Tucked into Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) much-discussed budget was a little-noticed provision to overhaul the state’s regulation of the beer industry. In a state long associated with beer, the provision will make it much more difficult for the Wisconsin’s burgeoning craft breweries to operate and expand their business by barring them from selling directly to restaurants and liquor stores, and preventing them from selling their own product onsite.
The new provision treats craft brewers — the 60 of whom make up just 5 percent of the beer market in Wisconsin — like corporate mega-brewers, forcing them to use a wholesale distributor to market their product. Under the provision, it would be illegal, for instance, for a small brewer located near a restaurant to walk next door to deliver a case of beer. They’ll have to hire a middle man to do it instead.
But more noteworthy than the provision itself is how it was enacted. The provision was quietly slipped in the massive budget legislation without any consultation from independent craft brewers, who are justifiably outraged by it. One group that clearly did have input, however, is one of the world’s largest beer makers — MillerCoors:
Library of Congress
Elsewhere — even I think the media’s reaction to the release of Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial emails is way over the top. Moosewoman is not only old news; she not really a politician any more. She’s more like an entertainer whose act is politics as performance art.
More on the Newt Implosion — the staffers who resigned felt Newt and Callista were more interested in selling books and films than in running for office. See also Chris Cillizza’s “Fall of the House of Newt.”
Finally, there’s a lot of buzz that Rick Perry will step in to fill the much-needed void left by Newt. Yes, I’m sure America is ready to elect another governor from Texas, especially one with this history. What’s one more clown in the clown car, I say.
Beer?
Beer.
Beer?
Beer!!!
Usually, messin’ with a guy’s or a gal’s beer is like messin’ wid their Mama.
But, we’re talking about elitist, Liberal, CRAFTED beer, here, so the moronic rabble who voted for Walker and his ilk won’t be effected.
They think ‘haute cuisine’ is their Aunt’s mighty fine lookin’ daughter.
To them, the rancid piss-water that Bud/Coors/Miller, and all of their lite/ultra-lite/boch/summer/lime variations that they sell, is nectar of the God’s.
As for “The Whore of Babblin’ On’s” e-mails, they are for entertainment purposes only – to see how she butchered the mother-tongue on a keyboard (before she could afford to pay ghostwriters), and to see if there’s anything there that she needs to “refudiate.”
And Perry is the Governor that Texans love – if they found that George W. Bush was too cerebral for them.
And yes, Perry, that dumbass, could win the nomination. He has that ‘brew’ of nastiness, vanity, stupidity, and religiosity that will be appealing to the moronic rabble that thinks when you say “God and Country” that you’re talking about the same thing. In other words, your average Republican/Conservative knuckledragger. For all his faults, Little Boots at least had a pedigree. Perry thinks that trimming your toe-nails is too elitist.
Perry for President – YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
re Beer – what a great way for Walker to endear himself to his fellow citizens. When right-wingers start to get uncomfortable about deals like this, I love throwing it back to them that – “it’s just the miracle of capitalism? I thought you guys were for that?”
Years ago, people bought beer in cases of returnable bottles, and recycled them back to the local distributor. The big brewers came up with the idea of one-way bottles and cans, which prevailed and destroyed the local breweries. This latest over-reach by the likes of Coors is redolent of their earlier and successful effort to squash small competitors.
I always felt Newt was about “big ideas”, such as they are, within the conservative space, and so books and videos are the normative m.o. for a guy like him. What’s apparently happening is that he’s unable to morph beyond this platform into a real candidate in 2011 AD.
I hope Perry does jump in so we can all see how crazy he really is. What I fear is that this little circus side show will be a training exercise for 2016.
The important question is, which candidate would you rather have a horrible watered-down-piss-flavored beer with.
OT, although the common thread with Walker is the Koch bros, a great diary about how to deal with right wingers. Buried in the comments is the observation that
Now he’s gone too far. Fuck with state workers pensions, pay, education etc. piss off a few people. Fuck with our beer, now it’s really on. It’s all about giving money to corporations one way or the other. He will get recalled, I might even vote with a good micro-beer in my hand when the time comes, which WI has many.
I just read about how many new organizations are spending a lot of manpower and time looking into Sarah Palin’s e-mails.
If only they’d spend as much time looking into the BS that the Conservatives and Republicans spread.
But, no.
Instead, after spending two weeks investigating and giggling over Weiner’s dick pic’s, they’re now looking the electronic scribblings of a half-term Governor and full time Grifter.
*Sigh*
Newt’s been neutered.. He might have a bunch of ideas, but Callista controls the honey pot. Talk about being domesticated!…His candidacy is in the plural.
Newt might be trying to emulate the great and powerful Oz, but Callista is going to be pulling the levers behind the curtain.. If he ever manages to get elected..he’ll be the first lady.
I’m not surprised with Newt’s strategy …when your whole act has been built without substance and has relied completely on illusion, it stands to reason that he’d pursue a high tech low buget Hollywood video strategy to dumbfound the masses. Newt the defender of iberty —the man who loved America so much he committed adultery for her. How selfless can one man be?
Gingrich has pledged to push forward with his campaign and is set to offer a foreign policy address to a Jewish Republican group in Los Angeles on Sunday. It’s a speech that Gingrich hopes will reset his White House bid, and it’s a near certainty that his wife will accompany
Anybody want to venture a guess on the contents of what Newt’s little speech will entail? It goes without saying that Callista will be working the crowd in the lobby selling the Dynamic Duo’s videos, books, and I love Israel buttons.
It’s funny how the writer in the italicized statement above says that Newt “pledged”. Doesn’t he understand that pledges and Newt are not compatible..Newt has make two pledges of fidelity in marriages that he couldn’t honor, so why would any pledge coming from Newt even be considered as worthy to mention. The writer should have left it at, “Newt said”.
Apropos of absolutly nothing, but waaaay toooooo cool not to share, check our this gizmo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDlHGhKHIdM
h/t to Daily Kos.
Didn’t our forefathers dump a lot of tea in the Charles when the Brits levied excessive taxes on it….
I’m predicting that Governor Perry will officially declare his candidacy on August 6. I base that on this announcement by his office:
Gov. Perry Declares August 6th a Day of Prayer
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/16247/
In times of trouble, even those who have been granted power by the people must turn to God in humility for wisdom, mercy and direction. In the spirit of the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, Verses 15-16, I urge a solemn gathering of prayer and fasting. As those verses admonish: “15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly… 16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly…” As Jesus prayed publicly for the benefit of others in John 11:41-42, so should we express our faith in this way.
THEREFORE, I invite my fellow Texans to join me on August 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, as we pray for unity and righteousness – for this great state, this great nation and all mankind. I urge Americans of faith to pray on that day for the healing of our country, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of enduring values as our guiding force.
THEREFORE, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim August 6, 2011, to be
A Day of Prayer and Fasting for Our Nation
in Texas, and urge the appropriate recognition whereof.
Of course, could be quite a scandal if some rogue photographer clandestinely gets of photo of the Guv scarfing down a super-sized Subway sandwich and Coke in the Reliant Stadium men’s room during the Day of Prayer and Fasting. Then again, I’m sure that God will forgive this clown, and if there is one thing the public loves, it’s “bread and circuses.”
Candide,
“…bread and circuses.”
And wouldn’t it be nice if people turned off “American Idol,” put down their remote, picked-up their phone, and called their Congressperson and Senators and ask them, “Why is ‘America idle?'”
“Speaker Boehner, where are the jobs?”
Maybe you’ll get to them once you pass all of the abortion bills you want, cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, education, aid to children and seniors, and cut the tax rate for the top 1% to near zero, but won’t touch a nickel of military funding?
Maybe then, huh?
No?
Why no?
What do you mean, “So be it…”?.
An Extraordinary Session called for the WI state legislature for Tuesday. In an Extraordinary Session, which is HIGHLY unusual, they can basically pass and do whatever the hell they want. Get ready for every reichwing nutjob idea in the last 50 years to be law in WI on Wednesday. Going down to Madtown. There’s a tent city set up there already called “Walkerville”. Most state teachers are off for summer right now. I’m calling for record crowds. Security has been, what, tripled or quadrupled. We may have some serious riots on our hands. ‘Bout time in my opinion. The answer to why Scott Walker will be recalled is because he’s an asshole, and it’s that or some 2nd Amendment remedies.
Apropos of beer in Wisconsin, here’s Lewis Black (transcribed from his great The White Album CD) on drinking in Wisconsin – funny as heck:
http://wisconsinology.blogspot.com/2008/03/lewis-black-loves-wisconsin.html
Buy the CD if you can – the transcription doesn’t do justice to his delivery.
The continuing, and, frankly getting really boring, machinations emanating from the Republican party and the media ‘covering’ it keep reminding me of those two hilarious plays from the pen of W. Shakespeare – “A Comedy of Errors” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”
In fact, to keep my sanity I’ve decided to ‘live’ through this bizarro scene by turning the whole thing into a comedy. Try it.
@buckyblue – others have said it before, but thanks so much for keeping us up to date on the doings in Wisconsin. It’s almost like having a front row seat, for those of us not there. Good luck on Tuesday.
Yes, buckyblue, ditto what moonbat said!!!
cundgulag. Believe me, Texans do not like Rick, at least not all Texans.
jugheadjack,
I know. And I know that it’s a state getting more blue. But, he did just get reelected running against White, who seemed like a good and successful candidate.