"This just in: The men of the square table, in an extraordinary decision, have expanded their jurisdiction beyond simply dictating Man Law to now include Politician Law, or Pol Law, for short. We obtained a copy of the first Pol Law issued by this august group. It states:

"A politician running against John Gard shall be free to make politically incorrect jokes about Indians without fear of harsh reprisal from Wisconsin tribes."

The first beneficiary of this ruling is, of course, Democrat Steve Kagen, the Appleton physician pitted against Republican Assembly Speaker Gard in a bitter fight to replace gubernatorial candidate Mark Green in Congress.

The other day, an embarrassed Kagen apologized for publicly making a joke using the phrase "Injun time" - maybe not the most egregious thing a candidate could say, but still the type of slip that could cause a political migraine.

But in Kagen's case there's been little fallout in Indian Country. Tribal leaders even defended him, saying "Indian time" is a phrase commonly heard on reservations. One leader, Menominee Chairman Karen Washinawatok, did, however, say the word Injun is offensive.

The reason for the carte blanche when talking about Gard is pretty simple: Many Native American leaders have had Gard on their political hit list since 2003, when he filed a lawsuit that threatened their lucrative tribal casinos - the financial lifeblood for several reservations.

"We would look at him like a young Custer out there," said Tom Maulson, a veteran tribal leader and member of the Lac du Flambeau tribal council. "He's always rolled logs in front of the Indian people."

Added a Menominee elder: "When you're up against somebody like John Gard, you could say anything.""

Get the Story:
Cary Spivak & Dan Bice: Gard's history a factor in 'Injun' dustup (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 10/27)

Related Stories:
Editorial: 'Injun' not an appropriate phrase (10/25)
Tribal leaders not upset with 'Injun time' remark (10/24)

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