Jon Stewart Rips Ryan and GOP Lies.

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Ryan's Lost Puppy Dog Eyes, bad acting, phony concern, given a Media Pass!!!

Did any one buy into the feigned concern we saw from Ryan?

I found the sad face of victimhood, as cheesily expressed by VP candidate Paul Ryan, difficult to watch. Just as bad was the same act coming from Mitt Romney. The following compilation of expressions were gathered from just a two minute segment of Ryan's speech, and it was a long, long kitchen sink speech.

Poor babies, is life picking on conservatives again? Eyebrows up....then whine.

"After years on the Ice Planet Wisconsin..." Colbert on Ryan's lies.

The Colbert Report
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Heres the first clip dealing with Paul Ryan's "misleading" speech:

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The Truth about the Tea Party.

I put together a more complete version of the tea party commentary in the HBO series The Newsroom:

A more accurate bumper sticker....

The idea from Randi Rhodes; you can't spell money without Romney, or lyin' without Ryan. You get the idea.

I thought this recent post worked well:

I will keep adding posters as I find them:

Even Fox News couldn't take the Paul Ryan Lies.

This is really written well, I never knew they had it in them. As featured on Colbert:

New GAB Electronic Voter Registration rules okay with one conservative.

Tom Kamenick, who’s with the Associate Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a group supporting the new voter ID law, has come out against those Republicans and conservative voters who are objecting to the new electronic proof of ID rules. Cell phones can now be used to show online bills.

The Government Accountability Board adopted an interpretation of law permitting people registering to vote to present electronic versions of utility bills and bank statement as proof of residency.

If that sounds reasonable, than why does this guy like it? Check it out:

Menomonee falls Patch: Republicans have, predictably, started blasting the GAB. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quotes Representative Robin Vos as saying, "Once again the GAB is showing that they do not share the public's concern that voter integrity is maintained throughout the process."  Jay Weber this morning was blasting it as unnecessary and catering to the "lazy asses."  Charlie Sykes teased the topic before his show in a manner that suggested he would be critical (although he has not mentioned it yet as I'm writing this).

This reaction is an overreaction.  While I'm certainly no fan of the GAB*, and support photo identification for voting**, this new ruling creates virtually no increased opportunity for fraud. Consider the following: The ruling does not permit any new types of documents — only electronic versions of the exact same documents that were permissible previously. 

Many people (myself included) no longer get physical bills or statements in the mail.  We've gone paperless, for many reasons: resource conservation; faster notification; easier filing and storage for future use, etc.

Democrats are so bad at messaging, GOP now the party that loves Medicare.

In this clip, Ezra Klein is almost speechless having to talk about something so absurd as the Republican adoption of Medicare. Democrats should memorize the way Ezra effortlessly describes what the Affordable Care Act does with Medicare.



There is one good thing about changing Medicare the way Paul Ryan's current plan is written. Since Medicare will offer both regular coverage and the new voucher plan, conservatives will stupidly take the plan that will drain all there cash and cut drastically into their Social Security checks. You and me will enjoy the traditional plan, knowing Medicare will be there longer thanks to our Republican seniors who decided to leave more money in the fund for us. It's called survival of the fittest.

Ryan's GM and Medicare Comments Fact Checked, and Janesville's Response.

Channel3000's "Reality Check" is a local attempt at fact checking our politicians. It's very soft stuff, but I'll take it. Ryan's comments on GM and Medicare are featured.

The piece ends with Janesville's reaction to Ryan...and isn't that the real story?

The Frightened Huddled Masses Heavy up Security at the RNC!!

Channel3000's Eric Franke noticed how bizarre it was to see so much security for the Republican National Convention. Who knew liberals were so dangerous. Franke says people attending likened it to a war zone.

Is there any question there's something very wrong with the conservative mind?

Vouchers match scores of those horrible Public Schools, Choice Working?

I have to admit, I’m impressed with the following AP report about the recent audit of Milwaukee Public Schools and voucher schools. They normally don’t include all the caveats related to the study that proves vouchers are not working.

A report shows little difference between Milwaukee school voucher students and public school students' performance on the state's standardized test.

The Legislative Audit Bureau compared seventh-, eighth- and 10th-graders' scores on the 2010-2011 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination with their scores from the 2006-2007 test.

Auditors found math scores for students in all the grades improved at close to the same rate. Eighth-graders in both systems improved at about the same rate in reading, although seventh- and 10th-grade voucher students showed greater improvement in reading.

Auditors say their findings don't definitively show voucher students outperform public students.

They noted voucher schools weren't required to administer the WKCE to all students until the 2010-2011 school year. They also noted many students transferred between voucher and public schools during those five years.

Ryan Campaign actually says it's Obama who needs "to explain his words."

Like the title says, the surreal all lies campaign by Romney and Ryan has yet to push the outer limits of brash stupidity. Now they think they can bait Obama to explain his words, to basically try to sell the truth, when their well framed lie is so easy to repeat and understand.

We're about to offer up a candidate for president, Mitt Romney, running on the myth they've created about the current president that stacks lie upon lie without flinching. At one time, it may have been hard enough to run on an actual record, now we have campaigns that are completely made up.

At the NPR blog, they had this explanation that trashed Lyin' Ryan's comment last night: So, what did then-candidate Obama say about the Janesville plant? It was Feb. 13, 2008, and the plant was the backdrop for his major address on economic policy. During it, he said,according to this transcript :

"I know that General Motors received some bad news yesterday, and I know how hard your Governor has fought to keep jobs in this plant. But I also know how much progress you've made — how many hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles you're churning out. And I believe that if our government is there to support you, and give you the assistance you need to re-tool and make this transition, that this plant will be here for another hundred years. The question is not whether a clean energy economy is in our future, it's where it will thrive. I want it to thrive right here in the United States of America; right here in Wisconsin; and that's the future I'll fight for as your president."Note that he didn't make a clear promise that the plant wouldn't be closed if he was president, but that he would "fight" for such a future. 

Which brings us to whether the plant did or did not close under Obama's watch. As we wrote earlier:

The Associated Press reported  on April 19, 2009, that "GM spokesman Christopher Lee confirmed operations at the southern Wisconsin plant will cease Thursday. About 1,200 employees were let go just before Christmas when GM ended SUV production at the plant. Some 100 workers were retained to finish an order of small- to medium-duty trucks for Isuzu Motors. Lee said most of those workers will be laid off Thursday. He said others will be kept on to help with the plant's shutdown."

PolitiFact says the plant effectively "closed while [President George W.] Bush was still in office, about a month before Obama was inaugurated."

WMTV 15 did a piece on this, with Obama's comments. I like the fact that Democratic State Senator Jon Erpenbach has been out there speaking out:

Here's where we go down the rabbit hole again:

Ryan Campaign Says It's Obama Who Needs "To Explain His Words":

"It's President Obama who needs to explain his words," Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck says in an email he just sent us. "The facts are clear: when the GM plant went on standby the president told the people of Wisconsin he would 'lead an effort to retool' it and restart production. But when the bailout's winners and losers were decided, Janesville ended up losing.

RNC Vote Rigging Shocks, Angers and Surprises Delegates. What, don't they like Courage and Leadership anymore?

David Bellow at Texas GOP Vote is getting a taste of his own party’s medicine, and he doesn’t like at all. Here's his articles headline:

Evidence Shows RNC Rigged Vote on Rule Change at Republican Convention 2012?

Bellow suffers from what every other conservative voters suffers from; blind ideology.

These rabidly “independent,” “built it themselves” individuals are anything but. Bellow lists how his own party intentionally rigged the vote, a tactic once used exclusively against Democrats at the ballot box.

Watching this reminds me of how hundreds of thousands of protesters in Madison were bulldozed over when the Walker Authority passed the bill gutting collective bargaining.



To use their own rhetoric against them; each point listed below demonstrates "leadership" and "courage" when it comes to making tough choices. 

1. Witnesses say that Teleprompter scrolled "the ayes have it" even before the voice vote was taken.

2. Also, video of the rule change vote at the Republican National Convention shows that the vote seemed to be a toss up with no clear winner and yet the ayes were immediately declared winners. This declaration was drowned out by loud booing.

3. Also, before John Boehner called for the vote, he asked if there were any objections and there were clearly people who objected and yet John Boehner said there were none.

4. Other witnesses say that they were purposely held up in the convention bus so that they would miss the vote in the rules committee.

5. Also, news outlets reported that Romney had two of the rules committee delegates removed and replaced with delegates who would vote for the Romney Rule Changes. These committee delegates being held up and replaced prevented a minority report because there were not enough committee members.

So how is Bellow going to hold his party’s feet to the fire?

I am voting for Romney because Obama must be defeated.

Beautiful.

Ryan the master of the simple lie...and there were so many of them.

I'll have more on Paul Ryan's highly praised speech and his grotesque almost comical overacting soon. In the meantime, Salon's Joan Walsh pretty much covered all the specifics here:

His most brazen lie accused President Obama of “raiding” Medicare by taking the exact same $716 billion that Ryan and the House GOP notoriously voted to slash. It was stunning.

But that’s not all. He attacked Obama for failing to keep open a Janesville GM plant that closed under Bush in 2008. He hit him for a credit-rating downgrade that S&P essentially blamed on GOP intransigence. He claimed that all taxpayers got from the 2009 stimulus was “more debt,” when most got a tax cut (and the stimulus is known to have saved between 1.4 and 3.3 million jobs). He derided the president for walking away from the Simpson Bowles commission deficit-cutting recommendations when Ryan himself, a commission member, voted against those recommendations.

He blamed Obama for a deficit mostly created by programs he himself voted for – from two wars, tax cuts, new Medicare benefits and TARP.

And of course, he riffed on the tired central lie of the GOP convention: that the president said “government gets the credit” for small businesses, not the business owners themselves.

Other than that, it was a great speech.

At Rock Netroots, who's coverage of Ryan is as good as it gets, wrote this bit of history.

After Ryan's speech at the RNC last night, the right-wing loons were out heavy trying to re-write history about the date the GM Plant in Janesville officially ended production. The most important date to remember is October 13, 2008. That was the day 1,280 workers will never forget when General Motors made the official announcement to Janesville workers that GM will stop production on Dec. 23, 2008. Only about 40 workers remained employed into May, 2009 to fulfill contract obligations in a partnership between GM and Isuzu … when President Obama's White House Counsel came into Janesville AND Kenosha in June of 2010 to share in local economic recovery plans, Paul Ryan was nowhere in sight. Instead, he was out galavanting around the country plugging his hyper-partisan GOP "Young Guns" recruitment book.

The Real Scott Walker Melted Down on National TV!

In what was supposed to be a quick in and out interview with Scott Walker, about Paul Ryan's "powerful" speech tonight, turned out to be anything but.

The divide and conquering hero, Scott Walker, went into melt down mode under questioning. Walker panicked, backtracked, fabricated, played the victim and finally smarted off to MSNBC hosts on national television. Take a good look, Walker's rage and deep seeded authoritarian nature does not react well to questions and then followup questions.

Two quick points; Walker must have been on something when said flat out Obama promise the plant in Janesville would still be open. Jaw dropping:

Walker: "Barack Obama promised the people in Janesville that that plant would still be open."  

GM closed December, 2008. Thank you Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow for the Walker reveal.

Second, the auto industry was on the verge of being broken into pieces and sold off to creditors if Obama hadn't stepped. Credit was not coming to either Chrysler or GM. The government managed bankruptcy save the industry.

What an ugly, unprofessional desperate man:

Romney Campaign discounts Facts, blames the messengers, Fact Checkers for Bias.

Greg Sargent wrote a great piece about what can only be described as an actual alternative reality found inside the Republican Party’s ideology. You don't have to look hard.

WP: Fact checking for thee, but not for me. Get this: The Romney campaign’s position is now that the Obama camp should pull its ads when fact checkers call them out as false — but that Romney and his advisers should feel no such constraint. This is not an exaggeration. This is really the Romney campaign’s position.

“Our most effective ad is our welfare ad,” a top television advertising strategist for Romney, Ashley O’Connor, said at a forum Tuesday hosted by ABCNews and Yahoo! News. “Fact checkers come to this with their own sets of thoughts and beliefs, and we’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers,” he said.

Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it. The Romney campaign will not be dictated to or controlled by facts. Look I don’t like the fact checkers either, because they never consider ideological intent, but they do uncover the FACTS.

But we were warned, and because the media at the time didn’t push back over the following ironic comments from Mitt Romney, the Republicans ran with it:

Romney’s own remarks about fact-checking and political advertising “You know, in the past, when people pointed out that something was inaccurate, why, campaigns pulled the ad,” Romney said on the radio. “They were embarrassed. Today, they just blast ahead. You know, the various fact checkers look at some of these charges in the Obama ads and they say that they’re wrong, and inaccurate, and yet he just keeps on running them.”

Greg Sargent, like me, is expecting something from the media:

In this sense, the Romney campaign continues to pose a test to the news media and our political system. What happens when one campaign has decided there is literally no set of boundaries that it needs to follow when it comes to the veracity of its assertions? The Romney campaign is betting that the press simply won’t be able to keep voters informed about the disputes that are central to the campaign, in the face of the sheer scope and volume of dishonesty it uncorks daily.

Republicans won't tolerate dissent, or Ron Paul supporters. The Big Story from the RNC.

Republican voters are now getting a taste of their party's authoritarian leanings, and still not getting it.

What Ron Paul supporters saw was just a preview of things to come when Republican power rest in their mighty gerrymandered districts hands. I thought this headline summed it up:

"Fuck You, Tyrants!": Ron Paul Supporters Rebel on Convention Floor

Mother Jones got the story right:

A minor revolt broke out on the floor of the Republican Party's presidential convention Tuesday afternoon and evening. Ron Paul delegates from several states erupted into protest over a controversial change to the party's rules to block future insurgencies mounted by outside candidates like their hero. Paul supporters also freaked out over the convention's refusal to recognize about two dozen Paul delegates and for refusing to treat Paul like a serious candidate for the nomination.

Following the dustup, Yelena Vorobyov (pictured), a 30-year-old Paul delegate from Apple Valley, Minnesota, was eager to vent. Barely taking a breath, she said: "This is just evidence of the manipulation of the Republican Party. They're not even allowing us to bring signs in, but they brought in their own [pro-Romney] signs. We couldn't nominate Ron Paul. The 'no' for not passing the rules was louder than the 'aye' and they ruled in favor of the rules. They're cheating. The Republican National Committee is not transparent and does not have integrity. They stole votes. They stole delegates. They refused to send buses for our delegates. It's a totalitarian process. This is not democracy. It's a really sad day for us. I've worked for Republican candidates since I was 16. We believed the Republican Party had more integrity. Boy, did they prove us wrong."

From RT News, this wake up call...or will they roll over and go back to sleep?

Boehner's drunken "Man Walks into a Bar" RNC Speech!!!

Rep. John Boehner took some time out at the Republican National Convention podium to tell us all what he did in just one morning....

Vagina Clad Code Pink Protesters, speak out against War on Women.

For pure entertainment value, I enjoyed the latest protest from Code Pink, where they dressed up as vaginas. Kinda reminds of the Melinda DuChamp book cover, Fifty Shades of Alice through the Looking Glass. 

GlobalPost: Activist group Code Pink put on a colorful display of protest at the Republican National Convention Monday, arriving dressed as bright pink vaginas to speak out against the "war on women" and corporate money in politics, according to the group's website. "I want to make waves here in Tampa," one vagina-clad activist told BuzzFeed. "I want the Republicans to see that there's dissent and that we're not going to stand for their rhetoric against women — most recently, Representative Akin making that comment about 'legitimate rape,'" she said.

Republicans seem to be doing more to break down the traditional silence of talking about a woman's sexuality and body parts, than the 60's sexual revolution, bra burning's, Betty Friedan and Hugh Hefner combined.

I especially liked one woman's response to the question, why dress up? "To make a scene," she smiled.

Ezra Klein Romney/Ryan Economic Numbers: "Governor Romney's promises are mathematically impossible."

During the RNC convention coverage, MSNBC offered up the following analysis by Ezra Klein, on the Romney/Ryan budget plan. While Romney and Ryan have adopted a policy of offering fewer details, now that the nomination has been sewn up, the media can't afford to drop the ball again when informing the nations voters.

Klein reminds us that at the time, the senate Republicans proposed a $3 trillion tax cut stimulus, making Obama's request look completely inadequate.  Got that, $3 trillion? Good to know. This is quick and easy to understand:

Ushering in the Royal Romney/Ryan Aristocracy.

ABC's Brian Ross does what he does best in the coverage below. Ross reveals the rot of corporate money and corruption that feeds the Republican Party's attempted to take the country back from the people, and hand it over to the new Robber Barons. Not only does Ross' story have a grimy feel to it, but it also gives a whole new meaning to filthy rich and corporate opulence.



In researching the age of the Robber Barons, and what history could tell us about our future, I came across this Amazon review by Keith Wheelock regarding the revisionist book, The Myth of the Robber Barons. He wrote:
(The book does) not acknowledge the brutal labor strife that included the Railroads Strikes of 1877, the Haymarket Massacre, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman fracas. Instead, he focuses on six `uplifting' success stories. I introduced my students to the Gilded Age in 2009 with:

An era in which:
* The courts and the federal administration gave corporations a free hand to do almost anything they wished;

* Banks, through ineptness, greed, and criminal actions, came close to destroying the U. S. financial system;

* Bribery at the federal, state, and local level was so prevalent that it seemed difficult to find an honest politician;

* The federal and state administration, as well as Congress and the Supreme Court, showed scant respect for the rights (and, often, lives) of the common people;

* Some of the largest businesses engaged in massive fraud and deception that continued for years without any significant government intervention;

* Some of the new rich became rich beyond one's wildest imagination--a few achieved this with `relatively clean hands;' others bought politicians and others as if they were commodities in the market place.

Ann Romney's Vacuous Speech, and Contempt for Women, never addressed Struggling Families.

Leave it to MSNBC's seasoned curmudgeon Lawrence O'Donnell for delivering the only honest critique of Ann Romney's elitist attempt to appear concerned about the very women her husband is marginalizing as Americans. It's short, to the point and almost too kind in my opinion:



Ann Romney reminds me of those cliquey girls in high school who sneered at individuality.

Capitol Police Chief Crackdown on Protesters Delayed.

The protest went without a hitch yesterday, for those supporting the Solidarity Singers right to sing in the Capitol without a newly required permit. As reported by WKOW TV:



Maybe Chief David Erwin's marching orders to crack down on protesters, appears to conflict with the state of Wisconsin's constitutional guarantee to protest the government.

Article I, Section 4, of the Wisconsin State Constitution: “The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the common good, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, shall never be abridged.” 

Are Wisconsinites getting a clearer picture of the Walker Authority's definition of "freedom and liberty?" If protecting the Second Amendment from any possible restrictions is so important, than why isn't our right to petition our government just as crucial? Yet conservative voters are okay with allowing the heavy hand of state government to prosecute targeted protesters.

jsonline: The new Capitol police chief is poised to get tough on a handful of disruptive protesters ... raising the possibility of a lawsuit from civil liberties groups. Capitol Police Chief Dave Erwin is installing panic buttons in some lawmakers' offices, changing the look of his officers' uniforms (banning facial hair) and raising some eyebrows with a suggestion to female legislative aides that they be prepared to hit demonstrators if they feel threatened and cornered. He suggested they try filming a demonstrator and, if that didn't work, punching the person with their free hand. "I said if it wasn't working you could try to hit them," Erwin said."Some of our greatest rights came from protests. I support that 100%. There's a time and a place. But every day, every day, you've got to think about that," Erwin said. "My goal is to return the Capitol to some normalcy," he said.

Is it possible the Dane County DA backed down when confronted by the Walker Authority?

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne a Democrat, said that he was informed that the Department of Justice would take the civil cases and that he would continue to handle the criminal cases with care. 

Rebecca Kemble of the Nation Magazine summed it up best with this important point and picture:

But Chief Erwin does not seem to understand that the Capitol is not a “normal” workplace and these are not “normal” political times.

According to the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Historic Landmark Nomination, this is the extraordinary nature of the Wisconsin State Capitol: “The soaring rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol is designed to induce its citizenry to be, as individuals, among the ‘resources of Wisconsin.’ Whereas some statehouses are maintained apart from the urban fabric, the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda functions, both literally and symbolically, as a city center and is fully utilized as a public space to which all have claim.”

Dumb Ron Johnson panting like a puppy, seeking pat on head by David Koch.

Tip of the hat to Root River Siren, for finding the story and picture below of RoJo the Clown's dinner with David Koch. The married into money millionaire Johnson is like a kid in a candy store, soaking in his senatorial fame, whoring his political influence for the adoration of the monied elite. 

This picture of Johnson sitting at the left of god, offers an insight into who really really has the ear of our elected official. Oh, and don't forget to catch one of Johnson's aides listening sessions.    

TPM: Romney delegate from New York, conservative billionaire David Koch, dined with Sen. Ron Johnson at a restaurant in downtown Tampa Monday night. After a freelance reporter, Matt Laslo, snapped a photo of their table, an aide to Koch approached him and asked not to give away their location to "your 'Occupy' friends." 

Mitt's Empire-America Strikes Back

Loved the opening animation on the Colbert Report tonight. Playing it isn't possible without getting Viacom's typical warning, so here's a few screenshots dealing with the Mitt's nomination:

UPDATE: Viacom has asked me to take the video clip down. The link at the top features the whole show, which includes the intro, so there's nothing to sit through or find. 

More RNC Racism....

Any questions....

TPM: An attendee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Tuesday allegedly threw nuts at a black camerawoman working for CNN and said “This is how we feed animals” before being removed from the convention, a network official confirmed to TPM. 

Fear, Budgets, Families and Kids the Alarmist Republican Agenda.

The world as seen by conservatives is a fearful one, filled with dangerous liberals and social programs that drain your entrepreneurial spirit. 

BrookfieldPatch: Four of the delegates from southeastern Wisconsin who are representing the Badger State at the Republican National Convention talk about matters most to them this campaign season.

One delegate claims she has never seen a budget from Obama...really, where has she been, or rather who has she been listening to on the radio. Maybe she's not aware the budget starts in the house? If spending is out of control, perhaps the Republican house should be blamed for that, since they controlled the purse strings for the last two years?

And finally, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch pretends only conservatives have families, homes, budgets and pictures of their kids in their wallet. They're so special...and such elitists.

Proof School Choice used to kill Public Schools. Neil Boortz blames "government schools" for giving us Obama.

Right Wing Watch has been hot lately, finding actual proof the Republican Party is going off the deep end, and they're trying to take us with them. Conservative talk host Neal Boortz spoke at the Unity Rally in Tampa yesterday and said this lunacy:

They are not public schools, they are government schools. They are owned by, staffed by, operated by and forced upon by the government.

And, ladies and gentlemen, it is 100 years of government education that led us to the point that a man like Barack Obama could be sworn in as president of the United States. So, wherever you are, preach school choice.

Is Boortz trashing desegregation?

Even more accurate, 100 years of government education may have actually led us to the creation of the tea party. Just kidding, home schooling, the religious right, and right wing think tanks did that. Anyone need further proof school choice is nothing but a poison pill, a way to kill public education.  

Liberals are the Enemy 2: Walker's slogan "Forward" used by Mao Tse-tung?

Threatening to kill the liberal enemy within continues to be advanced by the tea party and right wing leaders, as demonstrated by the previous post. This is only the beginning, that's why I can't believe the Democratic Party continues to be so laid back over this hardcore rhetoric. It's only getting worse, as demonstrated by the clip below:

Right Wing Watch: Conservative radio host Rusty Humphries served as emcee of last night's Tea Party Unity Rally ahead of the Republican National Convention where he kicked things off by saying America does not need to move "forward," as MSNBC and President Obama and Mao Tse-tung like to say, but rather "upwards toward God."

Liberal's are the Enemy: From Ballot Box to Bullet Box, Tea Party Racists Scurry out from under their Rocks.

The Tea Party in Virginia, like all tea party groups, still think they can win over the American public with sweet talk like this Republican legislative candidate Catherine Crabill:

Crabill quoted Patrick Henry: "If war is inevitable, then let it come, I repeat sir, let it come." (then continued...)

Crabill: “We have the chance to fight this battle at the ballot box before we have to resort to the bullet box. But that's the beauty of our Second Amendment right. I am glad for all of us who enjoy the use of firearms for hunting, but make no mistake, it was not the intent of the Founding Fathers. Our Second Amendment right was to guard against tyranny!”

A wacky misreading of the original intent of the founding fathers on guns, and a misreading the media is reluctant to correct. That's why we have the Tea Party. Look at the teabilly.



Oh yeah, they have pictures manufactured like below as proof they're not racists, just jokesters.

RNC Chair Priebus can't defend Romney Campaign of Lies, Race Baiting.

The one thing that was revealed in the video of Chris Matthews well deserved take down of RNC thug Reince Priebus was how clueless the other panelists were for allowing Priebus' trash talk to go on so long.

Thanks to guys like Tom Brokaw, the GOP has been getting away with murder for years.

Matthews shows how it's done, and in the end, left Priebus stumped. Reince's big classy reply, "garbage." What a Wisconsin embarrassment. Matthews was right call him garbage.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Alberta Darling knows how to sell the GOP snake oil.

State Sen. Alberta Darling is our Michele Bachmann. Her simpleton solutions to complicated societal problems are often times breath taking. But when it comes to campaigning, she's got the GOP marketing plan and lingo down pat.

Listen up Democratic's, Darling is about to spill the beans on just what needs to be done, in detail, including framing the issues.

The New Entitled: the Job Creators, and they want it all!!!

We were warned that in a corporate takeover of America, businesses would become little fiefdoms, controlling the citizen rabble.

We're there...almost, if Romney and Ryan are given the chance. The following video clip features an Ohio community business owner and chamber president Cheri Hottinger, who has an intense look  of entitlement in her eyes. You'll see her brag about how she worked at many menial jobs growing up, like that is something unique to conservatives, and that building a business on her own now entitles her to a higher order on the food chain. She "built it," without ever relying the highways and bridges, infrastructure and laws that protected and helped her business.

She even has a "new" angle on Obama's comment, that not just pulls what he said out of context, but discounts his point completely. You'll also notice behind that blank narrow stare, it's all about me, me, me....

Hottinger: "Governments funded by tax dollars, so if you don't have people here, that are creating jobs, and that are hiring people, and employ people, you don't have funding." 

You know, maybe we should make businesses like hers build their own surrounding infrastructure, and see how far that takes 'em. What's that, roads and utilities into the business cost too much, too bad.

Hottinger is forgetting about the taxes her employees ended up paying into the government. Worse still, taxpayers are paying more now while businesses have been getting sweet heart deals from Republican friendly governments. Corporate welfare. In fact, she's making use of what other taxpayers paid in and paid for.

But she's entitled now, thanks to the Republicans relentless campaign that we owe it all to the  "job creators." Hottinger believes it with a vengeance. 

From the PBS show Need to Know, this segment stood out for me.



At the end of the clip, business owner Phil Derrow appears unsettled by Obama's statements about our American "society," and discounting individualism. This is down the rabbit hole thinking, at best:

Derrow: "The president...consistently made remarks in his speeches that...imply...that we are not a nation of individuals, we are a collective. I think he believes passionately that this is a collective society, and not a society of individuals. I think he misreads the American history and the American experience quite significantly."

Obama is dumb apparently, with no understanding of "society."

Society; a voluntary association of individuals for common ends. a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests. A large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members.

Naw, forget it, were all just individuals devoid of social interaction or influence on those around us. Brilliant. 

Walker gets "Working Families" reception at RNC!!

Scott Walker can't escape his own lousy policies. Get a load of the response he got at the RNC:



I thought this comment said it all about the conservative agenda, and their intentional race to the bottom. This poor sucker thinks life needs to be as lousy as it is in the private sector:

"What a bunch of morons. Greedy union workers can't stand to live like the rest of us."

Ride the Scott Walker Ego Trip?

Walker said, “We can transform a few of what we used to call Reagan Democrats into Romney Democrats or Ryan Democrats.”

Yeah, everyone wants to be a Republican now....

Capitol Police Chief to end Protester “intimidation?” “We’re better than that.” He’s not kidding.

During the Capitol protests in the winter of 2011, the police chief made almost no arrests and avoided all major confrontations, keeping piece and preventing any destructive behavior. Chief Tubbs met with protesters and respected their right to demonstrate, even when arrests could have been made. There was peace.

But Republican Rep. Robin Vos and DOA’s Mike Huebsch wanted to send a stronger message, along with new rules limiting protests at the Capitol. If you didn’t get DOA approval and a permit, no go. If you protested anyway, the individual or group would be charged for law enforcement work. Pretty insane. Check out this past story on Capitol Chief David Erwin.

The Walker Authority will not tolerate “disruptive” and disrespectful behavior of a duly elected Republican politician. Their scared.

You would think Walker’s repressive political management, along with attempts to suppress voter participation, would start sending up red flags everywhere. Where’s the Wisconsin 14 now, or for that matter, a new lineup of Democrats in the front lines against Walker?  I kid, yawn.

Chicago Tribune: The Wisconsin Capitol's new police chief said Monday he plans to crack down on protesters who don't follow the building's rules because he wants to restore a sense of normalcy and safety to the statehouse. Chief David Erwin told The Associated Press in an interview that he respects people's right to petition their government, but that he believes some protesters' behavior has crossed into intimidation.

"I understand it's a political environment," Erwin said of the Capitol. "(But) there's a line. We're better than that." Erwin, a former Marine, said he reached an agreement with DA Isamel Ozanne and Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen last week calling for Van Hollen to handle civil citations against the protesters and Ozanne to handle any criminal complaints. 

From Channel3000:



That means any innocent protester could be subject to the full weight of the state of Wisconsin's Justice Department. The party of small government, my ass. That's a far cry from the past, where even Walker thugs got off scot free:

Capitol police have issued scores of citations against the protesters over the last 18 months, but Dane County District Attorney Isamel Ozanne, a Democrat, has dismissed most of them.

Does Mitt Romney envision an American Version of the Chinese factory dorms?

Mitt Romney doesn't appear shaken by or willing to reject China's template for factory employment.

I've been saying it for some time now; the new elite, "the job creators," are hoping to continue to keep employment and wages low for one good reason, they want a desperate citizen employee pool.

A desperate pool consisting of families who'll do anything to feed their families. We pretty much have that now, but Republicans have only just started to hand everything over to business, so expect things to get even more dire in the future.

The country with the best business model? Dumb Ron Johnson and others have been praising China for years, so we need to be more like them.

In the video clip below, Mitt finds the factory dorms and the public desperation for employment fascinating enough to pass along to a room full of donors.

This is the future folks. Transcript below:



"95% of life is set up for you if you were born in this country. And, I remember going to ah, uh, sorry just to bore you with stories.

When I was back in my private equity days, we went to China to buy a factory there. It employed about 20,000 people. And they were almost all young women between the ages of about 18 and 22 or 23. They were saving for potentially becoming married.

And they work in these huge factories, they made various uh, small appliances. And uh, as we were walking through this facility, seeing them work, the number of hours they
worked per day, the pittance they earned, living in dormitories with uh, with little bathrooms at the end of maybe 10, 10 room, rooms. And the rooms they have 12 girls per room.

Three bunk beds on top of each other. You've seen, you've seen them? (Oh...yeah, yeah!) And, and, and around this factory was a fence, a huge fence with barbed wire and
guard towers. And, and, we said gosh! I can't believe that you, you know, keep these girls in! They said, no, no, no. This is to keep other people from coming in.

Because people want so badly to come work in this factory that we have to keep them out. Or they will just come in here and start working and, and try and get compensated. So we, this is to keep people out. And they said, actually Chinese New Year as the girls go home, sometimes they decide they've saved enough money and they don't come back to the factory.

And he said, so, on the weekend after Chinese New Year there will be a line of people hundreds long, outside the factory, hoping that some girls haven't come back. And they can come to the factory. And, and so as we were experiencing this for the first time, going to see a factory like this in China some years ago.

The Bain Partner I was with turned to me and said, you know, 95% of life is settled if you are born in America. This is uh, this is an amazing land and what we have is unique and fortunately it is so special we are sharing it with the world." 

Republicans Reinterpret Constitution to fit Authoritarian Ideology into the Judicial Branch.

Say goodbye to the independent judicial branch of our government. If the Republicans take the presidency and control of the senate, the judicial branch will change.

We could easily make this a not-so-phony Democratic outrage moment, but won't. It's like everything else allowed to happen under the pathetic leadership of the Democratic Party.

Think Progress took the time to look at the Republican Party’s draft platform, and found out that the independent judicial branch will no longer be tolerated. The platform language is crystal clear about encouraging a much more conservative activist court system. Remember this; there is no consensus on "constitutional limits," so the conservative assumptions are only that, and a continuation of a debate that's been going on since before the Constitution was written:

Platform: "Despite improvements as a result of Republican nominations to the judiciary, some judges in the federal courts remain far afield from their constitutional limitations. The U.S. Constitution is the law of the land. Judicial activism which includes reliance on foreign law or unratified treaties undermines American law. The sole solution, apart from impeachment, is the appointment of constitutionist jurists, who will interpret the law as it was originally intended rather than make it. That is both a presidential responsibility, in selected judicial candidates, and a senatorial responsibility, in confirming them. We urge Republican Senators to do all in their power to prevent the elevation of additional leftist ideologues to the courts, particularly in the waning days of the current Administration."

According to Think Progress:

Activist judging is the backbone of Republican constitutional theory, not the enemy of it. Moreover, if Republicans really cared what our founding fathers thought about important constitutional questions like judicial independence, they would not even consider the idea of impeaching a judge simply because of a partisan disagreement. The Constitution provides that judges “shall hold their offices during good behaviour,” not so long as a political party agrees with them

Democrats-R.I.P.?

Here's my cathartic outpouring...

Since I've been on vacation, traveling around the state, I got a little depressed seeing the Republican yard signs and listening to talk radio. Having distanced myself from the day-to-day coverage and blogging, I noticed something very unsettling.

Democrats aren't even close to countering the overwhelming conservative media machines fine tuned message. It's like we're in two different worlds. Despite the insightful coverage by Maddow, O'Donnell and Schultz, no one else in the news media seems to care. Their "lefties," and can't be taken seriously.

While many Democratic voters continue to whine and complain about how Obama disappointed them, they seem to have missed what made Obama the overwhelming choice for president.

He was an over-the-top liberal, a populist, who appealed to our better instincts. So what did the Democratic Party do? They backed away from their platform and compromised the hell out of it. It made liberal voters angry. No one sides with cowards.

The authoritarian overreach of the Republican 2010 takeover should have been a gift for the Democratic Party. Well, guess who didn't notice?

A Colorado university research team concluded that Romney will defeat Obama in November. They've been right since 1980. I certainly hope they're wrong, but...recent polls have indicated the public is receptive to change, stating emphatically they think the country is headed in the wrong direction. We live in a time of immediate gratification, and a slow recovery just won't cut it. That's bad news for Obama.

That means voters are willing to believe that their own social safety nets had something to do with the Wall Street crash and our current slow economic recovery. It means they believe there's some truth in the Romney campaigns phony outrage, misquotes and fabrications.

They want to change direction, despite all the things Americans like about Obama.

The Mitt Romney "I know you are but what am I" Presidential Campaign...believe it or not.

Republicans continue to con the public by simply blaming the Democrats for everything the Romney/Ryan ticket is doing wrong or lying about. From the USA Today:

"There are plenty of weaknesses that I have, and I acknowledge that," Romney says. "But the attacks that have come have been so misguided, have been so far off target, have been so dishonest, that they surprised me. I thought they might go after me on things that were accurate that I've done wrong, instead of absurd things."

Really, like the absurd things the Romney campaign has said about the Obama administration?

Freeloading Republican Leader Scott Walker likes Dictatorship. Special Session Debate with Disagreeable Democrats too much work.

Gov. Scott Walker would prefer the easy kind of legislating that comes from one party rule. He's already a bit spoiled. In the clip below, from Upfront with Mike Gousha (goo-shay), Walker wants to go into special session with a passable, agreed to plan, and not have to go through all that fighting and debating. Reminds me of the following:

Quoting George W. Bush: "If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator" ... "A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."

As Walker put it:

"I don't think the people of the state, want me to call a special session and then have you guys spend two weeks fighting." 

 Stunning!



I guess the Ken Lonnquist song, "We have our own W now" pretty much nailed it. This droopy eyed sociopath still wants to collect a paycheck from taxpayers without all the work. Answers the question why so many conservatives want to be in government.

Before Obama, Ryan backed big government Stimulus help.

Rachel Maddow reviews how Republicans, who once supported huge stimulus packages, are claiming now they don't work. Hell, they even took credit for their own state's federal assistance from Obama's "failed" plan. But Ezra Klein details how the stimulus not only worked, but explains how in the past, Republican fiscal hawks wanted more money than Obama asked for.

The trick here is that most Americans will never know how they're being scammed by Ryan and the Republican Tea Party revolutionaries. When you're all over the place, who can keep track?

Jeb Bush tells Obama and Europe, get over George's Great Recession, it's been 3 years for gods sake.

After nearly collapsing into another Great Depression, we're all supposed to have picked up the pieces by now, according to former Gov. Jeb Bush. Come on, with all the jobs lost to off shoring, stagnant wages, union busting and growing income disparity, what's holding everyone up? What a family of assholes.

Walker accuses Tammy Baldwin of taking...Greenwich Village campaign contributions...channels 60's.

While Gov. Scott Walker raked in millions from all over the country in campaign cash to win the recall election, contributions from outside the state to Democratic coffers apparently isn't allowed, even a little unfair.

What was Walker thinking when he used the following backhanded retro reference to Greenwich Village as a source of campaign contributions to Tammy Baldwin. Did I miss that story? From Upfront with Mike Gousha:

The Crazy Kleefisch Contradiction on Legal Rape!!!

This is the most amazing statement yet by our air headed Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. Watching this could cause a serious case of whiplash. She embodies the empty headed rhetoric of the radicalized Republican Tea Party.



The "have it both ways" platform of the GOP is hitting a new level of absurd. Below is the full WKOW report by Greg Neumann...watch for Sly in the Morning leading the protest cheer "Akin, Akin!":

God sends Strong Anti-Bigot, Anti-Racist Message to GOP Convention via Tropical Storm Isaac!!

Putting our Faith in Conservative Defeatists!!

As the title clearly states, we've been putting our faith and money on leaders, politicians and non-human interests (corporations are people my friend) that don’t want to fix anything. To them, Social Security and Medicare won’t be there for them, so what’s to fix?

Conservatives have so far done a pretty good job of convincing younger voters that their defeatist attitude is a virtue, and rooted firmly in reality. The truth is, under their defeatist political guidance, the loss of our safety nets is a win for the party and a loss for actual people. So why vote for a sure thing that rewards political quitters?

Because the Democrats aren’t there demanding that their solutions be enacted. Even when the public is totally on their side.

Real Clear Politics: Most Americans say go ahead and raise taxes if it will save Social Security benefits for future generations. And raise the retirement age, if you have to. Both options are preferable to cutting monthly benefits, even for people who are years away from applying for them.

That's what actual American's are saying:

A new Associated Press-GfK poll on public attitudes toward the nation's largest federal program: When given a choice on how to fix them, 53 percent of adults said they would rather raise taxes than cut benefits for future generations. 36 percent would cut benefits. 53 percent said they would raise the retirement age, while 35 percent said they would cut monthly payments.

That’s not exactly a defeatist approach to saving Social Security, is it? Yet the conservative propaganda surrounding the eventual death of Social Security, is creating just the right amount of uncertainty, as illustrated sporadically in the comments below.

"Right now, it seems like we're taxed so much, but if that would be the only way to go, I guess I'd have to be for it to preserve it," said Marge Youngs, a 77-year-old widow from Toledo, Ohio. "It's extremely important to me. It's most of my income."

But Jeff Victory of Nashville, Tenn., worries that Obama doesn't have the stomach to cut benefits to help rein in the program. "Barack has already shown he's going to give anything free out to everyone he possibly can, so I'm going to have to go with Romney on that one," said Victory, a 26-year-old electrician. "I'm not planning on it at all, honestly," said Victory, the 26-year-old electrician.

"Raising taxes, especially on the people that provide the jobs for us, is not an option because what you do there, you discourage promoting jobs," said James Taylor, a 68-year-old retiree from Golden, Miss.

But Juan Tellez, a 22-year-old college student in Gainesville, Fla., said he would accept higher taxes if it means preserving benefits, even though he's not very confident Social Security will be around for his generation. "I think of Social Security as an investment, as a public investment almost, something more communal," Tellez said. "I feel like I would want to invest in that."

Without an equally powerful argument that actually reflects the public’s willingness to increase taxes for security in old age, the Republicans will eventually get what they want. Look at it this way; if the public continues to elect Republicans who want to do just the opposite of public opinion, then how hard can it be get elected promising to fiercely defend what the people want? 

Stop Buying Apple Products, NOW!!

I've hated Apple for years, and so have many others, but now it’s time to hold Apple accountable for being the money grubbing proprietary jerks they are. Remember when updating Quicktime changed all the files on your computer to its format?

Nit picky says it all, but the real reason behind their position stems from Steve Jobs threat to go nuclear on Google's Android system. Vengeance. 

When you try to take electronic advances away from competitors, like the ability to pinch to zoom or photo return (bounce back), you start to affect everyone else’s ability to progress and enjoy the basics.

NY Times; The nine jurors in the case found that Samsung infringed on a series of Apple’s patents on mobile devices, awarding Apple more than $1 billion in damages … the decision could essentially force it and other smartphone makers to redesign their products to be less Apple-like, or risk further legal defeats. Consumers may be stuck with devices that manufacturers have clumsily revamped to avoid crossing Apple.

Wonderful, huh? Remember, Apple doesn’t license its technology to anyone.

The more important effect of the jury’s decision could be the impact it has on Android, the Google operating system used by Samsung and a broad array of other companies in their devices. For every iPhone sold worldwide, more than three smartphones running Android are sold … Apple is expected to ask the judge in the Samsung case for an injunction preventing Samsung from shipping products that infringe on Apple’s patents … consumers could experience some discomfort in their use of smartphones if Samsung and other manufacturers are forced to design around certain basic functions to avoid violating Apple’s patents. Katie Cotton, an Apple spokeswoman, “We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy,” she said.

That’s why on the other end of the spectrum, innovators are trying to develop technologies for the public domain, free for the taking and free for developers to be creative. But not Apple. Let's hope Apple gets it back in spades:

PCWorld: A week ago, Motorola Mobility filed a claim with the U.S. International Trade Commission maintaining that the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad infringed on MotoMobi's patents for e-mail notifications, location reminders, and media players. 

Rep. Robin Vos' soon to be ex, in Idaho, voted illegally in Wisconsin!!

Who's voting illegally? With the new voter law in limbo, and in court, it appears our Republican friends are the ones getting caught doing what they always do, cheating. This is no small issue, and if Samantha Vos did cast illegal votes, then the full force of the law should come crashing down from our Republican Authority. We have to maintain the integrity of our elections, don't cha know.

Boiseweekly: Samantha Vos, who said that she was a resident of Canyon County in court papers filed April 19 separating from her husband, cast a vote in Wisconsin's April presidential primary election,according to a report by Madison, Wisc., television station WKOW. Vos is the wife of Wisconsin Republican Rep. Robin Voss, co-chair of his state's joint finance committee. WKOW reports that Wisconsin law requires 28 days of continuous residency prior to voting.

Vos' Democratic opponent in the upcoming election told WKOW that Samantha Vos' vote while a resident of Idaho was "unfortuante" and said it indicated she had improperly voted.

WKOW reports that Samanta Vos also voted in a June 5 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election and another primary election earlier this month, as her legal action in Idaho continued.

No love lost, Vos snarled a response, sorta:

Through a spokesperson, Rep. Vos declined comment, other than to note the casting of the vote was his wife’s matter.

Walker's DNR Censors play that was wrongfully vilified by Christian Radio WVCY's Vic Eliason.

Scott Walker’s DNR has stepped into the entertainment business briefly, long enough to censor a play. For purely political reasons, and to appease the intolerant religious right, the DNR decided to shred the First Amendment. You can also blame Christian radio in this state, which has been a very powerful militant organization in Wisconsin, and has been for quite a while. Here’s another example, from the Waukesha Patch:

Reporter Sarah Millard-DELAFIELD: Phantom Cicada Theater Company’s production of THE BIBLE: THE COMPLETE WORD OF GOD (ABRIDGED) has been ousted from their performance venue at SummerStage in Lapham Peak State Park because of threats and manipulation from Christian extremists … WVCY’s right-wing radio host Vic Eliason stirred local and out-of-state members of the Christian community to harass the board members of SummerStage and the DNR with phone calls and emails about this so-called blasphemous play.. The DNR, who manages the state park, has caved to complaints and forbidden the production to take place as planned. The DNR used a loophole in their contract with SummerStage that disallows non-“family friendly” presentations to be staged in the park.

Threats: When I said militant, I wasn’t exaggerating. Things went from bad to worse:

Phantom Cicada’s producer Brian Faracy, the play’s director Bo Johnson, and the performers took steps to stage their production at an alternate venue, the Delafield Arts Center. As soon as the center agreed to host the production, a repeat of the threatening deluge ensued, targeting the center’s administrators. Feeling that their personal safety was at risk, and on the advice of the Delafield police, the venue reneged.

This play has apparently been around awhile:

Originally conceived by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, this play has been successfully produced for over 17 years-- including a sold-out 12-week run in Washington DC’s prestigious Kennedy Center. It is an innocuous, non-blasphemous, lighthearted send-up of the Bible. For reviews of past productions, visit the RSC website. 

The arts have never been very popular on the right, and any shot at Christianity is taken as an insult, not a parody. The play is described as very Monty Python-ish. 

“It’s wacky! It’s zany! And a little profaney.” Sister MaryAnne Walsh, Arlington Catholic Herald

“The audience dissolved hysterically into the aisles. The troupe’s obvious comic forbears include the Mark Brothers (wordplay and irreverence), the Flying Karamazov Brothers (madcap performance comedy) and vaudeville as reinvented by “Laugh-In” (pace and schtick).” Ron Weiskind – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“This is a slick, fast, very funny show… skilled performers with immaculate, sassy American timing.” London Sunday Times

Reporter Millard included this direct response:

Please voice your concerns about the DNR’s decision to breach their contract, allowing religious extremists to call the shots, violating freedom of speech rights, and disallowing the production to go forward here:

Secretary - Cathy Stepp (608) 266-2121 – cathy.stepp@wisconsin.govDeputy Secretary - Matthew Moroney (608) 264-6266 - Matt.Moroney@wisconsin.gov

Fear Mongering Job Stealing Immigrants: group "NumbersUSA" goes bonkers!!!

Another hilariously named group, "NumbersUSA-for Lower Immigration Levels," adds to the election clutter with this amazing "non" political ad:

I get it, that's why Scott Walker's can't create any new jobs...besides employer "uncertainty" over the upcoming elections...etc.

Ryan blatantly avoids his own bills language defining Rape. Don't pay attention to anything Ryan did before.

Since I'm still out of town, here's another incredible link to an interview where Paul Ryan can't even answer questions about his own cosponsored bill defining rape and it's absolute extremism.

Delano: “You sponsored legislation that has the language ‘forcible rape.’ What is forcible rape as opposed…”

Ryan: “Rape is rape. Rape is rape, period. End of story.”

Delano: “So that forcible rape language meant nothing to you at the time?”

Ryan: “Rape is rape and there’s no splitting hairs over rape.”

 One TV station had an interview with Mitt Romney but only after agreeing they would not ask about abortion or Todd Akin.

Here's Ryans interview with KDKA TV.