Bachmann's "Kills Children, Kills Senior Citizens" rant on Obamacare Surreal.

It still boggles the mind Minnesota voters reelected Michele Bachmann. What in god’s name were they thinking? Real Americans don’t really think like her, do they?

It's one of the funniest and most ridiculous statements yet heard on the floor of the House, and that's saying something. Providing health care will kill you? No wonder they want to take it away...

Here’s what Michele Bachmann is completely unaware of in her little enclosed Republican bubble. I've adapted this story slightly from a Florida article, since all the features of the Affordable Care Act are the same everywhere, so it's clear what has happened so far:

Miami Harold: (Those) who have health insurance now have more security thanks to new insurance-market reforms and consumer protections put into place by the law. Preventive services like mammograms and flu shots are newly available for free to 3.8 million people with private insurance plans. Medicare beneficiaries with the highest prescription drug costs have saved an average of $678 on their medications … And are now protected from some of the worst insurance-industry abuses such as lifetime coverage caps that could cut off benefits when people need them most.

The law has also begun to curb rising health costs across the system by cracking down on waste and fraud and creating powerful incentives for hospitals to spend their resources more wisely. These reforms have already led to significant improvements in health outcomes.

That includes the first drop in hospital readmissions for Medicare beneficiaries on record, which means when people with Medicare go home from the hospital, they are more likely to stay healthy and less likely to have to return for additional care.

Just as important, this progress has contributed to the slowest sustained growth in health spending in 50 years. National healthcare spending has now grown at historic lows for three consecutive years — and Medicare and Medicaid spending is growing even more slowly. In 2012, Medicare spending per beneficiary rose by less than half of 1 percent, while Medicaid spending actually dropped by nearly 2 percent.

The healthcare law is demonstrating the right way to deal with rising costs. Instead of simply shifting the burden onto seniors and the needy, it’s bringing down costs across the system by improving care coordination and cutting waste. And it’s holding insurance companies accountable by limiting how much of your premium they can spend on marketing and overhead. This protection has already produced $123.6 million in rebates for residents of Florida.

The marketplace will give individuals, families, and small business owners a simple, convenient way to find a private insurance plan that fits their budget.

Beginning next year, it will also finally be illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against people with a pre-existing medical condition or disability.

Can Scott Walker run on this record? Conservative Voters Silent on Jobs Now.

NewWisGov is out tweeting this amazing chart.

Chicago to close 54 schools, fire 1,000 teachers, and disrupt the education of 30,000 kids.

The fallout from the Bush Great Recession continues, as cash strapped states and cities try to dig out from the mess Wall Street left us.

Chicago is taking a bulldozer to public education, treating it like a "business" and not a public good. Even schools that have recently been updated and doing well are closing. 54 schools are closing, 1,000 long time dedicated teachers are getting pink slips, and the parents of 30,000 kids have to help the children deal with the disruption of changing classmates in new neighborhoods. 

Here's Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis with a few choice words:

Chicago Tribune: Outside Mahalia Jackson Elementary School in the Auburn-Gresham community, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis called the decision “racist” and “classist.” “Our mayor, who’s away on a ski trip, drops this information right before spring break,” she wondered. “This is cowardly and it’s the ultimate bullying job. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, you should be ashamed of yourself. We will not allow them to wreak havoc on our schools and our city, this will not be Detroit. This will not save money, it will cost money, and it’s going to leave abandoned buildings, which is another recipe for disaster.”

Schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett herself was not on a conference call Thursday with local and national reporters. Mayor Rahm Emanuel remained out of town, skiing with his family in Utah.

Chicago Public Schools on Thursday announced the largest school shakeup in the nation: closing 54 schools and 61 buildings, jostling 30,000 kids and giving pink slips to more than 1,000 teachers. Most of the targeted schools are in the city’s black and poorest communities on the West and South sides. But the list also shocked a group of parents and teachers of five schools that had been considered safe from closing.

Takeeva Thompson, (who) has been a lunchlady for seven years, (said) “We need to save these children and save these schools.  This is our future, and removing these schools…we are either giving them a gun or a book, and it’s up to us.” 

Teachers may be the next target for supposed unreported bullying.

So why not blame a teacher for not reporting bullying, even if they never saw or heard anything, and then fine them $200 for the heck of it.

Instead of blaming the bully, teachers will be sought out and made the scapegoat for overzealous parents and irresponsible principals.

Stevens Point Journal: Teachers and other school district employees would face $200 fines if they fail to report bullying incidents under a bill being circulated by a Republican lawmaker.

But some school advocates worry the bill would have unintended consequences. “I think it creates incentives in the wrong directions,” said Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. He said he fears the proposal could lead to teachers over-identifying student behavior as bullying due to fears of being penalized, or districts narrowing the definition of bullying.

Again, I really think this is another way to trash teachers, blame them for a few more of the problems in our schools. For instance, the author of the bill is simply going by the hearsay of a parent who supposedly told a teacher of bullying. Well, if the teacher doesn't witness the bullying, the teacher is then blamed.

But the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Garey Bies, R-Sister Bay, said parents have told him they talked to teachers about bullying problems but “nothing was ever done.” law doesn't include penalties for those who fail to report the behavior.

As a parent who's experienced this problem first hand, I called the parents of the bully myself. When do parents take some responsibility. The GOP is always trying to "empower" parents with school choice, how about bullying?

Like a true authoritarian disciplinarian, Bies will teach those teachers a lesson.

“I thought maybe we need to put more incentive into somebody following through,” Bies said. “To me, it’s an insurance policy,” he said.

To me it’s bullying teachers.

Walker's Raw Idealism on Medicaid and Vouchers starting to Piss People Off.

Two big issues hit the fan this week. Thanks to the great reporting from WKOW's Greg Neumann, you get a peak at the legislative push back.

First, the huge loss of jobs, the turning back of our own federal dollars to expand the Medicaid program, not to mention the additional loss of $100 million by local businesses, had many Democrats and Republicans looking for just one good reason pass Walker's plan. Sen. Dale Schultz may join Luther Olsen in crafting something less ideological. Ah, guys, I think there are a few Democrats hanging around the senate too.

The fact that the state can opt out anytime blows a hole in the idiotic claim by Walker the fed doesn't have the money and will stick Wisconsin with the bill:



I have one theory about Walker's possible motive; the poor forced into the marketplace, and businesses unhappy with any additional costs, may end up blaming Obama instead of Walker for their pain.

Secondly, State Schools Superintendent Tony Evers let Republicans have it over the expansion of the voucher program at the expense of public school spending. Schools really will get fewer dollars:

He's Back....Rob Zerban set to End Paul Ryan's Attack on American Way of Life.

With the momentum he gained in his first run against lyin' Ryan, Rob Zerban stands a good chance of unseating the man who wants to bankrupt seniors, and make them shop for health care. Paul Ryan's intentions have been clearly defined, and there's no longer any question what he wants to do.

Here's his email annoucement:

I've been touring around the district and thanking people for their help last year. And with what we were able to accomplish, there is reason to be thankful -- but it's time to get back to work. Last year, we raised and spent $2.3 million in our effort to unseat Paul Ryan. We kept him below 55% - the lowest margin of victory he has ever gotten - and made the First District the closest 2012 Congressional election in Wisconsin -- all while Ryan had the national spotlight afforded to him as Mitt Romney's running mate.

Now, I want to keep traveling around the district to talk with more families, more community leaders, more voters. I want to hear what they think about reducing the budget and the future of our country. That's why I'm formalizing the process and announcing the creation of the Rob Zerban Congressional Exploratory Committee. But I need your help.

Can you invest $25 in my exploratory committee today to get us started?  

How dangerous is the new/old Ryan plan?

TPM: The Senate voted 40-59 to reject the Paul Ryan budget on Thursday night.
Republican Sens. Mike Lee (UT), Ted Cruz (TX), Dean Heller (NV), Susan Collins (ME) and Rand Paul (KY) joined a unified Democratic caucus in voting against it. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) missed the vote.

Republicans did not offer the Ryan budget; Senate Budget Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) forced the vote by bringing up the plan as a substitute to her own Democratic budget.

"There seemed to be some resistance among my Republican colleagues in bringing up the House Republican budget for a vote. And it's pretty easy to see why that is," she said in a floor speech before the vote. "The House Republican approach has been thoroughly reviewed and just as thoroughly rejected by the American people."

Wisconsin still more Democratic than Republican. You'd never know it watching the Walker Authority.

Still more proof the Walker/Republican agenda completely ignores every Democratic Wisconsinites. Are we really a red state...don't think so according to the respondents:

Public too Dumb to Understand Gun Safety Measures? How Respectful is that?

Gun nuts have nothing left to argue. That's why they've come up with a list of scare tactics about living through a lawless apocalyptic disaster, or creating scenarios where the U.S. government shreds the Bill of Rights and confiscates our guns.

To gun loons, the ignorant public shouldn't be writing guns laws. You see, we don't know enough about the mechanics that goes into manufacturing guns, bullet calibers or how confident they make us feel in a heated argument.

Media Fail: St Norbert College just came out with a poll that included a question about a banning military style rifles. Firearms that LOOK like military rifles. Professor Wendy Scattergood did a fine job of explaining the survey on WPR's morning show, up until a gun shill know-it-all called in to intimidate and confuse the question. It worked.

The caller thought the question was misleading because actual military assault rifles are fully automatic. Automatic weapons have been banned for decades. The question didn't ask should military assault weapons be banned, that's just dumb. It asked if military STYLE assault weapons, rifles that LOOKED like assault weapons, should be banned. As an "uninformed gun novice," even I understood the question.

Scattergood folded like a house of cards. Fearing the appearance of liberal bias, she panicked and agreed with the "gun shill" that the question should have been more specific. Scattergood blew it. Here's the audio of the smug gun loser scoring a win over our timid media.



WPR's morning show then presented firearm fanatic and propagandist Jim Fendry, who's baritone voice oozes authority and a thorough knowledge of the issues. Wrong. Fendry goes after background checks with an endless stream of bullshit. The facts below counter Fendry. Even radio host Joy Cardin had to question Fendry's lack of reasoning. Fendry ignored Justice Scalia's allowance for regulation, and said in all seriousness, it's too late anyway for gun control.

The Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month approved background check legislation drawn up by Sen. Chuck Schumer.

That bill, S. 374, would require all private gun sales between individuals to be run through the existing National Instant Criminal Background Check System. For that purpose, the people involved would have to take the gun to a federally licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer. S.374 makes exceptions for transfers between spouses, parents and children, siblings, and grandparents and grandchildren. It also contains language allowing the loan of firearms at a gun range or while hunting or otherwise for a short period of time.

NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said, “there are only two reasons for government to create that federal registry of gun owners – to tax them and to take them.”

The same could be said of one of America's biggest killers, cars.

I have worried many times and had heated arguments about the day I believe the government will take away our cars. Think about it, the Constitution doesn't even protect car owners from government confiscation. 

Third Year in, Walker starting to Cost Taxpayers Lots of Money...

Nice tweet:

This is Fun to Watch: Walker and State Republicans Proving they Can't Run Government.

Hypocrites all. I guess when you make a pledge to an outside special interest group to never raise taxes, your options are somewhat limited. Yet this is the bed Republicans have made for themselves;  managing the business of government in a choke-hold, a straitjacket of their own choosing.

Borrow and spend, that's the GOP mantra in Wisconsin (Bush did the same thing, and look what happened to "surpluses as far as the eye could see"-Mitch Daniels). Not only that, but Walker is making the argument interest rates are so low that this is the best time to borrow. Brilliant, now they get it.

Funny thing, Republicans in D.C. are saying just the opposite. jsonline:

Assembly Republicans again signaled they are troubled by Gov. Scott Walker's plan to borrow nearly $1 billion and add more than 700 workers to the state payroll over the next two years.

"I don't think you probably put on your brochure we're going to grow the size of government," Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) told Walker's administration secretary, Mike Huebsch.

Sounding like a Democrat: In a surreal moment to remember, Huebsch is finding out just how hard it is to talk to ideologically rigid Republicans. God I love this:

Huebsch said adding auditors and agents at the Department of Revenue would allow the state to collect more money and ensure fairness in taxation. Hiring engineers - the Department of Transportation wants to take on 180 more - is necessary because state jobs at that agency have been "cannibalized in recent years," he said. More workers are needed at the Department of Health Services to comply with new federal rules, such as the federal Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Huebsch had to stare into the blank freeloading eyes of Republican legislators, who don’t want to work this hard solving problems and saving money:

The Department of Transportation contends it would net $5.6 million in savings over two years by hiring engineers and others because state employees cost less than private consultants. "We believe adding these positions gives us additional technical expertise," Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb said.

Making sense: But Mike Huebsch’s words fell on deaf ears, as he blah, blah, blah’ed the committee:

"You need to invest in those projects if you're going to make sure your infrastructure is strong," Huebsch told the committee. He also noted interest rates are low, which he said meant the state could purchase money while it is "on sale."

Huebsch literally blew the minds of committee Republicans…you’ll love this stuff:

But lawmakers said they were concerned that increased debt payments would gobble up the transportation budget. "While money is 'on sale,' I don't see that (debt service) line bending down," Rep. John Klenke (R-Green Bay) told Huebsch. Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson) said he, too, was bothered by the amount of borrowing Walker proposed. "We're making a big increase (in borrowing). Do you see this as a one-time increase?" Knudson asked Huebsch. "Do you see this as the new normal. . . . What I'm getting at is the sustainability of it.""It just seems to me that in the long range we're always going to have roads to repair and projects to do," Klenke said.

Get out the straight jacket:

Klenke said he wants to find ways to increase funding for transportation. He noted that tax increases are "off the table in current conversations" but said there may be ways to find some additional money within the state budget for road projects.

Watch WKOW's coverage by Greg Neumann:

You've got to be kidding: Teachers Happy with Act 10, or Superintendent Wishful Thinking?

This is the most hyperbolic example of “glass is half full” chest pounding I've seen in years.

It seems some school superintendents see the dedication shown by professional teachers to their students as an example of workplace happiness. Just imagine what these jovial superintendents did to their teachers, happened to you. This seems like a cruel joke:

jsonline: Two years after state legislation rolled back collective bargaining … several Milwaukee-area superintendents praised the overall effects, "We think it's going to be the gift that keeps on giving for a while," said Deborah Kerr, superintendent of the Brown Deer School District.

Hamilton School District Superintendent Kathleen Cooke said her district eliminated paying for retired teachers' health insurance and reduced the number of allowable sick leave days, which resulted in tens of thousands of dollars saved in substitute-teacher costs. She said that while teachers now have less take-home pay, less sick leave and fewer retirement benefits, they are also being engaged more by the district in developing curriculum and school-improvement plans. "Our staff members voted the district one of the best workplaces in 2012, after they had lost all of their retirement benefits, because of how they were treated during the crisis," Cooke said.

Yes, being treated well during Walker's created “crisis” sure made up for losing everything. It isn't like the teachers weren't engaged in developing curriculum and improvements before Act 10, because they were.

In fact, you have to question the superintendent’s energetic outlook to their own admitted recognition of Act 10’s enveloping darkness:

The superintendents said funding is still an issue for their districts and the saving reaped through health care and benefit changes are short term. They also said their boards should have more control over revenue caps and certain government mandates need to be adjusted or eliminated.

Yeah, big problems don’t cha think? Is it still “the gift that keeps on giving” as Brown Deer Superintendent Deborah Kerr stated above? 

Marquette Poll hardly reflects "Republican Mandate" to shove their Agenda down our throats.

Jud Lounsbury at Uppity Wisconsin put this nice summary together of a recent Marquette University poll. You'd think by now Marquette would have figured out a better way to present their own results, maybe include a few graphs. Just a thought:

The latest Marquette Poll: Unlike the recent PPP poll that showed Walker upside-down on his approval ratings, this poll shows that both Governor Scott Walker's job approval rating and favorable rating at 49% and disapproval and unfavorable at 44%.

On education, 72% think public school spending should be increased beyond current levels, 76% have a favorable view of public school teachers, 81% are satisfied with their local school (84% among those with school-age children).  Meanwhile only 27% have a favorable view of voucher schools, however 49% of the state is still unsure on the topic and only 24% disapprove.

On Governor Walker's plan to borrow billions of dollars to fund highway projects, 73% said they were "unwilling to borrow money for highway projects," but 53% were willing to use tolls to pay for highway projects.

Walker and the Republican majority have rejected every amendment put forth by the Democrats on major legislation. The most important bills racing through the legislature haven't represented a majority of Wisconsinites. See what gerrymandering can do:

Do Wisconsinites really want more assault weapons in our society, or block background checks?

Do Wisconsinites want to protect marriage from "the gay," or fear immigration?

Thank god people have caught onto the teabilly agenda...and what does this mean for tea party dummy Ron Johnson?

A Packer with Class....

I thought this thank you ad in two local newspapers was an incredibly classy thing to do by now former Packer Greg Jennings:

jsonline: Greg Jennings, the former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, placed a full-page color ad Wednesday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Green Bay Press Gazette titled "A Bittersweet Farewell," in which he thanks fans and the Packers organization for the seven years he was with the team.

Tourism Ad good, but a little late environmentally. It's more nostalgic.

It was funny to see our local news stations cover the new tourism ad by filmmaker David Zucker. Really, was 30 seconds really to much time to take out of the news cast? They never played the thing, just talked over maybe a few seconds of it. Wow, time is tight. Here's a little story that went with the release:

WPR: Governor Scott Walker got some help from Hollywood during a state tourism news conference today when he was asked to clarify his position on gay marriage. As the governor finished answering the question filmmaker David Zucker broke in to try to shift the discussion back to state tourism: "These questions are distracting from the governor's effort to promote gay tourism. Can you speak to that Governor?" 

I've had it! Republicans are Fascists!

I have had it being called a Marxist, a "liberal," and a socialist. Although Democrats mix a little socialism in with capitalism, these idiotic sweeping generalization are simply too much for take.

Isn't it funny how Democrats sit around watching conservative fascism envelope the Republican Party. I've synced the description here with the definition below. Tell me Republicans aren't actual fascists, which by the way isn't too strong a word.

The "take our country back" nationalism (American Exceptionalism), the elitist totalitarian "leaders" consuming local governments (Michigan's "emergency managers), the tea party movement threatening an armed revolution, and the GOP's obsession with building up the military, threatening war with any and every country we don't like.-Me

Compared to...

Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism. Fascists seek to unify their nation through a totalitarian state that seeks the mass mobilization of the national community, relying on a vanguard party to initiate a revolution to organize the nation on fascist principles. Fascism views political violence, war and imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation, spirit and vitality.-Wikipedia

It's pretty clear Republican Fascism is here, and we're too timid to says so. I'm not taking this anymore:

Huffington Post: Henry Barbour, one of five GOP strategists spearheading the RNC's post-campaign reboot, described President Barack Obama as a "socialist" Monday, "We've got a socialist in office right now -- how's that working for us?" Sarah Palin told Fox News that Obama's stance on the economy proves he "believes in socialism."bAnd last month, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) said he was proud to be the "first member of Congress to call [Obama] a socialist who embraces Marxist-Leninist policies.

 It's still hard for me to imagine a time when another American would dare question my patriotism, just because I'm a Democrat, liberal and progressive. Have we gone mad?

Justice Roggensack says Justice Bradley needed to "Calm down." What about Justice Prosser?

Even Republican women have a hard time standing up for their own gender and work place rights.

While Justice Pat Roggensack has done everything she can to downplay Justice Prosser's physical attack of another Justice, she's only made herself look even more culpable.

Check out the amazing backhanded slap at Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who apparently needed to "calm down," despite being choked moments before by Justice Prosser. Audio from WPR's Idea's Network:

Roggensack: "I physically separated those two people, by putting my body between them and holding onto Justice Bradley until she calmed down."

Roggensack then made this unintentional admission of bias:

Roggensack: "You know, I wouldn't be an independent decision maker, that would not be fair to the parties that were involved in this."

Roggensack of course never mentioned Justice Prosser by name, because that would just add to his bad reputation and tie him to the assault. I wonder if she gets his slippers too.

Prof. Ed Fallone just put out this ad highlighting the incident:

Republican Medicaid Scheme: Insure through private exchanges, spend more.

Word has it that Scott Walker might change his mind about turning down the expansion of Medicaid, and instead take a different approach. There’s an interesting idea making the rounds in states dominated by Republicans. But…it doesn't save taxpayer dollars, it spends more of it.

The Big Lie Exposed: Republicans don’t care about saving money or spending less, they care more about handing taxpayer cash to the private sector, whose hand is out for more and more.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind kicking around different ideas and covering more Americans, so there’s a social benefit to be gained. But saving money isn't a Republican priority. Here’s the plan:

WaPo: The most interesting deal though may be coming out of a state with a Democratic governor: Arkansas. What the legislature could be sold on, they told the governor, was this: Using billions in federal Medicaid dollars to buy private health insurance coverage for the state’s lowest income populations. What Arkansas is doing is using Medicaid dollars and sending people to the private health insurance exchanges, where they will shop for a plan like millions of other Americans expected to receive subsidies.

Private companies can still make a profit from sick people, and Republicans can still represent the money changers. Yeah.

Gov. Rick Scott in Florida is also stuffing taxpayer dollars into the private health insurance sector, by taking all their Medicaid recipients, and putting them under the control of a private company that will administer the program. See, someone can make a profit from the suffering and sick.

Democratic Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe knows it’ll cost more, but will go along with the plan as long as people get coverage. Beebe does seem a bit mystified:

There is one possible downside they might want to consider, that this approach will likely be more expensive overtime. That’s due to the fact that a private insurance plan tends to be more expensive than Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the difference between the two, for an individual, is $3,000.

Right now, that doesn't matter for Arkansas: The federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs until 2017 … after that, the match drops to 10 percent — and then the price tag for coverage does have an effect on the Arkansas budget. “We do anticipate the potential for our state share to grow” Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample says … (He was) asked why buy the more expensive health plans, which will ultimately cost their state, and the federal government, more money.

He replied, “This is the kind of option that our legislature asked us to look for. Our primary hope is that, we can do this, and this is one way to pursue it.”

Walker Medicaid decision passes cost onto Employers, up to $36 million. Still open for Business?

This idea of “sticking to your principles” no matter what happens in the real world is starting to play out in the most costly way in Wisconsin.

Scott Walker has turned down billions of federal dollars, money we sent to Washington and wouldn't mind getting back. Blame blind ideology.

The wheels are starting to come off even before the legislature gets its hands on Walker’s strange and costly proposals.

Walker’s decision to dump as many low income families into the health care exchanges is another one of those really dumb moves that’ll cost a whole lot of money for families businesses that didn't have to be.

jsonline: A national study by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. estimates that Walker's decision could leave Wisconsin employers with federal penalties of between $24.1 million and $36.1 million a year.

Putting these additional people into the exchanges, instead of covering them in BadgerCare, means they might face additional costs, in the form of premiums, deductibles or other costs. And if they have a job, their employers might have to pay more as well.

Employers with the equivalent of 50 or more full-time workers would pay a tax of between $2,000 and $3,000 per employee for anyone who receives a taxpayer subsidy to be covered under the federal health exchange. In Wisconsin, that would work out to just over 12,000 people, Jackson Hewitt estimated. "Any projections of the 'net' costs of Medicaid expansions should reflect the very real costs of such liabilities to employers," the report from the firm said.

The purely ideological response by Walker? Remember, he’s teaching us dumb adults a lesson:

Walker spokeswoman Jocelyn Webster said that Walker's proposal would reduce the number of uninsured in the state by about half and help reduce costs within the health care system associated with those uninsured. "Governor Walker is focused on moving people from government dependence into the independence of making their own health care decisions. 

As a parent who's  worried constantly about my sons safety and health, I really need another thing to decide? Been there, done that. It's time to give us our time back from the endless hours of picking an insurer year after year. 

Conservative Members of Law Enforcement Refusing to Enforce Gun Laws. We are now a Lawless country.

What if law enforcement refused to give speeding tickets, defied the law, because there was no way to stop drivers from going too fast?

Greeley Tribune: Weld County Sheriff John Cooke said he won’t enforce either gun-control measure waiting to be signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper, saying the laws are “unenforceable” and would “give a false sense of security.”

That’s the argument being made right now by a Colorado sheriff over new gun regulations. But what would happen if law enforcement decided to do this time and time again over almost anything they didn't like. In Milwaukee, Sheriff David Clarke is acting out his conservative disobedience in public. He even cut back on security for President Obama to make a point about staffing.

We’re slipping into chaos, and watching in slow motion the disintegration of our representative democracy where laws are voluntary now.

One bill passed Friday would expand requirements to have background checks for firearm purchases. Colorado lawmakers approved a 15-round limit on ammunition magazines. It also is awaiting the expected approval of the governor. Cooke said the bill requiring a $10 background check to legally transfer a gun would not keep firearms out of the hands of those who use them for violence.

“Criminals are still going to get their guns,” he said. “They’re feel-good, knee-jerk reactions that are unenforceable,” he said.

Cooke said he, like other county sheriffs, “won’t bother enforcing” the laws because it will be impossible for them to keep track of how the requirements are being met by gun owners. He said he and other sheriffs are considering a lawsuit against the state to block the measures if they are signed into law.

“Are we going to stop all criminals from getting guns? No,” said Democratic Rep. Beth McCann, a sponsor of the background checks bill. “But are we are going to put a barrier there, make it more difficult for them? Yes.”

Walker Belly Flops at CPAC.

So much had been made of Scott Walker's crowd killing performance at CPAC, I had to see it for myself. If you were only exposed to the local media, it was a given this guy was presidential material.

March 13, 2013

That was until I saw the speech. I watched a very scratchy sounding full version that bored me and the crowd to tears, initially. It wasn't until Walker sensed an opening, a smattering of shouts, that finally got things going. It's almost comical how Walker raised his voice to declare what has become the same old mundane and tired rhetoric, as something magically transformational. To a crowd unfamiliar with memorized talking points, his condescending "moral cause" and disciplinary ruthlessness of throwing people to the curb was something to cheer about. But since coming in 6th place in the CPAC straw poll, behind Paul Ryan, he might be feeling a little bit embarrassed.



Walker's speech reminded me of comedian Pat Paulson's campaign speech for president back in the 60's. Check out this short audio only moment, I know you'll agree: