Center Stage, with Milfred and Hands
News & Politics
About
They're the "Click and Clack" of Wisconsin politics. Scott Milfred , editorial page editor for the Wisconsin State Journal, and Phil Hands , the newspaper's political cartoonist, analyze the most important issues and debates from the Badger State with political independence and a sense of humor. Instead of tedious talking points from the left and the right, "Center Stage" broadcasts from the sensible center with audio clips from the Wisconsin Capitol, from State Journal editorial board meetings, and from political events across the state.
Episodes
- Kelda Roys wants to 'build what comes next' in Wisconsin
Milfred and Hands talk with state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, about her bid for governor. Roys says she's the most experienced leader with results who best measures up against presumptive Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minoqua…
- Wisconsin's connection to Oscar-winning 'One Battle After Another'
Milfred and Hands talk politics and film with Wisconsin native Michael Bauman, the cinematographer for "One Battle After Another," which won six Oscars last month. Bauman, who grew up about 60 miles northeast of Madison in the Fond du Lac…
- Will data centers devour Wisconsin's climate goal?
Milfred and Hands assess the flurry of data centers being proposed across Wisconsin in communities such as Mount Pleasant , Beaver Dam, Janesville, Grant County and, until recently, DeForest . The billion-dollar pro…
- Wisconsin political predictions for 2026
Milfred and Hands play Nostradamus, with apologies to Conan O'Brien, predicting who will win the races for Wisconsin governor, state Supreme Court, Trump's affections and the Big Ten conference in 2026. Milfred sees a future with lots…
- Which of these 2026 predictions will look smartest 12 months from now?
This week, we're sharing something a bit different: Scott Milfred joins Richard Kyte and Scott Rada on "The Ethical Life," Lee Enterprises' podcast exploring ethical questions in contemporary life. Instead of the usual Center Stage format,…
- Sean Duffy vs. Elon Musk for control of NASA
Milfred and Hands explore the "Game of Thrones" conflict between Sean Duffy, the Trump administration official acting as head of NASA, and Elon Musk, the former billionaire buddy of President Donald Trump who leads SpaceX and Tesla, both o…
- Who will be Wisconsin's next governor?
Milfred and Hands size up the candidates for Wisconsin's top job, including those who have declared bids and others who are likely to follow. Our political podcasters agree that one Democrat and one Republican are best positioned for succe…
- Madison's 20 mph speed limit ... is ... too ... slow
Milfred and Hands test drive Madison's "20 is Plenty" edict that feels cementy when you actually try to drive that slow -- not that many if any people ever will for very far. Sure, driving so slow in theory makes it easier for a car to sto…
- Ron Johnson's big, beautiful 'no'
Milfred and Hands tout U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's resistance to the House-passed "big, beautiful bill" that would further burden our children and grandchildren with debt. But he's only half right in focusing on spending while mostly ignoring…
- What's the holdup on legal weed in Wisconsin?
Milfred and Hands get the bottom of Wisconsin's long-overdue legalization of medical marijuana and the stubborn Republican resistance to pot for recreational use -- even though GOP President Donald Trump is for it.
- Wisconsin voters shred Elon Musk's fake cheese
Milfred and Hands dissect Elon Musk’s impact on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race last week and look ahead to next year’s midterm elections in the swing state and beyond. President Donald Trump's billionaire buddy spent more tha…
- Run, Tony, Run? Or done?
Milfred and Hands analyze Gov. Tony Evers' prospects for a third term, should he decide to run for governor again next year. Only one governor in state history -- Tommy Thompson -- has served a third (and part of a fourth) term. Milfred th…
- What's behind Derrick Van Orden's impeachment ploy?
Milfred and Hands impugn U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden's impeachment ploy. The Prairie du Chien Republican wants to throw a federal judge out of office for daring to stall one of President Donald Trump's priorities in court. The New York jud…
- Ron Johnson vs. Donald Trump on tariffs
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, calls tariffs a tax. President Donald Trump says they'll make Americans rich and powerful. It's a tale of two tariffs. Milfred and Hands break down the (so far) polite fray on trade between Wisconsin's sen…
- Jay Rothman on UW funding, free speech, football money and 'Marxist maniacs'
Milfred and Hands play clips from the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's meeting last week with Jay Rothman, the "change agent" president of the Universities of Wisconsin. Rothman touts his $855 billion request for increased funding…
- Wisconsin is still the deep purple state
Milfred and Hands analyze Donald Trump's comeback win for the White House and why Wisconsin voters also chose progressive U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who in many ways is his polar opposite. Our political podcasters try to temper le…
- Tammy Baldwin seeks the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement
Milfred and Hands unpack the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement meeting with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who is being challenged by her seat in the Nov. 5 election by Republican businessman Eric Hovde. The race in this closely w…
- Eric Hovde seeks the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement
Milfred and Hands play audio clips from and comment on the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's endorsement meeting with U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde.
- Why do so many farmers back Trump?
Milfred and Hands interview Brian Reisinger, the Sauk County author of "Land Rich, Cash Poor," who worked for big-name Republicans such as Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. He offers a clear-minded assessment of rural economics,…
- Tim Walz vs. JD Vance in Wisconsin: Who won?
Milfred and Hands assess the Middle America cred of both presidential candidates's salty surrogates. Both VP picks visited Eau Claire, talking guns, drugs, inflation, freedom and what's really weird. Our political podcasters play clips and…
- Kamala Harris woos Wisconsin. Will it work?
Milfred and Hands play clips from and analyze Vice President Kamala Harris' speech last week in West Allis. They also assess her chances of winning Wisconsin in November, now that she's the Democrats' presumptive nominee. Harris is a far b…
- Madison's new school leader: 'Zero tolerance isn't zero care'
Milfred and Hands play audio clips from the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's meeting with Madison's new school superintendent, Joe Gothard. The Madison native, former La Follette coach and principal who left the Capitol City for M…
- Can a felon win Wisconsin?
Milfred and Hands analyze the impact of Donald Trump's guilty verdicts on his bid to win the crucial swing state of Wisconsin this fall. Trump had been slightly ahead of President Joe Biden in the latest Marquette Law School poll of statew…
- Tammy Baldwin vs. Eric Hovde is tighter than it should be
Milfred and Hands analyze the two candidates for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat, including their recent ads, positions on key issues, and Hovde's dip into a frozen Lake Mendota. Milfred is surprised Hovde is polling so well. Hands needs a ha…
- 6 takeaways from Trump's rally in Green Bay
Milfred and Hands react to Donald Trump's first visit this year to Wisconsin, the crucial swing state he badly needs to win in November. Hands compares his hardcore devotees to a Grateful Dead following. Milfred counters Trump's dark take…
- How secure are Wisconsin's elections?
Milfred and Hands tackle the integrity of Wisconsin's elections with top municipal clerks from Kohler and Sun Prairie. The two clerks rank the security of your vote on a scale of 1 to 10.
- Yoga in the middle of State Street? That's just one idea for a pedestrian mall in the heart of Madison this summer
Milfred and Hands highlight last week's discussion at the Edgewater Hotel about the future of State Street. Prominent landscape architect Ed Freer and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway offer their visions as the city plans to test the conc…
- Wisconsin's Ron Johnson tag teams with Elon Musk
Milfred and Hands react to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's social media event with Elon Musk on Musk's digital platform X. They sought to undermine the U.S. Senate's bipartisan support for military aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression. Hear c…
- The case for more condos, especially in Madison
Milfred and Hands 'go condo' by urging state and federal officials to encourage more condo development, rather than favoring endless apartment buildings. Despite Madison's rapid growth, virtually no condominiums have gone up in the capital…
- Biden is old, and that's not ageism
Milfred and Hands respond to criticism that a recent political cartoon was ageist. It depicted Joe Biden 's presidential lectern as a walker . Our political podcasters agree that making assumptions about older people is wrong. But when it…
- Songs of holiday jeer target Biden, Trump, Ozempic
Milfred and Hands sing political lyrics set to holiday songs. This year's jingles, written by Rick Horowitz, target Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Bob Menendez, Mike Johnson and more. Hands finds Santa leading the North Pole's curling team at a…
- Rob who? Meet the GOP senator who lauds UW-Madison
Milfred and Hands interview Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, chair of the Senate Committee on Universities. The UW-Whitewater grad and southeast Wisconsin businessman talks about streamlining the Universities of Wisconsin with a smaller foot…
- Robin Vos flips the script on fair maps in Wisconsin
Milfred and Hands analyze the Republican Assembly speaker's dramatic flip-flop on the Iowa model for nonpartisan redistricting. They also highlight the Democrats flip of their own, searching for excuses to oppose a bill that's virtually th…
- Making sense of Madison's housing crisis with UW's Kurt Paulsen
Milfred and Hands talk all things housing with UW-Madison professor of urban planning Kurt Paulsen, who has been studying the region's expensive market for most of the last two decades. Paulsen explains why housing in the Madison region is…
- Who's going to take on Tammy Baldwin?
Milfred and Hands analyze a dozen potential Republicans who could challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, for her seat in 2024. Baldwin appears in a strong position and has always been good at raising money. She's inoffensi…
- Republicans got what they wished for -- and now they're in trouble
Most Republicans celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, but the high-court decision is costing the party votes -- especially with young people and suburban women in swing states such as Wisconsin. On their latest political po…
- Sour grapes and the 'Fab Four' moment after Wisconsin's high court election
Milfred and Hands analyze the spring election results and what they mean going forward. Democrats boosted turnout and drew broader support April 4 for their candidates largely because of their push to restore abortion rights. The winning c…
- The race for Madison mayor isn't over just yet
Milfred and Hands analyze the April 4 election for Madison mayor while explaining the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement in the race, which pits incumbent Satya Rhodes-Conway versus grassroots challenger Gloria Reyes. If you plan to vot…
- Sing along to the year in politics
Milfred and Hands sing about the biggest political news from 2022 -- all set to holiday songs. On two numbers, they channel Kermit and Miss Piggy with festive flare. Hands tries to convince a downsized Santa to return to the North Pole. Al…
- Mandela Barnes on the first thing he would do without the filibuster
Milfred and Hands play audio clips from the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's recent endorsement meeting with U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes. Our political podcasters quiz the Democratic challenger on climate change, cash bai…
- Tony Evers seeks the Wisconsin State Journal's endorsement
Milfred and Hands discuss and play audio clips from Gov. Tony Evers' meeting this week with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board, seeking its endorsement. The Democratic governor outlines his accomplishments and answers questions ab…
- Politics are infecting our courts, making judges more of a target
A Wisconsin judge is dead, and a U.S. Supreme Court justice was targeted for violence. Court officials have always faced threats because their decisions can send people to prison, overturn laws and settle financial disputes. What’s d…
- The Democratic primary heats up and thins vs. Ron Johnson
Milfred and Hands play audio from and comment on the top four Democratic candidates seeking to challenge U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, this fall. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Milfred and Hands weigh in on who has the best sh…
- Farm kid, scuba diver, investigative journalist: Meet the new editor of the Wisconsin State Journal
Milfred and Hands quiz the State Journal’s new executive editor, Kelly Lecker, about her Wisconsin roots, spelling championship and passion for journalism. Lecker grew up milking cows on a Shawano County dairy farm, then graduated fr…
- Ron Johnson finds another excuse for Trump
Milfred and Hands play and comment on U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's latest political ad in which he blames the media for getting President Joe Biden elected. That's not what Johnson said last fall, when he was caught on camera at a GOP rally say…
- Which Republican has the best shot to beat Tony Evers?
Milfred and Hands assess the GOP field seeking their party's nomination for governor against Democratic incumbent Tony Evers this fall. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is ahead in the polls, thanks to a big advantage in name recognition.…
- A better way to elect School Board members
Milfred and Hands endorse a new way of electing School Board members in Madison that will increase competition and voter choice while improving the dialog between candidates. Joining them is Wayne Strong, a member of the State Journal's co…
- 'Redneck' on hidden video did better than you think
Milfred and Hands won't defend state Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Oconto Falls, for saying on hidden video that his party needs to "cheat like the Democrats or bend the rules." When the rookie lawmaker joked about wanting to punch the governor, w…
- A booster dose of Dr. Remington's sage advice as omicron takes over
Milfred and Hands interview Dr. Patrick Remington, a UW-Madison expert on the spread of disease, for the third time since the pandemic began two years ago. Remington, who worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and who te…
- An off-key Christmas with skeptical Santa, merry Michael Gableman and not quite the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Milfred and Hands sing political lyrics set to holiday songs, including "God Rest Ye, Merry Gableman," "Hark! It's time to diss Beijing" and "Good King Rodgers." For the "Hallelujah Chorus," our political podcasters sing "Gerrymander!" --…