GOP Goal: Bake Sales vs Billionaires

Rachel Maddow did this outstanding report about how the alleged Wisconsin budget problem is a canard to distract from the real Republican goal of destroying labor unions to remove election spending competition - and ultimately the Democratic Party itself. Thom Hartmann said today that he believes this scheme was hatched a couple weeks ago at the multi-billionaire Koch Brothers Retreat for the far right. It seems the governors and other politicians were given their instructions and this is the beginning of of what looks like attacks on organized labor with their eye on the big trophy - The Democratic Party's demise.

I'm very proud of these Wisconsin workers and there are reports that today, similar protest over similar legislation have broke out in Ohio. There are also reports that paid Tea Party thugs lead by right wing freak Andrew Breitbart (best known for his unscrupulous editing skills) are on their way to WI to start trouble with the folks who have been peacefully protesting for their rights.

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.”
- Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here (1935)

Ed Schultz on the ground defending unions in Wisconsin.

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Power To The People! Wisconsin Getting It Done!

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Union busting Chris Christie wannabe, Scott Walker is finding out that screwing the middle class instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share has consequences. The unions and their members are fighting back...finally! I had almost given up hope that Americans would finally see how the politicans and the wealthy are turning the US into a third world nation--and are starting to fight for what is right! I am in solidarity with the people on the streets of Madison and I hope for their success.

Tuesday’s mid-day protests drew crowds estimated at 12-15,000, but Wednesday's mid-day rally drew 30,000 according to some estimates. This protest is getting stronger, not weaker, even under the threat of National Guard intervention threatened by the new governor who has stopped just short of calling for Marshall Law. Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, a veteran of 27 years on the city’s force, said he had has never see a protest of this size at the Capitol.

Maybe this is what we needed to get people to wake up; a Republican govenor acting like a fascist dictator. These guys will destroy America unless they're stopped and that means more demonstrations. It was unions who made this country strong, not the obscenely wealthy. I hope this is an awakening for all non-millionaires. These demonstrations could become more frequent and possibly violent if Republicans, blue dog Democrats and Obama keep cutting social programs instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share. That means no loopholes, no rewards for off-shoring jobs and a decent living wage. Are they watching or listening?

I will say that with the exclusion of MSNBC, the news outlets have been extremely slow to cover this uprising, if at all. It's interesting that if 10 teabaggers gather in a liberal state, it gets national media attention, but thousands of angry union members who's lifestyle could be changed forever with negative impact barely gets mention. Another example of the liberal media lie.

Thanks to MSNBC, Ed Schultz who has been donating entire shows to this ongoing event, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Cenk Uygur and even Chris Matthews for giving this the attention it deserves.
Go Badgers!

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Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted - Heartless Morons Celebrate

I'm sure anyone reading this has already heard about CBS correspondent Lara Logan's sexual assault in Egypt, but if you haven't, here's the story. On Friday February 11, the day Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, she was covering the story in Tahrir Square for a 60 MINUTES story when she, her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous mob of over 200 people within the celebration. In the crush of the frenzied mob, she was separated from her crew. According to numerous reports, she suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. Tragic, right?

Not so fast. Debbie Schlussel, a frequent Fox contributer seems ecstatic about the sexual assault on Lara Logan that occurred in Egypt. Think I'm kidding? Check this out:

As I’ve noted before, it bothers me not a lick when mainstream media reporters who keep telling us Muslims and Islam are peaceful get a taste of just how “peaceful” Muslims and Islam really are. In fact, it kinda warms my heart.
... How fitting that Lara Logan was “liberated” by Muslims in Liberation Square while she was gushing over the other part of the “liberation.”
Hope you’re enjoying the revolution, Lara! Alhamdilllullah [praise allah].

And to be fair, a left leaning journalist also decided to participate in heartless commentary via Twitter. NYU research fellow Nir Rosen tweeted “Lara Logan had to outdo Anderson. Where was her buddy McCrystal” referring to Logan’s defense of Gen. Stanley McCrystal in the wake of a Rolling Stone profile that cost the general his job and the beating that Anderson Cooper sustained in Egypt a couple weeks ago. He followed with: “Yes yes its wrong what happened to her. Of course. I don’t support that. But, it would have been funny if it happened to Anderson too.” Yeah, because he's allegedly gay. Just hilarious, Nir.

I know very little about Lara Logan, but know all I need to know about Schlussel and Rosen. To celebrate and joke about a life-altering, violent attack is the lowest of low. At least Nir Rosen has resigned his position at NYU. If there is a hell, there's a special place for monsters like Schlussel and Rosen.

SD Opening the Door To Making 'Some' Murders Justified

What on earth is going on? I thought Republicans were swept into office to create jobs?  That's what they said they were going to do.  As of yet, no jobs bills, but plenty of anti-womens legislation. According to Talking Points Memo, State Rep. Phil Jensen (R), introduced the bill which makes it a "justifiable homicide" for someone to kill someone attempting to harm an unborn child. At first glance, it appears innocuous enough. However, the fear is this law will create open season on abortion providers. Alisha Sedor, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota, said she was worried the legislation could trigger attacks on abortion providers if it was not amended. "I don't believe the intent is malicious," Sedor said. "But the potential legal implications of the bill are what make it dangerous.  If it passes without an amendment exempting attacks on providers, it could incite violence from individuals who believe their actions will be found justifiable in court." While they acknowledge that abortion is legal, we're talking South Dakota and you know there's some slick right wing lawyers ready to make this a showcase. In the past five years, state legislators passed laws twice banning most abortions unless they were necessary to save a woman's life. In both cases, the laws were subsequently overturned by the state's voters at the polls.

Elizabeth Nash, a policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based pro-choice group that has been tracking state abortion laws since the early 1970s, said, the proposed law was the first of its kind. "We have not seen anything like this before," Nash said. "It's really chilling."

I'm disgusted at the backwards track this country is taking. Somewhere along the way, it appears that conservative "men folk" decided that the liberation of women has proved to be a disastrous experiment and it's time to return women to their humble beginnings ... barefoot, pregnant and property. I totally expect the 19th Amendment to be challenged next in the Republican controlled House. Don't forget, the unwanted children of the today's poor will be the next generations soldiers for our perpetual war machine.

Jess McIntosh Discusses Boehners' America - Men Folk Know Better

EMILY's List Spokesperson, Jess McIntosh appeared on MSNBC today to discuss the GOP's bait-and-switch with American voters. The House Republicans are trying to restrict women's access to health care rather than focusing on job creation as they had pledged to do. I wasn't particularly impressed with Tamron Hall's line of questioning either. Very weak interview.

How can any self-respecting woman or any evolved man vote for anyone in the Neanderthal Party? This non-stop attack on womens rights since the regressives took over the majority of Congress in January is sickening. I find it appauling that middle-aged dudes on viagra are dictating womens reproductive rights. C'mon liberals, fight back before they successfully take us backwards!

The Tragedy To Risky To Cover...Evidently

Shawna Forde: Guilty of all eight counts in the Flores family murders, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder for the shooting of the nine-year-old's mother, and an assortment of burglary, robbery and aggravated assault charges.

The bigger question is, how many people even know what I'm talking about? I haven't yet seen a single cable-network report on the story -- not MSNBC, not CNN and certainly not FNC.

Here's the short version. According to what the Arizona Daily Star reported, prosecutor Rick Unklesbay told jurors last week, Shawna Forde thought so highly of herself she believed she could create a new world, decide who was a drug dealer and who wasn't and who should live and die. Unklesbay spent approximately 90 minutes Thursday going over the evidence he says proves Forde, 43, was the mastermind behind a May 30, 2009, Arivaca home invasion that left Raul Junior Flores, 29, and his 9-year-old-daughter, Brisenia, dead of multiple gunshot wounds. The prosecutor reminded jurors that at least four witnesses testified Forde bragged about her plan to fund her Minutemen American Defense organization by robbing drug-cartel associates during home invasions. Among those witnesses were her sister, two FBI informants and Oin Oakstar, an Arivaca drug smuggler.

For two weeks, we watched non-stop coverage of the other Arizona tragedy, the one leaving Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with a bullet shot through her brain and six dead, including nine-year-old Christina Greene. Certainly a tragedy that deserved the coverage it received, but what's up with not covering a right wing militia madam who masterminded the execution an innocent man and his 9-year-old daughter? Is it because the media does not want to report anything that reflects poorly on the right wing or is it because Brisenia Flores was Hispanic. I suspect a little bit of both, but I lean more towards the former as several under-reported attacks incited by right wing media, particularly Glenn Beck have been mostly buried. Off the top of my head: A cop killer in PA, church killings in TN, murder at the Holocaust Museum in DC, doctors who perform abortions, Carlsbad, CA where a shooter yelled "Death to Obama" while firing his gun on a playground, etc... Luckily the police pulled over a crazed heavily-armed Beck fan on his way to the Tides Foundation in an attempt to assassinate the progressive organization's employees based on his Becktrination. On the other side of the coin, a young right wing punk set up ACORN with heavily edited videos to make them look like they were trafficking prostitutes, Fox ran the story on a 24/7 loop, CNN and other MSM picked it up and ACORN was defunded by our Democratic led House. By the way, they were later cleared of wrong doing once the video was proven to be edited. Too late for them though. Right Wing mission accomplished.

Getting back to the story at hand. Now that the verdict is in with the Forde case, I wonder of any of the so-called liberal media (so says the right wing) will touch this now? I'm afraid this is just another example of what our corporate owned media does. We're only allowed to see what they want us to see. If a left wing group had been accused in any organized illegality of any kind, this would be getting 24/7 coverage, led by Fox, but with the others joining in. I'm really frustrated at the direction this country is going. The pendulum should've swung back after the Bush Debacle, but instead, the right is doubling down and getting a foothold. Another tragic reminder of how Ronald Reagan began dismantling this country with deregulation. Best of luck to Keith Olbermann on Current TV with no corporate backing.

The Community Owned Green Bay Packers - Cheeseheads of the People

I knew the Packers were community owned, but I didn't know the history of how that came to be or how they were named. Pretty cool story. I've also wondered why the Steelers logo is only on one side of their helmet; mystery solved! Last night, TRMS filled us in. Thanks Rachel!
In keeping with my most likely possible SB winning "squares," and staying with the team I hope wins, Packers 34-28!

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