The Milwaukee police officer who shot a criminal suspect and kicked off days of civil unrest in the city is an aspiring rapper who previously rapped that, "Imma start a riot like it's Baltimore."
Dominique Heaggan-Brown, 24, who killed Sylville Smith during a pursuit last Saturday, has been with the Milwaukee Police Department for six years. He has been an officer for three. On the side, Heaggan-Brown also had a music career performing as "KB Domo."
As the national media focus on the civil war within the Republican Party, the Republican governor of this liberal state is leading a quiet revolution in state government, and, in the process, creating a model of New Republicanism.
Gov. Charlie Baker – and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito – are governing in style and substance that is moderate, pragmatic and unpretentious (there are no hints at being a "compassionate conservative," for instance) which, even in the firmly progressive Commonwealth, is highly effective. Unwittingly, it should be considered a new form of Republicanism and a model of success — especially for the few national Republicans vocalizing an oath of fidelity to the party's core values.
