After days of journalists meeting with the fugitive Wisconsin “Badger 14″ senators and disclosing only that they’re in an “undisclosed location” in Illinois, it appears that one press outlet has broken the embargo on their precise location.
Early this evening, Wausau’s WAOW reported on its website: “The 14 Democratic Senators who fled the state are assumed to be just over the border in Harvard, Illinois.”
That report appears corroborated by the remark Sen. Tim Carpenter made earlier in the day, when asked by an interviewer with Milwaukee’s TMJ4 where, exactly, in Illinois he was. Sen. Carpenter said: “Well, I can look out my window and see Wisconsin. But not the Soviet Union — just Wisconsin.” Read and listen here. Indeed, it turns out that Harvard, Illinois, is on the northern border of Illinois (about 85 miles southeast of Madison), so that someone in a high-rise Harvard hotel could easily see Wisconsin out the window. Google map here.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. The “Badger 14″ senators are hiding at Harvard. Able to see Wisconsin. Straining to see the Soviet Union.
Earth to Senator Carpenter: Perhaps your choice of a hideout location is prompted by a need to polish up your resume for your next job, now that you’ve vacated your senate seat, but please think twice before describing yourself on that resume as a “Harvard man.” In addition to your coming off looking like “an idiot” this past weekend in your e-mail exchange with an exceedingly polite Wisconsin citizen, it may interest you to know that the Soviet Union ceased to exist back in 1991. Yes, really. You can read about it here. You may like to joke about Sarah Palin, but at least she’s aware that the nation across the Bering Strait from Alaska has for the past two decades been called Russia, not the Soviet Union.
Update (2/22, 11:19 a.m.): In response to this blog’s Twitter feed calling attention to this post’s discussion of Sen. Tim Carpenter, by noting the “Sarah Palin joke by ‘idiot’ fugitive Wisconsin senator fails — says he can’t see Soviet Union out of his window,” Toddy Littman throws out an apt question:
[W]hy would he be able to see the place his entire mind is wrapped in?
Update (2/22, 12:55 p.m.): Correction. According to some of the commentators on this post who apparently have first-hand knowledge of the matter, this post was mistaken in its remark “that someone in a high-rise Harvard hotel could easily see Wisconsin out the window.”
Apparently there are no high-rise hotels in Harvard. David Casper recounts:
I spent a night in Harvard on accident about 5 years ago. It’s a tiny little farming town (and one-time Dairy Capital of the World!!!!!!!), and I doubt there are any buildings tall enough from which anyone could see across the border. I don’t recall it offering much in terms of night-life either. And considering Wal-Mart was probably the most happening place around, these Dem senators must be in a living hell!
“Milwaukee” reports:
Harvard is the last stop on a commuter rail coming out of Chicago. Sort of like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, they took the last train out of town. How romantic. But Harvard really is pretty a nondescript little town. Beer is probably really cheap.
Don Ruhter agrees:
The last time I was in Harvard, the tallest structure was the water tower and the tallest building the old high school.
There are no high rise buildings much less high rise hotels in Harvard..
Heck there are no mid rise buildings.
Not that it is not a nice little town.
Going further to suggest that Sen. Tim Carpenter must have lied during his interview, ”Fredipus” states:
“High-rise Hardvard hotel?” Boy, oh boy, you sure don’t know Harvard. Until the (now-shuttered) Motorola plant opened, Harvard was a sleepy little farming community. It’s a bit bigger now (various subdevelopments were built for Motorola workers) but still a small farm town in the middle of nowhere. (The town square has a large cow statue called “Harmilda” that’s probably the most famous thing about the town.)
The biggest “hotel” in Harvard is the Heritage Inn and it’s a two-story building about 8 miles from the Wisconsin border.
There is absolutely *no* chance that someone can “see Wisconsin” from any hotel in Harvard – it’s just not that close to the border.
Apparently, a Wisconsin State Senator can’t even tell the truth about what he can see with his own eyes…
Even assuming the highest building in Harvard is the two-story Heritage Inn & Suites at 1701 S. Division Street in Harvard (information here) — which Gateway Pundit is reporting as the location of the “AWOL WISCONSIN DEMS,” here — this blog takes Sen. Carpenter at his word that he could see Wisconsin out his window. From Google Maps it appears the hotel is only six miles from the Wisconsin border. Unless there is something unique about the curvature of the earth in northern Illinois, it seems likely that someone on the second floor of the hotel could see some point in Wisconsin, such as the top of a water tower or high-rise building.
[Update, 4:40 p.m.: The commentors who have analyzed this point -- apparently pulling out some topographical maps to do so -- see first two comments here ("Agribusinessman" and "Rod"), have confirmed it with some specificity:
1. On the second floor of the Heritage Inn & Suites, 16 feet above the ground, an observer could see 5.4 miles assuming no trees or buildings, and normal earth curvature.
2. The hotel is 6.7 miles from the Wisconsin border, so even without obstacles ordinarily Sen. Tim Carpenter would not be able to see Wisconsin out of his window.
3. But, fortunately for the senator, the earth's surface curves upward between Harvard, Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. Specifically, the hotel is at 948 feet above sea level, and the highest point in Sharon, Wisconsin (on the Wisconsin border just north of Harvard) -- just 8.8 miles away -- is 1,026 feet above sea level. Thus, Sen. Carpenter "should be able to easily see Sharon, Wisconsin." Indeed, he could see parts of Wisconsin more than 10 miles from the hotel. Thus Sen. Carpenter appears to have been correct when he stated in yesterday's interview with Milwaukee's TMJ4, "I can look out my window and see Wisconsin."]
Update (1:12 p.m.): Many thanks to Prof. Glenn Reynolds for his Instapundit link to this post (here), which has resulted in an additional 10,000 visits to this website in the past several hours — now more than 24,000 visits since the blog began five days ago!
Update (2:55 p.m.): EXCLUSIVE by Jeff Winkler of Daily Caller: “The Illinois Tea Party finds the Wisconsin Flee Party” — “They ran like rats” — “They’re on the run now.” — Tea Party activists Mary Alger, Jane Carrell, and “Doc” track down wayward senators. Read the whole thing.
Update (3:05 p.m.): Video of “Badger 14″ senators yesterday in their hotel in Harvard, Illinois, from Eau Claire’s WQOW.
Update (5:13 p.m.): BREAKING PHOTOS!! Wisconsin “Fleebagger” Chris Larson Spotted in Illinois – Police Called to “Fleebag” Hotel in Harvard, Illinois! Here (h/t Instapundit)
Update (10:45 p.m.): More photos of Wisconsin “Badger 14″ senators at their Harvard hotel, from Jim Hoft on Gateway Pundit.
Update (10:55 p.m. ): Still more awesome photos of Wisconsin “Badger 14″ senators, from former McHenry County, Illinois, Treasurer, and former Illinois state representative, Cal Skinner, on his McHenry County Blog. Mr. Skinner also includes a delightful essay about how the senators reacted when they were discovered hiding out in the hotel. A sample:
I didn’t see any individuals in the lobby dressed like the political class, so I decided to ask the desk clerk whether any Wisconsin State Senators had checked in.
After the desk clerk got off a pretty long call at 11:20, I recognized the white-haired gentleman [Sen. Jim Holperin; see here] who didn’t want to talk to the Rockford Tea Party videographer asking why he and his colleague driver were had fled Madison.
With me he was more congenial, especially after I introduced myself and told him I had served 16 years in the Illinois House.
When he asked why I was interested in his and his colleagues’ presence, I told him I wrote a political blog named McHenry County Blog and he was in McHenry County.
* * *
He said the Senators had been meeting with reporters and, indeed, I learned later that a TV truck had been at the motel Monday night.
He asked me not to identify the location, so the group could continue helping out the McHenry County economy.
I told him I pretty much had to say they were in McHenry County, which seemed OK with him as long as I was not specific as to the location.
He said that the Senators didn’t want a crowd of sign-carrying demonstrators outside of the motel.
I told him I didn’t think local tea party people could mobilize what he envisioned.
But since arriving home, I’ve been told that a caravan of State Senators was seen heading south on Route 23, so I guess there is no harm in revealing the Harvard location.
* * *
As I was leaving the parking lot, who should I run into but Crystal Lake Tea Party honcho Mary Alger. She was holding this sign saying, “IL Tea Party Finds Wisconsin ‘FLEE’ Party.”
Subsequent information arrived telling me that a representative of the Northern Illinois Tea Party arrived, starting asking questions like, “Do you know any reason why you shouldn’t be recalled for your failure to fulfill the duties of your office?,” and was asked by the desk clerk if he were a paying customer and, if not, to leave.
Three cars pulled up.
She called the Harvard Police.
Note: if you can put names to the faces of the senators, please use the comment section on the post to help Mr. Skinner identify who is in each photo.
Update (2/24, 9:45 p.m.): This morning’s New York Post had an entertaining article by Jennifer Fermino entitled: “Dems hiding in plain ‘spite’: Wis. runaways’ Ill. motel found,” which began:
HARVARD, Ill. — Wisconsin state Sen. Dave Hansen, the assistant minority leader, thought he was staying at a secret location in Harvard, Ill., just south of the Wisconsin border. That was until a group of picture-taking party activists from the Northern Illinois Tea Party showed up at the Heritage Inn and Suites off of Route 14. Hansen, officially outed, looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding tractor trailer. Hansen and several other Democratic refugees were forced to find another location. “We’re not about to give in yet,” Hansen later said.
Sara did not say ” I can look out my window and see Russa” that was her impersonator on Saturday Night Live.
No, Sarah said on a clear day you can see Russia from Alaska. It’s only about 50 miles across the Bering Strait from the Aleutian Islands to the eastern shore of Russia.
Ummmm…Lady Sarah actually said “… “…you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”
Which island?? This island…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomede_Islands
The MFM puts out these lies as shiny little things for the idiots on the left to stare at. They know that the typical leftist is stupid and/or too lazy to look things up for themselves.
Parts are even closer. Alaska’s Little Diomede Island is less than 3 miles from Russia’s Big Diomede Island. A reporter from “Anderson Cooper 360″ went there in 2008 and reported that not only could he see Big Diomede Island from Little Diomede Island, he could also see the Russian mainland from there.
Clarification:
The usual island comparison is Little Diomedes (Alaska) to Big Diomedes (Russia), less than 3 miles separate them (rumor has it that during some winters one can actually walk across ice from one to the other). 50 miles (closer to 51 and on the long side of 51 at that) is the distance from mainland (Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska) to mainland (Cape Dezhnyov, Russia). For Saint Lawrence Island to eastern shore of Russia the number is about 37 miles if you want the island to mainland distance. The Aleutian Islands are a chain of islands that runs further south and are hundreds of miles from the Russian mainland, and no you cannot see the Russian mainland from the Aleutian Islands.
Why were “journalists” covering for the politicians?! Isn’t their location important news? Why would you agree to keep that secret?
Keeping the location secret as a condition of getting the interview seems like a reasonable thing for a journalist to do and, frankly, the senators wanting to keep their location secret is understandable.
What wasn’t reasonable was for the journalists to simply say the senators were in an “undisclosed location” when they actually knew where the senators were (because they physically interviewed them). That is, the location was disclosed to the journalists, and the journalists were chosing not to disclose it to the public. The journalists should have made clear that a condition for the interview was secrecy as to the location.
Just a note: I spent a night in Harvard on accident about 5 years ago. It’s a tiny little farming town (and one-time Dairy Capital of the World!!!!!!!), and I doubt there are any buildings tall enough from which anyone could see across the border. I don’t recall it offering much in terms of night-life either. And considering Wal-Mart was probably the most happening place around, these Dem senators must be in a living hell!
Dennis is absolutely right, the whole “I can see Russia from my home” phrase was only ever spoken by Tina Fey as she impersonated Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. But the left continue to run with this ridiculous misquote, probably because they are so stupid that they think Tina is actually Sarah and SNL is the news.
That’s what’s so doubly interesting about Sen. Carpenter trying to make a joke at Palin’s expense: (1) it was based on a flawed account of what Palin actually said; and (2) it revealed Carpenter’s mistaken belief of what nation is on the other side of the Bering Strait.
Of course, he might simply have misspoke. Is this the first time he’s said something silly like this, or is he generally regarded as somewhat of a dim bulb?
Far more significant than the misstatement, of course, is that Sen. Carpenter was joking around on a radio program on a subject — his flight from the state and refusal to carry out his constitutional duties — that is hardly a joking matter.
Harvard is the last stop on a commuter rail coming out of Chicago. Sort of like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, they took the last train out of town. How romantic. But Harvard really is pretty a nondescript little town. Beer is probably really cheap. Why don’t we have any YouTube video of the honorable Senators downing beers are the local tap? And why has the press been protecting them by publishing this sooner?
Find their building and overun it.
“High-rise Hardvard hotel?” Boy, oh boy, you sure don’t know Harvard. Until the (now-shuttered) Motorola plant opened, Harvard was a sleepy little farming community. It’s a bit bigger now (various subdevelopments were built for Motorola workers) but still a small farm town in the middle of nowhere. (The town square has a large cow statue called “Harmilda” that’s probably the most famous thing about the town.)
The biggest “hotel” in Harvard is the Heritage Inn and it’s a two-story building about 8 miles from the Wisconsin border.
There is absolutely *no* chance that someone can “see Wisconsin” from any hotel in Harvard – it’s just not that close to the border.
Apparently, a Wisconsin State Senator can’t even tell the truth about what he can see with his own eyes…
These people are acting despicably. They need to get back in there and do their sworn duties. If they’re unhappy with what’s going on, they can use the legitimate democratic processes in their state to change things.
Seems to me that some legislation is in order to deem any seat in the legislature as abandoned when the individual elected to serve does not appear when the legislature is in session after a certain number of days. That could allow for the governor to appoint a replacement or maybe call a special election to fill the abandoned seat.
The last time I was in Harvard, the tallest structure was the water tower and the tallest building the old high school.
There are no high rise buildings much less high rise hotels in Harvard..
Heck there are no mid rise buildings.
Not that it is not a nice little town.
I’d say it’s more likely they’re in either Antioch or So. Beloit. They’re larger towns closer to the border.
Don’t knock the town! Isn’t this where Harvard Law School graduates come from?……To say nothing of Harvard Constitutional scholars.
[...] The Badger 14 Blog has more– After days of journalists meeting with the fugitive Wisconsin “Badger 14″ senators and disclosing only that they’re in an “undisclosed location” in Illinois, it appears that one press outlet has broken the embargo on their precise location. [...]
While the Wisconsin Senate is approving a bill honoring the Packers for their Superbowl win, Tim Carpenter takes a play out of the Jay Cutler playbook and hides in Illinois to avoid defeat.
In fairness to Carpenter, he said he couldn’t see the Soviet Union. Now, granted, that doesn’t mean much, because nobody has seen the Soviet Union in 19 years. But at least he didn’t say he could see the Soviet Union.
Sorry, she did say it. Exact quote, from ABC News website, in an interview with Charlie Gibson: “They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska. “. Which is exactly true – Big Diomede Island (Russian) and Little Diomede Island (American) are only about 2.4 miles apart, according to Wikipedia.
URL for my source: http://abcnews.go.com/politics/vote2008/Story?id=5782924&page=2
And *everyone* who says Palin said, “I can see Russia from my house!” is quoting this and not what Palin actually said. And everyone who references “I can see Russia from my house” is referencing this and not what Palin actually said.
I’m not going to bother Googling it, but I recall reading that something like 30% of voters thought Palin literally said, “I can see Russia from my house.”
Well, if the lower house isn’t going to impeach any of the sleaze, a decent second choice is to have the discussions of controversial laws and pass such Bills such as concealed carry, et.al. IIRC once the WI Senate passes a bill, it doesn’t have to allow it to be revisited as long as the lower house agrees.
[...] Limbaugh. Most liberals scoff at those monikers, but it appears that at least the Limbaugh nickname is more apt than not: After days of journalists meeting with the fugitive Wisconsin “Badger 14? senators and [...]
Two words.
Fire Alarm.
Jack:
That would be hilarious. Especially at 3:00 AM. With a bunch of Wisconsonites in the parking lot with video cameras!!
Senators in robes and slippers with their hookers in tow.
“…with hookers in tow.”
Why, is State Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) down there with them?
Hi…I just found this website. Nice work.
I’m still stunned by the Badger14. How old are these people?!?! They don’t agree with something, so they run across the border?! What is wrong with these people? What kind of an upbringing have they had if they think this is an acceptable way to deal with other members of society?? These people are sick! The hell with ‘em. I want to encourage all decent people out there to instruct their children that the behavior of the Badger14 is an example of how NOT to live your life if you’re a decent human being.
Put the faces of the Dem Senators on milk cartons. They are “Missing Children” after all!
They’ve already been on milk cartons:
http://thebadger14.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/badger-14-senators-now-on-milk-cartons
A word about seeing Wisconsin.
If they are on the second floor of the hotel they are 6.7 miles from the border.
Someone on the second floor of the The Heritage Inn & Suites would have a viewpoint about 16 ft above the ground and would be able to see approximately 5.4 miles.
If their view wasn’t blocked by trees and buildings they would just miss seeing Wisconsin (although they would see trees and anything over a foot tall).
However, the hotel is at 916 ft of elevation, the high point in Sharon, Wisconsin is at 1026 and the intervening land is under 900 ft (sloping up near the border).
So they should be able to easily see Sharon, Wisconsin.
For the record, your eyes have to be 36 feet high to see 8 miles away.
Or, from ground level, you could see something 36 ft. tall (think: water tower, antenna) 8 miles away.
1. According to Google Earth Wisconsin is 6.7 miles (not eight). The distance to be used is “as the crow flies” not road distance.
2. Sharon is only 8.8 miles away.
2. A correction to my comment:
The hotel is at 948 ft (not 916). It is apparently on the slope of a hill.
3. The tangent point is below 900 ft. So the relative elevation is 64 ft.
4. Under these conditions assuming no obstacles you could see about 10.7 miles and Sharon is a high point, more than 128 ft higher than the tangent point and 78 ft higher than the hotel which approximately doubles the viewable distance.
[...] Wausau reports they are sequestered in Harvard, Ill., a small town just across the state line (via Badger 14). Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit is reporting that the AWOL 14 is holed up at the Heritage Inn & [...]
Has Saturday Night Live honed in on these runaway Dems yet? If not, could someone wake them up and point them in the right direction? This is funny stuff!
[...] From Wisconsin Held Hostage: “Wisconsin TV station breaks embargo; publishes location of missing ‘Badger 14′ [...]
No offense, but I gotta believe there are LOTS of hookers in Harvard, Ill.
[...] Wisconsin TV station breaks embargo; publishes location of missing “Badger 14″ senators After days of journalists meeting with the fugitive Wisconsin “Badger 14″ senators and disclosing only that they’re in [...] [...]
At least Palin knows it’s Russia. This WI senator is stupid in soo many ways. Walker ought to send the WI state troopers to do a lightning raid on these scofflaws.
At least Walker has enuf balls not to be buffaloed by fugitive lawmakers, like the pussy wuss Mitch Daniels was in Indiana. What a RINO loser…!
You know, I don’t think the false claim about Palin would be all that damning even if she really had said it as they say she did. Who’s going to get a big belly laugh out of that aside from Carmen Sandiego? It’s a punchline without a rim shot.