Wisconsin: Stand Strong

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The Republican Governor’s Association has launched a website called “Stand With Scott.” That’s Scott as in Scott Walker; I guess it’s illogical to say “Stand With Walker.” Anyway, as it says at The Note, the site features “pledges of support from GOP Governors Rick Perry of Texas, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Bob McDonnell of Virginia.”

You hear that, Wisconsin? Southern states want you to be just like them! The GOP wants to turn Wisconsin into North Mississippi!

However, Republicans governors of states that were not once part of the Confederacy appear to be backing away from Walker and his union-busting scheme. Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, and even Gov. Rick Scott of Florida — southern, but never Confederate — are making noises about “right to work” laws not being a big priority right now.

Even Chris Christie of New Jersey, about as anti-teacher’s unions as they come, said this morning that public employees should still be able to collectively bargain. If Christie isn’t going to try to bust teachers’ unions, seems to me that’s a pretty good indicator that the momentum is with the unions.

However, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are not Ohio and Indiana. And according to WaPo‘s right-wing blogger Jennifer Rubin, by distancing himself from union busting, Mitch Daniels has killed any chance of being the GOP presidential nominee in 2012.

In short, Daniels caved, perhaps the surest sign yet that he’s not running for president or doesn’t understand what conservatives expect of a presidential candidate. . . . As one very smart Republican insider put it, “I guess Mitch really isn’t running.” Two other Republican operatives weighed in that they, too, thought this was the end of Daniels’ presidential ambitions. I wonder how all those who fawned over his CPAC speech feel now that he’s essentially conceded his position to the unions. Moreover, this represents a personal flip-flop of Mitt Romneyian dimensions, given Daniels’s previous statements and stance on the fiscal harm caused by public-employee unions. . . Meanwhile, Walker rose to the occasion and improved his standing among conservatives.

I absolutely agree that the Republicans should nominate a guy with a clear record of union busting. I’d love to see Michelle Obama in another stunning inauguration gown.

In the past couple of days a number of polls have come out (the most recent from the Associated Press) indicating that most of the public gets it. Yes, they want to see public employees make some sacrifices, but they are opposed to busting the unions.

Today’s word, boys and girls, is “overreach.”

Meanwhile — although Mitch Daniels has backed off, Republicans in the Indiana legislature are still pushing a bill that would bust private sector unions. Dem Indiana legislators are mostly remaining out of state, although it’s not clear that would prevent anti-union legislation from being passed. One Dem legislator told a reporter that he hoped the delaying tactic would give the people of Indiana time to learn what the Republicans are trying to pull.

And union members are rallying in Columbus, Ohio, in opposition to a bill that would strip collective bargaining rights from state employees. For a time yesterday, protesters were locked out of the statehouse. The doors were opened again when Dems threatened to get a court order.

Other related items, filed under “get a brain, morans” —

Someone in Madison evoked the famous saying of the Rev. Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

Some versions of this quote put the sentences in a different order, with “Jews” coming before “Trade Unionists.”

The terminally dense John Tabin of The American Spectator chose this sign as the “craziest” in the crowd, adding, “I’m fairly sure that Governor doesn’t plan on building death camps, but if I find any evidence to the contrary I’ll be sure to report on it.” I doubt he’s building death camps, either, but the point that the Right collectively is pulling America into fascism is well taken. Fascism can’t tolerate unions.

The Right’s demonization of Muslims, IMO, bears an uncanny resemblance to the way a certain German political party of the 1930s demonized Jews. But if one must have demonization of Jews to see evidence of fascism, just the other day Glenn Beck dumped Reformed Judaism into the same category as “radical Islam.”

If the shoe fits, dude …

See also Tim Fernholz, “Bait and Switch.”

12 thoughts on “Wisconsin: Stand Strong”

  2. I’d just like to add that I normally don’t like the kind of thing I linked to above. I hate practical jokes, so I don’t usually like something like this.

    But, this is not carefully edited material of some poor schlub that the right has set-up and made to look bad so they can help to take the fall for some hated program that helps empower other people – this appears to be unedited, and is the Governor of WI who thinks he’s talking to the real David Koch.

    On top of all of his usual BS about the unions, some insight into him and his plans, he also couldn’t resist the temptation to be sexist when, after talking about appearing on “Morning Joe,” the fake Koch said this:

    Koch: “Beautiful; beautiful. You gotta love that Mika Brzezinski; she’s a real piece of ass.”
    Walker: “Oh yeah.”

    Of course, when a billionaire says something to you, no matter how sexist, especially if you think he’s one of the brothers who basically paid to put you into the Governorship, well, I suppose I’d say, “Oh yeah,” too.
    I wouldn’t want them thinking I was some sort of a “nancy-boy.” I doubt that the Koch-sucker brothers would finance the re-election of someone they thought was a real co… Well, you get the idea.

  4. TPM has the story that Walker has confirmed that it’s true. Ok, I’ve gotta listen to this. WOW.

  5. OT – Here’s Indiana Deputy AG Jeff Cox advocating using live ammo against WI protesters.
    http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/indiana-dep-ag-use-live-ammunition-against-wisconsin-protesters.php?ref=fpb

    I don’t know, maybe he never wrote this and they got this guy’s twitter account confused with the one for Gadaffi?
    What do you think?

    Nope, it is him.
    He tried to smack the liberal responding by saying that Planned Parenthood could help itself if the abortions it performed were retroactive.
    I don’t know what Gadaffi’s position on abortion is, but I don’t think they have Planned Parenthood in Libya.

  7. I apologize. I just found out that the transcript about Mika was incorrect, and that’s not what was said. Sorry if I misled anyone.

    I guess Mrs. Governor Walker is happy about that, too.
    And I would guess he is as well.

  8. Does Anybody Else see the similarities between Wisconsin and Egypt?

    I do. Americans have put up with so much for so long, and then we see the Egyptians peacefully bring down their complete tool (in multiple senses) of a president, and a week later huge crowds of Americans finally stand up to a complete tool (see above) of a governor. Right away I thought, Oh, thank you, people of Egypt!

    I’m hoping the similarities to Libya are purely superficial– as in, the propensity for each Worthless Leader to say crazy things. Although… any word on whose side the Wisconsin state troopers are on by now?

  9. I like the Walker tapes..Notice how Walker got more excited talking about Reagan firing the PATCO union members than he did talking about Mika’s total hotness. It was a very engorging conversation for him with his buddies when he gets to unabashedly venerate St. Ronnie as he heads into battle. Joan of Arc revisited with visions from on high?

  10. I know I’m beating a dead horse, here, but here’s my real FAVORITE LINE. This from the Buffalo Beast website:

    “Carpenter’s quote made me wonder: who could get through to Gov. Walker? Well, what do we know about Walker and his proposed union-busting, no-bid budget? The obvious candidate was David Koch.

    I first called at 11:30 am CST, and eventually got through to a young, male receptionist who, upon hearing the magic name Koch, immediately transferred me to Executive Assistant Governor Dorothy Moore.

    “We’ve met before, Dorothy,” I nudged. “I really need to talk to Scott—Governor Walker.” She said that, yes, she thought she had met Koch, and that the name was “familiar.” But she insisted that Walker was detained in a meeting and couldn’t get away. She asked about the nature of my call. I balked, “I just needed to speak with the Governor. He knows what this is about,” I said. She told me to call back at noon, and she’d have a better idea of when he would be free.

    I called at noon and was quickly transferred to Moore, who then transferred me to Walker’s Chief of Staff Keith Gilkes. He was “expecting my call.”

    “David!” he said with an audible smile.

    I politely said hello, not knowing how friendly Gilkes and Koch may be. He was eager to help. “I was really hoping to talk directly to Scott,” I said. He said that could be arranged and that I should just leave my number. I explained to Gilkes, “My goddamn maid, Maria, put my phone in the washer. I’d have her deported, but she works for next to nothing.” Gilkes found this amusing. “I’m calling from the VOID—with the VOID, or whatever it’s called. You know, the Snype!”

    “Gotcha,” Gilkes said. “Let me check the schedule here…OK, there’s an opening at 2 o’clock Central Standard Time. Just call this same number and we’ll put you through.”

    So, they thought it was David Koch because he sounded authentic when he said he was going to deport his maid for putting his phone in the washing machine, but that she works for next to nothing.

    Good to know, for anyone wanting to punk anyone else as a Koch brother. Or any other Conservative scion.

  11. I hear Glenn Beck had his brain explode on air. Fortunately, it was a small charge and nobody else was injured.

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