Add another group of scapegoats for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. -- liberals. While Ward Churchill and his "little Eichmann" scenario and UW-Madison lecturer Kevin Barrett's 9/11 Bush-did-it conspiracy theory were consistently and constantly vilified by conservative talk radio, a theory from the opposite end of the spectrum has left them conspicuously quiet.

Dinesh D'Souza has been traveling the country touting his premise that the left is responsible for the attacks since it angered the Muslim world prior to Sept. 11. His book, "The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and its Responsibility for 9/11," suggests "the cultural left and its allies in Congress, the media, Hollywood, the nonprofit sector, and the universities are the primary cause of the volcano of anger toward America that is erupting from the Islamic world."

D'Souza, a Stanford University fellow with the conservative (surprise, surprise) Hoover Institute, has been described by the New York Times as "the aging enfant terrible of American conservatism."

Political liberals are the reason for the attacks because presidents such as Carter helped radical Islamists to power after pulling support from the shah of Iran and Clinton for not attacking Islamists sooner, goes D'Souza. Liberal Americans are responsible for inciting Islamists because of their lifestyle of allowing abortion, gay rights and contraception. (Sounds a little like Pat Robertson doesn't it?) So far, not a peep from talk radio on this new theory, even though D'Souza was in Madison proffering his thoughts just last week.

Packing in the Per Diem: That much-coveted perk of business travel throughout the land -- the per diem -- also allows state lawmakers to add to their salaries. Legislators who live outside Dane County are given $88 a day in pay for each day they say they're at the Capitol in addition to their $45,000-plus salaries. Lawmakers who live in Dane County get $44 a day.

The practice has traditionally raised a few eyebrows due to the names topping the list -- mainly because they are not considered the movers and shakers under the dome. For example, Leon Young, the Milwaukee Democrat, leads local pols in per diem claims after receiving $11,352 extra last year for saying he was at the Capitol 129 days. Young isn't exactly known as a legislative powerhouse, producing few bills, displaying a decided lack in lawmaking prowess and pretty much is a guy who blends in with the woodwork.

Young came in tied for seventh among the 99 Assembly members, a list headed by Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids), who compiled 155 days at work to the tune of $13,640, despite lacking much legislative presence other than his longevity.

Other local lawmakers near the top of the per diem pyramid are: Robert Turner (D-Racine), 114 days at $10,032; newcomer Mark Honadel (R-Oak Creek), 105 days for $9,240 and David Cullen (D-Milwaukee), 100 days for $8,800.

Low on the local list include: Sheldon Wasserman (D-Milwaukee), 30 days for $2,400; Pedro Colon (D-Milwaukee), 43 days for $3,784 and Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa), 44 days for $3,872.

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