July 8, 2011

The Capitol Times ask Biddy Martin: "Do you have any regrets..."

"... about not letting UW System President Kevin Reilly and the Board of Regents know about the plan you and Gov. Walker were working on to award UW-Madison public authority status?"

Of course, she says no. There's a lot more to this interview, but you have to read between the lines, because Martin speaks in that diplomatic, bureaucratic way. But she sure did love the students. She's going to miss them and all the fun she had with them. And those protests at the Capitol? Not an obstacle. Of course not.

23 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...

This is why I'm where I'm at, and you're where you are, Althouse.

I can't keep my mouth shut about anything.

I haven't got a clue how you folks in big responsible positions manage to be so diplomatic. I could never get the hang of it.

In fact, I never wanted to get the hang of it.

How do you stand it? I guess the big paycheck helps, huh?

Ann Althouse said...

I'm not an administrator.

In the law school classroom, you probe into all the angles and point out things the judges tried to hide.

The Crack Emcee said...

In other words Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

That's nice. She and Walker are just Everyday People.

traditionalguy said...

Biddy is a gamer. She will repeat the required cliches with the best of them.

I sense a cynical allergic reaction to lies getting easy public approval these days.

Obama has poisoned the wells in liberal land by requiring their continual knee jerk approval of The Lying Ones every lie.

galdosiana said...

Sad to see her go. Her cameo in Teach Me How to Bucky was truly awesome.

Shouting Thomas said...

You point is well taken, Althouse.

But you're not telling your colleagues:

"How in the fuck are you justifying these racial and sexual quotas!"

That's what I'd do. Couldn't help myself.

Even though I know it's useless and probably counterproductive.

In fact, if you're looking to advance your career, it's probably better to be in favor of the quotas. Go along to get along. Pretending that the quotas don't exist is probably the best way to deal with it.

(Just using the quotas as an example.)

Not arguing morals here. Just observing reality.

narciso said...

Recall that Tribe was one of Obama's professors, so this was him going all
'Kingsfield' on his former pupil,

Carol_Herman said...

It's not called an empty next for nothing. And, if birds can do it. "Made worse" when momma bird actually pushes her baby, who has never flown before,'out of the next. What you'd notice is that this act is done with no consideration of high up that nest is in the tree.

The worst thing any mom can do is think she carries the umbilical cord around, uncut. When to thrive, cutting is essential.

The best moms (and the worst), "pass the baton."

If Biddy did a good job, she may never even see credit? As the new person coming in takes over ...

Like an actor who goes on stage to perform Shakespeare.

Why would there be an advantage to say "Well, I saw Lawrence Olivier," hence I saw it all?

Or I heard Pavarotti.

talent is probably distributed better, around than we think.

Or as my mom would say, the most beautiful rose on the bush could have grown facing the wall.

Perhaps, it's good to know the school didn't fall to the ground?

Brick by brick, it stays composed. The humans in it come and go.

Meanwhile, if the higher education bubble explodes, isn't this a good time to get out?

Carol_Herman said...

"Diplomatically speaking," has always been a dance. But I never saw Fred Astaire, or Arthur Murray ... wiggle his ass in such a way ... that it looked like Obama giving Hillary a "middle finger salute" ... just by scratching his face.

There is no such thing that everything stays hidden, except the words that are supposed to fall like band-aids. Or compliments from a Frenchman as he plies a female with champagne. But he's totally motivated on finding a place for his own sexual pleasure. That's "diplomacy" nature provides the means to accomplish. Not everybody gets the same distribution.

What did you want Bill Clinton to say, after what the CIA collected through Linda Tripp, circulated?

Do kids ever learn what their dad was thinking on the night they were conceived?

When you celebrate your birthday, weren't you already close to ten months old when you were born?

Oh, by the way. When I experienced Labor. And, it was rough. I said out loud, nobody celebrates this day with birthday cake! It didn't take six months for me to set up half a cake.

Diplomacy? We all do it!

And, I know how! I go "goo-goo" and "gah-gah." And, sometimes I put fingers in my ears and flap my hands.

Nothing special to diplomacy. It's just an extension of baby talk.

At Mossad Headquarter in Israel, they also know how to translate bullshit. To tell the difference between verbals ... on par with farts ... And, "incoming." Remember the first rule? "Heep your powder dry. And, wait till you see the white's of their eyes."

Shouting Thomas said...

Whatever you said, Carol.

I'm still trying to fathom your methods of connecting the dots. I'll get it eventually.

Althouse, your statement about quotas was blithering diplomatic genius.

As I recall, it was something along the lines of:

And we all know that quotas would be unconstitutional, don't we!

Yes, we certainly do! I am so acutely aware of that!

See, Althouse, you've really got the knack.

Don't mean to be beating on the quotas thing. It's just the current topic most helpful on this subject.

traditionalguy said...

Biddy has no regrets since she got out overnight before she could be trashed by the University powers that be in Wisconsin.

She played high stakes poker and lost on the last card.

So she has departed the Casino.

Anonymous said...

How much would you pay to see Biddy break into:

"Regrets? I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention..."

That's what I would do - anything for a laugh.

Joe Schmoe said...

She's going to a liberal college in a deep blue state with a Democratic governor and a firmly entrenched Democratic legislature. At least she won't have to worry about being caught in a political pincer movement as long as she's viewed as one of them. She wouldn't have gotten the job if she hadn't passed the lib smell test.

roesch-voltaire said...

the Board of Regents and the the system administrators who occupy the upper floors of Van Hise, were the obstacles, not the protests at the Capitol. Add to that those who did not like the restructuring of research funds. In some ways, I suspect, Biddy feels that Walker did not do enough to work behind the scenes for this plan, but she can not say that. That said, I would not call this interview gaming,but a fairly straight forward public face.

Carol_Herman said...

What you want. And, what can happen. Are two separate items on the political agenda.

For instance. Bill Clinton absorbed Monica's story, and the viral nature of it, by not getting slammed ducked down by the press(titutes).

In a similar vein. As much pushing and service there is in politics, so that you always get spin. (As, here, too. Biddy is being "spun." Which is what news articles always attempt to do.)

But ahead? Well, say 'Sarah Palin.' And, lots of people immediately yell she doesn't stand a chance.

Long odds.

No doubt about that!

Meanwhile, Meryl Streep's movie, six months away from release, is already getting buzz. Will it capitalize on the tremendous success of KING'S SPEECH?

Will Sarah Palin's upcoming movie, DEFEATED ... move the meter's arrow?

Sometimes, what a spin doctor wants is not what a spin doctor gets.

While just as Donald Rumsfeld said, "there are unknown, unknowns." Forecasting the future is rife with unanticipated outcomes.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The shuttle has been cleared for launch the last time.

This is very sad.

edutcher said...

I do feel sorry for her. She probably thought this would be her last gig before retirement, but it would appear she saw the writing on the wall early.

The one bit I don't doubt for a second:

"What won't you miss?"

"The meetings"

(although I swear some people use meetings in place of a social life)

rhhardin said...

I can't recall ever wanting an administrator that cared about people.

David said...

Some people think broad and long term.

Some narrow and short term.

Some not at all.

Biddy is a big picture long term thinker. She got overwhelmed by the other kind, it seems to me. Not that her spirit was broken, but she saw a pettiness that she could not overcome.

I hope she loves Amherst. It's a great college. But UW is--or could be--a great university.

galdosiana said...

And speaking of the Wisconsin situation, did you see this? The DSCC actually asked the Koch brothers for a 5-figure donation! After all the harassment those men have suffered at the hands of the DSCC and all other liberals, you have to wonder what in the world Patty Murray was thinking...

Titus said...

Welcome to Mass Biddy.

You can get Married in Mass!

You will be right down the road from Northampton which is totally fab. Can't swing a cat without hitting a lezzie in Northampton and they have a store that sells Kiehls! A town with a population of 10,000 that sells Kiels! Wow, that is incredibly impressive.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Kiehl's is not worth the price.

I guess we won't hear Garage or AlphaLib mentioning the Koch's anymore.