Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon against Fracking
News report with Gayle King interviewing Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon about their concerns related to fracking and clean safe water.
News report with Gayle King interviewing Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon about their concerns related to fracking and clean safe water.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Holmes: Hacking the vote - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
Holmes: Hacking the vote - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
"... here’s one almost no one wants to think about: Will the private companies who build and handle voting machines steal the election?
A few people are trying to sound the alarm. Computer experts warn that touch-screen and optical scan voting systems can be easily hacked. Journalists point to irregularities in past elections. Academics analyze voting tallies and exit polls. Activists probe the policies and the politics of the companies to which America has outsourced its elections.
Here in Massachusetts, Mike Ferriter and Sally Castleman try to get the attention of elected officials, without much luck. They bring videos, expert studies and serious concerns that U.S. elections could be — and may have been — rigged, and get nothing but shrugs.
Conservative Republicans interested in making it harder to vote have money, media, think tanks and lobbyists pushing their solutions through Red State legislatures. The people pushing for an honest, transparent vote-count haven’t even been able to get an appointment with the Massachusetts Secretary of State."
Read more: The MetroWest Daily News
Monday, June 18, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Facing Facts in Wisconsin » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Facing Facts in Wisconsin » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"Obama not only didn’t put in a single visit to Wisconsin during this long recall campaign; he went out of his way to steer well clear of the state, not even dropping in during a visit to Minneapolis a week before the vote, when he was 15 miles from Wisconsin, less than 100 miles from Eau Claire, and less than 300 miles from the capital of Madison, the epicenter of the recall battle.
When asked at a press conference why the president had not weighed in on this epic battle for one of his key constituencies — the labor movement, and in particular the public employee unions — his press secretary lamely said that the president “hoped” that Walker’s Democratic opponent for governor, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, would “prevail.” The president’s other only effort (if it can even be called that) on behalf of the recall campaign was a limp Tweet that didn’t even mention the recall itself or the threat Walker posed to workers. In full, it said, “”It’s Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I’m standing by Tom Barrett. He’d make an outstanding governor. -bo”
Twitter may have helped to ignite the Arab Spring revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere, but if those Arab Spring Tweets had read like that one, I’m sure Mubarak would still be pulling the fingernails off of and killing dissidents, instead of sitting in a prison hospital cell himself.
"As for the Democratic Party, it did exactly nothing to help progressives and labor unions in Wisconsin in this fight. Sure, the Democratic National Committee will claim that it send money to Wisconsin, but that was money that was equally budgeted to every state for the national election season, not extra money designated to fight the recall battle.
The Obama campaign and the DNC decided long ago that they did not want to get involved in the Walker recall. Partly, they didn’t want to risk being in support of a losing effort. More importantly, they did not want to be identified with union activists. The truth is that the big money supporting both the DNC and the president’s campaign is corporate money, and those people simply don’t like unions. Also, the Obama “brain trust,” if you can really call these people smart after three and a half years of disastrous White House policies favoring the rich and the powerful, has decided that the way to a second term is by ignoring the poor, ignoring minorities, ignoring labor unions, ignoring working people, and instead focusing on “independent” and “undecided” voters." see link above for full article
"Obama not only didn’t put in a single visit to Wisconsin during this long recall campaign; he went out of his way to steer well clear of the state, not even dropping in during a visit to Minneapolis a week before the vote, when he was 15 miles from Wisconsin, less than 100 miles from Eau Claire, and less than 300 miles from the capital of Madison, the epicenter of the recall battle.
When asked at a press conference why the president had not weighed in on this epic battle for one of his key constituencies — the labor movement, and in particular the public employee unions — his press secretary lamely said that the president “hoped” that Walker’s Democratic opponent for governor, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, would “prevail.” The president’s other only effort (if it can even be called that) on behalf of the recall campaign was a limp Tweet that didn’t even mention the recall itself or the threat Walker posed to workers. In full, it said, “”It’s Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I’m standing by Tom Barrett. He’d make an outstanding governor. -bo”
Twitter may have helped to ignite the Arab Spring revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere, but if those Arab Spring Tweets had read like that one, I’m sure Mubarak would still be pulling the fingernails off of and killing dissidents, instead of sitting in a prison hospital cell himself.
"As for the Democratic Party, it did exactly nothing to help progressives and labor unions in Wisconsin in this fight. Sure, the Democratic National Committee will claim that it send money to Wisconsin, but that was money that was equally budgeted to every state for the national election season, not extra money designated to fight the recall battle.
The Obama campaign and the DNC decided long ago that they did not want to get involved in the Walker recall. Partly, they didn’t want to risk being in support of a losing effort. More importantly, they did not want to be identified with union activists. The truth is that the big money supporting both the DNC and the president’s campaign is corporate money, and those people simply don’t like unions. Also, the Obama “brain trust,” if you can really call these people smart after three and a half years of disastrous White House policies favoring the rich and the powerful, has decided that the way to a second term is by ignoring the poor, ignoring minorities, ignoring labor unions, ignoring working people, and instead focusing on “independent” and “undecided” voters." see link above for full article
Vermont’s Military Mafia » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Vermont’s Military Mafia » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
by THOMAS H. NAYLOR
Who could have ever imagined that tiny Vermont, the home of “socialist” Bernie Sanders and once considered to be the most left-leaning state in the United States, would now find itself under the political control of five hard-core military superhawks committed to transforming Vermont into the Pentagon’s flagship state for reinvigorating and expanding the military’s presence in the Northeast. But that is exactly what has happened in the Green Mountain State. Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, Governor Peter Shumlin, and Adjutant General Michael Dubie have teamed up to form what is effectively a defacto Vermont Military Mafia for promoting increased defense spending in Vermont and the rest of the Northeast.
by THOMAS H. NAYLOR
Who could have ever imagined that tiny Vermont, the home of “socialist” Bernie Sanders and once considered to be the most left-leaning state in the United States, would now find itself under the political control of five hard-core military superhawks committed to transforming Vermont into the Pentagon’s flagship state for reinvigorating and expanding the military’s presence in the Northeast. But that is exactly what has happened in the Green Mountain State. Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, Governor Peter Shumlin, and Adjutant General Michael Dubie have teamed up to form what is effectively a defacto Vermont Military Mafia for promoting increased defense spending in Vermont and the rest of the Northeast.
Wisconsin and the Left » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Wisconsin and the Left » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"Emma Goldman had it right when she stated, “If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal.” Labor and the left in Wisconsin committed suicide when it demobilized a legitimate grassroots movement and turned it into an electoral campaign. It has been a long, slow death.
Grassroots activists with righteous indignation gave up their agency to do that which was deemed “acceptable” to the powers that be, namely the “Union Bosses” and the Democratic Party apparatchiks. Why was a general strike never considered? Why not creative tactics to “kill the bill,” Act 10, the reason for the “Uprising” and recall to begin with? How’d this all morph into what it’s morphed into?
In the main, the left has failed to understand that what populist right-wing activists hate more than anything else is the Democratic Party and unions, two pillars of what Hedges defines as the “Liberal Class.” Their hatred is justified, given that, as Hedges points out, these institutions abandoned working class people long ago. Thus, the left confused real grassroots power with the Liberal Class and are now paying the consequences." Steven Horn
"Emma Goldman had it right when she stated, “If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal.” Labor and the left in Wisconsin committed suicide when it demobilized a legitimate grassroots movement and turned it into an electoral campaign. It has been a long, slow death.
Grassroots activists with righteous indignation gave up their agency to do that which was deemed “acceptable” to the powers that be, namely the “Union Bosses” and the Democratic Party apparatchiks. Why was a general strike never considered? Why not creative tactics to “kill the bill,” Act 10, the reason for the “Uprising” and recall to begin with? How’d this all morph into what it’s morphed into?
In the main, the left has failed to understand that what populist right-wing activists hate more than anything else is the Democratic Party and unions, two pillars of what Hedges defines as the “Liberal Class.” Their hatred is justified, given that, as Hedges points out, these institutions abandoned working class people long ago. Thus, the left confused real grassroots power with the Liberal Class and are now paying the consequences." Steven Horn
Thursday, June 7, 2012
http://lbo-news.com/2012/06/06/walkers-victory-un-sugar-coated/
http://lbo-news.com/2012/06/06/walkers-victory-un-sugar-coated/
That means that if unions ever want to turn things around—and I’m old-fashioned enough to believe that we’ll never have a better society without a reborn labor movement—they have to learn to operate in this new reality. Which means learning to act politically, to agitate on behalf of the entire working class and not just a privileged subset with membership cards.
That means that if unions ever want to turn things around—and I’m old-fashioned enough to believe that we’ll never have a better society without a reborn labor movement—they have to learn to operate in this new reality. Which means learning to act politically, to agitate on behalf of the entire working class and not just a privileged subset with membership cards.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The BRAD BLOG : WALKER, MOST OTHER REPUBS REPORTEDLY SURVIVE WISCONSIN RECALL ELECTIONS
The BRAD BLOG : WALKER, MOST OTHER REPUBS REPORTEDLY SURVIVE WISCONSIN RECALL ELECTIONS
"The early Exit Poll results had reportedly predicted the race between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett a virtual tie, leading media to plan for a long night tonight. A second round of Exit Polls results, however, were said to have given Walker a broader lead over Barrett. Even so, we were told, the race based on the Exit Poll data alone was still "too close to call." That data was either accurate or it was not.
Of course, the raw, unadjusted Exit Polling data itself is no longer entrusted to us mere mortals. It can only be seen by members of the mainstream media, and we are simply left to trust them to report it all accurately to us or not. And when, after all, have we not been able to rely on the mainstream media to report everything accurately to us?
But never mind the Exit Polls. We've got real polls, real votes, actual ballots now to tell us who won or lost. If only we'd bother to actually count them..."
"The early Exit Poll results had reportedly predicted the race between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett a virtual tie, leading media to plan for a long night tonight. A second round of Exit Polls results, however, were said to have given Walker a broader lead over Barrett. Even so, we were told, the race based on the Exit Poll data alone was still "too close to call." That data was either accurate or it was not.
Of course, the raw, unadjusted Exit Polling data itself is no longer entrusted to us mere mortals. It can only be seen by members of the mainstream media, and we are simply left to trust them to report it all accurately to us or not. And when, after all, have we not been able to rely on the mainstream media to report everything accurately to us?
But never mind the Exit Polls. We've got real polls, real votes, actual ballots now to tell us who won or lost. If only we'd bother to actually count them..."
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Maddow Blog - Voting all the rage in Wisconsin
The Maddow Blog - Voting all the rage in Wisconsin
Turnout in the Wisconsin recalls has been "wild" across the state, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. This morning John Nichols tweeted that there were "lines out the door, 20-minute waits" at polling places on the north side of Milwaukee, way up from recent elections.
That scene in Milwaukee, in particular, is not great news for Governor Walker and company. Last year a group supporting the recall drive held block parties there to help people get registered and vote in the recalls happening then.
For their efforts, the union-affiliated Wisconsin Jobs Now got accused on the right of bribing voters with free BBQ. Prosecutors in Milwaukee cleared Wisconsin Jobs Now. And today election officials in Milwaukee had to call in extra workers to accommodate demand at the polls.
(Image below from 2011 block party, by Peter Rickman.)
Turnout in the Wisconsin recalls has been "wild" across the state, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. This morning John Nichols tweeted that there were "lines out the door, 20-minute waits" at polling places on the north side of Milwaukee, way up from recent elections.
That scene in Milwaukee, in particular, is not great news for Governor Walker and company. Last year a group supporting the recall drive held block parties there to help people get registered and vote in the recalls happening then.
For their efforts, the union-affiliated Wisconsin Jobs Now got accused on the right of bribing voters with free BBQ. Prosecutors in Milwaukee cleared Wisconsin Jobs Now. And today election officials in Milwaukee had to call in extra workers to accommodate demand at the polls.
(Image below from 2011 block party, by Peter Rickman.)
Who's running the election in Waukesha County? - JSOnline
Who's running the election in Waukesha County? - JSOnline
"While Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas and his chief of staff insisted both Monday and Tuesday that County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus is not the one in charge of election duties this recall election, her actions say otherwise.
While Nickolaus has refused to respond to this reporter's questions in her office, turning her back and closing her office door while the reporter waited at a service counter, her deputy, Kelly Yaeger, hasn't responded, either."
"While Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas and his chief of staff insisted both Monday and Tuesday that County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus is not the one in charge of election duties this recall election, her actions say otherwise.
While Nickolaus has refused to respond to this reporter's questions in her office, turning her back and closing her office door while the reporter waited at a service counter, her deputy, Kelly Yaeger, hasn't responded, either."
Exit polls today will answer big questions about Wisconsin's polarized electorate - JSOnline
Exit polls today will answer big questions about Wisconsin's polarized electorate - JSOnline
We’ll begin reporting after 4 pm Milwaukee time on the preliminary exit poll numbers, and what they tell us about the Wisconsin voters who turned out Tuesday: their demographic and political characteristics, their attitudes on key questions, and some of the most striking differences between Walker voters and Barrett voters.
Nothing will be reported before the polls close at 8 pm that attempts to project or characterize the final outcome of the recall race. The exit poll numbers can change over the course of the evening as more polling data comes in from people voting later in the day, so they should be read cautiously.
Below are some highlights from the 2010 exit polls (the first Walker-Barrett race).
We’ll begin reporting after 4 pm Milwaukee time on the preliminary exit poll numbers, and what they tell us about the Wisconsin voters who turned out Tuesday: their demographic and political characteristics, their attitudes on key questions, and some of the most striking differences between Walker voters and Barrett voters.
Nothing will be reported before the polls close at 8 pm that attempts to project or characterize the final outcome of the recall race. The exit poll numbers can change over the course of the evening as more polling data comes in from people voting later in the day, so they should be read cautiously.
Below are some highlights from the 2010 exit polls (the first Walker-Barrett race).
Registering to Vote on Election Day | Mike Quieto for Dane County Clerk
Registering to Vote on Election Day | Mike Quieto for Dane County Clerk
Voters may register at their polling place on Election Day, but the must present “proof of residence.” Note that another voter may no longer “vouch” for someone’s address.
Remember that you now need to have lived at an address for 28 days to register. If you moved less than 28 days ago, you need to vote at your old address and polling place.
When registering, you don’t need to show ID, but you will need to provide your Wisconsin Driver’s License or ID card number (if you have one). Voters without a Wisconsin Driver’s License or ID card must provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number.
Acceptable forms of “proof of residence” are:
Voters may register at their polling place on Election Day, but the must present “proof of residence.” Note that another voter may no longer “vouch” for someone’s address.
Remember that you now need to have lived at an address for 28 days to register. If you moved less than 28 days ago, you need to vote at your old address and polling place.
When registering, you don’t need to show ID, but you will need to provide your Wisconsin Driver’s License or ID card number (if you have one). Voters without a Wisconsin Driver’s License or ID card must provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number.
Acceptable forms of “proof of residence” are:
- A current and valid Wisconsin driver’s license or Wisconsin identification card.
- Any other official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit
- An identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business, which has a photograph of the cardholder, but not a business card.
- A real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election.
- A utility bill for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before the election.
- A tuition bill
- A bank statement.
- A paycheck.
- A check or other document issued by a unit of government.
- a residential lease.
WI Citizens for Election Protection | Jim Mueller
WI Citizens for Election Protection
Urge people to use paper ballots and avoid the touch screen machines that so many small municipalities are pushing people to use. Insist on a paper ballot.
People using the touch screen machines should "write in" (type in) their choices in the write-in section. Everyone should look at the paper trail to see if it is at least recording the vote correctly on the paper (that doesn't mean that the machine recorded the vote properly in its memory but the paper is important for a recount). Voters using touch screen machines should linger at the machine a while after they vote to make sure that the machines does not cancel their vote and print out a new vote on the paper trail.
If a touch screen voting machine flips a vote that is more likely evidence of fraudulent or incorrect programming and adjusting than it is of voter mistake. Filipping incidents should be loudly reported, documented and a request should be made to remove the machine from further usage and sequester it for examination by independent experts.
Report the incident bny phone and in writing to the GAB and to this Facebook page.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Organize a Voter Assembly in your community! | Wisconsin Wave
Organize a Voter Assembly in your community! | Wisconsin Wave
[Note: The Voter Assembly in Madison will take place on June 6th at 5pm on the State Street side of the Capitol. Spread the word of facebook here. For more info on the Wave's No More Stolen Election campaign click here]
Voter Assemblies are pre-planned public forums where voters will gather to respond immediately to election violations. These assemblies are crucial to initiating a timely response to a potential stolen election.
Please make plans to attend, or if need be, to organize a Voter Assembly in your community on the evening of Wednesday, June 6th, the day after the election.
[Note: The Voter Assembly in Madison will take place on June 6th at 5pm on the State Street side of the Capitol. Spread the word of facebook here. For more info on the Wave's No More Stolen Election campaign click here]
Voter Assemblies are pre-planned public forums where voters will gather to respond immediately to election violations. These assemblies are crucial to initiating a timely response to a potential stolen election.
Please make plans to attend, or if need be, to organize a Voter Assembly in your community on the evening of Wednesday, June 6th, the day after the election.
BREAKING: Scott Walker's Closest Aide Revealed in Court as Source of Damaging Leak; Flips on Embattled Governor
BREAKING: Scott Walker's Closest Aide Revealed in Court as Source of Damaging Leak; Flips on Embattled Governor
Tim Russell, who was hired or promoted by Scott Walker even after he was fired for stealing from a state agency, was said in court Monday to have given Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Dan Bice information that showed that, contrary to Walker's claims, Walker was stonewalling investigators all along.
The shocking revelation that Scott Walker's closest aide sought to damage Walker on the eve of Tuesday's historic recall election indicated that Russell was cooperating with a prosecution against Walker himself.
"If Republicans are wondering who is leaking information about crimes that Scott Walker may have committed, they need only look into their own house.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Pro-Life Scott Walker Accused of Abandoning Pregnant Girlfriend in College
Pro-Life Scott Walker Accused of Abandoning Pregnant Girlfriend in College
Here’s what Dr. Gillick heard Scott Walker say that drove her to come forward, “First off, let me be clear, set the stage here … I’ve had a high level of integrity all the way back to my early days as a kid when I earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and have shown that during my time in the State Assembly, as the County Executive, and now as the Governor of the State of Wisconsin. I will continue to have high integrity long after I’m in this position and long after this whole process is complete.”
This most likely won’t be cleared up before the recall election, but in truth, this is just another drop in a bucket of Walker’s unethical behavior. There is enough without this story to determine that giving Scott Walker political power is a bad thing. If it is true, Ruth and her child are just another example of Walker’s ruthless, relentless ambition.
We don’t have the facts; what we have is a seemingly credible witness putting her career on the line to inform the public of something she thinks is relevant to Scott Walker’s career.
Dr. Gillick will be targeted for this, and it will be ugly. I imagine her lawyer verified her story for the sake of protecting her legally, but that won’t stop the dangerous faction of the conservative movement, whose interest in the truth is too often non-existent.
True or not, this wouldn’t compel the pro-life segment to drop their support for Walker, but if it’s true, it would reflect further upon Walker’s integrity.
Here’s what Dr. Gillick heard Scott Walker say that drove her to come forward, “First off, let me be clear, set the stage here … I’ve had a high level of integrity all the way back to my early days as a kid when I earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and have shown that during my time in the State Assembly, as the County Executive, and now as the Governor of the State of Wisconsin. I will continue to have high integrity long after I’m in this position and long after this whole process is complete.”
This most likely won’t be cleared up before the recall election, but in truth, this is just another drop in a bucket of Walker’s unethical behavior. There is enough without this story to determine that giving Scott Walker political power is a bad thing. If it is true, Ruth and her child are just another example of Walker’s ruthless, relentless ambition.
We don’t have the facts; what we have is a seemingly credible witness putting her career on the line to inform the public of something she thinks is relevant to Scott Walker’s career.
Dr. Gillick will be targeted for this, and it will be ugly. I imagine her lawyer verified her story for the sake of protecting her legally, but that won’t stop the dangerous faction of the conservative movement, whose interest in the truth is too often non-existent.
True or not, this wouldn’t compel the pro-life segment to drop their support for Walker, but if it’s true, it would reflect further upon Walker’s integrity.
Barrett says he will ditch 'deer czar' if he wins - JSOnline
Barrett says he will ditch 'deer czar' if he wins - JSOnline
“The tide is turning,” Vinehout told them. “We can feel it. … I swear as the day has gone on the enthusiasm has grown.”
Also present was former Rep. Kristen Dexter, who is running against Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) in Tuesday’s recall.
“We’re going to take this state down a whole new path and make it work for all of us, not just a few of us,” Dexter said.
“The tide is turning,” Vinehout told them. “We can feel it. … I swear as the day has gone on the enthusiasm has grown.”
Also present was former Rep. Kristen Dexter, who is running against Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) in Tuesday’s recall.
“We’re going to take this state down a whole new path and make it work for all of us, not just a few of us,” Dexter said.
Walker's jobs record an unmitigated disaster - JSOnline
Walker's jobs record an unmitigated disaster - JSOnline
In other words, even using the muddled, misleading and politicized figures released by Walker, his "best-case" data show job growth in Wisconsin at only 57% of the national rate during his first year in office. And this does not even include the first quarter of 2012, when, at least according to CES estimates, Wisconsin's job performance fell off the cliff.
Walker has also attempted to defend his economic record by contrasting it to Mayor Tom Barrett's in Milwaukee. Mayors, of course, have much less power to affect macroeconomic trends than do governors. Nevertheless, put in proper perspective, Barrett's record is far more impressive than Walker's. During Barrett's years as mayor (2004-'11), which included the national Great Recession of 2007-'09, employment in Milwaukee declined by 2.2% (compared to a national decline of .06%). By contrast, in the seven years before Barrett assuming office, employment declined in Milwaukee by 10.8%, while it grew nationally by 7.1%.
Put another way, during Barrett's years as mayor, even as the city endured the Great Recession, the employment curve bent in a positive direction.
By contrast, under Walker, Wisconsin's employment record has diverged, in a negative way, from national trends and, more than ever, lags the national economy.
I have certainly disagreed in the past with Barrett on matters of economic policy; ironically, without my permission, the Walker campaign has actually used a news clip of me in some of its campaign advertising. However, despite the Walker administration's efforts to blur the issue, the employment data are clear: the governor's record is a disaster, and significantly inferior to Tom Barrett's in Milwaukee. In the last analysis, right wing market fundamentalism and austerity policies work no better in Wisconsin than they have in Ireland, Spain or Great Britain.
In other words, even using the muddled, misleading and politicized figures released by Walker, his "best-case" data show job growth in Wisconsin at only 57% of the national rate during his first year in office. And this does not even include the first quarter of 2012, when, at least according to CES estimates, Wisconsin's job performance fell off the cliff.
Walker has also attempted to defend his economic record by contrasting it to Mayor Tom Barrett's in Milwaukee. Mayors, of course, have much less power to affect macroeconomic trends than do governors. Nevertheless, put in proper perspective, Barrett's record is far more impressive than Walker's. During Barrett's years as mayor (2004-'11), which included the national Great Recession of 2007-'09, employment in Milwaukee declined by 2.2% (compared to a national decline of .06%). By contrast, in the seven years before Barrett assuming office, employment declined in Milwaukee by 10.8%, while it grew nationally by 7.1%.
Put another way, during Barrett's years as mayor, even as the city endured the Great Recession, the employment curve bent in a positive direction.
By contrast, under Walker, Wisconsin's employment record has diverged, in a negative way, from national trends and, more than ever, lags the national economy.
I have certainly disagreed in the past with Barrett on matters of economic policy; ironically, without my permission, the Walker campaign has actually used a news clip of me in some of its campaign advertising. However, despite the Walker administration's efforts to blur the issue, the employment data are clear: the governor's record is a disaster, and significantly inferior to Tom Barrett's in Milwaukee. In the last analysis, right wing market fundamentalism and austerity policies work no better in Wisconsin than they have in Ireland, Spain or Great Britain.
Our view: There’s no excuse not to vote : La Crosse Tribune - LaCrosse News Source
Our view: There’s no excuse not to vote : La Crosse Tribune - LaCrosse News Source
The last time Wisconsin residents voted in an election face-off between Scott Walker and Tom Barrett, the voter turnout was a pathetic 49.7 percent.
That means less than half of the eligible voters in this state took the paltry amount of time and effort to vote in our last governor’s race, in November 2010, according to the Government Accountability Board.
The last time Wisconsin residents voted in an election face-off between Scott Walker and Tom Barrett, the voter turnout was a pathetic 49.7 percent.
That means less than half of the eligible voters in this state took the paltry amount of time and effort to vote in our last governor’s race, in November 2010, according to the Government Accountability Board.
"Activists converge on Wisconsin for historic recall vote - CNBC
Activists converge on Wisconsin for historic recall vote - CNBC "It's really about the future of this state," said Bob Peterson, the president of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association as he grilled hamburgers on Saturday for volunteers who will try to boost the anti-Walker vote.
Civil Rights activists Reverend Jesse Jackson from Chicago and Al Sharpton from New York, both aligned with the Democratic Party, will be in Milwaukee, the state's largest city, to try to spur a strong turnout by black voters.
If he is defeated, Walker would become the third state governor recalled from office during his term, after North Dakota's Lynn Frazier in 1921 and Gray Davis of California in 2003.
Polls show a close race although Walker has held a single-digit lead since the recall date was formally set, and there are almost no undecided voters. The focus is on voter turnout in a state with a history of high voter participation.
REPUBLICAN LUMINARIES
During an appearance Sunday on the CNN's "State of the Union" program, Barrett said a tracking poll he'd seen two nights ago showed him just "one vote behind (Walker). Not one percentage point behind but one vote behind."
“I’ve been reporting on Federal grand juries for twenty years” —including Justice Department probes of former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Monica Lewinsky, Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and Jack Abramoff—said David Shuster, a former reporter for Fox News and anchor for MSNBC, who now works with Take Action News and as a substitute host for Keith Olbermann on Current TV. In his reporting on FBI involvement in the current probe of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Shuster said he consulted with Justice Department attorneys in the public integrity section and “I got independent confirmation that he’s a target.” Shuster said that he had learned Scott Walker’s attorneys had been seeking to have their client publicly cleared of wrongdoing for the last five or six weeks, in the run-up to the recall election. Prosecutors could not clear him, Shuster said, because Walker is a target.Legal Cloud Gathers Over Walker | The Progressive
Legal Cloud Gathers Over Walker | The Progressive
“I’ve been reporting on Federal grand juries for twenty years” —including Justice Department probes of former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Monica Lewinsky, Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and Jack Abramoff—said David Shuster, a former reporter for Fox News and anchor for MSNBC, who now works with Take Action News and as a substitute host for Keith Olbermann on Current TV.
In his reporting on FBI involvement in the current probe of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Shuster said he consulted with Justice Department attorneys in the public integrity section and “I got independent confirmation that he’s a target.”
Shuster said that he had learned Scott Walker’s attorneys had been seeking to have their client publicly cleared of wrongdoing for the last five or six weeks, in the run-up to the recall election. Prosecutors could not clear him, Shuster said, because Walker is a target.
“I’ve been reporting on Federal grand juries for twenty years” —including Justice Department probes of former Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Monica Lewinsky, Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and Jack Abramoff—said David Shuster, a former reporter for Fox News and anchor for MSNBC, who now works with Take Action News and as a substitute host for Keith Olbermann on Current TV.
In his reporting on FBI involvement in the current probe of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Shuster said he consulted with Justice Department attorneys in the public integrity section and “I got independent confirmation that he’s a target.”
Shuster said that he had learned Scott Walker’s attorneys had been seeking to have their client publicly cleared of wrongdoing for the last five or six weeks, in the run-up to the recall election. Prosecutors could not clear him, Shuster said, because Walker is a target.
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com
'The Wheel of
"It's time for us to all say 'enough is enough. It's time for us to all join the
'The Wheel of
History Is in Our Hands!'
"It's time for us to all say 'enough is enough. It's time for us to all join the
movement of resistance to social and economic injustice." – Tom Morello
at Madison Labor Temple rally, reading statement of solidarity from Greece
FLASHBACK:
'America Is NOT Broke!'
"Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll
give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-
grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country
is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has
been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers
and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich."
– Michael Moore, March 5th, 2011
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Sources say Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is Now the Target of Corruption Probe | Wisconsin Politics
Sources say Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is Now the Target of Corruption Probe | Wisconsin Politics
During last Thursday’s debate, Walker buckled under pressure from host Mike Gousha to answer the question as to why he hasn’t been more transparent about the John Doe corruption probe. Scott Walker’s Teflon personality must have worn through when he replied that District Attorney John Chisholm requested he remain silent on the issue.
The answer stunned many of those who are familiar with John Doe investigations because a DA would not request a target to remain silent, as anything they would say opens doors to the investigation. The John Doe judge, however, could issue ‘gag’ orders to targets. Walker’s statement was an off the cuff gaffe that confirmed the very real legal troubles he may be facing. Walker also admitted to a $160,000 transfer into his legal defense fund over the last six weeks. Further, Walker stated the fund was for his defense and not for his former staff and agents who have already been charged in the probe.
During last Thursday’s debate, Walker buckled under pressure from host Mike Gousha to answer the question as to why he hasn’t been more transparent about the John Doe corruption probe. Scott Walker’s Teflon personality must have worn through when he replied that District Attorney John Chisholm requested he remain silent on the issue.
The answer stunned many of those who are familiar with John Doe investigations because a DA would not request a target to remain silent, as anything they would say opens doors to the investigation. The John Doe judge, however, could issue ‘gag’ orders to targets. Walker’s statement was an off the cuff gaffe that confirmed the very real legal troubles he may be facing. Walker also admitted to a $160,000 transfer into his legal defense fund over the last six weeks. Further, Walker stated the fund was for his defense and not for his former staff and agents who have already been charged in the probe.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Barrett Says Walker Would Sign Right to Work Bill, Walker Avoids the Question - YouTube
Barrett Says Walker Would Sign Right to Work Bill, Walker Avoids the Question - YouTube
"Arthur Louis pulled all these clips from last night's debate. In case you missed it, they're really worth watching. Barrett Says Walker Would Sign Right to Work Bill, Walker Avoids the Question" Nicole Desautels Schulte This video clip under 2 minutes. Please Share this with others.
"Arthur Louis pulled all these clips from last night's debate. In case you missed it, they're really worth watching. Barrett Says Walker Would Sign Right to Work Bill, Walker Avoids the Question" Nicole Desautels Schulte This video clip under 2 minutes. Please Share this with others.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
President Bill Clinton and Tom Barrett to Hold Rally in Milwaukee | Wisconsin Politics
President Bill Clinton and Tom Barrett to Hold Rally in Milwaukee | Wisconsin Politics
MILWAUKEE -- U.S. President Bill Clinton will be in Milwaukee on Friday to host an early vote rally in support of Tom Barrett's campaign for Wisconsin governor.
President Clinton and Barrett will appear in Milwaukee on Friday, June 1 at 10:00 AM, to mobilize voters, to put Wisconsin first and put an end to Scott Walker's ideological agenda that has divided the state like never before.
As governor, Tom will end the political turmoil caused by Scott Walker's 'divide-and-conquer' assault on Wisconsin values. Barrett will focus on creating jobs, protecting education, restoring trust in government and fiscal responsibility. Tom will put Wisconsin first, not his own political career.
MILWAUKEE -- U.S. President Bill Clinton will be in Milwaukee on Friday to host an early vote rally in support of Tom Barrett's campaign for Wisconsin governor.
President Clinton and Barrett will appear in Milwaukee on Friday, June 1 at 10:00 AM, to mobilize voters, to put Wisconsin first and put an end to Scott Walker's ideological agenda that has divided the state like never before.
As governor, Tom will end the political turmoil caused by Scott Walker's 'divide-and-conquer' assault on Wisconsin values. Barrett will focus on creating jobs, protecting education, restoring trust in government and fiscal responsibility. Tom will put Wisconsin first, not his own political career.
President Bill Clinton and Tom Barrett to Hold Rally in Milwaukee | Wisconsin Politics
President Bill Clinton and Tom Barrett to Hold Rally in Milwaukee | Wisconsin Politics
MILWAUKEE -- U.S. President Bill Clinton will be in Milwaukee on Friday to host an early vote rally in support of Tom Barrett's campaign for Wisconsin governor.
President Clinton and Barrett will appear in Milwaukee on Friday, June 1 at 10:00 AM, to mobilize voters, to put Wisconsin first and put an end to Scott Walker's ideological agenda that has divided the state like never before.
As governor, Tom will end the political turmoil caused by Scott Walker's 'divide-and-conquer' assault on Wisconsin values. Barrett will focus on creating jobs, protecting education, restoring trust in government and fiscal responsibility. Tom will put Wisconsin first, not his own political career.
MILWAUKEE -- U.S. President Bill Clinton will be in Milwaukee on Friday to host an early vote rally in support of Tom Barrett's campaign for Wisconsin governor.
President Clinton and Barrett will appear in Milwaukee on Friday, June 1 at 10:00 AM, to mobilize voters, to put Wisconsin first and put an end to Scott Walker's ideological agenda that has divided the state like never before.
As governor, Tom will end the political turmoil caused by Scott Walker's 'divide-and-conquer' assault on Wisconsin values. Barrett will focus on creating jobs, protecting education, restoring trust in government and fiscal responsibility. Tom will put Wisconsin first, not his own political career.
Feingold Revs Up Crowd for Barrett | The Progressive
Feingold Revs Up Crowd for Barrett | The Progressive
But Feingold said there are three sufficient reasons for recalling Walker.
“Number one: He committed a surprise attack on the people of Wisconsin,” Feingold said, by going after workers’ rights and voting rights. “These are fundamental rights,” he argued.
“Secondly, the tactics he used were outrageous. They were ruthless,” Feingold said. He mentioned the squelching of debate in the state legislature and the manipulation of the state supreme court. These tactics were “unforgivable,” he said.
“Number three, the governor’s people are under investigation for criminal conduct,” Feingold said.
Each of these reasons, taken alone, would be sufficient to remove Walker from office, Feingold argued.
“If we do not prevail,” he warned, “Scott Walker will have committed the perfect political crime. Don’t let him get away with it.”
But Feingold said there are three sufficient reasons for recalling Walker.
“Number one: He committed a surprise attack on the people of Wisconsin,” Feingold said, by going after workers’ rights and voting rights. “These are fundamental rights,” he argued.
“Secondly, the tactics he used were outrageous. They were ruthless,” Feingold said. He mentioned the squelching of debate in the state legislature and the manipulation of the state supreme court. These tactics were “unforgivable,” he said.
“Number three, the governor’s people are under investigation for criminal conduct,” Feingold said.
Each of these reasons, taken alone, would be sufficient to remove Walker from office, Feingold argued.
“If we do not prevail,” he warned, “Scott Walker will have committed the perfect political crime. Don’t let him get away with it.”
Richest woman in Wis owed no state taxes in 2010 - WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, Sports
Richest woman in Wis owed no state taxes in 2010 - WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, Sports
"State Department of Revenue records show Diane Hendricks' tax obligation dropped from $2.2 million in 2009 to zero in 2010. Hendricks owns ABC Supply Inc., the nation's largest wholesale distributor of roofing, windows and siding. Records show Hendricks had a seven-figure tax bill in 4 of the previous five years.
Hendricks is a financial supporter of conservative causes and has given Walker's campaign more than $500,000. ABC Supply's tax director Scott Bianchini tells the Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/KyJ792 ) the company changed its structure so the profits and the tax obligations stay with the company, not with Hendricks." Read Full Post Here | WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau
"State Department of Revenue records show Diane Hendricks' tax obligation dropped from $2.2 million in 2009 to zero in 2010. Hendricks owns ABC Supply Inc., the nation's largest wholesale distributor of roofing, windows and siding. Records show Hendricks had a seven-figure tax bill in 4 of the previous five years.
Hendricks is a financial supporter of conservative causes and has given Walker's campaign more than $500,000. ABC Supply's tax director Scott Bianchini tells the Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/KyJ792 ) the company changed its structure so the profits and the tax obligations stay with the company, not with Hendricks." Read Full Post Here | WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau
Will Scandal-Plagued Election Clerk Supervise Walker Recall in Key County? | Mother Jones
Will Scandal-Plagued Election Clerk Supervise Walker Recall in Key County? | Mother Jones
Kelly Steele, a spokesman for the labor-backed We Are Wisconsin group, says it would be "criminal" to allow Nickolaus to have any role in the county's June 5 election. "After Kathy Nickolaus earned her reputation as the most incompetent or corrupt election clerk in America, Waukesha County assured the world she would no longer administer elections," Steele says. "All evidence from the May primary suggests she's fully in charge and reporting out results to the world."
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board has also demanded Nickolaus' resignation. "How can the citizens of Waukesha have any confidence that something else won't go wrong in the next election; something that will call into question the results?" the board asked in April. "They can't as long as Nickolaus remains in office." But although Nickolaus has said she won't run for reelection, she remains in her job—and, if the May 5 primary is any indication, she's still supervising elections.
Nickolaus, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas, and Waukesha GOP director Cathy Waller did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Read Full Story Here | Andy Kroll | Mother Jones
Kelly Steele, a spokesman for the labor-backed We Are Wisconsin group, says it would be "criminal" to allow Nickolaus to have any role in the county's June 5 election. "After Kathy Nickolaus earned her reputation as the most incompetent or corrupt election clerk in America, Waukesha County assured the world she would no longer administer elections," Steele says. "All evidence from the May primary suggests she's fully in charge and reporting out results to the world."
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board has also demanded Nickolaus' resignation. "How can the citizens of Waukesha have any confidence that something else won't go wrong in the next election; something that will call into question the results?" the board asked in April. "They can't as long as Nickolaus remains in office." But although Nickolaus has said she won't run for reelection, she remains in her job—and, if the May 5 primary is any indication, she's still supervising elections.
Nickolaus, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas, and Waukesha GOP director Cathy Waller did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Read Full Story Here | Andy Kroll | Mother Jones
Ed Shultz features Senators Risser and Taylor commenting on Voter ID bill - YouTube
Ed Shultz features Senators Risser and Taylor commenting on Voter ID bill - YouTube
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bLqZvxFGgDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bLqZvxFGgDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bLqZvxFGgDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bLqZvxFGgDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Obama’s Wisconsin Betrayal » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Obama’s Wisconsin Betrayal » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Obama needs the people who enthused over him four years ago to enthuse over him again; that’s where the votes are. And so we can count on him trying to reel the base back in. Therefore expect more of what we got two weeks ago on gay marriage: encouraging words. Some of those words may even come packaged in a vaguely populist register.
And why not? There is no percentage, after all, in pissing potential voters off or in offending labor leaders, especially when they are prepared, as always, to mobilize their members to do yeomen’s work in behalf of Democratic candidates. Obama needs the active support of the old lib-lab coalition; he knows that without it Democrats will get “shellacked” again, and he along with them.
But the last thing he or Wasserman Schultz or any other national Democrat wants is for the people to call the shots. It’s not just that they want to run the goings on from the top down as in 2008. More than that, they want to make sure that popular mobilizations don’t get out of control – to the point that they threaten the interests of the fraction of the one-percent whose favor Obama and the DNC assiduously court. Read Full Article Here | Counterpunch:
Obama needs the people who enthused over him four years ago to enthuse over him again; that’s where the votes are. And so we can count on him trying to reel the base back in. Therefore expect more of what we got two weeks ago on gay marriage: encouraging words. Some of those words may even come packaged in a vaguely populist register.
And why not? There is no percentage, after all, in pissing potential voters off or in offending labor leaders, especially when they are prepared, as always, to mobilize their members to do yeomen’s work in behalf of Democratic candidates. Obama needs the active support of the old lib-lab coalition; he knows that without it Democrats will get “shellacked” again, and he along with them.
But the last thing he or Wasserman Schultz or any other national Democrat wants is for the people to call the shots. It’s not just that they want to run the goings on from the top down as in 2008. More than that, they want to make sure that popular mobilizations don’t get out of control – to the point that they threaten the interests of the fraction of the one-percent whose favor Obama and the DNC assiduously court. Read Full Article Here | Counterpunch:
Dem poll: Walker recall battle is a dead heat - The Plum Line - The Washington Post
Dem poll: Walker recall battle is a dead heat - The Plum Line - The Washington Post
"Today’s poll — like polling released by the other side — should be evaluated as part of the ongoing spin war over the course of the recall campaign, which is designed to help influence the outcome, or at least to prevent public polling from creating premature impressions that the race is over.
Indeed, even neutral Wisconsin political observers believe that public polling of this race may not be predictive, since turnout in a mid-year gubernatorial recall election is impossible to anticipate. What’s more, in this case turnout is expected to be far higher than in the 2010 election that installed Walker in power in the first place."
"Today’s poll — like polling released by the other side — should be evaluated as part of the ongoing spin war over the course of the recall campaign, which is designed to help influence the outcome, or at least to prevent public polling from creating premature impressions that the race is over.
Indeed, even neutral Wisconsin political observers believe that public polling of this race may not be predictive, since turnout in a mid-year gubernatorial recall election is impossible to anticipate. What’s more, in this case turnout is expected to be far higher than in the 2010 election that installed Walker in power in the first place."
Author outlines 'John Doe' investigation - The Lakeland Times - Minocqua, Wisc.
Author outlines 'John Doe' investigation - The Lakeland Times - Minocqua, Wisc.
Now if just one Walker associate was charged, then I might think, "OK, that's too bad." If two were charged I might think, "Interesting, but it could happen." If three were charged then I might think, "That's an interesting coincidence." But when six people who were hired, appointed or directly associated with Scott Walker and his campaign are charged and two are already convicted, then it is no longer a coincidence. It is a reflection of the kind of corrupt culture Walker was fostering in his administration. It begs the question, what did Walker know about all these shenanigans? If he is so oblivious to these disreputable and dishonest activities going on around him, as close as 25 feet from his office, what kind of an administrator is he?
Now if just one Walker associate was charged, then I might think, "OK, that's too bad." If two were charged I might think, "Interesting, but it could happen." If three were charged then I might think, "That's an interesting coincidence." But when six people who were hired, appointed or directly associated with Scott Walker and his campaign are charged and two are already convicted, then it is no longer a coincidence. It is a reflection of the kind of corrupt culture Walker was fostering in his administration. It begs the question, what did Walker know about all these shenanigans? If he is so oblivious to these disreputable and dishonest activities going on around him, as close as 25 feet from his office, what kind of an administrator is he?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
We Are Wisconsin » Volunteer
We Are Wisconsin » Volunteer
If you live in Wisconsin, then sign up here or click on the Google Map below to see a list of offices where you can help recall Scott Walker!
(If you live outside Wisconsin or are not near any of the offices below, you can still help – sign up here to make phone calls from home!)
If you live in Wisconsin, then sign up here or click on the Google Map below to see a list of offices where you can help recall Scott Walker!
(If you live outside Wisconsin or are not near any of the offices below, you can still help – sign up here to make phone calls from home!)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Wisconsin recall election: Scott Walker’s fate will have November implications - The Washington Post
Wisconsin recall election: Scott Walker’s fate will have November implications - The Washington Post
Bruce Colburn, a vice president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Service Employees International Union, said those from outside Wisconsin do not fully understand the dynamic at work in the state, which he said is unlike any he has seen over many years. He said the petition drive alone, which produced 900,000 signatures when only 600,000 were needed, should have proved to doubters the power at the grass roots.
“This is really beyond a party, beyond a national leader, beyond any union,” he said. “This really has been a movement to resist the direction that Walker and the rest of his regime were trying to take the state of Wisconsin. . . . We’re living in a Wisconsin that’s been made over the last 18 months.”
What he describes is a Wisconsin so divided over Walker that friends and family members find themselves on opposite sides of battle and no longer talking to one another. It is a Wisconsin where small call centers, such as the one where Bradtke spends part of his week, are populated with people on both sides who feel passionately about the outcome and its implications.
Bruce Colburn, a vice president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Service Employees International Union, said those from outside Wisconsin do not fully understand the dynamic at work in the state, which he said is unlike any he has seen over many years. He said the petition drive alone, which produced 900,000 signatures when only 600,000 were needed, should have proved to doubters the power at the grass roots.
“This is really beyond a party, beyond a national leader, beyond any union,” he said. “This really has been a movement to resist the direction that Walker and the rest of his regime were trying to take the state of Wisconsin. . . . We’re living in a Wisconsin that’s been made over the last 18 months.”
What he describes is a Wisconsin so divided over Walker that friends and family members find themselves on opposite sides of battle and no longer talking to one another. It is a Wisconsin where small call centers, such as the one where Bradtke spends part of his week, are populated with people on both sides who feel passionately about the outcome and its implications.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Walker Crawls into Shell after Anemic Debate Performance | Wisconsin Politics
Walker Crawls into Shell after Anemic Debate Performance | Wisconsin Politics
After the debate, Walker dodged reporters and quickly left the venue, leaving spokeswoman Ciara Mathews to deal with the aftermath. It seemed as for the first time, the mainstream media did their job and not laydown for Scott Walker when they repeatedly grilled her on the question of whether or not Scott Walker will release his schedule from the past year, in which he met with billionaire donors, gave speeches and attended out of state fundraisers before the June 5th election. A recent investigative report showed Walker traveling around the country, using personal time far more than he was in state working or meeting with citizens.
Mathews appeared to resemble a deer caught in the headlights when asked 3 or 4 times on the subject, and each time she evaded answering the question, until finally acknowledging there will be no information forthcoming.
Those on the right are claiming Walker played it safe, but in truth, that’s all Walker had and when he ran out of talking points, tried to end the debate early by skipping the last question. This debate put Scott Walker’s character on display for all to see that he cannot be trusted to be honest or forthcoming with the citizens, and that his loyalty is not to the state, but special interests.
After the debate, Walker dodged reporters and quickly left the venue, leaving spokeswoman Ciara Mathews to deal with the aftermath. It seemed as for the first time, the mainstream media did their job and not laydown for Scott Walker when they repeatedly grilled her on the question of whether or not Scott Walker will release his schedule from the past year, in which he met with billionaire donors, gave speeches and attended out of state fundraisers before the June 5th election. A recent investigative report showed Walker traveling around the country, using personal time far more than he was in state working or meeting with citizens.
Mathews appeared to resemble a deer caught in the headlights when asked 3 or 4 times on the subject, and each time she evaded answering the question, until finally acknowledging there will be no information forthcoming.
Those on the right are claiming Walker played it safe, but in truth, that’s all Walker had and when he ran out of talking points, tried to end the debate early by skipping the last question. This debate put Scott Walker’s character on display for all to see that he cannot be trusted to be honest or forthcoming with the citizens, and that his loyalty is not to the state, but special interests.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Conservatives used to care about community. What happened? - E.J. Dionne Jr. | The Washington Post
Conservatives used to care about community. What happened? - The Washington Post
"For much of our history, Americans — even in our most quarrelsome moments — have avoided the kind of polarized politics we have now. We did so because we understood that it is when we balance our individualism with a sense of communal obligation that we are most ourselves as Americans. The 20th century was built on this balance, and we will once again prove the prophets of U.S. decline wrong if we can refresh and build upon that tradition. But doing so will require conservatives to abandon untempered individualism, which betrays what conservatism has been and should be." E.J. Dionne Jr.
Read More Here | The Washington Post
"For much of our history, Americans — even in our most quarrelsome moments — have avoided the kind of polarized politics we have now. We did so because we understood that it is when we balance our individualism with a sense of communal obligation that we are most ourselves as Americans. The 20th century was built on this balance, and we will once again prove the prophets of U.S. decline wrong if we can refresh and build upon that tradition. But doing so will require conservatives to abandon untempered individualism, which betrays what conservatism has been and should be." E.J. Dionne Jr.
Read More Here | The Washington Post
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Amazing video of Wisconsin protests - YouTube
Amazing video of Wisconsin protests - YouTube
Uploaded by RTAmerica
on Feb 16, 2011
Over 13,000 angry union supporters
gathered at the capital building in Madison, Wisconsin for a 17-hour
public hearing on the issue. The protestors are calling for opposition
to the bill, and an end to Walker's governorship as a whole. YouTube
Link to other historic Wisconsin Protest Videos....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XlUsoM4ruQ&feature=fvwrel
Link to other historic Wisconsin Protest Videos....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XlUsoM4ruQ&feature=fvwrel
New Hampshire Proposes To Hand Off Its Male Prison Population To A Private Prison Company | ThinkProgress
New Hampshire Proposes To Hand Off Its Male Prison Population To A Private Prison Company | ThinkProgress
"Although corporate-run prison systems are often touted as an effective way to cut costs, prison privatization — which has negative effects on prisoners and their families and impedes criminal justice reform as a whole — doesn’t actually end up saving taxpayers money. And, as ThinkProgress has reported, when companies profit by incarcerating people, they often spend millions on lobbying legislatures to put more people in jail simply to increase their profits.
Florida also recently proposed to expand its private prisons, a measure that was voted down in the state senate earlier this year. Unless New Hampshire also decides against their new for-profit prison plan, the state may be about to go down on the wrong side of history."
"Although corporate-run prison systems are often touted as an effective way to cut costs, prison privatization — which has negative effects on prisoners and their families and impedes criminal justice reform as a whole — doesn’t actually end up saving taxpayers money. And, as ThinkProgress has reported, when companies profit by incarcerating people, they often spend millions on lobbying legislatures to put more people in jail simply to increase their profits.
Florida also recently proposed to expand its private prisons, a measure that was voted down in the state senate earlier this year. Unless New Hampshire also decides against their new for-profit prison plan, the state may be about to go down on the wrong side of history."
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Police surround us and detain us in Chicago - YouTube
Police surround us and detain us in Chicago - YouTube
Published on May 20, 2012 by Timcasts
After hearing out place was surrounded
by police under suspicious circumstances we were worried about tampering
with our equipment. On our way back we were surrounded by unmarked
police cars, they approached us with their guns drawn, cuffed, and
interrogated us. They took everyones IDs but mine. View video here | YouTube<iframe width="375" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0V9jP6zg4po" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
CMD Applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's Move to Distance Himself from Corporate-Funded ALEC Scholarships, Asks That He Renounce ALEC Membership | Center for Media and Democracy
CMD Applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's Move to Distance Himself from Corporate-Funded ALEC Scholarships, Asks That He Renounce ALEC Membership | Center for Media and Democracy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2012
CONTACT: Sara Jerving, sara@prwatch.org
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's move to distance himself from the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) "scholarship" program, and is asking that he now renounce his membership in the organization.
CMD filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board (GAB) in March describing how the so-called ALEC "scholarship fund" that pays for ALEC member legislators' travel to resorts for ALEC meetings is funded entirely by corporations. CMD asked the GAB to issue a public ruling that these gifts violate Wisconsin's ethics and lobbying laws, which prohibit elected officials from accepting anything of value -- even a cup of coffee -- from corporations that employ lobbyists in the state. Wanggaard has insisted that he has never accepted a corporate-funded plane ticket or hotel room through his membership in ALEC, the controversial group responsible for policies that attack working people and environmental protections, and has pushed laws like Stand Your Ground/Shoot First. Read More Here | Center for Media and Democracy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2012
CONTACT: Sara Jerving, sara@prwatch.org
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's move to distance himself from the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) "scholarship" program, and is asking that he now renounce his membership in the organization.
CMD filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board (GAB) in March describing how the so-called ALEC "scholarship fund" that pays for ALEC member legislators' travel to resorts for ALEC meetings is funded entirely by corporations. CMD asked the GAB to issue a public ruling that these gifts violate Wisconsin's ethics and lobbying laws, which prohibit elected officials from accepting anything of value -- even a cup of coffee -- from corporations that employ lobbyists in the state. Wanggaard has insisted that he has never accepted a corporate-funded plane ticket or hotel room through his membership in ALEC, the controversial group responsible for policies that attack working people and environmental protections, and has pushed laws like Stand Your Ground/Shoot First. Read More Here | Center for Media and Democracy
Will Oregon Dems Reject Drug War Politics? | The Nation
Will Oregon Dems Reject Drug War Politics? | The Nation " Democratic primary voters in Pennsylvania recently removed two “Blue Dog” congressmen who sided with the Republicans on key issues in Washington. If the trend spreads to Oregon, and beyond, it could play a critical role in defining the Democratic party as a more committed and energetic force not just in politics but in the governing of communities, states and the nation." Read More Here | The Nation
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Preying on the Poor | The Nation
Preying on the Poor | The Nation "The poster case for government persecution of the down-and-out would have to be Edwina Nowlin, a homeless Michigan woman who was jailed in 2009 for failing to pay $104 a month to cover the room-and-board charges for her 16-year-old son’s incarceration. When she received a back paycheck, she thought it would allow her to pay for her son’s jail stay. Instead, it was confiscated and applied to the cost of her own incarceration."
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mining Companies Invade Wisconsin for Frac-Sand « EcoWatch: Uniting the Voice of the Grassroots Environmental Movement
Mining Companies Invade Wisconsin for Frac-Sand « EcoWatch: Uniting the Voice of the Grassroots Environmental Movement
The recent boom in hydrofracking for natural gas and oil has resulted in a little-reported side boom—a sand-rush in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota, where we just happen to have the nation’s richest, most accessible supply of the high-quality silica sand required for fracking operations.
Unfortunately, most of that silica sand lies beneath our beautiful wooded hills and fertile farmland, and within agricultural and residential communities, all of which are now being ripped apart by sand mines interests eager to get at the riches below. This open pit mining is, in many respects, similar to the mountaintop removal going on in Appalachian coal country—except that here, it’s hilltop and farm field removal. The net effect on our landscape, natural resources and communities is quickly becoming devastating. In the past few months, the sand rush has come to my own rural neighborhood in Dunn County, Wisconsin, which is about an hour east of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Like many residents in Dunn County, I’m concerned about the speed and intensity with which frac-sand mining interests are moving into our area. The proposals and applications for mines and related infrastructure are coming in so fast (our region has seen dozens just in the past few months), most small towns have been totally overwhelmed. Organizations trying to map and report all the activity literally cannot keep up with the incoming data.
Attend the presentations where these land prospectors and
mining-company reps make their case, and you’ll hear a lot of vague
reassurances. They say that the traffic, noise, water impacts, air
pollution and carcinogenic silica-sand dust “won’t be a problem.”
They’ll be “good neighbors,” they say, and leave everything better than
it was before. The open-pit mines will eventually be “reclaimed,” they
say, and in the meantime, the development will spur job growth and other
economic boons.
Those of us who have been researching the industry and looking at similar developments in communities where this activity is underway see plenty of reason to doubt those reassurances. We also question whether this glut of mining-related activity could wind up squelching the kind of economic development that would do our area a lot more good over the long haul.
Those who are deeply invested in this community, who made the effort
to move to this area, or who gratefully hung onto the land passed on to
them by their parents or grandparents, did so primarily for one reason:
because this was a beautiful, peaceful, fertile place where they wanted
to make a home, raise a family, have a farm or grow a business. Read and View More Images Here | EcoWatch:
The recent boom in hydrofracking for natural gas and oil has resulted in a little-reported side boom—a sand-rush in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota, where we just happen to have the nation’s richest, most accessible supply of the high-quality silica sand required for fracking operations.
Unfortunately, most of that silica sand lies beneath our beautiful wooded hills and fertile farmland, and within agricultural and residential communities, all of which are now being ripped apart by sand mines interests eager to get at the riches below. This open pit mining is, in many respects, similar to the mountaintop removal going on in Appalachian coal country—except that here, it’s hilltop and farm field removal. The net effect on our landscape, natural resources and communities is quickly becoming devastating. In the past few months, the sand rush has come to my own rural neighborhood in Dunn County, Wisconsin, which is about an hour east of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Like many residents in Dunn County, I’m concerned about the speed and intensity with which frac-sand mining interests are moving into our area. The proposals and applications for mines and related infrastructure are coming in so fast (our region has seen dozens just in the past few months), most small towns have been totally overwhelmed. Organizations trying to map and report all the activity literally cannot keep up with the incoming data.
Superior Silica Sands Mine-Town of Auburn-Chippewa Co. Photo by Jim Tittle.
Those of us who have been researching the industry and looking at similar developments in communities where this activity is underway see plenty of reason to doubt those reassurances. We also question whether this glut of mining-related activity could wind up squelching the kind of economic development that would do our area a lot more good over the long haul.
EOG Processing Plant-Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Co. Photo by Jim Tittle.
Scott Walker Using $100 Million Of Taxpayer Money To Fight Off Recall? - Forbes
Scott Walker Using $100 Million Of Taxpayer Money To Fight Off Recall? - Forbes
As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker heads into the final stretch in his effort to hang onto his job, he is finding it increasingly more difficult to make his case honestly— or without using huge sums of taxpayer money to sway voters.
While life would likely have easier for the Governor had collective bargaining remained the key issue of the campaign, now that the election has become largely about Walker’s record on job creation, the polls reveal that things are becoming increasingly more difficult for Scott Walker. Wisconsin currently competes with Nevada for the dubious title of worst job creator in the nation, resulting in the polls tightening into a dead heat, leaving the Governor with reason to be worried. Read More Here | Forbes
/09/2012 @ 2:23PM |96 views
Scott Walker Using $100 Million Of Taxpayer Money To Fight Off Recall?
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While life would likely have easier for the Governor had collective bargaining remained the key issue of the campaign, now that the election has become largely about Walker’s record on job creation, the polls reveal that things are becoming increasingly more difficult for Scott Walker. Wisconsin currently competes with Nevada for the dubious title of worst job creator in the nation, resulting in the polls tightening into a dead heat, leaving the Governor with reason to be worried. Read More Here | Forbes
Page In Progress | Getting Started on line.... Recommended FB sources
This page is in progress..... I will be adding links to pages I am recommending as information sources. many of these are sources that have provided me with information and news I have found useful and trustworthy.
Firedoglake | https://www.facebook.com/FireDogLake
Firedoglake | https://www.facebook.com/FireDogLake
Silencing Communities: How the Fracking Industry Keeps Its Secrets
Silencing Communities: How the Fracking Industry Keeps Its Secrets
"Rogers" is not the family's real name, it's a pseudonym offered by Simona Perry, an applied anthropologist who cannot reveal the family's identity. Perry has been working with rural families living amid Pennsylvania's gas boom since 2009. Mrs. Rogers initially agreed to participate in a study Perry was conducting on rural families living near fracking operations. She later called Perry in tears, explaining that her family could no longer participate in the study because of the nondisclosure clause in the surface-use agreement. She told Perry she felt stupid for signing the agreement and has realized she had a good life without the money the fracking company paid them to use their land.
Perry has been working with and collecting data on rural families living amid Pennsylvania's gas boom since 2009 and she told Truthout that the Rogers were not the only family who could not share their experiences due to nondisclosure agreements. Perry said the nondisclosure agreements prevent doctors and researchers from gathering valuable data on the health and environmental impacts of fracking and have a chilling effect on people and communities living near the rigs. Read More Here | Truthout
"Rogers" is not the family's real name, it's a pseudonym offered by Simona Perry, an applied anthropologist who cannot reveal the family's identity. Perry has been working with rural families living amid Pennsylvania's gas boom since 2009. Mrs. Rogers initially agreed to participate in a study Perry was conducting on rural families living near fracking operations. She later called Perry in tears, explaining that her family could no longer participate in the study because of the nondisclosure clause in the surface-use agreement. She told Perry she felt stupid for signing the agreement and has realized she had a good life without the money the fracking company paid them to use their land.
Perry has been working with and collecting data on rural families living amid Pennsylvania's gas boom since 2009 and she told Truthout that the Rogers were not the only family who could not share their experiences due to nondisclosure agreements. Perry said the nondisclosure agreements prevent doctors and researchers from gathering valuable data on the health and environmental impacts of fracking and have a chilling effect on people and communities living near the rigs. Read More Here | Truthout
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wisconsin Recall Primaries: What to Watch for Today | The Nation
The Capital in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Barbara Rodriguez)
Wisconsin Recall Primaries: What to Watch for Today | The Nation
The Wisconsin uprising against Governor Scott Walker’s assaults on union rights, public education and public services spawned a recall movement that has forced Walker and his political allies to face new elections. And the first of these takes place today, with Democratic and Republican primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and four state Senate seats.
So what should we watch for today? Read More Here | The Nation
Monday, May 7, 2012
Monologues of Dissent: Why the Recall Primary Matters: Vote Tuesday May 8
Monologues of Dissent: Why the Recall Primary Matters: Vote Tuesday May 8
Even if you are on the fence (as I was until I voted early last week) about the gubernatorial candidates and just want to support "the winner" of the Dem primary, you need to vote tomorrow for Mahlon Mitchell for Lieutenant Governor. Rebecca "For Real" Kleefisch is NOT on the ballot because no one opposed her as a Republican. This means she will automatically appear on the June 5 ballot and Republicans are "free" to vote for the fake Dem on the ticket, Isaac Weix. So we need every vote we can get to ensure that this election is not stolen by those who prefer legal election tampering to respecting the will of the people. Read More Here | Monologues of Dissent:
You have an obligation to be part of the solution. Voting is not optional.
 |
| Vote for Mahlon Mitchell. |
California GMO Labeling Initiative Headed for Ballot: Right to Know Campaign Turns... -- SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
California GMO Labeling Initiative Headed for Ballot: Right to Know Campaign Turns... -- SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In victory rallies across state today, supporters celebrated as the California Right to Know campaign filed 971,126 signatures for the state's first-ever ballot initiative to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. The huge signature haul, gathered in a 10-week period, is nearly double the 555,236 signatures the campaign needs to qualify for the November ballot.
If passed this November, Californians will join citizens of over 40 countries including all of Europe, Japan and even China who have the right to know whether they are eating genetically engineered food.
"I am so proud of the army of volunteers, many of them mothers and grandmothers, who stood tireless in the rain and cold to gather signatures," said Pamm Larry, a former midwife, farmer and longtime Chico resident, who initiated the California Right to Know campaign through her group Label GMOs. "Thousands of volunteers across the state contributed to this victory. The people of California have spoken: we will have the right to know what we're eating and no one will stop us."
"This bumper crop of signatures is a testament to the desire of Californians to know what's really in our food," said Grant Lundberg, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms and a third generation rice farmer and food processor. "It is a rich harvest of support for the right to know and the right to choose." Read More Here | SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In victory rallies across state today, supporters celebrated as the California Right to Know campaign filed 971,126 signatures for the state's first-ever ballot initiative to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. The huge signature haul, gathered in a 10-week period, is nearly double the 555,236 signatures the campaign needs to qualify for the November ballot.
If passed this November, Californians will join citizens of over 40 countries including all of Europe, Japan and even China who have the right to know whether they are eating genetically engineered food.
"I am so proud of the army of volunteers, many of them mothers and grandmothers, who stood tireless in the rain and cold to gather signatures," said Pamm Larry, a former midwife, farmer and longtime Chico resident, who initiated the California Right to Know campaign through her group Label GMOs. "Thousands of volunteers across the state contributed to this victory. The people of California have spoken: we will have the right to know what we're eating and no one will stop us."
"This bumper crop of signatures is a testament to the desire of Californians to know what's really in our food," said Grant Lundberg, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms and a third generation rice farmer and food processor. "It is a rich harvest of support for the right to know and the right to choose." Read More Here | SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
ACTION ALERT: Tell Kathy Nickolaus: Step Down and Keep Your Hands Off Our Votes | Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op
ACTION ALERT: Tell Kathy Nickolaus: Step Down and Keep Your Hands Off Our Votes | Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op
Last September, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board concluded that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus had indeed violated state law by failing to report 14,000 ballots from Brookfield on election night April 5, 2011 for the Supreme Court race between David Prosser and Joanne Kloppenburg. GAB Board Chair Thomas H. Barland stated, “This action has significantly undermined public confidence in the conduct of elections in Wisconsin and Waukesha County. As a result, state and local election officials, and you in particular, will have to regain the trust of the Wisconsin electorate in the administration of elections in Wisconsin and Waukesha County.”
Despite breaking the law, Nickolaus was not charged, and not even punished. According to Dane County prosecutor Timothy Verhoff, who investigated the incident, Nickolaus’ crime was deemed an “honest mistake” and she walked away with a little more than a hand slap. Read More and See More phots Here | Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op
Menomonee Falls ballot bag: winged and duct taped. April 2011 Supreme Court Recount in Waukesha County
Last September, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board concluded that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus had indeed violated state law by failing to report 14,000 ballots from Brookfield on election night April 5, 2011 for the Supreme Court race between David Prosser and Joanne Kloppenburg. GAB Board Chair Thomas H. Barland stated, “This action has significantly undermined public confidence in the conduct of elections in Wisconsin and Waukesha County. As a result, state and local election officials, and you in particular, will have to regain the trust of the Wisconsin electorate in the administration of elections in Wisconsin and Waukesha County.”
Despite breaking the law, Nickolaus was not charged, and not even punished. According to Dane County prosecutor Timothy Verhoff, who investigated the incident, Nickolaus’ crime was deemed an “honest mistake” and she walked away with a little more than a hand slap. Read More and See More phots Here | Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op
What Wisconsin Voters Need to Know for Recall Primaries | Government Accountability Board
What Wisconsin Voters Need to Know for Recall Primaries | Government Accountability Board Crossing Party Lines – Because each recall primary is a separate election event, voters may cross parties in the recall primary, but they may still only vote once per office. For example, in the Governor’s primary, you may only vote for one person, either a Republican or a Democratic candidate. There are only Democratic primaries for Lt. Governor and State Senate. Read More Here. Government Accountability Board
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
The BRAD BLOG : WI UPDATES: Nickolaus Both In AND Out?; Photo ID Disenfranchisment in Recalls Definitely Out; Secret Vote Counts on Flawed E-Systems Still In
The BRAD BLOG : WI UPDATES: Nickolaus Both In AND Out?; Photo ID Disenfranchisment in Recalls Definitely Out; Secret Vote Counts on Flawed E-Systems Still In
Just in case some had been resting a bit easier about recall election results for Waukesha County, based on previous reports --- and in the event that anybody had missed our prior warnings about both the Nickolaus-Yeager axis and the continuing concerns about the oft-failed, easily-gamed e-voting systems in use in Waukesha (and elsewhere in the state) --- you've now been put on notice once again. Read More Here | The BRAD BLOG
Just in case some had been resting a bit easier about recall election results for Waukesha County, based on previous reports --- and in the event that anybody had missed our prior warnings about both the Nickolaus-Yeager axis and the continuing concerns about the oft-failed, easily-gamed e-voting systems in use in Waukesha (and elsewhere in the state) --- you've now been put on notice once again. Read More Here | The BRAD BLOG
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