The fox guarding the henhouse...

Somehow this seems to make perfect sense...They don't try very hard to conceal it anymore...

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/12/28/republicans-tap-leading-foe-of-wall-street-reform-to-oversee-new-rules/

Anything is good news...

With Republicans poised to flex some regressive muscle over the next two years, reminding American workers of their rights is absolutely critical in stamping out intimidation...Now, we'll see if the Obama administration sticks to its guns...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/business/22labor.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

Holding the wolf by the ears...

Thomas Jefferson's spineless characterization of the issue of slavery should be instructive for today's Republicans. For in America at that time in history, people couldn't conceive of an existence without it,and yet many realized that it was a morally corrupt institution living on borrowed time. Fast forward to today's Republican Party. When Nixon and the Republicans instituted their "Southern Strategy" after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the party made a hard shift to the right and embraced a strong effort of race baiting and fear mongering. Sometimes it was dog whistle, sometimes shouted from the roof tops. Sowing that philosophy has put the G.O.P. in the position they are today. A party that knows long term it cannot hold onto their race based strategy and remain a relevant political force long term, but one that can't let it go because the party is crammed full of people who have bought the shit they've been selling for the past forty years...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/27/zelizer.barbour.race/index.html

The Christmas Spirit...

And God bless us, everyone...

Why Tax Cuts Don't Stimulate Job Growth...

This is one of those "no-shit" moments...People have bought into the zombie-lie that tax cuts create jobs...Demand for products stimulates job growth...giving corporations and rich people more money does not...Companies will not produce products, and consequentially jobs, if the majority of Americans are limited financially and unable to purchase those goods...Extending and expanding unemployment insurance is a far better methodology of keeping money floating throughout the economy...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-13/rich-americans-save-money-from-tax-cuts-instead-of-spending-moody-s-says.html

Class Warfare...Killing the little guy...

I thought that Bob Herbert really hit the nail on the head with his recent Op-Ed. American companies are raking in record profits. So where is the economic recovery and job creation? It's simple really...The profits are falling into the hands of an ever-shrinking group of rich who hold on to the money...Demand drives production in a capitalist economy and without having money in the hands of the majority of Americans, who incidentally are more likely to spend it on essentials, demand for American products and, consequentially, jobs for Americans are not going to follow...No company is going to build or manufacture products without a demand for them, so why hire when people don't have the money to buy the products?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/opinion/27herbert.html?_r=2

Unfettered Capitalism...Republican-style...

It's important to remember what lengths capitalists from the Gilded Age would go to in order to break company unions and reduce their workers' wages and safety conditions on the job. Today's newest crop of (and many old guard) Republicans, and sadly,some Democrats too, are all too willing to go back to this criminal mistreatment and exploitation of fellow human beings...

The Homestead Steel Strike...

Simply Disgusting...

Not surprising, but certainly something more in tune with the 1890's than should be tolerated today. This should just serve as a reminder to everyone that large corporations not only do not create jobs (demand for products does that), but risk and throw away working people's lives with impunity...all for the not so mighty dollar.

W. Va. mine blast: Coal firm had worst safety record

Here come the cuts...

This is what the people of Wisconsin seem to have said they want. We'll see how they feel when they feel the pinch on their quality of life...

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_3f7fc14e-f02d-11df-8841-001cc4c03286.html

Payday Loan businesses want Wisconsin Republicans to make it easier to take advantage of people...

The first line of the story says everything you need to know. Wisconsin Republicans are ok with desperate people being exploited by the well-heeled...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/107830699.html

Delicious...

This is absolutely delicious. I don't think I could even take one... more...bite...While the establishment Republicans have seized control of the House of Representatives and improved their numbers in the Senate, they have done so by bringing members into the fold that disagree with their philosophical approach to spending. What they have essential done is ensure some degree of internecine war for control over the party. Stay tuned...

http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/11/11/tea-party-pressuring-senate-republicans-to-ban-earmarks.html

Would they do the same? I think...no...

Whatever. This is Doyle's last chance to support public employees before he leaves office. Walker and the Republicans want to gut state employee and school funding. Republicans would use scorched earth if they were the outgoing party. Doyle should sign a four year contract with state employees...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/107280783.html

Ah, focusing on state job creation...or not...

Great. Nothing better than emulating the regressive, xenophobic Arizona immigration law. Shameful, but this is totally predictable with GOP leadership. I want him to prove that he is an American...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/107070368.html

Scott Walker: In the hole on those 250,000 jobs he's promised...

Governor-elect Scott Walker...Not starting off so hot...I guess we wouldn't want to create those high paying jobs in our state. I am sure other states can use them more...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/107071258.html

Political Inevitability of Demography...

The G.O.P. will likely take back the House on Tuesday. This understandably is troublesome for many people. However, it is only an inevitable pushback against the changing political, racial, and cultural demographics in America. The republican brand is living on borrowed time. Demonizing brown, black, and gay people is a strategy that will not pay nation-wide dividends (outside of the south) in the future. They will need to moderate or become a true, regional party...

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2010/06/pdf/voter_demographics.pdf

G.O.P.'s True Colors

Today's Republican party's ideological present finds its origins in the southern Democrats who saw fit to attempt to break apart the country 149 years ago. This writer's blog entry is a little old, but I thought with election day quickly approaching, it is very appropriate to remind people about the G.O.P.'s true colors...We can disagree about fiscal policy, but human rights are a non-starter for them...

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/04/commemorating-confederate-history-month.html

Um Jefferson, No Reagan, Wait, Ford?

I do believe that this represents politicians saying whatever they want in hopes that no one will check them on it...Dumb...

From the Eau Claire (WI) Leader Telegram:

http://www.leadertelegram.com/blogs/tom_giffey/article_ddcababe-e14d-11df-b2ba-001cc4c002e0.html

Hmm...Suspicious Timing...and Messenger...

Interesting that this is coming out the week before the election dealing with an alleged event that supposedly took place over three years ago...Oh, and the source is a doctor that works with right wing organizations...Hmm...

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=216222

Rick Santorum Would Be Proud...

Inanimate objects and dogs? I am not sure how she (and apparently many others) is unable to understand how this could be insensitive to some people...Perhaps it's because she is part inanimate object herself...Rocks for brains...This is the type of leadership we can look forward to for the next four years if Walker wins on Tuesday...




http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_162298b4-e298-11df-9488-001cc4c03286.html

The Benefit of Government Assistance...

This wouldn't have been possible if the American taxpayer had not floated a loan to Chrysler. Now we have an enormous infrastructure investment in a plant that is union-friendly. Without the loan, no plant, no jobs, no money...

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11995308

The Inevitability of History...

You can't escape the great pull of history and the Obama administration is beginning to get right with historical inevitability...

Same Sex Partner Family Medical Leave Link...

The Simpsons and Outsourcing American Jobs...

As always, the creators of The Simpsons hit the nail on the head with the "screw you" mentality of American corporations in their quest for profits...

Simpsons Outsourcing Video

It's About Time Obama...

If only he had taken this sort of talk to the American people with the banks, automakers, and mining companies that have destroyed people's lives...people would have responded. Instead he has spent his time trying to work a watered down, conciliatory tone that has made him look effite and weak; slowly pissing his approval ratings down his leg. People are looking for an ass kicker right now...

CNN Article Obama the "ass kicker"

Hits the nail on the head...

How's this working for us?

Sorry Rightwingers.......

Oops...This kind of, again, undermines their pants crapping and bomb throwing regarding same sex marriage and the impact on the family...

CNN: Kids of lesbians have fewer behavioral problems, study suggests

You Have to Love South Carolina...

A true winner...Jake Knotts...Republican candidate for governor of South Carolina...They just don't even try to hide it anymore...Although, this may score him some political points down there...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0610/SC_Republicans_condemn_raghead_comment.html?showall

Only when the Constitution says what they want...

I get tired of the xenophobia and the tired old arguments that immigrants take our jobs and depress wages. Research shows that immigrants actually drive wages up and the types of jobs immigrants take are either the jobs that no one wants, or the jobs that you are not qualified to do...But by all means, Republicans, keep up this demonizing of brown people...it's a great long term electoral strategy for you...BTW 66% of all school age children in 2010 are members of a minority group...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37399313/ns/politics/

Chickenshit...

Senatorial nominee Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has officially backed out of his commitment to appear on Meet The Press. Transparent. He apparently needs time to figure out how to maintain his intellectual honesty without throwing every progressive governmental program and development over the past 150 years under the bus...Face the music...

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/21/2325521.aspx

Rand Paul...Wrong Messenger for the Tea Party

The major problem Paul has (and he has numerous problems) is that he is trying to maintain an intellectual cohesiveness in libertarian thought...This simply is living in the ethereal...real people live in the temporal world where words and ideas like his have terrible consequences for real people. It ultimately won't play...even in Kentucky...

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/how-race-has-haunted-both-ron-and-rand-paul.php

Another Massey Miner Dies...

Come on. These corporate guys simply don't get it. The same company that was responsible for the deaths of 29 miners on 5 April 2010 at the Upper Big Branch Mine, saw another one of its workers killed in an on-site accident. The company has accrued 82 safety citations in the last two and a half months. No matter what they say, they simply don't care about working people...

http://washingtonindependent.com/85409/another-massey-miner-dies-in-west-virginia

Osceola Plant Closing Bad News for Western Wisconsin

Well said Dave Obey, Well said...This type of activity on the part of an American company is most definitely unpatriotic...

Let hope the 515 workers and the city of Osceola don't fold as a result of this poor decision. Click on the link for the full story...

http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/94520899.html