The bitter political standoff in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s bid to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public-sector workers ended abruptly Wednesday night as Republican colleagues in the State Senate successfully maneuvered to adopt a bill doing just that.
After a three-week stalemate, REPUBLICAN SENATORS PUSHED THE MEASURE THROUGH IN LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR EVEN AS THE SENATE’S DEMOCRATS REMAINED MANY MILES AWAY, trying to block the vote. Democrats in the State Assembly complained bitterly, and protesters, who had spent many days at the Capitol, continued their chants and jeers.
The Republicans control the Senate but had been blocked from voting on the issue after Senate Democrats left the state last month to prevent a quorum. INSTEAD, THE REPUBLICANS USED A PROCEDURAL MANEUVER WEDNESDAY TO FORCE THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEASURE THROUGH: they removed elements of Governor Walker’s bill that were technically related to appropriating funds, thus lifting a requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote. In the end, the Senate’s 19 Republicans approved the measure, 18 to 1, without any debate on the floor or a single Democrat in the room.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/us/10wisconsin.html?_r=1
Only in the liberal media would the Republican move be called a procedural maneuver while the Democrats fled the state. If anything this was a counter maneuver.
More on the Wisconsin vote and aftermath
Wisconsin Democrats got just what they deserved and what they should have seen coming, but NEVERTHELESS THEY ARE GOING INSANE. Ann Althouse reports that Democrat Party THUGS HAVE STORMED THE STATE CAPITOL, OUTNUMBERED OR OVERPOWERED SECURITY, AND HANDCUFFED THE DOORS SHUT FROM THE INSIDE. They apparently are barricading themselves inside the Capitol to keep police out.
Let's hope that the authorities have finally had enough, and the Democrats and union thugs are arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/03/028556.php
I thought that the left was always civil. I thought it was the TEA Party that was the trouble makers when they don’t get their way. I guess I should listen to the left wing press.
Votes backfire on Senate Dems
SENATE DEMOCRATS SUFFERED A WAVE OF DEFECTIONS WEDNESDAY AS THEIR PROPOSAL TO CUT JUST OVER $6 BILLION FROM FEDERAL SPENDING THIS YEAR WENT DOWN TO DEFEAT.
The Democratic bill attracted two fewer votes than the rival GOP measure that would cut spending by another $57 billion this year. The 11 defections will give Republican leaders ammunition in subsequent talks, as they were able to keep their caucus more unified.
The GOP measure lost by a vote of 44 to 56, while the Democratic bill was rejected, 42-58.
“ELEVEN SENATE DEMOCRATS JUST VOTED AGAINST THEIR LEADERSHIP’S PROPOSAL,” said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). “The bill supported by Sen. Reid ... proved less popular than the ‘draconian’ House Republican proposal in the Democrat-controlled Senate.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/148577-votes-backfire-on-dems
With 23 Democratic Senate seats up for reelection this coming year and 95% of likely voters rating the deficit as a problem, it’s surprising any Democrat would vote for a bill that only cuts 6 billion out of a $1.65 trillion deficit. The Democrats lost 11 Democratic Senators and the Republican lost 3 of theirs for the same reason: they thought the cuts were too small. But with only 9 days to go on the Continuing Resolution, something has to give and it appears it will have to be Reid.
$862 Billion Over 10 years
THAT’S HOW MUCH THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAN TO CUT $61 BILLION IN NON-DEFENSE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING OVER THE NEXT SEVEN MONTHS WOULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THE DEFICIT. By lowering the initial spending baseline (however slightly), and thus reducing the need to keep borrowing — and paying interest on — money from China, et al., the savings would eventually add up to quite a substantial sum.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) says: “[Republicans'] fervor for spending cuts is not grounded in deficit reduction at all. INSTEAD THE FAR RIGHT WING HAS DELIBERATELY CONFUSED TWO SEPARATE ISSUES. They’ve conflated reducing the deficit — which is not their true priority — WITH CUTTING GOVERNMENT — WHICH IS.”
Sen. Jeff Session (R., Ala.), ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, explains why he’s wrong:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261805/862-billion-over-10-years-andrew-stiles
I don’t agree with Schumer very often, but he is right that the Republicans want to cut government. And the problem is????? This looks like a win/win to me.
O’Keefe: More NPR Material ‘Coming Out Very Soon,’ Could Make Story Even ‘Bigger’
For NPR, the public relations nightmare may have just begun: JAMES O’KEEFE IS PLANNING TO RELEASE MORE OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN HIS GROUP, PROJECT VERITAS, AND NPR EMPLOYEES.http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261789/o-keefe-more-npr-material-coming-out-very-soon-could-make-story-even-bigger-katrina-tr
“We’ve got more material coming out very soon that will shine more light on things,” O’Keefe tells National Review Online. “It’s going to cover after the lunch as well [as before the lunch].”
O’Keefe says he doesn’t know if the current video will result in a loss of federal funding for NPR. “It’s unclear. WE HAVE MORE MATERIAL. IT MIGHT EVEN MAKE IT [THE STORY] BIGGER.”
As you can see, things are not going well for the left. And here's an update. Patterico questioned a tweet sent out the NPR's ombudsman. Seems like the left has a difficult time checking their facts even when it was laid out for them. Just another reason to defund NPR.
http://patterico.com/2011/03/10/reckless-disregard-for-the-truth-my-incredible-interchange-with-the-npr-ombudsman/
Is O’Keefe’s Next Video of PBS?
PBS CONFIRMED WEDNESDAY THAT LIKE NPR, ONE OF ITS EXECUTIVES ATTENDED A LUNCH WITH PEOPLE WHO POSED AS MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM EDUCATION ACTION CENTER TRUST, a fictional group. When those people had lunch with NPR executives, they falsely claimed that they wanted to donate up to $5 million to public media. The NPR executives were secretly videotaped at the lunch.
Anne Bentley, a PBS spokeswoman, said PBS’ senior vice president for development, BRIAN REDDINGTON, ATTENDED A LUNCH WITH THE FAKE DONORS IN FEBRUARY. She said she had “no sense at all” of whether Mr. Reddington was taped during that lunch; WHEN ASKED IF PBS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE TAPE SURFACING, SHE DECLINED TO COMMENT
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261791/o-keefe-s-next-video-pbs-katrina-trinko
Hmmm, I wonder what he has to say about the TEA Party. This is getting interesting.
Obama: Get off the bench
By A.B. Stoddard
Even before a member of his own party scolded him on the floor of the U.S. Senate for failing to lead, IT WAS ALREADY PAST TIME FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA TO GET INTO THE GAME ON BUDGET REFORM that tackles entitlements and the tax code. HE IGNORED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF HIS OWN DEBT COMMISSION, gave lip service to the burden of mandatory spending in his State of the Union address, and THEN INTRODUCED A BUDGET THAT CONFIRMED HE WOULD INDEED DODGE THE HARD STUFF. Yet while Obama willfully completed his third strike in another round of politics-as-usual, the unthinkable has happened. All around him, Republicans and Democrats are gripping the third rail, delving openly into a discussion of entitlement reform. WILL OBAMA SHOW THE SAME GUTS?
http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/ab-stoddard/148529-obama-get-off-the-bench
If anyone thinks Obama is a leader, please say "Present" to signify it.
Meanwhile Britain faces the problems with Public Employee benefits
SWITCHING PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS FROM A ‘FINAL SALARY’ TO ‘CAREER AVERAGE’ BASIS MAY SOUND LIKE A TECHNICAL POINT BUT COULD CUT PAYOUTS BY 40PC, ACTUARIES CALCULATE.http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100009742/hutton-cuts-public-sector-pensions-by-40pc-mps-must-lead-by-example/
The professional mathematicians who advise pension funds say YOUNG PEOPLE AND HIGH FLYERS WILL BE HIT HARDEST by the changes recommended in Lord Hutton’s report.
John Wright, head of public sector pensions, at Hymans Robertson said public sector workers who achieve promotion during their career and currently retire with final salary pensions worth £60,000 might expect this to fall to just over £35,000 under the new career average pension proposals…..
Reality is reality around the world. When are the Democratic leaders going to finally face reality?
Bachman right: $105 billion in spending in Obamacare bill
Today former Congressman Ernest Istook testified before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee about the $105 billion slush fund in advance appropriations liberals tucked inside Obamacare. THE $105 BILLION BYPASSES THE TRADITIONAL YEARLY BUDGETING PROCESS AND IS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE 2,700 PAGE LEGISLATION. It took the Congressional Research Service (CRS) seven months to identify all the disparate funds and it was not until February (11 months after the bill passed) that all of the funds could be totaled up.
REP. MICHELLE BACHMANN (R-MN) HAS BEEN BEATING THE DRUM to raise awareness of this unprecedented level of advance spending. But the liberal media has been attacking her for calling it “hidden” funding. In reality, Rep. Bachmann said that “practically no Member of Congress even knew that $105 billion of funding was” in the bill. FACTCHECK SAYS THAT THIS FUNDING WAS KNOWN TO “THOSE WHO READ THE BILL … including members of Congress.” But does FactCheck really believe that any member of Congress read all 2,700 pages of the bill? Do they have any evidence at all that any member of Congress knew about the $105 billion figure before CRS published their report this February?
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/03/09/politifact-factcheck-and-wapo-all-confirm-the-105-billion-obamacare-slush-fund-exists/#more-54283
Has any previous bill in history ever had such a deceitful passage? Pelosi appears to be right. We needed to pass the bill to find out what’s in it and then it took 11 months to get this little ditty.
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