MATC INCIDENT WAS VINTAGE MASEL

IT IS rarely a good idea to argue the fine points of freedom of
assembly and expression with Ben Masel, the longtime Madison political
gadfly who is now in his 50s but showing no sign of slowing down.

Masel has cashed checks from cities across the country after being
wrongly arrested for distributing leaflets or counseling others on
their right to demonstrate or not submit to a search.

Early Tuesday morning, Masel, who is attempting to run for the U.S.
Senate in the Democratic primary against incumbent Herb Kohl, took a
phone call from a campaign volunteer who was gathering signatures at
the Truax Madison Area Technical College.

According to Masel, an off-duty Madison police officer working for
MATC approached his volunteer and told her she couldn't try to obtain
signatures on the school's property.

The volunteer, Masel said, "retreated and called me." At which point
Masel drove out to MATC.

He knew the way. "I was arrested there in 2000," Masel said. At the
time, Ben was gathering signatures for local attorney David Karp's
campaign for district attorney.

The outcome in 2000 was that all charges against Masel were dropped
and both the city and MATC reached out-of-court settlements with him.

On Tuesday, Masel noticed "no trespassing" and "private property"
signs on the MATC grounds that weren't there in 2000. But he was
pretty sure - given that local property tax bills go in part to
support MATC - that the grounds were indeed public property and his
volunteer was within her rights to solicit signatures.

He asked the police officer to call the Madison city attorney's office
and inquire about the outcome of Masel's arrest in 2000.

The officer did so and Masel's volunteer was allowed to remain. Masel
said MATC officials did not seem too happy about it.

Ben, though, was feeling magnanimous. He has 1,400 of the 2,000
signatures he needs to get on the ballot against Kohl and even had a
good word Tuesday for his future opponent.

"Excellent vote on flag burning," Masel said.