Public To Rethugs: Hands Off The Unions

A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows that the public supports public sector employees in their fight to retain their benefits and collective bargaining rights. By a margin of 56 to 37, the public indicated that the pay and benefits of public employees should not be cut to reduce state deficits, and by an even larger 60 to 33 percent indicated that public sector employees should have the right to collective bargaining. Our posting of February 24 cited a Gallup poll showing similar results.

So much for the claims of Rethug Governors that they have a "mandate" to undermine public employee unions in order to deal with their states' budget problems. Americans sense that this is about fairness and preserving what's left of the middle class, and the Rethugs are on the wrong side.

In Memoriam

Two notable figures passed away yesterday. Brooklyn Dodgers great Duke Snider died at the age of 84. Center fielder Snider helped to lead the 1950s-era Dodgers to six World Series, and was an eight-time All Star. Also, the last surviving American soldier from World War I, Frank Buckles, died at the age of 110. Even at his advanced age, he participated in Congressional hearings on veterans issues.

Rest in peace.

Department of Delusional Thinking - Hollywood Division

Actor Charlie Sheen, having torpedoed his hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men," skewered its producer, bailed out of every detox program in California, and generally made a complete ass of himself on talk shows across the country, is now saying he wants a raise before he comes back. If producers are interested in having Mr. Sheen back, he can be reached on his barge sailing down De Nile.

(Photo: A man waaay past the need for an intervention.)

Monday Morning "Hooligan" Watch

Wannabe union-buster Gov. Scott "Too Much Johnnie" Walker (Mossback-WI), a member of the weasel family by all accounts, is the subject of two worthwhile articles in the Kaplan Daily, by The Dick Whisperer and by E.J. Dionne. "Hooligan" -- yeah, that just about captures it.

(Photo: Hey Gov. Flyweight: "Mama gonna knock you out!")

Solidarity

Sailors and Marines man the rails as the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) departs San Diego on its maiden deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. Green Bay is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 1. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Stephen M. Votaw/Released)

Quote of the Day

"That’s not to say there is no fiscal mission in the right’s agenda, both nationally and locally — only that the mission has nothing to do with deficit reduction. The real goal is to reward the G.O.P.’s wealthiest patrons by crippling what remains of organized labor, by wrecking the government agencies charged with regulating and policing corporations, and, as always, by rewarding the wealthiest with more tax breaks. The bankrupt moral equation codified in the Bush era — that tax cuts tilted to the highest bracket were a higher priority even than paying for two wars — is now a given. The once-bedrock American values of shared sacrifice and equal economic opportunity have been overrun."-- Frank Rich, in today's New York Times, commenting on the far right's goals beyond paying lip service to "fiscal responsibility."

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick

There's growing concern on the right about the malignant effect that Fux hate-spewer and loony conspiracy-weaver Glenn "Boo Hoo" Beck is having on their cause. Wingers Jennifer Rubin and Peter Wehner have written recently about Boo Hoo's rants and wild conspiracy theories, with Wehner writing in the conservative rag Commentary that "it’s only a matter of time — and I suspect not much time — until he blows apart professionally." Rubin writes that Boo Hoo doesn't speak for the conservative movement. Yesterday, former Rethug Congressman Joe "JoeScar" Scarborough called Boo Hoo out for his delusional behavior, saying at one point that he's "out of control."

Boo Hoo has been a useful tool of the right to sell crackpot ideas to the low information viewers of Fux. But his increasingly unhinged diatribes are becoming a concern to his former cheerleaders, who realize that it's only a matter of time before they witness a career-ending, total mental breakdown live on the conservative "news" network.

Cartoon of the Day

Cartoon by Ben Sargent (click to enlarge)

Media Fails to Cover Rulings Upholding Health Reform

As we predicted, the "mainstream" media hasn't been so fair and balanced in reporting the three rulings upholding the constitutionality of the health reform act, versus the two that didn't. They need to be careful not to get a hernia carrying so much Rethuglican water.

(Image: Politico, AP and the Kaplan Daily)

Calling Gov. Walker

We've got someone on the line for you, Governor Dimbulb:

Rep. Paul Broun Townhall: "Who's Going To Shoot Obama?"

Rep. Paul Broun (New Confederate Party/GA) is one of the most far-right members of Congress, but even so it was surprising when a wingnut cracker (and fan, no doubt, of Boo Hoo Beck) got up at Broun's town hall meeting this past Tuesday and asked, "Who's going to shoot Obama?", and Broun didn't denounce the crackpot. (We should also note the town hall audience of mental defectives laughed after the question was asked.) Broun is now furiously trying to backpedal and claim he was too stunned by the question to respond forcefully. Oh, yes, and they notified the Secret Service -- after the fact. Riiiight!

America Backs Collective Bargaining Rights

In a poll taken the other day by the Gallup organization, an overwhelming majority of Americans support the right of collective bargaining for public employees. By a margin of 61 to 33 percent, Americans believe public employees -- teachers, firefighters, office workers, etc. -- have a right to organize and bargain with their governmental units for wages, working conditions, benefits, etc. Wisconsin Governor Scott "Too Much Johnnie" Walker is clearly in the minority as far as public opinion. And his claim that he was forthright in the last election about taking collective bargaining away from public employees? Not surprisingly, he's lying, as PolitiFact shows.

As the prank phone call to Too Much Johnnie Walker by right-wing industrialist "David Koch" demonstrated, there's a lot of slime and deceit in the Wisconsin Governor, and we're certain there will be further displays of it in the days and weeks ahead.

(illustration: And a lying one at that)

Someone Needs Caller I.D.

Anyone following Wisconsin politics knows that Gov. Scott "Too Much Johnnie" Walker (Trog-WI) is beholden to the extreme right-wing Koch Brothers for his political success. The Koch (they pronounce it "coke" but we think "cock" is more a propos) Brothers are well-known as big time funders of the tea party movement, climate change deniers, and anyone else with a reactionary agenda.

Enter the on-line newspaper "Buffalo Beast," and more specifically editor Ian Murphy. Murphy, being the enterprising journalist he is, had been trying to contact Gov. Union Buster but had been unable to get past his Praetorian Guard. So, he figured the person most likely to get a phone chat with Gov. Dip Stick would be his patron, David Koch. Blimey if the Guvner didn't take the call and, well... HuffPo has the tapes and transcripts, go over and have a chuckle (or weep a little, as the case may be)!

(Photo: "Bartender: a little "Too Much Johnnie" Walker and Koch, please!")

Another Ruling Supporting Health Reform Law

You are very unlikely to hear it in the mainstream media, but U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler became the third Federal judge to rule in favor of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which has been President Obama's signature achievement thus far. Two Federal judges appointed by Rethuglican Presidents have ruled against the Act. Guess which rulings captured vastly more media attention?

As more and more provisions of the Act take effect, the public will notice that they are not being marched off to socialist concentration camps to be interviewed by death panels. Sadly, the good news that the law is being upheld isn't considered as "newsworthy" as victories by the wingnuts and their backers in the private health insurance industry.

Mid-Week Song

"Handle With Care" was a 1988 hit by the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup made up of George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. They ceased recording following the death of Orbison in December 1988. George Harrison, who died in 2001, would have been 68 this Friday.