Predictions for 2010

1. Scott Walker will become the 45th Governor of the state of Wisconsin and the first elected from Milwaukee until Julius Heil in 1939. The Democrats will continue to hold both houses of the legislature by razor thin margins.

2. The Republicans pick up seven seats in the Senate and twenty in the House.

3. The United States Supreme Court will bury a key element of the McCain-Feingold bill by holding that the funding of independent expenditures cannot be restricted unless they can be construed as express advocacy lacking any substantial component of issue advocacy - or something along those lines. You can't expect me to read five minds.

4. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hold (4-3) that Wisconsin's marriage amendment was not unconstitutionally enacted.

5. I fervently pray that I am wrong but there will be a significant terrorist attack on American soil or against an American target.

6. As I predicted last year - and was wrong, Israel will strike at a target in Iran. The Obama administration will take no action but will respond equivocally further isolating the Israelis and accomplishing nothing.

7. Newly installed Milwaukee Archbishop Raymond Listecki will undertake some highly visible effort to insist that a prominent Catholic or Catholic organization not act contrary to church teaching. Tom Barrett needs to watch himself.

8. The Green Bay Packers will edge Arizona in the first round of the NFC playoffs. They will lose a shoot out to New Orleans in the second round.

9. Because I can't get over the Norv Turner factor, I think that Indianapolis beats Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

10. Alabama beats Texas next week. Wisconsin makes the NCAAs but loses in the first round. Marquette doesn't make it, but goes to the NIT semifinals. UWM goes out in the Horizon League semi-finals. The Brewers rebound to take the National League Central and lose to the Dodgers in the NLCS. Look for breakout years from Rickie Weeks and Mannie Parra. Brett Favre will not retire, but the Packers will win the NFC North next fall. Wisconsin will be second in the Big Ten and go to its first BCS Bowl other than the Rose Bowl.

11. Nothing happens at the Mexico City climate summit.

12. The individual health care mandate is not held unconsitutional but the Supreme Court grants cert.

13. No significant cap and trade bill - and maybe no cap and trade bill at all - gets passed.

14. There will be a well funded challenge (in the sense of independent expenditures) to Justice David Prosser. I will predict its failure in my predictions for 2011.

15. This time - this year - Paul Krugman and Ann Coulter will announce their engagement. Love hopes. Always.