Wisconsin under seige, Obama's incompetence

Liberalism: A danger to freedom?

In his book "The Liberal Imagination," published in 1950, TRILLING POINTED TO THE "DANGERS WHICH LIE IN OUR MOST GENEROUS WISHES." PROGRESSIVES, Trilling observed, believe that through the "rational direction of human life" they can alleviate misery. But the reformers, TRILLING SHOWED, ARE TOO OFTEN OBLIVIOUS OF THE TRUTH OF THEIR OWN MOTIVES.

In his 1947 novel "The Middle of the Journey," Trilling probes this hidden impulse in his portrayal of Gifford Maxim, a character modeled on his Columbia schoolmate and legendary Soviet spy-turned-anti-Communist Whittaker Chambers. "AND IN THE MOST SECRET HEART OF EVERY INTELLECTUAL ... THERE LIES HIDDEN ... THE HOPE OF POWER, THE DESIRE TO BRING HIS IDEAS TO REALITY BY IMPOSING THEM ON HIS FELLOW MAN," Maxim says. THIS HOPE TEMPTS THE PROGRESSIVE TO EMBRACE COERCIVE POLICIES IN THE NAME OF SOCIAL EQUITY. "The more we talk of welfare, the crueler we become," Maxim says. "How can we possibly be guilty when we have in mind the welfare of others, and of so many others?"

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0309/Before-NPR-scandal-a-warning-about-elite-liberals-compassion-turns-to-coercion


I do believe Progressive and the Left are a clear and imminent danger to this magnificent experiment called the United States. As they spread their web over our lives more and more of it is controlled by “do good” policies which put the left in the role of parent and the rest of us in the role of children.



I guess civility is now passé

MICHAEL MOORE IS ENRAGED AFTER THE WISCONSIN STATE SENATE voted to strip public unions of the ability to collectively bargain. Speaking on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Moore said "they think they can get away with this."

MOORE ALSO CALLS FOR A "STUDENT WALK-OUT" ACROSS THE NATION ON FRIDAY in response to the Wisconsin vote.

"THIS HAS TO CONTINUE DAY AFTER DAY AND THESE GOVERNORS HAVE TO STEP DOWN," Moore declared.

"The rich have committed these crimes and the people will demand your ass is in jail," Michael Moore said with a pair of handcuffs on the set of Maddow's show.

MOORE ALSO SHOCKED THE AUDIENCE BY TELLING THE RICH AND BANKERS THAT "WE HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR MONEY!"

 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/03/09/michael_moore_reacts_to_wisconsin_union_vote_this_is_war.html


Civility and common sense are not Moore’s specialty. TEA Party members when they made threats basically told politicians they vote.


Absent Democratic Senator upset bill passed without him

Before the Wisconsin State Senate separated collective bargaining rights for public unions from their budget bill and passed it, a DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR ON THE LAM SAID HE "DROVE 80 MILES PER HOUR IN ORDER TO TRY TO GET BACK TO DO SOMETHING" ABOUT IT. However, he was unable to get back to the Capitol since he, along with the 13 other Democrats in Wisconsin's state Senate, are currently hiding in Illinois.

http://realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/03/09/runaway_wis_dem_drove_back_as_fast_as_he_could_to_stop_gop.html


Perhaps he should have thought of this before he and his cohorts went on the lam from their jobs as legislators.


What EJ Dionne takes from the Wisconsin battle

Consider the contrast between two groups of Democrats, in Wisconsin and in the nation's capital.

THE WASHINGTON DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT OBAMA, HAVE ALLOWED CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS TO DOMINATE THE BUDGET DEBATE SO FAR. As long as the argument is over who will cut more from federal spending, conservatives win. Voters may think the GOP is going too far, but when it comes to dollar amounts, they know Republicans will always cut more.

In Wisconsin, BY CONTRAST, 14 DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE SENATE DEFINED THE POLITICAL ARGUMENT ON THEIR OWN TERMS -- AND THEY ARE WINNING IT.

By leaving Madison rather than providing a quorum to pass Gov. Scott Walker's assault on collective bargaining for public employees, the Wisconsin 14 took a big risk. Yet to the surprise of establishment politicians, voters have sided with the itinerant senators and the unions against a Republican governor who has been successfully portrayed as an inflexible ideologue…..

….A nationwide Pew Research Center survey released last week, for example, showed Americans siding with the unions over Walker by a margin of 42 percent to 31 percent. Walker's 31 percent was well below the GOP's typical base vote because 17 percent of self-described Republicans picked the unions over their party's governor….

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/03/10/what_wisconsin_can_teach_washington_109180.html


The timing of this opinion piece is interesting. He declares the Democrats are winning just as Walker and the Republicans pass the legislation the Democrats fled the state to stop. That’s not to say the Republicans won. It is a risk for them. I’m remembering the battle of Obamacare and how the Democrats were told once you pass it, the people will grow to love it. They did, but the people didn’t. So will the same thing happen to the Republicans in Wisconsin? I doubt it. Obamacare affects everyone in the country, while the reforms of Walker affects on the public union members in Wisconsin and it will be 20 months until the next election. I am glad the Republicans stuck to their guns on this one.



This is what Fascism looks like

Mob scene" is Meade's expression. He was there, unable to get in and hearing rumors about legislators unable to get in.

MORE: From Meade: Legislators CAN GET INTO THE BUILDING, BUT REPUBLICANS ARE BEING BLOCKED FROM GETTING TO THEIR OFFICES AND INTO THE ASSEMBLY CHAMBER. It's the Assembly that needs to vote on the bill that the Senate passed last night, leading to the renewed protests. Meade heard from a source that Democratic legislators unlocked at least one door that leads to the doors for a cluster of Republican legislative offices. THAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE PART OF A SCHEME TO PREVENT THE VOTE. [ADDED: THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED TO LET THE AREA FILLED UP WITH PROTESTERS AND BLOCK THE OFFICE DOORS.]

"This is what democracy looks like" — that's the chant we've heard for 3 weeks. HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS NEW DEMOCRACY, THAT HAS A MOB STORMING THE CAPITOL AND, WITH THE AID OF THE MINORITY PARTY, BLOCKING THE ACCESS OF THE MAJORITY PARTY INTO THEIR OFFICES AND INTO THE LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER? It looks more like anarchy to me.

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2011/03/mob-scene-at-wisconsin-capitol-morning.html


A Thousand Points of Blight

In a 2006 speech to the National Press Club about lobbying reform, Illinois Senator Barack Obama waxed eloquent about the malevolent influence of special interests on Beltway politics: "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF A WASHINGTON THAT'S ONLY OPEN TO THOSE WITH THE MOST CASH AND THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS. THEY'RE TIRED OF A POLITICAL PROCESS WHERE THE VOTE YOU CAST ISN’T AS IMPORTANT AS THE FAVORS YOU CAN DO." And, alluding to that infamous hive of scum and villainy, the Bush administration, he added: "When big oil companies are invited into the White House for secret energy meetings, it's no wonder they end up with billions in tax breaks while Americans still struggle to fill up their gas tanks and heat their homes." It appears, however, that talk is a good deal cheaper than political influence.

Four years later, Obama had long since moved to Pennsylvania Avenue and was RECEIVING FREQUENT VISITS FROM PEOPLE WITH MORE THAN A PASSING RESEMBLANCE TO THE INIQUITOUS SPECIAL INTERESTS WHOSE INFLUENCE HAD ONCE FILLED HIM WITH RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. Not only did he conduct intimate tête-à-têtes with energy executives, meetings that outraged more than a few progressive advocacy groups, HE WAS RECEIVING A STEADY STREAM OF VISITORS WITH MUCH AT STAKE IN THE HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION that was being hotly debated in Congress and in the public square. Many conservatives and libertarians worried that secret deals were being cut, and this anxiety was by no means ameliorated when WE LEARNED RICHARD TRUMKA WAS GETTING MORE FACE TIME WITH THE PRESIDENT THAN WAS MRS. OBAMA…..

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/10/a-thousand-points-of-blight


Obama is a true statist. Far from excluding special interests, he has welcomed them and tried to bribe them for their support.



The State of Obama

A calamity on all fronts


AN OBSERVER IS ENTITLED TO WONDER IF THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN LEAVE OF ITS SENSES. I have often written here that it might do better at some point, but it HAS BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 26 MONTHS AND ITS POLICY RECORD IS A SHAMBLES. It has given precisely NO INDICATION OF WHAT IT PROPOSES TO DO ABOUT THE TRILLION-DOLLAR-PLUS DEFICITS it is serenely racking up and projecting. The latest budget, in lockstep with its precedents, is a farcical mockery of prudent management: It forecasts no improvements, and such forecasts as there are are BASED ON PIE-IN-THE-SKY EUPHORIC ASSUMPTIONS THAT TREASURY OFFICIALS CANNOT RENDER WITH A STRAIGHT FACE. Habitués of this column would be aware that I consider these deficits to be effectively increases in the money supply, since the money has been spent and infused into the economy, even though most of the bonds that backed the deficits of the last three years were acquired by the Federal Reserve. I don’t believe that this alters the eventual nature of the impact of the spending on the economy.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/261666/state-obama-conrad-black


Obama has been lucky so far. With all the other major currencies monetarizing their debt, it hides the affect that Obama’s spending should have. But this is an interesting article you should read.


As for those pie in the sky projections, next year the deficit will drop precipitously due to an assumption of a huge increase in revenue. Do you believe it? I don’t.



Representative King’s hearing into Islamic Radicalization

Never in my entire career in Washington have I encountered THE HYPE AND SCARE TACTICS OF THOSE OPPOSING THE HEARINGS INTO ISLAMIC RADICALIZATION BY REP. PETE KING. A classic example was a headline on MSNBC.com: "Inquiry by congressional committee looks like inquisition to many Muslims."

The line of attack is now familiar: If King (R-L.I.) were truly interested in violent extremism, his hearings would focus on a wide range of groups that wreak havoc on America, INCLUDING NEO-NAZIS AND OTHERS; BY FOCUSING SOLELY ON MUSLIM EXTREMISM, THE ARGUMENT GOES, HE IS BETRAYING HIS BIAS.

This is utterly ridiculous. Our organization, the Investigative Project on Terrorism, recently did an analysis of all terrorism convictions based on statistics released by the Justice Department. THESE STATS SHOW THAT MORE THAN 80% OF ALL CONVICTIONS TIED TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST GROUPS AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM SINCE 9/11 INVOLVE DEFENDANTS DRIVEN BY A RADICAL ISLAMIST AGENDA. Though Muslims represent less than 1% of the American population, they constitute defendants in 186 of the 228 cases the Justice Department lists.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/03/10/2011-03-10_muslim_american_groups_not_rep_pete_king_are_the_ones_fomenting_hysteria.html

Are you familiar with the 20/80 rule of thumb. It states that 20% of the population will provide 80 of the problems, benefits, etc. In this case we have a 1/80 ratio which seems enough justification to hold these hearings. 



What Obamacare supporters can look forward to

A SURVEY OF MORE THAN 60 HOSPITAL TRUSTS HAS FOUND THAT THEY CARRIED OUT ALMOST 11,000 FEWER PLANNED OR 'ELECTIVE' OPERATIONS IN 2010 THAN THEY DID IN 2009.

The trusts that replied carried out 1,227 fewer knee replacements, a drop of six per cent, and 531 fewer hip replacements.

And they carried out 2,041 fewer hernia operations, down 7.25 per cent, and 1,770 fewer tonsillectomies, a drop of 11 per cent.

The figures are from Freedom of Information requests to England's 170 NHS hospital trusts, made by the Patients Association, of which 62 responded.

THE PRESSURE GROUP DESCRIBED THE FIGURES AS "A DISGRACE" WHILE DOCTORS LABELLED THEM "WORRYING".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8368983/Hospitals-cutting-operations-while-waiting-times-rise.html


This is happening in the UK, but as the supporters of Obamacare told us this could never happen in the USA. BTW, a knee replacement is only elective if it isn’t your knee.



House Oversight Committee Approves SOAR Act

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform HAS PASSED THE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OPPORTUNITY AND RESULTS ACT BY A MARGIN OF 21 TO 14. As NRO reported earlier, THE SOAR ACT WOULD REINVIGORATE THE D.C. OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, which would distribute a limited number of vouchers to low-income students in the district so they could attend private schools.

“Today’s vote continues the bipartisan momentum to restore educational choice and opportunity for schoolchildren in the District of Columbia,” says Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif), the committee’s chairman, in a statement. “Independent studies and reports from parents and students have validated the educational benefits the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program has provided to low-income D.C. students. Without the robust and steadfast opposition of teachers’-union special-interest groups, I believe there would have been consensus of support for this commonsense proposal. ”

Although Sen. Joe Lieberman (I., Conn.) has introduced the bill’s counterpart in the Senate, one education-reform expert has warned me, “I DO NOT SEE A WAY WE CAN GET TO 60.” IN FACT, NOT ONE HOUSE DEMOCRAT VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE BILL. SEE THE ROLL CALL BELOW

.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261852/house-oversight-committee-approves-soar-act-brian-bolduc


When you want to talk about special interest with a choke hold on a party, the NEA seems to have that on the Democrats to the detriment of other members of the Democratic coalition. This is just awful.



Some good news

It’s THE HOLY GRAIL AT CLEAN ENERGY RESEARCH LABS ALL OVER THE WORLD and something which could address long term energy issues domestically and beyond: more efficient photovoltaic solar….

…The researchers studied this technique on a fairly new type of solar cell that uses tiny particles of semiconductors called quantum dots. QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS ARE CHEAPER TO PRODUCE THAN TRADITIONAL SILICON CELLS, BUT THEY HAVEN’T CAUGHT ON DUE TO THEIR RELATIVE INEFFICIENCY.

For Stacey Bent, a chemical engineering professor at Stanford, this represented something of a challenge. SHE KNEW THAT SOLAR CELLS MADE OF A SINGLE MATERIAL HAVE A MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY OF ABOUT 31 PERCENT, a limitation of the fixed energy level they can absorb, and that quantum dot solar cells didn’t share this limitation. “QUANTUM DOTS CAN BE TUNED TO ABSORB A CERTAIN WAVELENGTH OF LIGHT JUST BY CHANGING THEIR SIZE,” the Stanford report on her research says. “And they can be used to build more complex solar cells that have more than one size of quantum dot, allowing them to absorb multiple wavelengths of light.”…

….Even with this breakthrough, THERE’S STILL WORK TO DO: BENT SAID THE CADMIUM SULFIDE QUANTUM DOTS SHE’S BEEN USING AREN’T IDEAL FOR SOLAR CELLS, so her group plans to try other molecules for the organic layer, while also tinkering with the solar cell increase light absorption

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/10/solar-power-breakthrough_n_833483.html

Good news here. Let’s hope it pans out.

Wisconsin moves on Collective bargaining and other Democrat Disasters

G.O.P. Tactic Ends Stalemate in Wisconsin Union Fight

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.

“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.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261789/o-keefe-more-npr-material-coming-out-very-soon-could-make-story-even-bigger-katrina-tr


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.

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…..

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100009742/hutton-cuts-public-sector-pensions-by-40pc-mps-must-lead-by-example/


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.

The Ongoing Debate over Public Unions

Peggy Noonan on what’s going on in the debate about Public Unions

When you step back and try to get a sense of the larger picture in the battle between the states and their public employee unions, two elements emerge. ONE SEEMS SMALL BUT COULD PROVE DECISIVE, AND THE OTHER IS BIG AND, IF I'M SEEING IT RIGHT, CARRIES SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS.

The seemingly small thing is that the battles in the states, while summoning emotions from all sides, are not at their heart emotional. YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WAVING PLACARDS, BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT SUDDENLY EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS; the numbers are being reported in the press and dissected on talk radio. This state has a $5 billion deficit; that state has projected deficits in the tens of millions. One estimate of New Jersey's bill for health and pension benefits for state workers over the next 30 years is an astounding $100 billion—money the state literally does not have and cannot get. THE VERY FORCE OF THE MATH HAS THE HEARTENING EFFECT OF SQUEEZING IDEOLOGY RIGHT OUT OF THE STORY. It doesn't matter if you're a liberal or a conservative, it's all about the numbers, and numbers are sobering things….

….The big thing that is new has to do with the atmospherics of the drama….

….THE TEACHERS UNION WENT TO WAR. They said, "Christie is trying to kill the unions," so they tried to kill him politically. THEY SPENT MILLIONS ON ADS TRYING TO TAKE HIM DOWN.

And it backfired. THEY DIDN'T KILL HIM, THEY MADE HIM. Chris Christie is a national figure now because THE TEACHERS UNION DECIDED, in an epic political drama in which arithmetic is the predominant fact, TO IGNORE THE MATH. They also decided to play the wrong role in the drama. They decided to play the role of Johnny Friendly, on whom more in a moment.

IF THE UNION LEADERS HAD BEEN SMART—IF THEY'D HAD A HEART!—they would have held a private meeting and said, "Look, the party's over. We've done great the past 20 years, but now taxpayers are starting to resent us, and they have reason. They're losing their benefits and footing the bill for our gold-plated plans, they don't have job security and we do, taxes are high. WE HAVE TO BACK OFF."…..

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html


I don’t always agree with Peggy Noonan, but I always love the way she writes. This is an outstanding look at the politics of what is going on today. Noonan insightfully compares the teacher’s union to Johnny Friendly the union leader from On the Waterfront. This is a must read.

Greenspan Says Government ‘Activism’ Hampering U.S. Recovery

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said A SURGE IN U.S. GOVERNMENT “ACTIVISM,” INCLUDING FISCAL STIMULUS, HOUSING SUBSIDIES AND NEW REGULATIONS, IS HOLDING BACK THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

Increased bond issuance by the Treasury Department crowds out borrowers with the weakest credit ratings, Greenspan said in an article in International Finance, published on the Web today. AT LEAST HALF OF THE SHORTFALL IN COMPANIES’ CAPITAL SPENDING “CAN BE EXPLAINED BY THE SHOCK OF VASTLY GREATER GOVERNMENT- CREATED UNCERTAINTIES EMBEDDED IN THE COMPETITIVE, REGULATORY AND FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENTS” since the failure of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEHMQ) in 2008, Greenspan said.

Greenspan’s conclusions fit with his long-held free-market ideology and may aid Republican lawmakers who argue that cutting federal spending now will help spur job growth. Critics including members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission have said Greenspan’s failure to regulate the mortgage market last decade helped fuel the housing bubble whose bursting precipitated the financial crisis

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-03/greenspan-says-surge-in-government-activism-is-hampering-u-s-recovery.html


Simple economics which the left doesn’t seem to have an idea about.



While Obama seeks new ideas, his bureaucrats stifle them

Nearly a year ago, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and his health care policy team came up with a SIMPLE WAY TO SAVE THE STATE'S MEDICAID PROGRAM A LOT OF MONEY. WHY NOT HAVE MEDICAID RECIPIENTS AND APPLICANTS HANDLE THEIR PAPERWORK ONLINE? Using e-mail and a special Web site rather than paper, Herbert calculated, would save Utah about $6.3 million a year. "IT SEEMED LIKE A NO-BRAINER TO US," SAYS THE GOVERNOR.

The problem was, going paperless required a rules waiver from the Department of Health and Human Services. And that's where the idea ran into a brick wall.

"We tried for eight months to get the waiver," says Herbert. HHS delayed and delayed and delayed -- and then finally said no. "The denial we got back from the secretary of HHS was by e-mail, of all things," Herbert says, pausing a second for the listener to take it in. "The irony is rich."

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/03/while-obama-seeks-new-ideas-his-bureaucrats-stifle-them#ixzz1FdagCB7k

Bureaucracy is not intelligent and fast moving. This should not surprise anyone.


Democrats and Unions In Bed Together? Of course.

Here’s a video from a TV station in Wisconsin that found why collective bargaining with public unions is a corrupt practice when you have Democratic politicians involved in it.

http://powip.com/2011/03/madison-mayor-colluded-with-unions/


THE LOAN ARRANGER

I was looking for some information for my post Bussing In Outside Agitators and came across this bit: Deadbeat Union's $90 Million Debt from 21 May 2010. Interesting.

IN 2007, THE SEIU OWED BANK OF AMERICA NEARLY $95 MILLION.


BY THE END OF 2008, SEIU OWED MORE THAN $156 MILLION IN TOTAL OUTSTANDING LIABILITIES. Only six years prior, its liabilities were $8 Million. And we're not even addressing their debts to other banks, like $15 Million with Amalgamated Bank.

Go to the article for links.

No wonder this is do or die for the public sector unions. It is another f*n economic bubble. I guess we can add "public sector union union bubble" to its corollary "the lower education bubble".

NO WONDER THE LEFTIES HAVE BEEN ON ABOUT "SUSTAINABLE" FOR YEARS. NOTHING THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IS SUSTAINABLE.

Think about what it means for the unions if they can no longer service their debt or get shares of the company handed to them to collateralize their debt? Kaput. That's what.

http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/2011/03/the_loan_arrang.html


Interesting and devastating for the Democrats. If their meal ticket is out of money, it will be interesting to see what they try to do to bail them out (and in turn get them into good enough shape to continue to fund democratic campaigns). And just when they need to do this, we have the Republicans swept into power in the House and across the country in state houses.


History of Public Sector Unions and Collective Bargaining

The image is inescapable. The Boston Police Strike of 1919, the ultimate vision

of public employee strikes. Stores looted, people robbed, mobs running loose,
and a governor tersely stating: “There is no right to strike against the public
safety by anybody, anytime.” Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge fired all
striking police officers and called in the National Guard to restore order.

http://www.davidpietrusza.com/nys-public-unions.html


With all the misinformation out there this is a valuable read to see what the history actually is.



If you see a Democrat Senator from Wisconsin, please call the police

One of the reasons Wisconsin Republican senators voted to place warrants on what are now called the fugitive Democratic senators is THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE DEMOCRATS -- the same ones who vowed to stay out of state until they prevail in the controversy over Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal -- HAVE IN FACT BEEN RETURNING TO WISCONSIN FOR PERSONAL VISITS.

"We know that certain senators have been coming back on the weekends and spending time with their families or coming back at night," Republican Sen. Randy Hopper told me Thursday night. In an interview with Fox News' Greta van Susteren, Majority Leader Sen. Scott Fitzgerald said much the same thing. "THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS HAVE BEEN SNEAKING BACK AND FORTH," FITZGERALD TOLD FOX, "and some being as bold as to stay overnight in their own homes."

After Thursday's action in the Senate, coming back to Wisconsin will be considerably riskier for the 14 Democratic fugitives. "THEY WILL NOW HAVE WARRANTS ON THEM THAT IF THEY COME BACK INTO THE STATE AT ALL, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN THEM," says Hopper

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/wisconsin-gop-fugitive-dems-are-making-secret-visits-home#ixzz1FdxLCIrP

This will be interesting. Will unionized police officers enforce the warrant or will they turn a blind eye?


Global Warming Alarmists Flip-Flop On Snowfall

Sitting in on a March 1 Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) press conference regarding global warming and heavy snowfalls, I COULDN’T HELP FEELING LIKE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE QUESTIONING MAFIA CAPO FRANK PENTANGELI IN GODFATHER II. The chairman, listening incredulously as Pentangeli contradicts a sworn written statement he had earlier given to the committee, waves the written statement in the air and protests, “We have a sworn affidavit — we have it — your sworn affidavit…. Do you deny that confession, and do you realize what will happen as a result of your denial?”

THE UN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) THIRD ASSESSMENT REPORT was as straightforward as Frank Pentangeli’s earlier confession that he had killed on behalf of Michael Corleone. “MILDER WINTER TEMPERATURES WILL DECREASE HEAVY SNOWSTORMS,” IPCC REPORTED.

That was in 2001. Now, however, with an unprecedented number of major winter snowstorms hitting the northeastern U.S. during the past two winters, THE ALARMISTS ARE CLAMMING UP AND CHANGING THEIR TUNE FASTER THAN TOM HAGEN CAN FLY IN VINCENZO PENTANGELI FROM ITALY TO AID HIS BROTHER IN HIS TIME OF TROUBLE

.

http://blogs.forbes.com/jamestaylor/2011/03/02/global-warming-alarmists-flip-flop-on-snowfall/


We all know now that what the climate scientist meant to say was that if we had fewer heavy snowstorms or more heavy snowstorms it means that global warming is happening. They are sounding more like Bernie Madoff rather than actual scientists.



Krauthammer: The incomprehensibility of the Left

Voices around the world, from Europe to America to Libya, are calling for U.S. intervention to help bring down Moammar Gaddafi. YET FOR BRINGING DOWN SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DENOUNCED VARIOUSLY FOR AGGRESSION, DECEPTION, ARROGANCE AND IMPERIALISM.

A STRANGE MORAL INVERSION, considering that Hussein's evil was an order of magnitude beyond Gaddafi's. Gaddafi is a capricious killer; Hussein was systematic. Gaddafi was too unstable and crazy to begin to match the Baathist apparatus: a comprehensive national system of terror, torture and mass murder, gassing entire villages to create what author Kanan Makiya called a "Republic of Fear."

Moreover, THAT SYSTEMIZED BRUTALITY MADE HUSSEIN IMMOVABLE in a way that Gaddafi is not. BARELY ARMED LIBYANS HAVE ALREADY SEIZED HALF THE COUNTRY ON THEIR OWN. Yet in Iraq, there was no chance of putting an end to the regime without the terrible swift sword (it took all of three weeks) of the United States.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/03/AR2011030304239.html



Judge to Obama: Appeal the ruling or stop implementation

Roger Vinson, the U.S. federal judge who ruled Obamacare unconstitutional in its entirety, has ruled again on the health-care law. ON THURSDAY, JUDGE VINSON ISSUED A STAY ON HIS EARLIER RULING THAT THE LAW COULD NOT BE ENFORCED. In doing so, he sent a clear message to the Obama administration: Appeal my decision to a higher court or stop implementing the law.

When Judge Vinson ruled on Jan. 31 that the health-care law was unconstitutional, the administration followed up by filing a motion for clarification rather than filing an official appeal. Vinson’s ruling criticized the administration for that action.

“During the four-plus weeks since entry of my order, the defendants have seemingly continued to move forward and implement the act,” Vinson wrote. “While I believe that my order was as clear and unambiguous as it could be, it is possible that the defendants may have perhaps been confused or misunderstood its import.”

Now, VINSON HAS GIVEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AN ULTIMATUM TO EITHER STOP IMPLEMENTING THE LAW, OR APPEAL IT — presumably to the Supreme Court. It is unclear what will happen if the administration ignores that order.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/03/judge-who-declared-obamacare-unconstitutional-sends-message-to-white-house-with-second-ruling/#ixzz1FeY6O2HE


It appears the Obama Administrations decision to pretend Judge Vinson didn’t rule on Obamacare is now at an end. In fact, it appears it was a stalling tactic. Time to put up (appeal it) or shut up (stop implementing it).



NASA Satellite Rocket Launch Fails, Lands In Ocean

A rocket carrying an Earth-observation satellite plummeted into the Pacific Ocean after a failed launch attempt Friday, the second-straight blow to NASA’s weakened environmental monitoring program.

The Taurus XL rocket carrying NASA’s Glory satellite lifted off early Friday morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but fell to the sea several minutes later. The same thing happened to another climate-monitoring satellite two years ago with the same type of rocket.

During a news conference Friday, officials explained that a protective shell atop the rocket did not separate from the satellite as it should have about three minutes after launch. That left the Glory spacecraft without the velocity to reach orbit.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/03/04/nasa-rocket-probably-in-ocean-after-failed-launch/


This story is almost prophetic. As AGW is crashing and burning in the science, so too is the satellite that NASA was planning on using to monitor global warming. Seems appropriate.

Public Sector Unions--a stuggle for power

Senators must collect their paychecks in person

A nice first step. THE NEXT STEP, AFTER THE “FLEEBAGGERS” (AS THEY’RE NOW BEING CALLED ON TWITTER) HAVE COME HOME, SHOULD BE TO PASS A LAW RETROACTIVELY DOCKING THEIR PAY FOR THE DAYS THEY MISSED. Senate Republicans can’t do that now, I believe, because it’s a fiscal measure and those require a 20-member quorum. But soon enough, soon enough.

[MOTION] That the Chief Clerk provide the paycheck, per diem check, and any expense reimbursement check of any Senator who is absent without leave for 2 or more session days to the Majority Leader for the absent member to pick up in person. Until the Majority Leader authorizes the Chief Clerk to reinstate direct deposit, the Chief Clerk shall suspend the direct deposit of the paycheck of any such Senator and process the Senator’s pay as a paper check. The Majority Leader shall provide the checks only to the absent Senator and only on the floor of the Senate during a session day.

THE COMMITTEE VOTE ON THAT WAS 3-2, THREE REPUBLICANS IN THE MAJORITY and two Democrats in the minority. But wait — how can Democrats vote when they’re not there? Well, apparently, telephone votes are permissible and common practice for committee sessions, just not for floor sessions.

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/22/wisconsin-senate-committee-passes-new-rule-senators-must-collect-their-paychecks-in-person/


This just keeps getting better and better.


POLITICAL HARDBALL IN WISCONSIN

Republicans on a state Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday to require voters to show ID at the polls, in their latest effort to entice Democrats to end their boycott of Senate proceedings.

The committee made significant changes to the bill in a meeting that included a bizarre element. Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) participated in the meeting by phone, but Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), the committee chairwoman, refused to let him vote because he and the 13 other Senate Democrats left the state Thursday.

Senators routinely participate in committee meetings by phone and are allowed to debate, offer amendments and vote on measures. But Lazich said she wasn't allowing Erpenbach to vote because he had an invalid reasons for being absent.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116680594.html


You’ve got to love it. If the Wisconsin Democrats are going to act like petulant children, they deserved to be treated like petulant children.



Wisconsin starts reviewing complaint about Doctor excuses

Staff at the state Department of Regulation and Licensing have BEGUN TO REVIEW ROUGHLY 300 E-MAIL COMPLAINTS ABOUT DOCTORS ISSUING EXCUSE NOTES FOR PROTESTERS at the state Capitol over the weekend, officials said Tuesday.

Complaints that name a specific doctor and the alleged violations of rules covered by their licenses will be forwarded to the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board. Letters specifying the complaint will be sent to the doctors at the start of the investigation.

To date, THE NAMES OF DOCTORS LOU SANNER AND JAMES SHROPSHIRE have been cited in media reports about the medical excuses dispensed over the weekend. Both are affiliated with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The agency said none of the doctors involved was representing UW Health at the time…..

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/116683269.html


Somehow the terms “chickens” and “roost” come to mind.



It’s early yet, but Obama has a big uphill fight for reelection

For polling purposes, we divided all 10,000 voters into three camps: 1) RED STATES THAT DID NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA IN 2008 AND ARE UNLIKELY TO DO SO IN 2012; 2) BLUE STATES THAT DID NOT VOTE FOR MCCAIN IN 2008 AND ARE UNLIKELY TO VOTE GOP IN 2012; AND 3) BATTLEGROUND “GREEN” STATES THAT COULD GO EITHER WAY IN 2012. The following 12 Green states all saw significant changes brought about by statewide and congressional GOP victories and GOP wins in state legislatures as a result of the 2010 midterm elections: FL, IN, IA, MI, MO, NH, NM, NC, OH, PA, VA, and WI.

The first question we asked voters in all three state categories is WHETHER THEY THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA DESERVES RE-ELECTION or if they think it is time for someone new in the White House.

Voters in BLUE STATES WOULD PREFER SOMEONE NEW OVER PRESIDENT OBAMA BY A SLIM 3-POINT MARGIN (48% TO 45%). The President should easily be able to make-up this ground once his campaign gets into full swing.

IN RED STATES, HOWEVER, VOTERS WOULD PREFER SOMEONE NEW BY A SIZEABLE 22-POINT MARGIN (58% TO 36%), a sizeable margin that the President is unlikely to overcome. In GREEN STATES, VOTERS WANT SOMEONE NEW IN THE WHITE HOUSE BY A 13-POINT MARGIN (54% TO 41%), showing that Obama’s quest for the critical middle-ground will be a severe uphill climb.....

http://townhall.com/columnists/bradoleary/2011/02/22/poll_shows_battleground_states_trending_strongly_for_gop_on_obama_re-election_issues/page/full/


As I said in the headline, it’s early. But I followed the change happening in the country throughout all of 2010 and it really didn’t change. People may have already made up their mind about this President and the Liberal agenda.



Meanwhile the Polls aren’t being kind to Obama

THE PRESIDENT’S MINI-RECOVERY IS STARTING TO FALL FLAT. According to the latest Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking poll, Barack Obama’s approval ratings have fallen to their lowest level since mid-November. JUST 21 PERCENT OF US VOTERS STRONGLY APPROVE OF THE PRESIDENT’S JOB PERFORMANCE IN CONTRAST TO 41 PERCENT WHO STRONGLY DISAPPROVE. Obama’s Presidential Approval Index rating now stands at minus 20 points (the difference between the percentage of Americans who strongly approve of the president’s performance against the percentage who strongly disapprove). Further, Republicans now have a nine-point lead over Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot in Rasmussen’s survey.

What explains this rather dramatic reversal of fortune for the president after three months of rising poll numbers? IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT OBAMA’S MESSAGING ON THE ECONOMY IS NOT GOING DOWN WELL WITH AN AMERICAN PUBLIC that is deeply worried about high levels of unemployment, the general state of the economy, the spiraling budget deficit, and fears over the impact of the government’s health care reforms. As Rasmussen reveals, a mere 24 percent of Americans believe their own personal finances are improving, and just 31 percent believe the economy is improving.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100077285/the-obama-bounce-is-falling-flat/


The democrats seem to be hoping that the economy will improve and Obama will get the credit. That might happen, but with the fights that are about to go on about the deficit, the economy might improve but Obama will get no credit.



Wisconsin Showdown

Nationwide, state and local government workers are paid on average 45% more than private sector workers, with an average hourly wage of $26.25, and $13.56 in hourly costs for benefits, for total hourly costs of $39.81, or $80,000 per year on average. This is true in Wisconsin as well. Indeed, the Manhattan Institute's E.J. McMahon reports that for public school teachers in Milwaukee, the annual cost of family health coverage is $26,844, for which the teachers currently pay nothing.

Yet, state and local government workers are mobbing the capitol in Wisconsin because newly elected GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER'S BILL TO CLOSE THE STATE'S $3.6 BILLION BUDGET DEFICIT WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO PAY 5.8% OF THEIR PENSION COSTS, AND 12.6% OF THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS. …

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/23/wisconsin-showdown


A good article spelling out the problem with Public Sector Unions.


Liberal Magic

There is a Wisconsin talking point that will not die: Everything was fine until Scott Walker got some business-incentive tax cuts passed. I just heard it from Erica Williams of the Center for American Progress. Rachel Maddow has trafficked in this nonsense, as have some more respectable lefty types.

Help an English major out, here: HOW EXACTLY DO $137 MILLION IN TAX CUTS CAUSE A $3.6 BILLION DEFICIT IN TWO YEARS? I AM DYING TO KNOW.

Those tax cuts may or may not be a good idea; I am generally skeptical of using special tax breaks as a tool of economic development. (Low general taxes, a simple tax code, a sane regulatory environment, and a sane tort environment seem to me much better tools.) But getting a $3.6 billion deficit out of a $137 million tax cut is a pretty good rabbit-outta-the-hat trick.

http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/260578/tax-cuts-and-wisconsins-deficit


Actually this is a very good question.



What’s happened to civility?

SOMETIMES IT'S NECESSARY TO GET OUT ON THE STREETS AND "GET A LITTLE BLOODY," A MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRAT SAID TUESDAY IN REFERENCE TO LABOR BATTLES IN WISCONSIN.


Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) fired up a group of union members in Boston with a speech urging them to work down in the trenches to fend off limits to workers' rights like those proposed in Wisconsin.

"I’m proud to be here with people who understand that it’s more than just sending an email to get you going," Capuano said, according to the Dorchester Reporter. "EVERY ONCE AND AWHILE YOU NEED TO GET OUT ON THE STREETS AND GET A LITTLE BLOODY WHEN NECESSARY."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/145627-dem-lawmaker-on-labor-protests-get-a-little-bloody-when-necessary


Apparently Capuano didn’t get the memo that declared only the right advocated violence. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge about history knows this is complete rubbish.



Shutting Down the Government

Let’s put aside that congressional Republicans deny that they want to shut down the government. How can Harry Reid continue talking about Republicans wanting to shut down the government as if it were the worst conceivable thing in the world when, as he is making this accusation, DEMOCRATS IN (NOW) TWO STATES HAVE ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN THEIR GOVERNMENTS — and not due to a legitimate legislative impasse, but by the illegitimate tactic of fleeing the state to avoid being compelled to do their jobs? If government shutdowns in Wisconsin and Indiana occur in coordination with President Obama’s political operation AND TO THE CHEERS OF DEMOCRATIC BIGWIGS ACROSS THE NATION, HOW BAD CAN SHUTTING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT BE?

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/260424/shutting-down-government-andrew-c-mccarthy


Actually this is an interesting way to look at the possibility of a government shutdown.



Follow the Money

Enormous contributions, yes -- to the Democratic Party and the Obama campaign. UNIONS, MOST OF WHOSE MEMBERS ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, GAVE DEMOCRATS SOME $400 MILLION IN THE 2008 ELECTION CYCLE. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the biggest public employee union, gave Democrats $90 million in the 2010 cycle.

FOLLOW THE MONEY, WASHINGTON REPORTERS LIKE TO SAY. The money in this case comes from taxpayers, present and future, who are the source of every penny of dues paid to public employee unions, who in turn spend much of that money on politics, almost all of it for Democrats. In effect, public employee unions are a mechanism by which every taxpayer is forced to fund the Democratic Party.

So, JUST AS THE PRESIDENT COMPLAINED IN HIS 2010 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS ABOUT A SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT HE FEARED WOULD INCREASE THE FLOW OF MONEY TO REPUBLICANS, HE ALSO FOUND TIME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A PROPOSED STATE LAW THAT COULD REDUCE THE FLOW OF MONEY TO DEMOCRATS.

And, according to the Washington Post, to get the Democratic National Committee to organize protests against the proposed Wisconsin law. PROTESTS THAT SHOWED CONTEMPT FOR THE LAW, with teachers abandoning classrooms, doctors writing phony medical excuses, Democratic legislators fleeing the state and holing up in a motel. The lawmakers played hooky without losing any salary, which is protected by the state constitution.

It's true that Walker's proposals would strike hard at the power of the public employee unions. They would no longer have the right to bargain for fringe benefits, which are threatening to bankrupt the state government, and they would no longer be able to count on government withholding dues money and passing it along to them.

But what are the contributions that public employee unions make to our states and our citizens? THEIR INCENTIVES ARE TO INCREASE THE COST OF GOVERNMENT AND REDUCE DOWN TOWARD ZERO THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES -- BOTH CONTRARY TO THE INTERESTS OF TAXPAYING CITIZENS….

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/02/public-unions-force-taxpayers-fund-democrats#ixzz1EnX1eUKH


What’s going on in Wisconsin and other states is a fight for money and power. The Democrats and the Unions want to keep the status quo while the Republicans and the majority of Americans are looking for change.

Irony?

http://datechguy.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/the-ultimate-irony-of-todays-rally-in-boston/


Watch this short video. It makes an interesting point.