plea because of a family connection to prostate cancer. I will say every single year, guys, get those PSA tests, just like the very hilarious tight ends commercial in the Super Bowl. There's no more rubber glove, no more finger, no more extreme discomfort, if you know what I mean. It's just a shot. It's just a blood draw. I actually myself have to go for my first colonoscopy. I'm turning 45 in July. So kudos to Mr. Vanderby. He just seemed like a very, very good, humble, self-effacing guy. He took a role in, I believe it was two guys and a girl, a sitcom where he played an exaggerated version of himself. And he was just a funny, funny human being. So my deepest condolence is to the Vanderbik. These kids were young, too, in a very, very young family. All right, let's cheer you up if we can with a chance at $1,000 in our cold hard cash contest right now, the word this hour, bank, B-A-N-K bank. You have got until 355 to go to our website and enter the keyword bank to enter the contest for this hour. If your entry is picked at random, you will win a thousand dollars instantly. This, of course, is the final week of our cold hard cash contest. Contest ends on Friday with the 5 o'clock word that afternoon. So just a couple of chances more to win. We have a number of winners here on the Dan O'Donnell Show, and we very much want the next one to be. You. Absolute insanity at City Hall in Milwaukee today. And when I say insanity, I actually mean it. A number of far left-wing common council members, including the Common Council President Jose Perez, unveiled a package of legislation they are calling ICE out MKE. What exactly is that about in case you couldn't tell? Socialist council member Alex Brower made it abundantly clear. We are united that ice is not welcome here in the city of Milwaukee. In that, we will not back down. And if the administration chooses to conduct a surge in ice operations like they are in other cities, then we will protest.

Yeah, we sort of figured you would protest council member Brower. Ice is not welcome. Ice doesn't actually need an invitation. And at the press conference at City Hall today, that was sort of the overarching theme. That the council members, Perez, Brower, Jocosta, Zamorepa, Marina Dmitrievic, they had representatives from various nonprofit organizations. Of course, Christine Newman Ortiz, the executive director of Vosis de la Frontera, was there. This is the thing none of them seemed to understand. They have absolutely no authority to interfere with federal law enforcement operations, and in fact, it is very, very, very unlawful for them to do so or to even attempt to. But over and above, a prospective package of municipal ordinances aimed at stopping ice or keeping ice out of MKE. It appears as though... These congressional or excuse me, these common council representatives were openly advocating for a resistance network, the organized signal chat led resistance operation that we saw in Minneapolis. Just listen to what Brower had to say. We have communities that are scared. But there's also communities that are angry. In addition to being scared, they're angry and they want to take action. The east side and other parts of this city are ready to take action and protest, and we are demanding that their rights be protected when they do so. What rights would those be to just protest or to, as pretty much everybody during today's press conference said, take part in organized networks to try to actively resist ICE operations? That's sort of the big joke about what was going on in Minneapolis. This was not just a spontaneous protest. What this was was an organized effort and a very highly coordinated effort. to resist to to actively obstruct ongoing federal investigations now it should be clear at this point as if people needed any reminder At least those listening to this show probably don't because you actually get informed about what's going on in the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. But it appears that many of these lefties have no idea that there are currently no plans whatsoever for there to be a large-scale surge of ice agents in Milwaukee like there was in Minneapolis. Absolutely not.

In fact, there was a rumor going around that was started by a left-wing gynecologist slash liberal talk show host. And if there was ever, if there was ever a dual role. For a lib, especially for an awful, an affluent white female lib. It would be gynecologist slash left-wing talk show host or left-wing podcast host. Her name is Dr. Kristen Learley. And she was, well, liarly about ICE agents booking 100 hotel rooms at the downtown Milwaukee Hilton. This sent pretty much every lib in the state into an absolute... panic that there was going to be some sort of massive search it is not coming it is not being planned in fact after minneapolis it's abundantly clear that the trump administration has changed its tact to try to get as many communities in a given state to cooperate with simple cooperation in terms of allowing ice agents to go into the milwaukee county jail to go into a local county jail and just take dangerous criminal illegal aliens who have already been arrested you might remember we've been covering this for the past couple of days that wisconsin's lieutenant governor a leading candidate for governor sarah rodriguez has been tripping all over herself, trying to cover up for the fact that she initially said when she was asked, hey, would you allow ICE agents to just sort of go into jails and pick up these dangerous illegals and, you know, easily get them deported without any danger to anyone, including the illegal, him or herself? Yeah, yeah, she said initially. And then she realized, apparently, just how bad an answer that is for her psychotic Alex Brower base. So she had to spend the last three days now. She is on day three of saying, no, I absolutely would not allow ICE in any jails. Well, it wasn't just radical leftist socialists like Alex Brower, who apparently... is about a couple ice agent spottings away from going full alex prety on any agent who is unfortunate to be in his path it's not just him and his radical loonies saying, okay, we're going to actively resist. The president of the Milwaukee Common Council, Jose Perez, actually cited Elon Musk Omar, who was in Wisconsin at a mosque in the Milwaukee area over the weekend, in saying that the community...

Leftist leaders like him and Brower and Zamorepa and Demetriavik and whomever else, as well as community organizers like Newman Ortiz and her psychos over at Voses de la Frontier, they need to organize. They need to have these massive, well-funded resistance networks, and they need to start organizing them now. We have to build our communication systems and networks now. We can't wait until we're under siege. That's one of the many lessons learned around the country, especially from Minneapolis. So that's what we intend to do. What he is talking about, just to be clear, is exactly what we saw in Minneapolis. When there was an undercover citizen journalist who exposed a massive signal chat that apparently had access to a live database of... driver's licenses and license plates because they were able to track ice agent vehicles in real time and it was actually shocking there was a training manual there was a well organized group of people who are all going through this signal chat to try to go wherever ice agents would be and blow the whistles and just like rene good try to get their vehicles in the way of these agents so that they wouldn't be able to make any arrests to try to tip off criminal illegal aliens that ice agents were in the area in other words to criminally obstruct law enforcement you got the president of the milwaukee common council openly talking about this while he unveils a package called ice out mk e the president of the milwaukee common council in other words is openly talking about committing a federal crime in obstructing law enforcement. What else could he possibly mean with respect to these communications networks? Now, now, a lot of people are very concerned about Jose Perez and what he said today and why he is going all in on trying to obstruct law enforcement. I think I know. I think I know. Perez is terrified that an ICE agent is going to pinch his butt like the president of the Wisconsin Center District during that David Crowley fundraiser. Yes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel finally got the criminal complaint. They even posted the transcript. of the phone call between Perez and Marty Brooks, who he accused of pinching his butt. And Perez said, you did it, Marty. You pinched me. You pinched my buddy. He said, no, no, I'm offended that you would even say that. Now, of course, the Milwaukee Police Department investigated found that there wasn't enough evidence to move forward. What do you think? What do you think? If it was Robin Voss. accusing Devin LeMahue of pinching his butt. Do you think the cops in Madison would just sort of let that one go? Or would they be putting resources into this? Like this is the FBI investigating the Nancy Guthrie case. So I think this is my pet theory, that Jose Perez is terrified that an ice agent will come in. He'll wear a mask and he will pinch his rear end.

I can see why he wants ice out of Milwaukee. Ice out of Jose Perez's butt. Can we finally put to rest the rumor that you're going to need a subscription to ESPN Plus, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, and MGM Plus just to watch the Milwaukee Brewers? I honestly, I don't think I've seen more disinformation being reported than to get a subscription to the MLB network. You also need a secondary subscription to ESPN. We're going to talk with the Brewers President of Business Operations. Rick Schlesinger about that as pitchers and catchers reported today. All sorts of stuff to discuss regarding the business of baseball. And since it's a relatively warm February day, a sunny day, I thought. Let's talk about some. Baseball. Coming up in the 5 o'clock hour, we are going to talk to a very impressive candidate for the Wisconsin State Senate, Mike John Roberts, who is running in the district that is currently represented by Senator Rob Hutton, who announced a couple of weeks ago that he is not going to seek re-election. And John Roberts is just a very impressive guy, and we are going to talk to him coming up in the 5 o'clock hour. after we dispel another bit of misinformation and that is that republicans have absolutely no chance of holding the state senate i'm actually going to dive into the numbers and you would be surprised at what they show I can't say I was surprised by what I heard from the Milwaukee Common Council, including Common Council President Jose Perez today at the ICE Out MKE legislation introduction event. But, frankly, what they did say was... a little shocking. Sure, there were your standard platitudes like this from the Common Council president. The federal immigration surges that we've seen across the country have never been about removing the worst of the worst. They, however, have been about fear and attacking those. Some believe didn't have support. Sort of like Jose Perez's poor butt when it was assaulted by Marty Brooks. For those who don't get that joke, Marty Brooks, the president of the Wisconsin Center District, was accused by Perez at a fundraiser event or after a fundraiser event for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley's gubernatorial run back in October of, quote, pinching his butt. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just released a transcript of the call between Brooks and... Perez, where Perez accused him of pinching his butt, and frankly, folks, it's one of the funniest things that I have read in quite some time. Can you imagine poor Jose Perez hosting this press conference about how much he hates one law enforcement agency? Having to go half in hand, tail between his legs to another law enforcement agency to say, I was the victim of a crime.

A man pinched my butt. I didn't like it. I felt victimized. Please, law enforcement, help me. Now this same guy, this same guy, who wants to criminalize male butt pinching. Seems kind of homophobic to me, Common Council President Perez. You know, when butt pinching is criminalized, when butt pinching is outlawed, only outlaws. Will pinch butts. By the way, has anybody heard from Marty Brooks in this whole thing? How is the alleged pincher doing? So what exactly is the ICE out MKE legislation that these people are talking about? Well, they aren't exactly saying common council member Jocusta Zamaripa. outlined a couple of the prongs of this proposal. We are putting forth legislation to require all law enforcement interacting with our constituents to be unmasked and to display visible identification for full transparency and in an effort to de-escalate fear, tensions, and confusion. Additionally, we are putting forth legislation to bar ICE agents from staging on city properties, like our city parks, like our libraries, et cetera. Safe spaces are safe places for all Milwaukeeans. Just so we're all clear here, and I know Jocosta Zamorepa has no idea about this, because Jocosta Zamorepa might actually be one of the, and I say this, knowing that there are a whole lot of dumb people. in state politics she might be one of the dumbest people i have ever encountered in state politics i'm telling you brain power about equivalent to an overripe turnip the city of milwaukee has absolutely no authority to do any of this And in fact, fellow older person, Marina Demetrievic, was actually asked. Fox 6 reporter, Jason Calvius, a very, very good reporter, asked, hey, so doesn't this idea, you know, doesn't a municipal ordinance that would keep ice agents out of parks and libraries and public places? Doesn't this sort of violate the supremacy clause, specifically the intergovernmental immunity doctrine? Dimitrievic had absolutely no idea how to answer this. So like I said, this is being drafted as we speak. We look at what the county just did. We do have jurisdiction over city property. Not to obstruct federal investigations, you don't. That would be a crime. That would violate the supremacy clause. That would be obstruction of federal process. We will look at a permitting way. We will look at a permitting way. We're going to require a permit for law enforcement to what? Use the library.

What are you going to keep them out because they've got overdue books? Transparency. The people have the right to know how their local resources are being used. So we can promise you that every piece of this legislation will be drafted, discussed, legally reviewed, and like President Jose Perez said, the first Latino Common Council president of the city. Okay, there is nothing that grinds my gears more than affluent liberal white ladies. pronouncing Hispanic names. She does not talk with an Hispanic accent for the entire, what is this, a 45 second sound bite. But then she just, she does the trill R. Jose Perez. Your name is Marina Demetrievic. You are as white and of European ancestry as it gets. What he said was that everyone will be welcome, and he said that we will do everything that we can. So we can't do everything. We can't. We know we're not the federal government. But our people are asking us to use every single city resource and tool that we have to do what we can. So that's a long word salad to cover up for the fact that no, they absolutely can't do pretty much any of this. You cannot put a municipal ordinance up that requires ICE agents not to wear masks. Do you know why ICE agents wear masks? Do any of these idiots now? I'm sure they do. Because as a famous tweet established, much of liberal discourse is just them pretending not to understand things, thus making discourse impossible. Ice agents are forced to wear masks because they are being doxed and they are being targeted. Their families are being targeted. Their homes are being targeted by crazies. Just like the members of the Milwaukee Common Council who apparently think it is just fine to use their positions as city leaders to obstruct federal immigration authorities. Federal immigration authorities, mind you, who have absolutely no plans to come to Milwaukee. We'll change gears a bit. Talk with Rick Schlesinger, President of Business Operations for the Milwaukee Brewers. As pitchers and catchers report today, Dan O'Donnell Show, coming right back.

The sweetest words in the English language after a long winter, heck in the middle of a long winter, our pitchers and catchers report. Brewer's pitchers and catchers did report today. In fact, joining us now to talk about it as the team's business operations president, right friend of the Dan O'Donnell Show, Rick Schlesinger, and Rick. Congratulations, the start of another big season. Yeah, hey, Dan, it's welcome after this brutal winter we've had. And, yeah, I'll be down there next week and excited to see the team. And, you know, before we know it, opening day will be March 26. So it's going to be a sprint between now and that Thursday. And in fact, a lot of people, I think, are quite confused about when opening day hits how exactly they're going to be able to watch the brewers this season and how much they're going to have to pay for it. I have been on social media, so it is my understanding that you are going to need to subscribe to Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and MLB network just to watch the Brewers, and it's going to cost $4,125 a year. Yeah, if that was the case, that would be a hard sell. But, yeah, Dad, I appreciate the question because I want to clear any confusion. The good news is, For just about everybody who consumed our games last year, whether it was on cable or satellite or streaming, it's going to be the same experience this year, just different channels. Obviously, our Fandual deal ended, and we'll be on cable, we'll be on satellite, it'll be different channels, but easy to find. And as far as those who were streaming through the Fandual subscription last year, it's the same price, but it'll be going through Brewers TV, so just different service provider, but same terms. Same access. And frankly, the production quality is going to be first-rate because MLB media has some great new camera and new technological advances, microphones, drones. So I think the fan will have a better experience, but they're not going to miss any games. And about 145 of those games will be on local television or streaming, and then the balance will be on some of the national platforms. So you only have to pay one fee. You only have to pay it's what, like $100 or something like that to get the MLB streaming package to watch the Brewers if you don't have it already? Yes, $99 and $99 for the season-long package. If you want to get it on streaming, obviously if you're subscribing on cable and satellite, it's part of your, you know, whatever package you have. But the same price is last year. So I have YouTube TV. Do I have to get the Brewers package? Well, YouTube TV is a challenge because we, as in the case, we haven't been able to reach a deal with YouTube, and I know that was a challenge for Fandual. But you, Dan, I can help you out if you want to buy a streaming package. Excellent. 99, 99. It's like, what are you selling these like Girl Scout cookies now? You're just going door to door for packages. Rick, I love it. I love it. Whatever it takes, sir. No, I mean, you know me. I'm a diehard Brewers fan. Obviously, I'm going to be subscribing to that package, as I did last year. So this one's a no-brainer to me. And just to clear up another rumor that I have heard, the entire broadcast team is back. B.A. Rock. Everybody is back, right?

Absolutely. Same great talent on the TV side. And, yeah, so everybody's signed up and ready to go. And, yeah, there should be no doubt about that. We're really impressed and lucky to have the crew we do. Now, a lot of people also, I think, were confused on the baseball side of things. And I know you handle the business operations. And Matt Arnold, the general manager, is also the president of baseball operations. But a lot of people, I think, this week were shocked. by the trade of Caleb Dick Durbin, who is not just the team's starting third baseman as a rookie last year. He also finished third in National League rookie of the year voting. He's dealt to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a handful of prospects alongside Andrew Monasterio and another player, Hugo. There's a lot of in-field depth. that is now gone. And when you combine that with the trade of Freddie Peralta to the New York Mets, you've got a lot of people, Rick, I think, saying, well, hey, wait a second. The Brewers have just won three straight divisional titles. Yes, it was a bad playoff loss of the eventual champion, L.A. Dodgers. But is this a sign? that the brewers are thinking they might not be competitive in 2026, that they're instead planning for the future? Yeah, I will, I can address that. I'll tell you, I feel really good about the team this year. And I trust Matt Arnold and his wizards and baseball operations. You know, I get it. You hate to lose a guy like Freddie Peralta who grew up with the Brewers and really was a tremendous player, both in the clubhouse and on the field and had a tremendous season last year. You know, the reality of our business is you've got to make some tough decisions, just like, you know, we had to trade Jeremy Corbyn Burns and obviously Josh Hayter. You know, I think what Matt is able to do is get some great returns in exchange for creating some talented players. You'd like to keep everybody. I mean, I would love to have, you know, going back to when we had Prince Fielder, I wish we had Prince Fielder, but he couldn't keep them. And, you know, the economics being what they are. We're not going to cry about it, but it's a reality. And what Matt has done is certainly, you know, acquired really good, talented young players that people may have not heard of, but I guarantee you that they're going to hear about him after this season because we've got some really talented guys coming in. And, again, it's hard to replace Freddie. I'm not saying any of these guys are going to immediately replace Freddie. I'm not going to say these guys are going to replace Caleb. But I would just trust the process and trust that even though the faces teams and some of the names in the back of the jersey change, the team's really talented. And Matt and Pat has done a great job of molding this team. And the reality is, look, I was hearing the exact same thing when we lost Willie Adomas. And look at what happened the next season. There. I mean, it is a reality. And you said, Rick Schlesinger, by the way, the Brewers president of baseball or business operations, excuse me, joining me on the phone here on the Dan O'Donnell show. You talk about that business of baseball. I mentioned the L.A. Dodgers. This is the big discussion surrounding baseball, and that is whether there is actually going to be baseball.

when the collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of the 2026 season. So after this coming season, there is a widespread belief, Rick, that there is going to be an owner lockout because you've got teams like the Mets, you've got teams like the Dodgers, who are deferring just hundreds of millions of dollars in salary, that they're able to pay just these exorbitant. a top tier free agent contract for the best players in baseball and a team like the brewers that let's face it forget having their own network whose rights they control you guys didn't even have a channel to broadcast your games on a couple of weeks ago i mean the disparity the wealth disparity in this game is significant And the thinking is that the owners want a strict salary cap, luxury taxes, all of that sort of thing, to restore some semblance of competitive balance. Do you believe that there's at least a chance that baseball is not played in 2027? Yeah, let me talk about that stuff. I mean, one of the things I look at is sort of the past, and one has been the long history and the more recent history of liberal relations in baseball. We've had... 31 years since the last time we had a work stoppage. And while we came close in 2022, we were able to get a deal and we didn't miss any regular season games. And, you know, I think that there's motivation on all parties to try to work something out that makes sense. And, yeah, there are big issues that we've got to address. And the economic disparities are real. We're hearing it from our fans. And there's a lot of different solutions. to how we fix it that don't necessarily cause, you know, an Armageddon situation or a situation where the players say we absolutely won't live with that. There are many different solutions. You know, I'm not part of the bargaining, so I'm not going to be able to comment on what specifically might be offered. But there's been a lot of discussion in the media about what we're talking about. But again, the people, the reporters, they're not in the room negotiating. And I think we're going in, and I think the players have to go in with an open mind and figure out a system. The players also want... a lot of things that we want. We want the chance for not just who has the biggest pocketbook to win the World Series, but have multiple teams having multiple opportunities. You know, there's only so many players can play for the Dodgers. Yeah. So, you know, you've got a lot of players who want to play for other teams who enjoy playing in Milwaukee and Cleveland and Minnesota and all that stuff. And they want a chance to win. And I think they're also part of the solution. We also have... you know, economics to figure out between the big market teams and the small market teams. We have to figure out the media situation. So a lot of questions, but a lot of smart people. And I think there is motivation to figure out. The baseball is going through a great renaissance with attendance, with rule changes, with great fandom and great brand awareness. And I think there's real pressure and real understanding that we should try to figure something out here. And boy, oh boy, I'll tell you, the rule change, the pitch clock.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, is the single greatest innovation quite possibly in the history of sports. It is just revolutionized baseball. It's made it much more consumable for the average fan. And, you know, the big issue now is that there isn't that massive national TV deal like the NFL has, like the NBA has, you know, the international streaming rights and that sort of thing. And because you've still got these discrepancies in the TV and radio contracts between the big market and small market teams also, you know, how much they're getting in, say, merchandise sales and that sort of thing. It is a complicated situation. But if there's one thing I do know, it's that major league. Baseball absolutely learned its lesson after 1994. I can remember being a kid and a heartbroken coming down to Sports Center in the morning. and having to hear, I think it was actually Mike Tariko, saying that the major league players are now on strike. I was like the biggest Ken Griffey Jr. fan, and I knew that meant that he wasn't going to hit the 62nd home run. So I just, I'm very attuned to this. And Rick, I really do appreciate you giving such a candid and honest peek behind the curtain for baseball operations and just the business of the game. And I do hope that you will join us again. soon yeah thank you and uh yeah we don't want to relive those days in the 90s and uh yeah the sports on such on such a high note let's keep it going Absolutely, especially here in Milwaukee where we love our Milwaukee Brewers. And, you know, if there's one thing I do know, it's that no matter what stars this team loses, it's that they are always going to be in contention. Let's face it, and L. Central isn't that great this year? It's there for the taking, probably coming down to the Brewers and Cubs again. You're listening to the Dan O'Donnell Show. Classical Conservatism, contemporary style. This is the Dan O'Donnell Show. A tour de force of truth, it is the Dan O'Donnell Show. Welcome back to it. You want to join us, 414-799-1130. Email me, DOD, at iHeartMedia.com. At Dan O'Donnell Show on X on Facebook, we are streaming on YouTube. Please do subscribe to the Dan O'Donnell Show podcast on Iheart Radio or wherever you listen to podcasts. Another chance to win $1,000 is in our cold hard cash contest. Coming up in just a second right now, though, it is time for your Daily Trump Day.

We're going to win so much. You may even get tired of winning. Trump just keeps waiting. It is a win for the administration. It's also a big win for the United States. We have to keep winning. We have to win more. We're going to win more. The Save Act has passed the House today by a razor-thin 216 to 215 vote. It requires photo ID and proof of citizenship nationwide and now advances to the Senate, which has a bit of a difficult decision to make. Does it alter or end the filibuster rule in order to pass the Save Act and then send it to President Trump's desk? He has urged reform of the filibuster in order to pass the legislation, which he is calling the Save America Act. The president meeting today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The two did not address the media after their meeting, but Trump posted on Truth Social that he urged Benjamin Netanyahu to continue to engage in negotiations with Iran. Huge economic news for the Trump administration today. Just days after the Dow crossed 50,000 for the first time, a blowout jobs report, 130,000 jobs created. versus just 55 to 70,000 expected Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Fox News this afternoon. This is what we've been setting the table for for all of 2025. I've said that repeatedly. We've put the necessary ingredients policies into place, and now they're starting to pay off. And what's more impressive here is the number that you just gave is the... total jobs. There were more than 170,000 private sector jobs, and there was about a 40,000 decrease in government jobs. So as I've been saying since we, this administration came into office, we are reprivatizing the economy. More on Trumponomics coming up in just a second. Attorney General Pam Bondi testified today before the House Judiciary Committee and discussed President Trump's historic surge on criminality. In 2025, we saw the lowest murder rate in 125 years. That's nothing short of historic. If you compare 25 to 24, here's what you'll find. The murder rate is down 21%. Robbery down 23%, carjacking down 43%, gun assault down 22%. Ag assault, burglary could go on and on. Crime is declining. This did not happen by accident. The numbers tell an important yet straightforward story.

President Trump has given us the resources, the support and the leadership to protect the American people. Now, of course, Democrats didn't want to talk about dramatically declining crime rates, and there is some new data out in America's most dangerous cities. Crime rates dropping precipitously all over. We'll get into that coming up at about 425. All Democrats wanted to talk about, you guessed it, the Epstein files. You know, all they want to do, all the American people need to know this. They are talking about Epstein today. This has been around since the Obama administration. This administration released over 3 million pages of documents, over 3 million, and Donald Trump signed that law to release all of those documents. He is the most transparent president in the nation's history. And none of them, none of them. Ask Merrick Garland over the last four years one word about Jeffrey Epstein. How ironic is that? Not just ironic, but tell it that, ladies and gentlemen, your Daily Trump Day.

And yesterday, we announced what I consider to be a pretty big deal ahead of the 26th spring election in Wisconsin, the ultimate conservative voter guide. We are trying to list each and every conservative candidate in each and every race across this great state of ours, but we need your help. If you're a candidate... If you are a member of your local county Republican Party and you're working on a list of recommended candidates, we ask that you would contact us at DoD at iHeartMedia.com and share that list with us as we are putting together in every single county, all 72 of them, recommendations for conservatives. It is by far the top question that I get every single spring. Dan, who's the conservative in this race? Dan, who do I vote for for judge? Dan, who would you recommend for county supervisor? Oftentimes, I don't have the ability to do the extensive research into some of these very small races in far off places across the state. And that's why we are sort of crowdsourcing. Our ability to put together a comprehensive guide for conservatives. We are going to have an interactive map. It is going to be online. There is not going to be a paper guide because, frankly, we want to have so many candidate recommendations that a paper guide would be 50 pages. And we don't want to print 50 pages. It is going to be available in a spot that we are going to be announcing very, very shortly in the next couple of weeks. But right now, we want you to email me, DOD at iHeartMedia.com. Are you a candidate? Tell me your name. Tell me what county you're running in. Tell me what position you are running for. Be specific. Aldermanic District in the Town of Richmond District number three. Give me a brief bio. Give me something that will allow me and my team to do a little bit of research so that we can check your conservative bona fides. And yes, we are going to be checking each and every candidate. We are not going to fall victim to any liberal Trojan horses. So kindly don't even try because we will figure you out very, very quickly. But if you are a conservative and you want to be included in the ultimate conservative voter guide, we do believe that this is going to be one of the most red web pages in the entire state. all year. And if you want to be a part of it, if someone you know is running, you want to help them out again if you're a part of a local conservative group, if you're a part of a local Republican party, and you want to help us out, please do contact me, DOD at iHeartMedia.com.

We have already gotten a number, and I mean a number of people who want to be included. I have gotten so many entries, in fact, so many people have been reaching out to me. I have just not been able to go through all of those emails and answer. Rest assured, I am reading, and we have got people sifting through each and every one. So absolutely keep those emails coming. I dare say we got at least 100 candidates who wanted to be a... part of the list. We were contacted by a number of representatives from Republican parties in our area, in our listening area in both Milwaukee and Madison. Where things are going to be a little bit difficult, though, is where this show is not on the radio. And folks, we are going to try to get this show on the radio in all four corners of the state. We want to do so in time for the 2026 gubernatorial election because this is going to be a big one. But let's face it, in partisan elections, it's relatively easy to know who you are likely going to be voting for. It's the person with the R next to their name. Or if you're a lib, person with the D next to their name. In nonpartisan races. These are, of course, nonpartisan in name only. Everyone knows the Democrats have been recommending candidates. They've been putting together candidate lists for decades. And since no one has tried to undertake a statewide list, I figured, you know what? It might as well be me, but I am asking for your help, DOD at iHeartMedia.com. So that news just into us about an hour ago, the House advancing the Save Act. to the Senate. This is common sense legislation. In fact, there is no reason that the arguments that were made on the floor of the House today, I could actually spend the next hour just playing sound bites of Democrats and laughing how stupid they are. It isn't even worth dignifying them. It basically comes down to women and minorities are too stupid to be able to get a driver's license, a real ID, or to update their name when they get married. Women, I know a lot of you listen to me. I can see the ratings. The DOD is very popular with the ladies. especially in the 65 plus age bracket, love you, nannas, and grammies. It was pretty easy for you to show your marriage certificate. Go down to the DMV and change your license, right? Pretty easy for you to go and get a real ID. Taking a while, guess anybody who has flown in the past year has upgraded their driver's license to a real ID. Everybody can get a passport. Everybody has access to a birth certificate if they need one. Except, of course, Democrats who believe that it is nigh on impossible for black people and for women to get a photo ID. Why is it that every single argument that the left makes as it pertains to minorities and women always comes across as

really kind of racist and sexist. The real debate is going to be whether or not the Senate invokes the nuclear option and does away with the filibuster in order to pass this. Look, this is going to be filibustered. It is going to be blocked by Democrats who know that Republicans will not be able to get the 60 vote threshold that they need. In fact, a number of rhinos have already come forward. Do you know what Republicans have already come forward and said they're not going to vote for this? That's right. Lisa Murkowski, Senator from Alaska. She has already said she's not going to vote for this. Why? Because she is Lisa Murkowski, everybody always goes, Susan Collins, Susan Collins, Susan Collins. Susan Collins does what she needs to, to get reelected in a very Democrat state. In fact, she's running for re-election this year again, and Democrats are already salivating at the possibility that they're going to be able to take her out. It is almost impossible to defeat Susan Collins in Maine. She is incredibly strong there. It's because she takes liberal positions. And oftentimes, she does so with the express permission of Senate leadership because they want her vote in Maine, which would otherwise go to elect. Lisa Murkowski has no excuse. Alaska is one of the most Republican states in the entire country. She is the epitome of a rhino, and she's already said she's going to vote no on this. Republicans are likely to get one dem defector. John Fetterman has said this is common sense electoral reform, but it's not going to matter because you need the 60 vote threshold. Well, what if you didn't? Or rather, what if you did? But what if every time a bill was filibustered, you actually had to filibuster? Since 1917, there have not been actual filibusters in the Senate. Before that, you would actually have to hold the floor and talk until you could no longer talk, at which point you would yield the floor and a cloture vote would be done and the filibuster would be over. In 1917, that changed. In 1975, filibusters became remarkably common. First, in the early 1970s, there was a move to create what's known as the two-track system of legislation. Before, if a bill was filibustered, all Senate bills would stop. They were like cars on a train track. I want you to imagine railway cars. If the locomotive stops, that's the first bill, that's the bill being filibustered, there is no way for those other cars to move past and to go up for a vote. Well, in 1971, 1972, Democrats who controlled the Senate at the time created what's known as the two-track legislative system. They said, all right, once you signal an intent to filibuster,

that bill stops and the train of bills behind it moves on to a second track where the first bill just sort of dies on its own little track and every other bill gets a vote every other bill gets a hearing the senate's business can continue this was a huge mistake In March of 1975, that mistake was doubled down upon when the threshold for breaking a filibuster was moved from 66 votes to simply 60. At that point, every bill, it seemed, that was even the least bit controversial, was filibustered. there are two ways that you can fix the filibuster and not have to do away with the filibuster at all you don't have to go nuclear all you need to do is either go back to what's known as the standing or talking filibuster force somebody who wants to filibuster a bill to actually stand there and keep talking until they can no longer talk That might not be a great idea because you have blowhards like Cory Booker, who already did a filibuster just literally to hear himself talk. You would have grandstanding all the time. You can keep the zombie filibuster, but do away with the two-track system. Once a bill is filibustered, just simply end Senate business until that filibuster is broken. That would encourage dealmaking. That would probably mean a more judicious use of the filibuster. But let's be totally honest with ourselves. Democrats would never, ever, ever end a filibuster over something as important to them as the Save Act. Even though it's rather obvious that 85, 86% of Americans want photo ID for all voting, even though hundreds, I believe it's 100 plus countries across the world require some form of photo ID to vote nationwide. America doesn't for some reason because the 16% of people who don't want photo ID want to be able to cheat in elections. I have yet to hear another good argument and please don't recycle the same old black people and women are too stupid and incompetent to update their IDs or to get IDs. That's a terrible argument. The only one that makes sense is you want to have some level of impersonation fraud. By the way, black people who supposedly would be disenfranchised, but by what Chuck Schumer has been calling Jim Crow 2.0, they support voter ID to the tune of 76 percent, 76, even 71 percent of Democrats support voter ID. By the way, I have once again challenged Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan to debate this.

He has been tweeting as he does. I'm not actually sure this guy does anything except tweet and take random trips to Costa Rica for reasons unknown. But I challenged him to come on this show and debate the merits of the Save Act. He, well, is still tweeting and refusing to come on this show because deep down. I believe even he knows there isn't a real good argument against voter ID or proof of citizenship for voting. Trumponomics is working and I can prove it. Back coming up next here on the Dan O'Donnell Show. Now I know nothing is penetrating the mainstream media's razor-like focus on laser-like focus, I should say, laser-like focus on Nancy Guthrie. And I was watching the Olympics last night. They even broke in to say that they had taken into custody a person of interest. Well, they released him a short time later. It turns out he's just a delivery driver. And one of the most hilarious things to me has got to be the Pima County Sheriff. saying to the members of the media, please do not order food and send it to Nancy Guthrie's house because it's an active crime scene. These people really are buffoons. But nothing will shake the media from covering this story and only this story until Nancy Guthrie is found. But the biggest story in America today has got to be this jobs report. The top line number is very, very good. 130,000 jobs versus 70,000 jobs that were expected. But we've had blowout jobs reports before. In the Biden administration, though, all of the net job increases. went to foreign born workers. It's almost impossible to believe, but the number of American-born workers actually declined from 2019 until the start of 2025. Today, 100% of the net job growth is going to the native born. All net job growth and... net job losses for the public sector, most notably the government. What this jobs report says, if you can extrapolate some of the data, there was a net loss of 42,000 government jobs over the past month. That's actually kind of remarkable. If you extrapolate that, and yes, there was a revision from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that did revise 2025's jobs numbers significantly down. Now, that's just the first revision. There's actually probably a decent chance that the Labor Department is going to find a completely different number because these things do very significantly. But if you extrapolate the net jobs losses for government.

You can actually find that President Trump has declined the side, decreased the size of the federal government by 111,000 government jobs in just his first year in office. That's actually kind of remarkable. Now, compare that to President Bill Clinton, who is a massive government shrinkering. People still don't believe this. Clinton and Gore. Clinton actually put Al Gore in charge of cutting federal government bloat, and Gore was remarkably good at it. Dare I say, in the early 1990s, Al Gore was based. During the Clinton administration, there was an estimate of 250,000 jobs cut. In one year, President Trump almost got half of that, that the Clinton administration got in about eight. That's very significant. Not only that, we are seeing... American-born workers getting jobs. And by the way, a lot of the downward revision, this is something that nobody else, I dare say, is going to talk about. A lot of the downward revision is because there's about a million or so people who are no longer in this country. We actually had net negative migration. to the united states last year for the first time in decades because of the deportation efforts that president trump's administration has undertaken and because of the fact that the border is completely sealed we don't have illegal aliens coming into this country in any appreciable numbers remember we had anywhere from ten to fifteen million could have been as high as twenty million people come into this country and just disappear into the interior in just four years of Joe Biden. That stopped. And we've seen hundreds of thousands of forced deportations as well as even more. Some estimates put it as twice as many voluntary deportations, leading to somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.3 to 1.5 or 1.6 million fewer people in this country than were here just a year ago. What do you think that's going to do to the number of jobs created? Do you think that's going to increase it or do you think it's going to decrease it? So amid that and amid what just might be the most significant productivity boom in world history with the advent of AI, just like Bill Clinton.

was the beneficiary of being president during the dawn of the internet so too is president trump going to be the beneficiary of the dawn of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics and super computing the difference is while the internet was able to create a whole ton of jobs where you still needed programmers you still needed coders in fact you were inventing programming and coding jobs to keep up with the demand of internet companies that were being founded left and right throughout the nineteen nineties now the machines the a is can code to themselves It's a fascinating article going around on X today about how the AI revolution isn't coming. It is already here. And people who are saying, oh, well, AI, it hallucinates answers when I ask it questions and it doesn't give me the right answer. It doesn't. That's AI from six months ago. AI from today, especially if you are paying for it. And folks, I am using both a paid version of GROC and a paid version of chat GPT. They're incredible. It is staggering what these AIs can do. That's also going to cut jobs. In days gone by, I might need a full-time producer to do research for me, to help me out, to find sound bites that we're putting together. Now I have AI do it. But that's also impacting the jobs numbers. That said, we are also seeing staggering increases in the stock market. Unless you say, well, the stock market isn't the economy. Yes, in a very real sense, it is because so many people have exposure to it through their 401ks or other retirement assets. Since President Trump took office, the S&P 500 is up 16%. The Dow Jay Jones Industrial average up 14%. Hit a record high, 50,000. The NASDAQ up 20%, largely due to optimism over artificial intelligence. But it's not just that. inflation is down significantly. On inauguration day, the annual CPI rate year over year inflation was 3.0%. Since the inauguration, it is averaged 2.4%, down 70% from the peak under President Biden in 2022. Not only that. Real wages are up 1.4%. For the first time in years, we saw in this jobs report that wages are outpacing inflation by a significant amount by 1.0%. This means after four years...

of people taking pay cuts because the amount that they were making, the amount of increases in their pay that they were seeing was not keeping up with how much inflation was eating into their purchasing power. Now, under President Trump, they're actually better able to afford things. And as a result, prices are going down. This is why you hear Democrats screaming about Epstein instead of the price. of eggs. The bottom line, Trumpinomics is working, and to paraphrase President Trump, it's working bigly. Intelligent discourse. Irrevered fun. The Dan O'Donnell Show will be right back. We're going to get to some pretty incredible crime statistics that just came out today. Murder rates in some of the most violent cities in America, all going down except Milwaukee in 2025, which managed to be one of the few to actually have an increase in the murder rate. Way to go, Mayor Chevy. We'll get to that in just a second, but let's have some fun. We didn't get to this in the 3 o'clock hour. Let's do it now. Time to name the unhinged liberal of the day. Trump is Hitler. We are in pre-Nazi Germany. All white people are racist. Trump is dangerous because he's evil. America is over. Today's unhinged liberal of the day is Democrat Congresswoman Becca Ballant, who got so bent out of shape over Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, giving it right back to her as she is going at Pam Bondi for the Epstein files. that she actually freaked out and walked out of the hearing room in the House Judiciary Committee hearing today. Didn't ask Merrick Garland anything about Epstein, not once when he was... Week sauce. And also, I want the record to reflect that, you know, with this anti-Semitic culture right now, she voted against a resolution condemning... Oh. Is you? Oh. Oh. Do you want to go there, Attorney General? Do you want to go there? Are you serious? I'm talking about anti-Semitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust. Really? Really? The committee will be in order. Talk to Jared Wise about anti-Semitism. At that point, she walks out. She's walking out of the hearing room right now. Can I get like 30 seconds back? You know? Yeah, I've been, I think the whole can. Oh, my goodness, too funny. Now, in case you're wondering, in case you're wondering, if that name Becca Ballant sounds familiar, you're thinking to yourself, Dan, it feels like you have made fun of Becca Ballant before, and you are right, dear and loyal listener. I have had a whole lot of fun at Congresswoman Balance Defense because she said, and I quote, if we deport illegals, there will be no one there to wipe our butts. If we don't have.

avenues for people to come here legally to work or to build a home here. I'm going to be able to prove right now. We're not going to have anybody around to wipe our asses because we don't have enough people. Wait, what? Who is wiping Congresswoman now I know why she ran out of that hearing room today. She was looking for Jose to clean her up. Becca Ballant, your unhinged liberal of the day. She really did say that in a town hall meeting over the summer. And yes, we had a whole lot of fun with that. New stats today, massive, massive plummeting violent crime rates in pretty much all major cities, with the exception of pretty much Milwaukee. You think I'm kidding. Orlando, Florida, which you would not think as a murder capital of the United States. It actually is a very dangerous place. You get outside of Walt Disney World and the other resorts there. And the inner city of Orlando is typically pretty violent. It saw a 58% decline in the homicide rate from 2024 to 2025. Tampa, Florida, 53%. Denver, 47%. Prince George's County, Maryland, 41%. Seattle, 36%. Baltimore, 31%. How about this? Washington, D.C. 32%. Now, Washington, D.C. was the only city that had a massive troop surge, a federal show of force, because obviously Congress retains ultimate control over the nation's capital, and Congress is able to decree a federal, essentially, surge in federal troops. The president is able to simply do this and only inform Congress, and it was so effective that even the Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser paid lip service towards resisting it, but then realized, yeah, this is actually going pretty good. It's making me look really good. Murder rate went down 32%. The only city that saw a federal troop surge was D.C. What accounts for the big one year change in all of these major cities? Could it have something to do with another type of surge? Maybe say of ICE agents?

Maybe, I don't know, getting out hundreds of thousands of people who commit violent crimes in all of these cities. Because fundamentally, that is the only national shift. There was no major crime bill like we saw in the mid-1990s. There were no three strikes in your out policies like we saw enacted in multiple jurisdictions back then. The only major policy change? was deporting violent criminals. This is yet more proof that it has worked beyond anyone's wildest dream. So what do we get today from Milwaukee, one of the few cities that didn't see a big dropping crime? Resistance to ICE. Go figure. Welcome back to the Dan O'Donnell Show. Coming up after the top of the hour, everyone is writing off Republicans holding the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. But what if Democrats' path to winning a majority, even with just a handful of races that they need to win, is actually much tougher than anyone thinks. We are going to dive into the numbers. It is a Dan O'Donnell Show exclusive. that you are not going to want to miss. Now, normally here, folks, we do the unsung hero of the day. And I actually had something planned that we're going to scrap because I want to save this for next hour. And I'm just going to say it was going to be James Vanderbeek because of him speaking out about the need to get colonoscopies. He died today. of colorectal cancer well during one of the commercial breaks this hour i was just scrolling on x and i happened to see a three minute video that he put together about who he is and how he defined himself coming to grips with his own mortality the man had six children and had to come face to face with the fact that he was very likely going to die at just 47, 48 years old, 48, 48 years old today. It is one of the most incredible things that I have seen in a long time, and I want to share it with you. So I guess, yeah, we're going to name James Vanderbyke as the unsung hero of the day, but... Folks, just brace yourselves, especially if you watched the show Dawson's Creek when you were growing up as I did and really sort of had a connection to the actor who just seemed like a very decent, good guy. Little known fact. He starred in the movie Varsity Blues, where he played a backup quarterback. John Voight was his dad or the coach. He was the coach. The dad was another famous actor, actually. And he gets thrust into action. Do you know why he wore the number four in that movie? Why his character, John Moxon, wore four?

It's because he was a massive fan of the Green Bay Packers, and it was a tribute to Brett Farve, who also paid tribute today on X to his fallen friend. We are going to get into that. Also, we are going to talk with Mike John Roberts, who is just an incredibly impressive guy. He is running for the state Senate as a Republican in the district that is being vacated by Rob Hutton Democrats. are freaking out a little bit because they thought Robin Vining had an easy path to the Senate, the far left lib, in a district that they'd gerrymandered just for her. Well, Mike John Roberts is changing the script and changing the narrative on this. We will talk to him. But coming up right after the top of the hour news, it is a Dan O'Donnell show exclusive why it won't be as easy as Democrats think. for them to retake the state senate. Stay tuned. You know what is really filling me with a lot of joy today? The fact that it is now 506 and it's not pitch black out. We've had about a month and a half of longer and longer days. Right before Christmas, Man, you know, I love Christmas. I do favorite time of the year. But since I started working in the afternoon, man, oh man, is it depressing? That it gets dark at about 4.15. And then I'm on the air for another two hours, and it feels like it's about midnight when I finally walk out of here. I'm usually out by, I don't know, I'm invariably outside of the cleaning crew, the last person in the building. Because, you know, I'll post the podcast. We'll cut up some video and audio clips from this show. I'll get some stuff ready for... tomorrow and i cannot wait it's probably going to be i'd say another month or so and then obviously daylight savings times begins and i'll be able to walk out of here and it's still going to be light out i am i'm already looking forward to the summer solstice when it's what 920 925 when the sun finally sets i absolutely love it Cold hard cash contest word this hour. Gold, G-O-L-D gold, you have got until 55 past this hour. That is 555. For those of you in Rio Linda, or I guess West Dallas, 55, you go to the website. You've got until then to go to the website and enter the keyword gold. We did a whole bit on this show. I think we put it to a vote. What was going, what should be the Rio Linda? The late Great Rush Limba always said, for those of you in Rio Linda, and it was because he realized when he was doing a show in Sacramento that the people in Rio Linda always had the absolute worst, dumbest calls. I thought, okay, here in Wisconsin, what would it be? We thought the three big contenders were West Allis, Sheboygan, and Cudahey. No disrespect to any of those.

But I think West Dallas won in a landslide. Producer Doug, what would you say? Out of those, what would be the Wisconsin Rio Linda? Shabagdad, he says, is a strong contender, but we got to go with West Alica, right? My family, my mom's side of the family is all from West Alice. So I feel like I can make West Dallas jokes. And frankly, I... can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been in Sheboygan and really spent a lot of time there. I'm sure it's a wonderful, you know, I think I went to Brock Days one year when I was much, much younger. So the word is gold for those of you in Sheboygan, West Alice Cotterhey, or all of the other great communities that we call home here in Wisconsin. You want to join the Jen Dan O'Donnell Show? Give us a call. Shoot us a text 414-799-1130 or email me, DOD at IHeartMedia. com follow the show on social media at dan o'donnell show on x on facebook on instagram on youtube and please do subscribe like follow thumbs up heart poop emoji whatever the dan o'donnell show on ihart radio or wherever you listen to podcasts Here are just some of the stories that we are following today. The House very narrowly passing the Save Act, which would require both voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections 216 to 215. It now moves on to the Senate. Jim Jordan Stoltz, kioskum native just 21 years old, winning gold and setting a new Olympic record in the 1,000-meter speed skating race today. His win, the single biggest margin of victory in the Olympic 1000 since 1984. That's kind of amazing. Stoltz will also compete for three more gold medals, the 500, the 1500, and the mass start. Is that what I'm, I think it is, where everybody just starts at the same time because that seems like it would be awesome. It's sort of like roller derby on ice. President Trump today met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The president posted on Truth Social that he insisted negotiations with Iran. Continue. His Attorney General Pam Bondi testifying before the House Judiciary Committee today. In 2025, we saw the lowest murder rate in 125 years. That's nothing short of historic. Absolutely.

Meanwhile, here at home, State Senate Republicans are proposing a massive income tax rebate. All Wisconsin taxpayers would get either a $500 or $1,000 rebate. That will spend roughly $1.6 billion of a projected $2.4 to $2.5 billion surplus on tax relief. Much more on that coming up in just a second. Finally, sad news to report. Every 90s kid will feel this one. James Vanderbeek, the star of Dawson's Creek, has passed away at the age of 48 after a multi-year battle with colorectal cancer. He also starred in films like Varsity Blues and had been battling cancer for at least three years. He leaves behind a wife and six children coming up later this hour. He filmed a remarkable video on his birthday, which actually turned out to be his final birthday, in which he talked about what defines him and what defines all of us. And it is so good. It is so powerful. It is so haunting that I am going to play it for you coming up in about a half hour. Right now, though, a little bit of levity here. All four state legislative leaders, Senate and Assembly leaders for Republicans and the Democrats' Senate Minority Leader, Assembly Minority Leader, they were all at an event today in Madison. They were all talking about the legislative session, the upcoming election, and the moderator of the event, A.J. Bayett Poor. Asked Robin Voss, the Assembly Speaker, about the 2026 election and the crowded Democrat primary. Voss absolutely killed it. hilarious answer and an even more hilarious interaction with the Senate Minority Leader Diane Hesselbein and the Assembly Minority Leader Greta Newbauer who tried to deny against all available evidence that Democrats forced every other candidate besides Mandela Barnes to get out of the race right before the primary election. I have a theory that I think that most of the people who are running will also be swept away by the big wigs in the Democratic Party where they say, look, We need to focus on one person to be able to win for the governor's race. They did it in 2022. I don't know why they wouldn't do it this time. So we'll see. But it's going to be a competitive race. We live in a purple state. It'll probably be decided by 20 or 30,000 votes like most elections have been. And that's why the person in my mind who focuses most on improving people's lives in Wisconsin, not just criticizing other people all the time, will be victorious. Diane, do you want to respond to that? So much there. No, I would say what happened in the primary with U.S. Senate is the two other people chose to get out. That was not the Democratic Party putting their thumb on the scale. It was not. You can talk to them. Just happened? Yeah, actually. Yeah, they would tell you that. Sure. That's exactly. They spend millions of dollars and then just at the end. I'm out. I think they realized they were not going to be successful. They were not going to be successful and they saw the wrong poll. So that's what happened. You could hear people laughing. Yeah, sure.

Okay, Diane. Okay, Greta. It's remarkable. I could do an entire topic just on this, how Democrats will just lie to your face. They are just liars. I can prove that they were forced out. The voting was already going on. Mail and ballots were already sent out. in-person absentee voting had just gotten underway. And Alex Lazary just drops out. Sarah Godluski just drops out. And a couple of months later, Governor Evers just happens to reward her with the position of Secretary of State after Doug LaFalick gets himself reelected and then retires within the span of just a couple of days. To quote Assembly Speaker, Voss, sure. State Senate leaders today unveiling a bill that would provide a one-time rebate to taxpayers who filed an individual income tax return for tax year 2024 and owed tax for that year. rebate $1,000 for married persons filing jointly and $500 for all other individuals. The rebate payment may not exceed the amount of the taxpayers' 2024 net income tax liability. This will cost an estimated $1.6 billion, but according to a new legislative fiscal bureau estimate, Just a couple of weeks ago, the state is projected to have a $2.5 billion budget surplus by the end of the current budget cycle in June of 2027. This to me is a much better idea than attempting to provide property tax relief to help Governor Ivers out from under his own mess. Democrats all supported the 400-year veto, and Assembly Speaker Voss yesterday intimated that he would be open to a deal on property tax relief that does not include Governor Ivers rescinding that property tax veto. Why would we do anything on the single biggest liability that Democrats have this election cycle? The fact that everyone's property taxes exploded because the governor, with the clapping seals in his party all behind him, did one of the worst Frankenstein vetoes, one of the most unconstitutional vetoes in the history of this state. to increase the potential tax burden every single year for the next four centuries by $279 million per year. Okay. Exclusive analysis here now on the Dan O'Donnell Show.

Right now, the GOP has an 18 to 15 majority in the Senate. Every single odd-numbered Senate district is up this year. The way they do it out of the 33 seats is that even districts are up in one cycle. That was two years ago. Odd-numbered districts are up in this cycle. Of the 17 seats that are up in 2026, about four are competitive. The overwhelming sentiment is that Democrats are just going to sweep, that there's no chance that Republicans are going to take the Senate. Sure, they may hold on by a razor thin margin in the assembly, but thanks to the gerrymandering done by the state Supreme Court, as well as Governor Evers. There's going to be no chance for Republicans to hold the Senate. It is my very strong suspicion that the conventional wisdom here is wrong. In Senate District 5, this is Brookfield, Wawatosa, it was redrawn to include parts of Milwaukee. The current incumbent Rob Hutton. announced a couple of weeks ago that he's not going to seek re-election because he did not think he would be able to win against Robin Vining because this district was drawn specifically for her. There is a brand new candidate, though, who we're going to talk to in just a couple of minutes, Dr. Mike John Roberts. Kamala Harris in 2024 won this Senate district with 52% of the votes. That's about 6,000 raw votes. But the real story is actually how the down ballot performed, especially the three assembly seats that make up the Senate district. Each Senate district has three assembly districts within it for a total of 99 assembly districts. The Democrat candidates in those assembly districts combined for 53,775 votes. GOP candidates combined for 52,265 votes, and there was an independent candidate in one of the races that got about 1,100 votes. That means there was a difference of just 1,500 votes between down-ballot Republicans and down-ballot Democrats with an additional 1,100 up for grabs that went for the independent. Regardless of what Democrats are saying, It is my very strong belief that this seat is absolutely wide open. The congressional races in both districts combining for a 50-50 split of Dem candidates versus GOP candidates in those congressional races, this is actually kind of a very close district. How about Senate District 17? Howard Marklein has been considered very vulnerable pretty much since Howard Markleine entered the Senate. Kamala Harris again won this district, but it was much narrower. And again, in the down ballot votes, in those three assembly districts, one of which held by Todd Novak, it's considered heavily Democratic. Todd Novak continues to win it.

Meaning that there are legitimate ticket splitters that have a tendency in some of these Harris by one, Harris by two districts tend to break Republican. Mark Aline is easily the best fundraiser in the state Senate. And in his district, he is very widely known. Everybody knows who Howard is. Now, combine this with the fact that GOP candidates dominated in that district. In those assembly races, 53,000 total votes to 48,000. Again, in a district that Kamala Harris won, Mark Alain is a very, very good chance of keeping that seat. Even though he is going to be Democrats' number one target, it is going to take just an unbelievable effort to unseat him. Senate District 21 sees the current incumbent Van Wongard also competing in a Kamala Harris district, one that she again very narrowly won, but again, one that two years ago, the three GOP assembly candidates defeated their Dem counterparts in raw vote totals. GOP candidates won 9,000 more raw votes than the three Democrat candidates, 44,000 to 35,000. Now, this was a unique situation. One seat was left unopposed with the Dem winning and one left unopposed with a Republican winning, but still the math is there. There's also a Democrat seat that they're going to be defending. Senate District 31. The current incumbent Jeff Smith is going to go against another incumbent. State Senator Jesse James. He was drawn into this district. And. He nearly lost, Smith did, to a very underfunded candidate by the name of Dave Estinson, who was engulfed in scandal four years ago. Smith only won by 700 votes. He's also been defeated in this district losing three assembly races in a row, 2010, 2012, and 2014. He has a tendency to sweep by for reelection. And Democrat Assembly candidates had just a narrow advantage in 2024, winning 51,000 to 50,000. Barely a 100 vote advantage for the Democrats. Meanwhile, Jesse James is very, very popular in district, works very hard, and is the legislature's only active member of law enforcement. Do you think that's going to play well in an election that may well be dominated by liberal radicalism on ice? In order for Democrats to take the majority, they need to win three of the four competitive races in order to just get a one vote majority.

Howard Markline is very likely to win re-election. Even in a big Democrat year, he's done it before. Democrats would have to run the table on the other three races. How likely is that? It may be. Jeff Smith may win re-election against a very strong challenger in Jesse James, who is also in the Senate. There's no indication that Van Wongard is even going to run again. He's sent signals that he might retire. And in Senate District 5, Dr. Mike John Roberts is relative unknown. Democrats may run the table, but it's going to be a lot harder than a lot of people think. Dr. Mike John Roberts is an unknown, so let's get to know him. He's going to join us live on the phone coming up next here on the Dan O'Donnell Show. Welcome back to the Dan O'Donnell Show, conservative thought, not just talk. We don't accept conventional wisdom on this program. We actually dive deep into the numbers. And... I don't think that it's fait accompli for Democrats to win the Senate. Not if my next guest has anything to say about it. He is running as a Republican in Senate District 5 after the retirement announcement of Senator Rob Hutton. He stepped up. He is a very, very impressive guy. And I am so pleased to introduce Dr. Mike John Roberts. Mike, welcome to the Dan O'Donnell Show. How you doing this evening? I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me. So why did you decide to get in this race, sir? Yeah, so I was born in District 5. I was raised here. I built my business here, and I'm a seventh generation Wisconsin night running to represent the district that I loved, and I've spent my entire life in. You know, I earned my undergraduate and doctorate degrees at Carroll University, and I started my career as a physical therapist in Walwitosa. Early on, I found out how broken the health care system is. I was expected to see 20 to 30 patients a day, which anyone that knows physical therapy, that's a lot. And my record in one day was actually 69 patients, which my own therapist on staff. Did you see each of them for two minutes? How did that work? Yeah, it was something else. They're not in business anymore. Okay. I would imagine with that client load. Yeah, it was, but, you know, because of that, I quickly realized early on that the health care system rewarded volume, not quality. So, you know, instead of complaining about it, I fixed it. I started my own physical therapy practice in Walwitosa out of a small 200-square-foot room, and I built it from the ground up. expanded into lay country and we're operating out of nearly 13,000 square feet now and repeatedly being recognized as the best physical therapy practice in Milwaukee for 10 straight years. So, you know, the reason it worked is simple. We listen first. We use evidence-based practice. We fix root problems instead of treating symptoms. And I'm running for state senate for the same reasons. You know, families, they're doing everything right and still falling behind. And when you actually listen, and that's what we do for living.

Cost of living, public safety, health care, education. The same issues keep coming up over and over again for my patients, from friends, from family, from coworkers, you name it. And Wisconsin deserves better. And voters are, they're tired of the lack of outcomes and accountability in our state government. You know, they want steady, practical leadership focused on those four issues and, more importantly, solutions that actually work. So, you know, I'm a strong believer in the American dream, and I want to be able to pass. that great opportunity and responsibility onto my children who are eighth generation Wisconsinites and someday their own children. So, you know, I see a system that isn't working the way it should, so I'm stepping up to fix it. And we are certainly glad that you're doing so, but you're stepping into a district that was hand-drawn literally. for your opponent to try to draw some of her strongest supporters into it. You're also running in what figures to be a pretty big Democrat year. You said yourself, your practice is in Wauwatosa, Mike. So you've got to know how far left some of these people are. How do you plan to win them over or in the alternative get enough independent thinking Democrats in that district to say, Hey, the Democrats of today have just gone nuts. So here's the thing, by focusing on what actually moves voters out here. Like I said, the cost of living, public safety, are children's education and health care that works. You know, the voters in this district, they're very independent-minded. You know, going back to you were talking about how they're split voters. Yeah. You know, they're looking at the candidate, not just the letter next to their name. So, you know, this district, and I know these people because I live on it on one end, you know, in Piawaki, and then I work in it. on the other end in Walwitosa, they respond really well to competence, not just talking points or slogans. And we talk to people directly. You know, we stayed disciplined on our message and we earn trust by being specific. That's how we win here. And just like in my physical therapy practice, I'll use evidence-based solutions and focus on fixing the root causes, not just putting band-aids on symptoms like we're seeing in Madison today. So what are some of those solutions? Like, what is the thing that you are going to, you said health care, obviously that's your expertise, but let's face it, when running here, you're going to need to run on the economy. On crime. Yes, on transportation, but on some of the broader state issues, health care, let's face it, isn't that big of an issue? What is going to be your primary pitch to voters, especially on the issue of, say, sky high property taxes, income taxes that are some of the highest in the Midwest? We just had a report from our good friends at Wisconsin manufacturers and commerce showing that Wisconsin's population is getting older.

behind on the economy specifically what is your message to your constituents Yeah, well, and it's a perfect example. I have one person that I've known for years. She's a lifelong Democrat, and not only is she supporting and donating, but also hosting a couple events for us because she believes in the leadership that I bring. On top of that, she's also gone through her property taxes going up 39% in two years. It's gone up $3,000. And here's the thing that we're, especially in Wabotosa, we're seeing. taxes should be looked at as an investment in our community. And we're not seeing that return on investment. Our communities aren't any safer. Our health care isn't getting any cheaper. Our children's educational outcomes aren't any higher. And I'll tell you for personal experience, it's not getting any easier to run a business. So there has to be accountability for this within our state government because people are looking for better outcomes and results. They certainly are. And how about on the issue of crime? Because your district, as you know, especially Walwitosa. I mean, it has gone from one of the idyllic suburbs, I dare say in America, in the span of, what would you say, 20, 25 years to education has gone downhill. And crime has dramatically increased. I mean, I'll give it downtown Walwitosa is gorgeous. It's beautiful. But places around there are a little sketchy, and we're seeing property crime and violent crime both on the increase. Right. Yeah. And having my practice in Walwood Tulsa for 13 years now, I mean, if I had enough time, I could go through all the stories about, you know, I would say it'd be a big deal if one person in my company had their car jacked. It's happened multiple times, multiple employees. You know, it's a big deal. You know, whether it's our neighbor across the street being zip tied and held at gunpoint. She owns a health care practice. You know, we've seen this increase in crime. I've worked directly with all the police departments in the area, and that includes Walwitosa PD. And the common thing that I hear from all of them, they are sick and tired of arresting the same people. Because when you have violent offenders with long records being released early or not being even held accountable, the problem just doesn't stay in one zip code. And that's what suburban families are seeing now. And we could get into the whole three-year recidivism rate in Wisconsin, which is unacceptably high, in my opinion. It's over 38%. And then we see other states like Virginia that have half of that. But they're, again, implementing strong evidence-based reentry and rehab programs and getting to the root issue. He is Senate candidate, Dr. Mike John Roberts, joining me here on the Dan O'Donnell Show. Where can people go to find out more about your campaign, sir?

Yep, you could find me on X at Mike RobertsWI or you can find us online at Mike RobertsWI.com. Mike RobertsWI.com. I absolutely love it. You have got my support, sir, as you know, and I really do believe you are going to turn some heads this November. Let's not be strangers until then. Sir, we'd love to have you back on the program, all right? Looking forward to it. Thank you, Dan. Absolutely. You are listening to The Dan O'Donnell Show, conservative thought, not just talk. Welcome back to the Dan O'Donnell show. Coming up in just a second, one of the truly most inspiring and heartwarming things that you are going to hear all day. We are going to get into eternal wisdom from one of the most unlikely places. Actor James Vanderbeek, who passed away today at the age of 48 from colorectal cancer. Do want to wish a very happy birthday to our very good friend Randy Kay, who is a member of the fourth generation, Built Right family. These are very, very good friends of the Dan O'Donnell Show, and I will not reveal how old Randy Kay is turning today. Okay, she's 29. Happy birthday, Randy. We do love you from all of us here at the Dan O'Donnell Show. And in celebration of Randy's birthday on the 11th, you can right now get 11% off plus special financing for up to 36 months on the very best selection of furniture. assisted by the very best team in Wisconsin. And right now, because of the President's Day and Randy Kay's birthday sale, you get a free patriotic blanket with every purchase of $799 or more. Now, Built Right is open special hours this President's Day, Monday, February 16th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Now, normally... Built Right is actually closed Sundays and Mondays to be with family and friends. Normally, they're open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every other day to help you. But on Sunday and Monday, they are giving their staff off to spend time with family and friends. This is a business that truly cares about their employees.

And we truly care about them. They are great partners with us here on the Dan O'Donnell Show. And we always remind you to tell them Dan sent you when you head to Built Right at 54th and Layton in Greenfield. And today, tell Randy Kay a very special happy birthday. I don't know. As we've been reporting all afternoon long, the actor James Vanderbeek passed away today from colorectal cancer at the age of 48 years old. Now, you might be saying, okay, Dan, you know, he wasn't that big of a star. Yeah, you watched his show when you were a kid, when you were a teenager, Dawson's Creek. There's the theme song to Dawson's Creek. In case you wonder why we're playing, I Don't Want to Wait by Paula Cole, very famously used as the theme song to that mid-90s teen drama. And frankly, I only really watched the first season, two seasons. of Dawson's Creek. I saw the movie Varsity Blues, went with a bunch of friends in high school. It was a lot of fun. But why am I making a big deal out of James Vanderbeek? Because of things like this. On his last birthday, which ended up being his last birthday, he reflected on his own mortality, who he was. how he was going to be remembered, and most importantly, I think, how he saw himself. In his three-minute monologue, I think, there is a lesson for each and every one of us. Today's my birthday, and it has been the hardest year of my life, and I wanted to share something that I learned with y'all. When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never really all that fulfilling. And then it became a husband, and that was much better. And then I became a father. And that was the ultimate. I could define myself then as a loving... capable, strong, supportive husband, father, provider, steward of the land that we're so lucky to live on. And for a long time, that felt like a really good definition to the question, who am I? What am I? And then this year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose to nose with death. In all of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped for me. I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband that was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn't working. I couldn't even be a steward of a land because at times I was too weak to prune all the trees during the window that you're supposed to prune them.

And so I was faced with the question, if I am just a too skinny, weak guy alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I? And I meditated and the answer came through, I am worthy of God's love. Simply because I exist. And if I'm worthy of God's love, shouldn't I also be worthy of my own? And the same is true for you. And as I move through this healing portal toward recovery, I wanted to share that with you because I think that revelation that came to me was doing no small part to all the prayers and the love that had been directed toward me. So I offer that to you. However it sits in your consciousness, whoever it resonates, run with it. And if the word God... It trips you up. I certainly don't know. I claim to know what God is or explain God. My efforts to connect to God are an ongoing process that is a constant unfolding mystery to me. But if it's a trigger, it feels too religious. You can take the word God out and your mantra can simply be, I am worthy of love. Because you are.

Thank you for the loving prayers, everyone. Have a blessed day. Remarkable reflection from James Vanderbigh, who passed away today at the age of 48. Rest in peace. Bet you didn't think you would get something that deep from a 90s teen heartthrob, did you? James Vanderbeak on what turned out to be his final birthday. We played his entire message that I just happened to stumble across during a commercial break. Ladies and gentlemen, I am always working on show content, even when I probably should be grabbing a drink of water or maybe running to the bathroom. It was just a powerful message. Every one of us is worthy of God's love. even when we're at our lowest, even when we think that our life is over, even when we think we couldn't possibly be worthy of anything from anybody. It is always worth remembering that God loves us, that we are beautifully made in his own image, that even before, long before we ever grace this earth, he knew us. And he loved us then, and he loved us now. And if we're worthy of God's love, then we're worthy of loving ourselves. I mean, that's just such a powerful, eternal message. And yes, he diluted it a little by saying, well, if you're a little, if you're a little uncomfortable with the concept of God, remember, he's in Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen, he's got to deal with all those godless libs. But James Vanderbeak was apparently a very devout Christian. and just lived by a very powerful set of principles that I think all of us should. Oh, he moved from Hollywood to Texas, says producer Doug. Because of that, because it was filled with godless libs. He was a hardcore conservative then, wasn't he? Even if he didn't want to say it. Hard to say, hmm, six kids. deep faith in God. I mean, he was in Austin, Texas. So that's sort of like the, that's like the Berkeley of the South. It's the Madison of Texas. But I'm going to say, he probably didn't say it, but I think he was on our team. Regardless, that was just a powerful, timeless, eternal. message and I simply had to share it for you. Coming up on the Dan O'Donnell show tomorrow, we always have fun on, oh wait, today, what is today? Wednesday? Oh my gosh, I thought today was Thursday. I was going to say we're going to have a lot of fun on the Friday edition, but it's only Wednesday. Well, we've made it through halfway. As you can tell, I'm already looking forward to the weekend. Have a great evening, Wisconsin back tomorrow here on the Dan O'Donnell Show. When it's Thursday, not Friday, Thursday.

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