The New York Times' fascination with Madison, as one of the nation's "liberal bastions," lives on with a Sunday piece on Mayor Paul Soglin.
Titled "From Firebrand to a Bit of a Grump, a 'Hippie Mayor" Evolves," the piece leads off with Soglin's storied part in defying a police ban for the 1969 Mifflin Street block party and his cred as a Vietnam protester and "counterculture folk hero." Fast forward three decades, and Soglin is now "rankling" students for calling for an end to the Mifflin Street block party and rowdy house parties.
In response to criticism that the three-time mayor has abandoned his radical ways and adopted a pro-business stance, Soglin, it would appear from the piece, notes he has not called for the police to crack down on the possession of small amounts of pot. Still, he admits to liking a "sense of order" these days and Brian Schimming, vice chairman of the state's Republican Party, gives him kudos for his financial management and commitment to safe streets.
"On some issues, Paul sounds downright conservative," Schimming said. "When he ran this time, his message wasn't about idealism. It was more like, 'I know how to run this place.'"
