Tag Archives: WI

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From Desperate To Ridiculous

The past week has been particularly tough for Mitt Romney. It seems every step of the way, he has found another pothole to trip over. His statements about bin Laden, his faux pizza delivery, caving to the hard right and firing his gay spokesperson – none of these paints the picture of a guy who can win the Presidency.

And Republicans see this. It’s why they’ve never liked Romney to begin with. But, they’re stuck with him, so now they’re getting desperate, looking for something, anything they can use to try to put a negative spin on the President.

The latest act of desperation? Trying to connect the Obama campaign’s use of the word “Forward” to Marxists and Nazis. Really.

That’s how ridiculous this whole thing has gotten. We can’t use common every day words, because they might have some sinister, nefarious meaning. Never mind that the Wisconsin state motto is “Forward” – the state must have been founded by those evil Marxists, right? And that bastion of Marxism, George W. Bush when he proposed “the way forward” in Iraq in 2006.

This is how ridiculous the conversation is getting. Anything is a “dog whistle” or has some dark, evil purpose. But I think there’s a very valid reason why the Republicans and the right think that way – it’s how they operate. It’s part of their make-up. While the average American thinks of words like “forward” as simply statements of direction of movement, the folks on the right have to find another meaning. It’s because when they use words like “Patriot”, they don’t mean someone who loves their country and fights for it. They mean someone who thinks just like them. When they say “food stamp President”, what they mean is “lazy, dark-skinned thief stealing my money”. Of late, they’ve been even less transparent, calling the President a “tar baby” and “boy”. There’s no shortage of phrases and messages that the right uses to get their base fired up. They are always looking for that “secret” meaning because they’re always including a secret meaning.

And because of that, they will always look for messages that don’t exist. Messages that no ordinary American will ever see. And of course, when we point that out, the argument is that we “just don’t understand”, or we’re blind, or don’t love our country.

You want to raise the level of discourse in this country? Try saying what you mean, and not looking for or using those “dog whistles”. Chances of that happening? Next to zero. And as we get closer to the election, and as Romney continues to bury himself in his own inanity, watch for the desperate to become even more ridiculous.

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Remember, They Are Worried About Voter Fraud

Republicans have been yammering about voter fraud for the last few years, working to pass legislation to address this “menace”. Of course, they’re the ones getting caught in the fraud. And today we see yet another example of it in Wisconsin:

The state Republican party says it plans to run fake Democrats in four upcoming recall elections targeting GOP state senators.

Party spokesman Stephan Thompson says the move guarantees that a Democratic primary has to be held. He says that ensures one clear date for the primary and a separate one for the general election, thereby limiting any scheduling control for Democrats.

Republicans used the same tactic last year in recall elections targeting six other GOP state senators. The move gave the incumbents more time to campaign and raise money.

The incidence of actual voter fraud has been so low as to be laughable. Instead, the Republicans will waste time and money on running fake candidates just to play a political game. This isn’t about putting forward a solid agenda, or about doing what’s best for constituents. No, this is about doing whatever it takes to win, regardless of the moral or ethical considerations.

But this right out of their playbook. Create straw man problems, then tell everyone how terrible those non-existent problems are. And when that’s not working, go ahead and actually do what they have been railing against. Is it illegal to run fake candidates? Unfortunately, no. But if they are willing to do that, what else are they willing to do? And how can they be trusted if they are voted into office.

We need pols in office who actually have some ethical backbone remaining. And every day, the Republicans show that they are not the party to display that backbone.

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Miss the 8/9/11 Show? Catch 24/7 On Demand

Topics on tonight’s show:

  • WI recall elections
  • S&P downgrade and the Dow – and the blame game
  • What the right does incredibly well, and what the left can learn from it
  • EFC’s #EFCpolfacts launch
  • Anonymity online
  • Glacier calving

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Tea Party Vitriol – The Hits Keep Coming

The folks over at Politico have been following the latest incarnation of the Tea Party Express in Wisconsin as they try to drum up support for the Republicans facing recall. Not surprisingly, these folks are up to the same tactics. From Politico:

The founder of Tea Party Nation claimed liberal ideology is responsible for “a billion” deaths over the past century during a raucous rally here Saturday in support of one of the six Republican state senators facing a recall election Tuesday.

“I will tell you ladies and gentlemen, I detest and despise everything the left stands for. How anybody can endorse and embrace an ideology that has killed a billion people in the last century is beyond me,” said Tea Party Nation CEO Judson Phillips.

Phillips, who a day prior likened protesters of Gov. Scott Walker to Nazi storm troopers, urged a few hundred tea party supporters to turn out for state Sen. Alberta Darling, who is in a ferocious battle with state Rep. Sandy Pasch to hold onto her suburban Milwaukee seat.

But he wasn’t the only speaker to use loaded language to gin up the crowd.

Vince Schmuki, a leader of the Ozaukee Patriot tea party group compared the recall effort to a terrorist attack.

“This is ground zero,” said Schmuki.  “You remember what the term ground zero means? We have been attacked.”

He continued, “Tuesday is going to be the beginning of our takeover. And we’re going to follow it up the following week, and then we’re going to polish off the enemy in November 2012.  Who’s with me?”

Let’s see… comparing opponents to the Nazis, claiming “a billion deaths”, usurping the image of ground zero to use it to attack their opponents, “polish off the enemy”.

This is what the Tea Party “elite” do. I don’t think the rank and file are like this on a whole, but they don’t denounce it either. It was only 7 months ago that the conversation was about how we can change the level of discourse on Washington, how the vitriol was making things worse, not better. We were all discussing how violent rhetoric was likely empowering nutjobs like Loughner who went after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. So much for elevating the conversation.

The scary thing is that these folks have elected people into office, and those people are having an outsized effect on Washington. Case in point – last week a survey was released showing that only 20% of those surveyed have a positive opinion of the Tea Party. And yet, last week’s debt ceiling deal was crafted to make sure it would get past the Tea Party members, who had already scuttled plans by John Boehner. The Speaker of the House can’t get his own legislation passed because of Tea Party folks, and yet, they represent a small minority of the country.

There should be no place for this kind of rhetoric. And ignoring it is not the answer. By ignoring it, we accept it. By allowing it to continue, we encourage it. This vitriol adds nothing to the discussion and plays to lowest common denominator. And it encourages those individuals who are looking for an excuse to “polish off the enemy”. And when it happens, they’ll blame it on another “isolated incident“.

Shame on them. And shame on us if we ignore it and don’t speak up.

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Edited For Clarity Live – 3/22/11

We apologize for the Livestream feed not working on our Facebook page, so please enjoy the show on demand!

On this week’s show, updates on Libya, Japan and Wisconsin. A discussion of nuclear power in California, A video by Nick Pitera, and genealogy

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Firefighters Denied Access to WI Capitol While On A Call

The restrictions to get into the Wisconsin capitol in Madison have gotten a bit ridiculous. Today, firefighters were called to an emergency at the capitol, and couldn’t get in. Luckily, the emergency was a police officer stuck in an elevator, and no health emergency.

But the restrcitions were so tight that the firefighters, in full gear, carrying radios and having pulled up in a fire truck, had to also show ID before they were allowed into the building

via Journal-Sentinel Online.

“We lost crucial time on a call we didn’t know anything about,” he said.

Among protesters at the Capitol have been firefighters in their gear. But Trainor said he did not believe police officers would have mistaken the crew for protesters because they were hauling equipment, carrying radios and had arrived in a firetruck.

“They don’t just let us drive those up to the Capitol for fun,” he said.

Gov. Walker’s attempts to squelch the protests may end up costing someone a life. There is already a Temporary Restraining Order compelling Walker to allow access to the building (which he has defied), and a statute in the Wisconsin Constitution that prohibits restriction of access.

Walker is digging into a deeper and deeper hole.

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New WI GOP Tactic – Arrest the Missing Senators

The Republicans in WI are getting desperate. With their poll numbers tanking, recall efforts growing and public sentiment moving against them daily, they’re trying everything they can to get the 14 absent Democrat senators to return to the state.

The latest? An ultimatum and an order from the Senate that the missing Democrats should be arrested by the Sargeant-At-Arms.

via Wisconsin State Journal.

Senate Republicans Thursday ordered the arrest of their 14 Democratic colleagues, who fled the state two weeks ago to avoid a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill.

It’s unclear whether the resolution to force the senators back to the Capitol is constitutional. The state Constitution prohibits the arrest of legislators while in session unless they’re suspected of committing felonies, treason or breach of the peace.

Of course, this is fraught with problems, not the least of which is that the Democrats have broken no laws, so there may be nothing in the Wisconsin Constitution to justify arrest. Meanwhile, the law enforcement folks have weighed in on the matter:

Some police — many of whom have marched alongside protesters against Walker’s plan to effectively end collective bargaining for public workers — have already objected to the arrest resolution. Jim Palmer, head of the 11,000 member Wisconsin Professional Police Association, called it an “unreasonable abuse of police power.”

“Due to the fact that Wisconsin officers lack any jurisdiction across state lines, does Sen. Fitzgerald intend to establish a lawmaker border patrol?” Palmer said. “The thought of using law enforcement officer to exercise force in order to achieve a political objective is insanely wrong and Wisconsin sorely needs reasonable solutions and not potentially dangerous political theatrics.”

It’s never a good idea to ask law enforcement to detain individuals without charges. These tactics are heavy-handed and are becoming increasingly troublesome. It’s good that law enforcement is planning to follow the letter of the law and not the WI Senate’s over-the-top solution.

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Rasmussen Latest Poll To Show GOP Is Wrong Side Of WI Issue

It’s no secret that Rasmussen tends to lean to the right in their polling. So when they show a poll that says that 52% oppose removing bargaining rights for unions, you know the GOP has to be getting concerned.

via Rasmussen Reports™.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Wisconsin voters shows that just 39% favor weakening collective bargaining rights and 52% are opposed. At the same time, 44% support a 10% pay cut for all state workers. Thirty-eight percent (38%) are opposed. That’s partly because 27% of Wisconsin voters believe state workers are paid too much and 16% believe they are paid too little. Forty-nine percent (49%) believe the pay of state workers is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

So, as far as Wisconsin voters are concerned, the governor and the GOP members of the WI legislature are on the wrong side of the issue. Meanwhile, strength is growing behind recall efforts for WI Senate Republicans and the governor himself. Peaceful protests continue despite attempts to shut out efforts by the governor and Republicans to keep protestors out of the capitol.

Whether they get their way with this legislation or not, it’s a pretty safe bet that their choice on this issue will be remembered by WI voters, and not in a good way.

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Miss Tonight’s Show (3/1/11) – Catch It 24/7!

Tonight’s topics:

  • Wisconsin
  • Unions
  • Scott Walker
  • Koch Brothers
  • Anonymous
  • Charlie Sheen
  • International Field Trip Day

Watch live streaming video from editedforclarity at livestream.com
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Anonymous attacks AFP, Now AFP Wants Help

We tweeted about this when we first saw it yesterday. AFP’s site was down fairly hard then started returning in fits and starts during a DDOS atttack on their website. This was apparently a coordinated attack that also included some other Koch brothers affiliated sites, in an effort to point out how the Koch brothers have (and still are) using their money to influence elections for their personal gain.

From the #OpWisconsin press release:

We  are  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  this  nation  is  about  a  free people  -  and  that  government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. When government has become so corrupted that corporations and the wealthy few are more powerful than the people it is time for we, the people to act.

We have seen the reports that #OpWisconsin and Anonymous are affiliated with the left. This is both true and false, as are all statements regarding the political leanings of Anonymous. Anonymous is not interested in political parties. We are not Democrats, Republicans, or Tea Partiers. We are all and none of these. We are citizens of all nations – free, imbued from birth with certain unalienable rights, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; free and fair democratic elections; transparent and competent government that is driven solely by one agenda – the people’s agenda. We are citizens of Humanity. We are not bound to any country, government, or political party. We believe that government should be of the people, by the people, for the people. We are against corporate oligarchies, dictatorships, and evil in the world, no matter where it is.

Fairly lofty, and a bit overblown, but you get the general idea.

They were fairly effective for a few hours, and could probably go a whole lot deeper with a few more days. And it looks like it concerned the follks at Americans For Prosperity enough for them to send out an email asking for help.

via Americans for Prosperity calls on foes to condemn Anonymous attack – Ben Smith – POLITICO.com.

With the group “Anonymous” working (unsuccessfully at the moment) to take down Americans for Prosperity’s website, the group’s president, Tim Phillips, says in an emailed statement: 

Americans for Prosperity has established itself as a leading voice in one of the great political debates underway in this country over government spending and how best to restore the fiscal solvency of governments at both the state and federal level. Yesterday, a group claimed credit for an attempt to silence our voice and to stifle that debate through an illegal attack on our website. While the political debate over government spending can be heated, we hope that even our opponents will join us in condemning this illegal attack on our free speech rights as unacceptable and irredeemable. Our country cannot meet the great challenges before us if we cannot have a free and open discussion about the threats that we face.

Americans for Prosperity will not be intimidated and will not be deterred from our effort to support responsible economic policies, including the efforts of Governor Walker and other democratically elected leaders in that state to balance the budget through common-sense reforms.

I’m on the fence about Anonymous. DDOS attacks are nothing new, and rarely do any more damage than keep users from accessing a site for a period of time. Some can go deeper, but this does not appaer to be the case here. In a way, it’s the Internet version of sitting in front of a store or office-building to block traffic from going in or out.

Of course, the downside is that they can choose who they attack. For now, they seem to be targeting based on specific criteria and are very targeted indeed. But how much of my impression is based on the fact that I think the targets are “deserving” of the attacks? And how will I feel if I don’t agree on the target?

In this particulat case, I’m ok with the attack, as AFP is simply a front for the Koch Brothers ambitions to consolidate political power within the rich corporatists and fool the average Joe into thinking it is for their own good. Organizations like AFP are the way that the Kochs and their cohirts can funnel millions into political action, while hiding behind the flag and Citizens United.

What remains to be seen is how far Anonymous will go with their atttacks, and what the official, legal response will be.